Stanford running back Toby Gerhart on Stanford's record-breaking 55-21 win over USC this afternoon:

"It feels great. That's a testament to our offensive line. They get after it week in and week out. We feel like we can run power on anybody and get after anybody.

"This is something we'll always remember, you know? Come down here to the Coliseum and put up big points and win."

"It feels good to come down here, put up good numbers and maybe show them a little bit that they missed out on me."

Stanford just scored to take a 55-21 lead with two minutes to play at the Coliseum.

It's the most points the USC football team has ever allowed at home.

Toby Gerhart has 178 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

The biggest previous home loss in the Pete Carroll era was by 5 points.

Stanford has now won in consecutive trips to the Coliseum. It has been the visiting victor in USC's last three home losses.

Oregon State football coach Mike Riley on facing, and upsetting, the Trojans in recent years:

"Oh I don't know, you know it takes a great effort. I have a ton of respect for the school and the program and the work Pete has done and that's just personal. I think that it's either going to bring out this best in you or bury you and I'm just proud we've competed well and there have been good football games in general.

I think the whole USC deal with the last few years has made everybody in the conference either have to rise up or fall way behind and it's been good for everybody. Its one of those deals that you got to go year by year and you can't rely on anything in the past. We just look at it as a great challenge and a great opportunity for our team to get better and grow."

(on this year's team)

"Well, they're very impressive to watch as we study them on tape.

I think they're defense as always is really, really strong and very aggressive. I'm very impressed with their front, they don't give people many breaks. They're high energy and really hard to block, and that's going to be a key factor in the game. If you can ever get to it and throw, their secondary is really aggressive and good too, so there's all sorts of factors there that are big.

Offensively, they've got that balance going with a really good running game. I've really, really been impressed with Matt Barkley. I thought in the last game he played with a ton of poise, made some really, really big throws that were, you know they had some people around them and he was pacing in the pocket. All those parts are real and I think they look obviously like a really good team."

USC coach Pete Carroll Tuesday on the unveiling of the BCS standings. The Trojans sit No. 7, behind Cincinnati and Iowa:

"No. I really have the same stance that I've had forever. This is the first time that they unveiled, you know, the information, and this is really the most the least meaningful time of all, because we're so much in the middle of the season. You know, there's a lot of football. When it gets down to the last week, it makes a difference. Until then it doesn't have any bearing on anything to me.

I know there's a lot of people talking about it, and I guess that's why they do it."

USC coach Pete Carroll Tuesday on the unveiling of the BCS standings. The Trojans sit No. 7, behind Cincinnati and Iowa:

"No. I really have the same stance that I've had forever. This is the first time that they unveiled, you know, the information, and this is really the most the least meaningful time of all, because we're so much in the middle of the season. You know, there's a lot of football. When it gets down to the last week, it makes a difference. Until then it doesn't have any bearing on anything to me.

I know there's a lot of people talking about it, and I guess that's why they do it."

USC coach Pete Carroll on Saturday's visit of Oregon State, which shocked the Trojans last year in Corvallis:

"Q. What has Oregon State been able to do against you guys better than anybody else? Scheme wise, position wise?

"They've been really effective against us on both sides of the ball. They've been able to give us problems and they've had good fortune at their place two of the three times. Jumping out on us early offensively. You know, we fell behind 21-0 last year at one time.

They executed really well. Their guys played great football. They played just as tough as anybody we've played on that day. And we had trouble staying up with them, you know. The tempo of the game was set by their side of the football and their guys. And their crowd had a lot to do with it, you know, and they did a great job of it.

It wasn't just because it was a Thursday night game, they did it to us on Saturday, in the afternoon, and the sunshine.

I have tremendous respect for Mike and what he does, and their scheme and their approach. You know, they're an interesting team when you watch them year in and year out, because they have their games. You wonder how could this team play like this had and play at the other end of the spectrum. They struggle with a couple of games this year early.

As we saw them last year, remember, we came off the Penn State game and the Hawaii game last year. In the Penn State they looked terrible in that game...got blown away. And they came back and played a pretty good game against Hawaii. Then they played the game of the year for themselves against us.

