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Cal Football Video: Mike Pawlawski On USC's Troubles Finishing Games

Bears' radio analyst says withstanding Trojans early is the key for Cal

Mike Pawlawski says Cal fans shouldn't fret if USC jumps out to, say, a 14-0 lead after the first quarter in tonight's Joe Roth Game at Memorial Stadium.

The Trojans boast elite talent and are capable of scoring early and often.

They did that a week ago against Arizona State, with freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis throwing four first-quarter touchdowns to spark a 28-7 lead.

Then the Trojans were forced to hang on for dear life before pocketing a 31-26 victory.

The young Trojans, as talented as they are, have not yet learned how to finish, Pawlawski argues. That means if the Bears can withstand the early portions of the game, their experience on defense should provide them a big advantage down the stretch.

The evidence extends beyond the Arizona State game, Pawlawski said. Against Oregon, the week before at the Los Angeles Coliseum, USC jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter before coming unraveled.

The Ducks wound up crushing the Trojans 56-24, a defeat that left USC fans calling for coach Clay Helton's job. 

USC is 6-4 and already has secured bowl eligibility, but this game is huge for the Bears. At 5-4, they need one more win to become bowl eligible and they also are hoping to beat the Trojans in back-to-back seasons for the first time since winning three in a row from 1998 through 2000.

This is Cal's final home game of the season. The Bears visit Stanford next Saturday for the Big Game, then close the regular season at UCLA two days after Thanksgiving.