USC-Oregon: Gary Klein gives a preview of the critical Pac-12 game [Video]

Times reporter Gary Klein talks to Cinesport's Noah Coslov about the USC-Oregon game on Saturday.

The No. 18-ranked Trojans will have their hands full on defense trying to stop the high-octane offense of the No. 4 Ducks, who average 46.7 points and 498.3 yards of offense. Running back LaMichael James leads the nation with 150 yards rushing a game.

Among the points of interest that Klein and Coslov cover:

--USC must avoid mistakes and control the ball.

--The Trojans, who have faced top-notch running backs and quarterbacks this season, will have to account for all of the Ducks' weapons on each play to try to slow down their pace.

--USC must be able to make big plays to keep drives moving.

Which is easier said than done, since only Louisiana State in the season opener has been able outplay Oregon.

--Dan Loumena

USC football: Dillon Baxter considering San Diego State and UNLV, report says

Dillon Baxter, who last month was removed from USC’s football program by Coach Lane Kiffin, is considering transferring to San Diego State or Nevada Las Vegas, according to this report.

Baxter told the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Mark Anderson that he was intrigued by the possibility of playing for UNLV and was "looking at it pretty seriously.” Baxter also said he would prefer to play wide receiver.

Baxter starred at San Diego Mission Bay High, but he was suspended twice during his freshman season at USC. He did not travel with the Trojans to their Oct. 22 game at Notre Dame this season. Kiffin announced Baxter would no longer be part of the program the next week.

Baxter played sparingly in four games this season.

More later at latimes.com/sports

RELATED:

USC's Matt Barkley says Oregon is deserving of its ranking

USC's Hayes Pullard eager to face Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas

With Matt Schaub injured, Matt Leinart is a starting QB again

-- Gary Klein

Photo: Former USC running back Dillon Baxter. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Mike McQueary did not report incident to us, police chief says

Mike McQueary did not report his allegations of child sexual abuse against Jerry Sandusky to the State College police department, Chief Tom King said Wednesday.

McQueary has stated in a grand jury report that he saw a boy, whose age he estimated at 10 years old, "being subjected to anal intercourse" by a naked Sandusky, then the Nittany Lions defensive coordinator, in a shower at the Penn State football building in March 2002.

Facing public criticism for a perceived lack of action during the incident, McQueary said in an email obtained by the Allentown (Pa.) Morning Call that he "did have discussions with police and with the official at the university in charge of police."

FULL COVERAGE: Penn State scandal

McQueary, who was a graduate assistant at the time of the alleged incident, did not specify which police department he spoke to. Penn State has its own police force, and administrators are looking into whether McQueary made contact with that department.

According to the grand jury report, McQueary left "immediately," was "distraught" and called his father. His father told him to leave the building and come to his home. McQueary did report the incident to his  then-coach Joe Paterno the next day and later met with athletic director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, vice president for finance and business.

Curley and Schultz have been chargedwith perjury and failure to report. Curley was placed on administrative leave, and Schultz, who oversaw university police, returned to retirement. Paterno was fired last week by the university's Board of Trustees. McQueary, now a wide receivers coach for the Nittany Lions, has been placed on administrative leave.

Sandusky is charged with 40 counts of sexual abuse of children and is free on $100,000 bail.

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Joe Paterno gave ownership of their home to his wife for $1 in July

Judge in Jerry Sandusky case may have benefited from Second Mile

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Mike McQueary. Credit: Tim Shaffer/ Reuters

USC football: Lane Kiffin OK with Marc Tyler appearing on TMZ.com

Last summer, USC tailback Marc Tyler made remarks on camera to TMZ that were deemed inappropriate by the school and triggered a suspension by Coach Lane Kiffin.

This week, Tyler appeared again on TMZ.com in a video, saying the website helped him change, become sober and made him more conscious of what he says and does.

"I want to thank TMZ for helping me out," Tyler said in the video.

Kiffin said he had watched Tyler's latest appearance and had no problem with it.

"I thought he handled himself in a first-class manner," Kiffin said. "He's still a kid and those situations are hard.

"I thought he handled himself very well. Now, people can say, 'Why is he on?' But he's not out there looking for it .... They find him, he doesn't find them."

-- Gary Klein

Franco Harris loses job for comments supporting Joe Paterno

Franco Harris' comments in support of his former college coach, Joe Paterno, have cost him his job.

