USC's Fili Moala won't block this out of his memory

Moala tied an NCAA record with his two blocks in the same quarter.

"We knew they were weak up front and we just took it to our advantage," Moala said.

Moala blocked Thomas Weber's attempt from 29 yards with about 10 minutes left in the third quarter and then blocked a 48-yard attempt about two minutes later.

Both kicks were on a low trajectory.

"One hit me in my elbow, one hit me dead in my hand," said Moala, who did not jump on either play. "I just put my hand up. I was lucky enough to be 6 foot 5 with long arms."

Big play day

Cornerback Kevin Thomas' 46-yard interception return for a touchdown marked a high point for a player who has struggled through numerous injuries in his career.

Thomas picked off a pass by Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter and raced untouched to the end zone to give the Trojans a 21-0 lead in the second quarter.

"My receiver tried to run a comeback on me and the quarterback was looking at him the whole time," said Thomas, who also had a sack. "He let the ball go, I made a break on the ball and caught it and that was that."

One tough Carpenter

Carpenter started and played for most of the game despite a sprained ankle. The former Westlake High star completed 11 of 20 passes for 126 yards and elicited praise from USC Coach Pete Carroll.

"The more he gets hit, the more he likes it," Carroll said. "That's the kind of guy he is."

Arizona State Coach Dennis Erickson finally pulled Carpenter in the third quarter. "He started limping and I was not going to leave him in like that," Erickson said.

Not worth the wait

The Trojans had been practicing a fake field goal since training camp and, as Carroll said, "We've been waiting to do it for a while."

With a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, deep in Arizona State territory, Carroll figured a trick play was worth the risk. Reserve quarterback Garrett Green took the snap and ran left with kicker David Buehler trailing as an option.

But the defense came up to cover the pitch and cornerback Terell Carr tackled Green short of a first down.

"If I had it back, I'd have some more moves in me," Green said. "I'm bummed."