Ducks Show Pluck, but USC Remains Undefeated, 35-21

It all seemed so easy. Heavily favored USC led Oregon, 35-7, at halftime, and a rout was imminent.

It didn’t turn out quite that way Saturday night as the Ducks, capitalizing on turnovers and the pro-type passing of their quarterback, Chris Miller, scared the Trojans before losing, 35-21, before a Coliseum crowd of 51,340.

Oregon, which lost to Nebraska, 48-14, last week, didn’t wilt in the second half. Far from it. The Ducks converted two USC fumbles into touchdowns and were constantly threatening.

The Pacific 10 game marked USC tailback Aaron Emanuel’s most impressive performance in his career. The sophomore tailback gained 144 yards on 17 carries, a 8.47-yard average, and scored 2 touchdowns.

Miller, who was doubtful with a bruised nerve in his right elbow earlier in the week, was also very impressive. He played the entire game and completed a school-record 33 passes for 376 yards and 2 touchdowns.

By winning, the ninth-ranked Trojans remained unbeaten with a 4-0 record, 2-0 in the Pac-10. Oregon dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference but gained considerable respect from USC in losing.

USC has been a second-half team this season, but it certainly didn’t perform like one Saturday night.

The Trojans lost four fumbles in the third quarter, and two of the turnovers were costly.

USC Coach Ted Tollner called it a very strange game. It was all of that.

Tailback Ryan Knight’s fumble in the third quarter provided Oregon with the ball at the USC 25. Miller soon teamed with tailback Derek Loville on a 16-yard touchdown pass play.

Later in the third quarter, Emanuel fumbled at the USC 46 after gaining 10 yards on a pass from quarterback Rodney Peete.

Miller then drove the Ducks to the score that narrowed USC’s lead to the final 35-21. Loville got the touchdown on a 3-yard run.

It appeared that Oregon was going to score again early in the fourth quarter with first and goal at the USC two-yard line.

But tailback Latin Berry, trying to sweep to his left, fumbled, and the ball was recovered by USC inside linebacker Keith Davis.

After an exchange of punts, the Trojans then drove to the Oregon 16-yard line, where Peete threw an apparent touchdown pass to flanker Randy Tanner.

But USC was cited for having an ineligible receiver downfield. So on third and eight from the Oregon 21, Peete scrambled back to midfield, got out of a trap and completed a pass to wide receiver John Jackson at the Oregon 12.

Once again, the Trojans lost the ball as Jackson fumbled to the Ducks.

Miller then drove the Ducks to a the USC 10. On fourth and six, he came up short as his pass to fullback Alan Jackson gained only four yards.

USC then tried to run out the clock with only 2:16 remaining. But with 50 seconds left, Chris Sperle punted to Clifford Hicks.

In keeping with the tenor of the second half, Hicks returned the punt 54 yards to the USC 10, where he fumbled. Sperle came up with the ball.

“We didn’t win it the way we wanted to win it, but a win is a win,” Peete said. “Down the road we’ll have to tone the turnovers down because you can’t do that against teams and hope to win.”

Peete was accurate as both a dropback and a rollout passer. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 258 yards and 1 touchdown.

“This was obviously one that could have gotten away,” Tollner said. “We did well, but when you turn the ball over and the other team is competitive and has fire in them, you’re in trouble. By the same token, we felt good about the way we played and the way we moved the ball. Rodney Peete was outstanding. He made some unbelievable plays.”

USC accumulated 538 total yards, while Oregon had 449.

Oregon stayed close, though, behind Miller and USC’s five lost fumbles.

Oregon Coach Rich Brooks said his team played 50 minutes of football but added that the 10 other minutes, in the first half, by the Ducks were the worst he had seen in years.

As for Miller, Brooks said: “He played a great football game, especially considering that he didn’t take a snap in practice this week until Thursday. It was an easy decision to start him because he threw the ball with some zip in pregame warmups. It’s hard to say if that’s the best game he has played because he’s played an awful lot of good games for us.”

Miller, like Peete a mobile quarterback, attempted 48 passes, and his 33 completions tied a USC opponent’s record. The mark was originally set by Wisconsin’s Ron VanderKelen in the 1963 Rose Bowl.

Tollner has been alternating Emanuel and Knight at tailback and has said that he was waiting for one of the running backs to jump out over the other.

Emanuel might have done that. Knight, with 44 yards in 14 carries, gained 100 fewer yards than Emanuel.

“I was just hoping this would happen for me,” Emanuel said. “I’ve been working hard during the week and waiting for my opportunity. I just hope it keeps happening for me.”

The Trojans appeared to have put Oregon away late in the second quarter with the accurate passing of Peete and the tackle-shedding runs of Emanuel.

The Trojans led, 21-7, but the Ducks were driving and had a first down at the USC 40-yard line.

Miller then fumbled the snap, and it was recovered by USC’s Davis. The Trojans proceeded to score in a hurry. Peete threw a 17-yard pass to split end Erik Affholter on the sideline on first down from the USC 41. On second down, Emanuel found a hole in the middle, cut to his left, shook off an Oregon defender and ran 28 yards to the Oregon 14.

Then, fullback Leroy Holt, taking advantage of a huge opening in the middle, shot through for a touchdown. The Trojans had covered 59 yards in only 3 plays, with 2 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter.

USC soon had the ball again as freshman safety Cleveland Colter intercepted a pass by Miller and was knocked out of bounds after a one-yard return at the Oregon 46.

Kevin McLean, taking over for Peete, threw a 21-yard strike to flanker Lonnie White on first down. After McLean missed on a pass, Emanuel broke loose on a scoring run, apparently doing most of it on his own.

The 215-pound tailback ran through several Oregon defenders, even runing backward for a few steps, and then carried about four Ducks with him into the end zone on a 25-yard scoring run. Don Shafer’s fifth extra point game USC a commanding 35-7 lead at halftime.

It has been the Trojans’ style to score on big plays this season. They did it again on their first possession of the game.

Peete rolled to his left from the Oregon 44-yard line, pulled up and lofted a pass to Tanner, who was behind the Oregon secondary at the one. Tanner gathered in the pass and scored.

Oregon drew even at 7-7 after Peete tried to force a ball into coverage and it was intercepted by middle linebacker Tom Talbot at the USC 36.

A personal-foul penalty of 15 yards set Oregon back to its 49. It didn’t fluster Miller, who passed to split end Jan Cepedes for 49 yards.

The Ducks could gain only one yard in three attempts before Miller lofted a one-yard pass to tight end Tim Parker for a touchdown.

Before the quarter ended, USC drove 62 yards to a touchdown, with Peete’s 24-yard pass to split end Ken Henry the big gainer.

Knight got the touchdown, diving in from the three-yard line.

USC improved its lead to 21-7 in the second quarter on a 46-yard drive after linebacker Marcus Cotton sacked Miller for an 11-yard loss, forcing a punt.

Peete threw passes covering 21 yards to Emanuel and 16 to Jackson on the advance. Emanuel got the touchdown on a one-yard dive on fourth down.

Then, the Trojans’ rapid transit offense went into high gear before the first half ended.