The former Pittsburgh Steeler running back is the latest person to lose his job in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal, as The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington, Pa., announced Tuesday it was suspending its business relationship with the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee who played with the Nittany Lions from 1969 to 1971 under recently fired coach Paterno.

Harris, along with fellow former Pittsburgh Steeler Rocky Bleier, was hired by The Meadows in September to help with various outreach activities, charitable events and public appearances.

FULL COVERAGE: Penn State scandal

The Meadows issued this statement Tuesday night: "In light of the recent developments with Franco Harris regarding Joe Paterno’s dismissal, Franco and The Meadows have mutually decided to put their business relationship on hold at this time, while these matters are looked into further."

Paterno and university President Graham Spanier were fired Nov. 9 by Penn State's board of trustees as part of the fallout from the Sandusky scandal. Harris blasted the school for its treatment of the legendary coach.

”I feel that the board made a bad decision in letting Joe Paterno go,” Harris said. "I'm very disappointed in their decision. I thought they showed no courage, not to back someone who really needed it at the time. They were saying the football program under Joe was at fault.

”They really wouldn't give a reason. They're linking the football program to the scandal and, possibly, the cover-up. That's very disturbing to me.... I think there should be no connection to the football program, only in the case that it happened at the football building with an ex-coach. I'm still trying to find out who gave him access to the building, who signed that contract.”

Harris also is one of several high-profile athletes listed as an honorary director of The Second Mile charity, which was founded by Sandusky. Others include Cal Ripken Jr., Arnold Palmer and Andy Reid.

RELATED:

Jerry Sandusky tells Bob Costas: 'I am innocent' [Video]

Bill Dwyre: Penn State scandal can't be swept under a rug

Penn State's Mike McQueary says he told police of alleged rape

-- Chuck Schilken

Photo: Joe Paterno and Franco Harris in 2006. Credit: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press

Chris Dufresne on Penn State, BCS scenarios and more [Video]

Penn State got back to football on Saturday, but the cloud of the Jerry Sandusky scandal still looms large. The Times' Chris Dufresne tells CineSport's Noah Coslov that even though the Nittany Lions are bowl-eligible, we may not see them playing beyond the regular season.

Dufresne also discusses BCS championship scenarios, which may be a lot simpler than it appeared a couple weeks ago. As he wrote on Monday:

Louisiana State and Oklahoma State are, indisputably, the two top teams and headed for a quarrel-free collision in the BCS title game.

LSU and Oklahoma State are the only remaining undefeated schools from the six major conferences.

The Tigers and Cowboys were a rock-solid 1-2 in Sunday's release of the weekly BCS standings.

LSU needs only to beat Mississippi on the road and Arkansas at home and then win the Southeastern Conference title game to play for its third BCS title since 2002. The Tigers won the two previous title games played in New Orleans (2003 and 2007).

Oklahoma State needs a win at Iowa State this week and then to beat Oklahoma in Stillwater on Dec. 3.

Dufresne also discusses Andrew Luck's Heisman Trophy prospects after Stanford's loss to Oregon on Saturday.

ALSO:

USC turns its focus to preparing for Oregon

Big Ten removes Joe Paterno's name from trophy

A good week for Oregon, Houston in BCS standings

USC football: Marqise Lee selected Pac-12 player of week

USC freshman receiver Marqise Lee on Monday was selected as the Pac-12 Conference special teams player of the week.

Lee returned the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown in the Trojans' 40-17 victory over Washington.

He also caught nine passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.

It was the second consecutive game that Lee scored two touchdowns.

Lee has caught 52 passes and scored eight touchdowns for the No. 18 Trojans, who play No. 4 Oregon on Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.

Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday was offensive player of the week, Colorado defensive back Travis Sandersfeld defensive player of the week.

--Gary Klein

 

BCS standings: A good week for Oregon and Houston

It was a bad weekend for Stanford and Boise State but not for Oregon and Houston.

Losses by Stanford and Boise State likely knocked the Cardinal and Broncos out of national title contention. Stanford can still win out and make a major bowl but Boise State’s chances are likely doomed.

There are only three undefeated teams left: Louisiana State, Oklahoma State and Houston.

LSU and Oklahoma State solidified their spots at the top of the Bowl Championship Series standings on Sunday.

LSU remained first this week with a BCS average of .9933 while Oklahoma State is second at .9642.

