TROJANS DECIMATE WASHINGTON STATE 69-0; SANCHEZ TIES TOUCHDOWN PASSING RECORD

Greg Katz WeAreSC.com

PULLMAN – Here in the Great Northwest and in the area known as the Great Palouse, the No. USC Trojans (5-1, 3-1 Pac-10) showcased their great array of talent, as the Trojans did what was expected and completely decimated the Washington State Cougars (1-7, 0-5), one of the worst Pac-10 teams seen in some time, 69-0 before 25,118.

It was never a question of how bad the Trojans would level the Cougars, but would they look good doing it. Well, with the treat of rain in the air but never coming to fruition, Pete Carroll’s group managed to ignore the lack of talent and ineptness of WSU to flex their own muscles from Pullman to Seattle to Spokane. If you enjoy watching the depth of the Trojan machine, you had a ball, but if you’re into gridiron extermination, this one wasn’t for the faint of heart.

“We made a really big deal to our team about respecting the game, respecting their preparation, and respecting this opportunity in the Pac-10.” Pete Carroll said.

“We wanted to see that we would bring everything, bring the energy, bring the excitement for the game, bring toughness, bring execution, and we did all of that today. Our guys had a ball playing football today from the locker room on out.”

Boy did they ever. The Trojans were a firestorm in the first half and finished the game with 625 yards in total offense compared to the Cougars 116. You want dominance, my friends? Well just consider that the Men of Troy averaged 8.9 yards per play while the Cougars averaged a paltry 2.5 yards per snap. That’s men to boys statistics.

The 41 points that the Trojans whipped up before a stunned Cougar turnout was the most in a half since the Trojans scored 44 points in the first half against Stanford in 2005.

The Trojans’ domination was so overwhelming that even Pete Carroll admitted afterwards that he felt uncomfortable as the point totals expanded and said he didn’t really want the score to go the way it did.

“It’s unfortunate for those guys,” Pete Carroll said afterwards. “They are trying to put together a program and it’s tough.

“We wanted to find that level of focus that we really hadn’t had yet, knowing that we have enormous games coming up and down the schedule on the road that we need to get. We are going to go after every single game that we’ve got and just keep on roaring into this schedule and see what we can get done.”

One area that might have been overlooked in the victory was that the Trojans, who were last in penalties in the Pac-10, only were flagged twice for 15 yards. The Cougars traded places with the Trojans in terms of penalty yardage by receiving 45 yards in no-no attention. For the Trojans and Pete Carroll admitted afterwards, the lack of penalties was a welcome sight.

Saturday’ disaster was yet another tough blow for first-year Cougar head coach Paul Wulff, who must be getting tired of being everybody’s confidence builder. Wulff admitted that the time of the game was shortened thanks to his lack of passing calls, which at the end of the game brought a chorus of boos from his fan base.

“ A huge goal was to come out of the healthy,” said Wulff, a reference to his many quarterbacks lost already in 2008. “We wanted to do everything we could to shorten the game and protect our quarterback.”

Some of the Cougars afterwards seemed disappointed by the fact that some of their teammates seemed intimidated by the highly ranked Trojans.

“A lot of guys are looking up to the hype of USC,” defensive end Andy Mattingly admitted. “If every individual would understand that we belong out there and we can make plays that will help us out a lot.”

Sorry, Andy, but this game was more than just intimidation. It was about talent, lots of it and wearing cardinal and gold. Nobody will argue that fact.

All you had to know in the first half is that the Trojans outgained WSU 408-17 in total offense and a massive 20-1 first down advantage. Want more gridiron statistical violence? Try on the fact that Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez tied a Trojan record for most touchdown passes (5) for a game and most for a half. In that machine-like first half, Sanchez was 15-of-20 for 253 yards. Those numbers were also his final totals, since he played briefly in the third quarter and gave way to Mitch Mustain. Sanchez’s record-tying performance puts his name alongside Trojan quarterback legends Rodney Peete, Carson Palmer, and Matt Leinart.

“It meant a lot to come out sharp, “ said a subdued Mark Sanchez. “ Today I was excited about the way our wide receivers were playing so well and so did our running backs. I just tried to stay accurate and respect the opponent.

“I didn’t even know that it (passing touchdowns)was a record. Our receivers ran the right routes and got to the right spots. I think our team now is on the up and up and ready to peak. Of course, we have another tough test next week in Arizona. We wanted to prove that were prepared to play today and some of our audibles worked. As far as the BCS poll next week, it’s not going to change how we prepare for Arizona.”

