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Monday, December 14, 1998

Trojans take another pummeling

USC: Defense, offense combine forces to allow Bruins to run ball at will

By Vytas Mazeika

Daily Bruin Staff

Cade McNown's three second half completions on only six pass attempts indicated one thing - the eighth straight victory over the Trojans was not even close.

No. 2 UCLA (10-0 overall, 8-0 in the Pac-10) completed an undefeated Pac-10 season by pounding the ball against the Trojans in a 34-17 win.

"Anybody who watched the game obviously saw the heart we played with," McNown said. "You could see that in our defense, and you could see that in our offense when we were driving the ball down the field.

"We ran the ball at will on them. It wasn't even an issue."

The Bruins ran the ball 20 times in the second half and finished the game with 45 carries for 227 rushing yards.

Freshman tailback DeShaun Foster scored all four Bruin touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) and created a reputation for himself as a Trojan killer.

Before the running attack could go to work, though, McNown threw an interception over the middle that resulted in a Trojan 36-yard field goal by Adam Abrams.

On the ensuing Bruin possession, Foster began his 109-yard day with a 15-yard gain through the right side. McNown then completed a 42-yard bomb to flanker Danny Farmer.

Four plays later, McNown threw his only touchdown pass of the day since Trojan safety Rashard Cook could not keep Foster out of the end zone.

Thanks to turnovers, the teams exchanged touchdowns, and Foster exploded through the left side to dust all of the Trojan defenders. His 65-yard touchdown run helped UCLA regain momentum and go into halftime with a solid 27-10 lead.

"(Foster) was phenomenal and he did a great job as a freshman football player," UCLA head coach Bob Toledo said.

The key factor in the game, though, may have been the seven turnovers caused by the UCLA defense.

Struck with a case of "fumble-itis," the USC offense coughed up the ball five times, while USC freshman quarter Carson Palmer, a nemesis of Foster's in high school, added two interceptions.

"(The turnovers were) the stat of the game," said McNown, who finished 12 of 20 for 146 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.

"When we can force that many turnovers, I think we're going to be in position to win a lot of football games."

The Bruins, though, would face their toughest test two weeks later at Miami - a loss which would knock the team out of national championship contention.AARON MICHAEL TOUT

The USC offense fumbled the ball and gave the Bruins several opportunities to score in their eighth consecutive victory over the Trojans.

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