It can be safely said the Tigers and Cowboys, if they finish undefeated, will play Jan. 9 in New Orleans for the BCS title.

Alabama is third with a BCS average of .9099, followed by Oregon at .8755. The Ducks jumped three BCS spots this week after a 53-30 victory over Stanford on Saturday.

Oklahoma moved up to No. 5 this week, followed by Arkansas, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Stanford and Boise State.

Houston (10-0) is No. 11 in the BCS and in prime position to snag the BCS bowl bid that seemingly was Boise State’s to lose.

An automatic bid is guaranteed to the highest non-automatic qualifying conference champion finishing in the top 12.

Boise State, which lost to Texas Christian, might end up ranked higher than Houston in the final standings but it might not be a conference champion.

TCU needs only to defeat Colorado State and UNLV at home to claim the Mountain West title.

Houston needs three more victories to finish 13-0 and secure a likely bid to the Sugar Bowl.

--Chris Dufresne

Photo: When Oregon took down quarterback Andrew Luck and Stanford, 53-30, on Saturday, it put the Ducks back in the BCS picture. Credit: Beck Diefenbach / Reuters

Gary Klein discusses USC football [Video]

Times' columnist Gary Klein discusses USC football with CineSport's Brian Clark, looking back on Saturday's 40-17 victory over Washington and ahead to next week's showdown with Oregon.

The Trojans played their most impressive defensive game of the season against the Huskies, Klein says, which is a good thing considering the team that awaits them.

As Klein wrote for Sunday's Times:

The Trojans, who improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Pac-12 Conference, head to Autzen Stadium next week to play sixth-ranked Oregon, a 53-30 winner over third-ranked Stanford on Saturday.

"It gives us a big boost," junior defensive end Nick Perry said of the Trojans' performance. "We're going to be ready to go."

That might not be enough against the Ducks.

The last time the Trojans traveled to Eugene, they were all but massacred on Halloween Night in 2009, 47-20.

USC players are confident it will be different this time, mainly because the defense appears to be much improved.

The Trojans recorded a season-high seven sacks against Washington. They also got a game-turning play from Kyle Negrete on a fake punt and a kickoff return for a touchdown by Marqise Lee.

That helped complement an offensive performance that included Curtis McNeal's career-best 148 rushing yards, but only one touchdown pass by Matt Barkley and two receptions by Robert Woods.

RELATED:

Oregon's speed is too much for Stanford, 53-30

USC's Marqise Lee continues to contribute in a big way

Bill Plaschke: Punter Kyle Negrete offers inspiration for free

Utah 31, UCLA 6 (final)

So much for all that talk about playing for a Pac-12 Conference football championship.

UCLA’s hopes came crashing back to reality Saturday night on an icy field in Salt Lake City.

Utah won its third consecutive game and became bowl eligible at the Bruins’ expense.

UCLA fell to 5-5 overall, 4-2 in Pac-12 play. Utah is 6-4, 3-4.

UCLA moved the ball well from time to time –- the total offense figures were fairly even, 295 for UCLA, 291 for Utah –- but the Bruins hurt themselves with penalties early and a huge turnover late.

Utah’s defense came up with two key stops in the fourth quarter. First, the Utes turned UCLA away with only a field goal after the Bruins had driven to the Utah 18.

Tyler Gonzalez’s 35-yard field goal cut Utah’s advantage to 21-6, and the Bruins had the ball back near midfield a few minutes later.

However, Kevin Prince then threw a pass right into the chest of Utah's Conroy Black, who returned it 67 yards for a touchdown.

It was Black’s third interception in two games and his fourth of the season. And it completely sank UCLA.

Prince completed 12 of 24 passes for 146 yards but had two passes intercepted.

Utah was paced by running back John White IV, who ran for 167 yards and two touchdowns in 33 carries.

UCLA was penalized 12 times for 91 yards.

--Mike Hiserman

Utah 31, UCLA 6 (4:05 left in fourth quarter)

Forced to go for a first down on a fourth-and-long situation, UCLA gave up the ball near midfield and Utah cashed in the good field position.

USC 40, Washington 17 (final)

Lane Kiffin has evened the score with old friend Steve Sarkisian.

Sarkisian, a former assistant coach for USC, had defeated his old school twice since becoming Washington's head coach, beating mentor Pete Carroll in 2009 and Kiffin last season.

