Rose Bowl : USC, Failing Before, Tries Again for a Win Over Michigan State

Michigan State quarterback Bobby McAllister was prophetic last September when he approached his counterpart, USC’s Rodney Peete, and said:

“You’re a great quarterback. You win your conference and we’ll win ours, and we’ll see each other in the Rose Bowl.”

USC certainly didn’t look like a Rose Bowl-bound team on Labor Day night in East Lansing, Mich., losing to the Spartans, 27-13.

But the rematch is on today (Channel 4, 2 p.m.) in the 74th Rose Bowl game in Pasadena, marking the fifth time since the forerunner to the Pacific 10 Conference and the Big Ten agreed to a pact in 1947 that the opponents have met during the regular season.

It would seem that the team that lost the regular-season game would have a psychological advantage in the second game.

In four previous rematches, however, regular-season winners and losers are even at two victories each.

Rematches aside, the pervasive factor in this New Year’s Day game is the Pac-10’s domination of the Big Ten in recent years whether the Western representative is a favorite or an underdog.

Pacific 10 teams have won the last 6 games, 12 of the last 13 and 16 of the last 18.

That wasn’t the trend at the start of the pact. The Big Ten won 12 of the first 13 games.

So what has accounted for the turnaround?

It has been suggested that Big Ten teams are distracted by visits to Disneyland and Universal Studios and the media and the population crush of Southern California and that West Coast teams, namely USC and UCLA, have a home-field advantage.

It’s more likely that the Pac-10 has simply had better athletes, and therefore better teams, in the last 18 years.

Anyway, Michigan State Coach George Perles isn’t being caught up in all the speculation. He said that Michigan State, making its first visit to the Rose Bowl in 22 years, shouldn’t be burdened with the failures of other Big Ten teams.

When Ohio State and Michigan were alternately playing in the Rose Bowl, the teams were practically isolated and interviews were grudgingly granted.

Bo Schembechler, Michigan’s coach, was cranky. Woody Hayes, the late Ohio State coach, was often churlish.

Perles seems to be having a fine time, as is his team. He imposed a lenient 2 a.m. curfew until 48 hours before the game. His players were accessible for interviews at breakfast every day at their Newport Beach hotel.

As for the game, the teams are apparently evenly matched. USC Coach Larry Smith says his Trojans have improved in all areas since the opening game with Michigan State when the players were unfamiliar with the demands and system of a new coach. Likewise, Smith said he didn’t know what to expect of his team.

Michigan State, with an overall 8-2-1 record, was unbeaten in the Big Ten, only a tie with Illinois marring its record.

USC (8-3) was more inconsistent, but gathered momentum in the last four weeks while playing at home. UCLA, not USC, was expected to play in the Rose Bowl game.

But on Nov. 21, the Trojans upset the fifth-ranked Bruins, 17-13, to get the Rose Bowl bid, beating what some writers judged to be Terry Donahue’s best UCLA team in his 12 years as the school’s coach.

It has been theorized that Michigan State hasn’t beaten a team as good as UCLA this season. The Spartans were routed by Notre Dame, 31-8, and by Florida State, 31-3, when they stepped up in class.

“We want to take the momentum and crest of our final game with UCLA into this game,” Smith said. “It could be part of our emotional makeup.”

Smith said that USC must find a way to run effectively against Michigan State, something the Trojans couldn’t do in the first game. Nor any other team that followed, to any degree.

The Spartans, with their stunting, quick defense, permitted an average of only 61.5 rushing yards a game and led the nation in that category. USC was right on that average Sept. 7 with 61 yards.

The Trojans fell behind early, however, and were more inclined to pass, setting school record for attempts, 47, and completions, 29, while trying to catch up.

“We’ll have to mix it up,” Peete said. “We have to have some success running. We can’t throw the ball every down and be one dimensional. If we do that, they’d key on one phase and double (cover) our outside receivers.”

Michigan State’s defense is designed to take away the run and force teams to pass. The alignment is virtually a seven-man front with four down linemen, two outside linebackers pinched in tight and Percy Snow stationed in the middle when he isn’t stunting.

Peete will be changing the play at the line of scrimmage as he tries to outguess the Spartan defenders.

He’ll be trying to catch Michigan State in single coverage and he’s confident the Trojans can throw on any team. USC has a group of quality receivers in Erik Affholter, Randy Tanner, John Jackson and Ken Henry.

However, Todd Krumm and John Miller are accomplished safeties for the Spartans. They combined for 15 of the team’s 24 interceptions this season.

On the other side of the ball, Smith said that it was McAllister who disrupted the Trojans, more than All-American tailback Lorenzo White in the first game.

McAllister surprised USC by going outside for 63 yards in 15 carries. He also completed 10 of 15 passes for 103 yards.

“They really hurt us with McAllister,” Smith said. “He hurt us more than anything else except for our (five) turnovers.”

McAllister and Peete are similar in style. They are agile quarterbacks who can scramble and throw on the run.

Peete, though, who holds virtually ever school passing record, has thrown 159 more passes than McAllister this season. He has completed 60.1% (175 of 291) for 2,460 yards with 19 touchdowns while throwing 9 interceptions. He’s also rushed for 91 yards and 3 touchdowns. McAllister is a 50.8% passer (67 of 132). He has thrown for 1,043 yards and 6 touchdowns and has had just 4 interceptions.

White is the workhorse of the Michigan State offense, especially if McAllister is shut down. He has gained 1,459 yards, a creditable 4.5 average, while averaging 29.3 carries a game.

He carried 56 times against Indiana in a Big Ten title-deciding game, one short of the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. record set by Minnesota’s Kent Kitzmann in 1977.

So Perles employs his tailback as USC coaches John McKay and John Robinson did in years past.

Peete is now the focal point of the USC offense, whether passing, or executing the option.

“I know I’m going to have to have a great game because the ball will be in my hands 70 to 80% of the time,” he said.

With USC’s Steven Webster, the Pac-10’s leading rusher, inactive after knee surgery, the tailback responsibility rests mainly with freshman Scott Lockwood, who will be backed up by freshman Ricky Ervins and senior Ryan Knight.

Lockwood is the first freshman tailback to start in the Rose Bowl since Michigan’s Stanley Edwards in the 1978 game against Washington.

Despite his inexperience, Lockwood’s teammates marvel at his maturity.

“He’ll do a good job,” said Webster as he leaned on crutches during a recent practice at Rams Park in Anaheim. “If he surprises Michigan State, it won’t be a surprise to us.”

Rose Bowl Notes

USC Coach Larry Smith said that several of his players, notably cornerback Greg Coauette, have been suffering from the flu this week. Coauette has been held out of some practices, but is expected to play. . . . USC will be playing in its 25th Rose Bowl. The Trojans have an 18-6 record. Michigan State has a 2-1 Rose Bowl record, last appearing in 1966 when it lost to UCLA, 14-12. . . . Outside linebacker Marcus Cotton of USC said that Michigan State’s linemen held him repeatedly in the first game, but he’s not making an issue of it now. “I had a bad game, probably my worst at USC,” the senior linebacker said. “That was one game I played without retaliation. But it will never happen again.” Cotton had only four tackles in that game, compared to an average of 9.8 for the season. . . . USC defensive tackle Tim Ryan on MSU’s offensive line: “Their line is fairly average compared to the teams we’ve played against with the exception of tackle Tony Mandarich (6-7 and 289). He’s the best we’ve played against all year.” . . . USC is averaging 430.4 yards a game compared to 335.1 for Michigan State. However, the Spartans have allowed only 225.6 yards a game to rank second nationally behind Oklahoma’s 208.1. USC is yielding an average of 335.4 yards a game . . . Quin Rodriguez, USC’s freshman kicker, has made 12 of 15 field-goal attempts. Michigan State’s John Langeloh has made 15 of 22. . . . Spartan defensive end John Budde is the brother of former USC All-American guard Brad Budde.