USC plays the numbers game

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USC came into Saturday’s season opener against San Jose State as a 33-point favorite, a potentially daunting number given that the Trojans were going with a freshman at quarterback and had lost starting receiver Ronald Johnson to a broken collarbone during training camp.

But anyone taking the Trojans and the points got a lift at the end of the first half.

A long pass completion and a roughing-the-quarterback penalty put San Jose State on USC’s 20-yard line with two seconds remaining.

The Spartans lined up, intending to snap and spike the ball at the sound of the whistle.

And that’s exactly what they did -- except that time ran down to 0:00. As USC jogged to the locker room, officials gathered briefly with the San Jose State players standing all around, pleading their case.

Didn’t work. The half ended.

-- David Wharton