Rick Neuheisel looks at USC and sees a blueprint
UCLA FOOTBALL
UCLA's coach says the Trojans' success under Pete Carroll is a model for what the Bruins can achieve.
While preparing Washington for the 2001 Rose Bowl at USC's practice field, Rick Neuheisel says, he spotted newly hired Trojans coach Pete Carroll watching the Huskies practice. At the time, uncertainty loomed whether Carroll could restore the USC program.
"From that point to now, it's nothing short of astonishing what they've accomplished," said Neuheisel, now UCLA's first-year head coach. "But it's also a blueprint for what I think we can get accomplished."
A USC victory against UCLA on Saturday would clinch a fifth Rose Bowl berth in seven seasons for the Trojans. Carroll, whose teams won a national championship in 2002 and 2003, leads active coaches in winning percentage (.851) with a record of 86-15 in eight seasons.
UCLA, 4-7 overall and 3-5 in Pacific 10 Conference play, has gone 54-44 since Carroll arrived at USC and isn't bowl eligible for the first time since 1999.
"We have the best coaches in the nation and a lot of young guys that have a lot of skill," senior wide receiver Marcus Everett said. "They're getting experience this year. With that experience and the skill and coaching, we have all the right pieces. We just have to put it all together."
Neuheisel plans to host mostly out-of-state recruits at the crosstown rivalry game Saturday at the Rose Bowl, acknowledging that an upset would help spur interest and provide a spark for a successful offseason.
But there's one main factor Neuheisel sees that will determine if he can follow the same road map Carroll outlined at USC: "A lot depends on how quickly players gravitate toward the system," he said.
Medina is a Times staff writer.
mark.medina@latimes.com