Both times, Nick Folk, a Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High graduate, was the hero with late-in-the-game field goals.

All those streaks ended Saturday -- in a big way.

USC made sure Folk wouldn't be a factor, routing the Huskies at the Coliseum.

A 46-yard field goal by Folk early in the second quarter was among Washington's few highlights.

The Huskies fell to 6-4 overall, 4-3 in Pac-12 Conference play.

USC improved to 8-2 overall, 5-2 in the conference.

Kiffin can thank father Monte's defense for a big assist.

The Trojans held Washington's powerful running attack to 46 yards in 24 carries. Chris Polk, one of the top running backs in the Pac-12, had 36 yards in nine carries.

USC also sacked Husky quarterbacks Keith Price and Nick Montana -- both also local products -- seven times.

Polk finished with exactly one more rushing yard that USC punter Kyle Negrete, who broke off an impressive run on a fake punt in the first half.

USC ran for 252 yards with Curtis McNeal leading the way by gaining 148 yards and a touchdown in 18 carries.

Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley completed 18 of 28 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.

Receiver Robert Woods was unusally quiet, with two catches for five yards. But freshman Marqise Lee picked up the slack, catching nine passes for 74 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown.

RELATED:

USC vs. Washington photos

--Mike Hiserman

USC 40, Washington 10 (14:57 left in the fourth quarter)

Andre Heidari kicked a 30-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to push USC's lead to 30 points.

UCLA vs. Utah: Live updates from the game today in Salt Lake City

Utah 7, UCLA 3 (halftime)

The game began in a snow storm when the temperature was 32 degrees, the second coldest since Rice-Eccles Stadium opened in 1998. The game-time temperature was 29 degrees at the start of the Utah-BYU game in 2010.

The snow stopped in the second quarter, but the field remained slick.

Field position put Utah in command in the second quarter. An exchange of punts gave the Utes the ball at the UCLA 39-yard line. Seven runs later by John White and Utah had the lead with 5 minutes 34 seconds left in the first half. He scored on a one-yard run.

White has 67 yards rushing at halftime.

A fumble by Utah punter returner Griff McNabb set the Bruins up with a scoring chance as Isaiah Bowens recovered the ball at the Utah 17-yard line.

The Bruins managed only three yards and settled for a 30-yard field goal by Tyler Gonzalez.

UCLA had 65 yards in penalties in the first half. The Bruins had five false starts and one delay of game.

Gonzalez missed a 47-yard field goal as time ran out in the half.

Utah 7, UCLA 3 (5:34 left in the second quarter)

Field position tilted Utah’s way on a slick surface. An exchange of punts gave the Utes the ball at the UCLA 39-yard line.

Seven runs by John White later, Utah had the lead. White scored on a one-yard run.

USC vs. Washington: Live updates from the game today at the Coliseum

USC 37, Washington 10 (12:45 left in third quarter)

It might not turn out to be a shootout, but the second half has started that way.

USC tailback Curtis McNeal answered Washington's quick score with one of his own.

The junior broke off the left side and ran 79 yards for a touchdown. Washington safety Will Shamburger appeared to have McNeal in his grasp at the 20-yard line, but McNeal slipped through his grip to complete the scoring play.

McNeal has rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown in 15 carries.

USC 30, Washington 10 (13:36 in the third quarter)

Looks like the rout. . . .

Wait a minute.

USC's Marqise Lee returned the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.

The freshman receiver looked like he might be stopped when he ran into a pack in the middle of the field, but he broke toward the right sideline and then outran the Huskies to the end zone.

But Washington came right back, Keith Price connecting with receiver Kevin Smith on a 50-yard pass play to set up Chris Polk's one-yard touchdown run. 

USC 23, Washington 3 (halftime)

USC's defense has been impressive in the first 30 minutes at the Coliseum.

The Trojans, led by end Nick Perry, have limited Washington to 91 yards.

Perry has two of the Trojans' four sacks and has been a force against the run.

Penn State rally comes up short against Nebraska, 17-14

There was plenty of irony in the way Penn State lost its football game, 17-14, to Nebraska on Saturday at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa.

What the No. 12-ranked Nittany Lions had to offer during the game came too little, too late.

Trailing 17-0 midway through the third quarter, Penn State rallied to pull within a field goal with more than five minutes left but No. 19 Nebraska held on.

