No Split Decision

Justin Fargas remembers the moment he no longer wanted to be a part of Michigan’s football program.

It was Nov. 18, 2000, at Columbus, Ohio, and the Wolverines were putting the finishing touches on a big victory over archrival Ohio State. Everyone around him was excited, since the victory gave Michigan a share of the Big Ten Conference title.

But instead of looking forward to the Wolverines’ appearance in the Citrus Bowl, Fargas was planning his escape from Ann Arbor.

“I realized then just how far my injury had set me back,” said Fargas, a high-profile recruit for Michigan in 1998 after finishing a record-breaking career at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High. “I felt happy for the team but I knew that I should have been the tailback by then.”

Fargas, after a long recuperation from a broken leg, switched to defense at Michigan, then eventually transferred to USC, where he returned to running back and played a major role for the Trojans last season, leading the team in rushing and helping USC to an Orange Bowl victory over Iowa.

Fargas, who just completed his rookie season with the Oakland Raiders, now gets a chance to watch the two college programs he suited up for play each other today in the Rose Bowl game. And there’s no question which team he’ll be cheering for.

“It’s very safe to say that I will be rooting for USC,” Fargas said. “It’s going to be a great game. Two great schools; two great traditions going head to head. But my heart, my pride and love will be for USC.”

Before his senior football season in high school -- in track he won the state championship in the 100 meters -- Fargas committed to USC and then-coach John Robinson. A lifelong Trojan fan, he had always dreamed of wearing cardinal and gold and playing in the Rose Bowl.

But when USC fired Robinson and replaced him with Paul Hackett, Fargas turned to Michigan, which was coming off a national championship season and a Rose Bowl victory over Washington State.

“There was a lot of pressure for him to stay close to home,” said Fargas’ father, actor Antonio Fargas, best known for his role as Huggy Bear on the 1970s television show, “Starsky and Hutch.”

“But Michigan was very impressive.”

As a freshman running back in 1998, Fargas slowly moved up the depth chart and even started a game. He finished with 277 yards rushing and led the Wolverines in kickoff returns. In his best effort, he rushed for 120 yards in 31 carries against Northwestern.

But in the 11th game, against Wisconsin, Fargas suffered a broken right leg, setting off a chain of events that brought an end to his time at Michigan.

He was a redshirt in 1999, recovering from three operations to the broken bone and tendons in his right big toe.

By the time he came back, Anthony Thomas and Chris Perry had established themselves as the Wolverines’ best ballcarriers.

Fargas hoped to be in top form for his homecoming -- Michigan’s 2000 regular-season game against UCLA at the Rose Bowl. But he got only four carries.

After the game, Fargas requested and was granted a switch to the Wolverines’ secondary.

“You could see that Michigan had moved on,” said Fargas, who rushed for 362 yards and one touchdown in his career for the Wolverines. “The next year after I got hurt, they brought in five running backs.

“The coaches were pretty much happy to just see me playing again, but I wanted more. I was hungry, since I had been sitting for so long.”

Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr discouraged Fargas from making the switch. But having been a standout special-teams player for the Wolverines, Fargas argued that the quickest way for him to be on the field would be on defense.

He was wrong. Fargas moved between free safety and cornerback, but the change to defense didn’t result in significantly more playing time.

By the time the Ohio State game was over, Fargas knew he was finished at Michigan. On Christmas Day, 2000, Fargas and his older brother, Matthew Chausse, packed up all of his belongings and drove from Ann Arbor to Encino.

On the drive, Fargas narrowed his options to USC and California. The Trojans were back in the mix because Pete Carroll had replaced Hackett as coach.

After meeting with Carroll, Fargas decided to transfer to USC, even though he knew that he’d have to sit out a season, leaving him with only one season of eligibility.

“I give a lot of credit to [USC Athletic Director] Mike Garrett and Pete Carroll because they didn’t promise him anything,” Antonio Fargas said about his son’s decision. “They told him that he would have to earn everything. But Justin always had very strong feelings for USC.”

After undergoing another surgery on his toe in March 2001, Fargas spent a season on the Trojans’ scout team, where he regained some of the skills he’d had before the injury.

The next season, Fargas was finally eligible to play but again had to deal with a crowded backfield. Splitting time with fellow seniors Malaefou MacKenzie and Sultan McCullough, as well as freshman Hershel Dennis, Fargas did not get his first start until Oct. 26 against Oregon. He gained a career-high 139 yards in 27 carries and never looked back, finishing the season with 715 yards.

“This kid ran with attitude,” running backs coach Kennedy Pola said about Fargas. “He would run over anyone, from 300-pound defensive linemen to his own offensive linemen. It just didn’t matter who was there. He’s that tough.”

Fargas capped his one season with the Trojans in the Orange Bowl with 122 yards in 20 carries as he helped USC to an 11-2 record and No. 4 national ranking.

It was a happy ending to a rocky collegiate career.

“I respect the tradition of Michigan and I learned a great deal going there,” Fargas said. “My experiences at Michigan helped me have success at SC because I brought a little bit of Big Ten football with me.

“The road I took was a hard one, but everything that I went through helped make me who I am. I can’t look back at my Michigan experience with any regrets. But I’m so glad that I was able to make the move to USC because I’m a Trojan for life now.”