It’s USC’s Month of Fun Days

Third-ranked USC starts today’s game against sixth-ranked Washington State with a chance to finish its season on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl or, possibly, on Jan. 4 in the Sugar Bowl.

But playing in either bowl championship series game in January will be possible only if the Trojans continue to dominate in November.

USC is 7-0 in November games under Pete Carroll, an unbeaten streak the third-year coach is hoping to extend to 10 by the end of the month.

“They remember November,” Carroll said, chuckling. “We’ve dealt with a lot of things in similar fashion to last season. I’m hoping there’s some magic to it again.”

A homecoming crowd of more than 80,000 is expected at the Coliseum for a game that could go a long way toward determining the Pacific 10 Conference champion.

Or more.

USC, 7-1 overall and 3-1 in the Pac-10, is fourth in the bowl championship series standings. Washington State (7-1, 4-0) is eighth. And both teams are hoping to improve their positioning for a run to the national title.

“This is a significant opportunity and a big-time chance for us,” Carroll said.

Last season, Washington State defeated USC, 30-27, in overtime at Pullman, Wash., a loss that knocked the Trojans out of contention for a berth in the national championship game in the Fiesta Bowl.

“That was a tough one to swallow,” defensive lineman Mike Patterson said. “We don’t want to feel like that again.”

The Trojans, who have played four of their last five games on the road, are happy to be back at the Coliseum, where they have a 12-game winning streak.

USC returns as an offensive juggernaut that leads the Pac-10 in scoring, at 39.9 points a game, rushing, at 160.5 yards a game, and total offense, 444.1.

Quarterback Matt Leinart has taken full advantage of multiple weapons -- among them tailback Reggie Bush and fullback Brandon Hancock -- to pass for 1,251 yards and 13 touchdowns with one interception in the last four games.

Last week against Washington, Leinart passed for 351 yards and, for the second game in succession, four touchdowns.

“He has a real feel for what we’re trying to do,” offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. “He’s making all the right decisions.”

Leinart has been aided by the Trojans’ resurgent running game. Sophomore Hershel Dennis and freshmen LenDale White and Bush have the Trojans on pace to finish atop the conference rushing list for the first time since 1981.

But Leinart -- and the Trojan running backs and offensive line -- face their biggest challenge of the season against an experienced Washington State defense that ranks third in the nation against the run.

Led by a front four that features tackles Jeremey Williams and Tai Tupai and ends Isaac Brown and D.D. Acholonu, the Cougars surrender only 68.1 yards rushing a game.

Washington State also leads the conference in virtually every defensive category, among them total defense, 303.8 yards a game; scoring defense, 16.9 points, and sacks, 31.

USC offensive tackle Jacob Rogers said the Trojans were familiar with imposing defensive fronts.

“Every day out on the practice field, we see one that’s pretty good too,” Rogers said. “Washington State brings something a little different to the table with smaller guys on the edge and bigger guys in the interior, but it still comes down to executing assignments.”

Washington State Coach Bill Doba, who starts nine seniors on defense, said the Cougars did not run a complicated system.

“We try to match up people, and not so much coverage,” he said. “It kind of limits the number of coverages you can use ... but it beats trying to have a linebacker try to run with a guy like Bush.”

Washington State, which has won six consecutive games since losing in overtime at Notre Dame on Sept. 6, had seven turnovers in last week’s 36-30 victory over Oregon State.

Quarterback Matt Kegel passed for 305 yards and three touchdowns but also threw five interceptions.

Kegel, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound fifth-year senior, directed Washington State to a 33-27 victory over USC in 2000, but mostly sat behind Jason Gesser for three years after redshirting as a freshman.

This season, he has passed for 2,231 yards and 16 touchdowns, with nine interceptions.

Junior flanker Devard Darling has caught a team-leading 31 passes for 575 yards and four touchdowns. The Cougars’ spread offense also features slotback Scott Lunde, split end Sammy Moore, tight end Troy Bienemann and reserve flanker Chris Jordan.

“They send a lot of guys out there,” USC cornerback Ronald Nunn said.

“We’ve improved our communication in the secondary the last few games and we’re going to have to maintain that.”