Pete Carroll was also pleased that Mark Sanchez rebounded from last week’s three-interception performance to dominate the Cougars here in Pullman.

“Mark executed beautifully in the first half,” Carroll beamed. “To throw five touchdowns in the first half is pretty good.”

Naturally, the Trojan receivers were most pleased with Sanchez’s performance, especially senior receiver Patrick Turner, who finished the game with 49 yards in receptions and two first quarter touchdown passes (23 and 14 yards).

“We all love playing the game and we’re going to bring it every time,” Turner said. “We can’t disrespect the game like that. We take everybody seriously. It’s a Pac-10 game and anything can happen, you can’t take anything for granted.”

Turner’s receiving buddy Ronald Johnson lead all receivers with 94 yards and added two touchdown receptions, as well.

“I feel like I did when I was playing in high school,” said Rojo, who attended high school in Muskegon, Michigan. “

One of the areas the Trojans wanted to show some extra dominance on Saturday was in the rushing game. Mission accomplished, coach. The Cardinal and Gold racked up 362 yards on the ground and three ball carriers, Broderick Green (121 yds., 2 Tds), Stafon Johnson (112 yds.), and C.J. Gable (109 yds., 2 TDs) all ran for over 100 yards. It was the first time since the Stanford game in 1977 that the Trojans have accomplished this feat.

For reshirt freshman Broderick Green, it was a moment long coming, sometimes a frustrating one prior to Saturday. The big fella from Little Rock, Arkansas, finally got his chance and made the most of it. Some of his runs were pure power and some were like a runaway freight train.

“I am happy because I had no fumbles after I kind of started off rough,” a smiling Green said later. “ My teammates really picked me up and today was a great feeling. It was cool to be able to the field. Last year I got depressed. “

Nobody was happier than Pete Carroll for his young running stud.

“It was good for Broderick to get his chance and be rumbling,” Carroll said. “He really brings it.”

To be bluntly honest, this Washington State club has to rank right up there with some of the worst in the history of the Pac-10, Pac-8, or any other conference partnership involving the Trojans. They are one of the few teams you’ll ever see that was as bad as advertised. Even Pete Carroll showed some compassion for first-year Cougar head coach Paul Wulff, as the Trojans did not attempt a pass in their first possession of the second half.

If the offense was having a day to remember, the defense was giving the Cougars’ offenseless offense a day to forget. Saturday marked the first Trojan back-to-back shutout since the 1970-71 season and the fewest first downs by an opponent since the 2002 Notre Dame game. First downs? Try this on for size… the Trojans had a final first down advantage of 28-4. Ouch.

Want to be more impressed? How about the fact now that the Trojans have scored 117 unanswered points dating back to the second quarter of their game with Oregon this season. Yes, that’s pretty darn good, Washington State or no Washington State.

“The best of USC football is yet to come,” said linebacker Rey Maualuga, who, like many veterans, didn’t play the entire game but had a team-high 5 tackles. “We came out today to play football and we didn’t intentionally try to go out and score 80 points.”

The Trojans got the oddsmakers happy on their opening drive by moving 77 yards in five plays, as Mark Sanchez found senior wide receiver Patrick Turner on a slant pattern for a 23-yard touchdown reception. David Buehler added the extra point and with 12:58 remaining in the first quarter the Trojans led 7-0. The rout was just in its infancy.

Sanchez on the Trojans’ second possession moved the Trojans 62 yards in six plays, returning to Patrick Turner again for a 14-yard touchdown. David Buehler’s PAT made it 14-0 with the first quarter just half over. Can you feel the rout coming?

Well on their way to one of their biggest routs in the Pete Carroll era, the Trojans, thanks to a 35-yard Sanchez to Ronald Johnson reception, were threatening again. The men of Troy hit paydirt on their third consecutive possession, as Mark Sanchez fired his third consecutive touchdown pass in three possessions by connecting on a short 3-yard scoring pass to Ronald Johnson. This drive covered 49 yards in six plays and wiped off just 1:54 of the first quarter clock. So with just minutes left in the first quarter and thanks to Buehler’s third PAT, it was the Trojans 21-0. Somebody call the Washington National Guard in charge of disasters.

“We just came here to do what we had to do,” Ronald Johnson said. “I think we can still improve. I am trying to be a difference maker in our offense.”

