Trojans Go on a Tear

Their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback was out of sync, his timing and mechanics lost in a flood of pregame tears.

USC had anticipated that Matt Leinart would be emotional in his final game at the Coliseum, but not overcome as he was at the start of Saturday’s game against rival UCLA.

No problem for the top-ranked Trojans.

They did what any college football team would love to do.

They turned to this year’s probable Heisman winner.

In what might have been his last game at the Coliseum, junior tailback Reggie Bush rushed for 260 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans ran over, around and through 11th-ranked UCLA in the 75th edition of the cross-town rivalry, winning, 66-19, before a sellout crowd of 92,000.

On a spectacularly clear and breezy day, USC blew out the Bruins for the fourth time in five years and completed its second straight perfect regular season.

USC’s seventh consecutive win over UCLA extended its winning streak to 34 games, clinched the Pacific 10 title outright and earned the Trojans a trip to the Jan. 4 Rose Bowl, this season’s bowl championship series title game, where they will play No. 2-ranked Texas and attempt to complete their quest for a third straight national championship.

“We’ve done everything we can do to this point,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “We’ve done it with a little bit of flair and a little bit of drama along the way.

“This game was an exclamation point for this 12-game run.”

With Bush leading the way, USC amassed 430 of its 679 total yards on the ground against a Bruin defense that ranked nearly last nationally against the run.

“It’s a difficult game to swallow, but you have to swallow it and move on,” said UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell, whose team is probably headed to the Sun Bowl.

Bush, who averaged 10.8 yards a carry, scored his first touchdown on a spectacular 13-yard run that ended with a flip over cornerback Marcus Cassel. He also scored on a 10-yard run to give USC a 31-6 halftime lead.

“From the beginning of the game we thought, ‘OK, we can do whatever we want to against these guys,’ ” said Bush, who accumulated 513 all-purpose yards two weeks ago against Fresno State and is regarded by many as the possible No. 1 pick in the draft if he decides to turn pro.

Junior tailback LenDale White had nursed a bruised left shoulder throughout the week but he added 154 yards rushing, averaging 11.0 a carry, and scored three touchdowns as USC won its 27th consecutive home game.

“When [Bush] is spinning and juking and all that and I come in and try to beat up on you, that definitely takes a lot of energy off the defense,” said White, who also is draft-eligible.

Leinart’s emotional state after the seniors were introduced before the kickoff caused the Trojans to run the ball seven consecutive times to start the game. He overthrew receivers multiple times and completed only eight of 20 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown in the first half.

“I probably let my emotions get to me a little bit, but I’m happy with the way I played, especially the second half,” said Leinart, who finished 21 for 40 for 233 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. “The team did well. That’s all that matters.”

UCLA had hoped to top last year’s effort against the Trojans, when the Bruins played tough into the final minute before losing, 29-24.

Just like last season, the Bruins had three weeks to prepare, this time for a Trojan team that had given up 42 points in its last game against Fresno State.

But USC’s much-maligned defense shut down the Bruins, who were averaging 40 points a game. They managed only two first-half field goals by Justin Medlock before scoring two touchdowns against Trojan reserves in the final 3:33. UCLA converted only two of 15 third downs.

“We heard a lot of criticism after giving up 42 points,” linebacker Brian Cushing said. “We wanted to turn that around. It sparked us to play better. I think Coach Carroll took it personally.”

USC forced five fumbles, recovering three -- one that cornerback Justin Wyatt returned for a touchdown -- and defensive end Lawrence Jackson recorded three of the Trojans’ five sacks against Bruin quarterback Drew Olson. The Trojans limited UCLA to 275 yards -- 169 below the Bruins’ average -- and kept the ball out of Maurice Drew’s hands by pooch-kicking on kickoffs and never punting.

“I’m disappointed and embarrassed,” said Olson, who completed 14 of 32 passes for a season-low 146 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. “We came in to put up a good fight and the opposite happened.”

With Leinart struggling, UCLA limited the Trojans to a field goal on the game’s first possession. But Leinart put the Trojans ahead by 10 points with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Dwayne Jarrett with 3 minutes 3 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Trojans increased their lead to 17-0 on White’s 19-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter and turned a fumbled kickoff by Kahlil Bell into Bush’s first touchdown. Bush’s second touchdown gave him 228 yards rushing in the first half.

