Don’t Sugar-Coat It

USC Coach Pete Carroll climbed to the top of the stairs at Memorial Stadium before Saturday’s game against California to see whether he could glimpse where he grew up in Northern California.

“There was a little too much haze to see Marin,” Carroll said. “That was disappointing.”

Carroll’s disappointment before kickoff paled in comparison to how he and the third-ranked Trojans felt about five hours later when Tyler Fredrickson kicked a 38-yard field goal in the third overtime to give Cal a 34-31upset victory.

The defeat in the Pacific 10 Conference opener ended USC’s 11-game winning streak and put a serious roadblock in front of the Trojans’ hopes for a run to the Sugar Bowl, this season’s national-title game.

“When you get on a streak ... you get to thinking it can never happen,” Carroll said. “It can. You can get beat.

“A team plays like that, and we opened the door up, they can get you. That’s what happened today.”

After the game, thousands of Cal fans from the crowd of 51,208 stormed onto the field to celebrate the Golden Bears’ first victory over a top-five team since 1975, when Cal defeated fourth-ranked USC here.

They had much to cheer about.

Cal (3-3) outgained USC, 469 yards to 376, and senior running back Adimchinobe Echemandu ran through USC’s fourth-ranked rushing defense for 147 yards in 34 carries.

Echemandu, who was known as Joe Echema at Hawthorne High and during his first three years at Cal, missed the 2001 season because of academic problems and last season because of a knee injury.

But he ended at 16 a streak of games in which USC had not allowed an opposing runner to gain 100 yards.

“They surprised us, how well they were able to run the ball,” USC defensive lineman Kenechi Udeze said. “We thought they would be passing more.”

Last year, USC trailed Cal, 21-3, late in the first half, but stormed back for 27 unanswered points and won, 30-28.

Saturday, the Trojans (3-1) came back from a 21-7 halftime deficit and tied the score, getting a six-yard touchdown run by tailback LenDale White with 7:26 left in the third quarter and a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown by middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu 10 seconds later.

But it was not enough.

“It’s kind of bad when the same team jumps out on you two years in a row,” USC wide receiver Mike Williams said. “This time they got us.”

Fredrickson kicked a career-best 51-yard field goal with 9:04 left in the fourth quarter to give Cal a 24-21 lead.

The Golden Bears had a chance to put the game away after defensive back Matt Giordano intercepted a pass by Matt Leinart and returned it 15 yards with 7:29 remaining, but Trojan defensive end Shaun Cody blocked another 51-yard field-goal attempt with 4:54 left, giving USC one more chance.

Ryan Killeen’s 33-yard field goal with 16 seconds left sent the game into overtime.

In the first overtime, Cal won the toss and elected to defend on the first possession from the 25.

USC tailback Hershel Dennis rushed for 20 yards on the first play, but he fumbled on first and goal from the five and the ball was recovered by Cal linebacker Wendell Hunter.

“I got a little too excited after that first run and should have stayed outside,” Dennis said. “The blocking was to the outside, but I saw a little hole and a little daylight to the end zone and I went that way.”

Cal appeared to be on the verge of winning after two runs set up a 29-yard field-goal attempt for Fredrickson. But USC tight end Gregg Guenther, who stands 6 feet 8, blocked the kick.

“After we blocked those two field goals, I thought we were destined to win,” said Leinart, who completed 21 of 39 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns, but had three passes intercepted.

Cal had the ball first in the second overtime and scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Reggie Robertson to Jonathan Makonnen for a 31-24 lead.

But USC answered with a 10-yard scoring pass from Leinart to flanker Keary Colbert.

In the third overtime, USC could penetrate only four yards before Killeen came on and missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt to the right.

“The protection was good, the hold, snap, everything was perfect,” Killeen said. “It’s all on me....I knew as soon as I kicked it where it was going.”

Cal, sensing victory, had Echemandu rush for four yards and then one yard before calling timeout. USC stopped Echemandu for a one-yard loss before Fredrickson came on for his game-winning attempt.

“We talked to Tyler and told him, ‘Those short field goals are just chip shots. You don’t have to drive it. Let’s just get under it and get some height on the ball,’ “‘ Cal Coach Jeff Tedford said. “He had great confidence going into that kick. I looked him in the eye and he said, ‘Coach, let’s do it.’ I’m very happy Tyler came through.”

Carroll was not.

“Too many things got away from us,” he said. “Tackling wasn’t good, penalties happened, a couple misalignments. ... It was enough to give them a chance to win the game.”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

KEYS TO THE GAME

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

Establish the running game. The Trojans totaled only 99 yards. Sophomore tailback Hershel Dennis gained 53 yards in 14 carries but had a pivotal fumble in the first overtime.

Avoid turnovers. Quarterback Matt Leinart had three passes intercepted, Dennis fumbled and Cal blocked a punt by Tom Malone.

Pressure the passer. USC recorded two sacks, but Cal quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Reggie Robertson used play-action to pass for a combined 326 yards and three touchdowns.

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Shift Into Overdrive

The result of the overtime periods:

FIRST OVERTIME

Score tied, 24-24

USC: Tailback Hershel Dennis broke off a 20-yard run on the first play but fumbled at the three on the next play, giving Cal the ball.

California: Adimchinobe Echemandu rushed up the middle for 14 yards, putting the ball at the 11. After a running play put the ball in the middle of the field, kicker Tyler Fredrickson’s 29-yard field-goal attempt was blocked.

SECOND OVERTIME

Score tied, 24-24

California: After two short runs, Reggie Robertson connected with Jonathan Makonnen on a 20-yard touchdown pass play.

USC: Quarterback Matt Leinart completed two passes, the last one a 10-yarder to Keary Colbert for a touchdown.

THIRD OVERTIME

Score tied, 31-31

USC: A 10-yard holding penalty hurt the Trojans, and kicker Ryan Killeen missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt.

California: After three short runs by Echemandu, Fredrickson kicked a 38-yard field goal for the victory.

Finals score: California 34, USC 31

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*Not Getting Their Kicks

Six games in which missed kicks played a major role in USC losses over the last six seasons:

Sept. 27, 2003: Ryan Killeen misses a 39-yard field goal in the third overtime, making it possible for California to win, 34-31 -- and end USC’s winning streak at 11 -- on Tyler Fredrickson’s 38-yard field goal.

Oct. 5, 2002: Killeen’s missed extra point after a USC touchdown with 4:10 remaining keeps the Trojan lead at 27-24 and allows Washington State to go for a score-tying field goal with 1:50 left instead of a touchdown. Killeen misses a 52-yard field goal attempt in overtime and Drew Dunning makes a 35-yarder to give Washington State a 30-27 victory.

Dec. 25, 2001: David Davis misses an extra point and a 47-yard field-goal attempt in a 10-6 loss to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Oct. 23, 1999: David Newbury misses from 36 and 53 yards and David Bell can’t connect from 52 yards in a 35-31 loss to Stanford.

Sept. 25, 1999: Newbury misses an extra point and field-goal attempts of 51 and 37 yards in a 33-30 loss to Oregon in three overtimes.

Oct. 24, 1998: Adam Abrams misses field-goal attempts of 28, 36 and 47 yards in a 17-13 loss to Oregon.