Surprise Play Awakens USC Defense

No one on the USC defense could deny the shock of what happened in the final seconds of the first half.

What looked like a simple play to run out the clock -- a Stanford running back charged straight into the line, disappeared into a pile -- turned into an 82-yard touchdown.

It was the type of play that can decide a close game. And, in a funny way, it might have.

“That kind of got us angry,” linebacker Matt Grootegoed said. “They weren’t going to score again. They already had enough.”

The Trojan defense made good on that promise, shutting out Stanford in the second half and paving the way for No. 1 USC’s 31-28 comeback victory at Stanford Stadium on Saturday.

“Our guys went and turned this game around,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “The defense came alive.”

Stanford had moved the ball with surprising efficiency for the first 30 minutes of the game. Quarterback Trent Edwards got just enough protection to complete short passes that added up to three scoring drives.

After running back J.R. Lemon somehow emerged from the pile for his long touchdown run, the Cardinal led, 28-17, at halftime.

“By the time I saw him, he was gone,” safety Scott Ware said. “It was a terrible feeling.”

Carroll put the blame on himself. He expected Stanford to take one more shot with time running out and called for a defense to stop the pass. All it took was a couple of missed tackles for Lemon to break free.

In the locker room, defensive lineman Shaun Cody was one of several players who stepped forward to address the team.

The message was simple: “Keep fighting.”

The Trojans have made a habit of playing their best football in the second half. The defense, in particular, is accustomed to making adjustments.

“We just tried to throw different things at them,” said Carroll, who doubles as defensive coordinator. “That’s a pretty good idea, huh?”

The defense blitzed more often, Grootegoed said, “bringing it on downs when we usually don’t blitz.” The secondary played tighter, denying the short pass.

At the same time, Stanford appeared to get conservative with its lead. But Edwards said strategy was only part of the reason for the turnaround.

“I think they just wanted it more,” the Stanford quarterback said. “It came down to that.”

In the first half, the Stanford offense gained 291 yards and scored four touchdowns. In the second half? Thirty-six yards and no points.

Afterward, Grootegoed and his defensive teammates said they might have learned something from that startling first-half touchdown run and the way they responded.

“We weren’t going to hand this game over,” the linebacker said. “You’ve just got to tighten the screws a little.”