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Renewing a colorful tradition

Ben Malcolmson USCRipsIt

The USC-UCLA rivalry is about to get a little more colorful.

Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl will revive a classic tradition between the cross-town rivals, with the Trojans planning to wear their home cardinal jerseys instead of the road whites, Coach Pete Carroll announced today.

It’s a flashback to the days when USC and UCLA shared the Coliseum as their home field and both donned home jerseys for the annual rivalry matchup. The tradition stopped in 1982 but will resume Saturday when the Trojans emerge from the Rose Bowl locker room in cardinal instead of white.

“It’s something we’ve been thinking about for a while,” Carroll said Monday. “From talking to coaches at UCLA over the years and seeing the teams wear their home jerseys growing up, it’s something we’re going to start up again this weekend.

“This has always been a colorful matchup and we hope everyone enjoys this recognition of both the past and the present state of the rivalry.”

Carroll and his assistants officially decided on Monday morning to go with the home jerseys on Saturday, meaning the Trojans will be in violation of NCAA rule 1-4-3-a, which states, “the visiting team shall wear white jerseys.”

By wearing cardinal home jerseys during Saturday's road game, USC will then be assessed a penalty — a loss of one timeout per half — for breaking the rule.

USC: The Best Team, Not the Most Deserving

DARREN EVERSON WSJ.com

Let's take a timeout from the Big 12 tiebreaker debate and the Alabama-Florida discussion. Let's take a moment to consider the plight of the nation's real No. 1 team.

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USC coach Pete Carroll may end up looking up at rivals from the SEC and Big 12 even though his team could have the talent to beat them.

This is not to say that the Southern California Trojans, who of course had their chance, ought to play in the national championship. If they'd beaten Oregon State, they'd have nothing to worry about. It's not like the system totally let them down. But we also know that it's far from perfect. The fact that the Trojans have played the second half of the season with so little hope for a title shot encapsulates today's often unfair college football landscape.

We've already discussed the correlation between elite defenses and national championships. (The last five title-game winners didn't all dominate offensively, but all ranked top-10 nationally in total defense.) Well, USC 2008 is as elite as defense gets. The Trojans aren't merely tops in most defensive statistics. Their 3.4 yards-per-play average is miles ahead of the field. To put this figure into perspective: The 1997 Michigan defense, the Charles Woodson group generally regarded as the most dominating defense of recent years, allowed 3.7 yards per play. And that predated the spread of the spread offense.

As with baseball's heightened offensive numbers of the late 1990s, fans should consider the environment that USC's defense plays in. Two seasons ago, just one team (Hawaii) topped 40 points per game for the season and 20 teams averaged over 30. This season, 11 schools are averaging better than 40 points (five of them in the Big 12), and 37 are getting 30 per game (four of which USC played). In an offensive year USC has posted historic defensive numbers.

So despite all the hype surrounding the Oklahoma offense -- and we've been on that bandwagon too -- USC's defense may be the best unit in college football. Yet USC likely will be consigned to the Rose Bowl for a fourth straight season (yes, they did play for the national crown there following the 2005 season). The Trojans can only hope for Missouri to shock Oklahoma, which controversially leapfrogged Texas in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings, in the Big 12 title game.

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USC defenders Brian Cushing, Will Harris and Kaluka Maiava stonewall Notre Dame's Armando Allen during the Trojans' 38-3 pounding of the Fighting Irish Saturday.

USC's angst at watching the title game from home represents the second-most unfortunate outcome of Oregon State's loss to Oregon, after the gnashing of teeth in Corvallis, a city that hasn't sent its boys to Pasadena in January since the Johnson administration. If the Trojans couldn't go to the national-title game, at least they could test themselves against Texas in the Fiesta Bowl and have a shot to prove their worth. Instead, Oregon State comes back to haunt them twice.

It's becoming increasingly clear that, unlike the champions of other conferences, USC must go undefeated to reach the national-title game. Even in 2003, when the Trojans finished the regular season ranked first in both major polls, the BCS computers excluded them from the title game. The Big 12 likely will land a one-loss team in the national-championship game this season, as have the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences in recent years (the SEC sent two-loss LSU last season).

But USC, regarded as playing a weaker schedule in the Pac-10, has been held to a tougher standard. The irony of this predicament? The Trojans should have less to prove than other contenders, given their 5-1 all-time BCS bowl record and that, like the rest of the Pac-10, they buck the national trend by playing a rigorous nonconference schedule. Sensitive to more fickle fan bases less likely to swallow the weak nonconference pablum served elsewhere, USC and other Pac-10 schools schedule more major-college competition than other conferences. For example, undefeated Alabama's nonconference slate included Clemson, Tulane, Western Kentucky and Arkansas State.

Meanwhile, the Trojans played Virginia, Ohio State and Notre Dame -- three big names, albeit two mired in surprisingly mediocre seasons. Come season's end, though, USC gets little credit for it, and gets unfairly punished by the computers for playing in a conference with Washington and Washington State teams playing outrageously awful ball. The worst in other conferences -- say, Iowa State in the Big 12 -- were about as beatable. They just didn't get outscored 127-0 over two games the way the Cougars did.

The Pac-10 also lacks a championship game. Florida, a team with a resume similar to USC's, can play its way into the national-title game thanks to its conference title match with Alabama. Then again, there's no need for it out west, since every Pac-10 team plays each other.

And so, back the Trojans trudge to Pasadena -- first for the season finale against UCLA, then, in all likelihood, for another ho-hum New Year's Day. Have they only themselves to blame for it? Sure. Just because they're college football's strongest team doesn't mean they're the most deserving of a title shot. Contenders in the SEC and Big 12 can make legitimate claims for those two golden tickets. But if we're wondering who's really No. 1, it says something that USC has gotten so good, it's tired of the Rose Bowl.

Determination rewards USC's Matthews

MICHAEL LEV OCRegister.com

LOS ANGELES – When Clay Matthews was a relatively scrawny walk-on freshman fighting just to get noticed, only one person unwaveringly believed he would turn out to be one of USC's top defenders and a future NFL draft pick:

Clay Matthews.

His football-playing family supported him fully, of course, but even his famous father — 19-year NFL linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. — wasn't sure at first.

"We've got some hard-headed people in our family," the elder Matthews said. "You've got to give him credit for that. He thought he could go down there and compete."

The younger Matthews knew, as he put it, that he'd "be able to hang with these guys" — these guys being the so-called "five-star" recruits who arrived with more fanfare and received more attention.

Four years later, Matthews has proved to be a prophet. He's hanging with the guys who form the best defense in the country.

Matthews has transformed himself from walk-on to critical starter, a standup and standout defensive end who's tied for first on the team in fumbles forced and recovered (2 apiece), tied for second in sacks (4) and ranks third in total tackles for losses (7.5).

He is about to enjoy his final game at the Coliseum, against Notre Dame on Saturday, with his fellow seniors, including can't-miss players such as Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga. Matthews always envisioned that this day would come, even if no one else did.

"In my own mind I knew I could play with all these guys here, the prestigious recruits we bring in," Matthews said. "Obviously some were thinking I was crazy. But I knew if I stuck with it and I was persistent that I could be where I'm at today.

"I'm really proud of all my accomplishments, but there's still so much more to accomplish."

Such as approximating the careers of his father and uncle.

Matthews is part of football's royal family, at least the non-Manning branch.

His dad starred at USC and played in 278 games – most among linebackers in NFL history — for Cleveland and Atlanta. His uncle, Bruce, starred at USC and earned a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a 19-year offensive lineman for the Houston/Tennessee franchise. One of Matthews' brothers, Kyle, played safety for USC, and another, Casey, is a sophomore linebacker at Oregon.

All of which didn't do Clay a bit of good coming out of high school.

"I wasn't the biggest guy, I wasn't the fastest, I wasn't the best football player in high school," Matthews said. "Rightfully so, I didn't get the interest from major Division I universities."

While other Trojans have paragraph-long, bold-faced descriptions of their various All-America accolades and recruiting-service rankings in the USC media guide, Matthews' bio features just one sentence in the high school section: "He prepped at Agoura (Calif.) High."

Matthews said he received one scholarship offer from a Division I school (Idaho) and several from I-AA schools and junior colleges. He elected to walk on at USC, where his family had a history. But the decision was solely his; his father didn't pressure him into it.

"I said, 'If that's where you want to go, fine,' " the elder Matthews said. " 'Don't go there because you think you should, because I went there and your uncle went there.'

"He had a concept of what he could do. And he never seemed to waver from that."

A classic late bloomer who weighed 199 pounds at a Nike camp before his senior year of high school, Matthews redshirted at USC in 2004. He played in 12 of 13 games as a reserve linebacker and special-teamer in 2005 and, by the fall of 2006, earned a scholarship. It was the first tangible sign that others — in particular USC coach Pete Carroll -- believed in him.

"He got paid," senior defensive end Kyle Moore said. "Coach gave him his scholarship. That was a big moment for him."

But it was far from the pinnacle.

Matthews continued to get bigger — he's nearly 250 pounds now — and better. Four games into this season, the coaches couldn't keep him out of the lineup any longer, elevating him from valuable part-timer to invaluable starter.

"He stuck with it, and look at what he's done: He's one of our best defensive players," defensive coordinator Nick Holt said. "Clay is a playmaker."

