BATTLE FOR THE ROSE BOWL: USC vs. UCLA : Neuheisel, as a Sub, Steals Show : Bruins’ Quarterback Coach Is a Hit at Rally Luncheon

Coach Terry Donahue of UCLA wasn’t able to attend Friday’s traditional Rotary Club football luncheon rally for the UCLA-USC game, so he sent Rick Neuheisel instead. And Neuheisel stole the show.

The 27-year-old quarterback coach for the Bruins, who threw 4 touchdown passes for the Bruins in their 45-9 win over Illinois in the 1984 Rose Bowl, said Donahue couldn’t attend because he had more pressing business.

“He’s over on campus,” Neuheisel said. “He’s standing in a long line at a pay phone, waiting to call his mom to find out if he’s had measles.”

Neuheisel said he had special memories of USC-UCLA games, but mostly of the 1979 game. At the time, he wasn’t anywhere near the star quarterback status he achieved later.

“I was a walk-on, about 170 pounds,” he said. “I eventually ended up as a special teams player, on the kickoff return team.

“Only my job didn’t have anything to do with carrying the ball. I didn’t have any speed. That was well documented later. No, my job was to be part of the blocking wedge in front of the ballcarrier, all 170 pounds of me.

“That year, in the USC game, I was told to go out on the field, line up for the kickoff and count to get my man to block from USC. I was to count from the left: 1, 2, 3, 4, and the fourth USC guy was mine.

“So I did. I counted: 1, 2, 3, 4. No. 4 turned out to be Larry McGrew, 6-4 and 240 pounds. He’s still playing with the New England Patriots, I think.

“So they kick off, I get in the wedge, run at McGrew, hit him, bounce off and he makes the tackle. Not a good start.

“Next time out, I count again, 1, 2, 3, 4. It’s him again. I try it over. This time, I count 1, 2, 3, damn! But I get lucky. The ball is kicked in the end zone and we have no return.

“Pretty soon, I’ve got to go out there again. I start counting, but before I get to 4, I look up and McGrew has beat me to it. He’s pointing at me.

“So I get real determined and I run down and I hit him as hard as I can and the lights go out. You know how the test signal on your TV sounds? Well, that’s what’s going through my head. Kind of a steady hum.

“I pick myself up, finally, and I realize that I used to have a face mask. No more. I look at it and it’s gone. McGrew has hit me so hard he has blown the bolts off my helmet.”

The next season, Neuheisel was a quarterback, and happy to be one.

Coach Larry Smith of USC did attend the luncheon and took the opportunity to have some fun, too.

“I would just like to wish UCLA all the best of luck,” Smith said, “in whichever bowl game it chooses to attend.”

Mike Walden, the master of ceremonies, attempted to get Smith to say, or even hint in some way, what the ailing Rodney Peete’s status was for Saturday.

“Coach Smith,” Walden said, “right now, at 1:11 p.m., as we stand here, what is Rodney Peete’s status?”

To which Smith replied: “He’s resting.”

Giles Pellerin, 81, of Los Angeles, hasn’t missed a USC football game, home or away, since 1926. Saturday’s game will be his 676th USC game in a row.

Walden told Neuheisel that USC has a tackle named John Guerrero who is 6-4 and 320 and another tackle named Derrel Marshall who is 6-4 and 305.

“Rick, just how will the gutty little Bruins deal with that?”

Said Neuheisel: “I’m just happy to say I’m not playing tomorrow.”

Walden pointed out that Neuheisel’s loyalties, although clearly with UCLA, are somewhat strained. Not only is Neuheisel UCLA’s quarterback coach, but he also is a third-year law student at USC.

Rod Sherman of USC and Gary Beban of UCLA, stars from past great Trojan and Bruin teams, were featured guests and shared the podium for a few minutes.

Sherman fired the first volley, saying, “I am truly hopeful that we can be back here, at this luncheon a year from now, still honoring Gary Beban as the only Heisman Trophy winner in UCLA’s history.”

Sherman than talked about a scenario that had USC winning the game but UCLA getting an academic scholarship in the name of quarterback Troy Aikman. Which gave Beban his chance to get in the last word.

“If you are talking about academic scholarships, USC probably better keep that, because it might need it more,” he said.