USC vs. Idaho Game Notes

September 02, 2007 | Football

Sept. 1, 2007

Recap | Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery

USC has now won 46 of its last 49 games and 57 of its last 61. It has won 34 straight at home, 11 straight non-conference home games and 11 straight in September.

USC improves to 84-23-8 in season openers, 58-16-7 in season openers at home and 88-18-7 in home openers.

USC improves to 8-0 against Idaho, its first game against the Vandals since 1929. USC improves to 28-1 against teams from the WAC.

USC has scored at least 20 points in 67 of its lat 69 games and at least 30 points in 48 of its last 61.

USC scored the first 21 points tonight. It scored at least 20 or more unanswered points six times in 2006 and 13 times in 2005.

QB John David Booty has now thrown at least one TD pass in 13 of his 14 career starts, at least two TD passes 10 times and at least three TD passes eight times. He also threw for more than 200 yards for the eighth game in a row.

TB C.J. Gable started at tailback for the second consecutive season opener. He is the first Trojan tailback to start consecutive season openers since Sultan McCullough in 2000 and 2001.

Gable's first carry went for 33 yards, a career-high. His previous long was 31 yards against Notre Dame last year. Gable's 8-yard first-quarter TD reception was his first career TD catch, fifth overall of his career. He finished with a team-high 68 rushing yards, the fifth game in a row he led the Trojans in rushing.

TB Stafon Johnson's first-quarter 4-yard touchdown run was the first of his USC career. He added a 1-yard TD run in the third quarter. He only had three carries for 17 yards as a 2006 freshman.

WR Vidal Hazelton, who had one catch for eight yards as a freshman in 2006, made his first career TD catch on a 1-yard, second-quarter pass from Booty (a one-handed grab).

FB Stanley Havili had a career-high five receptions, including his first career TD reception, a three-yard scoring reception from Booty in the third quarter. He finished tied with WR David Ausberry for game-high reception honors, the first time a USC fullback led or tied for the lead in receptions in a game since FB Charlie Landrigan had six against Notre Dame in 2001.

Former walk-on WR Brad Walker entered the game without a reception in his first 31 games at USC, but had two in the third quarter.

TE Fred Davis' 35-yard reception was a career long

LB Clay Matthews recorded his first career FG block in the second quarter on Idaho's 36-yard field goal attempt.

USC PK David Buehler's 3rd-quarter 36-yard field goal was the second of his career in as many attempts. He made his only attempt last year, a 49-yard boot against Cal.

USC's streak of home sellouts ended at 10 with the crowd of 90,917. But it was USC's 14th home crowd in a row played in front of 90,000-plus.

True freshman center Kristopher O'Dowd and true freshman defensive end Everson Griffen both started. Besides O'Dowd and Griffen, other true freshmen to play tonight included TB Joe McKnight, WR Ronald Johnson, LB Malcolm Smith, LB Chris Gallipo.

O'Dowd is the first true freshman center to ever start at USC, the first true freshman to start on the offensive line since Jeff Byers in 2004 (vs. UCLA) and the only the third true freshman to start an opener on the offensive line, joining Travis Claridge and Brad Budde. The last true freshman to start an opener was C.J. Gable (at Arkansas, 2006).

Expected starters WR Patrick Turner (stinger) and CB-S Josh Pinkard (knee) did not suit up while resting injuries.