Top-ranked Trojans trample Cougars

LOS ANGELES — Flogged in light smog.

That's what happened to Washington State on Saturday as the Cougars were hammered 55-13 by top-ranked USC and surrendered a school-record 745 yards in total offense.

"We got our butt kicked, period," said WSU coach Bill Doba, who called the Trojans the best offensive team he has seen in his 30 years of college coaching.

This USC scoring jamboree was the 30th win in a row for the Trojans, who are in pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive national title.

The loss completed the second straight winless October for the Cougars, who were 0-4 last year and 0-5 this year in the Halloween month.

The overmatched Cougars weren't in the same class as the Trojans, who led 28-6 after the first quarter and didn't take their foot off the pedal until the second half.

Doba said the mood on the sideline as the first quarter went on was "shock as much as anything. I thought we could compete better than that."

When the game ended, Doba, assistant coaches and players declared that next week marks the start of a "new season" in which the goal is to win the three remaining regular-season games (Arizona State, Oregon and Washington) and get to a bowl game.

"We have an opportunity to win three ballgames and go to a bowl," defensive coordinator Robb Akey said. "I think that's realistic."

The Cougars (3-5 overall, 0-5 Pac-10) seemed eager to put the game — where a Los Angeles Coliseum crowd of 92,021 watched Saturday — in their rearview mirror.

"It's a three-game season," said Cougars running back Jerome Harrison, who rushed for 147 yards and scored on a 13-yard run in the first quarter to cut the Trojans' lead to 7-6.

Anyone who thought they were about to watch a competitive game was misled. The Cougars had the extra point blocked after Harrison's run and didn't score again until the final quarter.

"They were making plays everywhere on the field, and their playmakers had a good day," WSU defensive end Adam Braidwood said. "They were throwing the ball well and they were running the ball real well. We didn't step up our level of play. They outplayed us.

"They really opened us up with their arsenal. We didn't know what they were going to do — run or pass."

Trojans took turns making big plays. By halftime they had 25 first downs and 457 yards of total offense. In the first half, Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart completed 20 of 29 passes for 302 yards with three TDs and one interception, which was made by Alex Teems in the end zone. Two of Leinart's incompletions were spikes.

Leinart finished with 364 yards on 24-of-34 passing and three touchdowns. He was well-protected by his experienced line and was sacked only once.

Sophomore receiver Dwayne Jarrett caught 11 passes for 200 yards and scored on a 29-yard pass from Leinart on USC's sweatless opening drive.

LenDale White rushed 20 times for 155 yards and scored twice. Heisman candidate Reggie Bush rushed 17 times for 97 yards but was kept out of the end zone. Bush fumbled while trying to score in the first quarter, but teammate Winston Justice recovered the ball in the end zone.

Starting WSU quarterback Alex Brink completed 9 of 17 passes for only 64 of the Cougars' total of 284 yards. The Cougars, who had entered the game averaging 301.6 passing yards, were held to 89 yards in the air against a secondary that had been considered one of the Trojans' few weaknesses.

Wide receiver Jason Hill was held to six catches for a season-low 49 yards.

Cougars scoring chances were few. Early in the second quarter, the Cougars got to the 12-yard line after a 59-yard run by Harrison, but on fourth-and-one the handoff between Brink and fullback Jed Collins was fumbled.

The second WSU touchdown was on a 2-yard run by DeMaundray Woolridge in the fourth quarter after a USC fumble was recovered at the Trojans 16 by Lance Broadus.

Hill summed up Cougars' sentiments when the game was finally over "They're definitely the No. 1 team."

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com