The USC Trojans are still the nation's best, and they proved it Saturday.
With USC traveling to Lincoln to face the No. 14 Nebraska Cornhuskers, many thought the Trojans were primed for an upset. USC proved skeptics wrong and did it emphatically, improving to 2-0 on the season and dropping Nebraska to 2-1 with a commanding 49-31 win.
The Trojans struggled at first, but they took control and dominated the game against an overmatched Nebraska team. In front of a raucous crowd, the Trojans ran all over the Blackshirts and exploited Nebraska's usually steady defense. Bill Callahan's Cornhuskers kept the game close early, and took a 10-7 lead with nine minutes left in the second quarter.
The momentum and the crowd were swinging the game toward Nebraska when defensive back Ricky Thenarse knocked the ball out of USC returner Vincent Joseph's hands on the ensuing kickoff, but teammate Malcolm Smith picked up the fumble and returned it to the Huskers' 45 yard line. From that point on, everything seemed to go USC's way.
With good field position, the Trojans marched down the field, featuring a steady dose of tailbacks C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson. USC scored on a two-yard touchdown run by fullback Stanley Havili and added another touchdown before the half to make the score 21-10.
USC then took over the third quarter, with senior back Chauncey Washington piling on two one-yard touchdown runs to give his team an insurmountable lead. The Trojans scored 35 unanswered points before Nebraska's offense could muster any comeback.
The game was a complete blowout, with the final score not indicating USC's dominance. Pete Carroll's team had its way with the Huskers, with Nebraska making the final score seem closer thanks to two late touchdown passes by quarterback Sam Keller against USC's second-string defense.
The Trojans' running game was the story, with Johnson leading the way. The sophomore tailback had 144 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries for the day, pacing his team's offense.
Quarterback John David Booty solidified his Heisman Trophy candidacy, engineering his team to multiple scoring drives and making plays when necessary. His numbers were not extraordinary, with only 144 passing yards, but he did throw two touchdowns and avoided turnovers.
The USC defense frustrated the Nebraska offense all night. The Huskers were held to only 31 yards on the ground, and star tailback Marlon Lucky had only 33 yards on 17 carries. Keller had good numbers, but he threw two costly interceptions partially due to the struggles of his offensive line against a tough Trojans front seven.
USC looks to be on the inside track to the national championship game at the Superdome in New Orleans. The team that upended their title hopes last season, the UCLA Bruins, have struggled this year and were upset Saturday by an unranked Utah team 44-6. The Trojans have two big hurdles remaining in their way: a trip to Autzen Stadium to face the Oregon Ducks and a late-season battle against in-state rival California.
The winner of the Oct. 6 contest between the No. 3 Florida Gators and the No. 2 LSU Tigers could also be a favorite to gain a spot in the national title ranks. LSU looked impressive two weeks ago in defeating Virginia Tech, while Florida destroyed SEC rival Tennessee 59-20 on Saturday.
The SEC is arguably the toughest conference in the nation, so if either team can make it through the regular season unscathed, they would likely earn a trip to New Orleans. In the Big 12, Oklahoma has looked unstoppable on offense, and with a defense that is always tough, the Sooners are in the discussion as well.
Not every team that got a newsworthy win Saturday is in the hunt for a BCS bowl. The Duke Blue Devils broke a 22-game losing streak, the longest in the nation, with their first win since September 2005. Thaddeus Lewis, the Blue Devils' quarterback, is now 1-13 as the starter, as he passed for 246 yards and three touchdowns to lead his team to a 20-14 victory over Northwestern.
Week 3 is in the books, and the race for the national title is on. With their effort Saturday, the Trojans made a statement that they will be in the thick of things this year.
But what else is new?
