The embattled Bruins coach might not get another shot to beat the Trojans. If he pulls it off, he?ll finally have the result to back up words that otherwise ring hollow.
By MICHAEL LEV AND ADAM MAYA
LOS ANGELES ? The first shot came in the form of a newspaper ad, featuring a pointing Rick Neuheisel beneath this now-infamous sentence: "The football monopoly in Los Angeles is officially over."
About a year and a half later, shortly after Lane Kiffin replaced Pete Carroll, Neuheisel spoke at halftime of a UCLA-USC basketball game. "If you've paid attention to anything that's gone on in college football this week," Neuheisel said, "you can see the landscape has slightly shifted."
Finally, this week, in advance of the regular-season football finale between the Bruins and Trojans, the ever-optimistic Neuehisel was at it again, declaring that his program has "closed the gap" on cross-town rival USC.
But has it? Has anything changed? Talent? Recruiting? Perception? Results?
By any objective measure, the monopoly is not close to being over, the landscape hasn't shifted and the gap remains wide.
Almost four years into Neueheisel's tenure, and two into USC's NCAA probation, the Bruins are fighting for their coach's job while the Trojans are seeking a 10-victory season. USC has won the past four meetings by an average of 18 points and is favored by 15 to make it five in a row.
But Neuheisel has one more lifeline. He really can change everything by beating the Trojans on Saturday night.
A victory would bump UCLA's record to 7-5, 6-3 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Bruins would win the Pac-12 South Division without any ifs, ands, buts or asterisks.
"The fact we're going to get to a bowl game this year is certainly an indication of progress," Neuheisel said. "If we can beat our rival, that would be great evidence of progress."
The odds say it's improbable. History says it's possible.
THE GHOSTS OF 2006
The last time they beat the Trojans ? on Dec. 2, 2006 -- the Bruins were 6-5 and heavy underdogs. USC was playing for a shot at the national championship. UCLA prevailed, 13-9.
Kiffin was there as USC's offensive coordinator. Looking back on the upset this week, Kiffin remembered it as "a horrible day." But as demoralizing as it was then, it serves as a lesson to a young team now.
"It's about preparation," Kiffin said. "If you don't prepare really well ... you can lose any game, no matter what, at any level. It's not about the talent, it's how you play that day.
"When you add a rivalry game to it, it really doesn't matter; spreads don't mean anything. If you go over years and years of rivalry games, you can throw the spreads out the window."
The Trojans don't have nearly as much at stake this time ? they're ineligible for postseason play ? but the game does mean something to them. Reaching 10 victories would be a significant achievement for a program that was supposed to crumble beneath the weight of sanctions delivered in June 2010.
Kiffin wasn't surprised that USC upset Oregon last week. But ascending to the top 10 less than two years into his tenure amid what quarterback Matt Barkley described as "all the junk that has been going on around here"? Yeah, not even the cocksure Kiffin saw that coming.
'THEY HATE US, WE HATE THEM'
As gratifying as it would be to finish 10-2, the Trojans would feel even worse about the alternative. That's their incentive.
Motivation is everywhere for the Bruins, especially seniors who face the possibility of never beating USC in their careers.
"This is the game I wanted to play in when I chose this school," senior safety Tony Dye said. "I want this win bad. I need this win."
Senior receiver Taylor Embree said he's already anticipating the blare of USC's fight song and hasn't gotten over what happened the last time UCLA visited the Coliseum.
"You hear that song, you want to go play, you get (ticked) off," Embree said. "I still remember the grin Matt Barkley had on his face when they threw the deep ball on us last time we were at the Coliseum.
"They hate us, we hate them."
Embree is referring to Barkley's 48-yard touchdown pass with less than a minute to play and USC leading, 21-7, in the 2009 meeting. The play was Carroll's reaction to Neuheisel calling a timeout after the Trojans had taken a knee. The two teams had a brief faceoff at midfield, and a fight nearly broke out.
Senior tailback Derrick Coleman said he is encouraging his teammates not to get caught up in the emotion this rivalry stirs up.
"This is an opportunity to shock the world, to show we can beat the Trojans, they're not dominant," Coleman said. "They always overlook us. But we've been the underdog most of the season. Everybody's overlooked us.
"I tell everybody, this is just another opponent standing in the way of what we're trying to achieve."
UCLA is one upset victory over its biggest rival from playing in the first Pac-12 Championship Game.
"It's our job," Barkley said, "not to let that happen."
Contact the writer: mlev@ocregister.com
usc trojans ucla bruins matt barkley lane kiffin robert woods rich neuheisel marc tyler
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