Matthews has excelled at the "Elephant" defensive end spot, which is basically the equivalent of an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme – the position that probably suits Matthews best in the NFL.

Much like his transition from high school to college, Matthews has moved from afterthought to the forefront among pro scouts. Pro Football Weekly draft expert Nolan Nawrocki said Matthews probably will go in the first three rounds and possibly could sneak into the second.

Unlike his high school recruitment, Matthews' bloodlines only will help him come April. Not only were his dad and uncle great players, but amazingly durable ones as well.

"It means a lot," Nawrocki said. "It's like (No. 2 pick) Chris Long last year. A lot of people felt he would have been the 20th pick in the draft if not for the bullet-proof reputation of his father (Hall of Famer Howie Long). It makes the pick so much safer. That'll add to his value."

But perhaps not as much as Matthews' self-determination.

"That's just the way he's made," Carroll said. "He never backed off. He's one of the great success stories."

USC's Rey Maualuga knows he'll battle emotions

Gary Klein Los Angeles Times

Rey Maualuga did not wait until Saturday to get emotional about playing his last game for USC at the Coliseum.

After the Trojans' victory over California on Nov. 8, the senior linebacker's eyes welled as he stammered through a postgame interview. The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Maualuga apologized, citing the fact that he had just completed his second-to-last Coliseum appearance.

"I was just thinking of freshman year, knowing how fast it's all gone," Maualuga said Thursday after a morning practice.

So when the fifth-ranked Trojans gather tonight for team meetings and walk down the Coliseum tunnel on Saturday before playing Notre Dame, Maualuga isn't quite sure how he will react.

Coach Pete Carroll has warned players to avoid letting emotion get the best of them, as former quarterback Matt Leinart did before the Trojans played UCLA in 2005.

"We've handled it really well over the years," Carroll said. "I use Matt's example because I don't want them to create such a frenzy that they can't perform the way they want to."

Maualuga acknowledged that might be easier said than done.

"It's easy for Coach to say because he returns every year with a great team," said Maualuga, a Butkus Award finalist. "I'm saying now I'm not going to be emotional, but it's going to be hard."

Defensive tackle Fili Moala and receiver Patrick Turner are among the seniors who will be introduced before the game.

Neither expects to be overwhelmed.

"I just look forward to playing the game," Moala said. "I'm happy for the opportunity to play my last game there, but that's about it."

Said Turner: "You don't want to waste all your energy on that and then play a sluggish game. You just want to go out and then do good."

Ayles surgery

Carroll said that freshman tight end Blake Ayles would not play against Notre Dame and that he would have knee surgery Monday to remove a bone chip.

Ayles has caught six passes for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Senior safety Kevin Ellison also will not play.

Ellison had knee surgery Nov. 3 and practiced for the first time Tuesday. But he left the field during warmups Wednesday and did not practice Thursday.

Quick kicks



Trojans players dispersed after practice to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Players from out of the area were invited to gatherings at homes of teammates. Quarterback Mark Sanchez's family was scheduled to host a large group. . . . A toy drive sponsored by Carroll's "A Better L.A." will be held at Saturday's game. Donations and new unwrapped toys or USC gear will be collected at the ESPN booth/tailgate location in front of the statues at the peristyle end of the Coliseum.

USC quarterback Sanchez hopes to air it out

Scott Wolf LA Daily News

When USC quarterback Mark Sanchez faced Notre Dame last season, he threw 32 passes against the Irish. And that was in the first half.

Those two quarters of work were more passes than Sanchez threw in all but two games this season. USC coach Pete Carroll bristles at suggestions the Trojans' offense is going conservative, but with Notre Dame arriving in Los Angeles today, the question remains whether the offense could duplicate a wide-open style after several weeks of playing it safe against Pacific-10 Conference teams.

"We threw the ball quite a bit last year (against Notre Dame)," offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. "We thought they were good up front and wanted to soften them up. They had a couple guys in the secondary really dedicated to stopping the run. Mark got into a good rhythm."

But Sanchez's rhythm in recent games is inconsistent at best. He threw just 17 passes against Stanford because the Cardinal defense applied too much pressure.

"We tried to throw the ball in the first half against Stanford but they pressured us 90 percent of the time," Carroll said.

Carroll said the previous week's game was an example of the offense playing not to lose, as he was content to let his defense shut down California.

"That was the only game we weren't aggressive," Carroll said. "They dropped a ton of guys."

Then there was the Arizona game, in which Sanchez struggled after a slow start in the Trojans' 17-10 victory at Tucson.

It's been chalked up as a learning experience by Sanchez, who said his proudest moment is that he kept his poise and did not buck the game plan by throwing deep or even mid-range passes.

"When it gets tough and you haven't thrown well, like for three or four games this season, that would have been a chance to really force it but I find myself holding back and playing conservative," Sanchez said. "I'm feeling like I really learned from the Arizona experience and really helped the team."

So far, the results have been hard to quibble with this season. But what happens if USC plays a team like Oklahoma or Texas in a bowl game? Would the Trojans be able to resurrect their passing game so easily against a quality opponent?

"I like being able to balance it out so if you get stopped at one or the other, it doesn't mean you can't be effective," Carroll said.

It's also true that Sanchez enjoyed early season success passing, although Virginia and Ohio State applied little pressure compared to later opponents.

But anyone who watched Sanchez dissect Notre Dame's defense last season in just his second start would probably be surprised at how cautious the offense seems after his 13th start.

Notre Dame's secondary was atrocious last season but it still demonstrated Carroll and Sarkisian are capable of a pass-first mentality. It just seems to be less noticeable this season. With two regular-season games remaining, Sanchez has thrown 267 passes. Two years ago, quarterback John David Booty threw 324 passes through his first 10 games.

"We're just trying to win the game and give ourselves the best chance and in the (Stanford) game the running game dictated we run the ball," Sarkisian said.

Two years ago, USC abandoned the run in the Rose Bowl against Michigan, as Booty threw 45 passes, including passes on 19 of 22 plays in the third quarter.

"That's a great example of doing what the game called for," Carroll said. "We tried both in the first half against Stanford. But it was just the opposite where we ran the ball in the second half."

USC passed nine times and ran 30 times in the second half against the Cardinal. Sanchez claims he is not worried about the passing game's lack of prominence.

"The only stat that really matters is we're 9-1," he said. "I'll take the Ws."

There is a chance Sanchez might get another opportunity to throw the ball against the Irish on Saturday. Notre Dame's top two tacklers are safeties Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton.

"They like to play really down in the box," Sarkisian said.

That could lead to more passes although Sarkisian said, "we'll see how the game goes."

Like Irish, Clausen in a rut

PE.com

SOUTH BEND, IND. - Jimmy Clausen laughed when he was read a quote from his best friend, USC tailback Mark Tyler, that he was worried about the Notre Dame quarterback making it out of the Los Angeles Coliseum alive on Saturday.

"He doesn't play defense, so he's not going to knock me out or anything like that," Clausen responded.

Maybe not, but Clausen figures he knows about a dozen or so USC players well and about half the team overall.

Story continues below

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Sophomore Jimmy Clausen has had an up-and-down career: 60 percent completion rate with 20 TD passes and 15 interceptions.

Many of those would probably love to get a shot at the player who passed up on a scholarship offer from his hometown school to travel halfway across the country to play for Notre Dame.

"I just wanted to get away from California, just grow up in a different place," said Clausen, who announced his choice of schools by holding a news conference at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend and saying he planned to try to win four national championships with the Irish.

That seems like a long time ago now -- 51 sacks and 11 losses in 20 starts ago, to be exact.

Clausen was injured and didn't play last year when the Trojans beat the Irish 38-0, the worst Irish home loss in 51 years. It also was the largest margin of victory for the Trojans in the 79-game rivalry.

Some are expecting even worse Saturday. The Irish are 32-point underdogs, the most an opponent has ever been favored over the Irish. The previous high was when USC was favored by 23 points in 2004 and won 41-10.

USC has the best defense in the country. The Trojans are No. 1 against the pass, giving up 132 yards a game. That's 42 yards fewer than Boston College, the next-best pass defense Clausen has faced. The Eagles forced Clausen into a career-high four interceptions and beat the Irish 17-0 three weeks ago.

Clausen threw for career-high yards in three straight games midway through the season -- 275 against Purdue, 347 against Stanford and 383 against North Carolina. Since then, he has seven interceptions and six touchdown passes.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis called it a "rut" that Clausen began to work his way out of against Syracuse.

"He started to manage the game much more efficiently than he had in the last couple of games," Weis said.

Weis conceded he's a bit worried about Clausen, who is from Westlake Village, just west of Los Angeles, trying to do too much Saturday, especially because the Trojans are so good at baiting quarterbacks into making bad passes.

"They'll go press up on you, say, 'Go ahead, try to beat us,' " he said.

Weis said earlier in the season that by end of this year he expected Clausen to be further along than Brady Quinn was when Weis arrived following Quinn's sophomore season. Clausen and Quinn have remarkably similar statistics at this point in their careers.

Clausen is firmly behind Weis as the media speculates on Weis' future.

"They're firing away at Coach Weis," he said. "But when it comes down to it, it's not the coaches that are out there throwing the ball, running the ball, blocking, making tackles. I think we've got to take as much responsibility for this as what everyone's putting on the coaching staff and Coach Weis."

