USC
3-3 , 0-3
Oregon
5-1 , 3-0
Team Stats
OREGON 0, USC 7
USC - McCULLOUGH, S. 59 yd run (WALL, John kick), 4 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:01
OREGON 7, USC 7
OREGON - MORRIS, M 8 yd pass from HARRINGTON, J (FRANKEL, J kick) 13 plays, 79 yards, TOP 4:35
OREGON 14, USC 7
OREGON - LINE, J 23 yd pass from HARRINGTON, J (FRANKEL, J kick) 4 plays, 77 yards, TOP 1:09
OREGON 21, USC 7
OREGON - COLLINS, L 13 yd pass from HARRINGTON, J (FRANKEL, J kick) 2 plays, 7 yards, TOP 0:33
OREGON 21, USC 10
USC - WALL, John 25 yd field goal 17 plays, 60 yards, TOP 7:10
OREGON 21, USC 17
USC - HARRIS, Antoine 7 yd pass from PALMER, Carson (WALL, John kick) 6 plays, 80 yards, TOP 2:49
OREGON 28, USC 17
OREGON - PEELLE, J 18 yd pass from HARRINGTON, J (FRANKEL, J kick) 4 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:58
No. 9 Oregon Football Defeats Trojans, 28-17
October 14, 2000 | Football
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LOS ANGELES -- After an outstanding passing performance against Southern California, Joey Harrington believes Oregon still has room for improvement.
Harrington picked the Trojans' secondary apart Saturday, throwing for 382 yards and four touchdowns as the ninth-ranked Ducks beat the slumping Trojans 28-17.
"We played extremely well, but I think we can play better," the junior quarterback said after completing 28 of 42 passes, with one interception, in the best game of his career.
"We're one step closer to what we want to accomplish, and that's a Pac-10 championship."
The Ducks (5-1, 3-0) are off to a great start toward that goal, having beaten Washington, UCLA and USC in the same season for the first time since 1948. Oregon is 3-0 in the conference for the first time since 1957.
Oregon coach Mike Bellotti agreed with Harrington that the Ducks can improve.
"I may be a perfectionist, but I think we can play better in all aspects of the game," he said. "We gave up too many big plays and had too many penalties."
Harrington threw touchdown passes of 8, 23, 13 and 18 yards for Oregon, becoming the first to throw for four TDs against USC since Notre Dame's Steve Beurlein did it in 1986.
"Joey took advantage of the fact that they were in man coverage a lot," Bellotti said. "There were some great play-action fakes and great receptions."
Oregon built a 21-7 lead early in the third quarter and scored an insurance touchdown with 1:10 remaining to beat the Trojans for the third consecutive time.
The loss also was the third in as many weeks for USC (3-3, 0-3), which had been ranked eighth after winning the first three games. The Trojans are off to their worst conference start since they also lost the first three league games in 1957.
USC coach Paul Hackett thought the Trojans were about to turn the corner against Oregon after pulling within 21-17 early in the fourth quarter.
"But we didn't play smart at the end, which they did," he said.
Hackett, who figures to be under increasing pressure unless the Trojans salvage their season with a strong second half, said: "This is a group I believe in and we've got to put the first half behind us.
"We've got to regroup and go on a mission in the last half of the season. We've got six to go and we're going to come out flailing."
Oregon's Keenan Howry had eight catches for 126 yards, and Maurice Morris carried 32 for 85 yards against a USC defense that often was stacked up to stop the run.
Sultan McCullough rushed for 152 yards on 23 carries for USC, including a 59-yard touchdown run on the fourth play of the game. Carson Palmer was 15 of 35 for 194 yards for the Trojans, with one touchdown and one interception.
After falling behind 21-7 early in the third quarter, the Trojans closed the gap on John Wall's 25-yard field goal with 4:53 left in the quarter, then pulled within four on Palmer's 7-yard TD pass to Antoine Harris 2:19 into the fourth.
But the Ducks' defense stiffened, and, after stopping the Trojans on fourth down at the USC 25 in the closing minutes, Oregon padded the lead on Harrington's 18-yard pass to Justin Peelle.
The Ducks had built their 21-7 lead on Harrington's third touchdown pass, a 13-yarder to LaCorey Collins. Josh Rogers set up the score when USC punt returner Kris Richard fumbled a punt and Rogers recovered at the Trojans' 7.
The Ducks pulled ahead early in the second quarter on Harrington's 23-yard touchdown pass to Josh Line. Howry caught a 31-yard pass and Peelle a 22-yarder in the 77-yard scoring march for a 14-7 lead.
After McCullough's TD run gave USC a quick 7-0 lead, the Ducks came back with a sustained drive to tie it.
Harrington wrapped up the 13-yard, 79-yard march with a shovel pass to Morris on third-and-goal from the 8. Morris took the pitch 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage and had a clear path up the middle to the end zone.
The Ducks missed another scoring chance in the second quarter, when Howry caught a Harrington pass and ran down to the USC 1, but fumbled through the end zone for a touchback.
By KEN PETERS
AP Sports Writer
