Football

Offense finally puts it together

By Ryan Hochgesang
Assistant Sports Editor

All season, the USC defense has carried the load, putting the team in a position to win the first three games.
But with the defense struggling to stop UNLV quarterback Jon Denton, it was the Trojans offense that finally stepped forward in the second half, scoring 29 points after the intermission to spur the Trojans to victory.
Seemingly every time USC needed a big play or a long scoring drive in the second half, the offense delivered.
But the impressive second half came after a lackluster first half that saw the Trojans score only six points despite gaining 230 total yards on offense. USC seemed to think it could beat the Rebels just by showing up at the Coliseum.
"It wasn't verbal, but I think subconsciously some people overlooked (UNLV)," USC wide receiver Billy Miller said. "Deep down inside we overlooked them and we didn't plan on them coming out and playing us this hard."
"We tried not to let that happen," said USC offensive tackle Ken Bowen. "Maybe in some places it did, and that might have hurt us."
USC was able to move the football effectively in the first half, but couldn't capitalize once it advanced the ball deep inside UNLV territory.
Of the four possessions in which USC advanced past the UNLV 25-yard line in the first half, the Trojans threw one interception, were stopped at the goal line on fourth down and kicked two field goals.
"(USC quarterback John Fox) missed a few throws early in the game," USC offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. "We got down there a couple times and they stopped us. We just didn't execute very well in the first half. Our guys played harder in the second half."
Fox's second interception proved especially costly. After USC had driven from its own 7-yard line to the UNLV 24-yard line, Fox threw across the middle to R. Jay Soward in the end zone, but UNLV safety Quincy Sanders jumped in front of the pass.
"I just didn't see the safety," Fox said. "I think in the first half we were able to execute, but my two interceptions stopped our drives. That was the key to us. I just made better decisions in the second half."
In the locker room at halftime, the Trojans offense remained focused on executing in the second half after leaving the field to a chorus of boos from USC fans disgusted with the one-point deficit.
"We were real serious and focusing on what we had to do," Bowen said. "This was a game we definitely didn't want to let slip away, and at halftime it looked like it might."
Jackson tried to keep his unit poised for a second-half comeback.
"There was no panic," Jackson said. "We knew what we had to do. We stuck to what we had to do and came out in the second half and got it done.
"It's really amazing that the two weeks that we've had really good practices, we've come out and not played very well in the first half -- the Washington State game and here tonight. I thought we had a great week of practice. We didn't come out flat tonight, we just didn't execute, and there's a difference."
But the execution was there in the second half.
USC's opening drive of the half lasted only six plays before Jim Wren came on to punt, but the next time they got the ball, the Trojans drove 75 yards for a touchdown, then scored on a two-point conversion to tie the score at 14.
USC established the run early in the scoring drive with freshman Malaefou McKenzie, which opened up the deep routes. Fox was able to capitalize, hitting Miller on a 41-yard pass to the UNLV 19-yard line.
"It really helps the passing game when we're running that effectively," Fox said. "It opens your play action and the other team's always thinking run. You get second-and-six rather than third-and-10."
USC's third possession would prove crucial to the outcome of the game. Trailing, 21-14, the Trojans wasted little time in tying the score again.
After opening the drive with a 13-yard pass to Miller, Fox found Soward deep on the very next play for a 44-yard touchdown to tie the score.
After the defense forced the Rebels to punt, the Trojans opened with three runs on their next possession, before Soward again got behind the UNLV defense and Fox connected with him for a 78-yard touchdown to give USC their first lead of the second half.
"The second touchdown was the exact same play, except on the other side," Soward said. "(Wide receiver) Mike Bastianelli did a great job and took the safety to the other side of the field. I went to the outside and ran right by him."
After a shanked UNLV punt, the Trojans next regained the ball at the Rebels 38-yard line looking to put the game away.
So that's exactly what they did.
USC mixed two passes to Miller with a couple of strong runs by McKenzie, advancing 38 yards in four plays to take a commanding 14-point lead. It was the first time this season that USC had scored touchdowns on three straight possessions.
But the job wasn't quite over for the Trojans offense. They got the ball one last time with 4:21 left in the game.
The Trojans proceeded to do exactly what needed to be done, grinding it out on the ground with the running of McKenzie and Petros Papadakis to keep the clock running.
USC moved all the way down to the UNLV 2-yard line before time expired and the Trojans exited with a 14-point win, thanks to the second-half heroics of the offense.
"We just went out with more determination (in the second half)," Miller said. "I think maybe in some peoples' minds, (they thought) `This is UNLV, we'll beat them by 50 real quick and get out' -- then halftime came around and we were down, 7-6."
The performance was especially rewarding for the much-maligned USC offensive line, which opened some big holes in the second half that allowed McKenzie to finish the game with 104 rushing yards.
"One of the most important goals that we have is to dominate the second half, and we still hadn't done that yet all season," guard Chris Brymer said. "We came out there and did it tonight and it was big. I don't think it was really anything that we said or did during halftime. Of course the adjustments helped, but I think it just came down to going out there and executing."