CSTV: The Last Loss

Former Trojans remember the tough loss that touched off the Trojans' streak 

Nov. 10, 2005

By Jessica Garrison

They say lightning never strikes twice. As Cal hosts undefeated No. 1 USC, the Bears hope to prove them wrong. The Trojans' last visit to Memorial Stadium resulted in a 34-31 triple overtime loss to Cal in 2003, that, in many ways, fanned the flames of USC's 2003 national championship season and planted the seed for their now-overwhelming winning streak. After 31 consecutive wins, the shadow of that last loss might seem faint, but for the Southern California football family it is a vivid memory, albeit an unpleasant one, that has nagged the team into its current excellence. "It was a classic game, really," Keary Colbert admitted. Colbert, now a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, had 8 catches for 81 yards and a touchdown against Cal in 2003, and he remembers well how hard both teams fought to pull out the win.  "We were still on the field when the Cal students rushed the field," Colbert said. "That makes you numb, upset, disappointed - I could use more adjectives here - but we were humbled by it." "It was a heartbreaker. We lost," Seattle Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu said. "There were a number of plays that could have kept us in it.  It just seemed like no matter what we were doing it was almost like they were destined to win that game." USC was a recognized contender at that point in the season. Matt Leinart was coming up, the Trojans were ranked third in the nation and there were plenty who thought Pete Carroll was going to manage the title season he set out for. Losing to unranked Cal wasn't part of the plan, but it might have been the best move for the Trojans, in the long term. Colbert, a USC co-captain that year, remembers the players-only meeting after the game, when the Trojans took stock not only of the games ahead of them, but themselves as well. "Just knowing that feeling, that it was a feeling we didn't like, made us fight harder not to feel it again," remembered Mike Patterson, now a defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles. "They became one of our rivals in the conference after those overtimes."

What the team found in itself is by now a well-known story. In 2003, running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White were true freshmen, just starting to emerge. Matt Leinart had yet to win a Heisman, but none of his teammates would have put it past him. "I knew we had a special team," Tatupu said. "We were all young and I think that's why that game might have gotten away from us. We were able to rebound the next week against Arizona State and the rest is history. The lessons from that Cal game stuck with the team, even as Patterson, Tatupu, Colbert and a host of others moved on to the NFL. Might as it seemed, USC knew it wasn't invincible, and that sparked a fight that has served them well in 2005, when they trailed opponents early on and had to find it in themselves to fight back against hungry teams. The idea, Tatupu said, is to "just take one at a time, and they've been doing that ever since. Everybody really bought into the program and they are just having fun over there." As much fun as USC is having, does Cal have a chance to do it again? Could they, against the odds, throw a wrench into the works of the Trojans' third straight national title? Colbert is diplomatic. "There are two teams playing the game, so there's always a chance" Cal could get the win, he says. Patterson is cautious. "It depends on who comes ready and who doesn't," he says. "If Cal comes with that fight in their eyes, they could win it." Tatupu takes a stand: "I'm going to go with saying it's impossible.  My boys are ready."   If USC does leave Berkeley with its 32nd consecutive win, it owes a nod to Memorial Stadium and the Bears. It is, after all, where the streak truly started.