California Dreamin'

Fated to play a team that has won three straight Rose Bowls, a national championship, and narrowly lost another in the last five years, the Boston College football team could show a smidgen of concern without being judged. Yet the single emotion the Eagles (8-4), who will play the Southern Cal Trojans (8-4) in the Emerald Bowl on Dec. 26, displayed before practice yesterday can only be described as excitement.

"I feel good, you know, it's a powerhouse team and one of the best teams in the country," said wide receiver and team MVP Rich Gunnell. "It's good to get out there and go up against some different competition. We've been on the east coast all these years, so it's good to go face a Pac-10 team and see how we do out there."

The Trojans boast an athletic but relatively underachieving squad that has dropped three of its last five games, including a 27-point rout to Oregon and a 24-point beating to Stanford. While this USC team is not going to confuse anyone with the ones that advertised Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Dwayne Jarrett, and Lofa Tatupu, it is, as BC head coach Frank Spaziani said, "still USC."

"Once they [the Eagles] look at them, they'll get their attention," Spaziani said. "I've looked at them, and it's USC. That should get them excited."

At the forefront of the match-up is the battle of the two freshman quarterbacks: USC's highly-touted Matt Barkley and BC's 25-year-old Dave Shinskie. Both first-year starters have had comparable seasons, with Barkley throwing for 2,385 yards along with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and Shinskie finishing with 1,831 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

The two freshmen have also hit the dreaded rookie wall in the final three games.
Barkley tossed five interceptions to just three touchdowns, while Shinskie threw six interceptions to only three scores. Though their recent struggles have been well-documented, Shinskie does not view the Emerald Bowl as a forum for the two quarterbacks to legitimize their freshman campaigns.

"I don't look at it like that," Shinskie said. "I look at it like two freshman quarterbacks, two great quarterbacks, going at it in California, and I can't wait to see how it turns out."
Shinskie, however, also recognizes that he will need to cut down on the mistakes if BC hopes to dispose of USC.

"I need to make good decisions, accurate decisions, and fast decisions," Shinskie said. "We're going against a top-notch defense, and I can't make mistakes like I have in the past."

The BC run defense will also have its hands full with the quick and elusive Joe McKnight, who has rushed for 1,014 yards and eight touchdowns this season, compiling an impressive 6.2 yards per carry.

The Eagles struggled with backs that are known for their breakaway speed, namely Clemson's C.J. Spiller and Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams. Williams especially exploited BC's usually stout run defense, gashing it for 159 yards and a touchdown. McKnight possesses that lightning-fast speed, which could prove troublesome for the Eagles.
"Absolutely [we'll have to worry about him]," Spaziani said. "The level of competition is definitely picking up."

Statistically, the Eagles and Trojans own similar defenses that can stop the run, limit the pass, and bend but not break: BC ranks 18th in scoring defense and 54th in pass defense, while USC ranks 21st in scoring defense and 51st in pass defense. Neither unit has been spectacular at forcing turnovers, but solid tackling and strong coverage in the secondary has carried both teams so far this season.

"I know they're talented; they're always talented and always have good players over there," Gunnell said. "When I'm studying, I'll find some ways to exploit the defensive backs."

Although the Trojan name carries a great deal of weight in the college football world, it is evident that this year is a relatively weak one for Pete Carroll's club. Nevertheless, the Eagles understand that they will not be favored to beat USC in San Francisco. But they believe that is no reason to be concerned.

"We're not going into it looking like we're underdogs," Shinskie said. "We've been underdogs all year, and we turned out good. We take it one game at a time; this is the next game until next year, and we're just looking to play a good football game against a really talented team."

With a mentality like that, it's understandable why the players entered practice as if they had nothing to worry about.