Chapter 45

I woke up around eleven o'clock Labor Day morning with Kelly's arm draped over my chest and her snuggled against my side. The smell of eggs and sausage wafted into my bedroom. I would have loved to snuggle and lay in bed like this all day but Damian, who was on a cooking kick right now, was making a breakfast casserole for all of us. I woke Kelly up with a kiss.

Trevor and Steph had showered and were relaxing in the living room when Kelly and I emerged. I knocked at Jay's door before my shower to make sure he was awake. None of us wanted to miss Damian's breakfast.

I consider myself a good amateur cook. Damian's skill far surpassed mine. He had watched and worked with the chefs at his father restaurants for years. My roomie has a gift in the culinary arts.

Damian started brunch off with a nice fresh fruit salad with melon, berries, pineapple pieces and orange sections. He served each of us a big glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. The breakfast casserole that had smelled so good when I woke up came out after we finished our fruit salad.

It was big, puffy and covered with browned cheddar cheese. I knew Damian used milk, eggs and bread for the base of the casserole. It was the other things that he included that made it special. He incorporated sausage, apples, onions, herbs and spices into the dish.

Damian wouldn't reveal the exact recipe to us even when we begged after our second portions. The apples paired well with the pork sausage. I recognized sage in it. It had a hint of licorice in it. I couldn't decide if it was anise or fennel. It was a savory casserole but the apples pieces added a hint of sweetness to the dish.

Damian finished the meal off by serving us fresh baked banana nut muffins. The meal was fabulous. Our resident gastronome had outdone himself. All of us complimented Damian for his excellent work.

Our group sat and talked as we relaxed and digested our meal. Trevor suggested that the group ought to go over to the golf course like we did a year ago for Labor Day. Unfortunately for me Kelly had taken up golf since last year. Despite my strong protests I got sucked into playing with the rest of my friends. Trevor called Chip and his roommate Matt Frye to round out our second foursome.

Trevor and Steph played with Kelly and me. Jay, Damian, Chip and Matt played in the foursome after us. We ended up playing the Blue Course. Kelly gave me tips to help my pitiful game. I was tolerably decent by the end of the first nine. I actually made par on two of the holes on the back nine. I lost badly in the end but I wasn't twenty some strokes behind like the last time I golfed.

Kelly and Steph took buses back to their apartments. We football players had to hurry to get over to the Lasch Building in time for our three o'clock position meetings.

--oooOooo--

Coach Adams met with the ten receivers on the team to review game tape from the Trojans game last week along with tape from last year. USC used exclusively man coverage against San Jose State last week.

In particular I noticed #37, Patrick Adams, their right cornerback. I had played against Patrick a year and a half ago in the Rose Bowl. He was their dime back then as a freshman. He covered me deep while the linebackers and strong safety beat me up as I crossed the line of scrimmage.

Patrick was tall and willowy. The biography said he was 6'-3" tall and weighed 185 pounds. He made starter last year in game three of the season. I thought he played well in the Rose Bowl but he wasn't my primary worry during that game. I was more concerned about not getting knocked out by one of the big guys that were hitting me. I remember thinking that Patrick was going to be a good player based on what I saw there.

He played his man perfectly last week, never out of position and breaking up any pass attempt that went to his man. Coach Carroll shifted Patrick around to cover the best receiver on the field when San Jose State sent receivers into motion.

The game tape from the Orange Bowl told me more. San Jose State was overmatched. LSU was a much truer test for the Trojans last winter at the national championship game. I found out Patrick had speed to go with his cover skills. He matched the fastest Tigers last winter step for step. USC varied coverage on speed receivers. Sometimes Patrick dropped deep with short help. Other times he stayed man on man with safety help deep. He shut down Austin Thibedeau, LSU's best receiver last season.

Coach Adams and I both expected Patrick to handle me similarly on Saturday. Stay close to me with deep help. We had some ideas that we thought would allow us to beat him that way. If USC put too many people on me, Christian and Tanner would have big days instead. Either way would be good for us.

The team hit the practice fields at four o'clock, working through our game plan for USC. Tyler Madden called the captains and key senior players together before we started. He included both Chip and Jay in the meeting this time. Tyler emphasized how important it was for each of us to get our guys focused and working hard to prepare for USC. They might be our most difficult opponent of the year.

