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USC tries to slow down Oregon's offense

Oct 27, 2007 - 11:32 AM No. 9 USC (6-1) at No. 5 Oregon (6-1) 3:00 pm EDT

EUGENE, Oregon (Ticker) -- Southern California had no problem shutting down Notre Dame last week. Containing Dennis Dixon and Oregon this week will be a whole other matter.

Dixon and the fifth-ranked Ducks hope to blow past the ninth-ranked Trojans when they meet in a key Pac-10 Conference game on Saturday.

Oregon ranks second nationally in both scoring (46.57 points per game) and total offense (550.86 yards). The focal point of the offense is Dixon, a dual-threat quarterback who ranks fourth in the country in passing efficiency (165.81).

The Ducks (6-1, 3-1 Pac-10), who have scored 108 points the past two weeks, are coming off a 55-34 road win over Washington in which they ran for a school-record 465 yards and six touchdowns on 62 carries.

Jonathan Stewart paced Oregon's ground attack with a career-best 251 yards and two touchdowns.

Andre Crenshaw added 113 yards and two TDs and Dixon had 99 yards and a score to go with his 196 passing yards and a TD for the Ducks, who were edged at home by California three weeks ago, 31-24.

USC (6-1, 3-1), which like Oregon is a game behind Arizona State and UCLA in the Pac-10, crushed hapless Notre Dame in South Bend, 38-0.

With John David Booty sidelined by a broken finger for a second straight week, Mark Sanchez tossed four TDs for the Trojans, who limited the Fighting Irish to just 165 total yards - 48 on the ground.

The Trojans have won three straight in the series after dropping the previous four meetings. Last year, USC cruised to a 35-10 home win.