USC Has No PAT Answers in Loss to Washington State

PULLMAN, Wash. —  Judging from the score and statistics, USC’s top-rated defense finally met its match against Washington State on Saturday at Martin Stadium.

Washington State quarterback Jason Gesser passed without much pressure and the No. 17 Cougars broke off big rushing plays in a 30-27 overtime victory over the No. 18 Trojans before a delirious crowd of 36,861.

But there is no defense for missed opportunities on offense and special teams, and USC wasted plenty that proved far more damaging in a defeat that dropped the Trojans to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

“We moved the ball and had some chances,” USC Coach Pete Carroll said.

Some of the most costly :

* With the Trojans trailing, 10-7, in the second quarter, quarterback Carson Palmer threw a nine-yard pass that was intercepted in the end zone.

* Kicker Ryan Killeen missed a 47-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter that bounced off the upright.

* Perhaps most critically, Killeen missed an extra-point attempt in the fourth quarter that would have given the Trojans a 28-24 lead with 4:10 to play.

“Those points are huge,” Carroll said.

Drew Dunning’s 35-yard field goal in overtime--his third of the game--provided Washington State with the winning points and improved the Cougars to 5-1 and 2-0 in the Pac-10.

But Gesser, with a large amount of help from his offensive line, engineered the victory.

The senior from Hawaii was playing with a flak jacket to protect a dislocated rib. He anticipated numerous hits from a Trojan defensive line that recorded five sacks and knocked Oregon State quarterback Derek Anderson out of the game in a 22-0 shutout last week.

Gesser, however, mixed in quick drops and screen passes with deeper routes over the middle and along the sidelines and got great protection from his line while completing 23 of 44 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns.

“I thought they were going to blitz a lot more and they didn’t except on third down a few times,” said Gesser, who was sacked only once. “I told my offensive line, ‘If you can block their front four and they’re not blitzing, we’ll be able to do what we want.’ ”

Defensive end Kenechi Udeze, who recorded USC’s lone sack, said Trojan linemen could not penetrate an offensive front that did not tire.

“They blocked us pretty good,” he said. “[Gesser] was holding the ball long enough and we just didn’t get there.”

Washington State also benefited from a rushing attack that produced 201 yards and helped the Cougars amass 516 total yards.

Jermaine Green gained 92 yards in six carries, including a 75-yard touchdown run that gave the Cougars a 17-14 lead with 12:39 left in the third quarter. The Cougars also ran reverses and fake reverses that helped set up Gesser’s passes.

“Every time you looked up they were running a screen or a reverse and that tends to hold the linebackers up,” said linebacker Melvin Simmons, who transferred to USC from Washington State in 2000. “That’s what gave them great opportunities to do other things.”

USC overcame a 10-7 halftime deficit and a 24-14 deficit in the fourth quarter but could not finish off the Cougars, who beat the Trojans in Pullman for the first time since 1986 and won an overtime game for the first time since 1997.

USC pulled to within 24-21 with 7:54 left on a three-yard touchdown run by Palmer.

The Trojans got the ball back with 5:24 remaining when safety Jason Leach, who was playing in place of injured All-American Troy Polamalu, intercepted a pass at the Trojan 47. Three plays later, Palmer connected with freshman wide receiver Mike Williams on a 55-yard touchdown pass play that gave the Trojans a 27-24 lead.

Killeen, however, missed the extra-point out of a hold by punter Tom Malone, who was working with Killeen for the first time this season.

“It was about six inches above my mark,” Killeen said. “I didn’t get a good look at it. I had to reach for it and I missed the kick.”

On the ensuing possession, which started at the Washington State 20, Gesser completed an eight-yard pass to flanker Devard Darling, then connected with wide receiver Sammy Moore on a 53-yard pass play that moved the ball to the USC 26.

Three plays later, Dunning shook off a bad snap and kicked a wobbly 35-yard field goal with 1:50 remaining to tie the score.

Washington State won the toss and elected to give USC the ball first in overtime at the 25-yard line.

