USC wears down Huskers
LOS ANGELES — Nebraska showed for the most part it was indeed ready for the big stage.
It just wasn’t ready to win on the big stage.
Battling toe-to-toe with fourth-ranked Southern California deep into the night, No. 19 Nebraska ultimately had too few answers for the dazzling display put on by Trojan quarterback John David Booty and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett.
Booty, a junior in his first season as starter, completed 25 of 36 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns in guiding Southern California to its 28th consecutive victory at the Los Angeles Coliseum, a 28-10 decision before a crowd of 92,000 — including about 35,000 Big Red fans.
Booty’s favorite target was Jarrett, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound junior who caught 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the school’s career leader in the TD category with 31.
Nevertheless, Southern California didn’t put away Nebraska until putting together a long scoring drive midway through the final quarter. It was the Huskers’ first loss in three games this season and five dating to last season.
“Their defense was big and strong, and we had trouble in the passing game and running game,” Booty said. “A lot of teams will give up in the second half. It seemed like they kept fighting and weren’t going to call it quits, and made it tough on us sometimes.”
Nebraska generally stayed conservative on offense and finished with 211 total yards, 330 fewer than its average. The Huskers managed only 68 rushing yards on 1.9 per carry.
NU’s game plan was designed to neutralize USC’s defensive strengths, offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said.
Said Nebraska coach Bill Callahan: “We felt we were making dents.”
Trouble was, Booty and Jarrett were pounding away with a sledgehammer.
“That’s why he’s a Heisman candidate,” Callahan said of Jarrett. “When you watch this guy, he’s a monster.”
Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor finished 8-for-16 passing for 115 yards.
In winning for the 47th time in the last 49 games, Southern California rolled to 399 total yards. The Trojans weren’t dominating, as they were with Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White, but they showed flashes of greatness on both sides of the ball.
Booty called the Trojans “a scrappy group.”
“The main thing is, you have to win games,” he said. “I think we’ll get better as the season goes on.”
Booty was arguably at his best during the fourth-quarter drive that essentially clinched the victory. On third-and-5, as Nebraska came with an all-out blitz, he fired a 13-yard completion to Jarrett on a slant pattern. On second-and-20 from the Huskers’ 26, Booty zipped a 19-yard strike to Jarrett.
Tailback Chauncey Washington’s 7-yard touchdown run capped the 14-play, 81-yard march and increased the Trojans’ lead to 28-10 with 61/2 minutes remaining. On the drive, Booty was 5-for-5 for 53 yards.
Southern California had gained control thanks in large part to Taylor’s lost fumble as he attempted to hand off to I-back Marlon Lucky early in the second half. Cornerback Cary Harris pounced on the ball at Nebraska’s 31, and four plays later, Booty zinged a 5-yard touchdown strike to Jarrett to push the lead to 21-3.
“We had some critical penalties and a critical turnover,” Callahan said.
Taylor, though, found some momentum late in the third quarter, firing completions of 21 yards to Terrence Nunn and 36 yards to Matt Herian. Taylor finished the seven-play, 74-yard drive with a perfectly executed bootleg run into the end zone to pull the Huskers to 21-10 with 12:44 left in the contest.
USC, though, held pretty firm from there.
Indeed, the game appeared to swing on two critical second-quarter possessions, one by each team.
Nebraska thought it had moved to Southern California’s 21-yard line on a 15-yard run by Lucky. However, the run was nullified by a 10-yard holding penalty.
Southern California — after crunching hits on back-to-back plays by end Lawrence Jackson and linebacker Thomas Williams — forced a punt. The Trojans then rattled off an 11-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that consumed six minutes. Booty rifled a 3-yard pass to flanker Steve Smith to complete the march, but the big play occurred on third-and-20 at the Huskers’ 25.
Pressured in the pocket, Booty stepped forward to buy time and zipped a 21-yard strike to Jarrett in front of 5-9 cornerback Cortney Grixby, who never had much of an answer for Jarrett.
That drive might not have been the knockout punch. But USC had clearly landed a blow to NU’s midsection.
Trailing 3-0, Southern California went ahead for good on Booty’s 12-yard touchdown pass on a slant route to Jarrett, who beat Nebraska cornerback Andre Jones on the play that ended the first quarter.
Jones, of course, had guaranteed a Husker victory earlier in the week.
Nebraska drew first blood as Nunn reeled off a 31-yard punt return to set up Jordan Congdon’s 38-yard field goal with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Nebraska used some trickery earlier in the period. Lined up to punt from its 36-yard line, punter Dan Titchener instead lofted a perfect pass to wide receiver Todd Peterson streaking up field for a gain of 28 yards.
However, the fake went for naught when the Huskers’ drive stalled at the Trojans’ 37.
Nebraska didn’t pick up its first regular-series first down until 1:39 into the second quarter.
