Visiting USC fights off Cal

BERKELEY, Calif. – Southern California fought through a steady downpour and some unsteady Golden Bears to stay in the Rose Bowl hunt.

Chauncey Washington ran for a career-high 220 yards and a touchdown, and No. 12 USC beat No. 24 California 24-17 on Saturday night in a rain-soaked matchup that was much more tantalizing before both schools blew their national title hopes last month.

John David Booty passed for 129 yards and a score for the Trojans (8-2, 5-2 Pac-10), who stayed in the conference and BCS races by faring slightly better in the steady precipitation that drenched Strawberry Canyon all night, causing both teams to flounder with footing, execution and tackling.

Washington, who finished with 101 more yards rushing than his previous career high, and Booty led a tiebreaking 96-yard scoring drive through the rain and mist in the fourth quarter, capped by Stafon Johnson’s 3-yard TD run with 7:38 left.

Nate Longshore, Cal’s mistake-prone quarterback, fumbled a snap and threw an interception in the final minutes, allowing USC to hang on for its fourth straight win over Cal (6-4, 3-4).

Justin Forsett rushed for a season-high 164 yards and a touchdown for Cal.