Sports: 3 days to go until U$C vs. UCLA

1996.

Clinton had beaten Dole for re-election.

UCLA and USC were terrible that year.

I lived and worked in suburban Maryland.

The UCLA alumni club of Washington DC takes over a downtown sports bar for the big game each year. I decided to go down to watch even though I heard radio updates saying UCLA was down. I got to the bar where I saw Jennifer, the vivacious club president, and asked her what the score was. She shook her head and said it didn't look good: USC 38-21 and it was already mid-fourth quarter.

I found a bit of wall space (yes, I'm the DEFINITION of wall flower at a party) next to another UCLA alum. I found out he was working for the White House Counsel's office. Okay, so he is a democrat and I'm a republican but today, we are BRUIN fans!

Cade McNown and the Bruins began an improbable rally managing to tie the game by scoring 17 unanswered points to send it into overtime. The place was going crazy with every UCLA success.

I don't remember when the NCAA instituted the "shootout" overtime system but this was the first and only overtime USC vs. UCLA game thus far.

The two teams swapped field goals in the first overtime. Then UCLA scored a TD to take a 48-41 lead. USC had the next possession but wasn't able to score.