There's an abundance of speculation on how USC can stop Texas quarterback Vince Young and what fancy defense coach Pete Carroll will concoct for the Rose Bowl, but the Trojans plan a simple approach Wednesday.

"We're just emphasizing tackling and wrapping up," linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. said. "That's why we have (tailback) Michael Coleman at quarterback, so we can just worry about making good tackles."

Coleman played quarterback in high school, so he makes an ideal Young, although he doesn't want anyone calling him Vince Young in practices.

"My name's Coleman," he said.

Family tragedy: Talatonu Maualuga, the father of USC linebacker Rey Maualuga, died from cancer Monday. Rey Maualuga last visited his father over Christmas break but said his condition made it difficult to communicate.

"The only words my dad could say were `Good morning,' " Maualuga said.

Maualuga practiced Monday and is expected to play in the Rose Bowl. He will return home to Eureka on Thursday. Relatives from Antelope Valley and Long Beach visited him at practices this week.

"When I go out on the field, I try to put distractions aside," Maualuga said.

Beef Bowl memories: Matthews, the son of former USC linebacker Clay Matthews, said his father never really talked about his own Rose Bowl memories.

"The only thing he mentioned was the Beef Bowl," Matthews Jr. said. "He said he was so full, he took some (meat) home and then since it was the college thing to do, he threw some on the windshield of a car."

Matthews Jr. said he didn't follow his father's footsteps during Sunday's visit to Lawry's restaurant.

"That steak was too good to waste," Matthews Jr. said.

Not interested: Carroll

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reiterated he's not interested in NFL openings, even though the New Orleans Saints, a team that might move to Los Angeles, fired coach Jim Haslett on Monday.

"I can't say any more than I've said to make it clear I'm not interested," Carroll said.

Carroll sympathized with all the fired head and assistant coaches.

"It's a very difficult day for a lot of people, not just the head coaches," he said.

Change of plans: Carroll decided USC will not hold its walkthrough today at the Rose Bowl, instead opting for campus. He wants to keep the routine as identical to a home game as possible.

"There's too many logistics (traveling to the Rose Bowl)," Carroll said. "Plus the field is a mess."

USC also declined an opportunity to take a team picture at the Rose Bowl today.

"It will be exactly the same as a Friday (during the regular season)," Carroll said.

Leinart hot: The rains did not slow down quarterback Matt Leinart in practice, who remained sharp despite the conditions.

"Matt's been on fire, he's thrown every ball on target in the rain the past two days," Carroll said.

UCLA football kicker Justin C. Medlock was charged Friday with felony drunken driving in connection with a crash that seriously injured a member of the Bruin golf team, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Medlock, 22, was charged with driving under the influence causing injury and driving with a .08 blood-alcohol level causing injury. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Inglewood Superior Court.

A 1998 Toyota pickup truck driven by the 22-year-old Bruin kicker struck a call box and overturned on the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway north of Manchester Boulevard about 3 a.m. Dec. 10, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officials said officers later spotted Medlock "walking on the city streets in Inglewood approximately a mile-and-a-half away from the collision scene."

Medlock was taken to a hospital where he was treated for moderate injuries. He was arrested after being treated, but was later released.

His passenger, Hannah Jun, 20, was taken to UCLA Medical Center. She suffered a fractured vertebra in her neck, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Jun -- who attended Torrey Pines High School in San Diego -- recently qualified during a tournament in Florida to play on the Futures Tour, the paper reported.

Medlock faces up to six years in prison, according to prosecutors.

It might not be their home stadium, but it's understandable if the top-ranked USC Trojans consider the 91,500-seat Rose Bowl in Pasadena their own private property.

After all, USC has played in 29 Rose Bowls -- 10 more than any other team -- and has won it 21 times, 13 more than second-place Michigan.

"Our first goal each year is to win the Rose Bowl,'' sophomore split end Dwayne Jarrett said after practice Monday. "Now, if a national title comes with it, that's well and good. But our first goal is Rose Bowl.''

The national title indeed goes to the Rose Bowl winner this year, with USC taking on No. 2 Texas on Wednesday. And the Trojans will consider the Longhorns to be trespassing on their turf.

"The Rose Bowl is our home away from home,'' senior quarterback Matt Leinart said. "We obviously love playing there because we've been so successful there. So we consider it just another home game for us.''

USC actually plays its home games at the 92,000-seat L.A. Coliseum, while crosstown rival UCLA plays at the Rose Bowl. But the two stadiums are 12 miles apart, and the Trojans' frequent Rose Bowl appearances, along with playing the Bruins there every other year, make them much more familiar with the surroundings than Texas.

The Longhorns did play in their first Rose Bowl a year ago, beating Michigan 38-37. USC, meanwhile, beat Oklahoma 55-19 in the Orange Bowl for its second straight Associated Press national title.

"So we're not total strangers to the Rose Bowl,'' Texas quarterback Vince Young said. "We got acquainted with it playing there last year. And now we're back here, just like I promised we would be.''

But the Trojans don't plan to offer much hospitality.

"We'll welcome them there with open arms,'' Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush said. "Then we will try our best to beat them with all of our heart. We'll have all our fans and all of Los Angeles behind us. We want to be the first team to win three straight [AP] championships.''

Young denied a report that he was angry about finishing second to Bush in the Heisman voting and was using that as motivation to prove that the voters made a mistake.

"I'm happy Reggie won,'' Young said. "He's a friend of mine. So it's not about me trying to show him up. It's about me working to lead us to win as a team.''

USC is a 71/2-point favorite, not only because of its rich tradition in the Rose Bowl, but also because of its star-studded offense that many have called the best in college football history. The Longhorns aren't arguing about their underdog status.

"Hey, they are the defending champions,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. "They've won 34 straight games, they have two Heisman Trophy winners in their backfield in Leinart and Bush, and their other tailback, LenDale White, is also a fantastic talent at 6-2 and 235 pounds. They deserve all the praise they're getting. They've earned it.

"But I agree with everybody else that the two best teams will be playing each other, which is as it should be, and I'm just happy that we have a chance to be No. 1 if we win. They have a great offense because they have so many weapons. You have to stop more than Leinart and Bush. But I like to feel we also have a good offense. We've won 19 straight games.

"Our defense is great, and it gets a lot of credit. But people must realize that we can put points on the board, too. Both teams run the ball so well and are so good at scoring that they will be able to score regardless of the weather conditions.''

It has been raining hard off and on since Saturday, and at one point Monday, heavy winds blew apart a portion of the tented media-access area while Brown and his players were being interviewed. But the forecast for Wednesday calls for clear skies and temperatures in the 60s.

"You can't expect to really exploit anything against Texas,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. "They're too well-balanced, too well-schooled and just too darn talented. You have to try and survive this game. We're going to have to condition ourselves play after play so we're where we're supposed to be.''