Embattled unit shines in USC's victory over rival Cal

                    

	Byron Storer and the California offense found little room to run around the swarming Southern Cal defense on Saturday night. Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images
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LOS ANGELES -- Pete Carroll had harped on it week after week. The media savvy USC coach talked about it so much that he rolled his eyes whenever the question came up.

Why hadn't the defense put up more sacks, created more turnovers, caused more havoc? They had arguably the best linebacking corps in the country and had one of the deeper defenses in the nation on paper, yet they weren't putting up the same gaudy numbers as their predecessors. Coming into Saturday, they had recorded just 15 turnovers and 21 sacks.

While many critics harped on USC's inability to put up more points with an entirely new backfield and the daunting task of replacing two Heisman trophy winners, Carroll knew his team would start clicking when his defense did. He knew that because there is nothing he knows more about than defense. As the team's defensive coordinator since becoming the head coach in 2001, Carroll had always prided himself on fielding aggressive, turnover-causing defenses that made life impossible for opposing offenses and breathed new life into his offense.

That was never more evident than Saturday when USC's defense came to life against Cal and helped propel the Trojans to a 23-9 win and a Rose Bowl berth that could turn into an invitation to the BCS title game in January if they win out.

While USC's offense struggled to put the ball in the end zone, or as was the case on its first quarter safety, get the ball out of the end zone for much of the game, it was USC's defense that finally answered their coach's call. After weeks of getting by as a bend-but-don't-break unit the Trojans broke the perception that Cal coach Jeff Tedford "had Carroll's number" by putting forth their most impressive performance of the season.

It was a collective effort that came in waves. It began with the defensive line that hurried, pressured or knocked down Cal quarterback Nate Longshore every time he went back to pass. They might have only gotten credit for one sack, but they were in Longshore's face all night as the quarterback completed just 17 of 32 passes for 176 yards. It continued with the linebackers who pounded and pummeled any Cal player who had the ball and helped cause three fumbles, two of which came from Cal's heralded tailback duo of Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett, who combined for 21 carries and 93 yards. It ended with the secondary, which picked off Longshore in the first quarter and intercepted his final pass of the game to seal the win and the Trojans' fifth straight conference title.

"It was a perfect game tonight," said Carroll. "Just perfect. We give up [no turnovers], we get three. We could have had six. The ball was all over the field tonight. The turnovers thing is great. It's coming to life, man. We said it would and it has. The defense shut them out in the second half. They played their butt off and were flying all over the place. They found some way to make some plays out there tonight."

While the defensive effort of the Trojans, who held the Bears to 275 total yards, inspired the rowdy sold out crowd at the Coliseum, which Carroll called the loudest since he's been at USC, no group fed off their energy more than the offense. John David Booty's bunch finally turned the corner in the fourth quarter when they turned a 9-9 tie into a two-touchdown win. "It just takes a lot of pressure off of us," said Booty, who completed 18 of 31 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns. "I get inspired when I see them play like that. I'm just glad they're on my team."