The polls released last night had USC at #4 in the country. We moved up a couple notches to #13. USC was favored by 7 ½ points. None of us were hanging our heads. We felt we had a good shot at upsetting the Trojans.

During the special teams portion of the practice Coach Ferguson informed me that I would be handling all the punt and kick returns for the game against USC. The coaches cut down my workload in early games to keep me fresh for the big games. No game would be bigger than this one until late October when we played Michigan and Ohio State on consecutive weekends.

The team paid attention to the captains' and coaches' entreaties to concentrate. Monday's practice was the best practice so far this season. Everyone worked hard to improve their game so they were ready for Saturday.

The coaches used all twenty hours of their allotted preparation time with us that week. The captains convinced us that we needed to put in extra time on our own studying video and the playbook.

Kelly and I had very little time together aside from history class between my time spent on football and on my studies. We made the best of what time we did have. I spent an hour and a half with Kelly studying on Wednesday evening after I finished with football. The two of us agreed to meet for breakfast on Friday morning before the team left for California.

Football practices ran well during the week. Everyone took the captains' encouragement to heart. We understood how difficult our game was going to be. I felt confident we would surprise the Trojans on Saturday afternoon.

It was no surprise that ABC picked our game as the feature game for prime time on Saturday night. Kickoff was scheduled for 5:15 pm, Pacific time.

Kelly caught the bus over to my apartment Friday morning around eight o'clock. I made French toast for the two of us. Damian smelled them after he got up. I made some extra for him when he came downstairs.

Kelly gave me a hug when we finished breakfast. "You have a good game honey," Kelly said after she gave me a kiss. "I'll be rooting for you back here."

"Thanks, sweetie," I replied.

"I'll see you Sunday morning when you get back," Kelly added. "You'll be back at the Lasch Building at 6:30, right?"

"Yes, that's right," I agreed.

"I'll take good notes for you in history," Kelly added. "Knock'em dead out there." She waved goodbye as she headed for the library. Kelly had a big term paper due next week in her News Media Ethics class.

Trevor, Jay, Damian and I headed over to the Lasch Building about fifteen minutes later. We gathered up our things from our locker and headed outside for the buses. They dropped us off at the airport outside State College around 10:00 in the morning. We boarded our plane and headed for the west coast. Our plane got into LA around 1:30 in the afternoon, Pacific Time.

The athletic department put us up in the Radisson Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. It was the same hotel I stayed at three years earlier when I was being recruited by USC. After dinner we had a general team meeting and then broke out into position meetings to prepare for our biggest test so far in the season.

The coaches were merciful on Saturday morning. The team's breakfast was scheduled for 9:00 am. We reviewed the game plan and studied to prepare for our late afternoon contest. We had lunch at the hotel before the buses took us over to the Coliseum.

--oooOooo--

The weather was gorgeous when we came out to the field Saturday afternoon. The temperature was around 75 degrees. There was a gentle breeze blowing in from the sea to our west. The sky was a brilliant blue. It was perfect weather for a football game.

The Coliseum was filling to its 100,000 capacity as we warmed up. Coach Carroll said hello as he jogged by me while I was warming up. I returned the friendly greeting. I had a lot of respect for Coach Carroll. It had been a hard to choose between Penn State and USC three years ago.

We headed back inside after we finished warming up. Our athletic department had a little meal for us to eat as we finished our preparations. Coach Burton gave a rousing speech to fire us up. We waited in the tunnel while the 93,000 plus crowd cheered wildly as their Trojans stormed onto the field. The small contingent of 4,000 Penn State fans cheered us as we ran out of the tunnel, across the field and took our position on the visitor's sideline.

Tyler Madden called heads at the coin flip. The coin came up tails. The Trojans took the kickoff. I huddled with Andrew Perkins and the kick cover team.

"Fight off your blocks, guys," I demanded. "Kaapana is fast and slippery. Keep to your lanes and take this sucker down!"

Malo Kaapana, USC's kick and punt returner, was red shirt sophomore. He was very dangerous. I remembered watching what he did to LSU at the Orange Bowl last January.

