HONOLULU -- USC has looked good but not great through 15 minutes of play here at Aloha Stadium, with two Matt Barkley touchdown passes helping the Trojans to a 14-3 lead.
USC lost the coin toss and kicked off, but Hawaii failed to gain significant yardage and punted the ball after five plays and one first down. Ronald Johnson, returning his first in-game punt since high school, muffed the return but recovered his own fumble, giving the Trojans the ball at the 20-yard line.
A false start from right guard Khaled Holmes pushed them back to the 15, but the Trojans drove straight down the field with a steady dose of Marc Tyler. Fifth-year senior David Ausberry made a spectacular run-after-catch to cap the drive with a 46-yard touchdown score from Barkley.
Hawaii then ran its run-and-shoot offense with some success, pushing the ball all the way to the USC 7. From there, though, the Trojans' line held strong -- with defensive end Wes Horton coming up with a big sack of Warriors quarterback Bryant Moniz on third-and-goal.
Hawaii settled for a field goal, and USC came right back with more Tyler and some Allen Bradford, two Barkley-to-Robert Woods connections and a one-yard touchdown pass from Barkley to Johnson.
The Trojans failed in attempting a two-point conversion after their first touchdown but converted the second time on a nice catch from Johnson.
14-3 USC through 15 minutes.
USC lost the coin toss and kicked off, but Hawaii failed to gain significant yardage and punted the ball after five plays and one first down. Ronald Johnson, returning his first in-game punt since high school, muffed the return but recovered his own fumble, giving the Trojans the ball at the 20-yard line.
A false start from right guard Khaled Holmes pushed them back to the 15, but the Trojans drove straight down the field with a steady dose of Marc Tyler. Fifth-year senior David Ausberry made a spectacular run-after-catch to cap the drive with a 46-yard touchdown score from Barkley.
Hawaii then ran its run-and-shoot offense with some success, pushing the ball all the way to the USC 7. From there, though, the Trojans' line held strong -- with defensive end Wes Horton coming up with a big sack of Warriors quarterback Bryant Moniz on third-and-goal.
Hawaii settled for a field goal, and USC came right back with more Tyler and some Allen Bradford, two Barkley-to-Robert Woods connections and a one-yard touchdown pass from Barkley to Johnson.
The Trojans failed in attempting a two-point conversion after their first touchdown but converted the second time on a nice catch from Johnson.
14-3 USC through 15 minutes.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mark Saxon
Mark Saxon is a staff writer for ESPNLosAngeles.com. He spent six years at the Orange County Register, and began his career at the Oakland Tribune, where he started an 11-year journey covering Major League Baseball. He has also covered colleges, including USC football and UCLA basketball.
Arash Markazi
Arash Markazi joined ESPNLosAngeles.com as a columnist and writer after five years with Sports Illustrated. Markazi has also written for Slam, King, Vibe and Playboy and is on the board of directors for the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation.
Pedro Moura
Pedro Moura is a student at USC. He has covered the Trojans since 2008 and also reports on high school sports. Moura is a native Angeleno. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/pedromoura.
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