USC could be Fiesta Bowl-bound

Dan Weber PE.com

LOS ANGELES - Pete Carroll has the best answer.

"I keep postponing the thoughts about it because I don't know where it's going," Carroll said this week of the BCS shakeout, and USC's bowl picture.

If there's any sort of official take from Trojanland, it's this: If Oregon State beats Oregon Saturday to nail down a Rose Bowl berth and USC beats Notre Dame and UCLA, the Trojans will likely play in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz., against either Texas or Oklahoma.

Fifth-ranked USC would lose the Rose Bowl tiebreaker to the Beavers, becoming an at-large team, and the Fiesta Bowl has the first choice over the Sugar and Orange bowls. That's as simple as it gets.

The SEC title game loser, Florida or Alabama, goes to the Sugar Bowl, where it will likely play Utah. And it looks as if Cincinnati (Big East) and Georgia Tech (ACC) will meet in the Orange Bowl with the SEC-Big 12 winners facing off in Miami for the BCS championship.

But, as Carroll said, of course it's not that simple. Which is why USC's players roll their eyes when asked about any of this.

"No way," said cornerback Cary Harris. "We've got two games to play."

And what's the point? What if Oklahoma State upsets visiting Oklahoma Saturday, eliminating both the Sooners and Texas from the Big 12 title game in one fell swoop? And what if Missouri, on a bad-weather day in Kansas City in two weeks, beats Texas Tech for the title?

Or what if Florida loses at Florida State this Saturday, or Alabama loses to Auburn?

Where does USC go if one, two, three or maybe four of those "what ifs" should happen?

Certainly the Trojans would move up. But would a matchup featuring USC's top-ranked defense against one of those high-flying offenses from Texas, Florida or Oklahoma, sway the voters and computers to elevate USC to the championship game after all the smoke has cleared?

"We'll see if we have the best defense," Harris said, "after we see how we do the next two games."

Injury Report

Just 10 minutes into Wednesday's practice, senior safety Kevin Ellison grabbed his right knee and informed coaches it "didn't feel right," Carroll said. Carroll said he didn't know what effect that would have on Ellison's status for Notre Dame. Tight end Blake Ayles' is doubtful with a knee contusion. Joe McKnight suffered a stinger when he was hit while trying to pick up a fumbled punt. He should be OK. Freshman defensive tackle Armond Armistead, in a hard cast for his fractured right hand, was held out of practice but has been cleared to play.

Patton: USC-Notre Dame no rivalry

GREGG PATTON PE.com

LOS ANGELES - Notre Dame's visit to USC this Saturday may stir up the familiar passion that accompanies this eight-decade-old rivalry, but for the most part it's just hollow blubbering, for nostalgia's sake.

Right now, one of them has become a Happy Meal for the other.

The Trojans gobbled up the Fighting Irish, 38-0, last year, and the four-touchdown spread by which the experts see them winning this year seems low.

USC-Notre Dame used to be a very attractive couple, but Our Lady really let herself go. Since Pete Carroll arrived at USC in 2002 and lost that first game to the Irish, Troy has won six in a row by margins of 31, 31, 31, 3, 20 and 38.

Once you could count on this game drawing the attention of a nation of college football fans. Those scores draw the attention of fruit flies.

The bullying may seem like a fabulous turn of events for Trojan Nation, but before the band strikes up another rousing three hours of "Conquest" Saturday, just remember that it does USC no special good to keep hammering the Soft Serve from South Bend.

The Trojans' problem with the Bowl Championship Series is strength of schedule. The computers don't whir as favorably for teams that beat cupcakes. Even voters have had trouble putting 9-1 USC into the BCS championship picture because the Trojans don't have an impressive win over someone really good since they smoked Ohio State.

Now imagine if Notre Dame were a top-10 team instead of a 6-5 mattress that doesn't have a single win over a quality opponent, and even lost at home to awful Syracuse last week.

A Notre Dame team that barely sneaked past woeful San Diego State at home. A Notre Dame team that had to come up with a final defensive stand against Navy at home to avoid blowing a 20-point lead in the final minute and a half.

If the Irish carried some weight, this could have been a game to launch one or the other into title contention. But Notre Dame doesn't dine with the big dogs anymore.

"It's unique," Carroll said at his Tuesday press conference. "Rivalries don't usually cross this much distance. It's a classic, the Midwest team playing on the West Coast, then we take it back there."

Yup, and how sad for college football when this game not only means nothing in the national picture, but also presents little in the way of suspense for their faithful.

OK, I take that back. I can say I've heard a raging debate -- over Notre Dame's chances of scoring.

It figured that Irish coach Charlie Weis preferred to downplay the importance of the rivalry when asked this week.

"I know everyone would like me to sit here and say it's just about USC," he said, perhaps hoping everyone will think it's Purdue week. "Notre Dame has so many natural opponents ... you have to take them as they're dialed up."

No doubt the power has swung at times, with one team getting the upper hand for awhile. It may even swing back some day, maybe in that post-Carroll world that Trojans fans dread.

Irish diehards will point to their 11 consecutive wins from 1983 to '93. But for the most part, those games were close, seven decided by 10 points or fewer.

The truth is, this series that began in 1926 with a 13-12 Irish win has never witnessed this kind of extended thumpery. That may not be a real word, but it's not a real rivalry right now, either.

Trojans' return policy pays dividends

MICHAEL LEV OCRegister.com

STANFORD - An inadvertent side effect of yielding the fewest points per game in the nation is that the kickoff return team doesn't get a ton of reps.

Through its first nine games, USC had 13 kickoff returns. Its opponents had 25.

On Saturday, when the defense sprang some rare leaks, the kickoff-return unit showed what it could do with a little practice.

Ronald Johnson had returns of 50 and 75 yards, and C.J. Gable's 93-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter was probably the most pivotal play in USC's 45-23 comeback victory at Stanford.

"Our special teams played a big role," said linebacker Chris Galippo, who delivered one of the key blocks on Gable's return. "We must've had four or five knockdowns every single time."

Galippo credited assistant coach David Watson, who's in charge of the kickoff-return team, for discovering a weakness in Stanford's coverage. USC did most of its damage to the left side.

Watson credited the players – and the plethora (relatively speaking) of opportunities.

"They kicked the ball to us, first of all, and gave us a chance," Watson said. "Second of all, the guys executed their blocks. And the returners did a great job of setting their blocks up."

Linebacker Rey Maualuga said he suffered a concussion in the first quarter that affected his play.

"There were some plays that I called where I didn't know what to do," Maualuga said. "It's not an excuse. I was being selfish (by) not wanting to take myself out."

The coaches took Maualuga out for several plays in the second quarter. He returned in the second half to help stifle Stanford's running game.

The defense stayed in its gaps in the second half after straying in the first.

"We were just out there running around," Maualuga said. "We weren't focused on our jobs."

By allowing 17 points in the first half, USC ended a streak of six consecutive games in which it had surrendered 10 or fewer points.

USC continued its second-half domination, outscoring Stanford, 28-6. For the season, the Trojans have outscored their opponents, 171-19, after intermission.

"When we got in the locker room, it just wasn't going to do," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "It couldn't stay the same on either side of the ball.

"Our offensive line came out and blocked so much better. ... Defensively, the guys came through and just stopped them series after series after series, and it wasn't like that early on."

Saturday's game marked Carroll's 100th as USC coach. His record is 85-15. ... USC has a bye next week before playing host to Notre Dame on Nov. 29. The Trojans will take the next two days off before resuming practice Tuesday.

Five observations on USC-Stanford

Mark Whicker OCRegister.com

1. A mobile quarterback can gash USC’s defense, at least for a little while. Tavita Prichard of Stanford had a 40-yard gain when the Trojans let him scramble, and Toby Gerhart got loose for 40 yards on a pitch. “Those were disappointing plays,” Pete Carroll said. “That goes on their rushing yards total, but it’s not really like rushing yards.” Still, USC didn’t tackle well early and got handled by Stanford’s line. Stanford led in first-quarter first downs, 7-0.

2. Stanley Havili finally got to the end zone late, but something is not right when Vidal Hazelton gets the ball before he does.

3. USC doesn’ t have a special teams coach, per se, and might not need one after 230 yards of kickoff returns that led to 10 first-half points that were like gold, since the halftime score was 17-17.

4. A little more Gerhart might have stopped the second half bleeding for Stanford. The Norco baseball-football standout had 85 of his 101 yards in the first half and only eight carries in the second half. Gerhart became the first 1,000 yard rusher for Stanford since Tommy Vardell in 1991. Good grief.

5. USC isn’t in the same league with Florida right now. Trojans fans who claim to be bored with the Rose Bowl should reassess. They looked Holiday Bowl-bound for a while in the first half Saturday. A Penn State-USC Rose Bowl would be more competitive than the past two punchouts of Michigan and Illinois, especially if USC gets out of the gate as slowly as it did Saturday.

