It Was a Night to Remember

For years and years and years, they have spoken of a day when the difference between USC and UCLA was O.J. For years and years and years to come, they will speak of the day when the difference between USC and UCLA was J.J.

One made The Run.

Now there’s The Pass.

It covered 90 yards. It went south to north. It was thrown by John Barnes, whose name will be spoken with love and affection in Pasadena and Westwood whether he ever plays another game. It was caught by J.J. Stokes, who now belongs to the history books whether his name and O.J. Simpson’s are ever again mentioned in the same sentence.

It put 80,568 people on their feet Saturday inside the big bowl of roses. It turned Jerald Henry and Jason Oliver of USC inside-out and upside-down as they reached out to tackle Stokes and found themselves tackling air. It gave 38 points and the game to a UCLA team that needed every point it got against a USC team that kept coming and coming and coming.

After a year of misery, of injuries and illnesses and floods and riots and defeats, all we can say is: Thanks, guys. We needed this. At last, we have something wonderful to remember about the Year of Our Sports 1992 in Los Angeles, where we have had to do without Wayne and Magic and Darryl and Bo and names and games worth remembering.

This was a game worth remembering.

Worth remembering, chapter by chapter:

The crazy kick. This was Cole Ford of USC kicking a 36-yard field goal for the first points of the game. This kick was so low, if a cheerleader had sat on another cheerleader’s shoulders to watch it, she might have taken it in the face. The football crossed over the crossbar with the approximate clearance of an Olympic high-jumper.

The crazy kickoff. The one that UCLA deliberately kicked short so that USC’s Curtis Conway couldn’t come anywhere near it. Carlton Gray watched the ball fall to the ground in front of him and then have the backspin of a golf ball. UCLA recovered one of the longest “onside kicks” ever kicked.

The 3-on-3 game. The uniform numbers of Conway and Gray, two possible NFL first-round draft picks. Curtis going after passes and Carlton going after Curtis. Number 3 against Number 3 was a wonderful game of one-on-one.

The Santa Barbara soap opera. The only reason John Barnes even came to UCLA was because his university in Santa Barbara dropped football. UCLA wasn’t even sure it wanted John Barnes to play quarterback Saturday. All he did was throw for 385 yards and three touchdowns and make us wonder if, hey, maybe Santa Barbara ought to reinstate football.

The Johnson and Johnson angle. Rob Johnson, playing quarterback against the school that, in his opinion, mistreated his brother, rushed for two touchdowns and caught a pass for a touchdown and made plays that must have made his brother proud as a brother can be.

Which brings us to J.J.

This was a game worth remembering for the last five minutes alone. For “the great finish,” as Stokes called it. For the many things that happened after the score already was 31-31 and after some of us thought the Bruins and Trojans had given us enough excitement for one day. It turned out they were only getting warmed up.

Time remaining: 4:41. UCLA is buried four yards from its end zone. Kevin Williams is stacked up after gaining two. Williams wiggles through a larger hole for four more. Third down from the 10, and does Coach Terry Donahue play it safe? He does not. Barnes uncorks one to Stokes, who just keeps running and running and running until he runs out of field. It is a play they will be showing in UCLA highlight films from here to eternity.

Time remaining: 2:10. It is fourth down, six yards to go and USC is stuck on its 35, behind by seven points. Johnson drops back, and right before he gets creamed by UCLA’s Mike Chalenski and Donnie Edwards, he unloads one to Yonnie Jackson that gets the first down with inches to spare.

Time remaining: 1:15: Fourth down again, still in its own territory, and USC desperately needs three yards for a first down. But what to do--go long or short? Johnson in shotgun formation. Goes long. Johnnie Morton is alone as alone can be. He catches the pass, tiptoes the sideline and steps out 39 yards later.

Time remaining: 48 seconds. Johnson sneaks over from a yard out for the score. Three offensive linemen get up from the pile after he does, so snowed under are they among the bodies. The game is now UCLA 38, USC 37, and one more play must be run that will settle everything that has happened over the last 59 minutes.

It’s over when it’s over and not a minute sooner. One of the great football games of a great football rivalry is over and done. Says Barnes, the man who threw The Pass: “You dream about days like this.” Says Stokes, the man who caught The Pass: “All I can think of to say is, great. It was great.”

Yes, you do. Yes, it was.