Something’s in Air for USC

USC spent two weeks preparing for an opponent that presented the only obstacle to a fast start in November and possible bowl game in January.

The 10th-ranked Trojans, rested and ready after a bye, were not worried about struggling Stanford. They knew they could handle the Cardinal. The potential problem was complacency.

USC showed no signs of it Saturday at Stanford Stadium in a 49-17 victory before 44,950 that extended the Trojans’ winning streak to four games and kept alive their Rose Bowl hopes.

“We did exactly what we were supposed to do today,” middle linebacker Mike Pollard said. “We didn’t let anything stand in the way. It was business as usual.”

USC, which improved to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference, will probably climb in the polls today because several higher-ranked teams lost. The Trojans play Arizona State next week and they conclude the regular season against UCLA and Notre Dame.

“There are four steps in November and this is the first one,” USC Coach Pete Carroll said. “We needed to get this one to get going. Our guys were very tuned in to what’s at stake.”

The Trojans, who had not defeated the Cardinal since 1998, showed signs of rust in the opening minutes but put together what is fast becoming a characteristic scoring tear that turned the game into a rout.

Two weeks after erasing a five-point halftime deficit against Oregon by scoring 30 unanswered points, USC ripped off 28 in a row against the Cardinal. The outburst turned a 14-10 second-quarter lead into a 42-10 margin one play into the fourth quarter.

USC scored more than 40 points for the third consecutive game, tying a feat achieved by the 1972 national championship team, which scored more than 50 points in victories over Oregon State, Illinois and Michigan State.

Quarterback Carson Palmer continued to look like a Heisman Trophy candidate by completing 22 of 32 passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.

Palmer has thrown 13 touchdown passes with only two interceptions in the last three games. His second touchdown pass Saturday moved him past Rob Johnson into first place on the school’s all-time list. His fourth extended the record to 61.

“Everybody felt a little rusty, but once we got it going I think everybody felt comfortable,” Palmer said. “We should have scored every time we had the ball.”

The victory was in marked contrast to the last time USC played at Stanford Stadium. In 2000, Cardinal quarterback Chris Lewis came off the bench and completed a 20-yard touchdown pass on the final play of a 32-30 victory that devastated USC.

The Trojans expected to see Lewis again, but the redshirt junior from Long Beach did not play for the third consecutive game because of a shoulder bruise.

Kyle Matter, a redshirt freshman from Newhall, started again in Lewis’ place and had his best performance of the season. Matter completed his first 15 passes and finished 23 of 35, but he totaled only 165 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Running back Kerry Carter, who scored four touchdowns against the Trojans two years ago, gained 37 yards in seven carries during a Cardinal scoring drive that tied the score, 7-7, in the first quarter. But the Trojans limited Carter to 37 yards the rest of the way.

Safety Troy Polamalu led USC with 13 tackles, and linebacker Matt Grootegoed had three of the Trojans’ season-high seven sacks.

“Our fears were that the speed of the game, after two weeks, can get you,” Carroll said. “It nailed us in the first quarter. We couldn’t tackle anyone. Once we got going and adjusted, we were fine.”

Stanford (2-7, 1-5) helped the Trojans score their first two touchdowns.

After Stanford went three and out on the first possession, USC did the same the first time it got the ball. But Tom Malone’s punt landed deep in Cardinal territory and the ball hit Stanford’s T.J. Rushing before Justin Wyatt recovered for USC.

The Trojans wasted no time taking advantage of the break.

Flanker Keary Colbert beat sophomore cornerback Stanley Wilson and Palmer lofted him a 17-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.

The Cardinal tied the score with 4:50 left in the first quarter on a six-yard touchdown pass from Matter to Ryan Wells that culminated a 74-yard, 13-play drive.

But Stanford aided the Trojans on the next possession when it was penalized for pass interference and for having 12 men on the field on consecutive plays.

Once again, Palmer went for the big play, connecting with tight end Alex Holmes on a 26-yard gain. Two plays later, Mike Williams scored on an eight-yard touchdown pass that gave Palmer the record.

After a Stanford field goal, Justin Fargas followed his 19-yard gain by bulling his way into the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead with 5:50 left in the first half.

Palmer connected with Colbert on a 13-yard touchdown pass play on the first possession of the third quarter to extend the lead to 28-10. Two plays after Trojan defensive lineman Kenechi Udeze intercepted a pass with 8:31 left in the quarter, Palmer and Holmes connected on a 22-yard scoring play for a 35-10 lead. The Trojans completed the onslaught on the first play of the fourth quarter when Malaefou MacKenzie scored on a four-yard run.

The Trojans now can look ahead to next week’s game against Arizona State, which lost to California, 55-38. Off in the distance await UCLA, Notre Dame and a potential berth in the Rose Bowl or another bowl championship series game.

“The opportunity is there -- it’s on the table,” Palmer said. “We don’t have to worry about who’s winning, who’s losing and what our BCS ranking is.

“We just have to go out and keep winning. If we do that, we’ll be in a good position.”

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Rose Colored Glasses

Washington State remains leader of the Pac-10 and needs one more victory to play Jan. 1 in Pasadena:

*--* Conference Overall Washington St 6-0 9-1 USC 5-1 7-2 UCLA 4-2 7-3 Arizona St 4-2 7-4 Oregon 3-3 7-3 California 3-3 6-4 Oregon St 2-4 6-4 Washington 2-4 5-5 Stanford 1-5 2-7 Arizona 0-6 3-7

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In the Zone

Carson Palmer became USC’s career leader in touchdown passes with an eight-yard score to Mike Williams in the first quarter of a 49-17 victory over Stanford on Saturday. The school’s all-time leaders:

*--* NAME YEARS TDs ATT CMP YARDS 1 Carson Palmer 1998-02 61 1,426 835 10,612 2 Rob Johnson 1991-94 58 1,046 676 8,472 3 Rodney Peete 1985-88 54 1,081 630 8,225 4 Brad Otton 1994-96 40 718 410 5,359 5 Paul McDonald 1977-79 37 501 299 4,138

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KEYS TO THE GAME

Gary Klein’s keys to the game, and how the Trojans measured up:

1. Avoid complacency. The Trojans came out and stuffed Stanford on the first possession of the game and went on to take a 21-10 halftime lead. The Trojans scored on their first two possessions of the second half en route to the easy victory.

2. Maintain the running game. Trojans entered the game averaging 116.9 yards a game and finished with 87. Justin Fargas, who gained a career-best 139 yards two weeks ago against Oregon, rushed for 43 yards in nine carries and scored a touchdown. Malaefou MacKenzie gained 41 yards in three carries and scored a touchdown.

3. Special teams. The Trojans avoided the blocked field-goal and extra-point attempts that plagued them throughout their first eight games. Tom Malone averaged 41.8 yards for five punts and Ryan Killeen made all seven of his extra-point attempts.