Local eyes are smiling / USC gets its biggest victory over Notre Dame, 38-0, and UCLA pulls rank on California with a 30-21 upset

Because he plays it extremely close to the vest he might not admit it, but when Karl Dorrell wakes up this morning, he’s going to feel 20 pounds lighter.

At least he should.

Not the 20 pounds of sweat he lost during Saturday’s madcap shootout of a game at the Rose Bowl that ended with his Bruins nine points in front of California.

No, this would be 20 less pounds of pressure, a feeling he should relish because of the way he has been savaged by those who say he should not be the man coaching football in Westwood.

They have harped at his record, which since he came to UCLA in 2003 has been just a notch above mediocre. They have blasted him, as well, for his demeanor -- which, at its most fevered pitch, is stoic.

Even after the 30-21 upset, a great victory, Dorrell didn’t change.

He walked slowly into a news conference wearing a shirt with few creases and the calm face of a poker player. This was a huge win, the second biggest of his career after last year’s over USC.

But you could hardly tell.

He was asked if the game had given him a sense of vindication.

His response was textbook bland. Basically, no.

He followed that with a run of predictable responses:

“I am who I am.”

“I can take the punches and keep doing what I do.”

“We are going to do what we do . . . line up and keep fighting.”

I tried to pin him down. What would he feel like in the morning?

He stayed calm as a monk and spoke of how he was going to relish the next few hours, but that by morning he’d be back at the drawing board, focused tight on next week’s game against Washington State.

I’m not sure why Karl Dorrell doesn’t let his feelings show. I’m not sure why, after four years, hardly any of us knows what makes him tick -- what, if anything, makes him electric with anger, or overcome with joy.

But when you think about it, when you realize the constant beating he takes from alumni, bloggers and plenty of reporters, you just know that he is not telling the truth when he says today will just be another day.

At least it shouldn’t be.

Karl Dorrell, enjoy the moment.

At least until next weekend.

Here’s why:

The Bruins came into the Cal game having played themselves out of the national spotlight and into the doghouse. They had four wins, three of them conference games.

But their losses? Utah would have a tough time beating USC’s third string. Notre Dame, which came into the Rose Bowl winless? Did you see what Notre Dame did at home Saturday against the Trojans?

Those Bruins losses were so ugly that most fair-minded observers thought Cal, talented and ticked off after a heartbreak loss of their own last week, would walk away with this one comfortably.

Early in the first quarter, it looked as if that might happen. Cal stepped down the field as steadily as a metronome. Golden Bears 7, Bruins 0.

But just as quickly, the game became a slugfest.

Steering the Bruins was Patrick Cowan. He came into this season on the second string but first among Bruins fans because of the gutsy way he beat the Trojans and because when he is on the field the team has a heartbeat.

I’ll say it now, firmly. As long as Cowan is healthy, he should be the starting quarterback. He proved it all day long.

Throughout the game, he held onto momentum, kept his team in the running, didn’t make many mistakes, danced smoothly in the pocket and ran for first downs. He fired unwavering bullets when he needed to. He lofted a soft, well-placed ball for a 17-yard gain during a drive that ended with a field goal. He had a touchdown on another soft-touch throw to his tight end.

Suddenly, with Cal up by a point and the third quarter dwindling, the Bruins were down at the Cal 38 and a yard away from another first down.

Everyone knew this was a make-or-break moment.

Dorrell played it straight and conservatively. He did not go for it on fourth down. He tried a play lifted from the pages of Coaching 101: Bring the team to the line of scrimmage and try to bait Cal into an offside penalty.

Boos rained from the stands.

When UCLA had to punt and the kicker didn’t do much with the ball, the boos reached a crescendo.

On television, commentators began their criticism.

Everyone could imagine it:

* Cal wins after UCLA steps away from the fight.

* Stone-faced Karl Dorrell gets scorched.

* A few more bad losses, maybe next week up at Washington State, and UCLA would enter next season with a new coach.

Well, it didn’t happen.

The rest of the game was full of moments UCLA fans will remember for a long time. Interceptions, a long runback, the way the Bruins looked as they walked off the field. They looked like they belonged.

Next week, Wazzu looms. UCLA, under Dorrell, has a jagged, up-and-down history. Euphoria followed by sadness.

Against a Washington State team of lesser talents, the Bruins should win. That just might set them up for a run of more victories. Maybe over USC, maybe in the Rose Bowl.

Karl Dorrell, if all of this happens, would you please shout to the heavens, loosen yourself, and give us a smile?

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Kurt Streeter can be reached at kurt.streeter@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Streeter, go to latimes.com/streeter.