/ STAFF WRITER
LOS ANGELES – As USC’s players and coaches cut into their 16-ounce slabs of prime rib on Thursday night at Lawry’s, the iconic restaurant in Beverly Hills, Clay Helton emerged at a lectern.
A festive mood permeated the dimly lit dining room for the Beef Bowl, one of the traditional stops for the participating teams in the days leading up to the Rose Bowl.
Highlights of past games cycled on a projector screen, followed by a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” from the Trojans’ marching band.
When Helton, the USC coach, stood to address the team, thanking the players for their effort that spawned an eight-game winning streak and a return to Pasadena, he paused at one point to acknowledge their link to past lore.