TRADITION BURNING BRIGHT UCLA, USC RIVALRY HEATS UP BEFORE ANNUAL FOOTBALL GAME.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

As Amy Sylvis walked to her next class Thursday morning, a dirty and bedraggled stuffed bear bumped along the ground behind her, tied to her red backpack with a bright blue ribbon.

``It's their (UCLA's) bear, and people like to step on it,'' said Sylvis, 21, a business and international relations major at cross-town rival University of Southern California. ``It's fun!''

Meanwhile, at the University of California, Los Angeles, Kirsten Warner was encouraging UCLA students to play carnival games such as ``pin the Trojan on the Trojan,'' or buy a miniature Trojan voodoo doll, complete with pins.

``It's all in good fun,'' said the 20-year-old psychology major.

The rivalry between the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins has been building this past week in preparation for Saturday's 72nd annual gridiron battle at the Pasadena Rose Bowl.

And with only a 15-mile drive between the two campuses, even the most casual sports fan has been drawn into the fray that briefly pits neighbor against neighbor and splits families who find themselves with Bruins and Trojans under the same roof.

``A lot of students in the law school are from UCLA - and they're rooting for the Bruins,'' said Peter Howell, 23, a first-year USC law student.

Saturday's game has a lot riding on it: USC has won each of the last three years, breaking an eight-game victory streak held by UCLA. By Thursday afternoon, only about 400 tickets were unsold out of 90,000, said Marc Dellins, sports information director for UCLA.

The week leading up to the big game has been full of activities on both campuses. Each held bonfire rallies and engaged in a competitive blood-draw on Wednesday to see who could donate the most blood.

And then there's the pranks. UCLA's bear sculpture is ``hibernating'' in a giant box. At USC, the statue of Tommy Trojan is swathed in a thick layer of protective duct tape, extending all the way down to the base.

``Campuses have gotten a lot more savvy about protecting their ground,'' said Keith Brant, executive director of the UCLA Alumni Association. ``Years ago, you heard all kinds of stories. The thing for UCLA students to do is pour blue paint on Tommy Trojan - it was attempted from a helicopter at one point.

``When we unveiled the Bruin statue in 1984, we realized we were now equally a target,'' Brant continued. ``I don't recall if he's ever been attacked with red paint, but now the tradition is to just wrap it up a week and a half beforehand.''

Chris Allen, associate director of the USC Alumni Association, disputed the accuracy of some the oral tales of pranks.

``Many of the stories you might hear are urban legends,'' he said. ``I think the fact that Tommy Trojan is under wraps and the Bruin bear is under a big box adds to the excitement that leads up to the big game.''

But students said the pranks, rude T-shirts and other events are more than just collegiate silliness. The rivalry gives students on two very large campuses a sense of belonging, reminds them of the proud tradition at both schools, and connects them with the alumni who have graduated before them.

``It's a wonderful way for members of the Trojan family to connect with one another,'' USC's Allen said. ``It helps to reinforce the tradition, bring out past successes and showcase what we hope will be the current and future success of the football team.''

And if nothing else, ``The game always makes good Thanksgiving conversation,'' UCLA's Brant said.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) USC students hold a bonfire rally on campus as they prepare for the big game against UCLA.

(2) UCLA students gather around their bonfire during a rally before Saturday's 72nd Rose Bowl game against USC.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

(3) The USC student book store offers Rose Bowl-themed items like this checkers game featuring USC and UCLA helmets.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer