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Trojan Defense Gives the Bruins No Shot

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Times Staff Writer

Shoot, that was no shootout.

The idea was that even if UCLA couldn’t pull off an upset, the Bruins could run up and down the field on a USC team that gave up 42 points to Fresno State.

That will henceforth be known as the Fresno State fallacy.

UCLA came in averaging 40 points and more than 444 yards a game, but the Bruins didn’t even reach the end zone until less than four minutes remained, settling for two field goals before that in a 66-19 loss that, excuse us, wasn’t that close.

“After the Fresno game, that’s all I heard. Everybody thought we were going to get whipped,” USC Coach Pete Carroll said.

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Instead, the Bruins were battered by a Trojan defense that sacked quarterback Drew Olson five times, forced five fumbles, recovered three and contributed a touchdown.

“A lot of people were talking about our D-line and them being able to run the ball,” nose tackle Sedrick Ellis said. “I can’t speak for the whole defense, but it bothered me a lot.”

At halftime, UCLA had 41 yards rushing and USC had 307, and there would be no miracle UCLA comeback.

The Bruins finished with 275 total yards to USC’s 679.

And Olson, who passed for 510 yards against Arizona State, completed 14 of 32 passes for a mere 146 and left the game “disappointed and embarrassed,” he said.

Said Ellis: “It’s amazing that we beat them the way we did.”

With two weeks to prepare for UCLA, USC made up its mind to keep it simple: Stop the run and then pour the pressure on Olson. And that’s what the Trojans did.

Anytime UCLA got something going -- which wasn’t often -- USC stuffed it.

The Bruins had a third and nine at the Trojan 35 when the score was still only 10-0, and defensive end Frostee Rucker stopped the drive with a sack.

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“Just stop the run” was the mantra, Rucker said, but Olson was next. “We knew we needed to get after him, and we did. We knew their offensive line was vulnerable.”

The biggest defensive star on a team that had many might have been end Lawrence Jackson, who had three sacks and kept forcing fumbles.

On the third play of the second half, when it was time for any rally by a Bruin team that had come from 21 points behind this season to begin, Jackson chased Olson down from behind, sacked him and forced a fumble recovered by Brian Cushing.

“I was glad to see him do that,” Rucker said. “With Lawrence, he’s a game-breaker. I’d like to see him get some All-American talk. The guy plays fast.”

Linebacker Rey Maualuga had nine tackles and forced two fumbles, including the time he knocked the ball out of Maurice Drew’s arms and into the air, where Justin Wyatt caught it and ran 38 yards to the end zone for a 45-6 lead.

The Bruins contended they contributed to their own demise.

“I think our offense killed ourselves,” Olson said.

Added Coach Karl Dorrell: “They played their base defense. It was a matter of us not making the plays we needed to. They established the line of scrimmage early. We had our chance, but when we needed to make plays or when there was an opening, we fell short.”

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A Trojan defense that has been maligned could stand tall.

“I play nose tackle. A lot of responsibility falls on me to stop the run,” Ellis said. “I felt I had to come out and establish myself.

“Maurice Drew is a good back. Stop him first. Then you have a good chance to hurt Drew Olson. We knew he was a pocket quarterback and we could cut him up with the rush.”

The 42 points Fresno State scored were the most any USC team coached by Carroll had allowed.

That’s a record UCLA never threatened.

“Coach Carroll got that defense ready to play,” running back LenDale White said.

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