USC Ghost Still Chases Turner : BRAGGING RITE: UCLA vs. USC SATURDAY, AT ROSE BOWL : UCLA: The Bruin safety, tackled by Peete as a freshman, hasn’t beaten the Trojans yet.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Eric Turner had a recurring dream that he’s running on a treadmill while hearing footsteps behind him. That would be particularly significant this week as UCLA prepares for Saturday’s game against USC at the Rose Bowl.

Turner, UCLA’s free safety, was a freshman in 1987 when he intercepted a pass from Rodney Peete on the goal line and headed upfield. A sprinter in high school, Turner appeared to be on his way into the record book with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown.

But Peete, USC’s quarterback at the time, pursued Turner and tackled him at the 11-yard line on the last play of the half.

Instead of leading, 17-0, UCLA had to settle for a 10-0 halftime lead, and eventually lost, 17-13.

Turner is a senior now and one of 15 semifinalists for the Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back.

Nonetheless, every year in the week of the UCLA-USC game, Turner is reminded of his frantic dash to the end zone with Peete in pursuit. In good humor, he patiently explains the play.

“I looked three or four times to see where Rodney was, and I’m sure that slowed me down,” Turner said. “My (high school) track coach told me never to look back.

“It was 100 long yards. But remember that Rodney was on the 10-, or 12-yard line when he threw the pass, so he had a head start because I was on the goal line.”

Asked to predict the outcome if a similar situation occurs Saturday, Turner said with a straight face: “I think I could beat (Todd) Marinovich.” USC quarterback Marinovich is noted for his arm, not his speed.

Turner is a member of a generally experienced UCLA secondary composed of strong safety Matt Darby, right cornerback Dion Lambert and alternating left cornerbacks Carlton Gray and Damion Lyons. It is ranked second in the Pacific 10 in pass defense efficiency.

Turner, a co-captain of the Bruins along with center Lance Zeno, is the latest in a distinguished line of outstanding UCLA free safeties--All-Americans Kenny Easley and Don Rogers and James Washington.

The 6-foot-2, 206-pound athlete from Ventura leads the team with 86 tackles this season and is fourth on the Bruin career list.

In his career, he has 14 interceptions and none was more significant than his most recent one. In the waning minutes of last Saturday’s game against Washington in Seattle, Turner intercepted a pass thrown by quarterback Mark Brunell, leading to Brad Daluiso’s winning field goal.

Turner said he sensed Brunell would throw a pass on an out pattern.

“He’s left-handed and he was looking left all the way,” Turner said. “I got a good jump and, when I caught the ball, I just made sure that I stayed inbounds.”

Turner said the key to UCLA’s 25-22 upset victory was that the team didn’t let up for 60 minutes.

“That’s what it took to beat Washington,” he said. “We had some devastating losses to Arizona and Oregon, and that hurt your heart. The Washington win didn’t entirely make up for those losses, but it helped.”

Turner said the Bruins’ attitude before the Washington game was that it had basically everything to gain and nothing to lose, considering UCLA’s 4-5 record at the time.

“It was also a chance for us to show what we could do on national television and that was exciting,” he said.

This is the last opportunity for Turner and the other Bruin seniors to beat USC. The Trojans won in 1987 and ‘88, and the teams tied, 10-10, last season.

“Our coaches say that the USC game is a different season,” Turner said. “You play 10 games, then it’s USC. You don’t understand that until you’ve played in the game. If you can’t get up for the Trojans, you might as well not be playing.”

Darby said that when he first played against USC as a redshirt freshman in 1988, the “whole scene was overwhelming.”

A track and football star at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, Va., Darby planned to play at either Virginia or North Carolina.

“However, when I came to California on a visit, I changed my mind real quick,” Darby said.

Darby was a linebacker in high school but was converted to strong safety because he weighed only 186 pounds as a freshman. Now he stands 6-2 and weighs 207.

Even though he is from the same area as Easley, he said the former Bruin defensive back didn’t influence him to come to the school.

“As a defensive back, I wanted to go to a passing conference and a school with a good tradition of defensive backs,” he said.

Darby has made 63 tackles this season and is one of UCLA’s most aggressive players. He writes poetry for relaxation in his spare time.

“Most people who know me say, ‘How can you be so mean on the field and so nice off it.’ ” he said. “I’m really a quiet and shy person.”

Turner, Darby and the other defensive backs had to learn a new style of play under secondary coach A.J. (Andy) Christoff, who previously coached at Alabama, Oregon State, Oregon and Stanford.

“I think there is good talent in the secondary, but they’ve had to work hard to overcome their shortcomings,” Christoff said. “I think they’ve done that.

“From my standpoint as a coach, we’ve been inconsistent. We’ll make eight good plays and then two bad plays.”

Christoff said the defensive backs are going through a transition period because they’re playing more man-to-man coverages than in the past.

He said Turner and Darby were stationed 15 yards off the line of scrimmage last year. The secondary didn’t give up many big plays, but it wasn’t involved in run support as it is now.

“Consequently, we’re a little bit more vulnerable to giving up some big (pass) plays,” Christoff said.

With UCLA’s defensive backs more involved in run support, they could be vulnerable to play-action type passes, such as those favored by USC. The Trojans have a balanced attack, averaging 209.4 yards passing and 193.4 rushing, so UCLA’s secondary will be tested.