One Man's Opinion: Stanford review

Michael J. Davidson WeAreSC.com

There is a reason that we often hear coaches and announcers remind us that a football game lasts for four whole quarters. I don't think it would be unfair to say that tonight, all Trojan fans are very happy that is the case.
USC overcame one of the poorest first quarters of football that I have seen a USC Football Team play in some time to defeat an over matched Stanford team going away, 45 to 23. Maybe not everyone will admit it, but for the majority of the first half of this game, there seemed to be reason to wonder if Stanford could pull off a major upset of USC for two consecutive seasons. Overall, this game was literally two games in one. There was the less than awesome performance by SC in the first half and the overpowering defensive and offensive show that the Trojans brought in the second half.

To start the game, Stanford received the kickoff and proceeded to shred the vaunted USC defense on the way to an 80 yard, 7 play touchdown drive. There were two big plays on the drive, with the biggest being a very long 40 yard run from scrimmage by Cardinal quarterback Tavita Pritchard. The Cardinal finished off that drive with a nice touchdown run by Toby Gerhart and voila, the Cardinal was quickly off to a 7 to 0 start. On the ensuing kickoff, Ron Johnson returned the ball some 66 yards to the Stanford 20 yard line and the Trojans proceeded to gain all of two yards on three straight pass attempts and SC had to settle for a field goal. Now 3 points are better than nothing, but how strange was it to simply see 3 passes without even attempting to run the ball even once? It was not as if any of the three attempts fooled anyone on the defense and it was a moral victory for the Cardinal, something that set a very bad tone for the entire first half.

To be honest, the USC offense was simply out of sync once again for a substantial part of the first half. It would be easier to understand if the Stanford defense was simply a lights out unit and if it were on fire. That is simply not the case. It would be more accurate to state that SC either self destructed by having an ill timed penalty, a pass was off target, the running game was not given a real chance to get it going or Sanchez got sacked. Fortunately, SC was able to sustain one 80 yard drive in the second quarter which resulted in a short touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez to Damian Williams. And of course, USC was helped out by CJ Gable who took a kickoff back for six on a thrilling 93 yards Kick Off return. Prior to that return, it had been quite a while since any SC kickoff returner brought it all the way back.

The USC offense looked like things would be better on its first possession of the second half until the Trojans once again self destructed. The second half started with yet another fine kickoff return by Ron Johnson, only to see the Trojans have to punt as a result of a penalty on Anthony McCoy and another sack on Mark Sanchez. It appeared that the second half might just be a continuation of the first. On its next possession the Trojans showed some signs of life, but once again the drive ended on a sour note. Stanley Havili caught a nice pass for a ten yard gain, but he fumbled the ball deep in Stanford territory and once again, the Trojans came up empty.

Finally, late in the third quarter, SC decided to emphasize the running game and things turned around. USC put up 7 3rd quarter points and 21 fourth quarter points and if somebody were to simply see the final score, one might assume that it was an easy win. As a SC fan, it was nice to see the offense finally put up some big points in a conference game against a team that is not from the state of Washington. It was also especially satisfying to see SC wear down the Stanford team, one which was seemingly keeping the game closer than one might have hoped.

But the final result not withstanding, one can't help but wonder exactly what gives with this USC offense. Is it to be expected that this talented team should go an entire first quarter with virtually no offensive production? Should the team still have so many drive stalling penalties or other types of miscues that seem to be counterproductive. After seeing how the team fairs when it tries to run the ball first and pass second compared to the opposite, does it appear that this offense actually excels more when the run is emphasized ? The regular season is almost over, and there still seems to be some unanswered questions on the offensive side of the ball.

As for the final statistics, how can anyone argue? USC ended up with 283 net yards rushing and only 137 passing yards, with Mark Sanchez hitting 11 of 17. All three tailbacks had very productive games, with Stafon gaining 116 yards, CJ Gable getting 86 and Joe McKnight lighting it up for 73 yards on only 8 carries. It is hard to complain about any offense that ends up gaining 420 yards, but one had to see this game to understand how questions do arise. If one were in a time tunnel, one might assume it was business as usual. TheTrojans came out,(as in years gone by) kept things close, then as the game got to the fourth quarter, USC simply used its overpowering athleticism, strength and depth to wear down the other guys and beat them to a pulp. And come to think of it, even though we have grown accustomed to seeing SC put up lots of points through the air and with big plays over the past several season, just perhaps, this particular version of the SC Trojans is actually a team better suited to running the ball to set up the pass. Even though I personally like to see it the other way around, if the power game is what works, then maybe that is this team's actual offensive identity. After all, there is a whole stable of very good backs, the offensive line is mobile and most of all, on those occasions when SC has tried this approach, it has worked.

As for the defense, it was also a tale of two halves. I think most would agree that over the course of this long season, USC's defense has played lights football for all except two halves. The first half against Oregon State was sub par and USC lost that game. The fisrt half against Stanford was equally bad, but fortunately, the SC defense came out and made quite a statement in the second half and the SC offense also came out and did its job as well. For all but the last play of the game, USC shut down the Stanford Cardinal and held them without a score until that very last play. Unlike in the first half when Stanford could run the ball almost at will, in the second half, USC shut them down. Whatever happened or was said during half time, it was a resounding success. SC controlled the line of scrimmage in the second half and the defense played with an intensity that seemed to be missing in the first half. The poor tackling that we saw time and again in the first half was not anywhere to be found in the second half. The Stanford quarterback was on his heels and the defensive line was in gear.

Several young defensive linemen saw considerable action and at times, the inside of the defensive line had two true freshmen at the same time, Jerrell Casey and Armond Armstead. We also got to see sophomore Everson Griffen in the game quite often so the dline should be in good shape for years to come. As for the linebackers, they were not tackling well in the first half, but they were on a mission in the second. The defensive backs managed to keep everything in front of them and the Cardinal really did not try to challenge USC deep very often.

As for the special teams, all I can say is that it has been some time since I can recall seeing USC kickoff returners have so much success in one game. There were three long returns and one was for a touchdown. In recent years, that has not been a common scenarion, but one can only hope that it happens more often in the future. Ron Johnson and CJ Gable actually form a dynamic duo back there and as we saw tonight, either is absolutely capable of bringing it back the distance. When a team sees a special teams defensive unit struggle the way Stanfords' did tonight, it becomes all the more obvious what a huge weapon David Buehler really is for the Trojans. David kicks the ball so deep that well over half the time there is simply no return and that really helps alot. It also helps that a guy like Buehler is also one of the most accurate field goal kickers in the entire nation. Overall, the special team were clicking for the Trojans. I don't recall any blocking in the back calls and there were no fumbles of the punts.

So now what happens? SC is off for a week and then on the 29th, USC hosts Charlie Weis and the Fighting Irish. Hopefully, SC can use the bye week to get guys like Joe McKnight and Blake Ayles healthy and perhaps some of the offensive kinks can be worked out. It would be very nice to see USC play an entire game on the offensive side of the ball in a productive and relatively error free manner. Although there were fewer penalties tonight than there have been as of late, there were still more than one would like to see. As for the defense, I don't think there is any major problem at all. Nobody is perfect and the other guys have to be given some credit. But in my opinion, this defense is capable of really causing problems for most any offense and so long as the unit is focused, few, if any teams will surpas their norm. It is unrealistic to think that SC can hold each and every team to no points in the second half and to completely shut down all aspects of everyone's offense. On the other hand, I do think that this SC defense will do as good a job as any other unit in the nation against against any offensive unit it will face.

There is nothing USC can do about the other teams in the country. They can only play their best, take one game at a time, and make sure they beat Notre Dame and then the Bruins. As for how the rest will turn out, who really knows? Oregon State is playing very good ball, but Arizona will be tough in the desert next week. The Big 12 teams will continue to beat each other and who knows about the SEC? Florida is tough, but remember this. They also have one loss and that loss is even worse than SC's. Only time will tell.

The Trojans dispense with the fancy stuff and pound Stanford.

Mark Whicker OCRegister.com

STANFORD Knowshon Moreno, Shonn Greene, Beanie Wells, Jacquizz Rodgers ... college football's most productive runners can ease their way into the first quarter like it's a Jacuzzi.

Try the sweep here, the dive here. Figure out which linebacker is drooling uncontrollably, figure out which tackle is soft. After about 10 carries, they're lathered up and ready.

If C.J. Gable and the USC runners approached life like that, they would be sitting on their helmets after one series. The first carry of every game isn't a warmup for them. It's a tryout.

"We can't sit there and develop a rhythm slowly," Gable said here Saturday, after USC put down the bows and ribbons and took hold of the hammer to bludgeon Stanford, 45-23, in front of a largely Trojans crowd at Stanford Stadium.

"We have to get it going as soon as we get in there. I think that's why our guys are better than those other backs, because we have to produce right away. But, you know, that's how we practice. We go at it hard as soon as we get in there. We get our own rhythm."

They used drumsticks to find it in the second half and they conducted a Ginger Baker solo on the heads of the Stanford defense.

Gable had 14 yards at halftime, 85 overall. Stafon Johnson, 21 and 115. Joe McKnight, 8 and 72. The Trojans, 39 and 282.

Gable ran for a 3-yard touchdown and bolted 93 yards for a tying kickoff return touchdown when the Cardinal seemed the better team. Johnson had touchdowns of 7 and 3 yards.

And USC freed itself from a 17-17 halftime tie that had Stanford fans dreaming of a back-to-back seismic event. That is, if you could find any. It's pretty bizarre, watching fans up here fail to respond to Coach Jim Harbaugh, runner Toby Gerhart or this snazilly refurbished ballpark.