UCLA had overcome double-digit deficits four times this season, but USC gave the Bruins no chance in the second half.

Leinart’s 15-yard scoring pass to tight end Fred Davis with 6:31 left in the third quarter put the Trojans up, 38-6. On the first play of the ensuing possession, linebacker Rey Maualuga forced Drew to fumble, and Wyatt snatched the ball out of the air and ran 38 yards for a score.

USC added a 24-yard touchdown pass from Leinart to White in the last minute of the third quarter and actually caused the scoreboard to malfunction when White scored on an eight-yard run early in the fourth.

Carroll was ecstatic as he ran off the field.

“It couldn’t have been sweeter,” he said. “There’s no question about what’s going on. This is what we’re all about.”

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*--* FIRST-QUARTER REPORT

*--*

*--* RUSHING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Reggie Bush...10 carries, 107 yards

UCLA

Maurice Drew...2 carries, 18 yards

*--* PASSING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Matt Leinart...4 for 11, 34 yards

UCLA

Drew Olson...4 for 6, 41 yards

*--* RECEIVING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Dominique Byrd...1 catch, 14 yards

UCLA

Marcedes Lewis...2 catches, 23 yards

* Big plays: USC quarterback Matt Leinart connected with Dwayne Jarrett on an eight-yard touchdown pass to put the Trojans ahead, 10-0, late in the quarter. Then, after UCLA quarterback Drew Olson guided the Bruins into USC territory, the Trojan defense responded with consecutive sacks to put UCLA out of field-goal range.

* Key statistic: Reggie Bush needed only 15 minutes for his eighth 100-yard game of the season.

* Also: Given a chance to pin USC deep in its own territory while punting from the Trojan 35-yard line, Bruin freshman Aaron Perez sent the ball deep into the end zone for a touchback. But Perez redeemed himself when Rodney Van downed his next punt at the three.

* Analysis: The Trojans challenged one of the nation’s worst run defenses early, running the ball on their first seven plays. USC stalled, however, after Leinart overthrew several receivers and the Trojans had to settle for a 35-yard field goal. Leinart looked more comfortable on USC’s second drive, completing four of five passes.

*--* SECOND-QUARTER REPORT

*--*

*--* RUSHING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Bush...8 carries, 121 yards

UCLA

Drew...6 carries, 31 yards

*--* PASSING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Leinart...4 for 9, 34 yards

UCLA

Olson...4 for 9, 53 yards

*--* RECEIVING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Dwayne Jarrett...2 catches, 20 yards

UCLA

Marcus Everett...2 catches, 26 yards

* Big play: USC’s Rey Maualuga knocked the ball out of Kahlil Bell’s hands on a short kickoff and Josh Pinkard recovered for the Trojans at the UCLA 41. USC scored seven plays later when Bush somersaulted into the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown and a 24-0 lead.

* Key statistic: UCLA running back Maurice Drew gained 31 yards in six carries and was not much of a factor on kickoff returns either as the Trojans continually used pooch kicks.

* Also: It became apparent the Trojans were beginning to toy with the Bruins when Jarrett completed a reverse pass to Leinart for an 11-yard gain. It was only the second catch of Leinart’s career, the other coming for a touchdown against Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl.

* Analysis: The Trojans recognized a winning formula in handing the ball to Bush and LenDale White, who combined for 314 yards by halftime. Bush had 228 yards in 18 carries to register his second consecutive 200-yard game and White had 86 yards in eight carries.

*--* THIRD-QUARTER REPORT

*--*

*--* RUSHING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Bush...4 carries, 29 yards

UCLA

Drew...2 carries, 7 yards

*--* PASSING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Leinart...12 for 18, 146 yards

UCLA

Olson...3 for 10, 24 yards

*--* RECEIVING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Jarrett...3 catches, 55 yards

UCLA

Chris Markey...1 catch, 15 yards

* Big play: Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse for the Bruins, USC cornerback Justin Wyatt returned Drew’s fumble 38 yards for a touchdown to put the Trojans ahead, 45-6.

* Key statistic: USC converted on two of three fourth-down situations. Leinart scrambled for 12 yards on a fourth-and-10 play, setting up his 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Fred Davis. Then came Leinart’s most breathtaking conversion: an 11-yard desperation flip to White on fourth and eight.

