Close calls have USC looking vulnerable

Southern California has a perfect record this fall and has been virtually invincible at home and in Pac-10 play in recent years.

Although they’re ranked third behind Ohio State and Florida, these post-Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush Trojans still look vulnerable.

For the second straight week, heavily favored USC barely escaped being upset by an upstart from the Northwest.

This time, it was Washington. Coach Tyrone Willingham’s improving Huskies (4-2, 2-1 Pac-1-) that came up 15 yards – and maybe a few ticks of the clock – short of stunning the Trojans.

USC (5-0, 3-0) escaped with a 26-20 win on Saturday in a game that literally went down to the final seconds.

After Isaiah Stanback moved the Huskies from their 20-yard line to a first down at the USC 15, the final two seconds elapsed without Stanback and the Huskies being able to get off another play.

The Trojans’ previous game also went down to the final play, when they intercepted a pass near their goal line to preserve a 28-22 win over Washington State in Pullman.

The USC defense gave up 379 yards to Washington, which outgained the Trojans on the ground 167 yards to 148. Booty did pass for more yards – 243 to 212 – than Stanback, but the Huskies’ quarterback threw for two touchdowns and was not intercepted while the USC signal-caller had one touchdown pass and one interception.

The previous weekend, Washington State outgained USC 418 yards to 404.

`We’re not getting any sacks, we’re not getting any turnovers,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “Those are major changes we need, and we’re just not doing it.”

“We are not going to stop emphasizing it in practice, but until we make those things happen, games are going to be close.”

The Trojans figure to be heavily favored again in their next three games, against Arizona State at home and Oregon State and Stanford on the road.

Then their final four games should test them, although three, against No. 18 Oregon, No. 10 California and No. 9 Notre Dame – are at the Coliseum, where USC has won 29 straight.

The Trojans’ final regular-season game is “away” in nearby Pasadena, where they face crosstown rival UCLA on Dec. 2.

Hawaii 41, Nevada 34: At Honolulu, Colt Brennan threw four first-half touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Warriors (3-2, 1-1 WAC) defeated the Wolf Pack (3-3, 0-2).

Northern Illinois 28, Miami of Ohio 25: At Oxford, Ohio, Garrett Wolfe rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries to lead the Huskies (4-2, 3-1 MAC) over the RedHawks (0-6, 0-2) on Sunday night.

Wolfe, who leads the nation in rushing, all-purpose yardage and scoring, has rushed for 100 yards or more in 11 straight games.