Trojans Find Means to Win at the End

USC found itself in unfamiliar territory.

The Trojans came to the rolling hills of the Palouse riding a Pacific 10 Conference winning streak that stretched back nearly three years and featured only a few games that came down to the final play.

But on Saturday at sold-out Martin Stadium, third-ranked USC was pushed to the limit by a stubborn Washington State team that sensed an upset.

Quarterback John David Booty engineered two long second-half touchdown drives, flanker Steve Smith had a career day and the defense held firm at the finish as the Trojans held on to defeat the Cougars, 28-22, before 35,117.

Freshman safety Taylor Mays secured the Trojans’ 25th consecutive Pac-10 win when he intercepted Alex Brink’s desperation pass on the game’s final play.

“This is a program that needs experiences to learn from and to grow and we’re getting challenged,” said Coach Pete Carroll, whose team improved to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-10. “The conference is stout and we’re fighting our tails off.”

On a warm and wind-swept afternoon, it once again was abundantly clear that USC will not be sailing to another conference title on cruise control.

Last week, Arizona held the Trojans to 20 points. They scored eight more against Washington State, then turned to the defense to hold off the Cougars, who outgained USC, 418 yards to 404.

“It was a reality check to go out and not hold the Pac-10 lightly,” middle linebacker Rey Maualuga said. “Each game could be a close game. We all have to realize that.”

With All-American split end Dwayne Jarrett back home in Los Angeles nursing a shoulder sprain, Smith realized the Trojans needed someone to fill the void left by a player who is at the top of the Pac-10’s career touchdown receptions list.

Nearly every time the Trojans needed a big play, it seemed, Booty looked for Smith. He found him 11 times for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

“He really showed what he’s all about tonight,” said Booty, who completed 23 of 32 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.

Smith’s first touchdown capped a 99-yard third-quarter drive that extended a 14-12 halftime lead to 21-12. His second scoring reception finished an 83-yard, 17-play fourth-quarter march that put the Trojans ahead, 28-15.

“[Booty] told me early in the week, ‘I’m coming to you a lot,’ and I was like, ‘That’s good,’ ” said Smith, who had his biggest game since the 2005 Orange Bowl, in which USC won the national championship. “It was a good opportunity for me to show what I can do and really just to get the confidence of J.D. and some of the other guys, really, because when Dwayne comes back we’ll be that much more deadly.”

Washington State (3-2, 1-1 in the Pac-10) played down to the wire with the Trojans for the first time since 2002, when the Cougars won here in overtime.

“I think we can come away with some confidence that we can play with anybody, but we didn’t win and we have to win,” Coach Bill Doba said. “We almost finished. We got close to it.”

USC survived a game in which it lost a fumble, had a pass intercepted and saw its rushing attack largely held in check.

The Trojans’ two-point halftime lead was built on Booty’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Chris McFoy in the first quarter and Chauncey Washington’s three-yard touchdown run in the second.

That set the stage for what might one day be seen as a defining drive in Booty’s young career.

The Cougars had downed Darryl Blunt’s 59-yard punt inside the USC one-yard line with 9:30 left in the third quarter.

“At that point, I’m thinking, ‘Man, we’ve got to get out of here,’ ” Washington said.

Washington carried for no gain on the first play and Smith drew Michael Willis into a pass-interference penalty that moved the ball to the 16.

Freshman Emmanuel Moody, who rushed for 130 yards last week at Arizona, then took a pitch from Booty and broke around left end for 48 yards.

Washington gained only one yard on third and 11 at the Washington 37, but Booty connected with Smith for 12 yards on fourth down, then followed with a 13-yard pass that set up Smith’s seven-yard touchdown catch.

“To have to really start off the second half and go on a 99-yard drive, that’s sending a huge statement,” Booty said.

Loren Langley’s third field goal of the game cut the margin to 21-15, and the Cougars appeared to catch a break when USC freshman Allen Bradford misplayed the ensuing kickoff.

But Mike Brittingham recovered the ball for the Trojans, who ate up more than eight minutes of clock during a drive that featured another fourth-down completion and 11-yard touchdown pass to Smith with 5:52 left.

Washington State came back with an 80-yard drive that took just 1 minute 34 seconds and pulled to within 28-22 on Brink’s 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Dwight Tardy.

USC had to punt on the ensuing possession, Greg Woidneck leaping to snag a high snap before getting the kick away.

“That was the catch of the day, to pull that ball down,” Carroll said. “That was an eyelash from being a disastrous play.”

Washington State took over at its 24-yard line with 1:04 left and drove to USC’s 39.

But Mays picked off Brink’s pass to Michael Bumpus at the four, securing the win.

“I was thinking, ‘Just catch it,’ ” Mays said. “If I would have tipped it up, I would have been killed by Coach Carroll.”

After playing three of their first four games on the road, the Trojans are looking forward to returning to the Coliseum to play Washington this Saturday.

“It was a tough ballgame and we’re glad to get out of here,” Carroll said.

gary.klein@latimes.com