Inevitably, UW gets ripped

LOS ANGELES – Rather than deep scars, there was a mere bruising, and that alone was a triumph of sorts for the Washington football team.

Unfortunately, that was only the first half.

The real beating came over the final 30 minutes, and it was relentless and unmerciful, as the Huskies were blown out 38-0 by unbeaten and top-ranked USC Saturday before a crowd of 72,855 at Memorial Coliseum.

After spotting the Trojans (7-0 overall, 4-0 Pac-10) a none-too-imposing 10-0 lead by intermission, the UW left the gates open to start the next half, permitting three third-quarter touchdowns, two by tailback LenDale White, and a pair of fourth-period scores.

The expected rout was on, and down went a pair of once-imposing Huskies’ streaks – 27 consecutive non-losing seasons and 271 games in a row of not getting shut out.

“They played like the No. 1 team in the country,” said a somber UW coach Keith Gilbertson.

When it appeared there would be no hope for the Huskies (1-6, 0-4) entering this match-up, there was Manase Hopoi. The senior defensive tackle from Sacramento had the game of his career, often making the Trojans’ vaunted offensive line look mortal. He repeatedly wrapped himself around USC quarterback Matt Leinhart, even knocked the Heisman Trophy candidate out of the game for a play with a crunching stop.

Hopoi was so good he tied a school-record with six tackles for loss, five in the opening half and three coming on sacks.

He was not nearly enough.

Whatever gains the UW defense made on this day, the offense gave it all back. The Huskies held USC scoreless for the first five drives and 18 minutes. But they fumbled on their own 6, with first-time starting quarterback Isaiah Stanback getting hit on the option and mishandling a pitch. That set up the game’s first points, a Ryan Killeen field goal from 29 yards with 11:45 left in the second quarter.

Hopoi’s third-down, 8-yard sack of Leinhart, dropping him on the 11, limited the damage there.

“We’ve got a lot of young talent, and that’s why they’re out there playing,” Hopoi said. “I just try to lead them.”

The hosts finally flexed a little Trojans muscle on their next possession, moving 82 yards in eight plays for Reggie Bush’s 15-yard TD catch from Leinhart, good for a 10-0 advantage.

The UW defensive unit tried to be helpful early. Two first-half turnovers, C.J. Wallace’s interception at the USC 33 and Scott White’s fumble recovery at the opposing 36, put the Huskies in scoring position. They came away with nothing to show for these opportunities, as Michael Braunstein missed field goals from 46 and 47 yards.

Offensively, it was a game-long struggle for the UW, if not a gruesome mismatch. The Huskies failed to pick up a first down until midway through the second quarter. They generated a tepid 113 yards of total offense and six first downs.

“It was not a good match, our offense and their defense,” Gilbertson said.

On top of that, the more veteran offensive guys keep making disastrous errors. This time it was sophomore tailback Kenny James.

On the first play of the second half, James ran one inside, took a wicked hit from USC linebacker Matt Grootegoed and the ball popped up in the air, with the Trojans recovering on the 18.

USC scored in five plays. White scurried into the end zone from 3 yards out. The Huskies crumbled.

Smelling blood, USC scored in four plays on its next series. Back-up Jason Mitchell caught a 29-yard TD pass from Leinhart, getting wide open behind the UW secondary for his first career touchdown.

White added another TD run near the end of the quarter, busting into the end zone from 2 yards out and USC was rolling 31-0. White had 93 yards on 17 carries.

Leinhart had a big day throwing the ball, completing 24 of 43 passes for 217 yards and two TDs. Bush, getting his first start as a Trojan, led all receivers with six catches for 41 yards.

On the other side, the Huskies were so frustrated with their production they pulled Stanback and James before the third quarter was over and replaced them with Casey Paus and Shelton Sampson, respectively. But that didn’t change anything.