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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Booty-led Trojans dismantle Sun Devils

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

TEMPE, Ariz. – Almost seven weeks after an unimaginable upset, USC is back in the Rose Bowl hunt.

John David Booty threw for 375 yards and matched a career high with four touchdown passes as the 11th-ranked Trojans blitzed No. 7 Arizona State 44-24 on Thursday night, reviving their bid for an unprecedented sixth straight Pac-10 title.

That seemed unlikely after then-No. 2 USC, a 41-point favorite, lost 24-23 to Stanford on Oct. 6 in one of college football’s biggest stunners. But now, the talented Trojans are rolling again.

Southern California (9-2, 6-2 Pac-10) will win the Pac-10 if it beats UCLA on Dec. 1 and Oregon loses to UCLA or Oregon State.

The Trojans needed no help in dismantling the Sun Devils (9-2, 6-2).

USC’s defense overwhelmed Arizona State, sacking quarterback Rudy Carpenter six times. Defensive end Lawrence Jackson had four sacks, most in a game by a Trojans player since 1989.

Southern California broke open a 17-all game with 10 points in the final 5 minutes of the first half, then pulled away from the Sun Devils with 17 more points in the third quarter.

Booty hit Joe McKnight for a 7-yard touchdown midway through the quarter, then connected with Fred Davis for a 34-yard score on fourth-and-2 to give USC a 44-17 lead entering the fourth.

ASU has staged some stirring rallies but the Sun Devils had no chance against USC’s defense, which allows 16 points per game – sixth in the nation. ASU rushed 27 times for zero yards through three quarters.

It was USC’s eighth straight win over Arizona State.

Arizona State trailed 17-7 midway through the first quarter. It was the sixth time the Sun Devils have faced a double-digit deficit in the opening quarter, and the only other time they didn’t rally to win was in a Nov. 3 loss at Oregon.

The Trojans opened the game with a seven-play, 51-yard touchdown drive, scoring on a 4-yard pass from Booty to Vidal Hazelton. Booty was 6 for 6 for 45 yards on the opening drive and he completed his first seven passes of the game.