This Tie Seems Just Like Loss to USC : Trojans: Heavily favored, they are disappointed and disturbed after a poorly played, penalty-filled game with UCLA ends at 10-10.

When does a tie seem like a loss? If you’re a USC player, it was Saturday at the Coliseum, where the Rose Bowl-bound Trojans were tied by UCLA, 10-10.

The heavily favored Trojans had difficulty sorting out their emotions. However, from what they said and the looks on their faces, you would think UCLA had beaten them.

“The loss hurts,” USC tailback Ricky Ervins said.

He was aware that the game ended in a tie but, emotionally, it was a loss as far as he was concerned.

“It almost feels like a loss,” USC free safety Mark Carrier said. “It’s tough when our team plays so hard, and it’s the last game after five years for our seniors. I hate to see them go out like this. Right now, there’s just a numb feeling.”

USC defensive tackle Tim Ryan expressed the same feeling.

“It was very dissatisfying,” he said. “Since I’ve been here we’ve lost some games when we dominated statistically and today’s game was like that.”

For what it’s worth, USC had 387 net yards to UCLA’s 202 and 20 first downs to the Bruins’ 10.

It was, in essence, an ugly game with nine turnovers and 16 penalties. Each team was assessed two unsportsmanlike conduct infractions.

Saturday’s game was reminiscent of another tie, 7-7, in 1971 when the Bruins came into the game with a 2-7 record and USC was 6-4.

That game was so poorly played that some fans were leaving by halftime.

Not all ties are ugly, though. The 1939 USC-UCLA game ended in a scoreless tie with a dramatic finish, and both teams remained unbeaten in a memorable game.

Overall, it was the seventh tie game in the series that began in 1929.

Ervins said the tie felt like a loss because some of the UCLA players ran off the field holding their arms aloft in a victory gesture.

Others, though, were sprawled on the ground in dejection and frustration after Alfredo Velasco’s 54-yard field goal try hit the crossbar and bounced away on the last play of the game.

The Trojans got a better bounce at the end of the second quarter when Quin Rodriguez’s 40-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright, but then bounded over the crossbar for three points and a 10-7 lead at halftime.

As for Velasco’s kick, Ryan said he thought it was good when the ball left the kicker’s foot.

“The UCLA players were cheering and then they were all falling to the ground when it hit the crossbar,” he said.

Ryan couldn’t explain why there were so many penalties, but he said he believed the officials were under pressure to make a lot of calls that they don’t normally make.

“They got their unsportsmanlike penalties for profanity, while we got one of ours when (cornerback) Dwayne Garner shoved someone after a play,” Ryan said.

USC Coach Larry Smith didn’t criticize the officials, saying, “The officials said they were not going to let the game get out of hand and I have no problem with that.”

However, Smith had a problem with the tie. He didn’t seem to know how to assess it.

“I have a hard time reacting to ties. It hasn’t happened to me many times in my life, and I don’t think the players know how to react, either,” he said. “Football was meant to be played to win, so I think any time you tie somebody you’re not pleased.”

Smith admitted, though, that the outcome could have been a lot worse for his team.

“That last kick was lucky for us because it kept us from defeat,” he said. “It was unlucky for them because it kept them from a victory.”

Smith said he didn’t believe that the Trojans were flat coming into the game, considering that they had already clinched a berth in the Rose Bowl by beating Arizona last Saturday.

“I thought we had one of our best weeks of preparation,” he said. “Our attitude was excellent. On Monday and Tuesday, we threw the ball better than I’ve ever seen us throw. We were loose, but intense. We were excited to play, but we just didn’t execute today.”

USC’s offense kept providing the Bruins with favorable field position with turnovers, but the Trojan defense shut down UCLA most of the game.

Quarterback Todd Marinovich had his worst game of the season, throwing three interceptions and fumbling to the Bruins.

Smith wouldn’t criticize Marinovich, saying: “I’m not going to judge any individual player because when you have an interception the quarterback throws into the wrong coverage, or the receiver doesn’t read it right, or the protection isn’t there. Offense is a team game and it takes everybody.”

However, for the first time since the opening game against Illinois, Marinovich played like a redshirt freshman.

“Offensively, we killed ourselves with the turnovers (six),” Marinovich said, “and we stopped ourselves with all of our penalties.”

The Trojans were penalized nine times for 80 yards, while the Bruins incurred seven penalties for 79 yards.

The nine turnovers equaled the Bruins’ total in the 1975 game, which they won, 25-22, on their way to the Rose Bowl.

Saturday’s game was a sellout, but there were about 6,000 no shows.