Bush Runs Over Bruins’ Defense

Once USC decided to feature Reggie Bush and the Trojans’ ground attack Saturday, UCLA never really had a chance.

“We’ve had problems against the run all year, but we were just hoping that we could have one of those days where everything was clicking for us,” senior strong safety Jarrad Page said after USC rushed for a season-high 430 yards in a 66-19 victory over the Bruins at the Coliseum.

“There were times when we did have some holes filled but Reggie Bush just made some plays. He was able to get to the corner a couple of times even when it looked like he couldn’t.”

Bush finished with 260 yards and two touchdowns, but he wasn’t the only Trojan to have his way against UCLA, which secured a likely berth in the Dec. 30 Sun Bowl with Saturday’s loss.

LenDale White gained 154 yards and also scored twice rushing and once on a pass from Leinart as the Trojans showed why the Bruins have the worst defense against the run in the Pacific 10 Conference.

“We planned on them coming out trying to run because, why wouldn’t they?” UCLA linebacker Wesley Walker said. “That’s football if you want to win. Run the ball on offense and stop the run on defense. And most of the season, we have not been able to stop the run.”

The first time USC had possession, the Trojans ran seven times before attempting a pass. The next time they had the ball, Bush ran three times for 46 to help set up Matt Leinart’s eight-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Jarrett that gave USC a 10-0 first quarter lead.

By the time UCLA ran its 13th offensive play from scrimmage early in the second quarter, the Trojans already led 24-0 and had completed 39 plays of their own, which included touchdown runs by Bush and White.

“Both of their backs played well,” UCLA senior linebacker Spencer Havner said. “They had their way with our running defense.”

USC finished the game with 95 offensive plays -- 30 more than UCLA -- and averaged 7.1 yards each snap, finishing with 679 yards in total offense. The Bruins’ two leading tacklers were defensive backs, Marcus Cassel and Page, who combined for a whopping 25 tackles.

“We had to play catch-up with the offense,” UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said. “And, that’s a difficult task.”

USC’s run-dominated offense, which did not punt all game, not only beat up the Bruins’ defensive front but also kept their high-scoring offense on the sideline.

“With this offense, which relies heavily on rhythm, we need to be on the field,” UCLA senior quarterback Drew Olson said. “It was clear early that their goal was to keep us off the field. I don’t know how many plays they ran in the first half, but any time a team runs as much and as well as they did, you’re going to have problems,” especially against the Trojans’ defensive front that was nearly as successful as its offensive counterpart.

UCLA, which entered with the Pac-10’s fourth-best rushing offense, gained only 41 yards in the first half, and USC held a six-minute advantage in time of possession in taking a 31-6 lead into intermission.

It wasn’t exactly how the Bruins had planned in preparing for the Trojans over the last three weeks.

“I was really surprised,” Olson said of USC’s control over the line of scrimmage on offense. “I thought that would be a strength for us.”

Olson, who completed 14 of 32 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown, added, “We knew that they were good but we felt like we could do some things.”

With defensive ends Lawrence Jackson and Frostee Rucker creating havoc against UCLA’s offensive line, which played without injured center Mike McCloskey and tackle Brian Abraham, Olson struggled to get in sync with his receivers throughout the game.

“I felt like I was open all day, but Drew had guys in his face and he couldn’t really see downfield,” said wideout Marcus Everett, who finished with three catches for 28 yards.

UCLA will now have a couple of weeks to regroup before playing in its third bowl game in three seasons under Dorrell.

Although the Bruins’ pride was hurt by Saturday’s lopsided loss, “we still have a chance to finish 10-2 and that’s not bad,” Page said.

“It doesn’t feel good at all to get outplayed like we did,” hesaid. “But we’re 9-2 and still have a chance to finish 10-2. That’s the only thing we can take out of this.”