Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Los Angeles Times: It Bears Repeating

USC's last visit to Strawberry Canyon was momentous for both teams: It was the Trojans' most recent defeat, and it certified the arrival of Cal's program

By David Wharton, Times Staff Writer

BERKELEY — Disbelief set in somewhere around the fourth quarter. The USC players, undefeated and ranked third in the nation, could not fathom that underdog California was still in the game. The crowd at Memorial Stadium yelled so loud, it felt as if the ground shook. Cal quarterback Reggie Robertson sensed the Trojans faltering. "Just looking at their faces," Robertson said. "They looked like, 'Why is [Cal] still playing with us?' "

USC was headed for a triple-overtime, 34-31 loss, one of those classic upsets filled with back-and-forth momentum and debatable coaching moves. Two years later, the afternoon of Sept. 27, 2003, remains a milestone for both teams. While the loss ended an 11-game USC winning streak, the Trojans quickly rebounded to begin what now stands as a string of 31 straight victories, including two national championships.

Cal players call the victory a turning point in their resurrection under Coach Jeff Tedford. It confirmed their annual matchup with USC as a burgeoning rivalry, marked by heart-stopping finishes and national implications. The Golden Bears see a chance for another big upset when the teams meet here on Saturday, though top-ranked USC isn't likely to underestimate them this time. "It was pretty hard for us," offensive tackle Winston Justice said of the loss. "The Cal game taught this program a valuable lesson."   After dominating Iowa in the Orange Bowl the previous January, USC began the 2003 season with three victories, including a win at Auburn. Cal, at 2-3, did not appear particularly menacing. But things went wrong for USC from the start. Traffic was light that day and the team bus arrived at Memorial Stadium well ahead of schedule. Players and coaches ended up sitting around a cramped visitors' locker room. "I don't feel right about this," former staff member Mark Jackson mused at the time. "Something's different." On the second play from scrimmage, Cal running back Adimchinobe Echemandu bolted 36 yards over right tackle, propelling his team toward an early 7-0 lead. It was the start of a big day for Echemandu, who gained 147 yards against a USC defense that ranked fourth in the nation against the rush.

"Being able to run the ball made a big difference," Cal fullback Chris Manderino said. "It took some of the pressure off." The Trojans struggled to get moving. Tailback Hershel Dennis gained only eight yards in the first half. Matt Leinart, a sophomore starting for the fourth time, completed a touchdown pass to tight end Dominique Byrd, but had three interceptions. "We never were in control," former USC receiver Mike Williams said. "If we were putting drives together, boom, we got a penalty." Still, with Cal leading, 21-7, at halftime, USC players kept telling each other, "OK, we finish strong," Williams recalled. Sure enough, the Trojans scored midway through the third quarter, then got a quick touchdown on an interception return by linebacker Lofa Tatupu to make the score 21-21. On the Cal bench, Robertson figured: "Uh-oh, they're coming back."  The year before, at the Coliseum, Cal had opened a big lead against USC only to surrender 27 unanswered points — including Kareem Kelly's disputed touchdown catch — and lose, 30-28. Oddly enough, that loss helped the Golden Bears in 2003. They had played toe-to-toe with USC and, as defensive back Donnie McCleskey said, "We knew we could play with anybody."   Robertson replaced starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers and drove his team close enough for a field goal and a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter. The crowd noise rose — "You could feel the ground shaking," Williams recalled — and USC began to wonder. "We figured that [Cal] would fold like every other team," Justice said. "They kept coming." With the clock ticking down, there was time enough for one more USC drive — and controversy.

The ball was deep in Cal territory and the Trojans might have taken a shot at the end zone, maybe with a pass to Williams. Instead, Dennis ran three times for seven yards. Carroll said recently: "We thought we could run the ball and make a first down and get a little momentum going."

USC settled for a field goal and overtime. Carroll and offensive coordinator Norm Chow subsequently took heat for their play calling, but Williams, now with the Detroit Lions, defends his former coaches. "It was never 'I want the ball. Give me the ball,' " he said last week. "I always had confidence in our other guys … everyone was capable." Overtime was a wild affair. Dennis fumbled a yard short of the goal line — "I should have been more patient," he says now — and USC stayed alive only by blocking a Cal field-goal attempt. Both teams scored touchdowns after that.

Finally, USC kicker Ryan Killeen missed a 39-yard attempt and Cal's Tyler Fredrickson ended the game by making his try from 38. "I remember fans rushing the field," Manderino said. "Such a surreal experience." How big a game was it? If the Trojans had won, they might have played for the bowl championship series title in the Sugar Bowl, instead of winning the Rose Bowl and splitting the national championship with Louisiana State. Their current winning streak might stand at 43 instead of 31. "Obviously I took that loss pretty hard," Leinart recalled. "I thought it was my fault."

Cal came close to repeating in 2004, missing on four goal-to-go attempts as time ran down. With wins in 2003 and '04, the Golden Bears might have been the ones with a long streak and a national title under their belts. "There always seems to be something at stake when we play SC," Manderino said. As the teams prepare to face each other again, Dennis says he tries not to think about that day in 2003 and Leinart quips, "That was a long time ago." To a man, the Trojans swear they have matured and learned how to finish off teams. On the other side, Cal has lost three of its last four games, falling from the top 25, and Tedford dismisses anything that happened in seasons past as "ancient history, really."

But his players can't help grinning at the mention of USC. They were the last ones to defeat the Trojans. They know what it feels like to win unexpectedly.  "USC has been the whole topic of college football this year," Manderino said. "To put an end to that would be special."

The overtimes

USC's last loss came in three over- times at California on Sept. 27, 2003. What happened in the overtimes:

 FIRST OVERTIME: Score tied, 24-24

•  USC: Tailback Hershel Dennis broke off a 20-yard run on the first play but fumbled on the next play, with Cal recovering the ball at the one.

•  California: Adimchinobe Echemandu rushed up the middle for 14 yards, putting the ball at the 11. After a running play put the ball in the middle of the field, kicker Tyler Fredrickson's 29-yard field-goal attempt was blocked.

 SECOND OVERTIME: Score tied, 24-24

•  California: After two short runs, Reggie Robertson connected with Jonathan Makonnen on a 20-yard touchdown pass play.

•  USC: Quarterback Matt Leinart completed two passes, the last one a 10-yarder to Keary Colbert for a touchdown.

 THIRD OVERTIME: Score tied, 31-31

•  USC: A 10-yard holding penalty set the Trojans back, and kicker Ryan Killeen missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt.

•  California: After three short runs by Echemandu, Fredrickson kicked a 38-yard field goal for the victory.

 FINAL SCORE: California 34, USC 31

 

 

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