Bring on the Beavers!

Despite the rain, sleet and hail, the Trojans dominated the Cougars in the Palouse, winning the game by a score of 42-12. Thanks to a botched onside kick by the Cougs and a fantastic play by Desmond Reed to recover the ball on the ensuing kickoff, WSU fell behind 14-0 before even taking an offensive snap! A spectacular Reggie Bush punt return put the Trojans up 21-0 and USC then just cruised to victory.

Notes on the Game, USC Football and the Pac 10

• Matt Leinart had one of his best games of the year, completing 23 of 28 passes for 235 yds and two TDs
• Dwayne Jarrett now leads the Trojans in receptions (31), receiving yards (423) and receiving TDs (8)
• Reggie Bush has thrown a TD pass and scored TDs rushing, receiving and returning a punt this year. He also scored a TD on a kickoff return last year

• After 3 straight 10 win seasons, the Cougs are 3-5 this year and 0-4 in October
• The USC defense continues to be outstanding, and is now ranked 3rd nationally in scoring defense, 1st nationally in turnovers caused and 4th nationally in total defense and rushing defense
• USC held WSU to -9 yds rushing, the second consecutive year the Cougs have had negative rushing yds against the Trojans
• For the third time in 4 weeks, UCLA will face a team defeated by USC the previous week
• UCLA made a statement by beating Stanford 21-0, setting up a big game with Oregon (at Autzen) on November 13th
• Speaking of Oregon, the Ducks are looking to upset Cal this weekend in a game that could be very close
• USC is the only school in the country to defeat 3 teams currently ranked in the Top 25 (Cal, ASU and VaTech)

Oregon St. Preview

• The Trojans hit the road one last time to take on the Oregon St. Beavers in Corvallis. With the exception of a possible bowl game, this is the last time USC will leave LA to play a game this year
• USC has not traveled to Corvallis since 2000, when the Beavers beat USC in route to 12-1 season. That loss snapped a 26 game winning streak by USC over the Beavers
• After a challenging 1-4 start, Oregon St. has rebounded by winning their next three games all by 14pts or more
• The Beavers are really struggling with their running game (RB Steven Jackson was a 1st round pick in the NFL draft), ranking 115th nationally (out of 117 Division 1 teams)
• Oregon St. is explosive with the passing game with QB Derek Anderson, WR Mike Hass and TE Joe Newton. Anderson, however, is prone to mistakes including 4 interceptions vs the Trojans last year
• The Beavers are talented on defense, including 2 of the best corners in the Pac 10 (Brandon Browner and Aric Williams). OSU ranks 4th or 5th in most defensive categories, but due to penalties and turnovers, the Beavers are 8th in the conference in scoring defense
• On paper this is a good match-up for the Trojans. OSU has a weak running game, an immobile QB who throws picks and a young offensive line. Expect a game plan similar to the one executed by the Trojans against ASU
• USC has been successful against one dimensional teams, but traveling to the Pacific Northwest on consecutive weekends is not easy

Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough win on the road in an injury free game.