Matt Leinart

After watching Matt Leinart spin his way in for the winning touchdown against Notre Dame, you would think his ballroom dance instructor was the assistant offensive coordinator. WALT KUNIMOTO Montebello I enjoyed hearing Notre Dame fans complain about Matt Leinart being pushed into the end zone on the winning touchdown. Except that it happens all the time, hasn't been called in 40 years and Notre Dame did it three times on quarterback sneaks earlier in the game, it was a valid complaint.

Mater Dei quarterback Matt Leinart, who threw for an Orange County-best 2,847 yards and 27 touchdowns, has been selected the California high school football player of the year by Gatorade. Leinart, who has committed to USC but is taking trips to Oklahoma and Georgia Tech, said the honor came as a shock. "I didn't really expect any awards or anything," he said. "There's so many great football players in California, I didn't expect to be named the top one. That's pretty cool."

Erica Lucero, a USC sophomore from Upland, is doing periodic updates on Trojan football for Page 2 of ESPN.com. Of course, quarterback Matt Leinart is a focal point. According to Lucero, there are certain rules that pertain to what she calls the "Big Man on Campus." One rule is that he is never referred to as simply Matt or Leinart. It is always Matt Leinart. Another rule is that no incident involving Matt Leinart, however insignificant, should go unreported.

I have always understood that USC is a very expensive university. However, when I heard Matt Leinart coughed up $15 million to $25 million for two units of ballroom dancing, it put it into another perspective. JULIAN DEVEROUX Hermosa Beach Last year at this time, everyone was lauding the decision by Matt Leinart to stay in school and further enjoy the college experience. Now, the media are trashing Leinart for not coming out because it cost him $10 million. Leinart made clear how much he enjoyed USC and this set an example not usually seen by young men playing sports.

UCLA quarterback Drew Olson threw for 510 yards and five touchdowns Saturday, breaking one school record and just missing a second. Matt Leinart threw for zero touchdowns. Yet who is on the front page of your sports section? Leinart. UCLA has surpassed everyone's expectations, so why not take the attention away from Leinart for one day and give some credit to Olson? CAITY ENGLER Los Angeles As we clapped and cheered for Drew Olson after Saturday's game, we were wondering whether he got the game ball for his incredible leadership and passing performance, or for being the only Bruin during the game to make an unassisted open-field tackle.

By my count, last Saturday's edition of The Times sports page included two front-page features on current USC football players, one inside feature on a former Trojan great, one NFL column discussing the contract status of Matt Leinart and no less than five letters from UCLA fans ... discussing USC. It would seem that rather than pleading with Times readers to respect his department's flagship program, UCLA AD Dan Guerrero should be begging them to...

The Trojans have an inexperienced quarterback and an untested tailback. I should be worried. I would be, if it weren't for Coach Pete Carroll. He's a great coach and I think he's attracting talented players. If Coach Carroll says, "It's going to be fun to watch," I think he already sees something that resembles a winning season. It's going to be tough getting by Auburn in the first game, but even that should be fun to watch. Robert H. Williams Monterey Park Well, thank goodness one of the nation's biggest problems has finally been solved.

A tale of two sound bites coursing across the TV airwaves Friday: * Minnesota Viking wide receiver Randy Moss, talking about being fined $10,000 by the NFL for last Sunday's mock moon at Lambeau Field: "It ain't nothin' but 10 grand. What's 10 grand? To me? [Expletive.] Next time, I might shake my [expletive]." * USC quarterback Matt Leinart, at a news conference at Heritage Hall: "I think the most important thing I've learned about this week is that to do what's best for myself and my family.

I don't know what was more mind-boggling about Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy winning vote -- the fact he got a record 99% of the votes or that 1% didn't vote for him. Anyone who felt there were three better players this year in college football than Bush should permanently have his Heisman ballot taken away, even if he is a former winner. ERIK SCHUMAN Fountain Valley Vince Young showed a complete lack of class -- crying because he did not win the Heisman Trophy.

The Heisman Trophy competition is a three-man race -- as it has been all season. Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart of USC will be back in New York on Saturday, along with Texas quarterback Vince Young, when the Heisman is awarded to the nation's best college football player. The Downtown Athletic Club, which hands out the sport's most prestigious individual award, invited only those three players to the presentation ceremony. Last season, five players attended the Heisman ceremony and Leinart won it.