Trojans Look to Their Better Half

USC finished the first half of its schedule with a 6-0 record, its best start since 1995.

The top-ranked Trojans begin the second half today against Washington at the Coliseum intent on finishing in what has become customary fashion under Coach Pete Carroll.

In Carroll’s first three years, the Trojans were 11-7 in the first half of the regular season and 16-1 in the second half, not including bowl games.

In 2001, the Trojans rebounded from a 1-4 start and won five of their last six regular-season games, losing only to Notre Dame at South Bend, Ind.

In 2002, the Trojans were 3-2 before finishing with seven consecutive regular-season wins and an Orange Bowl victory over Iowa.

The Trojans started 3-1 last season, then won their last eight regular-season games and finished with a Rose Bowl victory over Michigan to clinch a share of the national title.

“This is our time of year,” junior linebacker Dallas Sartz said. “This is when we’ve really started to come together. Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

USC’s 15-game winning streak and 18-game home winning streak are likely to be extended against a Washington team that is 1-5 overall and 0-3 in the Pacific 10 Conference. It’s the Huskies’ worst start since 1973.

“Turning the ball over and our age has been a factor for our start,” Washington Coach Keith Gilbertson said.

So have injuries. Gilbertson said 10 Washington players have had surgery this season.

“We pretty much started over in a lot of positions and do not have a big senior class,” Gilbertson said. “We just lost a lot of guys. Some seasons go like that, but we have had an abnormal amount of bad luck.”

USC also has had its share of injuries, but that has not slowed a team that remains on track for its first appearance in the bowl championship series title game.

When flanker Steve Smith suffered a broken leg against California, the Trojans shifted running back Reggie Bush to receiver for most of his snaps last week against Arizona State and the Trojans rolled to a 45-7 victory.

The win was USC’s third in a row against a previously unbeaten opponent.

“We won in different ways those first six games -- we had to come back a couple of times and we blew some teams out,” linebacker Lofa Tatupu said. “There weren’t too many easy ones.”

Today’s game marks the start of what appears to be a less challenging second-half schedule. USC’s next six opponents are a combined 16-21, and No. 24 Notre Dame is the only team currently ranked.

“We’re not really concerned with anybody’s record, whether it’s good or bad,” center Ryan Kalil said. “We’re competing against ourselves to get better every game. So if we keep doing that we know we’ll get the results we want.”

Washington struggled from the outset. The Huskies dropped their opener against Fresno State, then let UCLA’s Maurice Drew run for 322 yards and five touchdowns in a Pac-10 defeat.

Losses against Notre Dame and Stanford followed before the Huskies beat San Jose State, 21-6.

Washington remained winless in conference play by losing to Oregon State last week.

“Our kids have played hard all the time and competed as well as they can,” Gilbertson said. “They have had a lot of bad luck. We try to hang in there and compete. I think we have done that.”

Isaiah Stanback is expected to make his first start at quarterback for Washington after playing the last three quarters in the 29-14 loss to Oregon State.

The fast and mobile Stanback, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore from Seattle, is a change of pace for the Trojans, who faced pass-oriented quarterbacks in Cal’s Aaron Rodgers and Arizona State’s Andrew Walter the last two games.

Washington is expected to run the option against a USC defense that is ranked second in the conference and 18th nationally in total defense.

“Your concern is that they’re going to explode, that they’re going to find a way,” Carroll said. “They’re taking a new direction now, so this could be a turning point for them. I’m sure that this is what they’re hoping.”