Oregon Knocks off No. 5 USC

Sports News - November 1st, 2009 - Written by John

At 6-1, USC was quickly rising in the ranks as the best one-loss team in the country and appeared to have a shot at reaching the National Title game. All of those presumptions are over now, and it looks like the Oregon Ducks are the cream of the Pac-10.

They took a commanding lead in the conference on Saturday, handing the Trojans their worst loss in over a decade, and giving themselves the inside track to the Rose Bowl.

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli torched the USC defense for 386 total yards and two touchdowns in a 47-20 route at Autzen Stadium.

"I was as relaxed as I've ever been in my career," Masoli told reporters after the game. "Even me and LaMike break a couple jokes every so often. It feels great."

Fans raved about their team all game long, using halloween-themed posters to antagonize USC. There was nothing head coach Pete Carroll, or really any Trojan, wanted to remember on a night which they surrendered the most points since 1996.

"It was a real mess for us tonight," Carrol said. "Oregon did everything that they wanted to do."

Redshirt freshman LaMichael James was asked to step in a fill the void left by LaGarrette Blount after he was kicked off the team in week one, and has been a delightful surprise, rushing for 100 yards in four of his last five games coming in. But he probably had his best night against USC, rushing for 183 of the team's 391 ground yardage against the fifth-best run defense in the country. That number is gone now, leaving the Trojans toiling through another disappointing year. They hadn't lost by more than a touchdown since 2001.

"I don't know if we made a statement, this is just what we planned on doing," Masoli said. "If it makes a statement it makes a statement. That's just Oregon football and how we roll."

Oregon is now undefeated in the Pac-10 with only one game against a ranked opponent remaining (Arizona). USC had won or shared every conference crown for the last seven years and now simply hope for a BCS bowl.

Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley was not nearly as sharp as his counterpart, struggling in his third deafening environment this year. He starred in games at Ohio State and Notre Dame, but completed a mere 21 of 38 pass for 187 and was picked off.

USC only led in the early minutes of the game when their first drive netted a field goal. Oregon answered right back to make it 3-3, and took the lead on their second drive when Masoli scrambled around at USC's three-yard line and found a crease up the middle and took it in himself. After another Trojan touchdown tied it, Oregon took the lead again on a one-yard plunge by Andre Crenshaw. With the crowd in a frenzy, USC again appeared to be able to hang with the Ducks in a shootout, tying it on a four-yard pass from Barkley to Damian Williams.

Oregon finally took the lead they wouldn't relinquish just before the half on a 17-yard strike from Masoli to Jamere Holland.

The Ducks took in from there, outscoring USC 23-3 in the second half on two rushing touchdowns and three field goals from Morgan Flint.

"It was just an overloaded ballgame by them. Masoli was ridiculously effective," Carroll said. "We really had our chances to make things happen but we couldn't tackle them in the backfield. the runs that he popped whether scrambles or by design just broke our back. It was a very, obviously, difficult night."

For those of you who did some College Football Betting and bet on Oregon congratulations. If you didn't bet on this game check out our page on the College Football Odds to see what the lines are for the upcoming NCAA football games.

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