==TV sideline shots of Bill Russell (the former Boston Celtics great, not the former Dodgers shortstop/manager) and painter LeRoy Neiman ... that's the best they can find? While Gannon is talking about them, Cowan completes a huge pass to Brandon Breazell for 27 yards to put more juice in the UCLA offense...

==KSPN-AM (710), the USC flagship station, held a contest for the second year in a row to allow a listener to make the call of the second-half kickoff. Last season, the guy who did it at the USC-Notre Dame had to watch the Trojan kicker boot it out of bounds.
This season, contest winner Scott DeFalco wasn't intimiated by Pete Arbogast's presence and made this call heard on the station:
Wait. First a few words of intro by Arbogast before DeFalco was allowed to speak:
"It was more crowded than normal in the booth here at halftime. But that's to be expected with UCLA in town. The UCLA guys got to come over and eat from our trough. ... I invited them over, they do it for us when we're over there. Because otherwise they get boiled wienies downstairs, you know ... they brought in some barbeque chicken .. they brought in some beef stew ... it's so cold I put my hands on the container to warm up... and the big ol' hot dogs, too, so thanks to Bristol Farms, all year long for providing us with some great grub."
Then Paul McDonald rambles on about some stats, laughs at Arbogasts remarks ...
"Well we have our winner on the 'you make the call contest' on our flagship station on Los Angeles 710-ESPN," Arbogast finally yields, "and I believe he's making his first-ever trip to the Coliseum, which is really fun, and he's a Jersey guy as well, Scott DeFalco ... the kickoff's about to happen, so tell us what's going on ..."
(While I listen in amusment ... All this time the teams are lining up and you can hear in Arbogast's voice, the inflection that it's not what he's crazy about doing, but as long as he keeps talking, the less DeFalco gets in ...
"All right, thanks Pete and Paul for letting me share the booth with you guys, appreciate it ..."
(Unnecessary, but polite)
"David Bueler kicking off for the Trojans, and as he's done all day today trying to keep the ball away from Matt Slater and Norris ... and they fair catch it wisely at the 32 yard line, UCLA takes over first and 10 trying to build on that momentum from the score at the end of the first half."
"You did better than the guy last year," Arbogast comes in with the instant analysis. "Last year they kicked it out of bounds, they didn't even catch the ball."
"Nice job!" screams McDonald. "Well done!"
That's all Arbogast needed to say as well. But the professor had to show who's the real game caller... like W.C. Fields trying to shoe away a pesky kid tugging at his pantleg.
"Enjoy the rest of the game, try not to freeze to death out there," Arbo gives his parting shot, reminding the kid that he has to leave and Arbo gets to stay.
On the TV coverage, the kick and fair catch wasn't much more exciting, either. Arbo would have probably made some crack about how this was great field position for UCLA compliments of the Trojans ...

==Pinned at its own 2 with 5:22 to play in the quarter, USC could make a statement by going the length of the field and score. Third and 10 from the 15, a false start on the offense. Third and 15 from the 10, Booty rushed hard by Christian Taylor, who flies over him (Booty ducks) and the pass goes limp and short. The punt gives UCLA a start inside the 45...

==But on a typical UCLA mistake, the fumble it right back to USC on an trick end around, so the Trojans have it back at the 50.

"The Bruins have had a sloppy day handling the football," said Norrie. "Those are the mistakes you don't survive against USC."

"They had momentum ... kind of wonder why they didn't go with their bread and butter and mix the run and pass," says Gannon about UCLA.

==Joe McKnight returns the favor, fumbling it back, and USC it hit with another penalty for a guy Drew Radovich flying into the pile on the fumble recovery late for 15 more yards. Smart play.

==Cowan returns the favor, throwing it to USC's Terrel Thomas after the receiver Johnson falls down (actually, smacked blindsided by Cushing, and Cowan complains about it) with :56 left in the quarter. Illegal play? Bruins fans must think so.

==End of third quarter: USC 17, UCLA 7