Reasons for Crisis Management: 21

In the wake of another blown 21-point lead, USC scrapped its usual Sunday afternoon meeting and practice schedule in favor of an evening crisis meeting.

“I think now we have to get together as a team and reevaluate our goals and where we’re headed,” Coach Paul Hackett said. “Clearly the Rose Bowl is not part of our future for 1999, and I think now we have to examine where we’re going to go, what the realistic goals are.”

The Trojans have lost three games in a row for the first time since 1996 and must win four of their final five to have a winning season and qualify for a bowl game.

“We’ll talk with our football team about changes, things we can do, little quirks here and there, trying to find any possible way to get ourselves out of the funk we’re in,” Hackett said.

“We’ll look at various luck charms if we can, try to find as many little rabbits’ feet as we can. Whatever it’s going to take to get us to relax and play the full 60 minutes.

“Certainly, we show tremendous flashes, but we need a little luck. We need to take a look at ourselves from top to bottom, and we’ll do that this week.”