FULL COVERAGE: Penn State scandal

The Nittany Lions had the ball twice in the last 3 minutes 52 seconds, but couldn’t score.

The way the game ended, perhaps symbolically, was chaotic.

Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin completed a pass to Devon Smith in the middle of the field as the final seconds ticked down. The Nittany Lions barely got another play off, but McGloin was rushed and was only able to get off another short pass to the middle of the field that fell incomplete.

The loss was Penn State’s first in Big Ten Conference play after five wins. The Nittany Lions are 8-2 overall but have road games against two tough opponents, Ohio State and Wisconsin, to finish the regular season.

Nebraska improved to 8-2 overall, 4-2 in conference play.

Interim Coach Tom Bradley spoke during a television interview afterward about how proud he was of his team.

“I think you saw a lot of character, a lot of resolve, by this team,” he said. “I liked the way they stuck together … we fought hard.”

He then turned his attention to the alleged victims in the child sex-abuse scandal that has rocked Penn State’s program.

A solemn start to the Penn State-Nebraska game

Football took a backseat before the start of the Penn State-Nebraska football game at State College, Pa., Saturday in the wake of the child sex-abuse scandal surrounding former coach Jerry Sandusky.

Both teams and many others gathered quietly at midfield for a moment of silence and prayer before the start of the game between the No. 19 Cornhuskers and No. 12 Nittany Lions.

There was also an emotional singing of the school's alma mater and senior-day introductions.

FULL COVERAGE: Penn State scandal

Jay Paterno took his father’s spot on the team bus on the way to the stadium. Joe Paterno was fired after 46 years as the team's head coach for his failure to do more to put a stop to the alleged sexual abuse of children by his former assistant coach.

It has been an emotional week at Penn State, with the school's president also fired. Mike McQueary, who witnessed the alleged incident in 2002 involving Sandusky, was also prevented from coaching Saturday, having been put on administrative leave.

Joe Paterno was not at the game. At his home, there were TV crews and reporters, and a few individuals on the sidewalk knelt and prayed.

The stadium was bathed in blue as Penn State fans made the decision to wear blue instead of their traditional white to support victims of the alleged abuse.

Some shirtless students in the front row had painted their chests light blue with white letters that spelled out, at least partially, “For the kids.”

There was no score in the game midway through the second quarter.

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Sex abuse scandal just got costlier for Penn State

-- Mike Hiserman and Mike James

Photo: Penn State's Malcolm Willis, left, and Silas Redd bow their heads in silence before Saturday's game. Credit: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press

 

Fans see a gentler approach to Penn State-Nebraska game

Beaver Stadium fell silent. The sidelines were empty. Players from both Penn State and Nebraska were gathered at midfield, each of them on one knee. At the center of the crowd was Nebraska running backs coach Ron Brown, the director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in his state.

The nation was watching them.

Penn State resumed playing football on Saturday morning, facing Nebraska in their first game since child-sex crime allegations against a longtime defensive coordinator resulted in the firing of Coach Joe Paterno.

FULL COVERAGE: Penn State scandal

There were many familiar sights and sounds. Fans tailgated for miles around. They stood in line to take pictures with Paterno’s statue outside of the east side of the stadium. They performed their traditional call-and-response chant of “We are…” “Penn State!”

But something was different, regulars at the stadium said.

“I think the people are more subdued,” said Alex Levit, a member of Penn State’s Class of 2000.

Longtime fan Robert Tintner said that if not for the scandal, fans would be “a little bit more rowdy” for a game of this magnitude. Tintner said the increased police presence was easily noticeable.

The crowd that waited for the Penn State team bus to pull up to the stadium was said to be larger than usual, as it was a couple of dozen people deep in some areas. When the players arrived, fans pointed their cameras and cell phones at them. Men held up their children so they could see them.

Nebraska fans Robert and Diana Alderson were visiting University Park from Omaha and said they didn’t know what to expect.

“It’s kind of mellow,” Robert said. The Aldersons, who are married, said they usually get heckled when they visit other schools.

“Everyone’s been overly nice,” Diana said.

ALSO:

It was an emotional day after at Penn State

Plaschke: This should be the end of Paterno State

Scandal will have an effect on Penn State program for years

--Dylan Hernandez, from State College, Pa.

Photo: Penn State players walked into the stadium before the game holding hands. Credit: Patrick Smith / Getty Images.

