FIRST QUARTER

USC 14, UCLA 0

THE SCORING: * USC, Keary Colbert, four-yard pass from Carson Palmer at 11:46. 80-yard drive, eight plays. PAT--David Davis (kick). * USC, Antuan Simmons, 36-yard interception return at O:00. PAT--Davis (kick).

TURNING POINT: USC faced a third-and-13 at its own 17 on the first possession when Palmer passed to Kori Dickerson, who broke two tackles as he went around the left side. It was then clear sailing down the sideline, and it appeared he would score. But Dickerson ran out of gas and was tackled at the 18 by Ricky Manning. The play covered 66 yards, and five plays later the Trojans scored. It was only the third time this season that USC scored first.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Everything went wrong for UCLA on its first possession after the Bruins had reached the USC 40. A six-yard scramble by Cory Paus was nullified by a rare offensive facemask penalty. Then Paus was sacked twice, first by Shaun Cody and then Lonnie Ford, and faced a fourth and 37. Things looked even worse for the Bruins after a 42-yard punt return by Kevin Arbet. But the punt return was nullified by a blocking-in-the-back penalty. The Trojans were still able to maintain the momentum throughout the first quarter and topped it off with Simmons’ touchdown. Simmons, who started high-stepping around the 20 and struck a pose as he went across the goal line, was penalized for excessive celebrating, requiring Davis to kick the extra point from the 18.

STAT WATCH: UCLA, without DeShaun Foster, had only 14 yards rushing in the first quarter. But USC had only six. The story was Palmer, who was seven for 11 for 101 yards.

SECOND QUARTER

USC 17, UCLA 0

THE SCORING: * USC, Davis, 20-yard field goal at 9:38. 20-yard drive, eight plays.

TURNING POINT: A blocked punt by Troy Polamalu, his third this season, gave the Trojans a first down at the Bruin 23. On third-and-13 from the 26, Palmer completed a short pass to Sunny Byrd, who bulled down to the 12 for a fourth and one, and a quarterback sneak picked up the first down. Two plays later, on third down, Palmer again passed to Byrd, who was stopped at the one by Kevin Brant, playing in place of the injured Matt Ware, and USC had to settle for a field goal.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Too bad this game wasn’t on ABC, with Keith Jackson and Tim Brant calling the action. Kevin is Tim’s son, and Kevin had another big play for the Bruins later in the second quarter. USC had a great opportunity after Cody recovered a fumble by UCLA’s Manuel White at the Bruin 16. But on third and two from the eight, Brant intercepted a pass at the goal line.

STAT WATCH: UCLA had minus-eight yards in rushing. That was mainly because Paus was sacked four times for minus-29 yards. White had 21 yards in eight carries.

THIRD QUARTER

USC 24, UCLA 0

THE SCORING: * USC, Chris Howard, 34-yard run at 0:52. 83-yard drive, eight plays. PAT--Davis (kick)

TURNING POINT: Neither team could mount significant threat for much of the quarter. But a hit Trojan cornerback Kris Richard put on UCLA’s Matthew Clark in the open field to hold him to a one-yard gain seemed to fire up the Trojans. UCLA punted three plays later, and then USC put together an impressive 83-yard drive, capped by Howard’s 34-yard run. It was the third touchdown Howard, a redshirt freshman, has scored in the past two weeks.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: Things went from bad to worse for UCLA after Howard’s touchdown. On first down after the kickoff, a Paus pass went right into the hands of USC safety Jason Leach, who couldn’t hang on for the interception. On the next play, Polamalu had no trouble hanging on for his third interception of the season and fifth of his career. Polamalu had a 36-yard return to the UCLA 34 and Paus was done for the evening.

STAT WATCH: Paus finished seven for 15 for 49 yards with two interceptions.

FOURTH QUARTER

USC 27, UCLA 0

THE SCORING: * USC, Davis, 20-yard field goal at 12:36. 31-yard drive, seven plays. PAT--Davis (kick)

TURNING POINT: On third and 10 from UCLA 34, Palmer passed to backup tight end Alex Holmes, who ran over a couple of defenders for a 28-yard gain to the six. The drive stalled there and Davis, who had two field goals and scored on a fake the previous Saturday against California, kicked his second 20-yard field goal of the game.

NOT IN THE SUMMARY: With Scott McEwan playing quarterback, the Bruins put together a solid drive after the field goal. They went from their 34 to the USC 22, with a 23-yard gain on a pass to Ryan Smith the key play. But on a day the Bruins were shut out by the Trojans for the first time since 1947, nothing was going right for UCLA. On first down, USC’s Arbet intercepted a McEwan pass.

STAT WATCH: Did the Bruins miss Foster? White was their leading rusher with 23 yards in nine carries. Howard led USC with 47 yards in eight carries and Byrd had 40 in 20 carries.