November 2006 Archives

UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said shortly after 6 p.m today that Pat Cowan would start at quarterback and not Ben Olson, who has missed the past 8 weeks with a knee injury.

Cowan has led UCLA to wins in consecutive games and Dorrell said he was just a little further behind than Olson. He added this did not mean Cowan was the starter long-term or for the bowl game, but simply for the USC game on Saturday.

Players reactions -- some of whom did not know of the decision -- made it seem like the logical choice. Chris Markey agreed the team had gotten used to Cowan and he was not surprised. Junior Taylor, Olson's best friend on the team, said he knew BO was disappointed, but that he understood the decision. Neither BO or PC could talk on Wednesday, as quarterbacks are unavailable after Tuesday.

On a side note, the bonfire is on Thursday night in Wilson Plaza. Always a good time, it usually provides some great fodder and trash talk directed at the opposing team, and is an event worth attending if you've never been to one. The Parade is at 8, the fire at 9, and the event usually lasts a hour or so. And bring warm clothes, because it has been cold in Westwood the past two days, including Tuesday, when the temps dipped into the 40s.

One thing missing this year is the UCLA scout team players wearing USC helmets and uniforms during practice. No reason was given as to why the fun but degrading spectacle is no longer being done, but UCLA is also no longer playing the USC fight song during practice, either.

On a side note, Jeremy McGee returned to practice on Tuesday and Coach Karl Dorrell said he would get McGee involved but that he would not return kicks. McGee had been in Louisiana since Nov. 17 after his mother passed away from a heart attack. Understandably, McGee did not want to talk after practice on Tuesday.

As for Olson-Cowan, Olson was in a pleasant mood after practice and joked with the media that he had been through this before. Asked if he was "the starter until told otherwise" -- which is the line he used all throughout training camp -- Olson said it was the mentality he has always taken. "I did say that a lot the entire month of august, and you guys kept still wanting to talk to me," he joked.

It appears that Ben Olson will be the starter at quarterback. Karl Dorrell said he wants to see how Olson's knee and head respond over the next two days, but it was clear that if Olson is physically (knee) and mentally (head) ready, he'll be the starter Saturday.

I'd love to hear your feedback on this choice. Should Olson, who has not played since Oct 7, start or should Pat Cowan, who has started the past six games, including consecutive wins, keep the starting job. Mail me at kpearson@pe.com and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your insights.

Also, kick returner Jeremy McGee returned to practice today. He has been in Louisiana since Nov. 17 to attend to his mother's funeral. He's a good kid and is very well liked on the team, and running back Chris Markey (a fellow Louisiana native) has really taken him under his wing this year.

It's rivalry week, and it's apparent of that on campus here at UCLA.

The famous Bruin Bear has now been covered up in its cage and tarp with a sign on it that says the Bear is hibernating. It's tradition, since USC students in the past have vandalized the Bear. Tommy Trojan is likely already covered up across town.

The annual Beat SC Car Smash took place today and the Get the Red Out blood drive will be Wednesday from 10-4.

The Bonfire will be held Thursday night with the parade at 8 and the fire at 9. It's always a fun experience, highlighted by selected players getting on stage and offering their TRUE feelings about USC. Some are publishable, some are not.

Dwayne Jarrett just caught ANOTHER touchdown pass. That's three for the day.

He's only a junior, but this is looking more and more like it could be his final home game at the Coliseum. Talk about a performance.

Let's re-cap this ND drive:

First down: ND 3-yard pass completion.

Second down: False start.

Second down (again): Incomplete, with Indio's Oscar Lua nearly intercepting Quinn.

Third down: Quinn sacked by Dallas Startz.

Fourth down: Delay of game

Fourth down (again): Bad punt.

Let's just say that was the type of drive that makes coaches lose sleep at night.

Field goal for the Trojans, who lead 34-17.

Overall, a nice stop by a ND defense, but a holding penalty by USC was the difference in the drive.

11:43 remaining, Irish down by a pair of touchdowns. Can they get something going?

Dwayne Jarrett is really good...

So much for that big stop theory. Booty to McFoy. 13 yards. First down. Trojans marching.

The third quarter just ended and USC faces a third-and-9 from the ND 42 yard line. This is a big play for Notre Dame. if it forces a punt, it can keep itself in the game. If the Trojans get a first down and score, this one may be over.

On a side note, Traveler is prancing around the stadium again and they just lit the torch in the Coliseum. If you look out to the distance, the LA skyline in downtown is glistening on what is a perfect night, albeit a little bit cool.

Credit USC's secondary with not letting a receiver get open on two plays from the 5-yard line and forcing Quinn to throw the ball away once and scramble another. He tried a QB sneak on third down from the 4, which was a questionable call.

Quinn found Rhema McKnight for a 2-yard touchdown on fourth down, cutting the lead to 28-17. More impressively, McKnight actually caught the ball. It was his 15th TD catch of the year, tying the ND school record.

Notre Dame finally converted a fourth down, when James Aldridge got BARELY enough on a fourth-and-1 carry, taking the ball to the USC 5.

USC has now challenged the spot on the field, which may not be a bad challenge. The call on the field was upheld and USC is charged a timeout.

ND MUST score on this drive if it wants to get back into the game.

Some notable halftime stats....

Brady Quinn leads the game in RUSHING yardage, with 79 on four carries. He has more rushing yards than USC, which has 42.

The Irish have outgained USC, 222-158.

ND is 5 of 10 on third down conversions, but 0 of 3 on fourth down.

USC is honoring former All-American and NFL Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz at halftime. Munoz just ran out of the tunnel in a 77 jersey, and is being given a lettermans jacket by USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett.

Interesting fact: Munoz was on USC's 1978 championship team in football, but also in baseball, where he saw time as a pitcher. Imagine having to stare him down on the mound.