It just wasn’t ready to win on the big stage.
Battling toe-to-toe with fourth-ranked Southern California deep into the night, No. 19 Nebraska ultimately had too few answers for the dazzling display put on by Trojan quarterback John David Booty and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett.
Booty, a junior in his first season as starter, completed 25 of 36 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns in guiding Southern California to its 28th consecutive victory at the Los Angeles Coliseum, a 28-10 decision before a crowd of 92,000 — including about 35,000 Big Red fans.
Booty’s favorite target was Jarrett, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound junior who caught 11 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the school’s career leader in the TD category with 31.
Nevertheless, Southern California didn’t put away Nebraska until putting together a long scoring drive midway through the final quarter. It was the Huskers’ first loss in three games this season and five dating to last season.
“Their defense was big and strong, and we had trouble in the passing game and running game,” Booty said. “A lot of teams will give up in the second half. It seemed like they kept fighting and weren’t going to call it quits, and made it tough on us sometimes.”
Nebraska generally stayed conservative on offense and finished with 211 total yards, 330 fewer than its average. The Huskers managed only 68 rushing yards on 1.9 per carry.
NU’s game plan was designed to neutralize USC’s defensive strengths, offensive coordinator Jay Norvell said.
Said Nebraska coach Bill Callahan: “We felt we were making dents.”
Trouble was, Booty and Jarrett were pounding away with a sledgehammer.
“That’s why he’s a Heisman candidate,” Callahan said of Jarrett. “When you watch this guy, he’s a monster.”
Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor finished 8-for-16 passing for 115 yards.
In winning for the 47th time in the last 49 games, Southern California rolled to 399 total yards. The Trojans weren’t dominating, as they were with Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White, but they showed flashes of greatness on both sides of the ball.
Booty called the Trojans “a scrappy group.”
“The main thing is, you have to win games,” he said. “I think we’ll get better as the season goes on.”
Booty was arguably at his best during the fourth-quarter drive that essentially clinched the victory. On third-and-5, as Nebraska came with an all-out blitz, he fired a 13-yard completion to Jarrett on a slant pattern. On second-and-20 from the Huskers’ 26, Booty zipped a 19-yard strike to Jarrett.
Tailback Chauncey Washington’s 7-yard touchdown run capped the 14-play, 81-yard march and increased the Trojans’ lead to 28-10 with 61/2 minutes remaining. On the drive, Booty was 5-for-5 for 53 yards.
Southern California had gained control thanks in large part to Taylor’s lost fumble as he attempted to hand off to I-back Marlon Lucky early in the second half. Cornerback Cary Harris pounced on the ball at Nebraska’s 31, and four plays later, Booty zinged a 5-yard touchdown strike to Jarrett to push the lead to 21-3.
“We had some critical penalties and a critical turnover,” Callahan said.
Taylor, though, found some momentum late in the third quarter, firing completions of 21 yards to Terrence Nunn and 36 yards to Matt Herian. Taylor finished the seven-play, 74-yard drive with a perfectly executed bootleg run into the end zone to pull the Huskers to 21-10 with 12:44 left in the contest.
USC, though, held pretty firm from there.
Indeed, the game appeared to swing on two critical second-quarter possessions, one by each team.
Nebraska thought it had moved to Southern California’s 21-yard line on a 15-yard run by Lucky. However, the run was nullified by a 10-yard holding penalty.
Southern California — after crunching hits on back-to-back plays by end Lawrence Jackson and linebacker Thomas Williams — forced a punt. The Trojans then rattled off an 11-play, 71-yard touchdown drive that consumed six minutes. Booty rifled a 3-yard pass to flanker Steve Smith to complete the march, but the big play occurred on third-and-20 at the Huskers’ 25.
Pressured in the pocket, Booty stepped forward to buy time and zipped a 21-yard strike to Jarrett in front of 5-9 cornerback Cortney Grixby, who never had much of an answer for Jarrett.
That drive might not have been the knockout punch. But USC had clearly landed a blow to NU’s midsection.
Trailing 3-0, Southern California went ahead for good on Booty’s 12-yard touchdown pass on a slant route to Jarrett, who beat Nebraska cornerback Andre Jones on the play that ended the first quarter.
Jones, of course, had guaranteed a Husker victory earlier in the week.
Nebraska drew first blood as Nunn reeled off a 31-yard punt return to set up Jordan Congdon’s 38-yard field goal with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter.
Nebraska used some trickery earlier in the period. Lined up to punt from its 36-yard line, punter Dan Titchener instead lofted a perfect pass to wide receiver Todd Peterson streaking up field for a gain of 28 yards.
However, the fake went for naught when the Huskers’ drive stalled at the Trojans’ 37.
Nebraska didn’t pick up its first regular-series first down until 1:39 into the second quarter.
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