Cavaliers crushed
Injured knee doesn't hamper Sanchez as Southern California rolls
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 - 12:07 AM

By HANK KURZ JR.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Now that he's proved to himself that his knee is healthy, Mark Sanchez can settle into showing everyone that Southern California is in really good hands.

Sanchez threw three touchdown passes in his first game as the Trojans' true No. 1 quarterback yesterday, leading third-ranked USC to a 52-7 victory against Virginia.

Just more than three weeks removed from a dislocated kneecap that kept him out of practice until this week, Sanchez showed no ill effects. He was 26 for 35 for 338 yards and directed the Trojans on three touchdown drives in the first 11 minutes. They rolled from there.

"It's exciting to know I got one under my belt with this whole knee deal," he said. "I'm back to 100 percent. I feel good and we're ready to start preparing for Ohio State."

While Sanchez plans to spend some of that time continuing the rehabilitation that sparked his remarkable recovery, it may be that coach Pete Carroll uses it to tweak some things.

The offense, for example, to make use of Sanchez's resourcefulness in the pocket.

"That's an exciting aspect of our offense that I felt like we didn't have the last couple of years," Carroll said, recalling a play when Sanchez ducked under a pass rusher and stepped into a long ball that hit wide open Ronald Johnson in the end zone for a 49-yard TD play.

"I think we all sense it," Carroll said, "and we've been excited about it."

The Trojans lead 21-0 quickly and weren't tested, allowing Carroll to keep the offense simple in advance of their home game against the No. 2 Buckeyes in two weeks. Even this early in the season, the matchup figures to greatly affect the championship race.

"Knowing we have these two weeks to prepare means a lot, too," Sanchez said.

Sanchez, a junior, started three games last season, filling in for the injured John David Booty and going 2-1. Now, USC is Sanchez's team, and he made that evident in the opener.

"You can just sense that if you give him time back there, he's going to find guys and he's got a real attitude about him to take advantage of it," Carroll said. "It's his nature."

The Cavaliers could clearly use some of that swagger.

Virginia had former stars Tiki and Ronde Barber and Chris Long in attendance and a Scott Stadium record crowd of 64,947 on hand, but the Cavaliers had minus-15 yards on their first three offensive series and needed 25 yards in penalties on their lone scoring drive.

Virginia ran for just 32 yards and was outgained 558-187.

"The only way to bounce back from a game like this is to take it as a learning experience," tailback Cedric Peerman said. "We will have a lot of work to do in practice."

The Cavaliers' TD came on Mikell Simpson's 7-yard run late in the first quarter, after a 15-yard roughing the passer flag and a 10-yard pass interference call against the Trojans.

Virginia never threatened again, and USC was nearly flawless behind its quarterback.

The Trojans drove 56 yards in eight plays on their first possession, with Stafon Johnson running it in from the 2, and took over at the Virginia 47 on their next possession.

Sanchez completed three 10-yard passes in the drive, twice hitting tight end Anthony McCoy over the middle and then Joe McKnight took a dump-off pass 10 yards to the end zone.

"It felt good," Sanchez said. "I moved when I needed to and was really happy out there."

After another three-and-out for Virginia, C.J. Gable went off the right side on a fourth-and-1 from Virginia's 33 and cruised untouched down the sideline for a TD that made it 21-0.

In the second half, Sanchez hit Patrick Turner over the middle in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown, and then rolled out and found Johnson all alone behind the secondary.

By then, fans were streaming for the exits.

Peter Lalich, who won the three-way battle for the Cavaliers quarterback job, hit on 18 of 35 passes, but for just 155 yards. He was intercepted once, setting up a USC touchdown, and came away with tremendous respect for the program that has won 11 national championships and been maybe the best program in the country since Carroll took over in 2001.

"Their speed was pretty unbelievable the whole game," he said. "It's something they have across the board, at every position, and they really were able to use it to their advantage."

 

Best show in town? USC, easily
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008 - 12:07 AM
By PAUL WOODY
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

CHARLOTTESVILLE The crowd, thousands strong, roared its approval as the players they had come so far to see stood and expressed their gratitude after the game.

Those thousands of fans all were wearing the burgundy and gold colors of the University of Southern California. They occupied seats in the corner of the end zone in the lower level of Scott Stadium.

They occupied seats in the upper level above the end zone. They filled the bleachers in the upper level at the opposite end of the field.

"No matter where we go, no matter how far we go, they're going to be there with us," said USC running back C.J. Gable. "There's no pro team in L.A. Everyone loves to watch us. We're kind of like movie stars out there."

Cut. That's a wrap.

The Trojans are perennial national championship contenders. Nothing that happened here yesterday will dissuade anyone from the notion that the Trojans will be in the mix for a berth in the BCS championship game again this season.

The Trojans demolished the University of Virginia Cavaliers yesterday, 52-7.

"You said that," USC coach Pete Carroll said afterward.

Oh, so the game was closer than it looked?

Virginia coach Al Groh must have thought that. With 44 seconds left in the first half and trailing 24-7, the Cavaliers faced a fourth and four at the USC 43.

Virginia punted.

That forced the Trojans to wait through the 20-minute halftime before opening up a lead about as large as the distance between Los Angeles and the Rotunda.

The Trojans and the Cavaliers do not play in the same league, literally and figuratively.

The Trojans drew plenty of comparisons to an NFL team yesterday, but that's not accurate. Southern Cal has more depth than most NFL teams.

"People worry about our running backs," Carroll said. "Five out of six scored today. The cool thing that happened was that so many guys got to play today."

Pardon the Cavaliers, their coaches and their fans if they don't think that was so cool.

"I don't think we played great," Carroll said.

He was the only one who held that opinion.

"I thought we played like guys did what they were supposed to do," Carroll said. "Guys made the plays they make in practice . . . That's thrilling for me to see."

The reason fans follow Southern Cal across the country or establish an allegiance to a team on another coast is that the Trojans provide so many thrills.

They can roll out player after player, and it is difficult to tell the backups from the starters. California is a treasure trove of football talent, in high schools and junior colleges. But so many good ones come to Southern Cal because the football program is synonymous with student body left, Heisman Trophy winners and national championships.

Young men want to be a part of that. Some are willing to give up the opportunity to start elsewhere in order to play a smaller role on a team with the potential to win a title every year.

"Nobody really has a starting position," Gable said. "We have so much talent here. I started this game, but I might not be starting the next game.

"And that's at every position. Only the best play. If you do everything right, you're going to get in. If you're not scared of competition, you're going to come here."

The Trojans play on both sides of the ball with a speed that is almost breathtaking.

Once yesterday, the Cavaliers had the perfect play called, a screen pass, against the Southern Cal defense, a heavy blitz.

The crowd roared as Cedric Peerman appeared to break into the clear. Against many teams, Peerman might have covered the 51 yards to the end zone.

Against Southern Cal, Peerman gained five yards.

"Their speed was pretty unbelievable," Virginia quarterback Peter Lalich said. "It's something they have all across the board."

Bored, however, is not how those thousands of Trojans fans feel as they watch their team.

"They have a lot of love for us," Gable said.

That's not hard to understand.

 

Trojans storm Virginia
The Cavaliers can find no shelter from USC's power and speed.
By Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As soon as a severe weather alert was posted for central Virginia, fans at the Virginia-Southern California game were given permission to evacuate Scott Stadium.

Maybe the Cavaliers' football team should have accepted the invitation.

Fans were told that they would be allowed re-entry if they chose to take shelter, but the only storm that materialized was between the white sidelines.

USC blew into Scott Stadium with the nation's third-ranked college football team and did little to diminish its status as a championship contender in a 52-7 romp over the Cavaliers.

It was the most lopsided loss for Virginia since it was beaten by Clemson 55-0 in the opening game of the 1984 season, and it came in front of a Scott Stadium-record crowd of 64,947.

Big crowds don't correspond to big wins for UVa, which also had lost in front of its two biggest home crowds before Saturday. That includes a 52-14 loss to Virginia Tech in 2005 that previously had been the most lopsided setback in Al Groh's eight-year UVa coaching tenure.

"USC was a big, powerful and fast team with superior quarterback play," Groh said. "We were anything but fast and powerful and we turned the ball over too many times. Our attitude about our team is: it's not OK to play like that.

"We knew it was going to take a lot on our part to pull this off. We could have understood it a little differently if we had played better, but to have played as poorly as we did and lost is not acceptable."

Virginia failed to pick up a first down on its first three series and USC took advantage of good field position on touchdown drives of 56, 47 and 42 yards.

A 33-yard touchdown run by C.J. Gable gave USC a 21-0 lead with 4:01 remaining in the first quarter.

Virginia responded with its only touchdown of the game, a 7-yard run by Mikell Simpson with 2:14 left in the first period, and the Cavaliers played the Trojans on relatively even terms for the rest of the half.

Virginia had the benefit of a roughing penalty and a pass-interference call on its touchdown drive, but total yardage in the second quarter was 69-69.

"We were trying to hang in there," Groh said. "Maybe we got a little handle on the game. We went well into the third quarter, made a couple of plays and got them off the field. But we never got any pressure on their quarterback and they got a lot of pressure on our quarterback."

Sophomore Peter Lalich started at quarterback for the Cavaliers and basically played mistake-free until he was intercepted by Kevin Thomas with 59 seconds remaining in the third period.

The Cavaliers lost three fumbles in the fourth quarter, two by Lalich and one by tight end John Phillips.

Lalich, who played in eight games last year as a backup, completed 18 of 35 passes for 155 yards.

"He did a pretty decent job," said Groh, who did not designate a starter until kickoff. "I think everybody who watched the game can see the type of throws he's capable of making without the opportunity to get much of a look at the defense. That pocket didn't hold up very long.

"He made some very positive throws, but you evaluate a quarterback on the total game. When you turn the ball over a couple of times like that, you've got to make a lot of awesome throws to balance it out. It's not about the good throws that you make; it's about how you conduct the overall game."

Trojans' quarterback Mark Sanchez was masterful, especially in the context of a preseason interrupted when he dislocated his left kneecap.

Twenty-two days after the injury, Sanchez passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns as USC outgained the Cavaliers 558-187.

"My injury really made me step back and think about what I wanted this season to be," Sanchez said. "We came into camp with so many expectations and then my knee gives out. We have a big opponent [Ohio State on Sept. 13] to prepare for, and I need every second of these next two weeks to get things right."

Virginia now must prepare for one of nation's best Division I-AA teams, Richmond, which is coached by former UVa defensive coordinator Mike London.

The Cavaliers recovered from a 23-3 loss at Wyoming in the 2007 opener and win nine games, but there have been significant personnel losses at key spots.

"This day was not good, obviously," said UVa linebacker and co-captain Clint Sintim. "Losing by 40 points humbles you as a player and a team. First, I have to evaluate myself. I don't feel like I performed well out there today and I don't feel I like I led my team.

"This was difficult but that's what you want. You want to assess your program by playing one of the better programs in the nation.

"If I had it to do all over, I'd do it again. I'd play USC. I'd play LSU. I want to play the titans of the game because that's where we want to be."
 

Ups, downs for Lalich as Cavaliers quarterback
By Mark Berman
981-3125

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Southern Cal quarterback Mark Sanchez was all smiles after Saturday's game.

"You only get one first game each year, and this was a good way to start," he said after the third-ranked Trojans' 52-7 rout of the Cavaliers.

His Virginia counterpart wasn't so gleeful after making his starting debut.

"I was encouraged by some things, and some things I need to improve on," Peter Lalich said.

"I know I can play quarterback, but it's not just about me. ... It's about all of us jelling together."

Lalich, a sophomore who was often in the shotgun set, completed 18 of 35 passes for 155 yards. He was picked off once, fumbled the ball away twice and was sacked twice.

"We had a lot of open guys out there that I should've hit," he said. "I don't have that much experience right now, but I definitely think I have enough talent to make some of the plays I left on the field.

"I'm not down on myself or anything. I just know I need to get better."

UVa coach Al Groh had been mum during the week on who would be his starting signal-caller, although it was no surprise that Lalich got the nod. Lalich said Saturday he was not allowed to reveal when he got the good news.

Lalich got good reviews from his teammates.

"He wasn't nervous at all," tight end John Phillips said. "He's grown up in a year. He was very comfortable with his progressions and he made great throws."

Phillips said UVa tried to spread USC out because the Trojans are so fast and physical. UVa was held to 187 yards of total offense.

"They made a big change in their style. They went to the shotgun stuff and the big spread offensive-line stuff," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "We kind of guessed that was happening and we were really ready for it, ... a real fast passing game."

Sanchez suffered a knee injury early in preseason practice, so his status for this game was uncertain entering the week. But the junior said his knee was "100 percent" on Saturday.

Sanchez, who started three games last fall when John David Booty was injured, completed 26 of 35 passes for 338 yards and three TDs. He was not sacked.

"I had time to throw ... a lot, a lot [of time]," he said. "[Offensive line] Coach [Pat] Ruel always calls it in practice, 'We're cooking steaks back there,' because we've got that much time. And that's the way it felt."

Sanchez threw a 49-yard TD pass, an indication that the Sanchez era might be more exciting than the Booty era.

"Mark has the eye for getting the ball down the field," Carroll said. "You give him time back there, he's going to find guys.

"That's an exciting aspect of our offense that I felt like we didn't have the last couple years."
 

Virginia retires Ronde Barber's jersey
By Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Ronde Barber owns a Super Bowl ring and he has made four Pro Bowl appearances during an 11-year NFL career, but don't think he wasn't appreciative when Virginia retired his jersey Saturday.

Not after his twin brother, Tiki, had his number retired last year.

"I was envious," said Ronde, who played at Cave Spring High School. "I was otherwise occupied and couldn't make it last year, but I've been thinking about it ever since Tiki's jersey was retired. I was the better player."

Tiki, the 1996 ACC player of the year, didn't disagree.

"He is a better player than I was, always was," said Tiki, who retired after the 2006 season as the leading rusher in New York Giants history. "I played a position that got the recognition. I scored the touchdowns. People came to see me.

"In terms of diversity, athletic ability and longevity, he was better. This was well-deserved. It takes a long career, a distinguished career like he's had in the NFL, for people to realize how good he was."

Ronde, who is entering his 12th season as a cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was a three-time, first-team All-ACC selection before making himself available for the 1996 NFL Draft as a fourth-year junior.

"How many Virginia players have ever made first-team All-ACC three times," asked Ronde.

There have been three three-time first-team All-ACC players from Virginia and all were in attendance, former safety Anthony Poindexter, now a UVa assistant, and ex-offensive tackle Jim Dombrowski, who was recognized as a member of the 2008 College Football Hall of Fame induction class.

Personnel

Sophomore Ras-I Dowling was not in uniform. Coach Al Groh had said midway through fall camp that Dowling had been slowed by a "sore leg." Dowling's status was listed as questionable in a Thursday injury report. Redshirt freshman Chase Minniefield got the start in Dowling's place. ... Sophomore Dontrelle Inman started at wide receiver in place of Maurice Covington, who was listed as doubtful but entered the game and had a 14-yard reception.

The only true freshmen to play for the Cavs were punter Jimmy Howell, who averaged 38.2 yards on eight attempts, and 17-year-old offensive guard Austin Pasztor, who spent the 2007 season at Fork Union.

Painful exit

Aaron Clark, a fourth-year outside linebacker from Rockbridge County, made the first start of his college career but suffered an injury to his right knee with 12:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Clark did not return to the game and left the field on crutches. Clark had a career-high five tackles, including a tackle for loss.

Virginia next week

The Cavs entertain Richmond at 3:45 p.m. Saturday. The 1989 team that delivered UVa's first ACC co-championship will be honored. The Spiders opened the season Saturday with a 28-10 win at Elon.
 

Virginia game highlights

SATURDAY'S STAR

Mark Sanchez

Southern Cal QB

Sanchez showed no signs of the knee injury that had hampered him in preseason practice, throwing for 338 yards and three TDs with no interceptions. He was never sacked. USC coach Pete Carroll said Sanchez's recovery was extraordinary.

IT WAS OVER WHEN

The Trojans scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to build a 21-0 lead less than 11 minutes into the game. The USC defense was just as impressive in that span, holding the Cavs to three-and-outs on their first three series.

GOOD CALL?

UVa wasted a chance to go into halftime with some momentum. Down 24-7 with 44 seconds left in the second quarter, UVa opted to punt on fourth-and-4 from the USC 43. Why not try to get back in the game, instead of being so conservative?

THEY SAID IT

"The only way to bounce back from a game like this is to take it as a learning experience. We will have a lot of work to do in practice."

-- UVA tailback Cedric Peerman, on the Cavs' loss to the Trojans

"Their speed was pretty unbelievable the whole game. It's something they have across the board, at every position, and they really were able to use it to their advantage."

-- UVa QB Peter Lalich, on the Southern Cal defense

CRITICAL NUMBERS

3 The number of USC tailbacks who contributed to the team's first TD drive.


4 The number of turnovers UVa had in the second half.


5 The number of USC tailbacks who scored touchdowns.


6 The number of carries UVa tailbacks had in the first half.


10 Average yards per carry for USC tailback Joe McKnight -- 60 yards on six carries.


64,947 Saturday's crowd, the largest in Scott Stadium history.

-- Staff reports
 

Black Saturday for Commonwealth
Aaron McFarling

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- A little after 3 p.m., there came a roar. A loud one, rising above Scott Stadium and mixing with the smell of whiskey and hot dogs and guilty pleasure.

They'd posted the Virginia Tech score on the video screen.

Ah, yes, college football was back. Rivalries and schadenfreude and plain ol' fun.

But then they kicked off here. The whiskey quickly went sour and the roar fell silent. Southern California scored on its first four possessions and handed Virginia its worst loss in more than two decades, 52-7, prompting everyone to wonder why they'd waited all summer for this.

Bummer, huh? As statewide football fiascoes go, Saturday is going to be a tough one to top.

In Charlotte, where East Carolina scored on a late punt block to stun the Hokies 27-22, Tech's quarterback position was thrown back into disarray and the illusion that the defense would magically reload took a bullet.

And here in Charlottesville? Well, there never were any illusions here in Charlottesville. But there certainly was a beatdown. USC's margin of victory was more than double the Vegas point spread.

"You can put all sorts of psychological interpretations on it," UVa coach Al Groh said. "But sometimes bad plays are just bad plays."

Tech and UVa both made plenty. Dropped passes. Missed tackles. Turnovers. Short-field gifts.

The Cavaliers gave up 558 yards of total offense and gained just 187. The barrage of touchdowns had UVa fans heading to the exits early, leaving trash strewn on the hill and USC fans chanting "Beat the Buckeyes" as the final moments mercifully ticked away.

"The only good news," one UVa fan said as he was leaving the stadium early in the fourth quarter, "is that if any Tech fan tries to give me crap on Monday ..."

Don't worry. Won't happen. Because the Hokies know they were expected to win while UVa wasn't. And the reasons Tech didn't win are more troubling than anything that transpired here.

Quarterback Sean Glennon struggled just days after being anointed the starter. The offensive line, expected to be a strength, had trouble blocking the Pirates for the second straight year.

And perhaps most disturbing of all, Tech's defense and special teams couldn't bail the team out this time.

I'm as guilty as anyone in buying too much preseason stock in the Hokies. I picked them to go 11-1 this year, largely because the Coastal Division looks shaky and they don't have to play Clemson and Wake Forest.

Mathematically, that is still possible. Realistically, I've been a exposed as a Pollyannish dufus.

But even a more modest forecast of 9-3 would look awfully optimistic now, in the wake of Black Saturday.

At UVa, it was a little easier to latch onto a few positives. Peter Lalich, the mystery starter at quarterback, made some nice throws throughout and didn't look intimidated. He struggled with turnovers, but considering the top-five opponent and his sophomore status, he had a serviceable starting debut.

"He did a pretty decent job," Groh said, which is about as strong an endorsement you're going to get when your team loses by 45.

Sigh. Maybe we should all just run for the border. Yes, West Virginia, where they know how to usher in a new season. Just think of the Saturday Mountaineers' fans had: Not only did coach Bill Stewart get his first win without the interim tag, but the school's biggest rival (Pittsburgh) and most despised alumnus (Rich Rodriguez at Michigan) both went down in upsets.

On second thought, we probably ought to just stick it out here. Furman's up next for Tech. UVa's got Richmond. That sounds like a couple of Ws, doesn't it?

Well, doesn't it?

Many thanks to the Pirates and Trojans for making that question more difficult to answer, for dumping a steaming bucket of rotten clams on the Commonwealth's opening day.

But fear not, everyone. We're just getting started here. The roar will return. The excitement will endure.

It always does.
 

No excuses or rationalizing; Virginia just came up small
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Virginia football can't compete with the nation's elite.

We knew that.

But there had to be a hope - a wish - among the faithful that the Cavaliers, playing in front of a Scott Stadium record crowd of 64,947 and a national TV audience, would put up a better fight.

Didn't happen.

Even in the opening quarter, far too soon for faith and optimism to be extinguished, Al Groh's underdogs failed to rise to the occasion against the glamor team from the West Coast.

Southern California toyed with U.Va. early and often, giving the impression right from the start that it could name the score.

"It wasn't the awe aspect of it," insisted U.Va. senior linebacker Clint Sintim.

That would be a handy excuse, and it might even be true.

"We knew exactly what they were going to do," Sintim said. "To know when something's coming and still not make a dent is demoralizing."

Southern California "was a big, powerful, fast team with superior quarterback play today," Groh said. "We were anything but big and fast."

Translation: the Cavaliers came up very small.

Groh approached this game with a touch of gallows humor, but late Saturday afternoon he clearly was not amused, running down his team's long list of lapses.

There's a lot of blame to go around, but early on, poor tackling compounded the problems created by the Cavaliers' inferior manpower.

"They are a very good team," Groh said after his team's 52-7 humbling, "but the attitude on our team is that it's not OK to play like that. To play as poorly as we played is not acceptable."

The offense and kicking teams contributed to U.Va.'s dubious adventure. The Cavaliers gave up the ball too often and too soon, allowing USC to play with a short field as it ran off the game's first 21 points.

"A really cool thing that happened," said Trojans coach Pete Carroll, "so many guys got to play today."

It isn't the first time USC has taken its opening week party on the road, where the Trojans have beaten far better teams than U.Va. Every debut seems to be a statement game for L.A.'s finest.

"All five running backs scored today," said Carroll. "It's a beautiful thing."

If not exactly beautiful, the play of U.Va. quarterback Peter Lalich from the shotgun position should encourage the Cavaliers. Though he had his moments against one of the nation's premier defenses, Groh could only seem to recall Lalich's interception and pair of fumbles in the second half.

"Our quarterback turned the ball over too many times," he said.

By then the game was well beyond reach, but presumably people were still watching and, in the case of Cavalier fans, flinching. Many must have wondered why their team wilted so badly on the big stage.

Good for Groh, then, for declining to rationalize his team's performance, for refusing to shrug off the day with a "what-did-you-expect" insouciance.

Of course, he's the one who will be held most responsible. That's how it works when your team fails to gain traction, even against a team as good as USC.

There will be enough time - and better opportunities - to assess and dissect the Cavaliers. A long season lies ahead.

For now, though, the appropriate reaction from U.Va. should be anger and disappointment.

"It was disturbing to me," Groh said, "disturbing to everybody in the organization."

When somebody tried to get the coach to say something nice about his team, Groh stonewalled far better than his defense had.

"It wouldn't be right for me or anybody," he said, "to say that anybody played well today."

 

USC speed aside, Cavs must atone
David Teel
August 31, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Maybe they'll feel differently after viewing the tape. Or if they embark on a significant winning streak. Or if Southern California proves unbeatable.

But in the immediate aftershock of their nationally televised football flogging Saturday, Virginia's Cavaliers were disgusted.

"We just made a lot of mistakes … that had nothing to with them," safety Byron Glaspy said following the Cavs' 52-7, season-opening defeat at Scott Stadium.

"Our attitude about our team is, it's not OK to play like that," coach Al Groh said.

Correct on both counts.

No matter how many Usain Bolts the third-ranked Trojans have at running back and wide receiver, and regardless of all the LaShawn Merritts they boast at linebacker and safety, some breakdowns can't be excused.

Like allowing a fourth-and-1 toss sweep to become a 33-yard touchdown.

Like watching a receiver run virtually uncovered on a post route that turns into a 49-yard score.

Like netting 32 yards on your first 15 plays.

Like fumbling away a simple shotgun snap.

So transpired the Cavaliers' most lopsided loss in 21 years, the worst at home in 24.

USC scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, outscored Virginia 28-0 after intermission and outrushed the Cavaliers 218-32.

"It wouldn't be right for me or anybody to say that anybody played well today," Groh said.

Indeed, why try to sugarcoat it?

Sure, Mikell Simpson outraced the Trojans' defense to the left pylon on a 7-yard, first-quarter touchdown sprint. And yes, freshman receiver Jared Green caught three passes, and linebacker Antonio Appleby intercepted one.

But those were anomalies.

"We were ready for them," freshman defensive end Matt Conrath said. "We thought."

Truth be told, there's no getting ready for a team of USC's caliber when you play in a second-tier conference such as the ACC and simply aren't accustomed to a game contested at warp speed.

Why, it seemed the Trojans had more top-flight skill folks than Hillary Clinton does glass-ceiling cracks.

Tailbacks CJ Gable, Joe McKnight, Allen Bradford and Stafon Johnson combined for 205 yards on 33 carries. They would be stars elsewhere.

Ditto receivers Damian Williams, Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton and Ronald Johnson, who combined for 17 receptions for 264 yards, often picking on freshman cornerback Chase Minnifield and junior safety Brandon Woods.

"They played as fast as they looked," Cavs linebacker Clint Sintim said.

Never more than in the first quarter, when they were Stepford-efficient, scoring 21 points in 11 minutes and gaining 182 yards — split almost evenly with 89 rushing and 93 passing.

Here's how unfair it got: On third-and-3 early in the second quarter, fullback Stanley Havili easily eluded the Cavaliers' zone coverage and caught a 14-yard pass.

Hey, at USC even fullbacks can motor.

OK, so this Virginia defense pales to last season's. But USC's speed and depth figure to overwhelm most, if not all, comers — Ohio State two weeks hence in Los Angeles is must-see TV.

"We got done exactly what we wanted to get done today," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said. "We practiced beautifully during the whole process, and it showed. … It has been evident in the years that when we prepare like this, we can expect to play at a really high level."

USC's quickness is not limited to the offense, where only two seniors started. Linebackers Brian Cushing, Ray Maualuga and Kaluka Maiava, not to mention safety Taylor Mays, made Virginia's defenders appear plodding by comparison.

One play sticks out.

On first-and-10 from USC's 38, Cedric Peerman caught a screen pass that would have gained 8-10 yards against most opponents, perhaps 15-20 versus next-up foe Richmond.

The Trojans swarmed him for a 2-yard gain, and the drive ended with Yannick Reyering's missed field goal from 46 yards.

Virginia trotted out all the trappings Saturday, from former coach George Welsh to former All-Americans Jim Dombrowski, Chris Long and the Barber twins. A record crowd of 64,947 squeezed into the stadium and saw a scoreboard video trumpeting program alums playing in the NFL.

Well, a film of USC's pro connections would be longer than "Gone With the Wind," and the pipeline shows no sign of slowing.

"USC was a big, fast, powerful football team with superior quarterback play today," Groh said. "We were anything but. … We've gotta do better than that."

 

Cavs can't dent Trojans' armor
Southern California builds a big lead early and hands Virginia its worst defeat since 1987.
By NORM WOOD | 247-4642
August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE - — As a four-year starter on Virginia's defense, linebacker Clint Sintim had rarely felt overmatched on the field. He never had believed he was completely helpless.

That was before No. 3 Southern California came to town.

After USC rolled up 558 yards in Saturday's 52-7 win against UVa, Sintim knew he'd never seen another team as loaded as the Trojans. UVa (0-1) had no answers for the waves of speed and strength USC used on its way to handing the Cavaliers their worst loss since 1987, when South Carolina defeated UVa 58-10.

"To know when something is coming, but still not be able to make any dent is kind of demoralizing," Sintim said.

It was also UVa's worst home loss since '84, when Clemson embarrassed the Cavaliers 55-0 in the season-opener. USC (1-0) probably could've topped Clemson's margin of victory, but starting quarterback Mark Sanchez was taken out of the game before the Trojans' second drive of the fourth quarter. USC's 558 yards were its most in a regular-season game since gaining 679 on Dec. 9, 2005 in a 66-19 win against UCLA.

"We knew what we were opening up with when we scheduled the game," UVa coach Al Groh said. "We wanted to take a challenge against a team that is in a league of its own. We knew it was going to take a lot on our part to pull this off. To play as poorly as we played is not acceptable."

Sanchez completed 26 of 35 passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns and an interception — not bad for a guy only three weeks removed from a dislocated left kneecap.

It was evident just how much UVa missed defensive ends Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald. Sanchez was the beneficiary of superb pass protection and UVa didn't have any sacks. Sanchez had as much time as he wanted on most of his pass attempts.

"You give him time, and he'll find guys who'll take advantage of it," said USC coach Pete Carroll, whose team scored on its first four possessions.

"He has a way of taking advantage of the system that we have. Mark did a good job by readily attacking those guys."

UVa sophomore quarterback Peter Lalich, who was making his first career start, completed 18 of 35 passes for 155 yards and an interception. He played quarterback throughout the game, except for two plays when running back Mikell Simpson lined up at quarterback and ran after taking the snap.

After starting the game 2-for-8 passing, Lalich settled down and found openings against a defense that played softer after USC built a 21-0 advantage in the first 11 minutes of the game. Though he was sacked just twice, he was hurried while working primarily out of a shotgun formation and lost two fumbles.

"We could say that they were just way better than us and just go into the next week saying 'Well, they were just way better than us and that's why we lost,' but there were also a lot of times when our execution needed to be better," Lalich said. "We had a lot of guys out there that I should hit and there were a lot of times where we could've turned the thing around."

USC held UVa to 32 yards on 21 carries, and 20 of those yards came on a third-quarter carry by Cedric Peerman. Meanwhile, USC used seven running backs to accumulate 218 yards on 41 carries. Sophomore C.J. Gable led the Trojans with nine carries for 73 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown run.

UVa's most productive drive of the game came after USC took its three-touchdown lead in the first quarterback. With the assistance of a 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on USC linebacker Clay Matthews, and a 10-yard pass interference penalty on linebacker Kaluka Maiava, UVa drove from its own 38 to USC's 7.

Simpson capped off the drive by scoring on a 7-yard sweep to cut USC's lead to 21-7 with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter. UVa wouldn't get any closer.

On seven second half drives, UVa never got beyond USC's 49 and had six of the drives stall in its own territory. USC only had to travel an average of 56 yards per drive on its eight scoring drives.

"Field position is the key thing in all football games, and when you play a team that is in a league like USC is in, the only chance is to play with advantageous field position," Groh said.

"We gave them far too many short fields for us to play against an offense that was obviously going to be very hard to stop."

 

UVa notes
By Andy Bitter
Published: August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE — With Ras-I Dowling not dressed because of a leg injury, redshirt freshman Chase Minnifield was thrust into the starting lineup for Virginia against USC on Saturday. It was a learning experience to say the least.
Minnifield, one of 11 new starters for the Cavaliers, was a frequent target of USC’s full-throttle attack, which rolled up 558 yards of total offense.
Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for 338 yards, repeatedly victimizing Minnifield, who redshirted last season after suffering a knee injury during his senior season of high school.
Sanchez’s second to last touchdown pass was a perfectly thrown 49-yard strike to Ronald Johnson, who blew by Minnifield and was wide open after safety Byron Glaspy bit on the play-action fake.
“I think I can only take positives out of this experience,” Minnifield said. “It didn’t end up like we would have liked, but it was USC, it was a prototype team. So we just take positives out of this game.”
USC spread the ball around to its receivers, all of whom are built in the NFL mold, tall and strong. Damian Williams led the way with seven receptions for 91 yards, followed by Johnson (78 yards), Patrick Turner (62 yards) and Vidal Hazelton (33 yards).
“It won’t get much tougher than that,” Virginia coach Al Groh said. “There were about six or seven of those receivers who came in on a continuous rotation. And if they look big to you in the press box, you should have seen the size of them from where we were standing. Like I said, that’s a big, fast team.”
Green no more
Redshirt freshman Jared Green made a substantial impact in his first game action. The 6-foot-2, 178-pound wideout, whose father is NFL Hall of Famer Darrell Green, caught three passes for 40 yards, one of which was in traffic with defenders draped all over him.
“Maybe in the last seven or eight days, he started to show some of the things that showed up today,” Groh said. “What he’s starting to do is use his speed more. He is one of the faster players that we’ve had here, but if he doesn’t have the pedal to the floor, then he doesn’t play faster than other guys do.
“He’s starting to understand the value of his speed and definitely used it on a couple of those plays.”
Clark on crutches
Outside linebacker Aaron Clark made his first career start and turned in a strong showing, making five tackles, including one for a three-yard loss.
But the 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior went down with an ankle injury and was on crutches by the end of the game. No update was given on his condition.
So-so start
Virginia’s two new kickers had mixed reviews in their first game action. Place-kicker Yannick Reyering, a former all-ACC soccer player, missed his only field goal, 46-yarder with 4:35 left in the first half that would have pulled Virginia within 24-10. It had the distance but was wide right.
Punter Jimmy Howell, a true freshman from Florence, S.C., had eight punts with a 38.2-yard average. His longest went 49 yards.
Extra points
The crowd of 64,947 was a Scott Stadium record. … Chris Long, the No. 2 pick in last year’s NFL Draft, was in attendance. So were Tiki and Ronde Barber, who were making their first visit to Scott Stadium since 1996. They helped raise UVa’s “Power of Orange” flag prior to the game. … Tight end John Phillips was Virginia’s leading receiver, with a career-high five catches for 33 yards. … Other UVa players making their first start included RG B.J. Cabbell, NT Nate Collins, DE Matt Conrath, DE Alex Field, WR Dontrelle Inman, WR Cary Koch, C Jack Shields and S Brandon Woods. … LB Antonio Appleby recorded his first career interception, reeling in a deflected pass in the third quarter.


 

Even U.Va.'spast standoutscouldn't have halted Trojans
August 31, 2008 12:17 am
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

As the final seconds mercifully ticked away, the garnet-and-gold shirts fittingly outnumbered the blue-and-orange in Scott Stadium. Three thousand miles from home, Southern California's legions of traveling fans began the chant:

"Beat the Buckeyes!"

For the record, the third-ranked Trojans' next opponent is No. 2 Ohio State in 13 days. But after yesterday's 52-7 dismantling of Virginia, the Trojans might want to aim even higher.

Like No. 1 Georgia. Heck, the NFL doesn't have a team in Los Angeles; the Trojans could probably finish no worse than second in the NFC West. With apologies to Charlie Ward's Florida State powerhouse teams of the early '90s, the 2008 Trojans may be the best squad ever to play in Scott Stadium.

Tiki and Ronde Barber were back in town for a pregame ceremony, and No. 2 overall draft pick Chris Long was on the home sideline. Former Virginia offensive lineman Jim Dombrowski, a newly elected college football hall of famer, also was honored.

If the Cavaliers had had all four in their primes, they still might not have beaten the Trojans.

Knowing that the Buckeyes would be scouting yesterday's game, USC used a remarkably small portion of its offensive playbook--and still scored seven touchdowns. That, more than the lopsided score, was the Cavaliers' greatest source of frustration.

"We knew exactly what they were going to do," Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim said. "They didn't really show us much new. It was just a matter of executing.

"To know when something's coming and still not make a dent," he said, letting out a sigh, "that's really demoralizing."

The Cavaliers knew that USC quarterback Mark Sanchez was coming off knee surgery and was playing behind an offensive line with four new starters, but they never sacked him in 35 pass attempts.

"[Offensive line] coach [Pat] Ruel says we're cooking steaks back there," Sanchez said of the time he had to pass. "That's how it felt."

Coach Pete Carroll said Sanchez's "resourcefulness" in the pocket is an asset USC hasn't had the past few seasons--even while going 34-5.

And Sanchez had his choice of big, fast targets. The Trojans boast half a dozen receivers better than anyone on Virginia's roster--and one, Devon Hazleton, hails from Virginia Beach. (OK, Darrell Green's son Jared showed promise for the Cavs, but he's just a freshman).

USC lists four running backs as co-starters; any of them would relegate Mikell Simpson or Cedric Peerman to Virginia's bench. Five of them scored touchdowns yesterday.

Said senior linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.: "The great thing about our team is, we have so many good players. Our backups continue to play at the same level as our ones [first-teamers]."

The most demoralizing sequence for the Cavaliers came midway through the third quarter. Already trailing 31-7, they showed they weren't quitters by batting down two consecutive Sanchez passes.

On third and 10, a Virginia corner had textbook coverage on USC's Damian Williams, but Sanchez threaded a perfect pass to the sideline for a 14-yard gain. On the next snap, Ronald Johnson outsprinted the Cavs' secondary for a back-breaking 49-yard touchdown catch.

"You have to bring your 'A' game against them [on every play]," Virginia safety Byron Glaspy said.

And even if the Cavaliers had held the Trojans to, say, a touchdown per quarter, it still wouldn't have been nearly enough. Virginia's one scoring drive covered 62 yards--and was abetted by 40 yards worth of USC penalties.

Aside from that, the Cavaliers mustered 162 yards and 10 first downs all day against a Trojans defense that got exactly two tackles from All-America linebacker Ray Maualuga.

"If I'm any other team and I'm preparing for our defense, I've got to be scared," said Sanchez, who works against that group six days a week in practice.

The rest of the nation would be wise to heed his warning.

 

Like a knife through butter, Trojans slice up Cavaliers COLLEGE FOOTBALL
August 31, 2008 12:17 am
BY TAFT COGHILL JR.
CHARLOTTESVILLE--

The University of Virginia football team knew No. 3 Southern California would provide the ultimate challenge.

But it was still shell-shocked following yesterday's 52-7 season-opening loss to the Trojans in front of a Scott Stadium record crowd of 64,947.

Cavaliers head coach Al Groh said the noncon-ference defeat was "un-settling" and "disturbing."

"It's not OK to play like that," he said.

Senior linebacker Clint Sintim said it was "humbling."

It couldn't have been much fun watching the Trojans march up and down the field for 558 total yards, including a career-high 338 and three touchdowns through the air from junior quarterback Mark Sanchez.

"Losing by 40-some-odd points is very humbling," Sintim said. "But it's not exactly where we are as a team."

It's where the Cavaliers were yesterday, and Groh wasn't pleased.

The Trojans (1-0) were 19-point favorites entering the contest, but the Cavaliers (0-1) thought they might make the game interesting.

That wasn't the case.

Southern California jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first 11 minutes and didn't look back.

Afterward, Groh rationalized inviting such a national powerhouse to the Cavaliers' stadium. The Trojans have won or shared two national titles in the past six years and they boast three Heisman Trophy winners in that time frame.

"We wanted to put ourselves out there and take a challenge against a team we think is in a league of their own in college football," Groh said. "They've certainly proved that over the last six years. They proved it to us today. But to have played as poorly we played and to have lost is not acceptable."

Trojans head coach Pete Carroll said he wasn't surprised by his team's stellar play because it practiced well leading up to the contest.

The Trojans forced four turnovers and held the ball for 36 minutes, 31 seconds.

"We got done exactly what we wanted to get done," said Carroll, whose team has a week off before it faces No. 2 Ohio State on Sept. 13. "We practiced beautifully during the whole process, and it showed. That's why we worked so hard."

The Trojans led 24-7 at halftime, with the Cavaliers' lone touchdown coming on a 7-yard run from junior running back Mikell Simpson with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter. Their lead was 38-7 entering the fourth quarter as Virginia's once-enthusiastic crowd began to leave.

"USC was a big, powerful, fast team with superior quarterback play," Groh said. "We were anything but big and fast, and our quarterback turned the ball over too many times."

Sophomore Peter Lalich is the signal-caller Groh was speaking of.

Groh kept the identity of his starter under wraps leading up to the game, but the tactic didn't matter to Carroll, who prepared his team for Lalich.

Lalich finished 18-of-35 for 155 yards, one interception and two lost fumbles.

"I was encouraged by some things and there are some things I need to improve on," Lalich said.

The latter part of that statement could be said of the rest of the Cavaliers, too. They managed just 187 total yards, including a paltry 32 on the ground.

"We knew if we showed up with our speed, they'd be in trouble," USC senior linebacker/defensive end Clay Matthews said. "Our whole defense is built on speed."

In addition to Sanchez's big day, the Trojans rushed for 218 yards, including touchdown carries from C.J. Gable, Stafon Johnson, Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler.

"I definitely give it to them. They've got a lot of great players, and a lot of talent," Cavaliers senior safety Byron Glaspy said. "But everyone on our team, including myself, we made a lot of mistakes on things that we were in control of. It had nothing to do with them."

The Cavaliers aim to correct those mistakes next Saturday when they host Richmond at 3:45 p.m. Sanchez said Virginia's desire was there, but the Trojans' talent and preparation proved too much to handle.

"It wasn't like they weren't playing hard or giving effort," Sanchez said. "We just executed today."

 

Opening day excitement: Trojans storm ‘sea of orange’
By Brian McNeill
Published: August 30, 2008

On the HooVision video screen Saturday at Scott Stadium, an animated University of Virginia Cavalier bested the University of Southern California’s Trojan in a sword fight.

For his finishing blow, the cartoon Cavman knocked out the Trojan with crane-style karate kick.

“That’s the only victory UVa’s going to see today,” predicted Mike Myers, who drove up from Lynchburg to cheer on USC during season opener.

Myers and thousands of other Trojan fans would not be disappointed. UVa went on to fall to third-ranked USC with a devastating 52-7 loss.

While UVa fans consoled themselves with the knowledge that in-state rival Virginia Tech lost in an upset to Eastern Carolina University earlier Saturday, most members of UVa’s “sea of orange” went home feeling a bit let down.

“With USC, it’s just a whole different level of football,” said John McLin, a systems engineering graduate student at UVa. “I feel pretty good that the rest of our season won’t be a blowout. We’ll hold our own.”

Some UVa fans found a silver lining in their team’s brutal loss. For example, said UVa supporter Russell Troy of Toronto, Cavaliers quarterback Peter Lalich had a few nice-looking plays.

“This was tough, but it wasn’t totally unexpected,” Troy said. “I think they’ll do OK in ACC.”

Saturday’s game drew a vast quantity of USC fans. They seemed to fill many more sections than is typical for a visiting team at Scott Stadium. Their cardinal-and-gold attire stood out among the UVa’s fans’ countless orange T-shirts.

“It’s the first game of the year, man, you’ve got to go,” said Mauro Fiore, a Los Angeles attorney and 1998 graduate of USC.

Fiore said he was not surprised that so many of his fellow Trojans traveled across the country to watch their team stomp on the Cavaliers.

“The typical USC alumni are guys with a lot of money,” he said. “A lot of them probably flew in on a [expletive] Leer jet.”

Charlottesville pulled out an unusual number of stops to make the visiting USC contingent feel welcome. The visiting football team stayed at the Doubletree Hotel Charl-ottesville, which spruced up its lobby with Trojan football helmets, USC-colored balloons, and asked many of its staff to wear Trojan T-shirts.

Plus, USC alumni rented out John Paul Jones Arena for a $65-a-person pep rally featuring the school’s marching band. It was the first time a visiting school held such an event at JPJ, said Jason Pedone, assistant general manager of the venue.

USC fans such as Steve Gatto of Orange County, Calif., said he and his friends were glad they made the cross-country trip to Charlottesville.

“We’re checking out the different scene here. The Corner. The Downtown Mall. We like it,” Gatto said.

“The Virginia ladies aren’t too bad, either,” added his former USC classmate, Chris Scott of Chicago.

Gatto, Scott and several other friends attend one USC away game once a year together.

Gatto said he was amused by UVa’s Cavalier mascot.

“You know that movie ‘V for Vendetta?’ I think the Cavalier kinda looks like the guy in that movie,” he said. “I went up to him and asked him if Natalie Portman was here, but he just ignored me.”

For the Capone family of Los Angeles, Saturday’s game was a long time coming. One of the family’s daughters, Rebecca Capone, graduated from USC in 2007. The other daughter, Jenny Capone, graduated from UVa in 2001 and went on to attend graduate school at USC.

“It’s a family rivalry,” Rebecca Capone said.

Jenny Capone’s husband also attended UVa. Their 2-month-old son wore both UVa and USC apparel.

“I’m a double fan,” Jenny Capone said. “I’m a Trojan and I’m a Hoo. I’m conflicted. But I’m leaning toward USC today so I’m not disappointed. Don’t tell my husband.”

 

Cavs absorb blowout loss to Trojans
By Jay Jenkins
Published: August 30, 2008

Early in Saturday’s season opener, Virginia officials warned a record crowd of severe weather in the area through a message on Scott Stadium’s jumbotron.

Thanks to good fortune, the contest played without interruption.

Those in attendance, however, were still entitled to a display of thunder and lightning. Southern California provided that — and then some.

The third-ranked Trojans methodically dismantled Virginia, 52-7, delivering the Cavaliers their worst season-opening setback since 1984.

“We kind of knew what we were going to open up with when we scheduled the game,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “We wanted to put ourselves out there and take a challenge against a team that we think is in a league of their own in college football. I think they proved it to us today.”

USC (1-0) scored three touchdowns in the game’s first 11 minutes, survived a small hiccup in the second quarter, and never looked back, amassing 558 yards of total offense. The Trojans scored four touchdowns on the ground and added three more through the air.

“The first thing, obviously, for us is we had a really nice day today,” said USC coach Pete Carroll. “We got done exactly what we wanted to get done today.”

Virginia (0-1) could not say the same — the Cavaliers committed four turnovers, forced rookie punter Jimmy Howell to kick eight times and mustered only 187 yards of total offense under the direction of sophomore quarterback Pete Lalich.

“We knew it was going to take a lot on our part to be able to pull this off,” Groh said. “We could have understood it a little bit differently if we had played better and lost, but to play as poorly as we played and have lost is not acceptable.”

UVa, which lost 55-0 to Clemson in 1984, routinely made matters easier for USC, allowing the Trojans to have an average starting position at their own 39-yard line.

“Field position is the key thing in all football games and when you play a team that is in a league that USC is in, your only chance is to play with advantageous field position,” Groh said. “We gave them far too many short fields for us to play against an offense that we knew was going to be very hard to stop.”

The record crowd of 64,947 witnessed Virginia’s pass-happy, opening drive stall after Lalich narrowly avoided an interception on third down. Just eight plays later, USC capped an 8-play, 56-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run from Stafon Johnson.

The script was repeated. Virginia promptly punted. USC quickly reached the end zone in just five plays.

And it happened again.

In fact, USC led 21-0 after C.J. Gable scored on a 33-yard run with 4:01 left in the opening quarter. Virginia, at that point, had failed to register a first down.

Finally, Virginia was able to get on track on its fourth possession, one that was fueled by two Trojan penalties. Lalich did his part, too, completing two passes for 26 yards to eventually set up a 7-yard touchdown run by tailback Mikell Simpson.

The Cavaliers would not score again and managed to run just 17 more offensive plays in USC territory over the game’s final 47 minutes. They also spoiled their best opportunity to add points when new kicker Yannick Reyering pushed a 46-yard field goal to the right with 4:35 left in the second quarter.

For the game, the play of the Cavaliers’ newly-appointed quarterback fluctuated. Often with little time to read the defense due to heavy pressure, Lalich finished 18 of 35 for 155 yards passing. He was also sacked twice and lost a pair of fumbles in the final quarter before giving way to Marc Verica for the final possession.

“There were times our execution needed to be better — there were a lot of open guys out there that I needed to hit,” Lalich said. “That was my first start and I’m hoping to improve every week.

“[USC’s] speed was pretty unbelievable the whole game. It’s something they have across the board, at every position, and they really were able to use it to their advantage.”

The Trojans showcased their athleticism on offense, too.

Four different tailbacks rushed at least six times, combining for 202 of the team’s 218 rushing yards. C.J. Gable paced the attack with nine carries for 73 yards. Joe McKnight added 60 yards on six carries and Allen Bradford ran nine times for 41 yards, including a 2-yard TD run with 10:47 left in the fourth quarter.

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, who finished 26 of 35 for 338 yards, showed no ill effects of the dislocated kneecap that he injured early in training camp. The signal-caller threw two of his touchdown passes in the third quarter, one of which was hauled in by Ronald Johnson on a 49-yard lofting spiral.

“Mark really has the eyes for getting the ball down field,” Carroll said. “You give him time and he’ll find guys who’ll take advantage of it. He has a way of taking advantage of the system that we have.”

Virginia, which lost its third straight opener, will look to bounce back at home against the University of Richmond on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. Numerous players said they were hopeful that they could rebound as they did last year after a 23-3 loss at Wyoming in the first contest.

For now, the loss — and the margin — stings throughout.

“I don’t know that you can categorize losses,” said Virginia linebacker Clint Sintim. “We just didn’t perform. I think this might be a little hard because we knew what USC was doing. They showed exactly what we reviewed. I know everything we reviewed, they did and we just didn’t stop it. That’s disappointing.

“That’s the sign of a really good team and a bad performance by us.”

 

Lalich survives first test
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: August 30, 2008

Pete Lalich looked like a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Any direction the Virginia quarterback turned it seemed like Tommy Trojan was in his face, on his back, collapsing the pocket protecting the sophomore. What a way to break in as a first-time starter.

All of it was part of the maturation process for a young quarterback. Matt Schaub went through it, Shawn Moore, and even current Cavalier offensive coordinator Mike Groh. They all went on to some impressive finishes to their UVa careers.

Lalich, the golden arm from West Springfield High School, the kid who was groomed to be a passing quarterback from early on, launched his ownership of the Virginia quarterback job under the sternest test on Saturday. Southern California’s veteran defense threw everything it had at the young right-hander and he survived.

Elite competition

Sure, USC put a 52-7 thumping on a largely inexperienced Wahoo football team, but that was somewhat expected. The Trojans were arguably the best team that’s ever graced the field at Scott Stadium. If not, then certainly among the most elite.

They came. We saw. They conquered. It wasn’t very pretty unless you were one of the several thousand Southern California fans that accounted for a record crowd of 64,947.

Pete Carroll’s Trojans lived up to their billing as one of the few teams favored to win the national championship. With more depth than an NFL team, USC manhandled the Cavaliers all afternoon. Big, fast, strong, experienced. If this team had a weakness, we couldn’t spot one.

Lalich, who lined up in shotgun formation most of the day to help negate the fierce USC pass rush, did OK for a sophomore making his first start.

His numbers weren’t awe-inspiring. For the record he was 18 of 35 for 155 yards. He threw for a touchdown. He threw one to the Trojans. He lost a couple of snaps and was sacked twice.

Considering that he was under siege most of the day by the superior USC defense, he held his own and kept his composure for the most part.

Keeping a cool head

“He did a pretty decent job,” UVa coach Al Groh said of Lalich. “He made some real nice throws. I think everybody who watched the game could see the type of throws he’s capable of making. That pocket didn’t hold up very long on many occasions.”

Blessed with a strong arm and a quick release (something that came in pretty handy when Southern California’s defense came head hunting), Lalich made some impressive throws, particularly on Virginia’s lone scoring drive.

He directed a six-play, 62-yard march in which he completed three of four passes and benefited from a pass interference and a roughing the passer call to cover the distance.

Of course, the Trojans were up 21-0 before the record crowd could blink. Lalich was trying to get the home boys on the board.

As good a job as Lalich did — we can’t call him a rookie because he played in eight games as a backup as a true freshman — the mistakes overshadowed any of the positives.

“He made some very positive throws,” Groh said. “But you evaluate a quarterback on a total game. When you turn the ball over two or three times like that, you have to make a lot of awesome throws to balance those out. Maybe a lesson he learned or something he will come to understand is that it’s not about the good throws that you make, but it’s about how you conduct the overall game.”

Most quarterbacks endure those peaks and valleys. Schaub, who owns most every passing record by a Virginia quarterback, was actually benched after the first game of his junior season because his opening performance was so shoddy. He went on to become the ACC’s Player of the Year that same season.

Clearly, Lalich’s turnovers didn’t help, however, USC was so good that it wouldn’t have mattered.

Lalich, who was just as composed in dealing with media after the game as he was in handling the USC blitz packages during it, said he was encouraged by part of his performance but acknowledged there are things he needed to improve upon.

No doubt that ball security rests atop that checklist. Coverage recognition would be right behind.

There’s something to be said about a kid who didn’t come apart at the seams under all that pressure. Carroll wisely blitzed from all over the place against a fairly inexperienced quarterback and made Lalich’s day just a little bit longer.

Groh’s shotgun formation and version of the spread offense was a good counter to a dominating defense, but in the end it was overwhelmingly obvious of who was No. 2 in the country and who wasn’t. The shotgun provided Lalich a little more cushion before the Trojans got their mitts on him.

USC’s defense was so strong that Virginia knew it couldn’t run against them with any sustained success. Airborne was the way to go, but even that only worked half the time.

Still, the youngster didn’t lose confidence.

“I don’t have much experience right now, but I definitely think I have enough talent to make some of the plays I left on the field,” Lalich said. “I think that when myself and our team really executes at the highest level that we can make plays on anybody. We need to make strings of plays like that in a row.”

One thing is for sure. It’s not going to get any tougher the rest of the way. Virginia won’t meet anything else in the same league as Southern California. The Trojans are in a league of their own.

 

Minnifield gets trial by fire in first career start
By Whitey Reid
Published: August 30, 2008

Since he redshirted last season due to a knee injury, Chase Minnifield hadn’t played in a football game since high school.

Earlier this week, the Virginia cornerback learned that he would be starting for the injured Ras-I Dowling — and against the closest thing there is to an NFL outfit in college football: USC.

“This was a little bit different than high school,” said Minnifield, after Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez had torched Virginia’s secondary for 338 yards and three touchdowns. “There were some big guys out there and they could run, too.”

Indeed.

USC’s receivers, all over six feet and 200 pounds, looked like they could do anything they wanted against Virginia’s inexperienced secondary.

“It won’t get much tougher than that,” said Virginia coach Al Groh. “They had six and seven receivers they kept rotating in and out.

“If they looked big from the press box, you should have seen them from where we were standing.”

Minnifield said Virginia’s defense made too many mental errors to overcome a physically gifted team like the Trojans.

“They didn’t show anything we hadn’t seen,” said the 6-foot, 192-pounder. “It was just a bad performance on our part. I don’t think we’ll take any steps backward. We’ll just keep going forward.”

Virginia senior safety Byron Glaspy, who was also victimized by regularly by the Trojans, said the final experience, while a little demoralizing, can only help a youngster like Minnifield.

“This being his first start and going up against the best — he knows that his whole career is in front of him and is never going to see a team better than this,” Glaspy said. “He could only get better. He should be really encouraged by that.

“He seemed calm, but I’m sure he was nervous being out there for his first game against the best.”

Minnifield, whose father, Frank, played in the NFL, didn’t seem too down.

“I’m blessed to have the experience of playing against one of the best teams in the country,” he said. “I never back down from a challenge. I just took it in and did the best I could do.”

 

Reyering shakes off debut jitters
By Whitey Reid
Published: August 30, 2008

Yannick Reyering’s home in Germany was in panic mode just hours before the USC-Virginia kickoff on Saturday afternoon at Scott Stadium.

“My mom called me four or five hours before the game and they were still trying to figure out how to get ESPN on the satellite,” Reyering explained. “They called and were trying to get the cable guy over to our house to fix it.

“So I don’t know if they watched it or not, but I hope they didn’t.”

Reyering, the first-year Virginia kicker, was probably being overly hard on himself. When you consider that the former UVa soccer star was playing in his first American football game, he didn’t do too badly.

Reyering made his first kick, an extra point, and had two good kickoffs. The first wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it was only returned to the 13-yard line. The second, at the start of the second half, went five yards deep into the end zone, had nice hang time and resulted in a touchback.

The only blemish on Reyering’s blotter was a missed 46-yard field goal late in the second quarter. The kick had plenty of length but veered right.

“It was a good snap. It was a good hold. I don’t know,” said Reyering, a second-round pick by FC Dallas in the most recent MLS Draft. “If I could explain a reason why I missed it, I would. I wasn’t nervous. I was excited to get out there and hit the first field goal. When I kicked it, I knew it was going to be wide, so I didn’t even look at it.

