USC Trojans’ quarterback Matt Barkley set a new school record for touchdown passes in a single game as USC beat Colorado, 42-17, on Friday night.
USC's Matt Barkley set a new school record with 6 touchdown passes against Colorado
Barkley was 25 of 39 for 318 yards on the night, with six touchdown passes and one interception. After tying the previous record (5) three times in his career, the junior finally set a new one, with a screen pass that true freshman Amir Carlisle took 19 yards for the score.
The Trojans’ exploited Colorado’s beleaguered secondary, scoring all their points on passing plays. Receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee each had nine catches for more than 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the game.
Despite leaning on Barkley’s arm to get in the end zone, USC also gained 243 yards with a balanced ground attack. Junior Curtis McNeal had 10 carries for 87 yards in his first start, but he missed most of the second half with an injury. He was replaced with true freshman Amir Carlisle who had 10 carries of his own, for 90 yards. Senior Marc Tyler, who’d been the starter until this week, sat out with a shoulder injury, and redshirt freshman D.J. Morgan, who started the first game while Tyler served a suspension but has played sparingly since, contributed 56 yards on 9 carries.
Colorado came out firing, with a six-play, 69-yard drive that led to a 37-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Hansen to Toney Clemons, giving the Buffs the early lead, 7-0.
Barkley and Co. quickly answered, with a seven-play, 80-yard drive of their own, culminating with a 33-yard touchdown to Lee, and from then on, it was all USC.
The Trojans’ defense, playing with a handful of new starters, found its groove after Colorado’s first drive and held the Buffs to a field goal in the second half and a late touchdown pass. CU’s Jason Espinoza set up the field goal when he intercepted Barkley with under a minute remaining in the first half and returned it 26 yards before Barkley tackled him at 8 yard line.
Colorado was just 1 of 3 on field goal attempts in the game, as USC continued its stellar special teams play with two blocked field goals. Fullback Rhett Ellison blocked Will Oliver’s 31-yard attempt in the second quarter, and tight end Randall Telfer blocked a 37-yard attempt in the third.
Hansen finished 17 of 37 with 250 yards and two touchdowns, both to Clemons. Clemons finished with five catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Rodney Stewart, the Buffs’ leading rusher, was back after missing two games with a knee injury; he had 21 carries for 88 yards and six catches for 67 more. Wide receiver Paul Richardson, who played with Woods and Lee at Serra High, was a non-factor in his first game back from injury, with two catches for 18 yards.
Colorado remains winless in its first season in the Pac-12 and has been outscored, 266-91, in conference play. The Trojans are now 6-0 all-time over the Buffaloes.
USC is 4-2 in Pac-12 play this season, but they’ll face much tougher tests in the next few weeks. They host Washington next, then travel to Oregon before returning home to close out the season against UCLA.