We huddled together and gave a cheer before they took the field. "Boot it deep, Andrew," I added as they headed out. "Best place to keep a dangerous returner is stuck in the end zone."

"I'll do my best, Coach," Andrew replied. "I'll kick the hell out of it."

I watched as our guys and USC lined up for the kick. I was surprised when USC lined up two guys deep in the end zone. Andrew smartly kicked the ball away from Kaapana, putting it four yards deep in the end zone.

Things looked good to start. The other returner decided to run the ball out. Our cover guys were in their lanes. The returner ran forward diagonally across the back field heading across the middle for the opposite side line. Kaapana ran along with the returner.

Matt Frye, the gunner on the left side of the line, drew a bead on the returner to tackle him. When Matt was ready to hit him, the returner flipped the ball outside to Malo Kaapana. Matt desperately tried to turn and go for Kaapana but collided with the empty handed ex-return man.

Malo Kaapana sprinted past them down the sideline. Our cover team desperately tried to disengage and shift over to the sideline to stop Kaapana. No one was able to get a shot at him until mid-field. Andrew tried his best to take the returner down but couldn't. Malo Kaapana sprinted into the end zone to thunderous cheers of the Coliseum crowd. USC's kicker made the PAT, giving them a 7-0 lead.

The Trojans used our own strategy on me. Their kicker booted the kickoff seven yards into the end zone so I couldn't have a return. I kneeled down so we could get the ball at our 20 yard line.

Damian picked up three yards going up the middle on the first play. We picked up five more yards when Chip hit Jibril with a quick pass on a curl across the middle on the second play. I was sent deep on the play as a decoy. I was surprised when Patrick Adams was the only person to cover me. I knew our coaches would exploit that if USC continued to single cover me.

Coach sent Damian up the middle again on third down and two. My roomie made three yards to get us our first down. Coach Burton called for me to go deep on the next play.

I sprinted down the field at the snap. I smiled as I saw the free safety roll towards Christian's side of the field. Chip's pump fake combined with my stutter step at fifteen yards downfield separated me from Adams. I looked back for the ball at twenty-five yards. Way too many celebrating guys in cardinal colored jerseys were standing in our backfield. Chip had been sacked.

Chip was chewing out both Elijah Berk and Joe Cleveland, our tackles, when I got back to the huddle.

"Keep those God damned ends off me," Chip insisted.

"Sorry, boss," Joe, the 320 pound tackle, replied meekly. "I've got your back."

"We'll get the job done, Chip," Elijah agreed.

Coach Burton tried to surprise USC and get us out of our second and 17 yards to go hole with a delay draw by Damian up the middle. The USC linebackers weren't fooled. They met Damian in the hole and stopped him with a two yard gain.

It was third and fifteen now, so Coach Burton kept Damian in to help protect Chip. Christian and I ran seventeen yard out routes on opposite sides of the field. Tanner and Jibril ran underneath routes as outlets in case Christian and I both drew double coverage.

At the snap I sprinted downfield like I was going deep. Adams stayed with me for the first dozen yards and then fell behind. No one was covering me deep. I knew I was going to be the primary receiver. I cut sharply towards the sideline, expecting to see Adams fly by me trying keep up with my supposed deep route.

The ball came flying out of Chip's hand half a second too soon as he tried to throw before a big defensive end smashed into him. The ball fluttered as it flew our way, coming up well short of me. I desperately tried to backpedal to have a play on the ball. Adams was too quick. He leaped, snatched the ball from in front of us, landed and started downfield for our end zone.

Tanner Riggs alertly sprinted for the sideline to cut him off. Adams lost a step avoiding Tanner. It was just enough time for me to hit him from behind. I tried to strip the ball out as the two of us fell. Adams maintained possession as he landed and I fall on top of him. The referees marked the ball at our 6 yard line.

Damian was helping Chip off the turf after a defensive end climbed off him. Our offense jogged off the field as our defense scrambled to get into position for their goal line stand.

"What the hell happened?" I demanded as we got to the sideline.

"The Sam [strong side linebacker] blitzed," Chip explained. "Damian blocked him. I rolled away from the pressure right into the end's stunt. He hit me as I threw the ball."