Stanford completely throttled USC in the first quarter, burning its world-renowned defense at its extremities, chasing and catching quarterback Mark Sanchez.

And, incidentally, becoming the first team to drive 80 yards on USC for a touchdown, which it did the first chance it got.

"We were doing pretty good to be 17-17 at the half," Pete Carroll said.

"We didn't want it to be deja vu all over again," linebacker Rey Maualuga said, referring to last year's 24-23 dream-busting upset in The Coliseum.

It was time to get down on the ground.

"All the running backs got together at the half and decided we had to take this thing over," Johnson said.

"Every time we'd come off the field we'd tell the coaches, 'It's open, it's open,'" Gable said.

So while the defense awakened and forced five consecutive Cardinal punts, USC got yet another short field, late in the third quarter, and finally dispensed with the French pastry.

McKnight for 23, Johnson for 6, Johnson for 5, Sanchez on an 8-yard scramble, and Johnson for the score.

Why not more often?

"Players play and coaches coach," guard Jeff Byers said, smiling. "But any O-lineman will tell you he'd like for his team to run it every down. Any of our backs can get the job done, and I haven't heard one complaint from any of them, even though I know all of them want more carries."

And there's one ball and only four quarters, and the USC receivers would like to fill their bowls, too.

Gable's carries have ranged from three to his season-high 14 on Saturday. At Arizona he got five calls and gained five yards.

Johnson got the ball 19 times at Arizona, but four times against Ohio State.

McKnight, who's been hurt off and on, ran five times at Arizona but 12 times against the Buckeyes.

They have combined for five 100-yard games individually.

"I knew when I was recruited that it would be like that," Gable said. "That's what makes our program different from others. We come here because we know we're going to win."

Besides, if Gable had been pounding the rock all night he might not have had the juice to leap over Stanford's Bo McNally (grandson of ex-Orioles lefty Dave) on a 19 yard run, that followed a 24 yard run, that preceded his touchdown that put USC up, 31-17.

"I'm looking forward to seeing that replay on Monday," he said.

The grand scheme?

"We messed up against Oregon State and we know it," said Gable, who isn't bothering to run the maze of permutations that would put USC in the BCS championship game. "But we know we can get to the Rose Bowl and that's what we want."

Oregon State gets there if it beats Arizona and Oregon, but the Trojans should be in the Fiesta, Sugar or Orange mix at the very least if it closes out Notre Dame and UCLA.

Technically they would fly to all those locales.

Realistically, they get there by hardnosing the highway.

Trojans use big second half to beat Stanford, 45-23

Gary Klein Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Palo Alto — C.J Gable returned a kickoff for a touchdown and rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown as sixth-ranked USC pulled away from Stanford in the second half for a 45-23 victory today at Stanford Stadium.

Gable's 93-yard kickoff return late in the second quarter tied the score, 17-17. His three-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter gave USC a valuable cushion against a Stanford team looking to repeat last year's upset at the Coliseum.

Before a crowd of 50,425, USC improved its record to 9-1 overall and 7-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference and kept alive its longshot hopes for a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Stanford suffered its first home loss of the season and fell to 5-6 and 4-4 in conference play.

Gable's electrifying return along the left sideline helped the Trojans go into the locker room at halftime tied, 17-17.

The Trojans gave Stanford an opportunity to get back into the game when fullback Stanley Havili lost a fumble midway through the third quarter at the Cardinal 15-yard line. But Stanford could not capitalize, and the teams exchanged possessions until USC got the ball back at the Cardinal 49 with 4:50 left in the quarter.

Joe McKnight's 23-yard run started a five-play drive that culminated with Stafon Johnson's seven-yard touchdown run off right tackle for a 24-17 lead.

The Trojans got the ball back early in the fourth quarter and Gable keyed a 70-yard scoring drive with gains of 24 and 19 yards before ending it with a three-yard run for a 31-17 lead.

Johnson's 44-yard gain on a third-down play from the Trojans' six-yard line set up Mark Sanchez's 50-yard touchdown pass to Havili for 38-17 lead with 7:35 remaining.

Sanchez completed 11 of 17 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions as the Trojans produced 418 yards. Gable gained his 85 yards rushing in 14 carries. Johnson rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns, also in 14 carries. McKnight added 72 yards in eight carries as the Trojans ended up rushing for 282 yards in 43 attempts.

Stanford running back Toby Gerhart rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown in 23 carries for the Cardinal.

Quarterback Tavita Pritchard completed nine of 22 passes for 111 yards. Alex Loukas was five for five for 54 yards with a touchdown, which came on the game's final play.

Gable's score-tying kickoff return enabled the Trojans to put behind a mostly sputtering first-half performance by the offense and a spotty effort by the nation's top-ranked defense.

Stanford, playing with confidence perhaps gained from last year's upset victory over the Trojans at the Coliseum, used several big plays by Gerhart and Pritchard to score more points in the first half than the Trojans had allowed in the last five games.

The Cardinal outgained the Trojans, 149-6, in the first quarter and 210-90 in the half.

Gerhart, the junior from Norco, rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown in 15 carries. He scored on four-yard run and also set up the Cardinal's second touchdown with a 40-yard gain.

Pritchard, who engineered last year's 24-23 win over the Trojans, avoided turnovers and scrambled for 40 yards on one play to set up Gerhart's touchdown run.

Sanchez completed only six of nine passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked twice.

Stanford wasted no time making a bid to become bowl eligible.

On the first possession, the Cardinal marched 80 yards in seven plays, Pritchard keying the drive with a 26-yard completion to Delano Howell and his 40-yard scramble to the Trojans' 11-yard line.

Two plays later, Gerhart took a pitch and ran around left end for a four-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.

Ronald Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards, but USC's offense could do nothing with the opportunity. Sanchez's first pass fell incomplete. Johnson gained two yards on a pass play and Stanford cornerback Kris Evans broke up a pass intended for Damian Williams, forcing the Trojans to settle for David Buehler's 37-yard field goal.

USC went three and out on its next possession, which ended with Stanford linebacker Max Bergen sacking Sanchez for a six-yard loss.

Gerhart helped the Cardinal convert two third downs on the ensuing possession and Aaron Zagory's 38-yard field goal put Stanford ahead, 10-3, with 1:20 left in the first quarter.

USC ended the period with another three and out by the offense, which included a third-down sack.

The Trojans' offense finally found a rhythm early in the second quarter, Sanchez completing a 15-yard pass to Williams and a 14-yard pass to Patrick Turner during an 80-play drive capped by Sanchez's tying five-yard touchdown pass to Williams.

The Cardinal answered with a 65-yard drive, getting an assist from a personal-foul penalty against Trojans defensive tackle Fili Moala. Gerhart's 40-yard run to the USC one-yard line set up Anthony Kimble's touchdown run for a 17-10 lead with 4:29 left in the second quarter.

Gable, however, caught the ensuing kickoff at the seven, slipped a tackle and broke to his left toward the Stanford sideline and outran Cardinal pursuers for a touchdown that tied the score.

USC avenges loss to Stanford, 45-23

PE.com

PALO ALTO - C. J. Gable made sure there wouldn't be a second Stanford stunner.

Gable returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and ran for another score to help sixth-ranked USC overcome an early deficit and avenge last year's shocking loss to the Cardinal with a 45-23 victory Saturday.

Mark Sanchez added two touchdown passes and Stafon Johnson ran for two scores for the Trojans (9-1, 7-1 Pac-10), who had their season ruined a year ago when they lost as a 41-point home favorite, 24-23 to the Cardinal (5-6, 4-4).

The loss still stung 13 months later and there were plenty of reminders in the first sellout in three seasons at the remodeled Stanford Stadium. From the highlights of the game played on the video board during warmups, to the "Greatest Upset Ever" T-shirts worn by many fans in the crowd to the Stanford band spelling out the score of last year's game at halftime, the Cardinal did their best to extend the memory.

Their play on the field early in the game did even more to upset the Trojans. Stanford dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball early before Gable's long kickoff return late in the second quarter tied the game at 17.

The Trojans controlled the game the rest of the way, giving up few more big runs to Norco's Toby Gerhart the rest of the way and getting a consistent running attack from Gable, Johnson and Joe McKnight.

There was a bit of gamesmanship in the closing seconds, as Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh sent on Aaron Zagory for a field goal in the closing seconds. USC coach Pete Carroll called a timeout to ice the kicker, so the Cardinal went for it and scored on an 18-yard pass from Alex Loukas to Austin Gunder.

The win helped USC keep pace with Oregon State (7-3, 6-1) in the Pac-10 race and stay in the hunt for a berth in the BCS title game. The Beavers own the tiebreaker in the conference based on a head-to-head win and the Trojans trail five teams in the BCS standings, meaning they still need some help to reach their goals this season.

Stanford has one more chance to achieve its goal of reaching a bowl game for the first time since 2001, needing a win in the Big Game next week at California to become eligible.

Until the second half, it seemed as if the Cardinal had a chance to do that this week. But the Trojans dominated the trenches and the game after halftime. USC ran for 243 yards in the second half, while holding Stanford to 46. The Trojans have outscored their opponents 171-19 in the second half this season.