* Also: Trojan defensive end Lawrence Jackson stripped the ball out of quarterback Drew Olson’s hands and linebacker Brian Cushing recovered to deny UCLA any chance of building momentum early in the second half.

* Analysis: Where was the supposedly potent Bruin offense that was averaging 40 points a game? The Trojan defense had something to do with UCLA’s disappearing act, of course, forcing two fumbles in the quarter and sacking Olson once.

*--* FOURTH-QUARTER REPORT

*--*

*--* RUSHING LEADERS

*--*

USC

LenDale White...4 carries, 56 yards

UCLA

Drew...4 carries, 28 yards

*--* PASSING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Leinart...1 for 2, 19 yards

UCLA

Olson...3 for 7, 28 yards

*--* RECEIVING LEADERS

*--*

USC

Byrd...1 catch, 19 yards

UCLA

Matt Willis...1 catch, 13 yards

* Big play: USC Coach Pete Carroll took Leinart out early in the quarter so the Heisman Trophy winner could savor his final moments at the Coliseum. John David Booty and Michael McDonald finished the game at quarterback.

* Key statistic: John Walker recovered an onside kick and returned it 40 yards to set up USC’s final score, a two-yard touchdown run by senior fullback David Kirtman that seemed like salt in the Bruins’ already gaping wounds.

* Also: There were already large pockets of empty seats in the UCLA cheering section when Drew scored the Bruins’ first touchdown, so the only noise came from a mock cheer generated by Trojan fans.

* Analysis: Trojan fans were given a glimpse into the future when Booty entered with 12:21 remaining. The redshirt sophomore was not exactly stellar, fumbling the ball and throwing a pass that was intercepted by Rodney Van. Booty completed one of three passes for five yards.

BEN BOLCH

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Keys to the game

USC

Gary Klein’s keys to the game, and how the Trojans measured up:

1. Protect Leinart. USC’s quarterback was overcome by emotion but not by the Bruin defense. He was sacked only once, passed for three touchdowns and also caught a pass.

2. Rattle Olson. UCLA’s quarterback neither fumbled nor had a pass intercepted, but he was sacked five times.

3. Special teams. The Trojans were never forced to punt, allowing them to neutralize Maurice Drew’s impact on the game. USC also pooch-kicked on kickoffs, limiting Drew to 16 yards in two returns.

UCLA

Lonnie White’s keys to the game, and how the Bruins measured up:

1. Avoid turnovers. Maybe next year. Drew Olson did not have an interception, but the Bruins fumbled five times, losing three of them that led to 14 points.

2. Make big plays. Maybe next year. The Bruins’ biggest gain was a 25-yard pass completion to Andrew Baumgartner. They did not recover a fumble or intercept a pass.

3. Slow down Reggie Bush. Maybe next year, but only if Bush returns for his senior season. He had 260 yards rushing and two touchdowns in 24 carries Saturday.

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The streak

USC’s last loss was at California, 34-31, on Sept. 27, 2003. The Trojans’ winning streak stands at 34 games:

*--* 2003 No. Date Opponent Score 1. Oct. 4 at Arizona St. 37-17 2. Oct. 11 Stanford 44-21 3. Oct. 18 at Notre Dame 45-14 4. Oct. 25 at Washington 43-23 5. Nov. 1 Washington St. 43-16 6. Nov. 15 at Arizona 45-0 7. Nov. 22 UCLA 47-22 8. Dec. 6 Oregon St. 52-28 9. Jan. 1 vs Michigan 28-14 2004 10. Aug. 28 at Virginia Tech 24-13 11. Sept. 11 Colorado St. 49-0 12. Sept. 18 at Brigham Young 42-10 13. Sept. 25 at Stanford 31-28 14. Oct. 9 California 23-17 15. Oct. 16 Arizona St. 45-7 16. Oct. 23 Washington 38-0 17. Oct. 30 at Washington St. 42-12 18. Nov. 6 at Oregon St. 28-20 19. Nov. 13 Arizona 49-9 20. Nov. 27 Notre Dame 41-10 21. Dec. 4 at UCLA 29-24 22. Jan. 4 vs Oklahoma 55-19 2005 23. Sept. 3 at Hawaii 63-17 24. Sept. 17 Arkansas 70-17 25. Sept. 24 at Oregon 45-13 26. Oct. 1 at Arizona St. 38-28 27. Oct. 8 Arizona 42-21 28. Oct. 15 at Notre Dame 34-31 29. Oct. 22 at Washington 51-24 30. Oct. 29 Washington St. 55-13 31. Nov. 5 Stanford 51-21 32. Nov. 12 California 35-10 33. Nov. 19 Fresno St. 50-42 34. Dec. 3 UCLA 66-19

