LOS ANGELES — After Southern California lost to Washington on last-gasp field goals in each of the last two years, the 18th-ranked Trojans made sure the final seconds of the latest meeting didn’t matter at all.
Marqise Lee caught a touchdown pass and returned the second-half kickoff 88 yards for a score, and Curtis McNeal had a 79-yard TD sprint among his career-high 148 yards rushing in USC’s 40-17 victory over Washington on Saturday.
Matt Barkley passed for 174 yards and one touchdown while running for an early score for the Trojans, who made sure Huskies kicker Erik Folk played no significant role, as he did in each of Washington coach Steve Sarkisian’s first two meetings with his former employer.
“This has become a big rivalry,” said Trojans coach Lane Kiffin, who coached alongside Sarkisian at USC for much of the previous decade. “It’s going to be a very competitive rivalry for a long time.”
Utah 31, UCLA 6
SALT LAKE CITY — John White rushed for 167 yards and scored three touchdowns, and Conroy Black returned an interception 67 yards to make the Utes bowl-eligible for the ninth straight year and gave offensive coordinator Norm Chow another victory against a former team.
California 23, Oregon St. 6
SAN FRANCISCO — Cal’s Isi Sofele rushed for a career- high 190 yards and one touchdown, and quarterback Zach Maynard threw for one score and ran for another.
