USC's Stanley Havili went 80 yards in just 4 carries and scored 2 touchdowns as USC beat Washington State, 50-16.
Two key interceptions by true freshman Nickell Robey and power running from fullback Stanley Havili helped the USC Trojans get their first decisive win of the season as they opened conference play against Washington State.
They scored off flashy plays as well as long, sustained drives, kept penalties to a minimum, created turnovers and, for the first time in a long time, dominated the game.
The Trojans got off to a shaky start as the Cougars marched down the field on their first possession, beating Robey for a touchdown.
The stadium (capacity: more than the population of Pullman) wasn’t full, but it was loud – at least until the next play.
On the Trojans’ first offensive play, quarterback Matt Barkley handed off to fullback Stanley Havili who answered with a 59 yard touchdown run.
And when the Cougars got the ball back on offense, Robey had his say as well, with a pick-6 to put the Trojans up, 14-7 (yes, LK called for the extra points) after just one offensive snap.
The game would’ve been on the fast track to another USC blowout – the last time they played in Pullman, they shut out the Cougs, 69-0 – but while they made Washington State turn the ball over, the Trojans couldn’t seem to hang onto it either.
Barkley had two interceptions for the second consecutive week, one of them a momentum killer that came one play after Wes Horton blocked a Cougar punt to give the Trojans’ excellent field position.
Horton helped get the ball back just a few plays after the interception with a sack on WSU’s Jeff Tuel, one of three on the day, to help set up…Barkley’s second interception. Barkley ended up going 16 of 25 for 290 yards, but the poor decision-making and miscommunication with his receivers are cause for concern heading into the rest of the conference schedule. The turnovers didn’t come back to bite the Trojans against Washington State, but against Stanford or Oregon, mistakes like that will prove costly.
At least there were no costly penalties this week. After leading the nation in penalty yards the first two weeks, USC finished with just five penalties for 39 yards.
The defense, one of the question marks at the beginning of the season, has also improved and is developing into a strong unit at the perfect time. Plagued with concerns about his ability to match-up against more experienced opponents as a true freshman, Robey proved he belonged on the field with two interceptions. TJ McDonald had an interception of his own, and the rest of the secondary, especially Jawanza Starling and TJ Bryant, has drastically improved its coverage, helped this week by Washington State’s inability to establish any sort of run game.
USC’s running game was important to the balanced attack the Trojans’ had once they finally settled in. After last week’s game, when Marc Tyler fumbled the ball and was replaced by Allen Bradford, who made an impressive showing, everyone wanted to know who Lane Kiffin would start. Kiffin played it coy, making Havili the lone back. It paid off, as Havili’s first two carries went for 59 and 58 yards. Bradford was eventually the first tailback in the game, but he and Tyler each had 14 carries on the day.
Freshman phenom Dillon Baxter got most of his 14 carries during the second half, when the second and third stringers were able to get valuable playing time. Backup QB and holder Mitch Mustain, who successfully made a two-point coversion during the third quarter, also threw a touchdown pass to Havili late in the fourth to extend the lead.
It was refreshing to see a game in which the Trojans gave themselves such a lead that they had the luxury of taking their starters out as early as they did. After the game, Kiffin said he was “pleased” with his team’s performance and happy they made it to 4-0 mostly healthy. With the win, he becomes the first USC coach to start his tenure 4-0 since Jess Hill in 1951.
The Trojans face Washington and former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, who handed the Trojans their first loss of the 2009 season, this weekend at the Coliseum.
