Well we got pregame tonight at Pugsley's library. A little sports bar on Restaurant row in Dallas just north of Texas Stadium. That's right, the hated(by most of you) Cowboys play just down the street. We have moved The Chronicles to Pugsley's for this week's game since ABC has decided to show Florida vs Miami in my part of the country. Pugsley's has the atmosphere of a Home Depot. However, they are the home of the USC Trojans watching party and the waitresses all wear school girl uniforms.

Now, we have the USC Trojans battling the hated and feared BYU Cougars tonight. Pugsley's, in their incredible planning, has moved the USC game to the now FOURTH different T.V. in this absurdly large sports bar(n)! I'm now officially going insane. Did I mention I hate road trips?

1st Quarter: Once again we've got Keith Jackson and Dan Fouts....one out of two isn't bad...score prediction 30-6 USC...and we've got the kickoff as RK kicks a deep one to BYU...for some reason the BYU kick returner decides to bring it out and only gets to the BYU 18 yard line....BONEhead.... 11 yard pick up for BYU on their first play from scrimmage.....followed by a run for no gain and a sack...let's go USC...we've got the ball at our own 40 yard line....nothing on the first two plays....big third down...let's see Matty convert here....nope...gotta punt....nice to see BYU fumble on the punt return!!....we need to take advantage here early...We got the ball at the BYU 25.....4th play and still no running plays...5th play and no running plays...I won't even say it....nice roll out by Matt who finds BMW in the end zone!!!....7-0....BYU once again starting inside their own 20....nice to see special teams stepping up so far this season....big third down coming up...let's stop 'em and get the ball back...BYU nice play down the middle on a pass from Berry for the first down.....another big third down coming up....let's get the stop, get the ball, and pile it on....BYU still driving down...down to our 30 yard line....good googly moogly...another big third down...SACK by Omar Nazel...time to get the ball back...We aren't running the ball worth expletive....another running play for negative yards....Matt on the roll out...gets hit late by #46 for BYU...nice brain freeze for the married guy....nice wrinkle by Norm with the hand off to Reggie while he was in motion after lining up as a wide receiver...good to see Reggie in the open field....first down to BMW....another nice throw to KC....offense looking decent...we've got third and down from midfield....don't throw into coverage....don't take chances....o.k......great run-after-catch by KC for a 48 yard touchdown!!...I'm a moron!!.....good rule of thumb is to not take my advice on ANYTHING....14-0 Trojans....here we go...here we go.....RK with the big kick.....BYU starting at their own 20....whoops....Berry with the nice throw right to Omar Nazel....easy touchdown for him and we've got a 21-0 lead.....dah dah...dah nat to nah...to nat to nah.....to nat to NAH!....good night...sleep tight.....don't forget to tip your school girl......it might get ugly...+5 on the turnover margin....let's keep the intensity going....BYU driving....yikes....a roughing the passer and defensive holding....at least they can only mark off one of the penalties....BYU pays us back with their receiver throwing a punch...BYU doesn't convert on 3rd and 77.....

2nd Quarter: We've got the ball to start the 2nd quarter....own 20...running game is doing nothing...take what the defense gives ya....pass for a first down....QB U.....we can't run the ball....3rd and 5....good to see Whitney BUT he drops the ball......BYU gets it back at their own 20.....yikes, just saw that Auburn lost to Georgia Tech!?!?!....As I walked into Pugsley's tonight an Auburn fan was leaving....he said "You guys ruined us for the year!"....I guess we did....They've got 514 forks sticking out of them...there's always basketball?....5 quarters and no points given up by the Trojan D...let's see how long that can last(jinx)....as BYU picks up two very quick first downs......3rd and one and not a darn thing....get the ball back...nice swing pass to BMW for about 20.....we are running the ball like a pile of poo.....once again a slant to BMW to midfield...they can't stop him...nice to see Steve Smith get in on the action...Wooo hoooo! we got a first down running the ball.....BMW running of the field to the locker room....is there such a thing as the ANTI-Midas touch?....that would be me....Matt L is living right....should have been his second pick of the day but it was dropped just like the first one...he's got to make better decisions....still hasn't thrown a pick(cringing).......3rd and 7 without BMW....Matt finally got burned with a pic....without BMW he doesn't have his security blanket.....I just need to SHUT UP!.....let's buckle down and give up no points....oh great, Mike injured his wrist and is getting X-rays.....kill me now....we hold BYU again and take over at our own 7....still worried about our offense without BMW.....now we're going to see what kind of wide receiver depth we've got....KC, Steve Smith, Justin Wyatt....maybe Whit at WR?....let's see.....big 3rd down deep in our own territory...don't want to punt from this deep....we won't have to....Matt gets called for intentional grounding for a safety and we give up our first points of the year....Tom Malone with a Gigantic punt on the ensuing kick...he is playing great so far....bad decision by Berry as he's picked off by Almond around midfield....BYU's defense playing tough so far with another sack of Leinart...got to give them credit...pick up a first down to the around the 34 of BYU...let's get some points...yikes, another sack....our offense has hit the wall....brings up a 3rd down and 60....let's just pick up enough yards for Killeen....another interception by Matt!!!....we've GOT to make some adjustments in the second half...without BMW we look terrible....let's stop them and go the halftime up by 19....nice pass by Berry down to our 36....yep, here comes Payne....he hit it .....21-5 at halftime...this game isn't over....