Johnson finished with 115 yards rushing, scoring on the go-ahead 7-yard TD run late in the third quarter. Gable's 3-yard run early in the fourth extended the lead and the Trojans put the game away on Sanchez's 50-yard touchdown pass to fullback Stanley Havili. That gave coach Carroll the win in his 100th game at USC.

Sanchez, who watched as an injured John David Booty threw four second-half interceptions last year against the Cardinal, went 11-for-17 for 136 yards and the two scores.

Gerhart finished with 101 yards and a touchdown, giving him 1,033 for the season. He is the first Stanford back to top the 1,000 mark since Tommy Vardell ran for a school-record 1,084 yards in 1991.

Tavita Pritchard engineered the comeback to beat the Trojans last year in his first start. But he couldn't do the same this season, going 9 for 22 for 111 yards and an interception.

Stanford started out fast, getting a 16-yard pass from Pritchard to Delano Howell on the second play. Pritchard then ran 40 yards on a scramble for the longest run of the season against USC. Gerhart capped the 80-yard drive with a 4-yard run, completing the longest touchdown drive of the season against the Trojans.

USC didn't even manage to record a first down until early in the second quarter as Sanchez was sacked twice early. He hit Damian Williams on a 5-yard TD pass to tie the game midway through the second quarter, but Stanford answered with another long drive.

Gerhart broke tackles and stumbled his way for 40 yards down to the 1 to set up Anthony Kimble's 1-yard score, but the Trojans tied it at 17 on Gable's kickoff return. The Trojans had three kickoff returns of at least 50 yards, also getting two from Ronald Johnson.

Green to transfer from USC

FOX Sports on MSN

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Southern California redshirt freshman tailback Broderick Green said he is leaving the program to return to Little Rock, Ark. to be with his ailing grandmother.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Green did not play against California on Saturday and will officially transfer after the fall semester.

"Because of unforeseen family health issues with my maternal grandmother who raised me and my mother, I have asked the University of Southern California to grant me a scholarship release at the end of the semester," Green said in a statement posted on coach Pete Carroll's Web site. "Over the last few weeks, as I have tried to maintain the desire to be a part of the USC football family, a stronger desire to be closer to family in this time of need has emerged."

Green ran for three touchdowns and 168 yards this season, 121 against Washington State on Oct. 18. He was fifth on the depth chart for the tailback-heavy Trojans.

"Broderick's been a great kid in our program and we're going to miss him," Carroll said on his site. "We wish him the best and look forward to seeing him get settled in wherever he ends up in the future."

Carroll said playing time was also a factor for Green.

"I think the number of guys he's battling against was a concern," Carroll told the Los Angeles Times. "Somewhere in there, that was one of his concerns, but he has a lot of things that are weighing on him."

Trojans defense improving every week

CBSSports.com

LOS ANGELES -- Southern California can't score like Big 12 powerhouses Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma.

On defense, though, no team in the country measures up to the hard-hitting Trojans.

California came to the Los Angeles Coliseum ranked 21st in the country and averaging 36.4 points per game, but managed only a field goal Saturday night in a 17-3 loss to No. 6 USC, keeping the Trojans' national championship hopes alive.

"We have a swagger and a confidence. It's not cockiness, it's confidence," defensive end Clay Matthews said. "Our mind-set is to shut down the run and the pass and to shut out each team each game."

The Trojans came close to their fourth shutout in five games against the Golden Bears, who received a 35-yard field goal from Giorgio Tavecchio midway through the second quarter.

Cal wouldn't score again.

"We set boundaries and goals at the beginning of the season," said linebacker Rey Maualuga, who made seven tackles and assisted on three others. "We came together tonight. We have a veteran group of guys, and everybody knows their jobs. We don't try to be superstars, we play within our system."

Mark Sanchez passed for 238 yards and two touchdowns in USC's sixth consecutive victory. The Trojans (8-1, 6-1 Pac-10) have outscored the opposition 231-23 since losing 27-21 as 25-point favorites at Oregon State.

USC has allowed an NCAA-low 6.7 points per game, the Trojans' best defensive performance since 1952, when they gave up 4.3 points per game. They've given up just seven touchdowns -- four by Oregon State and three by their other eight opponents combined. And they also lead the country in total defense, allowing 206.4 yards per game.

"The defense was playing like crazy -- lights out again," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "The game was more in control than it looked because the score was so close. The guys just keep playing, quarters after quarters after quarters. They just don't give up anything."

The Trojans have gone more than 2½ games since giving up a touchdown -- Arizona scored one in the second quarter of a 17-10 loss to USC on Oct. 25. Cal (6-3, 4-2) had only 165 yards of total offense, the fourth consecutive opponent USC has held under 200.

"We have a high regard for Cal and to hold them the way we did tonight is a major accomplishment," Carroll said. "We have a good opportunity to finish this thing and are looking forward to the next challenge. We have a chance to be a really good team with this defense. They definitely give us a good chance to win out."

Even that might not be enough to get the Trojans into the Rose Bowl, much less the BCS title game.

Oregon State topped UCLA 34-6 on Saturday, leaving the 23rd-ranked Beavers (6-3, 5-1) in position to play in their first Rose Bowl in 44 years if they beat Cal, Arizona and Oregon to finish the regular season. USC, which finishes against Stanford, Notre Dame and UCLA, has won or shared the conference title and played in a BCS bowl in each of the past six years.

USC is 25-0 in November games since Carroll became coach in 2001, and has won 43 of its last 44 games at the Coliseum, where a crowd of 88,523 watched the latest triumph.

"We're playing really well right now," said linebacker Brian Cushing, who had six tackles and three assists. "We have a lot of seniors out there who know their roles. We are playing aggressive. We just know how to play."

Trailing 10-3, Cal moved into USC territory three times in the third quarter, but came up empty. The Bears wouldn't threaten again.

"Everyone understands what a special group they have on defense," Bears coach Jeff Tedford said. "You can't beat yourself in situations, have penalties, get a touchdown called back, especially when you play a defense like that."

Style sells, but USC might make case with D

John Walters nbcsports.msnbc.com

Speed-limit scoring is the new black in college football. 69. 66. 63.

As in, USC 69, Washington State 0. Or Oklahoma 66, Texas A&M 28. Or Texas Tech 63, Kansas 21. Or Florida 63, Kentucky 5.

Final scores and Helen Mirren: Two things that are at their most striking in their 60's.

Of course, style points, like chinos and plain white Ts, have never gone out of style in college football. Each week, a limited number of contestants vie for the role of America’s Next Top ... Ranked Team, and each week that team is almost always the one that excavates the most paydirt.

After all, 3rd-down stops rarely make the SportsCenter highlight reel.

Two teams will play in the BCS national championship game on Jan. 6, and there still exists a possibility that only two schools from power conferences, Alabama (SEC) and Texas Tech (Big 12) will be undefeated at that time. And nothing is more fashionable than a zed in the loss column.

However, that will likely not be the case. Most of us outside of Lubbock and Tuscaloosa believe that either the Red Raiders or Crimson Tide (or both) will lose once between now and Christmas. Should that happen, there will almost certainly be a few one-loss programs preening for a spot in the national championship. And if it comes down to a “walk-off”, well, nothing says sexy like a blowout win or four.

Except that this season is different. Only one school, USC, stands to gain much via style points this season and the Trojans of Pete Carroll have a curious quandary: Their most striking pose is a defensive stance.

"I don't care about style points," said USC coach Pete Carroll. "I never have in all of the years I've been here. It feels like a popularity contest at times. It's unfortunate that it is the way it is."

Pretty is as pretty does, and nothing is more comely in college football than scoring barrages. And so Oklahoma, mindful that it needs to remain photogenic following that 45-35 loss to Texas last month, has averaged 62 points per game in its last three contests. Florida, another one-loss team in search of a Miami booking, has been updating its portfolio by averaging 51 points per game in its last four victories -- against SEC foes with winning records, mind you. And Texas Tech, because well, they’re Texas Tech, launched a drive with five minutes to play and a 29-point lead on Saturday night in which five of the seven calls were pass plays.

But, now that Penn State has lost at Iowa, style points matter only to one team: USC. That's because there are six BCS conferences and three of them -- the ACC, Big East and now Big Ten -- have absolutely no shot this season of sending a representative to the national title game.

The Big Ten fell out of the frame whent the Nittany Lions lost 24-23 loss in Iowa City. And though they happen to be a one-loss team with a style-points win of their own (66-10 over Coastal Carolina in the season-opener), the voters are not about to allow a third consecutive Big Ten champ to serve as BCS roadkill in January.

Which leaves three conferences: The Big 12, SEC and Pac-10. One can haggle all they want over whether Texas Tech is better than Texas is better than Oklahoma who may be better than Texas Tech. It doesn’t matter. One of those three is going to win the Big 12 South -- the college football universe will be centered in Norman come Nov. 22 -- and most likely the Big 12 championship game after that. No other Big 12 school will be considered for the BCS title game.

Next up: The SEC. Undefeated and top-ranked Alabama (10-0) is already slated to face 8-1 Florida in that conference’s title game. The winner will be the second viable candidate for selection in the national championship game.

Thus, for the five schools currently ranked atop the two major polls and in the BCS standings (Alabama, Texas Tech, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida), style points are, well, pointless.

