Last Year’s Game Over, Not Forgotten

USC’s 48-41 loss to UCLA in double overtime last season left its mark.

“I’ll never get over it,” said running back LaVale Woods, whose fumble with 1:27 to go in the fourth quarter set up the tying touchdown. “I can deal with it now, but I’ll never get over it.

“I was on the sidelines when Coach [John] Robinson grabbed me and said, ‘Go in there and hold onto the ball.’ You know what happened.”

Adam Abrams has memories too. He had a chance to win the game in regulation but his 41-yard field-goal attempt was blocked.

“It’s a kick I wish I had back,” he said. “I feel I rushed it. I had another chance in overtime and made a field goal, but it didn’t hold up.”

Abrams, nine for 10 on field goals this season, got some redemption when he kicked the game winner against Notre Dame.

“It gives you a boost of confidence knowing you’ve done it before in an extreme pressure situation,” he said.

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Robinson heard from an old friend this week, Arizona State Coach Bruce Snyder, a former USC assistant.

“Just a conversation . . . begging me to win the game,” Robinson said.

Arizona State can reach the Rose Bowl only if UCLA loses.

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Bowl scouts scheduled to be at the Coliseum today are from the Fiesta, which is looking at UCLA, and the Independence, scouting USC a second time.

The Aloha Bowl will scout the game by television and is considering USC or Washington, if the Huskies lose, with Oregon an outside shot to face a Big 12 team.

Aloha officials still have an eye on a USC-Missouri matchup, which would pit Missouri Coach Larry Smith against the school that fired him.

“We understand Coach Smith likes it and thinks it would be quite a tale too,” said Marcia Klompus, executive director of the Aloha Bowl.

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Senior Delon Washington will start at tailback today in the final game of his college career.