Knight and Pearsall Team for Big Hit

The hardest hit of the game came in the fourth quarter when USC linebacker Sammy Knight and safety Grant Pearsall teamed up and tackled Arizona backup quarterback Brady Batten.

Batten had scrambled 11 yards for a first down but fumbled after being sandwiched at the Arizona 48-yard line. The fumble was recovered by USC’s Matt Keneley.

“I didn’t think that he saw me,” said Knight, who finished with a team-high 10 tackles. “I saw Grant coming up and I was coming from the side. [Batten]’s head snapped back and he was a little wobbly there for a second.”

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When Arizona’s Richard Dice caught a two-yard slant pass for a touchdown in the third quarter, it was the first time this season that USC cornerback Daylon McCutcheon had given up a score.

“I wasn’t surprised [on the play] because you always want people to throw at you,” said McCutcheon, who also was beaten by Dice on a 34-yard completion and was called for pass interference on the two plays before the touchdown. “It’s just something I have to work on.”

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USC punter Jim Wren had another strong game, averaging 39.6 yards for seven kicks. He also took three hard hits from Arizona’s special teams, including two that resulted in roughing-the-punter penalties.

“Jim Wren has just been phenomenal for us in terms of his cool in pressure situations,” USC Coach John Robinson said. “Arizona is one of the best pressure punt teams in all of football, and he did extremely well against them, especially in the fourth quarter.”

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USC tight end John Allred caught a game-high six passes for 59 yards--five of them in USC’s two scoring drives. If this keeps up, Allred could break the Trojan single-season tight end reception record of 44 set by Joe Cormier in 1985.

Allred began the game with 16 catches for 179 yards.

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Brad Otton now has 320 career completions, putting him fifth on the all-time Trojan list, behind Rob Johnson (676), Rodney Peete (630), Todd Marinovich (415) and Sean Salisbury (346).

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Arizonans were distraught over a new injury to receiver Richard Dice’s knee, incurred when he scored Arizona’s only touchdown.

He missed five games last season following knee surgery, yet still made honorable mention all-conference.

“That’s the part of this game I despise, the part I hate,” Arizona Coach Dick Tomey said afterward. “He had to rehab it last year, made a courageous contribution this year and now he’s injured again.”

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Ted Iacenda, the USC freshman running processed on a Las Vegas sexual assault case last week, was on the sideline Saturday but didn’t dress for the game.

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Any chance the Trojans will put together a package of option plays for speedy freshman quarterback Quincy Woods?

“Before the season ends? Yeah, that’s possible,” offensive coordinator Mike Riley said.