Tailback Sultan McCullough gained three yards on first down, but Palmer was sacked for a seven-yard loss on the next play.

“I should have thrown it away,” said Palmer, who completed 32 of 50 passes for 381 yards and two touchdowns. “I was trying to get it to Mike Williams and I should have just thrown it over his head.”

Said Williams: “I wasn’t open and they rolled over the double team. By the time Carson got to his next option, they had pressure.”

Tailback Justin Fargas was tackled for a five-yard loss on third down, setting up a 52-yard field-goal attempt by Killeen, who hoped to redeem himself for the missed extra point. The kick appeared long enough but it went wide right.

“I didn’t connect like I should,” Killeen said. “I let the distance bother me instead of just kicking it.”

Washington State, needing only a field goal to win, ran John Tippins for three and four yards before calling on Dunning for his game-winning 35-yard field goal.

“I was calm and poised,” Dunning said. “It was awesome getting the opportunity.”

The Trojans can only blame themselves for providing it.

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Kicking and Screaming

Five games in which missed kicks played a major role in USC losses over the last five seasons:

Oct. 5, 2002--Ryan Killeen’s missed extra point after a USC touchdown with 4:10 remaining keeps the Trojans’ lead at 27-24 and allows Washington State to go for a game-tying field goal with 1:50 left instead of a touchdown. Killeen misses a 52-yard field goal attempt in overtime and Drew Dunning makes a 35-yarder to give Washington State a 30-27 victory.

Dec. 25, 2001--David Davis misses an extra point and a 47-yard field-goal attempt in a 10-6 loss to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Oct. 23, 1999--David Newbury misses from 36 and 53 yards and David Bell can’t connect from 52 yards in a 35-31 loss to Stanford.

Sept. 25, 1999-- Newbury misses an extra point and field-goal attempts of 51 and 37 yards in a 33-30 loss to Oregon in three overtimes.

Oct. 24, 1998--Adam Abrams misses field-goal attempts of 28, 36 and 47 yards in a 17-13 loss to Oregon.

*--* SEASON BY SEASON A look at USC’s kicking the last five seasons, in which the Trojans have a 28-24 record: 2002 Kicker XPM-XPA FGA-FGA David Davis 7-10 1-3 Ryan Killeen 6-7 3-6 USC 13-17 4-9 Opponents 7-7 6-10 2001 David Davis 31-34 15-18 USC 31-34 15-18 Opponents 24-24 13-15 2000 David Newbury 9-12 4-9 John Wall 9-14 5-5 David Bell 11-12 1-4 USC 29-38 10-18 Opponents 37-38 8-14 1999 Tom Newbury 40-42 11-20 David Bell 2-2 1-2 USC 42-44 12-22 Opponents 30-33 8-17 1998 Adam Abrams 38-39 16-25 David Bell 0-1 0-0 USC 38-40 16-25 Opponents 27-29 12-19 FIVE-SEASON TOTALS USC 153-171 57-92 Opponents 125-131 47-75

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KEYS TO THE GAME

Gary Klein’s keys to the game and how the Trojans measured up:

1. Control Jason Gesser and neutralize tall receivers: Washington State’s offensive line gave Gesser plenty of time when he wasn’t using quick drops and Gesser completed 23 of 44 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns. Gesser connected with 6-foot-6 wide receiver Mike Bush on several big plays against shorter USC cornerbacks.

2. Establish a running game: Sultan McCullough gained 49 yards in nine carries during the first half, 38 coming on the Trojans’ first possession, which he capped with a six-yard touchdown run. But he finished with only 62 yards in 13 carries and the Trojans finished with only 72 net yards because of 23 yards lost on sacks. Justin Fargas rushed for 33 yards in 12 carries.

3. Maintain special teams: Kicker Ryan Killeen missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt with 16 seconds left in the first half, a conversion kick that allowed Washington State to come back to tie the score in regulation and a 52-yard field-goal attempt in overtime. Tom Malone averaged 44 yards for six punts.