They Look for Familiar Finish

Top-ranked USC has reached the midpoint of its season in territory somewhat unfamiliar for the Trojans under Coach Pete Carroll.

During each of the last two seasons, USC had at least one loss before launching a dominant run through the second part of the regular-season schedule and a bowl championship series game.

But after routing Arizona State, USC is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference. The Trojans have six regular-season games remaining against teams with a combined record of 16-21. Notre Dame, ranked No. 24 this week in the Associated Press poll, is the only top-25 opponent.

Carroll said Sunday that he did not anticipate a conclusion any different than past seasons.

“We’re going to try and come out smoking and build toward the end,” said Carroll, whose team finishes a three-game homestand Saturday against Washington (1-5). “Hopefully, we can crescendo all the way to the end of the thing.”

USC trounced previously unbeaten Arizona State, 45-7, in front of a second consecutive sellout crowd at the Coliseum.

On Sunday, poll voters responded with results that are expected to almost ensure the Trojans’ spot atop the first BCS standings when they are released today.

USC regained the eight first-place votes it lost last week in the AP poll after a 23-17 victory over California. The gap between USC and No. 2 Oklahoma was 19 points, the smallest it had been all season.

But the victory over Arizona State restored voter confidence. USC received 50 first-place votes and leads Oklahoma by 43 points. The Trojans also added five first-place votes in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll.

After three consecutive victories against teams that were previously unbeaten, Carroll said the next stretch of games presents a motivational challenge.

“There’s a lot of young players on this team and we’re trying to mold their way of thinking and how we approach games,” Carroll said. “It could be construed differently by them and I have to make sure that it isn’t ...

“We’ve got our mantra how we go about this, we just have to stay with it and make sure that we don’t get off the chart anywhere here.”

Carroll was particularly pleased with tight end Dominique Byrd’s performance against Arizona State. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound junior caught three passes for 49 yards. The receptions were his first since tearing knee ligaments Oct. 11, 2003, against Stanford.

“His longest play [for 22 yards], he had at least five guys that missed him, that bounced off him.... That’s playmaking,” Carroll said.

After the game, Byrd said the Trojans required a collective effort to offset the loss of injured flanker Steve Smith.

“We knew with him down, other people had to step up,” Byrd said. “Everybody on this team feels like they can be the best player in America.”

Trojan players said there is still another level they can take their game to in the second half of the season.

“We still have a lot of stuff to work on,” safety Darnell Bing said. “I can’t say that we’re at the top of our game.”

Linebacker Lofa Tatupu echoed the statement of several players.

“We’re happy, but we’re not satisfied -- there’s always room for improvement,” he said.