So we have a lot of respect for them in that they can figure out their ways. They can get their kids right. They can give us issues that can upset us and allow us to play right. So hopefully we'll be able to overcome that here at the coliseum, and we'll figure out what happens next time around when we play them up there."

Following his eight catch, 117-yard, two-TD performance in Saturday's epic loss to USC, Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate has been compared to Hall of Famer Lynn Swann by USC coach Pete Carroll:

"He's a great player now. He really is. He's a true play maker. He has extraordinary confidence in his own ability to make things happen. The catch he makes over the middle when he holds the ball away from T.J. or Josh, that's an amazing grab. The presence to know to keep the ball away, that was big time.

His ability to play with great speed on the deep ball. But the best part of the deep ball that he caught was he elevated at the end of all of that. He was running full speed 40 yards down the field, and he hit it and got up off the ground and needed every bit of that elevation to make the play.

That's big time stuff. That's reminiscent of Lynn Swann going over top guys in Super Bowls. Those are fantastic athletic demonstrations. He's a great player. We kind of held him down, to tell you the truth. We were fortunate. We did a lot of stuff on keep him under wraps. A couple of times they caught it on our one on ones and we tried it, and we covered them. But the one time he did get us."

St. Bonaventure High product Greg Christine, the resurgent guard for the University of Washington, broke his fibula in today's dramatic win against Arizona, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Oak Park High product Sean Westgate blocked his second career punt in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon at Stanford.

From the resulting field position, Kai Forbath kicked a field goal to pull UCLA within 24-16 with 4:16 to play at the Farm.

The standout sophomore contributed to two touchdowns on special teams as a freshman, returning a blocked punt for a score in his debut against Tennessee and blocking a punt that Glenn Love recovered for a touchdown against Cal.

California Heisman Trophy candidate junior TB Jahvid Best addressed the media Wednesday following a Cal football practice at Memorial Stadium. Comments selected by Cal Sports Information:

On whether there's a different feeling on campus this week with the upcoming game against USC on Saturday
"I go to class and come to practice, so I don't even know. It's Berkeley; everybody's focused on school down there [on campus]."

On the USC defense
"They get different faces every year, but they get the same productivity. It's a typical USC defense."

More on the USC defense and the defensive numbers the Trojans have posted in 2009
"It's definitely going to be a challenge. It's going to be a physical game, and we've just got to be ready for it."

On Cal's troubles running the ball over the last six quarters
"Lack of execution. Any time you can't get something going offensively it's because of execution."

On whether not being able to execute weighs heavily on him
"It goes around the table."

On the USC game becoming a rivalry game
"Yeah, I think so."

On whether it's a rivalry game because of geographical connections or become both teams are good
"I think it's both."

On whether it's important to get a win against USC
"It's important to win every week, but SC week we've got to win."

On whether he hears anything from seniors that haven't beaten USC yet
"Those seniors are hungry for a Pac-10 championship. Getting a Pac-10 championship means beating SC, so it makes it that much more important."

On his troubles during the 2008 USC game
"It just gives me a little bit more motivation to go out there and produce this weekend, just to show that I can produce. That's pretty much it, just a little bit more motivation."

On why the 2008 game versus USC was so difficult for him
"They just dominated the line of scrimmage. We didn't execute as an offense, either, and that's basically what it boils down to."

On the team's confidence level heading into the USC game this Saturday
"We're real confident. We've put last week [at Oregon] behind us, and we're ready to go this week."

On whether playing against USC is a reason he came to Cal
"No [it's not a reason], but it is a perk."

On USC safety Taylor Mays
"He's a tremendous athlete, just how big he is and mixed in with how fast he is. He is going to be someone to watch out for on the field."

On how it's different playing USC at Cal instead of in Los Angeles
"It's going to be an exciting atmosphere. I'm pretty sure it's going to be packed, over-packed probably. People all on the hills everywhere, there's going to be cameras everywhere. It's going to be an exciting atmosphere."

On whether it matters that the national perception of him in the Heisman race will change if he and team do well against USC this Saturday
"No, it doesn't matter, but I hope that happens. I hope it happens, but it really doesn't matter to me."

