Offense Gets High Marks

While top-ranked USC extended its winning streak to 32 games with a 35-10 victory over California, the offense hit some impressive milestones.

Matt Leinart passed for 246 yards, putting him over 3,000 yards for the season. Receiver Dwayne Jarrett led the team with five catches for 69 yards, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark.

The Trojans also made history with their running game.

LenDale White and Reggie Bush had a relatively tame performance, rushing for 90 and 82 yards respectively, but with White’s numbers they became the first USC duo to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season.

*

A string of close finishes in recent seasons have turned USC-Cal into a budding rivalry. On Saturday, the score was lopsided, but the play was contentious enough to have both sides pointing fingers.

Asked about two personal fouls by Cal in the fourth quarter, White said: “They were trying to do whatever they could to get [us] out of our game plan.”

Cal offensive lineman Aaron Merz called USC the cheapest defense he had faced this season.

“I make a good block, and the guy spits on me,” he told Associated Press. “I saw that too many times today. It’s disgusting. I get poked in the eye. They had their hands in our facemasks all day.”

-- David Wharton

Sophomore Thomas Williams, who has been nursing a groin injury, started in place of senior Oscar Lua at middle linebacker but left the game with 6:55 left in the first quarter after injuring his left kneecap. He will be evaluated today.

Lua injured a knee ligament last week against Stanford. He was in uniform but did not play.

Sophomore Keith Rivers, who missed all or part of the last three games because of a hamstring injury, started at the weak-side spot but missed a few series because of a cut on his left hand. Rivers returned after taking stitches. He required more stitches after the game.

-- Gary Klein