Thomas puts Trojans on the defensive again

Terrell Thomas didn’t make the speech in anger. He didn’t scream or shout or throw things. Thomas spoke thoughtfully. He is a fourth-year junior cornerback for USC, a veteran on a defense that has only one senior starter.

As this past week of practice unfolded, as the Trojans tried to get their heads around their upset loss at Oregon State, Thomas took it upon himself to use his voice and not just his athletic ability. Even defensive coordinator Nick Holt was surprised Friday night when Thomas stood up at the team’s defensive meeting and asked to speak. “Totally unexpected,” Holt said. “But really, really great.”

It wasn’t a Knute Rockne kind of speech, freshman safety Taylor Mays said.

“But Terrell challenged us as a team and as a defensive unit,” Mays said. “Terrell said we needed to become better, cause some turnovers. He just stood up and was a leader and that meant something. We hear the stuff from the coaches, but when it comes from a teammate, that’s something else.”

Inspired by Thomas’ words, the defense went on a rampage. After forcing only one turnover in the last three games, the Trojans had two interceptions, a recovered fumble and a blocked field goal try Saturday in their 42-0 win over Stanford. And in the perfect way to back up his words, Thomas had the first interception and returned the field goal Sedrick Ellis blocked for a 71-yard touchdown.

“When you have one of your upperclassmen take it upon himself to speak in front of his peers,” Holt said, “that’s better than a week’s worth of me talking. Plus, he went out and played great. So he set an example both ways.”

Ellis said the Trojans defenders couldn’t help but hear criticism that the unit was soft and careless and not capable of creating game-changing turnovers. “So we wanted to make a little statement,” Ellis said, “and what Terrell said just cemented things in our minds.”

Dallas Sartz, the only senior defensive starter, thought he had an interception too. After the Cardinal had recovered a surprise onside kick to start the third quarter, Sartz seemed to have an interception that he returned about 60 yards for a touchdown. But behind him was a yellow penalty flag. The call? Holding against Sartz. “I didn’t believe it when I heard the call.” The senior was laughing, though. He could.

Thomas would take no credit for inspiration, accept no bonus points for creativity. “We had to focus on the ball,” Thomas said. “It was all about paying attention to the ball this week. That’s all. I just reminded my teammates and it paid off for us.”

When Thomas picked off a T.J. Ostrander pass early in the second quarter, it was the first USC interception since the Washington State game Sept. 30. “It’s not that we hadn’t made plays since then,” Thomas said, “but it really does make a difference when you get those turnovers.”

Because this shutout win -- USC’s first since a 38-0 blanking of Washington two years ago -- came against winless Stanford, and because the Cardinal came into the game ranked last in scoring offense and last in total offense in the Pacific 10 Conference, the Trojans didn’t want to get giddy.

“I think we were better,” Thomas said. “I don’t think it was our best effort. Yet.”

diane.pucin@latimes.com