That was 37 years ago but there are striking circumstances between that game and the one that will be played this weekend.

• A young Mike Riley, who was 14 at the time, watched the game from the stands of what was then called Parker Stadium, as his dad, an Andros' assistant, coached from the sidelines. Riley is now the head coach of the Beavers. He was also an assistant under John Robinson at USC.

• The weather conditions were miserable on that dark Saturday. A pounding rainstorm had turned the field into a muddy, slippery mess. It was obvious that both offenses would have difficulty scoring. Mike Haggard's 30-yard field goal late in the second quarter gave OSU its three points. Rain is forecast for this weekend in Corvallis and although the field is now artificial turf, the conditions will make ball and field slippery. The weather could be a great equalizer in the game that will start at 7 p.m. and be televised on Fox.

• It was the era of O.J. Simpson at USC. Despite the mud, Simpson gained over 130 yards rushing but the stubborn Beaver defense kept him out of the end zone. Simpson won the Heisman Trophy the following season.

The 2004 USC team has Reggie Bush, the multi-talented sophomore who many predict will be a Heisman candidate himself some day. The Beavers defense must play like it did against LSU in the season opener: Be stingy, put pressure on quarterback Matt Leinart and, above all, keep Bush from scoring.

• The loss was the only blemish on USC's record, and the Trojans went on to win a share of the national championship. Trojan fans circled Nov. 6 on their calendars before this season began, anticipating that the result of USC-OSU game would play a big part in USC's national title hopes. This will be Pete Carroll's first trip to Corvallis as USC's coach. The last time the Trojans played the Beavers was in 2000. Paul Hackett and Dennis Erickson were the coaches, respectively, and Oregon State won, 31-21.

USC has won 17 straight games, 12 consecutive in the Pac-10 and 9 straight on the road. If OSU plays like it did against LSU, the Trojans could be in trouble. The Watcher likes Oregon State in an upset.

BERKELEY BONUS: What a difference a week makes. Bay Area fans were screeching about Utah's placement in the BCS ahead of California's. But after the Golden Bear's 27-0 shutout of an overrated Arizona State team, Cal's BCS fortunes improved dramatically Monday when it was computerized up to No. 4. Things haven't been this sweet in Strawberry Canyon since the glory days of Pappy Waldorf, who coached the Bears to appearances in the Rose Bowl in the late 1940s and early '50s. Now fans are hoping for a revengeful Bears rematch against USC in the Orange Bowl. For that to happen, Cal will need help in the form of Oklahoma and Auburn losses. And, it's too early to make travel plans for Miami because the Golden Bears have a tough road game Saturday at Eugene, Ore., against the Oregon Ducks.

BIG 12 BEEFS: No. 2 Oklahoma squeaked by on the road last week with a win at Oklahoma State, 38-35. The Sooners face Texas A&M at College Station, after the Aggies were upset by Baylor in overtime at Waco. The way things are going in the Big 12 this season, especially in the North Division where only one team, Nebraska, has a winning record, anything is possible. The Sooners scored 11 touchdowns against the Aggies last season in a 77-0 wipeout, and Coach Bob Stoops is worried that his players won't be focused on the payback-minded Aggies. "We see them as a strong team," Stoops told AP, "and we realize what they are capable of." After an opening loss to Utah, Texas A&M won six straight before its wacky Waco misadventure.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State plays No. 6 Texas in Austin. The Longhorns are ranked No. 7 in the BCS.

POWER SWEEPS: Washington athletic director Todd Turner announced that head coach Keith Gilbertson will step down after the season. In a turbulent situation, Gilberton took over for Rick Neuheisel who was fired 15 months ago for gambling on college basketball. The Huskies' 31-6 loss last Saturday to Oregon dropped them to 1-7, 0-5, the worst season in 35 years for the school that shared a national championship in 1991. Gilbertson told the Associated Press: "I do feel I made a contribution, but this was not a dream situation." Turner added, "It was a very difficult play he was assigned to run. We gave him the ball on fourth-and-goal, but we didn't block for him. Some of the names mentioned to succeed Gilbertson include Cal coach Jeff Tedford, New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, and Utah coach Urban Meyer. Arizona visits Washington this Saturday ... Utah quarterback Alex Smith has officially joined the race for the Heisman Trophy. Smith, who has completed 131 of 203 passes for 1,905 yards and 20 touchdowns for the No. 7 Utes, received notification that he is among 15 players on the Heisman ballot, which will be mailed out to voters later this month....Cal offensive coordinator George Cortez returned to work this week after missing two games because of a detached retina.