UCLA Goes for the Roses--USC Goes for the Upset : Bruins Heavily Favored but Are Still Wary of Trojans, for Peete’s Sake

UCLA Coach Terry Donahue calls USC a “very, very good football team that has had some misfortunes.”

Those misfortunes are expected to continue today at the Coliseum in the 55th game of the crosstown rivalry.

The Bruins (8-1-1 overall and 6-1 in the Pacific 10) have been playing confidently and consistently and would go to the Rose Bowl if they beat the Trojans (4-5 and 3-3).

Donahue and UCLA partisans are concerned, though, that the Trojans may be a sleeping giant, a team that hasn’t played to its capability this season.

There is also another opinion, that what you see is what you get. Perhaps, the Trojans are only as good as their losing record indicates. Although emotional considerations can’t be ignored in this intense rivalry, it wouldn’t seem logical for USC to make a complete turnaround this late in the season.

UCLA is on a roll, having won its six games since a 21-14 loss to Washington on Sept. 28. USC is still groping for a winning spark, having lost three of its last four games.

The Trojans are hoping that Rodney Peete, a redshirt freshman quarterback, will be able to revive a somewhat stagnant offense. Peete gave USC another dimension with his ability to run as well as pass in a 20-17 loss to Washington last Saturday.

Peete is talented, to be sure, but today’s game is a demanding assignment for such an inexperienced player. UCLA’s Tom Ramsey was the last freshman quarterback to start in this game, in 1979, and his team was shelled by USC, 49-14.

It’s believed, though, that Donahue would rather try to devise a defense for veteran Sean Salisbury, a less mobile quarterback who lost his No. 1 status to Peete last week.

“Rodney is difficult to prepare for, because he makes things happen,” Donahue said. “He turns mediocre plays into real big plays. I would compare him to Tony Robinson of Tennessee. He has the same athletic speed and talent but he is not as tall.”

Whether or not USC has found a new offensive threat in Peete, the Bruins have a complete arsenal. They’re the Pac-10’s leading rushing team, averaging 219 yards a game.

Several backs have contributed to this total, including tailback Gaston Green, a breakaway type, who hurt USC last year when he rushed for 134 yards as UCLA won, 29-10.

“With Green, UCLA has a back with great vision and explosion who can go all the way,” USC Coach Ted Tollner said.

The Trojan tailbacks, Ryan Knight and Fred Crutcher, get their yardage in smaller chunks. Freshman Aaron Emanuel has shown glimpses of his big-play ability this season. But he has a sprained ankle and is questionable for today’s game.

There are other factors contributing to UCLA being a 6 1/2-point favorite.

The Bruins lead the nation in rushing defense, allowing opponents an average of only 60.1 yards a game. They have played several passing teams this season, but that doesn’t negate the statistic.

“It’s a very quick defense,” said Frank Falks, who coaches USC’s running backs. “They do a heck of a job converging on the ball. They have great team speed and they use it to their advantage.”

UCLA also has a capable quarterback in David Norrie, the Pac-10’s passing efficiency leader. He has completed 63.2% of his passes for 1,641 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 8 interceptions.

His receivers are first-rate--Karl Dorrell, Willie Anderson and Mike Sherrard, who is available now after being inactive earlier with a shoulder injury.

But John Lee may be the ultimate weapon. Whenever the Bruins get good field-goal position, they’re almost assured of three points from this splendid kicker, who has made 19 of 22 attempts this season and could be a No. 1 NFL draft choice.

Lee kicked five field goals against USC last year as the Bruins took advantage of five Trojan turnovers.

Add up all these factors, and it seems probable that UCLA will beat USC for an unprecedented fourth straight time and the fifth time in the last six years.

That would be a heavy load for USC to bear. There is also considerable pressure on Tollner, who is 0-5 against traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame since he became USC’s coach in 1983. He could become the first Trojan coach to lose three straight years to both schools.

He also faces the prospect of a losing season, his second in three years, although he coached USC to the Pac-10 championship and a Rose Bowl victory over Ohio State last season.

Tollner says that the only pressure on him is to win and that external factors don’t add to it.

USC has no postseason bowl game to look forward to, other than the season-ending Mirage Bowl game against Oregon next Saturday in Tokyo.

UCLA has more at stake in today’s game, so USC’s motivation will be pride and an opportunity to knock UCLA out of the Rose Bowl. There are only a few USC players left from the last team that beat UCLA, in 1981, and they were inactive reserves at the time.

The Bruins’ credentials are well documented. The only lingering question is whether the Trojans can play a championship-caliber game--as Tollner said they must--as this disappointing season nears its end.

Knight, who’ll be USC’s starting tailback today, summarized his team’s feelings when he said: “If we play to our ability, there is no doubt in our minds that we can beat them.”

Of course, the Trojans’ best game may not be good enough.

Trojan-Bruin Notes Kickoff for today’s game is 1:30 p.m., and the game is a sellout, with all 92,516 tickets having been sold. . . . It will not be televised because USC is still on NCAA probation, prohibiting TV appearances. A taped replay will be shown on Channel 2 Sunday at 9:30 a.m. . . . UCLA’s 6 1/2-point favoritism is the largest for the Bruins since they were a 13 1/2-point choice over USC in 1960. The Trojans upset the Bruins in that game, 17-6. . . . UCLA is ranked eighth in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls, its first appearance in the Top 10 since the first week of the season. . . . Injury report: UCLA cornerback Dennis Price is questionable with a shoulder injury and will be replaced by redshirt freshman Marcus Turner. Darryl Henley, who normally backs up Price, is out with a kidney injury. UCLA lost another cornerback, Craig Rutledge, earlier, so the UCLA secondary is patched up. USC has lost several key players to injuries this season, among them nose guard Tony Colorito and flankers Randy Tanner and Gene Arrington. But the Trojans came out of the Washington game without any additional injuries that will keep a player out of today’s game. . . . The Daily Bruin defeated the Daily Trojan, 14-12, at USC in the annual football contest between the newspaper staffs of the two schools. According to the Daily Bruin, it is the first time in the series that the road team has won. In past years, the newspaper that won saw its football team lose on Saturday. Last year, the Daily Bruin and the UCLA football team both won.

Fans are advised to get to the game earlier than usual because of the large crowd. Lots 1 and 3, located on the east side of Menlo Avenue, and Lot 5, on the northwest side of Hoover and King Boulevards, have been reserved for groups from both schools. Three other large lots are still available for public parking--Lot 2 (Menlo Avenue and 39th Street), Lot 4 (Menlo Avenue and Exposition Boulevard) and Lot 6 (on King Boulevard). . . . Even if USC beats UCLA, the Bruins can still go to the Rose Bowl if Arizona (4-2 in the Pac-10) beats Arizona State (5-1) tonight at Tempe, Ariz. USC could knock UCLA out of the Rose Bowl with a tie, providing that ASU beats Arizona. Ted Tollner said his team is trying to win but that some circumstances would dictate playing for a tie. . . . This is only the third time in 25 years that USC has come into the UCLA game with a losing record. . . . Terry Donahue has a 4-5 record against USC. He lost four straight from 1976 through 1979, before winning in 1980. Donahue’s teams have compiled a 34-9-2 record from 1982 to the present. USC is 25-17-1 during that period. . . . Donahue has won eight or more games six times in his 10-year career. . . . John Lee needs to kick only two field goals to break the NCAA career record of 78 (in the regular season) held by Arizona State’s Luis Zendejas. . . . Tollner said that he wouldn’t be surprised if UCLA tries to exploit USC with option plays today. Other teams have been successful with the option against the Trojans. Gaston Green set up a UCLA touchdown last year with a 27-yard run off the option. . . . Donahue discounted his team’s No. 1 ranking in rushing defense by saying, “USC might be the only (good) rushing team we’ve faced all season.” USC is averaging 195 yards rushing. . . . The Bruins are ranked ninth in the Pac-10 in pass defense, permitting an average of 222.6 yards a game. That statistic is a bit misleading, though, because teams go to the air when they can’t move on the ground. . . . USC’s defense has allowed an average of 140 yards rushing and 151.6 passing, which leads the league.