Palmer Is Calm, Cool and Ready for the Bruins

The biggest game of Carson Palmer’s young career is four days away, and USC’s freshman quarterback is the same cool, calm Carson.

“I’ve gone to the last two. I know what it’s about,” he said.

He’s 18 and has started two college games. Now the rivalry, USC’s seven-game losing streak against UCLA and the task of trying to derail the Bruins’ unbeaten season are on his shoulders, as much as anyone else’s.

No problem.

“I haven’t been getting nervous at all lately,” Palmer said. “You can’t approach it any differently, whether you’re playing the worst team in the league or the best team in the nation.

“You have to focus the same way, look at the game the same way, practice the same way and play the same way.”

This is the player who didn’t flinch when Coach Paul Hackett told him on the field before the Florida State game in Tallahassee that he might have to start because Mike Van Raaphorst was ill, though Van Raaphorst proved able to start.

“He said, ‘Coach, I’ve been waiting for this,’ ” Hackett said. “I think that’s his way of approaching all games. Purdue? ‘OK.’ Oregon? ‘OK.’ ”

UCLA? OK.

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Just for kicks, here are Cade McNown’s passing numbers when he started for UCLA against the Trojans as a freshman: eight for 17 for 131 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

That would be Palmer’s worst day as a starter, after passing for 279 yards against Washington and 203 against Stanford.

McNown led the Bruins to touchdowns on UCLA’s first three possessions. But perhaps most important, with UCLA protecting a four-point lead with about two minutes left and facing third and 13 from his own 29, he scrambled 21 yards for a first down, helping nail down the 24-20 victory.