Neuheisel displays fortitude crosstown


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Three weeks ago, UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel stood in front of a packed crowd at Pauley Pavilion during halftime and delivered a rousing speech about the return of Bruin football. “We are not going to rest until we bring back the Pac-10 championship, the Rose Bowl championship and the national championship back to UCLA!” […]

Trojans finish signing day with a flourish


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Lane Kiffin entered the Varsity Lounge of Heritage Hall on Wednesday bleary-eyed and with a blank expression. Clearly, this was a man who was running on little sleep. But after a tiring homestretch to national signing day, Kiffin can take solace in the famous line from Glengarry Glen Ross — “coffee is for closers.” The […]

A day of false hope and broken promises


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It’s finally here. It’s the day when chiseled, egotistical high school seniors all over the country honor the 51st anniversary of Buddy Holly’s tragic death by taking a few lines out of Don McLean’s “American Pie.” And I knew if I had my chance / That I could make those people dance / And maybe […]

Student manager was out of place


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Stan Holt cost the USC men’s basketball team Saturday’s game against the Oregon Ducks. Holt didn’t score a single point, grab one rebound or dish out an assist. He didn’t turn the ball over or miss an assignment on defense. In fact, Holt didn’t play a single minute. But while he was sitting on USC’s […]

Confidence is behind Johnson’s success


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There are a lot of things wrong with the world. A lot of things. The list is just about endless. The country of Haiti is in dire straits after a devastating earthquake. The American economy is stuck in a prolonged rough patch. Unimaginable suffering continues in countries like Burma and Sudan. But, at the risk […]

Seniors get a chance to shine one last time


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Somewhere in the world, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound man is probably smiling. At the same time, dozens of people much smaller are smiling as well. The cause for joy is the same, but the reasoning is completely different. Why? Tomorrow is the Senior Bowl, the Super Bowl of scouting (until the NFL Combine next month). The […]

Mays’ shift to NFL a difficult proposition


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Congratulations on a stellar four-year career with USC, Taylor Mays. Now go ahead and play the opposite of your trademark style. That’s essentially the message that the Trojans’ star safety has been receiving this week as he practices for Saturday’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Even though it’s difficult to glean too much from an […]

Johnson’s return to the field remarkable


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The day that nobody thought would come is upon us. Well, almost nobody. “The day I had a doubt would have been the day I failed as a person,”  former USC running back Stafon Johnson told the Press-Register in Mobile, Ala. last week. “I knew I’d be back.” For the first time since carrying a […]

A weekend of promise for the Trojan faithful


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Trojans fans had a lot to be excited about Saturday. The USC women’s basketball team pulled off its fourth straight comeback win, defeating Washington State 61-51 on the road. The victory gave the Women of Troy their best start in Pac-10 play (6-1) since the 2004-05 season. Also, the No. 1 USC men’s tennis team […]

The evolution of an alley-oop dunk


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Now that was a little bit ridiculous. With six minutes left in Saturday’s game against Washington, USC had a comfortable lead and total control of the game. The score was 69-48, a few fans were starting to pile out of the Galen Center and an impressive win was seemingly on the way for USC. Then […]