USC-Washington: Trojans Pitch Another Shutout

The class act that Ty Willingham is deserves a much better fate than has been dealt to him both at Notre Dame and Washington. His winless Huskies (0-7) going up against the Number 5 Trojans, the top defensive team in the nation, is not a very kind swan song, especially when USC needs a big game to keep that #5 ranking.

In the first half, USC would score quickly, methodically and often.

Washington started pretty much as expected with a three-and-out while the USC marched right down the field. The 8-play, 57-yard drive consisted mainly of perimeter passes to Ronald Johnson and Patrick Turner, who caught a 4-yard slant to put the Trojans up 7-0.

The Huskies couldn’t do anything the next time they had the ball, and surprisingly the Trojans couldn’t either. But Matt Mosley grabbed Turner’s face mask on a third-down incomplete pass to give USC a new set of downs and a Steve Sarkisian special.

Mark Sanchez pumped faked a perimeter screen pass to Ronald Johnson, set up by the perimeter passes on the first TD drive. That left Turner wide open on a fade route down the sideline. Turner strolled into the endzone for a 32-yard score.

Again the Huskies went three-and-out. On the punt, Kaluka Maiva threw a block to spring Stafon Johnson on a 25-yard return. The Trojans scored just two plays later on a 10-yard run and stretch into the endzone by C.J. Gable.

With four minutes left in the first quarter the Trojans led 21-0.

Once more, Washington had to punt after three plays, and tight end Anthony McCoy got rung up for his second false start. Stafon Johnson made up the distance and a first down on a swing pass from Sanchez.

The quarter ended with the Trojans racking up 165 yards of offense to just 14 by the Huskies.

Sanchez hit Turner again with a first-down pass to start off the second quarter and followed up with another first-down pass to tight end Rhett Ellison. A short toss to Ronald Johnson got the Trojans down to the 12. Stafon Johnson ran for the first down.

Another short pass to Damian Williams and two bursts up the middle by Stafon Johnson got the Trojans into the endzone. But an illegal formation penalty nullified the score.

On fourth-and-one, Stanley Havili failed to make it into the endzone, but the Huskies were offsides. Following Jeff Byers the left guard Kris O’Dowd, the center, Sanchez snuck across for a 28-0 Trojan lead.

On a follow the bounching ball play, a Ronnie Fouch pass fell into Rey Maualuga’s arms at the Huskies’ 16-yard line after two other Trojans had tipped the ball.

With all his receivers covered, Sanchez ran down to the one, and Stafon Johnson took it across from there. And the Trojans led 35-0.

At the 8:20 mark in the second quarter, Washington picked up its first first-down. They did not get a second as the defense blitzed Fouch then quickly recovered to swat away a third-down pass to the tight end.

After a broken play, Turner ran around Matt Mosely as Sanchez pumped faked and hit him down the right sideline. C.J. Gable then rambled for another 13-yard gain then lost a yard on his next carry but sprinted around the left side on his third try to put the Trojans up 42-0.

However, Gable went over to high-five a couple fans in the Thundering Herd and drew a 15-yard penalty enforced on the kickoff.

Washington took over on the 35, and a pass interference penalty put the Huskies across midfield for the first time in the game. But on a fourth-and-three, Fouch missed a wide open receiver and a chance to go in at halftime with something on the board.

The Trojans Mark Tyler took four straight handoffs and gained 23 yards to run out the clock. The Trojans were 6-for-6 on drives. Six drives, six touchdowns. They outgained the Huskies 325 yards to 35 yards.

Sanchez was a very respectabley 15-of-17 for 167 yards and 2 TDs and no interceptions. Fouch was 5-of-15 for only 25 yards.

Gable gained 58 yards on 9 carries while Stafon Johnson had 36 yards on 7 carries. He also caught 2 passes for 25 yards. Patrick Turner was the leading receiver with 6 catches for 100 yards. Ronald Johnson had 4 receptions for 25 yards.

Ronald Johnson started off the second half with a 44-yard return. But the Trojans went three-and-out after two incomplete passes. That brought in Greg Woidneck, who punted down to the Washington one.

The Huskies were able to run for a first down and pass for two more. Then a rash of penalties, which must have Pete Carroll tearing out his hair, set up the Huskies at the USC 44. But the Trojan blitz and their first sack of the game pushed Washington back to their own 45 and ended the drive.

C. J. Gable shifted into high gear with a 50-yard ramble up the middle to the Husky 18. Mark Tyler came in and ran for a first down. Broderick Green finished the 5-play, 67-yard drive with a 5-yard burst off the right side, and it was 49-0 Trojans.

After an ill-advised kickoff return mired the Huskies at their own 2-yard line, the Trojans brought in their reserves. Washington responded with an immediate first-down run to the 16.

A holding penalty on Everson Griffen kept the Huskies drive alive, and Fouch connected with D’Andrea Goodwin at the USC 48. Brandon Johnson ripped off another first down run, and the Huskies were driving against Trojan reserves.

Brandon Johnson caught a fourth-and-four pass and just made it to the marker to end the third quarter.

On another fourth-and-one, Johnson took it down to the USC 5. But on second down, Chris Galippo intercepted ont he goal line and ran it back to midfield.

On a foruth-and-two, Mitch Mustain, replacing Mark Sanchez, hit tight end Rhett Ellison at the Huskies 10. After a short run by Broderick Green, Mark Tyler juked the final 5 yards and stretched across to increase the USC lead to 56-0.

But Washington would not be denied. They were determined to score. But the Trojan reserves were just as determined not to let them. Fouch connected with Jermaine Kearse to set up the Huskies again in Trojan territory at the 38. Then Drew McAllister intercepted and ran the ball back to the USC 47.

From there Mark Tyler ripped off a nifty 25-yard run to the Washington 28. A face-mask penalty gave the Trojans a first down at the 12. With a little more than a minute left the Trojans chose to run out the clock and settle for a 56-0 shutout victory.

The Trojans wound up with 485 yards, 188 in the air and 295 on the ground, to Washington’s 184 yards, 113 passing and just 71 rushing.

It was the Number One Defense’s third shutout of the year. They have allowed only 20 points in their last 20 quarters of football. C. J. Gable finished with 108 yards on 10 carries. Mark Tyler gained 85 yards on 16 carries.

Next up for the Trojans, the Cal Bears who beat #24 Oregon today. Although the weather in Berkeley was made for ducks, the gridiron wasn’t. The Bears squashed the Ducks 26-16.