#1 USC overcomes deficit to stomp #24 Oregon 45-13

By John Onan  |   Sunday, September 25, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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Showing the composure of a championship football team, the USC Trojans overcame an early 10-0 deficit to whip the previously undefeated Oregon Ducks on Saturday night in Eugene 45-13.

Defending Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns, shaking off an unusually bad start. After starting 12-of-25 in the first half, he finished 23-of-39. Coming into this showdown, he had been completing passes at a 75 % clip.

The ground game was just as important for the high powered offense, as Reggie Bush gained 122 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown and his backup LenDale White chipped in 109 yards on 15 carries with two rushing scores.
USC found themselves in an odd role going into halftime, trailing 13-10 as the Ducks capitalized on bad tackling and misses assignments by the top-ranked team's defense. But, true to form, the USC Trojans began scoring in bunches after the break. They went on three scoring drives, possessing the ball for almost the entire third quarter. Turning a three point deficit into an 18-point lead, they cruised from there.

The defense, which is the perceived weak point if there is one for USC, gave up nothing to the Ducks in the second half.
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