Pasadena, Calif. – Karl Dorrell could barely speak. Not because he had no words to express how he felt – he had plenty – but because he spent three hours screaming over a UCLA crowd that might never have been louder in the 76 years of this rivalry.
UCLA players sat on the Rose Bowl turf, holding their heads in disbelief. Nick Ekbatani, a backup guard, knelt down at the goal line slowly, rhythmically, clapping his hands in a quiet, solo celebration. All around him, a sky-blue mob couldn’t stop yelling. But somewhere in the distance, you could still hear it, something else.
The Bowl Championship Series, looking so neat and orderly when second-ranked Southern California arrived at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, crashed into a misshapen pile.
All USC had to do was knock off the ugliest stepchild in national rivalries, the tow-headed 6-5 Bruins, and it would play for a BCS national title for a third straight year. But it turns out UCLA got tired of getting picked on and hit USC with a haymaker felt from coast to coast, with reverberations in Gainesville, Fla., and Ann Arbor, Mich.
UCLA’s underrated defense stopped USC like Pete Carroll hasn’t seen since in five years, and quarterback Patrick Cowan managed an intelligent, methodical offense to stun USC in one of the biggest upsets in this rivalry’s history, 13-9. The nation can spend today debating whether Florida or Michigan will play Ohio State in the BCS title game Jan. 8, and USC can quietly shuffle off to the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl.
In this case, the Granddaddy of Them All seems like the boring uncle from Oxnard.
“I’ve really got two words for them,” UCLA defensive end Bruce Davis said. “Ha! Ha!”
That’s the first signs of laughter coming from UCLA since Carroll arrived at USC. UCLA hadn’t beaten USC since 1998. While the Trojans won two national titles in the past three years and started a shuttle service for every top recruit in Southern California, UCLA could barely hang on to Westwood and Dorrell simply tried to hang on to his job.
“We were trying to get our respect back,” UCLA safety Dennis Keyes said. “We’re trying to win back part of the city.”
After rolling over three straight ranked teams, USC (10-2, 7-2 Pacific 10) looked remarkably ordinary.
All-world Dwayne Jarrett didn’t catch a pass in the first half and finished with only four. Ol’ Tailback U. rushed for only 55 yards and committed nine penalties. The nine points were USC’s fewest since a 10-6 loss to Kansas State in Carroll’s second game in 2001.
“I feel like I can live in L.A. for at least a year,” Dorrell said with a laugh.
But some credit goes to first-year defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, who spent the previous four years in the NFL and 2001 under Carroll at USC. Walker double- and triple-teamed Jarrett, disguised blitzes, faked others and made sure quarterback John David Booty had someone in his face.
“It was me against Booty,” Walker said. “If I could get into his head, we would have a chance to win.”
From USC’s first series, it was clear this wouldn’t be a normal USC-UCLA debacle, as tailback Chauncey Washington got stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Bruins’ 31. The Trojans swore they weren’t just warming up for Ohio State, but Jarrett was nowhere to be found and Booty wasn’t getting much time.
“A lot of our offense is based on getting him the ball, and when you have two, sometimes three guys on him, it can be difficult to do that,” said Booty, 23-for-39 for a quiet 274 yards.
Cowan only threw for 114 yards but three runs for 55 yards sparked a 91-yard first-quarter drive that ended with his 1-yard sneak for a 7-0 lead. A UCLA holding call in the end zone for a safety and C.J. Gable’s 1-yard score gave USC a 9-7 halftime edge, but the tone was set.
“Our D-line was knocking their offensive line back,” Davis said. “We were in Booty’s face all night. We just wanted it.
“We wanted it more than they did. They could see it in our eyes.”
Justin Medlock’s two chip shot field goals gave UCLA (7-5, 5-4) a 13-9 lead with 8:49 left, but USC had the ball at its own 29 at 5:52. USC drove to the 18. But on third-and-3, nickel back Eric McNeal tipped Booty’s pass at the line of scrimmage and made a diving interception to end USC’s title hope.
“They stuffed us,” Booty said. “Flat out. I don’t like to admit that, but that’s what happened.”
Staff writer John Henderson can be reached at 303-954-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
Southern Cal 0 9 0 0 – 9
UCLA 7 0 3 3 – 13
First quarter: UCLA – P. Cowan 1 run (Medlock kick), 1:35. Second quarter: USC – Safety, 12:21. USC – Gable 1 run (Danelo kick), :51. Third quarter: UCLA – FG Medlock 22, 5:45. Fourth quarter: UCLA – FG Medlock 31, 8:49. A – 90,622.
USC UCLA
First downs 14 15
Rushes-yards 29-55 36-121
Passing 274 114
Passes 23-39-1 12-21-0
Return yards 0 19
Punts-avg. 7-38.7 6-48.3
Fumbles-lost 1-0 3-1
Penalties-yards 9-55 3-21
Time of possession 31:47 28:13
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Southern Cal, Gable 19-52, C.Washington 5-9, Jarrett 1-(minus 3), Booty 4-(minus 3). UCLA, P.Cowan 10-55, Markey 20-51. Williams 2-13, McGee 1-3, Chan.Moline 2-1, Pitre 1-(-2).
PASSING – Southern Cal, Booty 23-39-1-274. UCLA, P.Cowan 12-21-0-114.
RECEIVING – Southern Cal, F. Davis 6-68, Smith 6-66, Jarrett 4-68. McFoy 3-35, Gable 3-32, Thompson 1-5. UCLA, Everett 5-72, Paulsen 4-21, Markey 1-17, Pitre 1-2, Willis 1-2.