"You were early with the throw," I countered. "You should have thrown the ball away if you didn't have enough time."

"That's what I was trying to do," Chip responded. "He hit me as I let the ball go. I couldn't get the ball out of bounds."

Chip and I looked up in time to see USC's tailback crash into the big pile up in the middle of the line. Mike Pollard and Memed Marsic held firm. The big USC line managed to gain a single yard on the play. On second and goal at our 5, USC tried running wide to the strong side. Brendan Hayden and Bill Daugherty sealed off the outside, forcing the runner straight back into Josh Bruno's tackle. It was third and goal at the 3 yard line.

USC threw a play action pass at us. The fake to the tailback up the middle froze our linebackers momentarily. It was just enough time for USC's tight end to slip behind them and catch the ball by the goal post. USC's kicker drilled the PAT to give them a 14-0 lead.

The Trojans' kicker booted the ball deep. I drifted back a couple yards into the end zone to field the kick. Dave McCall screamed to return it, so I dashed behind the line of blockers. The Trojans covered the ball well. I broke through the initial line of tacklers but was taken down by the next group. Our offense started with possession of the ball at our 30 yard line.

Coach Burton tried to slow USC's ferocious pass rush on our first play with a tailback screen. Damian picked up eight yards on the play and gave the defensive ends something extra to think about.

Coach Burton called plays more conservatively on this drive, not trying for any deep passes. Damian and Jibril both stayed in the backfield for extra QB protection if we passed. Damian's four yard run got us a first down. Chip hit me with a 3 yard quick out when Patrick Adams gave me a cushion. Tanner coughed up what should have been a five yard pass on a crossing route after the free safety hammered him.

Tanner and I swapped spots on the next play. I went in motion from the strong side slot to the weak side. Our timing was good. I paused for my one second set and took off as soon as the ball was snapped. I ran a slant across the middle. Patrick Adams still covered me but he got tangled up with the middle linebacker momentarily. It was all the opening Chip needed.

He drilled the ball to me and I took off downfield. I made a dozen yards before the defensive backs converged on me and took me down. We had first down on USC's 43 yard line.

Coach Burton decided it was time to unveil another variation on our wildcat formation. I lined up in the backfield beside Chip. Jared Cantrell took my split end spot. This time Greg snapped the ball to Chip, who tucked it away and started to our right. I ran across the backfield the opposite direction from Chip. When the linebackers and d-backs committed to Chip's run, he pitched the ball back to me.

My first read was the d-back on Jared. The guy continued covering him so I tucked the ball in my left arm and headed downfield. Jared blocked his man away from the sideline. I sprinted between Jared and the sideline. The free safety was the only USC player with a chance to catch me.

I kicked it into high gear and sprinted as hard as I could for the end zone. The free safety caught me about the 3 yard line. I stretched out my 6'-4 ½" frame, trying to get the ball in the end zone while the safety tried to push me out of bounds. The nose of the ball squeaked across the goal line inside the pylon as the safety and I fell out of bounds. The referee whistled and signaled touchdown.

I couldn't believe it when the Coliseum crowd roared its approval. When I turned back and looked back up field I saw why. Laundry! God damned yellow laundry laying on the field.

"Holding against Penn State on #40," the head referee announced to further cheers of the crowd. I jogged back to our huddle. I saw the penalty on the big screen as I headed for the huddle. Jibril Sloan had let his hands drift too far around the linebacker as he blocked him and knocked him down for Chip's fake run to the left. My 43 yard touchdown run was wasted and the hold didn't even affect the play! I wasn't in a charitable frame of mind when I rejoined the huddle.

"Sorry, Coach," Jibril said. "I couldn't help it."

"Good run, Coach," "Nice work, Coach," a couple other guys added.

"Focus, guys!" Chip demanded. "It's second and eighteen. Here's the play..."

Coach Burton expected USC to turn up the heat. He called for a tight end screen. The linebacker Jibril flattened on the previous down smelled the play out. He hit Jibril the second he had the ball, dropping him for a two yard loss.

