TROJANS' SPECIAL SOLUTION? KEEP BALL FROM DREW USC DOESN'T PUNT, HOLDS BRUINS STAR TO 16 RETURN YARDS.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

Even top-ranked USC has a weakness. The Trojans' special teams have been anything but special this season.

USC didn't have to do anything special against UCLA. It didn't give Maurice Drew a chance to do any damage and that equaled success.

Drew, the Bruins' star back, had just two kickoff returns for a total of 16 yards as the Trojans rolled to a 66-19 victory.

The Trojans used high, short-yardage pooch kicks from Troy Van Blarcom and the strategy worked wonders.

``We just tried to keep the ball out of their explosive players' hands,'' said Trojans assistant coach Todd McNair, who's in charge of kickoffs. ``People do that to us - they try to keep it out of Reggie (Bush's) hands. Why give them a chance? Why put the ball in the hands of one of the best returners in the country?''

Cal coach Jeff Tedford learned the hard way, as Drew had 162 yards on punt returns against the Bears and scored on an 81-yard punt return.

Drew, who leads the country in punt return average (20.9 yards), also scored 66-yard return against Rice and 72-yarder against San Diego State.

USC's answer? The Trojans never punted.

Figuring that might be the case, UCLA wanted to use its best returner, so coaches had Drew work on kickoff returns last week. In 2003, Drew returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score against USC. Drew didn't do much Saturday - he had one return for 13 yards and another for 3.

Several different UCLA players - who normally don't field kickoffs - were asked to handle the ball, and it wasn't pretty. USC had fun with that.

``We decided we didn't want to give them a chance,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``They had to be worried about it. It kind of got comical.''

USC's John Walker even had a kickoff return for 40 yards to the UCLA 2-yard line late in the game, setting up the final score.

``Special teams have been struggling a little bit but the coaches did a great job drilling us,'' Walker said. ``We all took this seriously.''

The Trojans are young on special teams but they grew up in a hurry Saturday. That could make a difference Jan. 4 against No. 2 Texas in the Rose Bowl, the BCS championship game.

``They're gaining experience as the season goes along,'' McNair said. ``We keep working. The more they see stuff the better they understand it. It's nice to see them finishing the season strong.''

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

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UCLA's Maurice Drew, the nation's leading punt returner, didn't get a chance to return any.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer