Smith Worked Up After USC Works Bears Over, 31-15

After dominating their opponent, winning their fifth consecutive game and moving into sole possession of first place in the conference race, the USC Trojans might have expected a pat on the back from their coach.

Think again.

Larry Smith’s reaction to Saturday’s 31-15 victory over California was a swift kick in the collective rear ends of his players.

After verbally lambasting his Trojans, Smith was still furious when he met with reporters.

And embarrassed, he said.

And ashamed.

Because while USC dominated the Bears physically, they lost in the macho department. In a game marred by fights and penalties, the Trojans had one player, Junior Seau, kicked out, were penalized 12 times for 137 yards and nearly lost the momentum they had gained by racing to a 24-7 halftime lead.

“Our guys played hard,” Smith said, “but I am embarrassed of our school, and ashamed of our players. That’s not the way football should be played. It’s a lack of discipline and, as head coach, I take full responsibility. It’s not going to happen again. I can guarantee that.”

Smith proceeded to talk about the pluses of a game in which both Leroy Holt and Ricky Ervins rushed for more than 100 yards, quarterback Todd Marinovich threw for one touchdown and rushed for another and the Trojan defense, No. 1 in the nation against the run, played just about to its average, allowing Cal only 40 net yards rushing on the ground.

But asked if he’s concerned about next Saturday’s game against top-ranked Notre Dame, Smith became incensed again.

“If we have that number of penalties,” he said, “we’ll get killed, 90-0. This Notre Dame team may be the best in 20 years.”

Cynics might think Smith’s tirade was just another way to psyche his team up for next Saturday’s showdown, but USC receiver John Jackson doesn’t approve.

“I think the coach was overreacting,” he said. “Winning this game and moving into the conference lead was a big thing. And for the coach to be so negative, well, you can see the mood in the locker room now. We’re certainly not riding on a high.”

Jackson got involved in the first big confrontation.

With the Trojans facing a third-and-goal at the Cal seven in the first quarter of a scoreless game, Marinovich kept the ball and gained two yards.

But when defensive lineman Rhett Hall appeared to be overzealous in slamming Marinovich to the turf, Jackson had words with the Cal defender.

USC was slapped with a personal foul and a 15-yard penalty and had to settle for Quin Rodriguez’s 37-yard field goal.

The mood of the day was set. The Trojans would never be caught. Not on the scoreboard. Not in penalty yards.

USC moved into a 10-0 advantage in the second quarter when Marinovich, who completed 16 of 26 passes for 206 yards with no interceptions, hit Gary Wellman with a 32-yard touchdown pass.

But the offensive star this day was Holt, the often overlooked fullback who spends much of his time clearing the way for Ervins, the tailback.

He did that again Saturday, coming up with a key block on Ervins’ 10-yard scoring run in the second quarter.

But Holt also found plenty of holes for himself. He rushed 21 times for 160 yards, including the 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that broke the game open.

Ervins also went over the 100-yard mark, picking up 134 in 31 carries.

Even Marinovich got into the act, scoring on a keeper from seven yards out.

Cal Coach Bruce Snyder said before the game that there was little use trying to run on the impregnable front wall of the Trojan defense.

He knows his team.

What the Bears got came through the air. Quarterback Troy Taylor got both scores on touchdown pass plays to Brian Treggs, for 75 yards in the second quarter and 14 in the fourth.

Taylor followed his second scoring pass by hitting Brent Woodall in the end zone for the two-point conversion, and suddenly, the Memorial Stadium crowd of 52,000 had a reason to look at the scoreboard other than checking on the progress of the World Series just down the road.

With still 10 1/2 minutes left after Cal’s second touchdown, Snyder went for the onside kick.

And almost got it.

The ball appeared to be within the grasp of several Cal players only to have it bounce off the face mask of one into the firm grasp of USC’s Matt Gee.

That caused the fans, the few hardy who remained, to go back to checking on the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants.

Much of the earlier tension was gone.

So was Seau, who was tossed out for fighting, along with Cal offensive lineman Steve Gordon.

“It was just one of those stupid things,” Seau said. “I’ve got to learn from it. I could have backed out. I should have. I saw two of their guys on one of ours and I just went over to make sure he was OK. I got into a little tangle up.

“A lot of guys were involved, but it seemed like I stuck out. I felt the officials used me as an example to settle things down.”

But nothing could settle Smith down.

It course have been worse, though. Imagine what he would have done if the Trojans had lost?

USC Notes

USC, ranked 10th before Saturday, is 5-1, 3-0 in conference. Cal falls to 2-4, 0-3 in the Pac-10. There will be no roses for the Bears again this season. . . . USC had 499 yards of total offense to Cal’s 288. . . . The Trojans sacked Troy Taylor five times. Dan Owens was credited with 2 1/2, Craig Hartsuyker with two. . . . Taylor completed 13 of 31 for 248 yards. . . . Brian Treggs caught three for 129 yards. . . . Gary Wellman was USC’s leading receiver with two catches for 60 yards. John Jackson had two for 51. . . . Saturday marked the first time since 1985 that two Trojans rushed for 100 yards in the same game. Against Stanford that season, Aaron Emanuel had 122 and Fred Crutcher 105. . . . Ricky Ervins began play Saturday with 547 yards rushing, which already put him ahead of last year’s season leader, Emanuel, who had 545. . . . The Trojans have beaten Cal four in a row, 11 of the last 12 and 26 of 31.