Trojans Zero In on Bruins

Possession by possession, USC’s defense shut down everything Oregon State tried Saturday at Parker Stadium.

And bit by bit, as the Trojans put the finishing touches on a 23-0 victory that clinched a winning season and qualified USC for a bowl game, they heard the news from the Rose Bowl.

“Man, what did it end up? Fifty-something points?” cornerback Brian Kelly asked.

The Trojans were celebrating their first shutout in more than two seasons, but cornerback Daylon McCutcheon had to contain his disbelief when he heard the score.

UCLA 52, Washington 28?

“I was, like, kind of shocked,” he said. “I said, ‘What? Are you sure?’ ”

The Trojans’ shutout of Oregon State--their first since a 31-0 victory over Arizona State in 1995--was nothing more than a stretching exercise compared to the task the defense will face next week against UCLA at the Coliseum.

“They sent us a challenge already,” linebacker Chris Claiborne said. “I look forward to that game. We have a chance to ruin their Rose Bowl hopes. That makes it even better--the rivalry and the Rose Bowl.”

USC, 6-4 and 4-3 in the Pacific 10 Conference, has won four of its last five games since Coach John Robinson’s “I’ll-quit-if-we-don’t-get-better” speech.

UCLA is the final test.

“We’re still alive. We’re fighting for 7-4 and a bowl game now, just like a lot of people,” Robinson said. “Washington is fighting for 7-4 now too. Our football team has hung in there. Our team has gone through problems and a quarterback change, but they’ve fought hard and responded.

“We’re looking ahead to next week. The only thing we’re looking at is next week.”

Oregon State (3-7, 0-7) came out seemingly sky-high in front of a loyal crowd of 20,938 on a day that turned overcast and drizzly. But USC turned away any hopes of a repeat of the Beavers’ last victory over USC 30 years ago in 1967, when Oregon State Coach Mike Riley, the Trojans’ former offensive coordinator, was a Corvallis youngster.

This time, the Beavers, losers of five in a row, tried to run the ball, and USC just said no, holding Oregon State to 29 yards rushing. The Beavers tried to pass, and USC killed four drives with interceptions, holding Oregon State to only 152 total yards.

For all the struggles Oregon State has had over the years, shutouts are surprisingly rare. Saturday’s was the first since a 33-0 loss to Arizona in 1993.

“We could not sustain anything offensively,” Riley said. “Without a running game, it’s very difficult.

“They are one of the leading defensive teams in the country against the rush, so we knew it was going to be tough. It appeared even harder than we figured it was going to be.”

Oregon State trailed, 10-0, after the first quarter.

R. Jay Soward scored a 31-yard touchdown on a pass from John Fox and Adam Abrams kicked the first of three field goals, a 46-yarder that tied the longest of his career.

But the Beavers were on the move in the second quarter and reached the USC 19 before defensive tackle Marc Matock tipped one of quarterback Tim Alexander’s passes and then intercepted it himself, returning it 22 yards to the USC 45.

Linebacker Mark Cusano, reserve Zeke Moreno and McCutcheon also had interceptions. McCutcheon’s pickoff of a long pass just inside the sideline at the Oregon State 45 in the second quarter set up Billy Miller’s 45-yard touchdown reception on the next play.

Miller caught five passes for 80 yards, Mike Bastianelli had seven for 58 yards and Soward caught four for 69 and a touchdown.

Fox, who returned to the starting job because of Mike Van Raaphorst’s ankle injury last week, completed 18 of 28 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

The Trojans turned conservative as the game went on, managing only two field goals in the second half, but the emphasis was on the defense.

“Oregon State doesn’t have the kind of athletes that are going to generate a lot of points, and we have a good defense, but shutouts are hard [to come by],” Robinson said. “Oregon State didn’t give up, and that’s the type of team they’ve been all year.”

Fox did fine, though USC’s offense still goes through fits and starts. Tailback Chad Morton gained 41 yards in 13 carries but suffered a slight ankle sprain that shouldn’t bother him next week. Malaefou MacKenzie, returning from a shoulder injury, had 40 yards, and Delon Washington, who also suffered a mild ankle sprain, ran for picked up 20 yards in four carries before sitting out most of the game.

But this game belonged to the defense.

“We always talk about shutouts. That’s something every good defense wants,” Claiborne said. “We finally got one--and it’s good to get one going into next week.”

UCLA tore apart a Washington team that shut out USC, 27-0, earlier this season.

“Man, that’s something,” Kelly said, shaking his head. “They’re a great team. We’d be more than happy to spoil their Rose Bowl chances.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

NEXT FOR USC

WHO: UCLA

WHERE: Coliseum

TIME: Saturday, 1230 p.m.

TV: Channel 7

RADIO: KLSX-FM (97.1); AM 1150