The Defense Takes It Personally

Not that anyone on the USC defense begrudges all those points the offense has been putting on the scoreboard.

But the guys along the defensive line, the linebackers and the secondary, were growing tired of hearing that the team needed to score big to win.

As the top-ranked Trojans rolled to lopsided victories in their first two games, the inference was clear: Defense was the weak link.

“I take it personal,” linebacker Keith Rivers said. “I take it to heart.”

So Rivers and his teammates saw their 45-13 victory over No. 24 Oregon on Saturday as validation.

Despite the final score, this game was not won with offensive fireworks.

Early on, tailback Reggie Bush could not find the end zone and quarterback Matt Leinart could not have looked more frustrated.

Defense kept Oregon from grabbing too big a lead. Defense gave the offense time to gel.

“Reggie wasn’t the star of this game, Matt wasn’t the star of this game,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “It was the defense that played their tails off.”

Coming into loud, hostile Autzen Stadium, there had been concerns about USC’s injury-depleted secondary and the front seven’s ability to corral Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens.

Those worries seemed all-too-prescient in the early going.

In the first quarter, Clemens guided the Ducks to a field goal, then came right back with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Demetrius Williams.

On that play, USC cornerback John Walker, starting for injured Terrell Thomas, fell flat on his face as Williams raced past.

Walker said he thought the Trojans were playing zone, that he had help deep, only to discover his mistake too late. Returning to the sideline, he was met by teammates saying: “Keep your head up. Stay with it.”

Oregon drove deep into USC territory twice more in the ensuing minutes but came away with only three points. Safety Darnell Bing helped by breaking up three straight passes to get the Duck offense off the field.

“What can I say?” Oregon tailback Terrence Whitehead mused. “They played hard. They were impressive.”

A game that could have gotten out of hand was only 13-0.

“In that first half, we felt that we had to be the ones,” middle linebacker Oscar Lua said. “Because the offense wasn’t really producing.”

That changed with five minutes left in the second quarter. Bush caught a 19-yard touchdown pass and the Trojans were on their way to scoring on seven consecutive possessions.

The defense, meanwhile, was shutting the door on Oregon. Clemens said, simply: “They made plays and we didn’t.”

Defensive linemen Lawrence Jackson and Sedrick Ellis sacked Clemens, giving the offense a chance to drive for a field goal, giving the Trojans a mere 13-10 deficit at halftime.

The second half began with the Ducks going three-and-out on their first possession. After USC took a 24-13 lead, Frostee Rucker had one of his team-high three tackles for losses, sacking Clemens to kill another drive.

“They came out with such fire and enthusiasm,” Ellis said of Oregon. “But as the game went on, their steps were a little slower and their blocks were not as good.”

When Oregon threatened in the fourth quarter, the defense -- helped by a clipping penalty against the Ducks -- held on downs.

So what of all that talk about the USC offense? In holding the Ducks to 228 yards and 27 points below their average, did the defense finally prove itself?

“I think we did,” said Rivers, who had eight tackles. “Oregon is a great team and we did a great job of shutting them down.”