USC’s Sweet Nothing

Several hours before USC took the field against Washington on Saturday, two Orange Bowl representatives mixed, mingled and even mugged for photographs with USC tailgaters at the Coliseum.

“See you in Miami,” shouted a cardinal-clad USC fan as the men in the bright orange blazers handed out Orange Bowl stickers and goodwill.

Top-ranked USC remained on track for this year’s bowl championship series title game by shutting out undermanned Washington, 38-0, in front of a crowd of 72,855.

“This is what you’re supposed to do to a team that is struggling,” USC linebacker Lofa Tatupu said. “It wasn’t pretty in all phases, but we’ll take it.”

USC improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in Pacific 10 Conference play. The Trojans extended their winning streak to 16 games and their home win streak to 19 with their 11th consecutive Pac-10 victory.

But there were signs that advancing to the Orange Bowl for the second time in three years might not be quite as easy as the Trojans’ second-half schedule indicated.

USC posted its second shutout of the season and ended Washington’s streak of 271 games without being blanked, which was the longest active streak among Division I-A teams. But the Trojan offense sputtered for most of the first half against an injury-ravaged Husky defense.

After posting three consecutive victories over previously unbeaten teams, the Trojans came out flat against a Washington team that fell to 1-6 overall, 0-4 in the Pac-10 and will post the school’s first losing season since 1976.

“At the beginning of the game, and a little bit in pregame, I could kind of sense ... we were not into it as we usually would be,” linebacker Matt Grootegoed said.

Quarterback Matt Leinart acknowledged that maintaining an edge against a struggling opponent was a challenge.

“It’s hard to get up for every game, especially when a team is not doing so well,” Leinart said. “We were up for it, but for whatever reason we came out flat as an offense.”

Leinart, who passed for four touchdowns and ran for one in last week’s 45-7 rout of Arizona State, completed 24 of 43 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

“I was kind of playing more passive than I should have and making some throws that I don’t ever make. ... I don’t have any excuses,” said Leinart, who was sacked three times. “A win is a win. I’m happy with the way we played in the second half.”

USC’s defense played well throughout, completely foiling Washington’s option attack.

Washington Coach Keith Gilbertson had hoped that sophomore quarterback Isaiah Stanback would create problems in his first start, but the Trojans limited his team to 50 yards rushing and 113 total yards. Washington converted none of its 14 third-down opportunities.

“They don’t make mistakes,” Gilbertson said. “They line up and play, do what they want to do. Their secondary is never out of position. We’re just not a good match right now.”

Washington looked as if it was up to the challenge in the first half, when USC’s first four drives ended with a missed 49-yard field-goal attempt, an interception and two punts.

The Huskies held USC scoreless in the first quarter and trailed only 10-0 at halftime after Ryan Killeen kicked a 29-yard field goal and Leinart passed 15 yards to Reggie Bush for a second-quarter touchdown.

But just as they did at Stanford last month, the Trojans regrouped during halftime.

“We all looked pretty much at ourselves and asked if it was them stopping us or us stopping ourselves,” said tailback LenDale White, who gained 93 yards in 17 carries and scored two touchdowns. “We all felt like it was ourselves.

“We were jumping offsides ... and we weren’t keeping our defense off the field. Things like that all factor in. We just wanted to step up and execute.”

USC’s defense wasted no time providing the offense with an opportunity.

On the first play of the second half, Grootegoed read the option perfectly and forced running back Kenny James to fumble. Defensive end Frostee Rucker, who had forced a first-half fumble, recovered the ball for the Trojans, giving USC a first down at Washington’s 18-yard line.

Four plays later, White rumbled into the end zone from the three for a 17-0 lead.

After the Huskies went three and out, the Trojans took over at their 48 and moved in three plays to the Husky 29. On first down, Leinart connected with senior receiver Jason Mitchell for a 29-yard touchdown pass that put USC ahead, 24-0, with 11:22 left in the third quarter. It was Mitchell’s fourth career reception and first touchdown.

The Trojans got the ball back with about six minutes left in the quarter and Leinart drove them 62 yards in 12 plays. White capped the march with a two-yard run that completed a 21-point quarter and gave the Trojans a 31-0 lead.

“We felt like defensively, we had something on them a little bit in the first half,” Washington cornerback Sam Cunningham said. “But in the second half they came out and showed us the No. 1 team in the nation wasn’t having any of it.”

USC Coach Pete Carroll said he was happy with the way the Trojans have played defensively in their last three games.

“This is the best defense we’ve played since we’ve been here,” Carroll said. “We’re able to do the most stuff and we look good doing it.”

USC travels to Washington State next week for a matchup with another struggling team.

“You’re not always going to play your best game every game,” defensive tackle Mike Patterson said. “But we’re confident in each other. We know that we can pick each other up.

“We did it today and know we can do it every time we need to.”

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Second Helpings

USC has outscored the opposition by 94 points (111-17) in the second half and by 52 points (55-3) in the fourth quarter. USC has not given up a fourth-quarter point in 97:05. Saturday’s shutout was the Trojans’ sixth under Pete Carroll.

*--* 1 2 3 4 Total USC 48 86 56 55 245 Opp. 10 48 14 3 75

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