Usc Trojans

The death of Junior Seau, one of the greatest USC Trojans of all time and a player whose number, 55, is handed out very judiciously by the Trojans, has cast a pall over the campus as news of his death has spread. Athletic Director Pat Haden: "We are tremendously saddened to hear this news and our hearts go out to his family and children. Junior Seau was one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55. " Football Coach Lane Kiffin: "This is a very sad day. The USC football program and the entire Trojan family extends our condolences to Junior's family.

It's only a 2-0 start, but considering the USC Trojans were 6-26 last year, being two games over .500 is an eye-opener. "It's OK," Coach Kevin O'Neill said. "But I've told our team from the beginning to let our play do the talking. We have depth this year, we have a great leader in Jio Fontan and a lot of guys who have to prove themselves. "But through two scrimmages and two games I like how we're playing. " The Trojans play their third game Monday against Illinois in the Maui Invitational (9 p.m. PST, ESPN2)

After playing Saint Joseph's and Tennessee on the road, the USC Trojans got some needed home cooking Wednesday. Morgan State's shoot-whenever-you're-open style didn't always equate to good basketball. But it did provide USC the chance to work out some early season kinks, and the Trojans rolled to an 87-39 victory before 374 at the Sports Arena. The win, by the biggest margin since a 91-44 decision over Arizona State on Jan. 21, 1995, improved the Trojans' record to 1-2.

George Raveling can't explain it, but he'll take it. Ivan Harris' only basket of the game with six seconds left in overtime Saturday broke a tie and lifted Raveling's USC Trojans an 81-76 victory over Tennessee--which once led by 19 points. "It was just one of those days when the Lord looked upon us gently," Raveling said. "Don't ask me to explain what happened. "I told the kids during a couple of the second-half timeouts that they had lost their momentum and their enthusiasm.

Who says we don't have a pro football team here in L.A.? We certainly do -- they're called the USC Trojans! Leinart, Williams, Bush, White, Colbert and Dennis are great young players behind an awesome offensive line, and the entire defense is just plain terrific. Kudos to Coaches Carroll and Chow who have put together a pro-style powerhouse that I predict will run roughshod over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Joel Rapp Los Angeles As a longtime Trojan fan, I am dismayed by the hype for a team that is still a year away from "The Big One."

USC Trojans football fans will find much to do as they arrive in Boulder   for Friday night's game against the University of Colorado Buffaloes. The city is tucked against the Rocky Mountain foothills 40 minutes northwest of Denver International Airport, making it an appealing destination even without a football game. Bon Appetit magazine has named Boulder "America's Foodiest Town," a designation reserved for a city with a population of less than 250,000. WHERE TO GO: The Pearl Street Mall, a shopping and dining district reminiscent of Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, but not as hectic.

The USC Trojans slaughtered the UCLA Bruins Saturday, 17-13. That was the easy part. The Bruins were duck soup. First, the Trojans had to beat the USC Trojans. And that took a bit of doing. Before they could even get at the Bruins, the Trojans had to struggle with their real foe--themselves. How's this for a tough afternoon at the office? --Early in the second quarter, USC quarterback Rodney Peete completes a 34-yard pass for a touchdown to tie the score, 7-7.

Dick Leach didn't think he would last long enough to win another national championship. On Tuesday, his USC Trojans gave him the ultimate going-away gift. Led by another outstanding performance by freshman Prakash Amritraj, USC won its 16th NCAA team title and first since 1994 with a 4-1 upset of top-ranked and defending champion Georgia at the Texas A&M Tennis Center in College Station. Leach announced his retirement April 23 after 23 seasons as coach.

Yale-Harvard, it ain't. The Yale-Harvard game was 54 years old before the first USC-UCLA game was played. The East didn't even know UCLA existed. It did know about the USC Trojans, or Southern Cal as they have been identified by generations of sportscasters. The USC Trojans scared them. They beat Notre Dame in one of the blackest days Irish hearts had suffered since Cromwell. They used to win Rose Bowl games against the flower of the East by scores like 47-14 and 35-0.