The first quarter ended with the Trojans having 21-0 lead, and the best was yet to come for Trojan fans.

The second quarter began just like the first as the Trojans finished a 75-yard drive in 7 plays with C.J. Gable hitting off the right side and sprinting 17 yards into the end zone. The PAT was blocked by the Cougars and with 12:25 left in the half, the Trojans increased their margin to 28-0.

“We felt real comfortable just like we planned to do, “ said offense tackle Charles Brown, a reference to his offensive line teammates. “We had good communication today with our rushing game. I think our running backs played great. Broderick (Green) played great. I knew he could play that way, but I just hadn’t seen it in a game.”

With 7:49 remaining in the first half, Sanchez threw his fourth touchdown pass of the afternoon, finding Ronald Johnson again for 16 yards. This drive, not to sound redundant, traveled 74 yards in nine plays. RoJo’s scoring reception did not sit well with Cougar fans, as the play was executed on a fourth-and-7 call at the WSU 16-yard line. Yeah, 34-0 doesn’t exactly bring home olive branches from the Cougar fans.

Pete Carroll admitted in the Trojans’ locker room that the Cougar fans were really getting on him for the perceptive running up the score. Carroll said he didn’t see going for it on fourth down a problem.

“I think the opposite of people who think you should kick the field goal right there,” Carroll revealed. “We’re going for it, we’re just running the ball, just trying to make the first down. If we can, if not we give them the football. I think kicking field goals is the wrong way to do it.”

That possibility of records shattering, perhaps even a first half Trojan scoring record, was getting real when Trojan defensive end Gerald Washington recovered a WSU fumble on the Cougs’ 33-yard line. Sanchez then threw his record-tying fifth touchdown pass, a 21-yard completion to tight end Anthony McCoy, who broke two tackles and glided into the end zone. With Buehler’s PAT, it was 41-0 nothing and historians were scrambling for the record books. And there was still 4:41 remaining in the half. Oy veh.

The half came to a merciful conclusion as the Trojans’ driving, decided to give the ball to C.J. Gable, who ran short of the Cougars’ goal line. It was almost a welcome relief for both sides when halftime arrived. A 41-0 halftime lead means many things to many people, especially Trojans and Cougars. A number of Cougar fans had seen enough and were heading for the exits.

Beginning the second half, the Trojans received the kickoff and proceeded not put the ball up in the air. Mark Sanchez finished early by working on his handoff skills, and the Trojans appeared to show some compassion for their overmatched hosts.

On their second possession of the second half and Mitch Mustain now at quarterback, the Trojans still moved 73 yards in five plays with C.J. Gable scoring from 3-yards out. Buehler’s PAT was again true and it was 48-0.

“Our line was on their game today, “ Gable said. “They had something to prove. Today it wasn’t the running backs; it was the line. The running backs showed we can run hard. It was easier to get into a groove with just three running backs being rotated.”

Thanks to both teams keeping the ball basically on the ground, it was a lightening fast third quarter, which ended up 48-0 and the Trojans at the WSU 1-yard line.

The fourth quarter opened up with Trojan running back Broderick Green scoring his first Trojan touchdown of his career from that yard out. Green helped greatly in the 54-yard, 7 play drive with an explosive 27-yard run. The Trojans were heading for the 60-point club with the score at the 14:47 mark ballooning to 55-0.

Following a Will Harris interception, Broderick Green scored his second career touchdown with another rush of power resulting in an 18-yard score in just one play. Buehler’s extra point made it 62-0, and the United Nations’ Security Council was called into emergency session.

Part of the Pete Carroll mercy mission continued as with 10:32 remaining in the debacle, Aaron Corp relieved Mitch Mustin at quarterback.

Now with Garrett Green at quarterback, the Trojan carnage was completed with 2:16 remaining when C.J.Gable scored from 4-yards out after a 55-yard drive in seven plays. Buhler converted his ninth extra point and the scoring was finished at 69-0.

When the game ended, there was discontent, as Cougar fans began booing the running plays being called by Paul Wulff. The fans wanted to pass and hope for a miracle score to break the Trojans shutout. Wulff knew better and just wanted to end the whole mess.

As the Trojans headed up the ramp to their locker room, a Trojan assistant shouted, “Lets hurry up, dress, and get home.” After seeing the Trojans performance, Cougar fans should have just replied, “Amen to that.”

