GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NCAAF: USC (8-2) at ARIZONA ST (9-1)

NCAAF: USC (8-2) at ARIZONA ST (9-1)

<h3>Arizona State hosts USC in critical Pac-10 game</h3>

No. 11 USC (8-2) at No. 7 Arizona St (9-1) 8:00 pm EST

TEMPE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Southern California's five-year reignas Pac-10 Conference champions appeared to be over after theTrojans suffered a second loss at Oregon on October 27. ButOregon's defeat at Arizona last week gave the Trojans new life.

The 11th-ranked Trojans look to keep their Rose Bowl hopes alivewhen they visit No. 7 Arizona State on Thursday in their firstThanksgiving Day game since 1938.


With the Pac-10 season extending until next week, Arizona State,USC and Oregon all remain in contention for the Rose Bowl.

The Sun Devils (9-1, 5-2 Pac-10) are in the driver's seat,holding a one-game lead over USC and Oregon. With a victorythis week, Arizona State can eliminate USC from the Pac-10 race.

"Anything is possible in this game," Sun Devils coach DennisErickson said. "That's why you play every Saturday. Every yearyou have the same goals - to try to compete for a nationalchampionship, to try to compete for a Pac-10 championship."

However, the Sun Devils do not have history on their side,having dropped seven straight games to the Trojans, who are 22-0in November under coach Pete Carroll.


Both teams are well-rested after having last week off.

In their last game, the Sun Devils rebounded from a loss atOregon to defeat UCLA, 24-20. Rudy Carpenter passed for 200yards and a touchdown, helping Arizona State win in the RoseBowl for the first time since 1996.


Carpenter used the bye week to rest his swollen right thumb,which he injured against California on October 27.

"Obviously, it helped him," Erickson said. "It was very swelledup after the UCLA game. The swelling is down."


USC (8-2, 5-2 Pac-10) stayed in the Pac-10 race with a 24-17victory at California in its last outing.


The Trojans struggled against the Golden Bears with twoturnovers and eight penalties, but Chauncey Washington provideda spark by rushing for a career-high 220 yards and a touchdown.

USC quarterback John David Booty is 7-0 as a starter againstranked opponents. But the Trojans' offense could have troubleagainst the Sun Devils, who rank in the top 20 in everystatistical category.

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 0
ARIZONA ST (7) 0 14:50 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF TD USC
VIDAL HAZELTON 4 YD PASS FROM JOHN DAVID BOOTY
(DAVID BUEHLER KICK)

USC (11) 7
ARIZONA ST (7) 0 13:13 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF TD ARIZONA ST
RUDY BURGESS 98 YD KICKOFF RETURN
(THOMAS WEBER KICK)

USC (11) 7
ARIZONA ST (7) 7 12:58 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 7
ARIZONA ST (7) 7 12:01 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF FG USC
DAVID BUEHLER 42 YD

USC (11) 10
ARIZONA ST (7) 7 10:16 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 10
ARIZONA ST (7) 7 9:08 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF TD USC
STANLEY HAVILI 5 YD PASS FROM JOHN DAVID BOOTY
(DAVID BUEHLER KICK)

USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 7 7:18 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 7 5:01 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF TD ARIZONA ST
MICHAEL JONES 4 YD PASS FROM RUDY CARPENTER
(THOMAS WEBER KICK)

USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 14 2:02 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
USC (11) 17 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 14 14 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: USC - TD, VIDAL HAZELTON 4 YD PASS FROM
JOHN DAVID BOOTY (DAVID
BUEHLER KICK), 1:47. USC 7-0
ARIZONA ST - TD, RUDY BURGESS 98 YD KICKOFF
RETURN (THOMAS WEBER KICK),
2:02. USC 7-7
USC - FG, DAVID BUEHLER 42 YD, 4:44. USC
10-7
USC - TD, STANLEY HAVILI 5 YD PASS FROM
JOHN DAVID BOOTY (DAVID
BUEHLER KICK), 7:42. USC 17-7
ARIZONA ST - TD, MICHAEL JONES 4 YD PASS FROM
RUDY CARPENTER (THOMAS WEBER
KICK), 12:58. USC 17-14</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 14 14:41 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 14 13:22 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF FG ARIZONA ST
THOMAS WEBER 25 YD

USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 17 11:29 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 17 8:09 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 17
ARIZONA ST (7) 17 6:48 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF FG USC
DAVID BUEHLER 20 YD

USC (11) 20
ARIZONA ST (7) 17 5:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF USC (11) 20
ARIZONA ST (7) 17 3:55 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF TD USC
JOHN DAVID BOOTY 1 YD RUN
(DAVID BUEHLER KICK)

USC (11) 27
ARIZONA ST (7) 17 0:09 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NCAAF: USC at ARIZONA ST

<div class="pre">NCAAF HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
USC (11) 17 10 27
ARIZONA ST (7) 14 3 17 HALFTIME

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: USC - TD, VIDAL HAZELTON 4 YD PASS FROM
JOHN DAVID BOOTY (DAVID
BUEHLER KICK), 1:47. USC 7-0
ARIZONA ST - TD, RUDY BURGESS 98 YD KICKOFF
RETURN (THOMAS WEBER KICK),
2:02. USC 7-7
USC - FG, DAVID BUEHLER 42 YD, 4:44. USC
10-7
USC - TD, STANLEY HAVILI 5 YD PASS FROM
JOHN DAVID BOOTY (DAVID
BUEHLER KICK), 7:42. USC 17-7
ARIZONA ST - TD, MICHAEL JONES 4 YD PASS FROM
RUDY CARPENTER (THOMAS WEBER
KICK), 12:58. USC 17-14
2ND QUARTER: ARIZONA ST - FG, THOMAS WEBER 25 YD, 3:31. USC
17-17
USC - FG, DAVID BUEHLER 20 YD, 10:00.
USC 20-17
USC - TD, JOHN DAVID BOOTY 1 YD RUN
(DAVID BUEHLER KICK), 14:51.
USC 27-17</div>