USC HOPES TO WIN BY PLAYING IT COOL TROJANS CALM AS THEY FACE STANFORD.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF  Staff Writer

PALO ALTO -- Even after the first regular-season loss in three years, anger is an emotion reserved more for fans than any USC player.

The No. 9-ranked Trojans got blindsided by Oregon State and probably lost a chance at the national championship, but no one broke any mirrors or smashed up any locker rooms this week.

``I'm disappointed we lost, but I'm not angry,'' USC defensive end Lawrence Jackson said. ``That's something directed more outside the team. Anger gets in the way. False highs create false lows.

``Some guys are angry, but as a team collectively, we just need to play good football.''

For USC (6-1, 4-1), staying on an even keel has been one of its strengths over the years, but after an unexpected loss to the Beavers, the Trojans might have a different challenge today: Staying awake.

That could be difficult against Stanford (0-8, 0-5), today's unlucky opponent as USC looks for a bounce-back victory.

USC coach Pete Carroll could not recall ever coaching a winless team, and then remembered he was an assistant with the Buffalo Bills when they started 0-10 in 1984. Carroll was fired after the season.

``It's a hard place to be in,'' Carroll said. ``We work so hard in this profession and you don't do it to lose. You do it to win.

``I wouldn't wish it on anyone. It's an awful feeling.''

Naturally, Carroll's competitive mind next turned to how it would affect him.

``This is an unusual matchup for us, I'm hoping there's no effect on how we perform,'' he said.

Jackson said there was no sense of panic among the Trojans because of the crazy nature of last week's game, when USC committed four turnovers.

``Besides four plays where we had turnovers, we played a solid game,'' he said.

However, a case could also be made that USC spent the past month playing dangerously close to losing and the Trojans' luck finally ran out.

``I wouldn't say we dodged a bullet,'' center Ryan Kalil said. ``We just lost a game.''

But even Carroll conceded that things have gotten a little too close for comfort around the program lately.

``We have been dealing with narrow margins, that has been clear,'' Carroll said. ``That means that a couple of plays could turn a game here or there. It didn't change my expectations of winning games, but we know we have to be aware about the narrow margins so our mistakes would be amplified if they occurred, and that's precisely what happened.''

Just to make sure everyone recovered mentally, veterans like Kalil, linebacker Dallas Sartz and quarterback John David Booty addressed the team this week.

``Everyone knows our opinions,'' Booty said. ``We weren't used to losing, but by Tuesday we were all business,'' Booty said.

Although he has started just seven games, Booty said he feels like a veteran with so many young players on the roster.

``I'm in my fourth year, so I carry myself as a veteran in the program, I don' t even consider myself a first-year player any more,'' Booty said.

There's another theme to this seemingly lackluster game. Carroll imposes higher standards against less-skilled opponents, and believes one can tell how good a team really depending on whether it can dominate bad teams for four quarters.

``This is a real important opportunity to get back on track,'' Carroll said. ``Our expectations are really high. And Stanford will be all pumped up.''

Not that it matters. The Cardinal is so bad, USC will probably drop in the Bowl Championship Series computer rankings even with a victory. But a lopsided victory might influence the human poll voters to balance things out, especially after West Virginia lost to Louisville on Thursday night.

And Carroll believes USC demonstrated it could pull away from opponents after scoring 21points in the fourth quarter last week, although the Trojans were making up a 23-point deficit.

``We scored 21 points in the fourth quarter of a game that we didn't win, and we will continue to grow,'' Carroll said.

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CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

(color) Coach Pete Carroll is hoping the Trojans don't take winless Stanford lightly.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer

Box:

NO. 9 USC (6-1, 4-1) at STANFORD (0-8, 0-5)

- Scott Wolf