Eight more years

Monday, November 23, 1998

Eight more years

FOOTBALL: Bruin team once again displays complete dominance over
crosstown rival Trojans

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

The Bruins literally ran away with Saturday’s game against USC –
both on the scoreboard and on the ground.

In their eighth straight victory against the Trojans and 20th
overall since the 1997 season, No. 2 UCLA (10-0 overall, 8-0 in the
Pac-10) left no uncertainty as to who was the better team. The
shadow of doubt created by several close calls this season was
lifted with a 34-17 pounding of the Trojans (7-4, 5-3).

"All their team, they didn’t respect us," said UCLA linebacker
Brendon Ayanbadejo, a senior who stepped up with a career high four
sacks.

"They were talking smack all week in the papers. And then they
came out and didn’t play for nothing. We beat their butts."

Excitement filled the Rose Bowl as the 88,080 fans in attendance
provided an electric atmosphere. Behind DeShaun Foster’s 109
rushing yards, however, the Bruins made their battle with USC
anti-climactic.

Struck with a case of fumble-itis, the Trojan offense coughed up
the ball five times. USC freshman quarterback Carson Palmer, a
nemesis of Foster’s in high school, added two interceptions to cap
off USC’s collapse.

"(The turnovers were) the stat of the game," said UCLA
quarterback Cade McNown, who finished 12 of 20 for 146 yards with
one touchdown and two interceptions.

"When we can force that many turnovers, I think we’re going to
be in position to win a lot of football games … As far as the
scope of the game, to play as hard as that defense did and to get
that many turnovers is just spectacular."

Another key stat was the single completion in just two attempts
for McNown in the fourth quarter.

McNown, a Heisman trophy candidate who became the first
quarterback to win four games in the UCLA-USC series, was barely
needed in the final 15 minutes. In fact, McNown only attempted six
passes – completing three – in the entire second half.

The Bruins ran the ball twenty times in the second half and
finished the game with 45 carries for 227 rushing yards.

DeShaun Foster, UCLA’s sensational freshman tailback who had
been hospitalized with strep throat on Friday, scored all four
Bruin touchdowns and dazzled fans with his 65-yard touchdown run in
the second quarter.

"Anybody who watched the game obviously saw the heart that we
played with,"

McNown said. "You could see that in our defense and you could
see that in our offense when we were driving the ball down the
field.

"We ran the ball at will on them. It wasn’t even an issue."

Early on, though, concern did exist for UCLA. McNown’s first
pass of the game, a designed dump-off to tailback Jermaine Lewis
over the middle, was intercepted by Trojan linebacker Zeke Moreno,
after Butkus Award finalist Chris Clairborne hit Lewis.

The defense allowed Palmer and USC to get a first down, but
Bruin defensive end Santi Hall’s perfect read of a naked bootleg
forced the Trojans to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Adam
Abrams.

UCLA’s potent offense then went to work.

Foster ran the ball through the right side for a 15-yard gain,
and McNown then completed a 42-yard bomb to flanker Danny Farmer –
who made yet another acrobatic catch. Four plays later McNown threw
his only touchdown pass of the day as Trojan safety Rashard Cook
could not keep Foster out of the end zone.

On the next play from scrimmage, Palmer’s completion to USC’s
explosive flanker R. Jay Soward went for naught as a fumble was
recovered by linebacker Tony White at the Trojan 22 yard line.

Then, on fourth and goal from the one-yard line, Foster dove
over the top for his second touchdown of the day.

"(Foster) was phenomenal and he did a great job as a freshman
football player," UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said.

With the score 14-3 to start the second quarter, the Bruins
seemed well in control. UCLA linebacker Ryan Nece picked up a
fumble by Farmer on the very first play of the second quarter and
the Bruins started a new drive from the USC 30.

On third and 17, McNown’s pass over the middle bounced off
Melsby and Clairborne returned the interception 66 yards to the
UCLA 4-yard line. Farmer’s tackle only delayed the inevitable, as
the Trojans scored two plays later to make the score UCLA 14, USC
10.

The Bruins would answer right back as Foster established his
reputation as a Trojan killer. After gaining nine yards on the
first play from scrimmage, Foster weaved through cornerback Daylon
McCutcheon and Clairborne for a 65-yard touchdown run down the left
sideline.

UCLA would add two field goals, set up thanks to two more fumble
recoveries. With the halftime score 27-10 and four fumble
recoveries to their credit, the Bruins would never look back.

"I think they did a nice job in every phase of the game,
particularly on defense," USC head coach Paul Hackett said. "Any
time you play a team of UCLA’s caliber, you can’t turn the ball
over, which is what we did on every play. You have to give UCLA
credit – they did a nice job."

The Trojans did close the gap to 27-17 at the end of the third
quarter. But on their first possession of the fourth quarter, with
13:09 left in the game, Foster scored his fourth touchdown of the
day – his third on the ground.

The rest of the game was left for UCLA to enjoy. The aggressive
defense racked up four sacks in the fourth quarter and added two
turnovers.

"We went through this conference and nobody beat us," Toledo
said. "We ended up Pac-10 champions and we have an opportunity to
play in the Rose Bowl. But as Cade mentioned, there is one more
opportunity to possibly play for a national championship."

To reach the Fiesta Bowl, UCLA has to beat Miami on the road on
December 5 and then hope that the Bowl Championship Series sees it
fit to rank the Bruins as one of the top two teams.

The fans, at least on Saturday, were not concerned about the
BCS. Instead, they concentrated on enjoying the current domination
of the Trojans. Throughout most of the fourth quarter, fans were
chanting: "Eight more years! Eight more years!"AARON MICHAEL
TOUT/Daily Bruin

UCLA’s Marques Anderson strips the ball from USC’s RJ Soward
after a first-quarter reception. The Bruins forced seven turnovers
on the way to a victory.

AARON MICHAEL TOUT/Daily Bruin

UCLA’s Brad Melsby rises above everybody in an attempt to catch
a first-quarter pass.

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