What better way to annihilate preconceived notions and upend conventional Pacific-10 Conference wisdom than a costume party on the field at Autzen Stadium.
 
Safety T.J. Ward intercepted USC quarterback Matt Barkley’s pass — the only turnover of the game for the Trojans — and slid to the ground as time expired in the fourth quarter, prompting many in the raucous, hostile crowd of 59,592 to rush the field, celebrating Oregon’s 47-20 victory over USC and forgetting everything they already knew about the Pac-10.
 
Long considered a one-team conference, the Pac-10 looks much different today. Undefeated in conference play (7-1, 5-0), the Ducks stand at the top, with only the Arizona Wildcats behind at 3-1. USC has been relegated to a fourth-place tie with Cal and
Oregon State.
 
Trojans head coach Pete Carroll’s biggest strengths are defensive game plans and their physicality. The Ducks exploited both of those to the tune of 613 yards, and 391 on the ground. Those are the most yards — coupled with the most points — ever allowed under Carroll at USC.
 
“(Oregon head coach Chip Kelly) did a great job,” Carroll said. “He and the offensive coaches really put together a heck of a plan. It really wasn’t that hard for them.”
USC never figured out how to slow down Oregon’s playmakers, let alone stop them. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli gashed the vaunted USC defense for 386 total yards (222 passing, 164 rushing) and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing).
 
Averaging 12.6 yards per carry, Masoli’s knack for finding open running room was on full display, and his right knee — self-described as “85 percent” after the game — did not inhibit him.
“Masoli did a good job of reading his keys, and giving the ball and taking the ball,” USC safety Taylor Mays said. “They were busting us all night.”
 
LaMichael James made the nationally televised matchup his personal coming out party. He rushed for 183 yards on 24 carries with one touchdown, a third-quarter run on a seven-play, 80-yard drive that would break the Trojans’ backs defensively.
It’s easy to forget that the Ducks and Trojans traded scoring punches early on the game, which shaped up as a Wild West shootout. After early field goals for each team, Barkley threw second-quarter touchdown passes to Ronald Johnson and Damian Williams as counter-punches to touchdown runs by Masoli and Andre Crenshaw. The Ducks received the ball with 3:17 remaining and proceeded to drive 80 yards in four lightning-quick plays to set up Holland’s receiving touchdown and head to the locker room up 24-17.
Out of the locker room, Oregon kicker Morgan Flint and USC kicker Jordan Congdon exchanged field goals, but the Ducks would score the game’s final 20 points, with no hope of response from the USC offense.
 
Oregon broke from character and played ball-control with the USC defense. The Ducks’ second-half scoring drives were all 2:30 or longer, including one 15-play, 60-yard fourth quarter drive that took 5:57 off the clock and ended in another field goal by Flint. The Trojans possessed the ball all of five times in the second half, including two three-and-outs.
USC was never given a chance to get back in the game. Exactly how the Ducks wanted it.
“After half, you could see it on their faces,” Masoli said. “They weren’t talking as much, they weren’t communicating as much on defense.”
 
If USC ever had a chance to reassert itself in the game, the crowd wouldn’t have any of it. Autzen Stadium’s atmosphere was electric and its noise level consistently, ear-piercingly loud. Barkley said the noise wouldn’t affect him, and Barkley played well (21 of 38 for 187 yards, with two TDs and the last-play INT) but his offensive line received six
false-start penalties.
 
“It’s a distinct home field advantage,” Kelly said of Autzen. “I love it. My ears are still ringing. There’s no place like it in college football.”
Kelly got in on the theatrics early Saturday, when he donned the Duck mascot head and shook hands with fans during the ESPN College GameDay telecast. The Duck mascot itself came out of the tunnel on the Harley in Darkwing Duck apparel, with the purple shirt, mask and cape. It also had a fourth-quarter Halloween costume, a black soldier outfit complete with webfoot shield.
 
The Ducks now focus their attention to their road game against Stanford on Nov. 7. The Cardinal (5-3, 4-2 Pac-10) have lost two of their past three games and no longer look as dangerous, but Oregon is determined not to fall into a trap.
 
“The biggest thing for us is not to let our heads get beat,” Masoli said. “I think we’re mature enough not to let that happen. This week is going to be our best week of practice ever.”
 
Aided, no doubt, by one major shot in the arm: this victory.
“Nobody can really hang with us in the league and across the nation,” Masoli said. “That’s how we feel.”
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