SportsHubLA

On paper, Cal vs. USC looks like a premier match-up of Pac-10 powerhouses. In reality, there is little more on the line for either team than third place in the Pac-10 and Rose Bowl aspirations that are as lofty as J.D. Booty’s Heisman hopes.

More interesting than the game itself (5 pm, ABC/ESPN), is the game within the game, a personal battle between Cal’s DeSean Jackson and USC’s Patrick Turner. Turner and Jackson were the rated No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in the 2005 wide receiver recruiting class by Rivals.com. Coach Carroll had his eye on both of them, and both had Cardinal and Gold in their eyes as well. Both wanted to wear No. 1, presumably to reflect their opinions of themselves. Both wanted to be the man, and weren’t willing to settle for anything less.

When Jackson learned ‘SC had already promised the No. 1 jersey to Turner, he eliminated the Trojans from contention. Granted, there were several other breakdowns in communication that had already left a feeling of doubt in Jackson’s mind about signing with the Trojans. But learning he would not be able to don the No. 1 jersey was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Ever since, bitterness and tension has remained on both sides over what was thought to be a done deal. Last year, that hostility boiled over into pre-game trash-talking between Jackson and USC cornerback Terrell Thomas. Jackson finished the game with a paltry two receptions for 41 yards, complaining of triple-coverage. Nonetheless, Thomas got year-long bragging rights over the man who has earned the nickname “MeSean” for his oversized ego.

This year, Jackson established a new foe: Turner. But this time Turner initiated the challenge. While Jackson’s feud with Thomas had genuine animosity on both sides, Jackson vs. Turner is more like a sibling rivalry. The two met at a high-school all-star game, became friends, and remained close despite Jackson’s fallout with USC.

“I thought we both were going to be here and I thought that was tight,” Turner said. “Unfortunately, he didn’t come here. . . . We stay in touch still.”

“If I have a [better] game than DeSean, good. If he has a [better] game than me, big ups to him…[but] it would be good to have a great game.”

With both men in the midst of struggles in 2007, each aspires to shake the ‘underachiever’ label and prove they deserve their jersey number. With pride and bragging rights at stake, look for both MeSean and PT to show more effort and passion this week than in their previous nine games combined.

Ryan Eletto is a writer for the Daily Trojan, and has covered football and men’s and women’s volleyball. Feel free to contact him at reletto@usc.edu with your comments.

Discuss: