RECAPS: What they're saying...OSU at USC

What the Oregon and California media are saying after Oregon State's 24-3 loss to USC Nov. 3.

| From an Oregon State Perspective |

Trojans stage sack party
It didn't take long – a quarter and a half, max – to figure out Oregon State wasn't going to have enough offense to beat Southern Cal Saturday night.

The OSU offensive line couldn't open holes or protect quarterback Sean Canfield, as big a reason as any for the 13th-ranked Trojans' 24-3 victory over the Beavers at the LA Coliseum ... more from the Portland Tribune.

One to the chin
Roy Schuening didn’t waste any time accepting the blame for this one.

The senior offensive guard spoke with heartfelt emotion Saturday night not often seen from one of the biggest and most intense players on the Oregon State football team ... more from the Gazette Times | Sideline Report

Beavers’ defense let down by loss
Three quarters of a great defensive performance was not a moral victory for the Oregon State football team.

Not the way the Beavers have been playing this year ... more from the Gazette Times | Report Card

Another trip to L.A., another loss to USC for Beavers
Maybe another year.

Or a different decade. Possibly some future millennium.

Oregon State’s stretch of futility against USC in the Coliseum continued Saturday night as the punchless Beavers (5-4 overall, 3-3 in the Pac-10) were beaten by halftime and couldn’t recover, losing to the 13th-ranked Trojans, 24-3, in front of 85,713 and a regional television audience ... more from the Register Guard | Game Report

USC proves it can still play like USC
The sports headlines here were dominated by two stories last week: Kobe Bryant's desire to be traded by the Lakers, and the Dodgers' hiring of Joe Torre as manager.

USC football? After the Trojans' 24-17 loss to Oregon, they were suddenly an afterthought heading into their game against Oregon State at Memorial Coliseum on Saturday. USC, after all, was the program that chased national titles and whose players won Heisman Trophies, not played for second place or lesser bowl games ... more from The Oregonian.

Beavers' offense a no-show as Trojans pound out win
You know it's bad when one of the offensive linemen apologizes to the quarterback. And maybe it was warranted, because the only thing in USC colors who didn't stampede over Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday was Traveler, the big white horse.

Canfield probably felt as if he got kicked in the head by a horse when USC strong safety Will Harris hammered him after the whistle following an 18-yard scramble with 5:59 left. Canfield's head and left shoulder took the brunt of it, another painful memory of a 24-3 Pacific-10 Conference loss in front of 85,713 and a regional television audience ... more from The Oregonian.

| From an USC Perspective |

Trojans aren't sad sacks
Quarterback John David Booty showed rust in his return to the lineup and USC receivers did not help much with several drops.

To make matters worse, the Trojans were shut out in the second half ... more from the L.A. Times.

USC's offense stays afloat with Sarkisian at the helm
It was time to make repairs to the sinking ship, as well as his own reputation.

And so Steve Sarkisian, offensive coordinator for the listing Trojans football team, slapped some caulking on the bow Saturday night, and it held ... more from the L.A. Times.

Trojans would ruin day for folks in old El Paso
I RECEIVED a number of e-mails from the folks who live in the cow town where they play the Sun Bowl, who were obviously concerned about their only day of entertainment all year long and getting stuck with the Trojans.

As big a disappointment as USC has been locally and as boring as their game was Saturday in the Coliseum, I know I wouldn't want to go to the Sun Bowl ... more from the L.A. Times.

Trojans get the payoff up front for a change
Better six games late in Pacific 10 Conference play than never.

That could be the mantra of USC's once-ballyhooed defensive line, which failed to dominate conference foes until manhandling Oregon State on Saturday night at the Coliseum ... more from the L.A. Times.

Thomas picks a good time to excel
A step-up performance from USC senior cornerback Terrell Thomas on Saturday night at the Coliseum helped the beleaguered Trojans secondary take a step in the right direction during a 24-3 victory over Oregon State.

Before the game, Thomas said, Coach Pete Carroll "was calling on the secondary to step up," and the cornerback responded by intercepting a Sean Canfield pass and returning it 25 yards to the Oregon State 14-yard line in the second quarter ... more from L.A. TImes.

USC tops Oregon State
USC had its starting quarterback again. More importantly, the Trojans had their usual defense.

Riding a barrage of sacks and an explosive second quarter, USC rebounded from its loss at Oregon to regain its footing after a 24-3 win over Oregon State Saturday before 85,713 at the Coliseum ... more from the L.A. Daily News.

USC does enough in win over Oregon State
An indication of how quickly the bar has been lowered for USC football came Saturday night, when the Trojans took comfort in an offense that gained 112 yards in the second half against Oregon State.

USC might be ranked 13th by The Associated Press, but the Trojans are happy with making small steps following two losses in October and suddenly being forced to consider the possibility of playing in the Las Vegas Bowl ... more from the L.A. Daily News.

Trojans' brave new world
Into their new world they strode, a place where bullets did not bounce off their chests and teams did not cower at their sight.

The Trojans understood exactly what was going on, calling it unfamiliar territory, that foreign land of two-loss teams ... more from the L.A. Daily News.