Daily Cal: Ready or Not, Here They Come

By BRIAN BAINUM

Daily Cal Staff Writer

It was a simple question with a very elaborate answer.  When asked what his team needs to do in order to defeat No. 1 USC, Cal football coach Jeff Tedford paused and drew a deep breath.  "We have to control the football and limit our turnovers," Tedford said deliberately. He paused for a second before quickly adding, "And stop Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart and eliminate the big play."  In other words, there is no easy solution, no concise game plan and no simple formula for the Bears this Saturday when they play host to the Trojans at 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.  But in the face of the USC juggernaut, there is perhaps one certainty that Cal (6-3, 3-3 in the Pac-10) can take with it into the showdown.  34-31.

That was what the scoreboard read at the conclusion of the triple-overtime thriller in 2003, when the Bears upset the then-No. 3 Trojans. It was the last time any team beat USC, which has since won 31 consecutive games. It was the one blemish in the sparkling career of Leinart, the Trojans' quarterback, who boasts a 34-1 record as a starter.  The upset was also an inspiration for current Cal players who were not on the team at the time.  "That's when I started really liking Cal," said freshman wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who watched the game on television.  Many of the key players from both sides are no longer part of the act. Gone are Tyler Fredrickson, Mike Williams, Matt Grootegoed and Jonathan Makonnen, names who have helped fuel the rivalry between the two teams.  But that doesn't mean either team has lost a sense of the importance of the meeting.  "It's significant," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "We've won a lot of games, and this one is the last one we didn't win."  "It's exciting," Bears running back Justin Forsett said. "It's the national stage."  For Cal to avoid being tossed rudely off the stage, it will likely need to execute in every area Tedford spoke of.  The Bears controlled the time of possession in both their 2003 win and last year's 23-17 nail-biter in Los Angeles.  Cal held the ball for 37:11 to the Trojans' 22:49 at the Coliseum, as Tedford utilized a game plan heavy on short, high-percentage passes and running plays. Bears quarterback Aaron Rodgers tied an NCAA record, completing 23-straight passes.  The season before, Cal benefited from an even bigger advantage in time of possession, keeping the ball for 38:26 of the game.  The brunt of the responsibility for winning the ball control battle this year falls on the broad shoulders of sophomore tailback Marshawn Lynch and the Bears' offensive line.  Lynch has notched career highs in each of the last two games, including a 189-yard performance last week against Oregon. Persistence in the running game appears to be one of Cal's goals heading into the game.  "(In the past), we were able to establish our running game," offensive tackle Ryan O'Callaghan said. "We never really stopped trying to run the ball on them."  Probably because the consequences of abandoning the run against USC are often severe.  "They can score so quickly," Tedford said. "There are so many weapons out there."  Not the least of those weapons is Bush, the Trojans' do-it-all tailback. The junior-who, along with Leinart, is already being mentioned as a possible Heisman trophy candidate-lines up as a running back and wide receiver, not to mention as a punt returner.

Bush places in the nation's top 20 in rushing, scoring and all-purpose yards.  "The key there is to be able to tackle," Tedford said. "He's not just a quick guy, he's also very strong. He hits seams at 100 miles per hour. He  doesn't go down by arm tackles."  But unfortunately for the Bears, they can't afford to focus solely on Bush.  Leinart, the top quarterback in the country in terms of passing efficiency, has thrown 23 touchdowns while being intercepted a mere six times.

LenDale White, who splits time in the backfield with Bush, averages 101.4 yards per game and has been the Trojans' choice in goal-line situations, shown by his 14 rushing touchdowns.  The Cal secondary should have its hands full as well.

The USC wide receiving tandem of Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett have notched an average of over 200 yards per game, more than Bears quarterback Joe Ayoob has averaged this season.  "This is certainly a special group of guys," Carroll said. "We just have to keep putting the ball in the offense's hands and letting them go."  But dominant as they may be, the Trojans have shown vulnerability several times this season.  At halftime, they trailed both Oregon and Arizona State. They needed last-second heroics from Leinart to edge Notre Dame on the last play of the game, 34-31.  "They're a good team, but we don't change anything we do in practice," Bears wide receiver Robert Jordan said. "We played them close in the past. I don't think this year will be any different. Whoever makes the big plays at the end of the game is who will win."

Cal Football 2005: USC vs. Cal

KICKOFF: Cal takes on No. 1 USC on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

TV: ABC

RADIO: KGO 810 AM

THE OPPONENT: The Trojans (9-0) beat Stanford, 51-21, last week at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

SERIES: USC leads 57-30-5. Last year, the host Trojans edged the Bears, 23-17.