?SC game puts record, rivalry on the line @supost.com

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Date: Tue, Nov 28, 2006, 08:00 AM

UCLA football coach Karl Dorrell stands at the podium, stares ahead at the cameras and says with a smile, ?Pressure?s on me, or what?? Dorrell?s opening comment at Monday?s press conference, although in jest, echoes the feeling surrounding the UCLA football program this week. With the upcoming rivalry game against No. 2 USC this Saturday, Dorrell and the Bruins are feeling the pressure of any normal rivalry week coupled with the special circumstances of the team at this point in the season. The Bruins are 6-5. A win assures UCLA will end the season above .500, an important feat for a team that went four games without a win at one point in the season. But perhaps more importantly, the win would give the Bruins their first win over USC in the last eight years. The Trojans are riding a seven-game winning streak in the series and one more win would match the longest winning streak (eight wins by the Bruins, which came immediately before the Trojans? current run). Redshirt senior center Robert Chai, for one, has had enough of losing. The native of Newport Beach has been hearing it from his neighbors and friends since he started at UCLA. ?I?ve been taking crap all four years since I?ve been here (because of the losses),? Chai said. ??SC is the biggest game of the year. A lot of people say, don?t worry about these (early season) games, you just want to win this game at the end of the year.? And this may be the opportune time to beat the Trojans. USC is in what can liberally be described as a rebuilding year ? losing their starting quarterback, their top two running backs and their tight end from last year. They lost to unheralded Oregon State earlier this year. But they are also probably the second-best team in the nation and have barely missed a beat after losing in the title game last year. All the same, the Trojans? offense is not as high-powered as it was last year, with USC averaging 32.3 points per game. UCLA?s defense, which has limited teams to 18.7 points per game, should have a slightly easier time limiting the Trojans? offense this year than it has in the past. The trick for the Bruins will be scoring. The offense has had issues putting forth a consistent effort throughout the year. And the Trojans have one of the premiere defenses in the country, allowing just 15.1 points per game. ?Offensively, defensively, special teams,? Dorrell said. ?We can?t give up anything cheap. We need to play our best game of this season. Our offense is going to have to play their best game of the season. Our defense is going to have to play as well as they?ve been playing the last two weeks.? OLSON UNKNOWN: Quarterback Ben Olson, who has been out since the Oct. 7 game against Arizona with a knee injury, has been listed by Dorrell as ?98 percent? physically ready, but Dorrell has stopped short of naming him the starter. According to Dorrell, he wants to see how Olson responds mentally to the preparation for Saturday?s game before naming either him or his replacement Pat Cowan the starter. Cowan and Olson have been splitting repetitions thus far in practice. Dorrell expects to name the starter sometime toward the middle of the week. Earlier in the year, Dorrell stipulated that he did not believe a quarterback should lose his starting spot permanently because of injury. CONFERENCE AWARDS: Freshman cornerback Alterraun Verner tied for Freshman of the Year honors in the Pac-10 on Monday. Verner has had an instant impact this year, returning two interceptions for touchdowns while recording 44 tackles. Defensive end Justin Hickman was named to the first-team defense while his counterpart, Bruce Davis, was named to the second team. Strong safety Chris Horton was also named to the second team. The Bruins had no players on either the first or second teams for offense. Place kicker Justin Medlock earned first-team place kicker status. Earning honorable mentions for the Bruins were cornerback Trey Brown, running back Chris Markey and offensive guard Shannon Tevaga. <a href='; target='_blank'>;