Trojan Pigskin Review –The Trojans converted 8-of-9 in the red zone…With two more touchdown receptions, Ronald Johnson now has five on the season…The only injury of note was to defensive end Gerald Washington, who suffered a sprained ankle…The Trojans scored the most points in a game since the 2005 Arkansas game (70)…Patrick Turner’s two touchdown receptions is a career high…Tight end Anthony McCoy’s 21-yard touchdown reception was his first of the season…Temperature at kickoff was 55 degrees...Fullback Stanley Havili had five receptions for 60 yards…The Trojans are now 56-8-4 against WSU, and the victory was the Trojans’ 6th in a row over the Cougars…WSU won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half...The Trojans broke WSU’s consecutive-game scoring streak at 280.…One of David Buehler’s many kickoffs hit the goal post crossbar…Saturday’s game lasted only two hours and forty-one minutes… Saturday’s crowd of 25,118 was smallest crowd the Trojans have played before since the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl (22,385)…Strong safety Will Harris had his first interception of the year... The Trojans travel to Arizona next Saturday evening for a 7:15 kickoff. The game will be televised on FSN.

No lack-of-attention deficit for Trojans

Chris Dufresne Los Angeles Times

Hard-to-find regional telecasts and time-zone differences have, for years, left Pacific 10 Conference schools feeling Left Coast isolated and ignored.

Boy, did that pay off Sunday for USC.

No. 5 Texas played four quarters of sensational football in defeating the No. 1 team in the nation, Oklahoma, and was rewarded by bounding to the top of all three major polls.

It marked the Longhorns' first regular-season trip to No. 1 in the Associated Press and coaches' polls since 1984.

Bravo, Bevo.

"Being ranked No. 1 shows respect for what we've accomplished through the early part of the season," Texas Coach Mack Brown said Sunday. "But nobody really knows who is No. 1 at this point."

USC played four quarters of ragged football, committing 10 penalties and turning the ball over on four straight third-quarter possessions in a 28-0 win over Arizona State.

Yet, the Trojans were rewarded Sunday too.

USC moved up five spots, to No. 4, in the USA Today coaches' poll; three spots, to No. 5, in the Harris Interactive Poll, and two spots, to No. 6, in the Associated Press media index.

Texas plays Missouri this week in Austin, No. 8 Oklahoma State a week later and at No. 7 Texas Tech on Nov. 1

USC heads to Pullman this week to face hapless Washington State.

So what school, Texas or USC, is better positioned for a national title run?

Maybe USC should move the rest of its games to PBS.

Thank you, voters, mostly you coaches, for not paying attention.

Less than a month after a defeat at Oregon State that some thought might cripple the Trojans' national-title hopes, USC was back on track on Oct. 12.

The poll with the least impact on USC's title chase, the AP, was the poll that rewarded the Trojans the least.

Remember, only the coaches' and Harris polls are components of the Bowl Championship Series standings, the first of which will be released next Sunday. The AP pulled out of the BCS formula after the 2004 season, although it still crowns an independent champion.

What were the coaches thinking in moving USC up more poll positions than Texas?

Obviously, it is impossible to evaluate the details of every game played, so sometimes all a pollster has to go on is a final score.

But the coaches and Harris voters really blew it by not putting Florida ahead of USC.

The Gators received the same five-spot bump for beating the coaches' No. 3 team, Louisiana State, as USC got for beating an unranked team with a hobbled quarterback.

Florida moved from No. 12 to No. 7 but remains three spots behind USC.

Harris also moved Florida up five positions but had the Gators at No. 6 behind No. 5 USC.

Expect the howls from SEC fans to begin immediately.

Coaches have done goofy things in the past, but only their final ballots are made public.

Last year, in the final unveiling, we learned that New Mexico State Coach Hal Mumme had voted Hawaii No. 1.

We learned that the highest vote Clemson got in the final coaches' poll was delivered by Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, the father of Clemson's coach.

We are not attaching conspiracies to Sunday's polls, only a plea for voters to finish their homework.

At least the AP got it close to right.

It was hard to quibble with USC's moving from No. 8 to No. 6 because it only meant leapfrogging the Trojans over Texas Tech, which needed overtime to beat Nebraska in Lubbock.

USC also figured to ascend because of losses suffered by No. 3 Missouri and No. 4 LSU.

The AP voters, though, were wise enough to move Florida ahead of USC based on the Gators' emphatic 51-21 win over LSU.

