[hoopsguy]

100,089 pack the Rose Bowl for today's game. Our first 100k + crowd and the team is pumped.

We have some early success running the ball. Gannon Dawson bursts for 14 and it is followed up by a 25 yard gain for FB LaShon Toomer.
Welcome to the rivalry, Gannon Dawson! 37 yard TD run! Our offensive line just manhandled them on the opening drive. 7-0, 12:47 to play in quarter.

LaShaun Sharpe is the QB today - damn, I am convinced he is the better player at the position. 11 yard completion to Phillips to start the game.
Defensive holding call, our defense is starting early.
Sharpe throws a 52 yard TD pass to WR Lucas. We recruited him this year, but were surprised when he signed with USC as guys in the 200's weren't even sniffing that institution when we ran the ship. But Sharpe makes everyone look good and the receiving corps is pretty thin in Trojan country. 7-7, 10:46 left in the quarter.

USC puts the kickoff out of bounds. Starting at the 40.
Brown runs for 8, but puts the ball on the ground after a big hit from DE Hendricks. C Nick Moore recovers.
The run defense is much better this time around, they stop us on 3 plays. Punt.

USC is running student body left all over us. Gains of 10, 9, and 12.
We bust through the line to sack Sharpe and the ball is loose! Recovered by the Trojans.
They aren't able to recover to get a 1st and have to punt from our 44.

What can Gannon Dawson do for an encore after his first drive? How about break a TD run that is twice as long? 80 yards does the trick. 3 carries, 131 yards, and 2 TDs in less than ten minutes! 14-7, 5:21 to play in the quarter.

3 and out for the Trojans. Punt.

We lose C Nick Moore (forearm) for the game on the first play of this drive. He has been our most effective lineman all year - hate to see that.
3 and out, we punt on 4th and 1.
So far we have attempted 11 runs and 1 pass.

FS Greg Moore jumps the snap count and levels RB Soloman VanWagner in the backfield on 3rd and 2 from our 44.
USC goes for it on 4th and 3. Sharpe picks it up, throwing a dart even as he was hit.
Another injury at a key spot. DT Jack Farmer is knocked from the game with a jaw injury.
Jerry King runs it in from 8 yards out to tie the score. 14-14, 12:48 left in the half.

Edwards to Brewer for 22 yards to start this drive. First completion of the day on 2nd attempt. Brewer added about 10 yard after the catch on that play; he is shifty.
Brown picks up 3 on a 3rd and 8, but the refs rule that there was a facemask violation. USC is not happy with that call.
Neither is OLB Russ Parker, who sacks Edwards on the next play, jarring the ball loose. We recover.
Brown gets six yards back, but there is a penalty against us. Since it is 3rd down USC declines. McMullen will attempt a 51 yard field goal.
Final home game of his career, the crowd is waiting to boo the hell out of him on a miss. But that isn't going to happen. 17-14, 9:40 left in the half.

They get their boos in on the kickoff, which is badly shanked. Trojans start at the 40.
10 for VanWagner.
26 on a Sharpe to Phillips pass.
14 more, again to Phillips. They are making it look very easy against our highly regarded D. 1st and goal at the 10.
Sharpe goes out of the game clutching his elbow after a running play is stuffed. The line on him, assuming he isn't back, is 9-14 for 157 yards and 1 TD.
Gurode throws a TD on his first play of this drive, 3rd and goal from the 9. Lucas is the recipient. Both teams have true freshman with multiple TD games. 21-17, 7:30 left in the half.

Brown starts to get untracked on the next drive, getting positive yards on 3 straight carries.
Mike Voight makes 2 big catches, combining for 40 yards, to move the ball to the USC 26.
10 more for Voight, who is leveled by CB Derrick Stewart on that one.
We run Brown on 3rd and 15, kind of a give-up play. McMullen is out for a 35 yard attempt. Good. 21-20 USC, 2:48 left in the half.

Stewrart makes a couple of moves on the return before being reeled in at the 47.
We force a 3 and out, even after a 9 yard gain on 1st down.
And it is nasty for UCLA - downed at the 3 yard line.