On what the 2008 game vs. USC felt like
"Frustration would be the best way [to put it]."

On whether he felt like Cal was close to breaking through against USC in 2008
"We were close. A couple of different plays, and it would have been a whole different game. But, that's last year."

On how he deals with being patient when he gets bottled up like he did against USC in 2008
"That's probably the hardest thing I've got to do. But, if I trust in my coaching and techniques then good things will happen."

On whether he is a more patient person now than when he started at Cal
"Definitely."

Western Michigan men's basketball coach Steve Hawkins, a Ventura native, has a big name for his 2010 recruiting class -- Juwan Howard Jr., according to Slam Magazine.

From UCLA Sports Information:

"UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel announced today that four players have been suspended from the team due to a violation of team rules and will miss this Saturday's game against Kansas State.

Sophomore cornerback Courtney Viney, freshman running back Milton Knox and freshmen wide receivers Morrell Presley and Randall Carroll will sit out the Kansas State game. The players will participate in team practices during the suspension.

"When you are a member of a team, you have a special commitment to the entities that make up that unit and to those that you represent," said coach Neuheisel. "When someone falls short in that regard, there have to be consequences, and then, we move on." "

From UCLA Sports Information:

"UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel announced today that four players have been suspended from the team due to a violation of team rules and will miss this Saturday's game against Kansas State.

Sophomore cornerback Courtney Viney, freshman running back Milton Knox and freshmen wide receivers Morrell Presley and Randall Carroll will sit out the Kansas State game. The players will participate in team practices during the suspension.

"When you are a member of a team, you have a special commitment to the entities that make up that unit and to those that you represent," said coach Neuheisel. "When someone falls short in that regard, there have to be consequences, and then, we move on." "

From the UCLA release:

"Saturday's UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl versus San Diego State will be played as scheduled, it was announced this afternoon.

'Based on the current and projected information regarding conditions at the Rose Bowl provided to us by the AQMD (Air Quality Management District) and Pasadena city officials, including fire and health personnel, and after consultation with our medical staff, we are confirming that the game will be played as scheduled,' said UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero. 'We will continue to monitor the situation in conjunction with city officials in Pasadena and the AQMD.'

'Based on recent air quality measurements from a monitor stationed at the Rose Bowl this week and expected weather conditions Saturday, it should be game on for UCLA,' said Barry Wallerstein, AQMD Executive Officer.

My USC football preview: Goal is to finish close to home

My UCLA football preview: Bruins ready for fresh start

USC coach Pete Carroll lacked his normal optimism when speaking about the Trojans' linebackers Tuesday morning.

"That's a questionmark for us," said Carroll. "Hopefully, that'll be an adequate group and we'll have a chance to be an OK team."

Perhaps Carroll had just finished reading this article, which seems to say that Carroll has wrote off this season and is focusing on 2010.

Seems slightly ridiculous, right?

Rob Gronkowski, Arizona's star tight end, remains slowed by a back injury.

"We're going to evaluate him week to week," said Arizona coach Mike Stoops Tuesday. "We're going to make sure with him that he's symptom-free before we put him out there."

Gronkowski was the first team All-Pac-10 and third-team All-America last year, catching 47 passes for 672 yards and 10 TDs despite missing the first three games.

Kickoff may be at 4:45 p.m., but darkness will fall earlier on the Rose Bowl Saturday. Between San Diego State's new coaching staff and UCLA's young roster, both coaching staffs are having to work a bit harder to prepare for the opening game:

"It's as in the dark as I've ever been with regards to preparing for another program... It's an interesting time that's compounded by the fact that we're playing with so many young guys.

"There will be a bunch of coaches running around working hard on Saturday."

Having redshirted last season at UCLA and missed all but the first quarter of his senior season at Crespi High with a knee injury, UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince will start his first football game in some time Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

But the UCLA coaching staff is prepared to shepherd him through his first collegiate season.

"I don't know that he's sitting there thinking about being the starter," said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel Tuesday. "It's been a long time since he's been out there. We've tried to create as many live action scenarios as possible.

"I just believe he's going to have a great freshman year.

"It's hard to describe all that can happen at the position without actually living it. There is no simulator."