There is plenty of time left for pollsters to make market corrections with their ballots, but it's not going to be as easy if USC wipes out the rest of its competition.

So, USC fans, no more complaints for now about the Pac-10's not receiving enough national exposure.

Sunday, the best response was "thank goodness."

Weekend Wrap

* Is passing overrated? UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft threw the ball 43 times in Saturday night's loss at Oregon. Earlier in the day, Army defeated Eastern Michigan, 17-13, without completing a forward pass. All three of quarterback Chip Bowden's passes failed to find their mark. Army did run the ball 59 times for 341 yards. "I didn't really want to put the ball in the air," Coach Stan Brock said.

* More from Brown on Texas' No. 1 ranking. "Every week, we're seeing teams learn the hard way that the only poll that matters, or lasts, is the final one. No one remembers who was No. 1 after six weeks last year."

* Toledo had lost three straight games before scoring a major upset victory at Michigan on Saturday. What turned things around? "We started off Monday having a hamburger cookout," Rockets Coach Tom Amstutz said. "And people laughed about that, but it was the first step of staying together as a team."

Look for a weenie roast today.

* You don't have to look hard to find out why Michigan is 2-4. The Wolverines have 19 turnovers and only 15 touchdowns this season.

* Penn State is 7-0 for the first time since 1999, when the team started 9-0 before losing three straight.

* East Carolina has dropped three straight games since opening the season 3-0 and reaching No. 15 in the polls. "We don't have a receiver who's going to run by anybody," Coach Skip Holtz said. "We don't have a tailback that's going to outrun everybody."

Well, there, that explains it.

Dropped passes slow game plan

Dan Weber PE.com

Coach Pete Carroll thinks maybe his USC football team would have gotten off to a better start on offense during its 28-0 rout of Arizona State on Saturday had quarterback Mark Sanchez's receivers not dropped a couple of early passes.

The drops, he said on his Sunday conference call, "messed with our rhythm."

And then there were those four turnovers in the third quarter.

"We just fell apart," Carroll said, adding that the Trojans have some things to work on as they head into preparations for Washington State (1-6, 0-4 Pac 10), a team some consider the worst in conference history. USC opens as a 42-point favorite.

But don't worry about Sanchez's shaky day in the Coliseum.

"I'm not," Carroll said. "He's going to be a lot more solid" after a full week of practice.

Solid is also the word for the way USC's defense played, Carroll said, especially when Fili Moala moved to nose tackle and freshman Armond Armstead stepped in for Moala at tackle.

He said linebacker Rey Maualuga "took a while to get going" in his return from an injury, but Brian Cushing and Michael Morgan played "really well" once again.

Also coming in for high praise were cornerbacks Josh Pinkard, Cary Harris and Kevin Thomas, who returned an interception 46 yards for a touchdown. "All three guys played very well," Carroll said.

Running back Joe McKnight's career day (11 carries for 143 yards) and freshman tight end Blake Ayles' best game yet blocking and receiving (two receptions for 24 yards) stood out in Carroll's view.

Injury Updates

Carroll said he doesn't expect to have information about tailback Allen Bradford's hip injury and a possible redshirt season until after Tuesday.

He also said it's likely that cornerback Shareece Wright's hairline fracture of his fifth vertebrae would heal in time for this season, but that's not the issue.

"How long will it take (doctors) to clear him?" Carroll said. "I really don't know. ... There's a three- to four-week swing in there."

Junior flanker Vidal Hazelton did not play, Carroll said, because of his sprained ankle, although that also preserved his redshirt status, if necessary.

No. 4? No. 5? So What?

Carroll offered little reaction to USC moving up in two polls included in the BCS national championship equation -- Harris Interactive (fifth) and the coaches poll (fourth) -- after Saturday's shutout of the Sun Devils.

"I'm telling you, I don't give a (darn)," Carroll said when pressed on if he considers going for a shutout to get poll voters' attention.

Stats: Good and Bad

Seven weeks into the season, here are some stats that may define this team.

USC is No. 1 in scoring defense, allowing just 9.4 points a game, the only team in the nation in single digits. It's also No. 4 in total defense, allowing 241 yards a game, No. 9 in tackles for loss (eight per game) and 11th in sacks (three).

But in penalties, USC ranks 114th out of 119 Bowl Division teams with nine per game and 117th out of 119 -- ahead of only Hawaii and Florida State -- in yards penalized (86 per game).

Carroll will double the number of officials working practice this week.