“I’m still lacking a little consistency and I think that was maybe part of it.”

Reyering did admit to a few butterflies in the first quarter — when he trotted onto the field after Mikell Simpson’s 7-yard touchdown run to attempt the extra point.

“There was a little pressure because I didn’t want to miss my first extra point in college football,” he said, “but it was good to get that one under my belt.”

Believe it or not, Reyering was also hoping to get a tackle under his belt. Previously, his only tackling has come on the soccer pitch, but the 6-foot-5, 205-pound senior said he was prepared to lay the wood on USC return man Ronald Johnson had he broken through the initial tacklers on his first kickoff.

“Obviously I was hoping they tackled him as soon as possible,” he said, smiling, “but I was absolutely ready to hit him. I was looking forward to him coming through and tackling him.”

Reyering expects things to come a little easier now that he’s gotten a taste of things.

“Now I know what kind of routine it is during the game — when I have to pay attention and when I have to kick field goals and warm up and stuff,” he said. “It helps a lot knowing how to organize yourself and knowing what to do.”

One thing is for sure — Reyering will always remember Aug. 30, 2008.

“It was very special playing my first football game in front of a record crowd at Scott Stadium,” he said. “You can’t ask for anything better, but obviously I’m very disappointed in the outcome and the one missed field goal definitely bothered me a lot.”

 

UVa running game grinds to halt
By Bart Isley
Published: August 30, 2008

Virginia’s ground game, touted as a strength in the offseason, certainly didn’t impress in the season opener — but that might be misleading for a couple of reasons considering the opponent.
The Cavaliers rushed for just 32 yards in their 52-7 loss to Southern California, Virginia’s lowest total since 2007’s debacle in Wyoming where the Cavs amassed just negative three yards. After the Wyoming contest, Virginia averaged almost 160 yards per game on the ground to finish out 2007.
The numbers may not be indicative of what Virginia will accomplish this season though with Cedric Peerman and Mikell Simpson in the fold. Few teams can pile up yards on Southern Cal. The Trojans gave up just 84.2 yards per game during 2007.
Secondly, Virginia came out on a mission to establish the passing game early, running just seven times in the first half for a single yard as they tried to scheme around the Trojans’ speed.
The Cavaliers showed more offset
I-formation packages in the second half than the spread-dominated look of the first half. Peerman rushed six times for 33 yards after the break as opposed to his two carries for negative one yard before the break, and a commitment to the rushing game could be in the cards.
Barbers return to Scott together
Former Cavalier greats Tiki and Ronde Barber were the promised special guests who raised Virginia’s new “The Power of Orange” flag prior to kickoff. It marked the first time the brothers have been together at Scott Stadium since their senior season in 1996.
Attendance record
Virginia set a new Scott Stadium attendance record with 64,947 packed in on Saturday evening. That surpasses the previous record of 63,701 set on November 13, 2004 against Miami. Virginia lost that contest, too, 31-21.
Green surprises with pair of catches
Virginia redshirt freshman Jared Green caught a pair of passes, including a very difficult first catch of his young career with a Southern Cal defender right in his face along the Virginia sideline.
Green yanked down the first two receptions of his career in the second half, totaling 25 yards on the two catches.
Green wasn’t the only receiver to put together a career high in production. Cary Koch hauled in three catches for 40 yards, all in the first half, including a 21-yarder that was Koch’s career long as a Cavalier. It was also Koch’s first career start.
Clark leaves with injury
Virginia linebacker Aaron Clark, who started opposite Clint Sintim, was helped off the field with a right knee injury in the third quarter and left the field after the game on crutches.
Teammates indicated that the injury did not appear to be season-ending, but more will be known after tests are conducted over the next few days.
The senior from Fairfield was credited with five total tackles, including a tackle for a loss, in the game.
 

Mark Sanchez, USC click on all cylinders in victory over Virginia
Trojans quarterback passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns, and four backs run for touchdowns.
By Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Bring on the Buckeyes.

USC coaches and players spent the entire off-season and training camp deflecting questions about their Sept. 13 game against Ohio State.

Their focus, they insisted, was on Saturday's opener against Virginia.

After traveling to the land of Thomas Jefferson, the third-ranked Trojans made a declaration that they are prepared for the second-ranked Buckeyes, and possibly more, by routing the Cavaliers, 52-7.

"Everything happened just right," Coach Pete Carroll said. "Too bad we let them score."

USC still has some areas to address before Ohio State and its scarlet-and-gray-clad legions descend upon the Coliseum in two weeks.

But Saturday's impressive display in front of a national television audience and stadium-record crowd of 64,947 offered Carroll plenty of reasons for optimism.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez erased any doubt that he had recovered from a knee injury, passing for three touchdowns and leading an offense that looked equally formidable on the ground and through the air. The defense, save for a couple of penalties, was as good as advertised, causing four turnovers.

Former USC running back LenDale White watchedthe Trojans manhandle the Cavaliers in a style that was similar to the national championship teams he played on in 2003 and 2004 and the high-flying 2005 team that reached the Bowl Championship Series title game.

"Bring on O-S-Who," he said.

USC players were more respectful, but they seemed relieved to finally turn their attention to a showdown that will jump-start the winner's drive to a possible championship-game appearance.

"The Coliseum is going to be rocking," Sanchez said while cradling a cellphone jammed with 68 congratulatory text messages.

Three weeks removed from a dislocated left kneecap, Sanchez more than answered the call against the Cavaliers. The fourth-year junior, clearly benefiting from the confidence and experience gained in three midseason starts in 2007, passed for a career-best 338 yards.

Sanchez, who completed 26 of 35 passes with one interception, dissected the Cavaliers with short, medium and long-range passes, keeping multiple plays alive by scrambling out of the pocket. His 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Joe McKnight in the first quarter and his 20-yard scoring strike to receiver Patrick Turner early in the second half set the stage for the reintroduction of the deep pass, a missing element in the Trojans' offense for most of the previous two seasons.

Sanchez's 49-yard third-quarter bomb to receiver Ronald Johnson gave the Trojans a 38-7 lead.

But it was Sanchez's moxie -- he threw an open-field block on a McKnight cutback run -- that drew raves.

"Mark brings energy," tailback Allen Bradford said.

So did Bradford, one of five tailbacks who scored touchdowns while amassing 218 team rushing yards.

By design, or perhaps luck, Bradford, C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson all finished with nine carries. McKnight got six carries and caught four passes.

"Everybody got a chance to show what they can do, so we can keep it rolling," said Gable, who started the opener for the third year in a row and scored on a 33-yard, fourth-down run.

Most of the postgame talk in USC's locker room centered on the offensive line, which went into the game as the Trojans' biggest question mark. The unit, which features four new starters, did not yield a sack and paved the way for 558 yards of offense.

"We have huge shoes to fill, there's no question about that," senior guard Jeff Byers said. "We've still got work to do, but it's exciting to see these young guys and the offensive line pick it up."

A receivers corps that fell short of USC's recent standard last season also stepped up, Arkansas transfer Damian Williams leading the way with seven receptions.

"We're much different than where we were last year at this time," Carroll said of the receivers.

The Trojans as a whole looked pretty much as expected to Virginia Coach Al Groh, who watched his team fall behind 21-0 in the first quarter.

"We wanted to take a challenge against a team that is in a league of its own," Groh said. "We knew it was going to take a lot on our part to pull this off.

"To play as poorly as we played is not acceptable."

USC played well but still has some cleaning up to do before Ohio State arrives.

The Trojans were penalized seven times, McKnight fumbled a punt and several Sanchez passes were tipped or batted down.

But the Trojans mostly liked what they saw in their performance and intend to improve upon it over the next two weeks.

"More than making an impression for Ohio State, " safety Taylor Mays said, "we made an impression for ourselves."
 

USC has no speed limit
Fast Trojans defense overwhelms Virginia in a 52-7 victory in which it records seven tackles for losses and recovers three fumbles.
By David Wharton, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Quiet voices. The occasional pause. The Virginia players acted as if they had just witnessed a train wreck.

The Cavaliers -- the ones who play on offense -- were trying to describe what it felt like to face the USC defense.

Again and again, they arrived at the same conclusion.

"Their speed was pretty unbelievable," quarterback Peter Lalich said.

Tailback Cedric Peerman agreed: "Speed everywhere."

Forget about schemes and stunts. In the moments after third-ranked USC's 52-7 victory Saturday afternoon, Virginia tight end John Phillips mused, "They were really fast."

Fast enough to pounce on three fumbles and intercept a Lalich pass.

Fast enough to limit Virginia to 32 yards rushing.

"The holes closed awfully fast," Coach Al Groh said. "Those two linebackers can really run and close space and the two safeties play like linebackers."

Linebacker Kaluka Maiava had six tackles, as did safety Taylor Mays and Clay Matthews, who shifted between rush end and linebacker. The Trojans recorded seven tackles for losses.

Not that Virginia was particularly surprised.

Defense was clearly USC's strength entering the fall. The Trojans returned seven starters from a unit that stood near the top of the national rankings in several categories last season.

After watching game film this summer, the Cavaliers had an idea about the aggressive schemes they might face, the blitzes and man-to-man coverage.

Figuring the Trojans would come after the sophomore Lalich -- which they surely did -- Virginia countered with the shotgun formation and quick slant routes.

"Gives him a little bit longer to look at things," Groh said.

The strategy worked . . . some of the time. Lalich completed about half of his passes and made some sharp plays. During a first-quarter scoring drive, he threw to receiver Maurice Covington on the sideline and beat the blitz with one of those slants to Phillips.

