Poole Isn’t a Forgotten Man

Outstanding speed and quickness, great hands and instincts, good leaping ability ... all are required attributes for a standout college cornerback. But as USC senior Will Poole knows, the demands of the position go well beyond physical tools.

“You’ve got to have a very, very short-term memory,” Poole said. “As a cornerback, things are going to happen. People are going to score on you, they’re going to go deep on you, but if you let those things bother you, it will eat you up inside. You’ve got to let it slide off you. You’ve got to act like it never happened ... even though it did happen.”

Just about everything bad -- one yard short of a touchdown -- that can happen to a cornerback happened to Poole on the second play of Saturday’s game against Oregon State. Beaver quarterback Derek Anderson, who torched the Trojans for 485 yards passing, threw long to Mike Hass on a play-action pass from his nine-yard line.

Poole, who was responsible for Hass in zone coverage, jumped to cover another receiver just as Hass cut toward the left sideline near midfield. Hass made the catch and raced all the way to the USC one-yard line before being dragged down after a 90-yard gain.

One play later, Steven Jackson scored to give Oregon State a 7-0 lead, the first time the Trojans had trailed in a game since the first quarter of a 43-23 victory over Washington on Oct. 25.

Poole’s response: What 90-yard pass play? What touchdown? What deficit?

A touch of adversity seemed to bring out the best in Poole, who from that point on played one of his best games of the season. He intercepted two passes, including one he returned for a game-turning touchdown in the second quarter, and recorded 11 tackles, 2 1/2 for losses, in a little more than a half to help USC to a convincing 52-28 victory over Oregon State before 73,864 in the Coliseum.

Poole’s play helped lead a USC defense that intercepted four passes -- the other two were by linebacker Lofa Tatupu -- limited Jackson, the Pacific 10 Conference’s leading rusher with 121 yards a game, to 62 yards in 22 carries, and withstood Anderson’s aerial assault.

“All year long, we’ve had the attitude that we just want to play, create turnovers, wreak havoc,” Poole said. “We have a lot of fun. Hopefully, it shows.”

Poole, who left early in the second half because of a left knee injury he said was not serious, made a leaping interception late in the first quarter.

Then late in the second quarter, with Oregon State trailing only 14-7, driving near midfield and knocking the air of invincibility out of the Trojans with every Anderson completion, Poole picked off an errant Anderson pass and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown, diving into the end zone with the ball in his outstretched hands to give USC a 21-7 lead with 4 minutes 58 seconds left in the half.

“They were driving a little bit, they had just gotten a first down, but we have a motto, we’re never going to break,” Poole said. “Their quarterback had a great game, he threw some good balls, but we did what we had to do to come out victorious.”

Where that victory will take the Trojans remained unknown. Second-ranked USC (11-1) won the Pacific 10 championship and had already clinched a Rose Bowl berth, but the Trojans won’t know until the final bowl championship series standings are released today whether they will play for the national championship in the Jan. 4 Sugar Bowl.

“I think we’ve done everything we could do to state our case -- only time will tell now,” Poole said. “The Rose Bowl is a great game; let’s not forget the tradition of that game. But let’s be realistic about it. Who wouldn’t want to play for a national championship?”