Jarrett Gives USC a Hand Again

In those few moments, Dwayne Jarrett had a lot to worry about.

Like running a precise fade route into the corner of the end zone. And fighting off a defender. And keeping track of the end line, which was fast approaching.

There was also the football sailing over his head.

“The defensive back had my left hand,” he said. “So I stretched out with my right and just made the grab.”

Just like that, the USC receiver made a one-handed, sticky-fingered catch.

At the very least, it was one of three touchdowns for Jarrett on the day, helping to propel the top-ranked Trojans to a 51-24 victory over Washington.

In broader terms, the catch meant something more.

It cemented the sophomore’s role as a marquee receiver, got his coach talking about history and moved Jarrett a step closer to the realm of former Trojan stars such as Keyshawn Johnson and Mike Williams.

Washington safety C.J. Wallace put it simply: “He’s a big-time player.”

Jarrett had already earned star billing with nine touchdown receptions in the first six games this fall, and one timely first down against Notre Dame last week.

Struggling with double vision after getting poked in the eye, he caught a do-or-die pass on fourth and nine, the 61-yard gain setting up Matt Leinart’s winning touchdown sneak.

All week, classmates and even professors asked him about the play.

“It was a good thing,” he said, adding: “I’d rather be the guy who caught the ball than the one who dropped it.”

Instead of basking in the glory, Jarrett -- whose vision returned to normal the next day -- spent the week putting in extra work with Leinart to improve their timing.

The effort showed Saturday as Leinart threw to him for 18 and 11 yards to set up USC’s first touchdown. Several minutes later, after a long kick return by the Trojans, Jarrett found a gap in the defense for a 24-yard score.

“He does a good job of getting open,” Leinart said. “It makes my job a lot easier.”

The 6-foot-5 Jarrett caught another 24-yard pass in the second quarter, putting USC in position for a short Reggie Bush score. Then, after replay officials ruled his end-zone catch incomplete, he came back with a seven-yard touchdown reception.

“You just have to be aware of his presence,” said Washington cornerback Roy Lewis, who spent much of the afternoon being victimized by Jarrett. “He has a height advantage; he’s a big guy.”

His biggest play was yet to come.

It was almost two years ago that Mike Williams made a spectacular catch against Oregon State, the replays still popping up on highlight shows. Jarrett, in high school at the time, watched on television from his New Jersey home.

“I remember,” he said. “That just shows how skilled you can be at times if you can catch it with one hand.”

Jarrett offered his own version midway through the third quarter, guiding the ball into his body with an outstretched arm while having the presence of mind to plant a foot in bounds.

If the fourth-down conversion at Notre Dame was pure grit, this one was all style. It got Coach Pete Carroll reminiscing about former NFL star Cris Carter, then putting Jarrett in the same sentence.

“The guy makes catches after catches,” Carroll said. “It’ll knock your eyes out.”

Jarrett did not want to make too big a deal of the play. It was simply a matter of practice and concentration, he said.

Besides, the Trojans’ go-to guy figures he and his quarterback have a few more highlights in their future.

“We looked good,” he said. “That’s what we’re supposed to look like.”