Penn State sex-abuse scandal spreads to Texas

It appears the Penn State child sex-abuse scandal is no longer confined to State College, Pa.

Texas authorities announced Thursday that they are looking into whether an offense occurred during Penn State's trip to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio in 1999.

Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who was still with the Nittany Lions during their bowl game that year, was arrested Saturday on charges he sexually assaulted eight boys over a 15-year period. Sandusky has denied the allegations.

San Antonio Police Sgt. Chris Benavides told reporters Thursday that his department is "looking into the possibility that an offense may have happened" during the Penn State football team's time in town.

The 1999 Alamo Bowl marked Sandusky's final appearance as a Penn State coach.

Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach and winningest coach in college football, was fired by the school Wednesday for failing to contact authorities in 2002 after being told a graduate assistant saw Sandusky assaulting a boy in a school shower.

RELATED:

Document: Grand jury report on alleged Penn State sex abuse

Paterno fired: Tom Bradley news conference highlights

Full Coverage: Penn State scandal

-- Austin Knoblauch

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky is led away by police after being arrested on molestation charges Saturday. Credit: Reuters

Chris Foster discusses Kevin Prince and UCLA football

Times UCLA reporter Chris Foster about Kevin Prince leading UCLA's resurgence, and if Saturday's game at Utah is a trap.

As Baxter Holmes wrote earlier this week:

"More than a month before Thanksgiving, UCLA's goose already looked cooked. Arizona's football team, with a five-game losing streak and an interim coach, roasted the Bruins by 36 points in Tucson on Oct. 20.

"The embarrassing loss prompted calls for Coach Rick Neuheisel's ouster, but UCLA responded with consecutive victories over California and nationally ranked Arizona State to pull into a first-place tie in the Pacific 12 Conference's South Division.

"Now the future suddenly looks bright with possibility. The only roadblocks between UCLA and a Nov. 26 showdown at USC with a berth in the inaugural Pac-12 championship game at stake are the conference's newcomers, Utah and Colorado.

"The Bruins travel to Salt Lake City to face the Utes on Saturday, then play host to Colorado on Nov. 19.

"Both teams have struggled in their inaugural Pac-12 seasons but Utah, liked UCLA, has reversed field by winning its last two games.

"It took far longer to get our first Pac-12 win that we had hoped it would, but we finally got it," Coach Kyle Whittingham said after Utah's 27-8 win against Oregon State on Oct. 29. The Utes improved to 5-4 overall, 2-4 in conference play by defeating Arizona, 34-21, on Saturday."

--Houston Mitchell

UCLA football: Bruins to play Texas in Cowboys Stadium in 2014

UCLA and Texas have agreed to play a spotlight game in Cowboys’ Stadium in 2014.

The game, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 13, will be nationally televised. The Bruins have a game against Virginia schedule for that day, but the two schools will work out a change.

UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, in a blog posting to donors and boosters, said this week that UCLA had, “negotiated a deal that will feature the Bruins against a marquee opponent at Cowboys Stadium.”

UCLA and Texas just completed a home-and-home series. UCLA defeated Texas, 34-12, in Austin in 2010. Texas returned the favor this season, beating the Bruins, 49-20, in the Rose Bowl.

--Chris Foster

Joe Paterno fired by Penn State Board of Trustees

Joe Paterno, one of most successful coaches in college football history, was fired Wednesday night by the Penn State Board of Trustees amid an ongoing child-abuse scandal involving one of his former assistant coaches.

University president Graham Spanier was also fired.

Paterno, who announced earlier Wednesday his intention to retire at the end of his 46th season with the Nittany Lions, has been the center of criticism for failing to contact authorities in 2002 after being told a graduate assistant saw former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky assaulting a boy in a school shower.

Sandusky was arrested Saturday and has been accused of molesting eight boys over a 15-year period. He has denied the accusations.

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley will serve as interim coach.

In a statement released before his firing on Wednesday, Paterno expressed remorse for the victims and regretted not doing more to stop the alleged incidents.

"This is a tragedy," Paterno said. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

RELATED:

Full coverage: Penn State scandal

Scandal will ruin Penn State's program for years to come

Bill Plaschke: Forget sympathy, what Joe Paterno deserves is to be fired immediately

-- Austin Knoblauch

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Penn State President Graham Spanier, left, and Coach Joe Paterno talk prior to a game against Iowa on Oct. 8. Credit: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press