Then there’s USC. The Trojans are the Green party candidate, if you will. If the Big 12 and/or SEC produce a one-loss champion, USC has the right to start politicking. And if I were their campaign manager, I’d have them run on a national security platform.

Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree are fun to watch. Tim Tebow is an extraordinary talent and a charismatic figure. But no unit in college football is more dominant than the Trojan defense. Each of the teams in the top five have allowed at least 30 points in one game this season and at least 21 in another. USC allowed 27 points at Oregon State and a grand total of 33 points in their eight other contests -- all nine games of which were played against BCS conference foes.

The Trojans have allowed just one touchdown in the past five games. One! And that happened as a result of quarterback Mark Sanchez fumbling on his own 15 yard line. USC, whose 11 defensive starters will likely all wind up on NFL rosters (half of them will be first-round picks), leads the nation in scoring defense, total defense and pass defense. And the Trojans are third in the nation in rushing defense, behind TCU and Nevada.

USC’s biggest problem may be our lack of imagination. It’s easy to visualize 66 points being more of a rout than 44 points. But how does one get less than zero (unless he’s Bret Easton Ellis)?

And so that is why I believe that anyone with a weak stomach or even an iota of fondness for Notre Dame best not tune in to USC’s game against the Irish on Nov. 29. By that time, this national championship picture will have more clarity. By then, it will be common knowledge that unless Alabama and Texas Tech are both undefeated (Utah, Boise State: We love you, but it’s not happening), then there will be two spots for three teams: The Big 12 champ, the SEC champ and USC (which may not even be the Pac-10 champ, but that won’t matter).

There will be a mandate for USC, which has already racked up three shutouts and a pair of only-a-field-goal-allowed wins, to produce a high-profile win to catapult themselves ahead of one of the other two candidates. And while there are no ranked foes left on USC’s calendar, who’s more high-profile than Notre Dame?

Carson Palmer cemented his Heisman Trophy with a season-ending 31-point demolition of the Irish in the Coliseum in 2002. Tyrone Willingham sealed his fate with a season-ending 31-point loss to the Trojans in the Coliseum two years later. Come Nov. 29, the stakes for both USC and Notre Dame may both be extreme, albeit at opposite poles.

Style points? It could get ugly.

USC's second-leading tackler suffers torn meniscus in practice

Bruce Feldman ESPN

Arizona running back Nic Grigsby has something to prove against USC

David Wharton Los Angeles Times

The message came across loud and clear.

Didn't matter that Nic Grigsby ranked among the top few rushers in the Pacific 10 Conference. Didn't matter that he had just gained 13 yards on a nifty run.

The moment the ball fumbled from his arms, the Arizona running back was banished to the sideline for the remainder of the game.

"It was a little lesson they wanted me to learn," Grigsby said of his benching last week at California. "Hit me right in the face."

So it is a penitent and angry young man who hopes to make amends when Arizona plays sixth-ranked USC in a critical game in Tucson on Saturday night.

The Trojans defense represents only half the test facing Grigsby. When he got yanked against Cal, freshman Keola Antolin exploded for 149 yards and three touchdowns.

Now Coach Mike Stoops, while suggesting that Grigsby remains the starter, is talking about using his backs as a one-two punch. And the small, quick Antolin looks an awful lot like Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers, who had a big game against USC this season.

Which only increases Grigsby's desire to prove himself to the coaches. "They want to see how I react," he said.

Challenges are nothing new to the sophomore from Whittier.

His high school career was a traveling road show, with a new stop almost every season. He began at Compton Dominguez High, then transferred to Santa Fe Springs St. Paul because his mother thought it would be safer.

Grigsby ran for 758 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior but had to leave St. Paul for financial reasons. He ended up at Whittier California, hardly an athletic powerhouse.

The good news? He dominated opponents to the tune of 1,273 yards as a senior.

The bad news? "Everything was slower, guys weren't as good," he recalled. "I didn't think it was getting me ready for college."

Still, Arizona offered him a scholarship and got a slashing runner who contributed immediately. He became a starter early in the 2007 season and led the team in rushing with 704 yards.

This fall started off well too, with Grigsby providing a steady counterpoint to the Wildcats passing attack led by quarterback Willie Tuitama. He ran for 614 yards through the first six games, ranking near the top of the Pac-10.

"He was very effective just slipping our guys and making them miss," said Washington Coach Tyrone Willingham, who watched Grigsby gain 113 yards against his team. "With their offensive scheme, it was a great complement."

But his aggressive style of running, his habit of letting the ball get away from his body, led to fumbles against New Mexico, UCLA and Stanford.

"I was just thinking about making big plays," Grigsby said, "not being aware of who was around me."

For Stoops, the quick turnover against Cal -- on Arizona's second play from scrimmage -- was the last straw. The coach said: "I think this is becoming habit-forming and there have got to be consequences."

Grigsby needed to be careful how he reacted.

Stoops wasn't happy with his body language on the sideline, but several days later, speaking to a reporter, the running back made a point of praising teammates -- Antolin in particular -- for the comeback victory against the Golden Bears. He talked about working harder in practice.

Other emotions lingered in the background.

"I was mad," he acknowledged. "It was hard watching that game."

Now he has a chance to show his coach that "I've learned my lesson." A chance to prove himself against one of the toughest defenses in college football.

Now he has a chance to take his anger out on USC.

USC's Joe McKnight to play Saturday

Gary Klein Los Angeles Times

It's getting crowded again in USC's backfield.

Sophomore tailback Joe McKnight, who did not play against Washington State because of a toe injury, practiced for the first time this week Thursday and will play Saturday at Arizona.

"I'm back," said McKnight, who rushed for a career-best 143 yards two weeks ago against Arizona State.

McKnight's return potentially jumbles a tailback rotation that worked smoothly and evenly against undermanned Washington State.

Redshirt freshman Broderick Green ran for 121 yards and two touchdowns in 18 carries in the Trojans' 69-0 victory. Junior Stafon Johnson had 112 yards in 11 carries and sophomore C.J. Gable ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns in 16 carries.

"It was a good game to mix everybody evenly but that was not by design until we realized how the game was going," Coach Pete Carroll said. "This is different. This will be like we always play and we'll just take the game as it comes to us."

Gable and Johnson will get the bulk of the work, Carroll said. And Johnson will continue to return punts.

Jacquizz revisited?

Arizona freshman running back Keola Antolin amassed 237 all-purpose yards last week against California, including 149 rushing.

The 5-foot-8 Antolin is similar in stature to Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers, who ran for 186 yards in 37 carries in the Beavers' 27-21 victory over the Trojans.

Asked whether a smallish running back presents a similar challenge, Carroll said, "We'll find out. I don't know that. That was a very odd game for us. . . . It was totally uncharacteristic for us to have so much of a problem.

"If it happens again, then we'll start taking a look at it. I don't think it's because of the guy's size."

Getting the message

As offensive lineman Butch Lewis left the field, he communicated in sign language with members of the football team from the visiting California School of the Deaf in Riverside.

Lewis said he is fluent in sign language because he has a sister who is deaf.

Before Lewis departed, offensive line coach Pat Ruel had summoned the sophomore for a five-minute meeting. Lewis did not play against Washington State because of illness and has been supplanted by Nick Howell as the starting right tackle.

"I told him I thought he needed to practice better," Ruel said. "We've counted on him in the past and he's come through. We just need to get him to the level he needs to be at."

Lewis agreed.

"It's kind of exciting to come back and have to fight for your job, to make sure you love the game again and really appreciate it," he said.

Quick kicks

Alex Parsons will start again at right guard. . . . Receiver Damian Williams practiced despite a shoulder sprain and will play against Arizona. "I've had a lot of rehab," he said. "I've been in the training room since 8 this morning." . . . Defensive tackle Fili Moala (ankle) did not practice but said he would play Saturday.

USC offensive tackle Lewis OK with being backup

Scott Wolf LA Daily News

USC offensive tackle Butch Lewis lost his starting spot because of a stomach virus, but the sophomore claims he is not sick about the demotion.

"If we weren't at USC, it would be different," Lewis said. "But we have the best athletes in the world."

Nick Howell, who had 22knockdowns in his first career start last weekend, will be ahead of Lewis. Alex Parsons, who filled in for starter Zack Heberer (turf toe) the past three games, will also hold on to his job.

"Lewis and Heberer will play early," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "It's a good situation for us. It just seems like the right thing to do. It's not important who starts but who finishes."

Lewis, who started the first five games, said he did not mind being behind Howell.

"Since I got here, Nick's been one of the best offensive linemen," Lewis said. "This makes me focus and work."

Lewis said he spoke to offensive line coach Pat Ruel several times his week about his status.

"He said he'll work us in," Lewis said.

Although he feels nearly 100 percent, Lewis said his conditioning remains an issue. "I'm just trying to get my stamina back up, I get a little tired," he said.

Carroll was asked if Arizona's 5-foot-8 freshman tailback, Keola Antonin, would pose similar problems for the Trojans as diminutive Oregon State freshman tailback Jacquizz Rodgers, who rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns against the Trojans in the Beavers' win Sept. 25

"We'll find out," Carroll said. "That (Oregon State game) was an odd game for us and totally uncharacteristic. I don't think it had anything to do with the guy's size. It wasn't how we prepared to look."

