No. 1 USC Starts Slow but Drubs Arizona

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Another lackluster start for No. 1 Southern California ended up in a victory that took more time than expected. LenDale White scored four touchdowns, rushed for 179 yards and USC beat Arizona 42-21 Saturday for its 27th consecutive victory.<br> <br> Playing at the Coliseum for the second time this season, the Trojans (5-0, 3-0 Pac-10) also won their school-record 23rd home game.<br> <br> Dwayne Jarrett added two touchdowns for the Trojans, who hit the road again for their next two games, including next week at Notre Dame.<br> <br> White and Reggie Bush, who had 110 yards, each ran for 100-plus yards for the third consecutive game. Steve Smith added seven catches for 134 yards.<br> <br> After rallying from an 18-point halftime deficit at Arizona State and a 13-point first-half deficit at Oregon the last two weeks, the Trojans again looked stagnant early against the Wildcats (1-4, 0-2).<br> <br> USC owned a huge statistical advantage, but Arizona gave the Trojans fits most of the game despite being 38 1/2-point underdogs, the largest spread in college football this week.<br> <br> The Trojans piled up 724 yards in total offense to Arizona&#39;s 245, but it wasn&#39;t reflected in the easy victory that 90,221 fans had expected. The Wildcats trailed by a touchdown entering the fourth quarter.<br> <br> The Trojans failed to clean up the penalties that had plagued them the previous two weeks. They were penalized six times for 60 yards in the game.<br> <br> Arizona kicker Danny Baugher put the Trojans in poor field position most of the first half, averaging 46 yards a punt and keeping leading rusher Bush from returning any punts in the game.<br> <br> Leading 35-21 with 10 minutes remaining in the game, USC&#39;s Collin Ashton tipped Richard Kovalcheck&#39;s pass to Ryan Ting, who intercepted it and stopped the Wildcats&#39; last scoring threat on USC&#39;s 6-yard line.<br> <br> USC&#39;s Matt Leinart was 26-of-40 for 360 yards, two touchdowns and one interception before being replaced by John David Booty with 6:22 remaining.<br> <br> Kovalcheck completed 16-of-25 passes for 181 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.<br> <br> Arizona&#39;s Syndric Steptoe returned five kickoff returns for 159 yards. Mike Thomas led Arizona with four catches for 88 yards and two touchdowns.<br> <br> The Trojans dominated the fourth quarter, getting touchdowns on a 29-yard run by Jarrett and a 6-yard run by White.<br> <br> USC came out strong with a 2-yard touchdown run by White to start the second half for a 21-7 lead.<br> <br> But the Wildcats answered with their longest scoring play of the season, a 42-yard pass from Kovalcheck to Thomas, to trail 21-14.<br> <br> White&#39;s second 1-yard TD of the game kept USC ahead 28-14.<br> <br> Arizona got within a touchdown on Kovalcheck&#39;s 1-yard pass to Gilbert Harris at 1:47 of the third. Steptoe&#39;s 76-yard kickoff return to the USC 22 set up the score.<br> <br> USC took a 14-7 lead into halftime when Jarrett caught a 22-yard pass from Leinart at 1:17 of the second.<br> <br> The Trojans scored on their first drive of the game, when White ran in from 1 yard at 9:12.<br> <br> The Wildcats were forced to punt on their first two possessions, then Michael Johnson recovered a fumble by USC&#39;s Desmond Reed. They capped a five-play, 56-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Kovalcheck to Brad Wood that tied the game 7-7 with 7 seconds left in the first quarter.<br> <br> © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.