USC dropped all their cover people deep on third and twenty yards to go. I cut my route short at sixteen yards so I had a chance to catch the ball. Chip hit me. I tried a spin move but three Trojans converged on me, bringing me down two yards shy of the down marker.

Coach Burton briefly considered trying to kick a field goal from our position on USC's 37 yard line. Andrew Perkins is extremely accurate but fifty-four yards is probably a couple yards or so too far for him. Coach Burton opted to do a coffin corner punt instead.

Mitch Jackson's punt was almost perfect. The ball bounced on the two yard line, a couple yards from the sideline. Unfortunately, the way the ball hit, it bounced into the field of play instead of out of bounds. It crossed the goal line before Matt Frye and Dave McCall could touch it.

Coach Adams and Coach Burton called the first team together to review what we needed to do on the next drive to overcome our mistakes. Coach Burton preached that we had proved we could move the ball on USC and that big plays were possible. We needed to play smart, disciplined football. We could win if we did. Coach Valdez pulled the offensive line aside and reviewed blocking based on what USC showed us so far.

Unfortunately we had way too much time to prepare for our next offensive series. USC patiently worked the ball down the field against our defense, stringing together a thirteen play drive to push down the field eighty yards. We offensive players realized what happened when the big USC crowd rose and cheered. We looked and found a Trojan holding the ball aloft in our end zone.

The hole we were in just got a little deeper. USC's kicker booted the point after to give them a 21-0 lead over us. We had three quarters to make up that deficit.

I jogged onto the field and took my position at our 5 yard line. The Trojan kicker didn't get as strong a kick as usual. I drifted back three yards and fielded the ball. Their coverage was good. I managed to advance the ball to our 29 yard line before the gang of tacklers converged on me.

We took what our coaches were preaching to heart. Focus on our assignments to avoid blunders, be patient and work the ball down the field. We didn't need to score a touchdown on every play.

USC continued to double cover Christian and Tanner. Patrick Adams was the only guy covering me on most plays. He was the best corner I'd played against since I went up against Aaron Morano back in high school.

Coach Burton mixed the runs and short passes up to keep USC guessing. We found that the center of their line was solid. Damian barely gained yards if we went up the middle. He could get outside and do some damage.

We managed to string together eight consecutive plays, gaining forty-two yards before our first gaffe. It was first down. Chip had to toss the ball away when the end nearly sacked him and Christian was double covered. We tried a shovel pass on second down to Damian. It lost two yards. That put us at third and twelve.

I managed to fool Adams with a fake deep and then come back towards Chip to gain fifteen yards and make first down. My catch put us on USC's 16 yard line. We tried flooding the end zone with receivers on the next play. The Trojans left us no space to work. Chip fired a flare pass out to Damian in the flat. Damian eluded the first tackler and rumbled for the end zone. A defensive end and a pair of linebackers converged on him and took him down at the 3 yard line.

We tried a pass to the corner of the end zone, but too many Trojans were crowded around me for me to catch the ball. We tried a quick out to Christian. He was tackled for no gain. We tried a play action pass on third and goal. It didn't fool the linebackers. Chip threw the ball out of the end zone when all receivers were covered. Coach Burton sent Andrew Perkins in on fourth down. He kicked the field goal to give us points. Score: 21-3 USC's favor.

Coach C studied and made adjustments as he got a better understanding of USC's game plan. Our defense stopped them after allowing one first down. I fielded their punt at our 20 yard line. I picked up twelve yards before the cover team took me down.

About three minutes was left in the half. Coach Burton stayed patient in his play calling. Damian picked up a couple good runs. Brian Henson spelled Tanner Riggs on a play and caught a twelve yard pass to put us on the USC's 46 yard line.

Coach Burton called another wildcat play. Or at least we lined up that way. Chip ended up with the snap. I pretended to help block before drifting out into the short zone. I was supposed to run a five yard route.

To my delight I found myself covered by one of USC's linebackers. My standing orders from Coach Adams were to go deep regardless of the play whenever I got a mismatch like this. Hopefully Chip would remember that too.