But the bright spots were few and far between for a quarterback who ended up with 155 yards passing, for a team that converted only two of 12 third-down plays.

As the running game stuttered and the points stacked up for USC, Lalich was forced to throw often. The USC rush smelled blood, sacking him twice and spending much of the afternoon in his face.

"He had to make those [passes] without having the opportunity to get much of a look at the defense," Groh said. "The pocket didn't hold up very long."

Lalich, for his part, refused to shift the blame to his linemen.

"We had a lot of open guys I should have hit," he said.

In particular, he mentioned lofting a third-quarter pass down the middle of the field where USC defenders literally fought each other to make the interception. Cornerback Kevin Thomas came down with the ball.

"At that point I was trying to do too much . . . trying to get a big gain," Lalich said. "I had an underneath guy open and I should have hit him."

His words sounded a bit dazed.

A few feet away, wide receiver Jared Green also struggled to put the game in context, saying he would need to look at film.

Asked about the USC defense, he said: "I don't know what to say about those guys . . . it was a tough game, man."
 

USC's Pete Carroll teaches another lesson
Email Picture
Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times
Coach Pete Carroll savors the final seconds of USC's 52-7 victory at Virginia on Saturday afternoon.
Coach knows how to get his team ready for openers.
T.J. Simers
August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- I'm here in the Commonwealth with Uncle Pete, and right from the start it's obvious this isn't going to be a fair fight.

Everyone says the grounds here are so pretty, so historic, and while I haven't set my eyes yet on the Wahoos, I've seen Katie Couric's bedroom, a blind Homer with his naked student guide and T.J.'s rotunda, and USC can trump it all with one stop to Heritage Hall.

There's nothing like four hours on the road before a USC kickoff these days, the oddsmakers and most everyone else knowing the opposition doesn't have a chance, so what else is there to see?

They have a bunch of buildings here surrounding the Lawn, which looks more like an unkempt fairway at a public golf course.

Ran into USC fan Gary Capata, the mayor of the city of Laguna Niguel, and he suggested ripping up the Lawn and putting down synthetic grass like they've done in Laguna Niguel. Just what we need, another civil war.

Couric got her start here living on the edge of the Lawn -- in Room 26, a 6-by-6 cell, which probably explains why she's still trying to break free as a news anchor. Edgar Allan Poe also lived here, and for all we know someone is locked in his room and still trying to break free.

Thomas Jefferson, the original T.J., founded this place and was also a writer known to irritate folks. He initiated the "Academical Village," leaving someone else to come up with the "training table," which tells you how little they think about football here.

USC rallies around Tommy Trojan; the Virginia Wahoos, or Hoos as they like to call themselves, have a statue of a naked teenager with harp in hand sitting at the feet of Homer. That might do wonders for the Virginia harp team, but not sure about the football team.

And the football team had high hopes too, but after weeks of practice was left splattered across the field before more than 60,000 orange-clad fans.

Uncle Pete will do that to you. In the last six years, he's ruined the start of the season for six schools, winning by an average of 25 points a game.

He's also not opposed to making a mockery of your football school in the second game -- note to Ohio State -- winning all six by an average of 32 points a game.

"Every game is a championship game," said Carroll, his philosophy no different for Ohio State than Virginia, and just maybe USC's edge.

"We don't ever try to play great in games. We try to play to our capabilities and do it every game. That's why we can go across the country into a hostile environment and play so well. We don't care where the score goes; we just play."

Maybe so, but with the score standing at 45-7, they played "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" in the stadium, and so the Trojans added yet another touchdown.

They did as they pleased all day long, Carroll making the case afterward they now have something in Mark Sanchez they haven't had since Matt Leinart. As if USC was in need of yet another asset.

"He can strike deep in a heartbeat, and we haven't had that in the last few years," Carroll said. "John David Booty was very conservative and that was fine, but Mark has that attitude to just seize it. He had two deep ball opportunities and hit them both."

The Trojans are loaded on defense, and although some might think Carroll would prefer a conservative quarterback and let his defense dictate the terms of surrender, he said, "No, no, no.

"Mark has unusual qualities, and our job as coaches when you have someone with unusual qualities is to bring those qualities to the forefront."

Hard to find fault with anything the Trojans did, but as Carroll said, "We're not putting ourselves in the Hall of Fame. To go crazy like that would be wrong."

In fact some experts have suggested USC lacks the experience Ohio State packs, and although they concede the Trojans might win such a game later in the year, they believe USC won't be ready early on.

"Were we ready today?" Carroll shot back.

But Ohio State has so many returning starters . . .

"Look at history; it doesn't make a whole lot of difference," he said, and now that's the kind of history worth noting.

Around here they make a historical big deal about the rotunda that T.J. built, a statue of him standing prominently inside, and the place burned down something like 50 years after he died and then had to be rebuilt.

Where's the statue of the guy who rebuilt it?

As Carroll knows so well with the Ohio State game next, it's what have you done for us lately.

IT'S TRUE, I was wearing a "Virginia" T-shirt, and several Trojans fans had something to say about it, unaware it's my wife's name. As soon as I explained it to USC fan Rebecca Tsujimoto, she said, "This way you can keep your wife close to your heart all day."

If you're waiting for a punch line, forget it. I'm headed home.







 

Trojans' offense shows that bigger is better
By Steve Dilbeck, columnist
Article Last Updated: 08/30/2008 11:10:34 PM PDT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Another opening game on the road, another blowout.

Nothing like old times.

"This feels like a lot of other games we played," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "And I love that."

Only not so much like games from the past two seasons. More like USC games prior to that. When dropping 50 points on some overmatched opponent seemed an almost common occurrence.

Despite its 11-win seasons, the one thing lacking from USC the past two years was big-play ability. The dangerous, end-zone seeking receiver. The tailback who could break off a big run at any time.

And a daredevil quarterback with a sense for the kill.

They were all back on display Saturday, in a ridiculously easy 52-7 season-opening victory over a Virginia team coming off a nine-win season.

It's one game, of course, and a long ways from a season.

"Don't put us in the Hall of Fame yet," Carroll said.

A much different USC offense could be on display in the Trojans' next game against No. 2 Ohio State in two weeks. But if the Trojans seemed a very nice and effective offensive team under quarterback John David Booty the past two years, they looked a dangerous one under quarterback Mark Sanchez on Saturday.

Sanchez arrives with a more emotional nature, with a reputation of someone willing to take risks, who almost has to be reigned in. Who, with maturity, might be able to lift USC to a level not seen here in a while. A team that can wear you down, and strike like lightning.
"That's an exciting aspect to our offense that we didn't have the last couple of years," Carroll said.

USC fans have bemoaned the loss of Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett. Of the breathtaking player. Sanchez offered hope Saturday of a return to those thrilling days of yesteryear.

He threw touchdown passes of 49yards to Ronald Johnson and 20yards to Patrick Turner in the second half. He kept the Cavaliers uncomfortably on their heels.

"We're not asking him to do anything crazy, just use the system," Carroll said of Sanchez. "Today, he had two guys deep and he got the ball to both guys.

"You look back the last couple of years, we missed a lot of those chances. Similar style plays, similar concepts, guys open and we didn't convert for one reason or another.

"Mark has shown that when it happens, like Leinart, he gets it. Those plays are so dynamic in a game, they make the difference in the chance to have a great day or not."

They can make the difference in a close game. Turn a close game into a blowout. Turn a very good season into a championship one.

USC began somewhat conservatively Saturday, Sanchez mostly throwing a lot of short stuff. But his tailbacks were looking dangerous, too, consistently breaking off runs of 10 yards or more. C.J. Gable turned a sweep into a 33-yard TD run. Joe McKnight a little swing pass into a 10-yard TD.

Then in the second half, his wideouts started making plays.

Damian Williams, the other Arkansas transfer, looked like someone ready to make an immediate impact. He led the Trojans with seven receptions for 91 yards. Johnson, little used as a wideout last year as a freshman, broke so completely free he could have stopped in the end zone and recited some Thomas Jefferson before pulling down Sanchez's 49-yard TD throw. And Turner, previously a bust as the heir apparent to Williams and Jarrett, pulled in three passes for 62 yards in the second half, including that 20-yard TD throw.

"Those guys really came through in big fashion," Carroll said. "That's much different than where we were a year ago. That's a huge jump for us."

The mostly untested offensive line gave Sanchez all the protection he could dream of, and given the opportunity Saturday, he delivered.

Sanchez ended the day 26 of 35 for 338 yards, three touchdowns and reborn team confidence in the offense.

"They changed my perspective on how our offense is going to turn out," linebacker Rey Maualuga said. "They proved me wrong. I figured they were going to have some problems here and there because of the inexperienced offensive linemen, the receivers. But they did a great job."

It starts with the quarterback, though. And USC clearly had the better of the position Saturday.

"USC was a big, powerful, fast team with superior quarterback play today," Virginia coach Al Groh said.

The game was strikingly similar to Booty's debut as the starting quarterback two years ago, when USC blew out Arkansas 50-14 in Fayetteville. It would be the only 50-point game of his career.

The previous year, Leinart led USC to seven games of 50 or more points.

"John David was very conservative in his style," Carroll said. "He'd hit all the right guys in our offense.

"But we know, and we've seen, what it's like when we have other guys. Guys who do it like Matt. Matt was much more a guy who's going to see an opportunity and seize an opportunity. John David wasn't necessarily that way.

"So there was a difference of the magnitude of the plays that came out of our offense. It changes a little bit. It was a good way to win."

A better one could await this season.

Like old times.