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McKnight helps USC avoid another upset

Oct 14, 2007 - 12:57 AM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Joe McKnight made sure Southern California wasn't upset for a second straight week.

The highly touted freshman set up the eventual game-winning score with a 45-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter as the 10th-ranked Trojans bounced back from last week's stunning loss to Stanford with a 20-13 victory over Arizona Saturday.

The Trojans (5-1, 3-1 PAC 10), who lost All-American left tackle Sam Baker to a hamstring injury in the first half, was lethargic on offense until McKnight returned the ball to the Wildcat 25 at the 10:47 mark of the fourth quarter.

"I know what he's got - he's just a fantastic football player," said USC coach Pete Carroll of McKnight. "It's just a confidence deal.

"He has so much stuff and he's going to continue to make good plays. The punt return was exhilarating."

On the next play from scrimmage, sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez, making his first career start in place of injured John David Booty, hooked up with Fred Davis for a 25-yard scoring pass to put USC ahead, 17-13. It was Sanchez's first career TD pass.

"That first touchdown pass ... I couldn't sleep all last night thinking about it," Sanchez said. "I just wanted to get one under my belt at least."

"But more than anything we just needed a win more than a touchdown pass. I just couldn't lose this game - we couldn't lose this game, we weren't going to let it happen."

McKnight also scampered 59 yards on the Trojans' final drive, which covered 86 yards and was capped off with a 24-yard field goal by David Buehler with 57 seconds left.

"I really haven't been proving to people what I can do so I hope I've proven it to them now," McKnight said.

For the game McKnight rushed for a team-high 76 yards on 13 carries. Sanchez completed 18-of-30 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. He was also intercepted twice.

The Trojans took a 10-0 lead after an 18-yard TD run by Chauncey Washington in the first quarter and a 27-yard field goal by Buehler midway through the second quarter.

Arizona (2-5, 1-3) struck back after Buehler's field goal with an eight-play drive that covered 74 yards, capped off by a one-yard scoring plunge by quarterback Willie Tuitama.

Late in the first half Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason intercepted Sanchez at the USC 46 and returned it to the USC 19, which set up a 28-yard field goal by Jason Bondzio to knot the score at 10.

Arizona then broke a 10-10 tie on its first possession of the second half on a 45-yard field goal by Bondzio.

Tuitama finished 30-for-43 for 233 yards and Mike Thomas caught 12 passes for 83 yards for the Wildcats.

"It's a tough loss. I thought we had a great opportunity, but we let it slip away in the late third, early in the fourth," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. "I thought we could take the game into the fourth quarter and make some plays but we never did.

"They made the plays in the fourth quarter to ice the game."