PULLMAN - Mark Sanchez became the first USC quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a half and the No. 6 Trojans breezed this time as a huge favorite, beating Washington State 69-0 on Saturday.
It was the largest shutout victory for USC (5-1, 3-1 Pac-10) since a 69-0 win over Montana in 1931, and the Trojans were showing signs of mercy late in the first half.
USC's defense, ranked first in the nation coming in by allowing just 9.4 points per game, ended the Cougars' streak of scoring at 280 games dating to Sept. 15, 1984, when Ohio State beat Washington State 44-0. That scoring streak was second-longest in the nation to Michigan's 295 games.
The Cougars absorbed their largest margin of defeat since they began playing in 1894.
Patrick Turner and Ronald Johnson each caught two of Sanchez's scoring throws, freshman Broderick Green rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns and C.J. Gable ran for 109 yards and three more scores. The Trojans have won their last three games by a combined 141-10 since a stunning loss at Oregon State on Sept. 25 cost them their No. 1 ranking.
Now they sit ready to rejoin the BCS championship chase. Not that this was the best barometer of their worthiness.
Washington State (1-7, 0-5) has allowed 66, 63, 66 and now 69 in four of their conference losses. The Cougars, whose only win is against Portland State of the Championship Subdivision, have been outscored 385-111 this season. That's on track to break the Pac-10 record for most points allowed in a season, 469 by Oregon State in 1981.
On offense, they never crossed midfield. They protected quarterback Kevin Lopina from getting hit and tried to shorten this rout by snapping directly to running backs and even wide receivers in passing situations. Lopina completed six of nine passes for 28 yards - WSU's lowest air output since 1975 - with one interception. He hit the ground twice in his return from a broken bone in his back.
Washington State had four first downs. They didn't advance past their own 38-yard line until the third quarter - when third-stringer Logwone Mitz lost a fumble at the WSU 40 at the end of a run.
The dispirited home fans gave a mocking standing ovation 2:30 left in the first quarter when Lopina found Jeshua Anderson for a 10-yard completion. It Washington State's only first down of the half.
