Seventh heaven

Monday, November 24, 1997

FOOTBALL:

Bruins uphold two winning streaks with ‘SC win, but hopes for
Rose Bowl goneBy Brent Boyd

Daily Bruin Staff

The Bruins had three goals in mind Saturday at the Coliseum
­ a seventh- straight victory over USC, a Pac-10 championship
and a Rose Bowl berth.

Two out of three isn’t too bad.

UCLA won its ninth consecutive game with a 31-24 hard-fought
victory over its crosstown rival, and consequently clinched a tie
for its first Pac-10 championship since 1993.

However, moments after defensive back Wasswa Serwanga
intercepted a pass with just over a minute remaining to seal the
UCLA victory, the Bruins’ fate was determined up the coast in
Seattle.

Washington State beat Washington and consequently clinched the
Rose Bowl berth due to its head-to-head victory over UCLA in the
season’s opening week.

The WSU (10-1, 7-1 Pac-10) victory set up a Rose Bowl matchup
with top-ranked Michigan, which clinched the Big Ten championship
earlier in the day. A Husky win would have sent UCLA to Pasadena
for New Year’s.

"(The Pac-10 title) is the greatest thing," senior cornerback
Javelin Guidry said. "We came here to win the Pac-10 championship
and it’s unfortunate that we tied and we’re not going to the Rose
Bowl, but we’re still co-champs and that’s what we’ve worked for
all season."

The Bruins’ bowl plans remain fuzzy at best ­ a trip to the
Cotton Bowl most likely awaits, but they may still earn a trip to
the Fiesta or Sugar Bowls.

Understandably, the fulfillment of one goal combined with the
void of missing another prompted a blend of emotions for the
sixth-ranked Bruins (9-2, 7-1).

The players led the UCLA supporters in cheers after the game and
some even climbed into the stands to celebrate with the distinct,
but loud, Bruin minority among the 91,350 in attendance at the
sold-out Coliseum.

Once in the locker room, however, a subdued feeling prevailed
­ there were no 8-claps like last week after the blowout
victory over Washington and there was no band outside playing the
UCLA fight song.

There were, however, a group of players who were trying to
figure out exactly what this victory meant.

Reaction ranged from disappointed to ecstacy.

"I should be happy right now," senior tailback Skip Hicks said.
"But I feel like I just lost. I wanted to go to the Rose Bowl so
bad. To be able to end your career in that bowl game would be
great."

Meanwhile, senior safety Shaun Williams ­ who had seven
tackles and consistently wreaked havoc in the secondary ­
wouldn’t let the uncontrollable events in Seattle ruin his day.

"Now, I’ve got my ring. Now I’ve got something to show my kids,"
he said. "I feel great about the game. Seven in a row; I’m gonna
leave as a senior, never having lost to ‘SC."

The season concluded with nine consecutive wins (UCLA’s longest
streak since 1973), its most conference wins since 1988 and its
first top-10 ranking in the 1990’s.

Inevitably there will be discussion of that game three months
ago that cost the Bruins a Rose Bowl berth ­ the 37-34 loss to
WSU. The Bruins fell about a yard shy of a game-winning touchdown
in the final seconds.

"We had a chance back in August to win a football game and we
didn’t get it done then," UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said. "That
doesn’t really take away from this win because this is a huge, huge
football game for UCLA and our football program."

Certainly, with promotional posters and billboards all over town
proclaiming the Bruins to be the best football team in town the
past six years, UCLA knew a win was needed to keep the respect of
the city.

"Yeah, it’s special," quarterback Cade McNown said. "To beat
your rivals seven years in a row. To walk the walk and get it done
this year is real fun for us."

Not surprisingly, in a series where eight of the past nine games
have been decided by a touchdown or less, the game started out in
wild fashion.

UCLA took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in eight plays,
culminating in a nine-yard touchdown strike from McNown to tight
end Mike Grieb to put the Bruins up early, 7-0.

But when the Trojans took over, they had the ball all of 18
seconds. That’s how long it took Southern Cal quarterback John Fox
to connect with wide receiver R. Jay Soward on an 80-yard pass to
tie the score.

Soward, who racked up 260 yards on six catches a year ago
against UCLA, finished with 181 yards on eight receptions.

"(The bomb) seemed like a good idea," USC head coach John
Robinson said. "We felt like they wanted to pressure and we wanted
to make sure they had to play with some respect for the deep
ball."

Respect is what the Trojans wanted. Domination is what they
got.

The Bruins held Fox to 178 yards passing and only one touchdown
the remainder of the afternoon.

The rapid scoring pace continued throughout the remainder of the
first quarter, though, as the Bruins marched all the way down the
field behind the running of tailback Skip Hicks to regain the
lead.

Many thought the Trojans would shut down the UCLA running
attack. But Hicks touched the ball on seven of the Bruins’ nine
plays on the drive and ended it with his Pac-10 record 54th career
touchdown on a 16-yard run.

"They were sixth in the nation in rush defense and we thought we
could run the football," Toledo said. "We thought it was kind of a
misleading statistic and we wanted to run right at them."

UCLA finished with 223 yards rushing.

After the Bruins took the lead, USC came right back for a
touchdown pass from Fox after Bruin punt returner Eric Scott muffed
a kick on the Bruins 24-yard line.

And another key Bruin mistake cost UCLA dearly at the beginning
of the second quarter. A personal foul gave the Trojans a first
down and on the very next play tailback Chad Morton raced 49 yards
untouched up the middle of the Bruin defense for a 21-14 Trojan
lead.

McNown took the game over on the Bruins’ next drive, completing
four-of-five passes for 62 yards, culminating in an 8-yard screen
pass over the middle for Jim McElroy. On the drive, and throughout
the entire afternoon, McNown exhibited his elusiveness, evading
Trojan defenders and continually finding the open man.

McNown threw for 215 yards and rushed for 66 more.

"He was fantastic," Toledo said.

Despite entering halftime tied 21-21, the Bruins had to feel
confident.

In the 10 previous games, UCLA had allowed only nine touchdowns
(six of which were meaningless) and four field goals in the second
half. Meanwhile, the Trojans had been shut out in the second half
four times this season, and had scored only three points in three
other games.

Well, make that four times.

In the second half, the UCLA defense stifled the Southern Cal
offensive attack, limiting the Trojans to only 29 second-half
rushing yards. It held Fox to only eight completions on 22 attempts
and forced two key interceptions.

"We just didn’t execute," Fox said. "I didn’t execute as well in
the second half. I was trying to do too much and I made some bad
decisions and killed a couple of drives."

After UCLA had taken a 31-21 lead on Grieb’s second touchdown
reception of the day and a 32-yard Chris Sailer field goal, the two
interceptions killed any chances of a Trojan comeback.

Two plays after a pass interference call on Guidry gave USC
control deep in Bruin territory early in the fourth quarter, the
goat-turned-hero intercepted a Fox pass on the goal line.

"I just got a good read on the ball and he threw it right where
I needed to make the pick," the senior, who led the team with 11
tackles, said. "I really tried to see the opportunity."

USC got the ball back, however, and kicked a field goal with
just over two minutes remaining to cut the lead to 31-24. Then an
on-sides kick that bounced through the legs of Grieb was recovered
by USC at their own 48-yard line.

That’s when the defense really took over.

A sack on first down, pass deflections on the next two plays,
and the interception by Serwanga on fourth down clinched the Bruin
victory.

"We knew that the game was in the defense’s hands," UCLA senior
linebacker Brian Willmer said. "The defense didn’t play that well
all game. We wanted it to come down to the defense making the play
to win the game and we did."

They won the game, the city championship and a shared conference
title. But instead of smelling roses, they’ll be heading off to
some other New Year’s Day bowl game ­ in Dallas, Tempe or New
Orleans.

Not a bad consolation prize for a team that started the season
0-2.

There is at least one player on the field Saturday who loves the
fact that UCLA won’t head to Pasadena.

"It’s exciting not see those guys in the Rose Bowl," USC’s
Soward said. "If any L.A. team goes, it should be us."

Has he been paying attention for the past seven years?

Bruin wire services contributed to this report.JAMIE
SCANLON-JACOBS/Daily Bruin

The offense celebrates after the Bruins score their first
touchdown against USC.