As players sat stunned and silent at their lockers after the 55-21 humiliation in the Coliseum, the only noise that could be heard was a faint one.
But it was one that hurt deep to the core.
A spine-chilling din of triumphant shouts and songs was coming through the walls and vents all the way from the visitor's locker room, where Stanford was celebrating its demolition of USC on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, shame, embarrassment, nausea and a feeling of emasculation welled up in the silence of the Trojan locker room before Coach Carroll called the players together.
"This was a very humbling experience," a shell-shocked Carroll said, his words thankfully providing enough noise to drown out the nearby celebration and also serving as salve for the Trojans' battered hearts. "I never thought I'd see the day -- never -- where something like this could happen.
"There are no words to say -- we got our butts kicked."
The truth of the day stung hard and stung deep, creating a feeling so unlike that after any loss ever before. This was different than an unexpected early-season defeat at Washington, different than a late-season thud at UCLA, different than a heartbreaking loss in the national championship game.
No, this was unique, because of the utter dishonor felt and the total upheaval of direction now faced. The Trojans, shamed beyond belief on Saturday, now don't come close to controlling their own destiny in the conference race. It's an odd feeling for a program that essentially had a vice grip on the Pac-10 for the last seven seasons.
"I know you hate it," Carroll said with his team circled around him. "You should hate it."
What could the Trojans take from a humiliation like Saturday's? Only the eternally optimistic Carroll could find positives in a 55-21 loss.
The score -- and the 27-0 tally in the fourth quarter -- didn't show it, but the Trojans continued to fight even when the game became unrealistically out of reach. Coaches and players were passionately encouraging each other on the sidelines, especially when the mountain got steeper to climb in the second half. Pleas of "keep fighting!" and "bring your heart!" rang on the sideline throughout the game. And it was that never-say-die attitude and unwillingness to relent that Carroll lauded in the locker room after the loss.
"The real important part of what happened was that you stayed together, you kept fighting, you kept battling," Carroll said. "I'm really proud of that. That's what we can take from this game.
"I'm counting on what happened today -- playing together, giving your heart -- to follow us the rest of this year."
But what does the rest of the year entail for the Trojans? Where do they go from here? Their one and only task now is getting right and getting ready for UCLA in two weeks. After that, time will tell, but first, all focus must turn to their next meeting, their next practice, their next game if any resurrection is to be experienced.
"Let's get back to work on Monday and see how far we can take this," Carroll told the players. "We're going to take this as far as we possibly can."
After a solemn team prayer, Carroll added one more thought. "We've got to stay together through this. Does everyone understand?"
Players responded in unison with, "Yes sir," before returning to the painful silence that hovered so conspicuously in the locker room.
Saturday's setback was yet another in a season full of them. Whether a tragic weightlifting injury to their star tailback, a heartbreaking loss on the field or a range of other devastating turns in the journey through the 2009 season, it undoubtedly hasn't been an drama-free campaign.
"It just feels like that kind of year, where we've got to keep bouncing back from things," Carroll said in the locker room.
But after every unexpected and demoralizing defeat, the Trojans have not been defeated. They've always bounced back, with each piece of heartache eventually achieving a greater good in the players and coaches. All the adversity has been producing character in the Trojans, and that character is producing hope for what's ahead.
Fortunately, seasons aren't judged by what happened in Game 10 (or Game 3 or Game 8), but instead by the body of work at the end. If the Trojans can bounce back and finish this season strong, who knows what can happen or where this journey will go. It's not worth the energy or time to get buried in the pity, disappointment and feeling of sickness. The past has passed by, and the future features hope.
If there's any hope of redeeming this season, this loss cannot dictate the team's next steps or how to approach the upcoming challenges.
The Trojans' character can, though. And here's to guessing it will.
University Southern California Trojans
Wednesday, July 08
Wednesday, July 08
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