USC's last 10 offensive plays have gone for a combined minus-3 yards and two interceptions. Yikes.

Rhema McKnight....fourth down...another drop. Talk about a bad day.

ND makes up for it on Defense when DT Kallen Wade dropped back in coverage on a screen and made a one-handed interception while falling backwards. Right now, he has better hands than McKnight.

USC just threw deep and Booty was picked off by Mike Richardson. ND seems to have woken up and is back in this game. Booty did throw into triple coverage on the play.

ND's defense just forced three incompletions from JDB and then blocked the punt. Next play, Quinn hits Marcus Freeman for a 7-yard TD. USC up 21-10. That was a huge series for ND to stay in this game.

ND coach Charlie Weis is wearing a hooded sweatshirt. A former assistant with the New England Patriots, you wonder where he got that wardrobe idea from?

On a side note, Brady Quinn just had a 60-yard scramble on third down. Shocking that almost no USC player could catch him. It was the longest run against USC this season, and also the longest run for the Irish this season

JDB just snuck in from a yard out. 21-3 with 11:37 remaining in the third.

This is starting to look like the USC-ND routes of two and three years ago. All the talk of ND being overrated may be finally starting to look like more than talk.

It is the 63rd straight game of scoring 20 or more points for the Trojans. That's pretty good.

Facing fourth and 1 from the 10, USC lined up without a fullback and JDB did a quick option to CJ Gable, who went to the 1. It was a nice call, and ND was certainly caught off-guard.

The lack of a fullback does raise the question of where is Colton's Allan Bradford? He has yet to play on offense.

Brady Quinn is supposed to be the Heisman candidate QB in today's game. But, so far, USC's John David Booty has the upper hand.

JDB was 6 of 7 for 91 yards and two scores in the first quarter. And Mr. Quinn?

He was an un-Heisman-like 3 of 14 for 78 yards, though Rhema McKnight dropping several passes has certainly not helped. Quinn has looked unspectacular, though, through the first quarter.

ND just kicked a 27-yard field goal. 14-3. Big third down run by Darius Walker and a huge 24-yard reception by Jeff Samardzija on third down to keep the drive alive. Quinn was 1 for his last 6 and 3 of 8 overall on the drive.

A Heisman like effort?

And, USC nearly broke the kickoff return for 6. The lack of special teams performances cant be making The Big Guy on ND's sideline happy.

Two plays later, including a false start penalty, and JDB hits Jarrett for a 5-yard TD.

Jarrett is good. Really, really, really good.

Two catches, two TD's. Not a bad ratio.

Desmond Reed just broke a 37-yard punt return that would have been a TD had he not ran into his blocker. Next play, JDB 25-yarder to Steve Smith, who was hit at the goal line as he made the grab and ruled down an inch short. Play is under review....

Ruling stands. Ball 6 inches out.

John David Booty just threw a 9-yard TD to, guess who? Dwayne Jarrett. The Pac-10's career touchdown leader tacked on another one to his already impressive resume, giving the Trojans a 7-0 lead.

Booty was 4 of 5 for 61 yards on the drive. Made some nice decisions, but the Irish secondary wasn't exactly in lock-down mode.

Oddly, the Coliseum crowd was not as loud as I thought it might be when the Trojans scored.

Gotta give ND credit for going for a 38-yard completion on a fade route to Rhema McKnight on the first play from scrimmage. Now the Irish are going for it on fourth down from the 29.

After USC called time out, Quinn threw incomplete. Good coverage by the USC defense. Bad choice by the Irish.

After complaining in the opener about not having enough seats, USC's students were given a huge amount of extra seating. But, the seats in the end zone and part of the student section are empty for the biggest game of the year.

It's actually a bad sign, and the students may not get those seats back next year.

USC just won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.

According to P-E beat writer Dan Weber, the Trojans have won the toss in 10 of 11 games this season. The exception was Cal, which elected to receive. That means USC has kicked off first in every game this season.

This is my 39th college football game I've covered at the P-E, including last year's Rose Bowl and a pair of USC-UCLA games, and the SC-ND game here two years ago. But this one has a feel in the air that is different, that is special. This place is packed, the bands are going, light bulbs are flashing on cameras and there is a specialness in the air.

Hopefully it lives up to the hype.

USC's horse, Traveler, is prancing around the field, its rider atop it. The massive group of people on the field has made an extended tunnel for USC players to run out of, with it stretching from the corner of the end zone all the way to past the goal line on the opposite end of the field. Seriously, this human tunnel is close to 150 yards long.

Realizing it was out of control, game management staff has now made the tunnel a little shorter, but it still goes out to the 30 on the opposite sideline.

For several of USC's players, this will be their final time out of that tunnel. This must be a feeling like no other.

Indio's Oscar Lua is getting his third start of the year, and was just introduced as part of the ceremonial introduction of all the seniors in their final home game. His ovation was among the loudest.

USC just left the field and went into the locker room. Notre Dame is now doing the same thing.

25 minutes until kickoff.

The Trojan mascot dude just put his sword into the USC logo at midfield. The Spirit of Troy band is now taking the field, with the SongGirls doing their "V' routine along the USC sidelines.

And for the record, it's a Big Ten officiating crew today, headed by referee Dennis Lipski.

Generally, schools let recruits and a few others on the sidelines before games. But USC apparently let EVERYONE on the sidelines. There may be more people on the sidelines than in the stands.

Bands, alumni, boosters, cheerleaders, songgirls, recruits, former Heisman Trophy winners, etc. I think the only person not on the sidelines is Traveler, the horse.

Oddly, the PA announcer just announced that entering the field or playing area is cause for ejection or arrest. My guess would be that there are over 1,000 people who are in danger of that right now.