3rd Quarter: good to see BMW coming out for the second half....x-rays were negative...nice personal foul call to give us the ball to start the second half at midfield....Keith and Dan might want to pay attention....let's score and put this game away....our offense has turned feeble....3 and out....ugly offense....BYU has the momentum....got it at midfield....30 yard pass.....surgical precision....we need a stop.....just like that BYU drives, scores, and is only down by 9!.....son of a....this is definitely not the feel good story last week was....still can't run it....pass to BMW with who picks up the first down....Leinart with another INT with a telegraphed pass.....I haven't seen our waitress OR our offense since the 1st Quarter.........pitiful.....much needed sack by BKU....3rd and 23 for BYU....missed the long field goal.......slowly wiping sweat from brow......let's just win this....I don't care how ugly it is....Can we run the ball?....3rd and 6.....Leinart 1-9 for 8 yards and 3 interceptions....short of the first down....I figure Pete's going to punt it....can't blame him the way our offense is looking....don't take the chance....our offense has done NOTHING since the first quarter....this game is a BIG reality check for us after Auburn last week....BKU comes up with another sack!!!......we get the ball back.....um, is that good?.....I am very impressed with BYU....our O-line is getting DOMINATED....Malone with another big punt...if we win, he would by my MVP......this is getting dangerous....50 yard play for BYU....Bing is hurt....I'm getting a bad feeling right now....big series here....4th down...fake like their going to go for it and call timeout.....they are going to kick it....21-15...all that national championship talk on USCfootball.com seems light years away....

4th Quarter: we've got sports bar insanity as they switched our T.V. to the FSU game...I can still here Keith but can't see anything.....mass hysteria.....ah, the picture is back....big 3rd and 1......time for the O-line to bring it.....we need Matt L to step up....great throw to BMW for 25 yards and the first down....nice reception for Dominique Byrd for 15 and the first down....Whit gets his first reception for 3 yards or so....3rd and 7....ball at the 23....horrible pass by Matt....RK comes trotting out...Killeen with the miss....I should have just said I was getting nervous(I wasn't...which is shocking in and of itself)......it's going to come down to the defense....I never thought this game would be this close....BYU....40 yard pass deep in our territory.....our Defense looks dog tired....step up....hit somebody and cover somebody....seven and a half minutes to go in the game....have I said I never thought it would be this close?.....BYU with the field goal....cuts it to 21-18....it's white knuckle time....big return for Marcel Almond out past the 40....we needed it......Chauncey up the middle FOR....one yard.....tick tock tick tock....wow, was that a run for more than 3 yards?...uh oh, penalty.....chop block penalty...boy, this is ugly....seeing Brandon Hance over on the sidelines wearing #8 still feels WRONG.....2nd and 22....we should just punt....I hope BYU is really this good....great throw over the middle to BMW....when we need a play throw it to......two straight big plays to BMW...the second for a touchdown as Mike was wide open in the end zone....nice poise by Matt Leinart on that drive....as we put it away(cringing as I fear lightening and punches from the Trojan fans around me)......great drive.......redemption.....4 minutes to go and up by 10....this Matt Berry is impressing me....we've ironed him into the Coliseum turf so many times tonight but he keeps getting up.....as he's taken off the field....turnover by BYU....that looks like it was a gift by the officials but I'll take it....tis the season....nice exclamation by Herschel....we're going to win by 17....make no mistake, this was not easy....as my panic induced ramblings will attest.....As Sharon and I depart the great Pugsley's library after a 35-18 USC victory...we'll take it....it was ugly but we'll take it....and as I sit here in my 1997 Camry...I'm all smiles. Fight On!....I'll talk to you next week.