3 passes move the chains, but we are not going to put points on the board before the half.

Halftime Notes:
I'm very happy we knocked out their QB, even though the backup is a stud as well. Hopefully there is a significant drop-off at this position for them next year.
Pretty even game, no turnovers. Both teams are moving the ball on offense.
USC is going to continue to make big plays. We'll need 40 points to win this one.

Bill Phillips is a tough cover. 18 yards, he now has 5 catches for 74 yards.
OLB Adrian Kyle whiffs in the backfield on RB VanWagner and we stand around watching him run for 20 yards to our 36.
We force a 4th and 3 at our 29. They convert a 47 yard field goal. 24-20, 11:38 left in 3rd.

A holding call brings back a first down pass to Brewer.
Ben Jackson gets his first catch of the game, good enough to get those 10 yards back.
Edwards finds Jackson again, for 11 yards on a very nice throw into a tight spot against the sideline.
Edwards fires a strike on a deep crossing route to Brewer, good for 27.
FB Hagood Morris picks up 2 on a 3rd and 1. Great call.
Edwards and Jackson are clicking. Another sideline pass, this time for 20 yards down to the 4.
Brown takes the handoff and swerves way east before turning it up north. He dives for the pylon .... TOUCHDOWN! 27-24, 7:03 left in the 3rd.

Derek Stewart is a menace. USC abused us on special teams last year and is again putting a lot of pressure on our coverage team. Out to the 45 this time.
Crap, we are whistled for roughing the passer after a 3rd down overthrow/miscommunication. We can't give them extra shots ...
Gurode hits VanWagner on a screen pass for 19 yards, down to our 5.
And Jerry King takes it in on the next play. 31-27 USC, 3:25 to play in 3rd.

Edwards completes a pass on the run (!!! that never happens!) to Bill Stablein for 18 yards. Edwards is getting most of the snaps today - I know that I would prefer it was Burford, but Edwards has played well.
A reverse by Brewer loses 7 yards.
And we run a draw on 3rd and 7. Brown gets the 7; we are very pleased by the spot.
Burford is in for 3rd and 6, and he fires a strike to Brewer for 10 yards.
Edwards connects again with Jackson for 17 yards. Ben has been very busy in the 2nd half, as he now has 7 catches for 82 yards.
Add 13 more yards and a TD to those numbers, courtesy of Harold Edwards. 34-31 UCLA, 13:55 to play.

We get a stop after only one first down. Gurode just isn't as good as Sharpe. 4-12 for 48 yards so far. This is yet another guy who torched us last year who isn't quite as scary the 2nd time around.
A 57 yard punt, with no return, sticks up back on the 12.

We are quickly set down on three plays and have to punt.
60 yarder, touche. 54 net.

Gurode is incomplete on 3 straight attempts. Punt. Down to 8 1/2 minutes.

Oh, crap! ILB Dave Thomas comes out of nowhere to intercept a pass and he runs it back 66 yards for paydirt. 38-34 USC, 7:17 left. First turnover of the game - was fearing something like that for most of the 2nd half.

Edwards joins in on the fun, throwing an interception on 3rd and 10. USC ball on our 21.
3 plays, no first down, defense is trying to keep us in this one.
Laird hits a 33 yard field goal, 41-34 USC. This is their biggest lead of the day. 3:47 to play.

Good runback by Brown, out to the USC 45.
3rd and 3, Edwards finds Brewer for first down yardage. CB Stewart converges and brings some serious thunder, but Gary holds on! First down at the 23, 2:38 to go.
3 incomplete passes bring up 4th and 10. Field goal or go for it with 1:45 to play and all 3 timeouts?
Burford is in for the play, he is forced out of the pocket and goes down hard. DE Matt Bennett with the sack. Probably is the ballgame.

3 runs for VanWagner, no first down. But the refs and their flags mess this up. Offsides, now 3rd and 3. VanWagner is tripped, but stays on his feet to pick up the first down. Game over.

41-34, we gave them a war but victory is not yet ours in year 2.