Instant Analysis: USC-Oregon

In the first half, Oregon's special teams unit gave USC a chance to steal a road win. The Trojans refused the offer. In the second half, Stanley Havili and Mark Sanchez asked the Ducks if they wanted to take control of this titanic Pac-10 tilt. Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart said yes.

That's really all you need to know about the Ducks' gut-check win over the twice-toppled Trojans in a physical but suprisingly close-to-the-vest affair. In a tight game with hellacious hitting but loads of split-second lapses, Mike Bellotti's team came away with the win not because its playmakers were better, but because USC's skill people were worse.

After Oregon twice coughed up the ball in the first half on kick returns, the Trojans were given drive starts in or near the Ducks' red zone. On each of those occasions, however, USC's not-quite-healed offense clearly missed the steady hand of John David Booty and the blocking of center Kristofer O'Dowd. With the second-string Sanchez under center behind a banged-up offensive front, the Trojans lacked the ability to impose their will on the Ducks when it really mattered. Those two early opportunities deep in Oregon territory produced a total of three points, and so what could have been an early advantage for the Trojans turned into a 10-3 Duck lead at halftime. USC's defense was up to the challenge this afternoon, but the Pac-10's preeminent power over the last few seasons needed special contributions from the offensive side of the ball if it was going to emerge from Autzen Stadium with a breakthrough result. When Oregon turnovers didn't translate into USC points, the odds against Pete Carroll's crew lengthened.

Improbably, however, the Trojans stormed the palace gate at the beginning of the second half, as receiver Patrick Turner singlehandedly led his teammates to a tying touchdown. With momentum and a brief display of skill position excellence, USC caught the Ducks and got the ball back midway through the third quarter. On the road and without many offensive contributions, the Trojans--to the amazement of everyone in the ballpark--actually held the upper hand.

But as soon as Troy began to smell success, Stanley Havili turned the game on a dime and gave Oregon its big opening.

The USC fullback, whose hands have been suspect throughout this season, fumbled on a simple dive play on which he had already gained a first down. The Ducks recovered at the Trojan 16, and in the blink of an eye, the leverage gained by the visitors in the game's first 39 minutes abruptly evaporated. The game's next--and biggest-- question was a simple one: could Oregon's offense do what SC's attack failed to accomplish in game-defining red zone situations? The answer to this question would decide the outcome.

Two plays later, stud running back Jonathan Stewart provided a loud and authoritative "Yes," as his 17-yard touchdown run put the Ducks ahead for good. After Sanchez threw a crippling interception on the following drive, with the Trojans seeking to tie the score again, Stewart got the ball back and put his stamp on the contest.

There are times in big games when the men separate themselves from the boys. On a 3rd and 14 at the end of the third quarter, Stewart made a man's play that cemented the green and gold momentum flowing through the largest crowd in Oregon sports history. On a delay draw, Stewart exploded for 10 yards, then evaded two tackles to gain three more yards before powering his way (think Mark Bavaro against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football almost two decades ago) for the final two yards. With speed, elusiveness and power, Stewart crafted an astonishing 15-yard play that superstars manage to pull off in man-making motivational moments. Stewart's awesome display sustained a drive that eventually ended with a touchdown that gave a Ducks a two-possession lead. The scorer of the touchdown? Yeah, you guessed it: Stewart. Whereas USC's skill people couldn't deliver first-half daggers in the red zone, Jonathan Stewart and his teammate, Dennis Dixon, were more reliable in money situations, especially in the second half. This simple difference lifted the Ducks to a huge win that gives them the inside track to the Pac-10 title (UCLA's and Arizona State's unbeaten conference records notwithstanding).

USC and Oregon both had chances to deliver telling blows in a vigorously contested battle, but only the Ducks landed punches when they really needed to. The Trojans might continue to get healthy from a medical standpoint, but Pete Carroll's team once again lost in 2007 because of a disease for which there's no cure: turnover-itis. Jonathan Stewart made sure the patient from Southern California was not resuscitated.