Tailback Joe McKnight (turf toe) participated in practice and is cleared to play Saturday.

"I'm very close to 100 percent," McKnight said. "When I make a cut and burst out, I only feel it a little bit."

Carroll said there are plays designed for McKnight in the game plan.

"C.J. (Gable) and Stafon (Johnson) will get the bulk of the work," Carroll said. "Joe does have his plays he likes to do."

Johnson will return punts against Arizona ,although McKnight practiced punt returns Thursday.

Defensive tackle Fili Moala rested a sore ankle but is expected to be OK. ... Wide receiver Damian Williams, who sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder, practiced and should be fine. Williams will wear extra padding on his shoulder for the game. ... Defensive end Gerald Washington (ankle) and offensive guard Thomas Herring (knee) are not expected to make the trip to Arizona. Washington said he will try to return next week.

Sanchez's family meets with adviser on NFL

Scott Wolf LA Daily News

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez has passed for more than 1,500 yards in six starts this season and has 19 touchdown passes with six interceptions.

So maybe it should not come as a surprise that his father and older brother met with a former NFL executive Monday night who advises college football players on subjects such as agent recruitment and pro-scouting evaluations.

Joe Mendes, a friend of USC coach Pete Carroll and former vice president for football operations for the Washington Redskins, is paid by USC to advise underclassmen about the NFL.

"We make him available as a resource," Carroll said. "He advises universities on the NFL and the business aspects that come to the front as you get eligible for the NFL draft.

"He'll give you everything. He's a research librarian on how guys make it and don't make it. It's so guys have someone to ask if they hesitant to ask the coaches a question. I've known him for 35 years."

Mendes, who is based in Virginia, also consults for other universities.

Mark Sanchez said he was unaware of the details of the meeting, which was set up by his father and brother.

"I haven't talked to them about it yet," he said Tuesday. "They just told me they were meeting with him."

Sanchez said he intends to return to USC for his senior year.

Home sweet home: USC center Kris O'Dowd lives five minutes from Arizona Stadium in Tucson and said he will have about 100 friends at Saturday's game against the Wildcats.

"I'll recognize a lot of people on the other side, but it's a business trip," O'Dowd said.

Arizona was one of O'Dowd's final three choices before he chose USC. But he said he still has a fondness for his hometown team.

"I'm a Trojan now, but I definitely root for them silently," O'Dowd said.

Fighting for spots: Offensive tackle Butch Lewis (virus) and offensive guard Zack Heberer (turf toe) practiced but each lost their starting spots to Nick Howell and Alex Parsons, at least temporarily.

"It's obvious they know (what happened)," Carroll said. "They're serious about it. It's hard on guys knowing someone is nipping at their heels, but it makes them better."

Heberer said he is 95 percent recovered. Carroll confirmed previous comments by offensive line coach Pat Ruel that Tyron Smith is pushing starting tackle Charles Brown.

"Tyron's closer than he's been," Carroll said.

McKnight update: Tailback Joe McKnight was held out of most of Tuesday's practice as he slowly comes back from a case of turf toe.

"I'm moving faster," McKnight said. "I'm going to play this Saturday."

Sick bay: Fullback Stanley Havili sprained his ankle against Washington State and is being brought along slowly.

Tailback Marc Tyler (pulled thigh muscle) will miss this week's game and hopes to return next week.

Wide receiver Vidal Hazelton practiced but will see a doctor this morning to officially be cleared.

Tight end Blake Ayles said doctors now think he injured his groin. His injury was previously diagnosed as a sports hernia and hip flexor. The injury has not sidelined him, however.

USC getting healthy just in time

Dan Weber PE.com

LOS ANGELES - It looks like all the "in-doubt" Trojans players could make it back for the first-place Pac-10 showdown at Arizona (5-2, 3-1) Saturday (7:15 p.m., FSN).

Joe McKnight, fitted with a protective plate that kept his right turf toe straight when he ran, looked good as new despite missing nearly 10 days of work and last week's Washington State game.

"I don't feel anything with it in there," McKnight said after a full day of work running and catching the ball, even returning punts. "It doesn't hurt at all. I should be ready to go."

"Joe did well today," USC coach Pete Carroll said.

So did wide receiver Damian Williams, who began rehabbing his mild right AC sprain "at 8 this morning," he said. A special pad to elevate his shoulder pads and cushion the joint along with a new tape job did the trick, Williams said.

"When I tell you I'm going to play, I'm going to play," he said.

That's exactly what defensive tackle Fili Moala said, after rolling his right ankle in practice Wednesday.

"I got to come out and run around," Moala said before finishing practice on the trainers table with ice on his ankle. "It felt pretty good running straight ahead."

Moala's chances of playing Saturday were "100 percent," he said, "with an ankle or not. My team needs me ... and I need my team."

After resting his sore hamstring the past two days, cornerback Cary Harris was back in full pads.

And fullback Stanley Havili had already gotten back a day earlier from his sprain, ending Thursday's work with a touchdown catch in scrimmage.

Howell, Parsons Stay as Right-Side Starters

Their work as stand-ins for the original starters on the right side of the USC offensive line has been good all along, especially last week at Washington State.

But Carroll said he decided to stay with last week's two starters -- tackle Nick Howell and guard Alex Parsons -- again this Saturday and back them up with the now-healthy pair of guard Zack Heberer and tackle Butch Lewis.

"It's a good situation for us," Carroll said. "All four of those guys are going to play ... It seems like the right thing to do after their work this week."

California School for the Deaf in the House

Lewis was hurrying off to class after practice but not before stopping off to say "Hi" to the two dozen red-and-black-clad football players from the California School for the Deaf, Riverside and its first-year head coach, Jason Coleman, at practice.

But the 300-pound Lewis could do so in their language as he signed to them on the fly.

"My sister is deaf," Lewis said, explaining that he knows sign language. "I was asking them where they were from, do they have a game this weekend and wishing them good luck."

With school out at CSDR until Monday and no game until Saturday, and with all the players staying in the dorms, Coleman followed up on his attendance at the USC coaches clinic by asking if he could bring his players over to practice.

"No problem," he said the USC football office told him.

Coleman's rebuilding team is 1-5 this season after going 0-10 a year ago.

The CSDR players finished up the day with linebacker Rey Maualuga letting them put on his helmet and pass it around as he lined up for a photo with the team.

CSDR runs a spread, no-huddle offense, Coleman said, and they all watch as he signs in the plays and then go on a silent snap count.

No redshirt for USC's Hazelton

DAN WEBER PE.com

LOS ANGELES - Will he or won't he?

That's been the question for the past three weeks or so since junior wide receiver Vidal Hazelton requested a redshirt season after spraining his left ankle, following a right ankle sprain suffered in the opener at Virginia.

Well, forget it.

"I'm cleared to play now," said Hazelton, who was kept out of last week's Washington State game after getting a concussion a week ago in practice.

After catching three touchdown passes, with another negated by a penalty, in an eye-opening effort at Wednesday's practice, Hazelton said, "I'm in the game plan" for Saturday's showdown at Arizona (5-2, 3-1). Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian added: "We have a nice little package for him."

But stopping and starting or planting on comeback routes will cause his ankle to hurt for several plays, said Hazelton, who has caught five passes for 33 yards in three games with no touchdowns.

"It still hurts," Hazelton said of the right ankle that has developed a bone bruise near the Achilles' tendon, even if it's not obvious. "I still have to deal with it."

Hazelton, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound Staten Island native and the nation's No. 2-rated prep receiver three years ago, has been passed up by Arkansas transfer Damian Williams (23 catches, 365 yards, five TDs) and sophomore Ronald Johnson (16 for 365, five TDs), both of whom have played all six games.

"I got hurt, guys moved up," Hazelton said. "Damian and RoJo were making plays. You can't deny that."

But the coaches could deny him his redshirt, and did. His next appearance in a game would exceed the limit for a medical redshirt request.

"The coaches didn't want it," Hazelton said. "It's better for the team" if he stays ready to play.

After staying late to catch extra passes from Mark Sanchez, Hazelton talked about a late jab to the facemask of safety Taylor Mays that earned him "a teachable moment" in a close-encounter session with Pete Carroll.

"Coach Carroll didn't like it," Hazelton said of his late jab, which came after Mays responded to a downfield block with a hit of his own.

"I didn't let it get to me," Hazelton said with a smile, not sounding like a guy ready to sit out in a red shirt. "And I won't forget it."

Williams, Moala Injured

Going after a pass that was slightly behind him, Williams came down with an awkward twist, landing hard, then leaving the field for the trainer's table.

"It's fine," he said after practice. "Don't ask."

And then he acknowledged that "it's a slight AC sprain" of the right collarbone-shoulder joint. But nothing that should affect him Saturday.

Same for defensive tackle Fili Moala, who rolled his right ankle in one-on-one work and sat out the rest of the day. He indicated the ankle would not be an issue.

Not Naming Starter Yet

Ask Carroll all you want about the battle for the right offensive tackle spot between Butch Lewis, the starter the first five games, and 287-pound Nick Howell, the junior who impressed with his physical play at Washington State when Lewis was out sick. Carroll's not going to answer.

"There's no reason to call it," Carroll said.