*--*

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The Series

Saturday’s game marked the 75th game between USC and UCLA. All games were played at the Coliseum, except UCLA home games after 1981, which were played at the Rose Bowl. (*-denotes played at Rose Bowl):

*--* USC LEADS 41-27-7 Year Result Att. 1929 USC 76, UCLA 0 50,000 1930 USC 52 UCLA 0 40,000 1936 USC 7, UCLA 7 90,000 1937 USC 19, UCLA 75,000 1938 USC 42, UCLA 7 65,000 1939 USC 0, UCLA 0 103,303 1940 USC 28, UCLA 12 70,000 1941 USC 7, UCLA 7 65,000 1942 UCLA 14, USC 7 90,000 1943 USC 20, UCLA 0 50,000 1943 USC 26, UCLA 13 35,000 1944 USC 13, UCLA 13 60,000 1944 USC 40, UCLA 13 77,903 1945 USC 13, UCLA 6 81,000 1945 USC 26, UCLA 15 103,000 1946 UCLA 13, USC 6 93,714 1947 USC 6, UCLA 0 102,050 1948 USC 20, UCLA 13 76,577 1949 USC 21, UCLA 7 75,026 1950 UCLA 39, USC 0 51,906 1951 UCLA 21, USC 7 71,738 1952 USC 14, UCLA 12 96,869 1953 UCLA 13, USC 0 85,366 1954 UCLA 34, USC 0 102,548 1955 UCLA 17, USC 7 95,878 1956 USC 10, UCLA 7 63,709 1957 UCLA 20, USC 9 64,818 1958 USC 15, UCLA 15 58,507 1959 UCLA 10, USC 3 85,917 1960 USC 17, UCLA 6 66,865 1961 UCLA 10, USC 7 57,580 1962 USC 14, UCLA 3 86,740 1963 USC 26, UCLA 6 82,460 1964 USC 34, UCLA 13 62,108 1965 UCLA 20, USC 16 94,085 1966 UCLA 14, USC 7 81,980 1967 USC 21, UCLA 20 90,772 1968 USC 28, UCLA 16 75,066 1969 USC 14, UCLA 12 90,814 1970 UCLA 45, USC 20 78,773 1971 USC 7, UCLA 7 68,426 1972 USC 24, UCLA 7 82,929 1973 USC 23, UCLA 13 88,037 1974 USC 34, UCLA 9 82,467 1975 UCLA 25, USC 22 80,927 1976 USC 24, UCLA 14 90,519 1977 USC 29, UCLA 27 86,168 1978 USC 17, UCLA 10 90,387 1979 USC 49, UCLA 14 88,214 1980 UCLA 20, USC 17 83,491 1981 USC 22, UCLA 21 89,432 1982 UCLA 20, USC 19 95,763* 1983 UCLA 27, USC 17 83,763 1984 UCLA 29, USC 10 90,096* 1985 USC 17, UCLA 13 90,064 1986 UCLA 45, USC 25 98,370* 1987 USC 17, UCLA 13 92,516 1988 USC 31, UCLA 22 100,741* 1989 USC 10, UCLA 10 86,672 1990 USC 45, UCLA 42 98,088* 1991 UCLA 24, USC 21 84,623 1992 UCLA 38, USC 37 80,568* 1993 UCLA 27, USC 21 93,458 1994 UCLA 31, USC 19 91,815* 1995 UCLA 24, USC 20 91,363 1996 UCLA 48, USC 41 (2OT) 80,644* 1997 UCLA 31, USC 24 91,350 1998 UCLA 34, USC 17 88,080* 1999 USC 17, UCLA 7 91,384 2000 USC 38, UCLA 35 80,227* 2001 USC 27, UCLA 0 88,588 2002 USC 52, UCLA 21 91,084* 2003 USC 47, UCLA 22 93,172 2004 USC 29, UCLA 24 88,442* 2005 USC 66, UCLA 19 92,000

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