SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Barkley threw touchdown passes to Stanley Havili on Southern California’s first two possessions and added a touchdown run in the fourth quarter to help the Trojans beat Boston College 24-13 in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday night.
The victory was far from impressive, but it put a positive ending on a disappointing season for USC (9-4). The Trojans lost three of their final five regular-season games to fall out of the national rankings for the first time since Pete Carroll’s first season as coach in 2001.
That left USC in an unfamiliar bowl setting after making it to the Bowl Championship Series the past seven years, including four consecutive Rose Bowl bids. But the Trojans made the most of it, handing Boston College (8-5) its second consecutive bowl loss after an eight-year bowl winning streak.
Damian Williams (Springdale) caught 12 passes for 189 yards in what could be his final game for the Trojans, grabbing long passes to set up Havili’s second score and Barkley’s 1-yard sneak that gave USC a 24-13 lead with 11:53 remaining. Williams is expected to skip his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.
The Eagles stayed close with the Trojans for most of the game before Dave Shinskie threw an interception to Shareece Wright early in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Barkley connected on a 48-yard pass to Williams, who made a leaping grab between three defenders. Barkley scored on the next play.
The Trojans won despite playing without leading rusher Joe McKnight, who was not cleared to play as the school investigates whether he violated rules by using a sport utility vehicle that doesn’t belong to him. McKnight is USC’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2005, with 1,014 yards on 6.2 yards per carry and 8 touchdowns.
USC struggled on the ground without McKnight but was able to move the ball consistently through the air as Barkley often found open receivers on slant patterns. Barkley completed 27 of 37 passes for 350 yards in the second 300-yard game of his freshman season. He also threw two interceptions that allowedBoston College to stay close until the fourth quarter.
The Trojans got off to a fast start by scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions with passes from Barkley to Havili to go up 14-0. But USC didn’t score again in the half, with Barkley throwing an interception deep in Boston College territory to end one potential scoring drive.
The Eagles got right back into the game with a 7-yard run by Montel Harris. Steve Aponavicius hit the upright on the extra-point attempt, ending a streak of 81 consecutive makes since late in the 2007 season.
Boston College got help from a big mistake by USC to get another score late in the half. Michael Morgan was called for pass interference on a third-and-21 toss to Chris Pantale that went only 2 yards. But the infraction gave the Eagles an automatic first down, and Shinskie connected with Rich Gunnell on a 61-yard touchdown pass on the next play to make it 14-13.
Gunnell finished with six catches for 130 yards, breaking Pete Mitchell’s school record for yards receiving with 2,659 in his career.
PASSING-Boston College, Shinskie 14-33-1-218. Southern Cal, Barkley 27-37-2-350.
RECEIVING-Boston College, Gunnell 6-130, Jarvis 3-47, Larmond 3-29, Pantale 1-7, McCluskey 1-5. Southern Cal, Williams 12-189, Havili 6-83, R.Johnson 6-58, Ausberry 2-17, Butler 1-3.
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
Lewis leads Pittsburgh
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - It wasn’t the bowl Pittsburgh wanted to be in, but the Panthers made a case that they have returned to prominence.
Dion Lewis rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown to pass Tony Dorsett as Pittsburgh’s top freshman rusher, and Dan Hutchins kicked a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left to give the 17th-ranked Panthers a 19-17 victory over North Carolina on Saturday in the Meineke Bowl.
Winning 10 games for the first time since Dan Marino was the quarterback in 1981, Pitt (10-3) overcame a disappointing loss to Cincinnati three weeks ago that cost it a Sugar Bowl berth and staged a late rally in front of a hostile crowd.
Pitt converted on fourth down at its 30 and took advantage of a key offsides penalty to set up Hutchins’ fourth field goal.
T.J. Yates threw two touchdown passes to Greg Little, but his incomplete pass on fourth-and-10 from his 49 with 6 seconds left sent the Tar Heels (8-5) to their second consecutive loss.
Lewis surpassed Dorsett’s freshman rushing record of 1,686 yards in the first quarter and finished with 1,799. Lewis’ season rushing total is the second-highest ever for a Pitt runner, behind only Dorsett’s 2,150 in his Heisman Trophywinning, national championship season of 1976.
Yates was 19 of 32 for 183 yards with 1 interception, while Little caught 7 passes for 87 yards and Ryan Houston rushed for 83 yards.
But North Carolina’s defense, which came in sixth in the nation overall and ninth against the run, struggled to contain the shifty Lewis and continued a trend of struggling to close out games over the past two seasons under Coach Butch Davis.
LITTLE CAESARS PIZZA BOWL Marshall tops Ohio
DETROIT - Martin Ward ran for two touchdowns in the first half and Marshall (7-6) held off Ohio (9-5) 21-17.
DeQuan Bembry’s interception with40 seconds left sealed the victory for the Thundering Herd, who led by three touchdowns midway through the second quarter.
The Bobcats rallied with Shannon Ballard’s 75-yard return off a fumble in the second quarter, Terrence McCrae’s touchdown catch and Matt Weller’s field goal. Ohio had chances to complete the comeback but was stunted on the drive before its final possession.
Sports, Pages 36 on 12/27/2009