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Sanchez, top-ranked USC visit Oregon State in Pac-10 opener

Sep 23, 2008 - 7:11 PM CORVALLIS, Oregon (Ticker) -- Mark Sanchez and Southern California have had a long rest since dismantling Ohio State on national television. Therefore, they have had plenty of time to shift their focus on winning their seventh straight Pac-10 Conference title.

Sanchez and the top-ranked Trojans return to action off their bye week Thursday night when they open Pac-10 play at Oregon State.

In a showdown billed as a matchup between national title contenders, the Trojans completely thrashed then-No. 5 Ohio State, 35-3, in the Los Angeles Coliseum on September 13.

Sanchez, a first-year starter, thrust himself into Heisman Trophy contention by matching a career high with four touchdown passes against the Buckeyes' highly touted defense.

Aside from Sanchez's exploits, the Trojans (2-0) outclassed the Buckeyes in nearly every facet of the game to establish themselves as the clear-cut No. 1 team in the country at this point in the season.

The lopsided result was reflected throughout the boxscore - USC averaged just under six yards per play; running back Joe McKnight rushed for 105 yards on just 12 carries; and the Trojans limited Ohio State to just 207 yards of total offense.

"Over the years, when we prepare this well and we have our guys, we're hard to beat," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "It doesn't matter who we play when we do that. This is what we're capable of doing."

The Trojans have been more than capable in conference play under Carroll, who has a 44-6 Pac-10 record since the 2002 season. USC has not lost a conference opener since 2003, when it dropped a 34-31 overtime decision at California.

But Carroll also knows what is capable of happening if the Trojans fail to take the Beavers seriously in Corvallis. In USC's last visit here, Oregon State pulled off a stunning 33-31 upset on October 28, 2006 to end the Trojans' 27-game winning streak against Pac-10 opponents.

Carroll hopes for a better result Thursday night when the Trojans take on the Beavers (1-2, 0-1 Pac-10), who also are coming off a bye week.

After allowing a total of 81 points in losing its first two games, Oregon State crushed Hawaii, 45-7, in its home opener on September 13.

Lyle Moevao passed for 268 yards and three TDs while Jacquizz Rogers ran for a pair of scores for the Beavers, who scored the game's final 45 points.

USC, which owns a 58-9-4 record against the Beavers and has won 31 of the last 33 meetings between the schools, will be without cornerback Shareece Wright, who will be sidelined up to six weeks with a fracture vertebra.

Carroll announced Monday that Wright suffered the injury during the victory over the Buckeyes.