Cardinal takes on No. 1 USC on Saturday Cardinal takes on No. 1 USC on Saturday (November 04, 2005)

by Rick Eymer

Plato wrote that the teacher becomes successful only when his students surpass the teacher. Plato would have loved Stanford football coach Walt Harris.

The teacher and pupil come together on Saturday when the Cardinal (3-2, 4-3) visits the Los Angeles Coliseum to take on top-ranked USC (5-0, 8-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Harris recruited Trojans' coach Pete Carroll, a San Francisco native who served the San Francisco 49ers as a defensive coordinator in 1995-96, to play football at the University of Pacific in the fall of 1971. They have been friends ever since.

Carroll also got his coaching start at UOP as a graduate assistant.

"We have been real close for a long period of time," Harris said. "As a player he was a gem to coach. He wanted to know how to make the play, he would take coaching tremendously, and he always had a bright attitude. He was a heavy hitter, too. He would always try to knock you out."

Since those early days in Stockton, Carroll has not only been to the mountain top, he's reached even higher peaks. He has the Trojans resting on top of the college football world for a record number of weeks. USC is the two-time defending champion and brings a 30-game winning streak into Saturday's meeting.

Carroll, 50-9 in his five years at USC, has never lost a game in the month of November since taking the reigns.

Stanford is the Trojans' oldest rival, dating to 1905, and they have dominated the series to the tune of 56-24-3.

The Trojans have several winning streaks intact, including its Pac-10 record of 30 straight. The Trojans also own a school record 24-game winning streak at home (Stanford was the last team to beat them - 2001 - in Los Angeles), a school record 20 conference games and a Pac-10-record 17 home games.

Plato learned from Socrates; Carroll learned from Harris.

"I think we are playing a great football team that is coached tremendously with a great head coach," Harris said. "It is great to see him finally getting his credit of being a great coach. I have always thought that he was and has been all along. Sometimes the situation didn't allow it, and in this one he has obviously made it happen. They are very, very loaded with great football players with talent and depth."

What sayeth the former pupil?

"Walt is a fantastic worker," Carroll said. "All of his friends and family used to call him captain sweat or something. He was always a really high achiever; he used to get on my butt when I was first coaching about not working hard enough, and not understanding how to study film. Walt doesn't forget stuff like that, so he still reminds me of things like that."

While Stanford is coming off a what-might-have-been loss to UCLA, the Trojans may have forgotten what it feels like to lose. They gained a season-high 745 yards of offense in their victory over Washington State, the third time they have recorded more than 700 yards.

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart is the Pac-10 career leader with 90 touchdown passes, ninth on the NCAA career list. He's thrown for more than 300 yards in six of the eight games. He's also third nationally in passing efficiency at 166.9.

"I think (Leinart) is playing as good as any college quarterback that I have seen," Harris said. "He runs the game. They have a very involved offense; they have motion, and shift, multiple formations, they do everything and he handles it tremendously."

And then there's Reggie Bush, another of USC's Heisman Trophy candidates.

In his career, Bush has produced touchdowns via rushing, receiving, kickoff returning, punt returning -- and passing. He has 3,661 all-purpose yards, scored 23 touchdowns and has 57 plays of 20-plus yards.

"Stanford fans already know how devastating Reggie Bush can be," Harris said. "We have to play like we haven't played all year. USC is potent like no other team I've seen."

While Stanford has no designs on the national championship this season, the Cardinal continues to look for improvement on all fronts. Part of winning is learning how to win, and how to finish. Those are the lessons Stanford learned against the Bruins.

"We know what's needed but there's a big difference with knowing and getting it done," Stanford senior fullback Nick Frank said. "At some point it's about will: some how, some way to pull it out."

Stanford senior defensive end Julian Jenkins said it's a little bit embarrassing to walk around campus when most athletic teams are winning.

"Everybody is winning and I wonder why they're not getting the same coverage," Jenkins said. "That winning is something to be jealous of; this is the home of champions and we should be champions. USC is the world champs right now and it's a great opportunity for us."

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