USC heard all week that Oregon State's defense led the nation in sacks per game, but it was the Trojans who terrorized the opposing quarterback Saturday night.
USC sacked Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield nine times in Saturday's 24-3 win against Oregon State at the Coliseum. The mark was a season-high and the most since the 2004 Rose Bowl against Michigan.
"This doesn't surprise me," USC coach Pete Carroll said of his team's defensive effort. "We've been playing great all year, and games like this should pop up where we really have a standout game."
Canfield finished with 85 yards on 11 of 28 passing. The freshman from Carlsbad, Calif., had to leave the game in the fourth quarter after suffering an injury, colliding with USC safety Will Harris while trying to slide.
The Trojans held the Beavers to 176 yards of total offense.
Entering the game as one of the nation's top defenses in yards allowed, USC was accustomed to stifling performances. But the Trojans reached a new level after just 20 sacks in the previous eight games.
Defensive end Everson Griffen led the Trojans' charge with three and a half sacks. The true freshman from Avondale, Ariz., had one career sack entering the game.
"We've been waiting for this kid to explode," Carroll said. "He can get to the point where he can have three or four sacks and it won't be a special night for him."
Griffen was one of five Trojans to record a sack. Safety Kevin Ellison tallied two, while defensive end Lawrence Jackson had one and a half.
Jackson recorded another sack, but the play was negated by a face mask penalty.
"The first thing I said was 'Sorry' to [Canfield]," Oregon state offensive lineman Roy Schuening said. "They were better, and my hat is off to them."
USC's defense credited an adjusted scheme for the additional pressure. The Trojans used more man-to-man coverage against the Beavers than they did in the first half of the season.
"A lot of offenses in the Pac-10 are changing to use misdirection and spread us out, so we can't play much man in our schemes," said cornerback Terrell Thomas, who intercepted a pass in the second quarter. "But we were able to get back to that, and it felt real good."
The Beavers' prostyle offense gave USC more opportunities than usual to pressure. Jackson said that
Canfield's tendency to sit in the pocket added to the Trojans ability to fluster him.
"He can run, but he's not going to hurt you on his feet like Dennis Dixon or guys like that," Jackson said.
Carroll said the team did not make radical defensive adjustments and that the players' execution made the difference.
"The coverage guys did a fantastic job of keeping them from throwing the football and getting on rhythm," Carroll said.
USC feasted on an Oregon State offense that had been decimated by the loss of several of its top players.
Running back Yvenson Bernard and offensive lineman Jeremy Perry, both All-Pac-10 selections, sat out Saturday's game with injuries.
Wide receiver Sammie Stroughter, who racked up 197 yards in Oregon State's win against USC last year, is redshirting this year because of personal reasons.
"We have taken a couple hits [on the line] and are playing some younger people," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said. "But we got baptized tonight."
The homecoming victory added meaning for USC's four senior defensive starters. With one home game remaining in their careers as Trojans, each realizes that time is running out.
"This was an opportunity for us to direct the effort to them knowing that they only have a couple more times to play here," Carroll said. "It's important for us to dedicate our efforts to the guys that have been here for the long haul."
