Daily Cal: If Trojans Win, Game Ball Goes to ... Bus Driver?

By BRIAN BAINUM

USC coach Pete Carroll said his team was affected by an early arrival at Memorial Stadium in 2003. The Trojans fell to the Bears, 34-31 in triple overtime.

• As the saying goes, "The early bird gets the worm." This was not the case, however, for the USC football team when it last visited Cal in 2003.  The Trojans, then ranked No. 3 in the country, arrived at Memorial Stadium by bus 45 minutes ahead of schedule, giving them some unwelcomed free time.  USC coach Pete Carroll used the time to walk up to the top of the bleachers and gaze across the Bay at Marin County, where he grew up.  "I'm waving to home and that kind of crazy stuff," Carroll said Tuesday. "We kind of lost our energy and focus there. It is one of the rare times that has happened to us."  The players spent the extra time waiting around in the visitors locker room.  "It's not the nicest locker room in the world," Carroll said.  The Trojans coach promised he would avoid an early arrival at the stadium for Saturday's meeting with the Bears at any cost.  "I've already talked to (bus driver) Mark Jackson," he said. "We're going to drive up and down Telegraph until the time is right."  

• Cal seniors have yet to pull a prank similar to the Halloween gaffe involving USC's LenDale White. But that hasn't stopped a couple of Bears veterans from admiring the joke from afar.  With Carroll's approval, White put on a show, shocking fellow players and coaches last week by walking out of practice and supposedly quitting the team over a lack of carries.  An effigy of White later was hurled off the top of a nearby building.  "I thought it was awesome," senior guard Aaron Merz said.  Teammate Ryan O'Callaghan said he doubted a similar prank would fly at Cal.  "I don't know if Tedford would let that go," O'Callaghan said.

• Bears wide receiver DeSean Jackson had arguably the roughest outing of his college career last weekend, catching no passes and dropping several balls at Oregon, but he is certainly not being overlooked by the Trojans.  "Living in Long Beach, he hadn't played in the rain a whole lot," Carroll said. "He's a really talented athlete. We hope he plays baseball so they won't get him in spring football."  Tedford said he was pleased with how Jackson has bounced back this week in practice.

"DeSean has a lot of confidence," Tedford said. "He understands that wasn't like him. It's unfortunate that he dropped a few balls, but I have 100 percent confidence in him."