FOOTBALL BRIEFS

Monday, November 24, 1997

FOOTBALL BRIEFSSoward still able to burn Bruins

Maybe next year they’ll hold R. Jay Soward to only 100
yards.

Soward is a USC sophomore who isn’t necessarily their best
receiver unless the opponent is UCLA. In which case he suddenly
becomes the Trojans’ best player.

Last year as a freshman, Soward burned the Bruins for a whopping
260 yards on six catches. This year, he caught eight passes for 181
yards.

On Southern Cal’s first offensive play of the game, Soward ran a
straight fly pattern right past Bruin corner Jason Bell, caught a
perfect pass 50 yards downfield and ran it the remaining 30 yards
into the end zone. It was a one-play, 80-yard drive and it was all
R. Jay Soward.

"He is a great offensive weapon, and he did a great job,"
Robinson said after the game. "He seems to be one of those players
that can rise and play and do things. He’s going to have quite a
future."

Soward was named the Trojans’ Player of the Game. As the L.A.
Coliseum’s large T.V. screen zoomed in on Soward, he ran a slant
route and caught a 40-yard pass from quarterback John Fox, landing
with the ball at the Bruin 14. Talk about playing to the
camera.

Earlier in the week, Soward had been a topic in UCLA’s camp, as
rumors circulated that he had made derogatory comments about the
playing ability of UCLA free safety Shaun Williams. But, the two
players seemed to have ironed everything out.

"He’s a great player," Soward said of Williams, while denying
ever having said anything to the contrary.

Williams was equally conciliatory.

"It’s all good," Williams said. "I went up to him after the
game. We’re friends, you know, we’re just competitors. That’s all
it is."

Great Scott! Here comes a punt!

Much of the suspense in Saturday’s game was provided UCLA’s punt
returner Eric Scott. Scott fumbled on his first punt return, and
USC’s Anthony Volsan jumped on the ball, allowing ‘SC good enough
field position to score a touchdown to tie the game at 14. He later
in the second quarter made an electrifying 33-yard return.

His fifth punt may have been even better. Scott didn’t call for
a fair catch despite Volsan bearing down on him again. This time
Scott absorbed a punishing hit but he held on to the ball. Volsan’s
helmet came off on the play. "He rung my bell, I won’t even lie
about it," Scott said. "It wasn’t anything to make me cry or
nothing. No teary eyes, no snot bubbles in my nose. But he did a
good job."

Daily Bruin beats Daily Trojan

The P.A. announcer at Saturday’s game announced that the USC
band defeated the UCLA band in a football game earlier in the week,
12-0. What he didn’t announce was that the staff of the UCLA Daily
Bruin trounced the staff of the USC Daily Trojan in a flag football
game on Friday. The final score in that contest was 25-0.

Compiled by Mark Dittmer, Daily Bruin Staff.