USC was playing zone deep. I sprinted down the middle on the split between their two deep zones. The linebacker trailed me by quite a few yards. I looked back and saw Chip had spotted the mismatch too. He heaved a deep ball to me as I ran under it. USC's defensive backs were all covering Jared, Tanner and Christian. They reacted to me much too late. I sprinted into the end zone untouched. I tossed the ball to the referee and scanned back up the field. No penalty flags were on the ground this time. Andrew Perkins booted the PAT to give us a more respectable score: 21-10 USC's favor.

We left 1:43 on the clock. USC took the field and ran their two minute no huddle offense brilliantly. Despite Coach C's best planning and our defense's most strenuous efforts, the Trojans pushed down the field. We managed to stop them when they got down to our red zone. Their kicker nailed a twenty-one yard field goal right down the middle of the uprights. Score: 24-10 USC's favor.

We headed inside for half time. The coaches huddled with their player groups while we waited through the halftime show. Coach Adams talked with us receivers about what we needed to do to beat USC's coverage in the second half.

Coach Burton preached patience when the whole team assembled again. We beat USC 10-3 in the second quarter. We would be even with USC at the end of the game if we would play as well as that for the third and fourth quarters.

Coach Adams pulled me aside just before we headed back out onto the field. "They're single covering you, Kyle," Coach Adams asked. "What are you going to do?" He paused for a half a second. Before I could answer he added, "Top receivers play best in big games."

"I'll do my best, Coach," I answered. I hoped I could live up to my coach's expectations as I jogged out to the field with the rest of our team.

I took my position at our five yard line to accept the second half kickoff. USC kicked the ball away from me. Dave McCall drifted back a yard into the end zone and fielded the ball. Coach Ferguson had anticipated this and we had the proper play called. Dave started towards the middle of the field. I cut behind him heading for the left side line.

Dave flipped the ball back to me as I passed behind him. Our blockers set up a wall for me. I sprinted for the sideline, turned and headed up field. Our wall didn't completely block me off from would-be tacklers. The kicker slowed me as I approached mid-field and two other tacklers pushed me out of bounds at USC's 47 yard line.

Chip and our offense were energized when they took the field. This was our best opportunity yet today. Damian picked up six yards on a cut back run over the middle on our first play. Chip hit me on a quick out for another five yards and a first down on the next play.

Coach Burton called what we expected to be a big play next. I lined up in the slot between our left guard and Tanner Riggs, who took my normal split end spot. Patrick Adams lined up across from me. At the snap Tanner ran diagonally across the field. I angled for the sideline, passing behind Tanner as I went. Tanner and the cornerback covering him neatly picked Adams off of me. I kicked into high gear. USC was going to pay for single covering me!

Fifteen yards downfield I turned back for the ball. It fluttered out of the crowd of bodies in the middle of the field. It was badly behind me by at least ten yards, uncatchable by any player on either team. I turned and jogged back to our huddle.

Greg Nowicki was helping Chip onto his feet when I got back. Joe told me that an end got free and hit Chip in the back when he wasn't expecting it.

"You OK, man?" I asked as we huddled.

"I'm fine," Chip replied. "Slot Shift 20 Left."

"Huh?" "What is that?" a couple guys asked. The rest of us waited for Chip to call the play properly.

"Slot Shift 20 Left," Chip barked louder. He got blank looks from everyone. None of us had any clue what play Chip wanted.

"What are you talking about?" Jibril demanded. Chip repeated the play call again.

"Are you all right?" I asked again.

"I'm fine!" Chip insisted. "Run the damn play!"

"We don't know what you are talking about, man," Damian said. "What is the play?"

"LOOK AT ME!" I insisted. I grabbed the bar of Chip's face mask and steadied his head. I stared into my friend's eyes. They were wide and unfocused. I turned around and signaled time out immediately. Jibril and I both yelled for the trainers.

They spent a minute examining Chip, asking him questions to determine his level of coherence. They escorted Chip off the field when they satisfied themselves that he had taken too big a hit to continue playing.

Jay finished warming up and trotted onto the field to join our huddle. "OK, people," Jay commanded. "Let's do this right and get this damn ball in the end zone." Jay called the play and lined us up. He was keyed up to be in the game when it counted. Thankfully Coach Burton realized Jay would be excited. Damian carried the ball wide left for four yards on the play.