For Justin Fargas, it's a long road back at USC.(South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Byline: Steve Gorten

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. _ Justin Fargas grew up the son of a 1970's television and movie actor, but his own college football career might make for a strong Hollywood script.

It's a story of perseverance and pathos, through one gruesome leg injury, two titanium rods, 12 screws, two metal plates, four surgeries, two full seasons standing on the sideline at two schools, and ultimately triumph with the Trojans four years later.

It will end Thursday night against Iowa in the FedEx Orange Bowl with Fargas making his fifth start at running back for Southern California. He took over the starting job from senior Sultan McCullough against Oregon and rushed for more than 100 yards three of the final five regular-season games, including 123 against Notre Dame when he was named the team's player of the game.

"I feel like I'm living a dream right now," said Fargas, the team's second-leading rusher with 141 carries for 593 yards and five touchdowns. "I'm just so glad I was able to work my way up, have this team trust in me, have these coaches believe.

"Coach (Pete) Carroll gave me a great opportunity to start. That was all the reward for me. It made the things that happened in the past just go out the window. I just wanted to run from there."

Fargas said the second half of his senior season has more than made up for a difficult past. The son of Antonio Fargas, best known for his role as police informant Huggy Bear in the TV show Starsky and Hutch, Justin Fargas was considered the nation's best high school running back in 1997 at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, Calif.