TOP 25 ROUNDUP Southern Cal jumps on UCLA early, 52-21

The seventh ranked Trojans scored on the first play from scrimmage and never let up.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PASADENA, Calif. -- Whatever chance UCLA had of upsetting crosstown rival Southern California dissolved in the opening 10 minutes Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
Carson Palmer threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Kelly on the first play from scrimmage following one of UCLA's many devastating mistakes, and that got No. 7 USC off and running to a 52-21 victory over the 25th-ranked Bruins.
"The first play was huge. It gave us momentum for the whole game," Palmer said after passing for 254 yards and four touchdowns. "Before the game, we were talking about putting up 50.
"It's an awesome feeling to beat these guys the way we did."
Palmer and Kelly hooked up after Tab Perry fumbled the opening kickoff and Grant Mattos recovered, putting USC on top after 16 seconds of play.
USC also scored touchdowns on its next two possessions for a quick 21-0 lead. UCLA scored early in the second quarter to draw within two touchdowns before the Trojans ran off 31 straight points.
The 52 points were the most scored by either team in the series since USC defeated UCLA 52-0 in 1930 -- the second meeting between the teams. The year before that, the Trojans beat the Bruins 76-0.
USC got two touchdowns and a field goal following fumble recoveries. Another TD after a bad snap from center in a punting situation resulted in a 34-yard UCLA loss.
Too many turnovers
The Bruins committed five turnovers, and that doesn't include the errant center snap. UCLA had only 14 turnovers in its first 10 games.
"We knew going into this game we had to play error-free to hang in there," UCLA coach Bob Toledo said. "We couldn't stop them."
The win was the sixth straight for the Trojans (9-2, 7-1 Pac-10) and their fourth in a row over the Bruins after UCLA had won a record eight straight in the rivalry.
The Bruins (7-4, 4-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped.
"Across the board, we did everything we wanted to do," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "We were in total command all day. We got so many opportunities right off the bat and capitalized on every one. They did not get a chance to get going.
"What more can you say about Palmer's great leadership ability? Carson is playing better than anyone in the country right now. He should win the Heisman if we win next week."
The Trojans finish the regular season Saturday night against No. 8 Notre Dame at the Los Angeles Coliseum. They've lost three straight to the Fighting Irish and haven't beaten UCLA and Notre Dame in the same season since 1981.
"They'll beat Notre Dame," Toledo predicted, calling USC the best team the Bruins have played this season.
Palmer, who completed his first seven passes for 128 yards including touchdown throws to Kelly and Keary Colbert, was 19-of-32 without being intercepted.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound fifth-year senior from Laguna Niguel, Calif., has passed for 2,251 yards and 23 touchdowns with five interceptions in USC's last seven games and has thrown at least two TD passes in eight straight games.
Palmer, who came in needing 76 yards to become the leading passer in Pac-10 history, surpassed the record of 10,911 yards set by Stanford's Steve Stenstrom from 1991-94 less than five minutes into the game -- on his TD pass to Colbert.
Auburn 17, No. 9 Alabama 7
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Freshman sub Tre Smith ran for 126 yards and Jason Campbell threw a pair of touchdown passes to Robert Johnson as Auburn upset Alabama.
The Tigers, 10 1/2-point underdogs, led 17-0 at halftime and used a stifling defense to shut down the SEC's top offense.
Auburn (8-4, 5-3 SEC) was playing its fourth-string tailback in his first start and went without a fullback in an injury-depleted backfield against the nation's top-rated defense.
The Crimson Tide (9-3, 6-2) had won five straight games but couldn't score on three fourth-quarter trips across midfield.
After the game, Auburn players took turns brandishing the school's banner in front of their fans before finally heading to the locker room. Many of the players returned a few minutes later.
The visitors won for the fourth straight year in the Iron Bowl; Auburn was hammered 31-7 last year. Alabama did halt its century-old scoreless streak against Auburn in Tuscaloosa, but the Tide has been outscored 91-7 on its campus in the rivalry.
Smith, who carried 25 times, was only called into action with injuries to Carnell Williams (broken leg), Ronnie Brown (sprained ankle) and Chris Butler (pulled groin).
Alabama turned it over on downs three times in the fourth quarter.
The Tide took it to Auburn's 36-yard line with about five minutes left on Dre Fulgham's 40-yard catch-and-run. Then, Mark Brown sacked backup quarterback Brodie Croyle, and Croyle threw two straight incompletions before Carlos Rogers made the Tigers' 20th interception of the season with 3:15 to play.
Alabama drove to Auburn's 35 at the end of the game but came up short again.
Campbell threw for 141 yards and Smith ran for 99 before halftime against a defense that came in giving up 244 yards per game.
N.C. State 17, No. 14 Florida St. 7
RALEIGH, N.C. -- T.A. McLendon rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown and North Carolina State's defense held No. 14 Florida State to 177 total yards.
The Wolfpack (10-3, 5-3 ACC) became the first team in the Atlantic Coast Conference to beat the Seminoles two years in a row. They won 34-28 last season.
N.C. State also snapped its three-game losing streak with a stunning defensive performance to win 10 games for the first time in 111 years of Wolfpack football.
Florida State (8-4, 7-1) can do no worse than tie Maryland for the ACC crown. The Seminoles' offensive output was the second-lowest in Bobby Bowden's 325 games as coach.
Virginia 48, No. 18 Maryland 13
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Matt Schaub threw three touchdown passes and Wali Lundy scored three times as Virginia ended the Terrapins' eight-game winning streak.
Virginia (8-4, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), picked to finish eighth in the league in the preseason, instead wrapped up second place and likely enhanced its bowl stake with Peach and Tangerine bowl officials watching.
Schaub was 23-for-27 for 249 yards, becoming the Cavaliers' single-season yardage leader with 2,751 yards and extending his TD pass record to 26. Billy McMullen caught seven passes for 92 yards, becoming only the third player in ACC history to get 200 career receptions. He has 205.
Maryland (9-3, 5-2), which drove easily downfield on its opening possession and took a 7-0 lead, trailed 34-7 before it scored again.
East Carolina 31, No. 22 TCU 28
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Travis Heath returned a fumble 81 yards for a touchdown as East Carolina rallied from an 11-point deficit to end TCU's eight-game winning streak.
The Pirates (4-6, 4-2 C-USA) threw the league title race into chaos with the win. TCU (8-2, 5-2) had hoped to clinch a share of the league title and secure a berth in one of the conference's five bowl tie-ins. While TCU may still go to a bowl, it may not be the Liberty Bowl, which takes the conference champion.
Donta Hobbs ran for two touchdowns and took a 3-yard pass from Sean Stilley with 7:21 left in the third period to give TCU a 28-17 lead.
No. 23 Boise St. 44, Nevada 7
RENO, Nev. -- Brock Forsey ran for 187 yards and four touchdowns as Boise State won its 10th straight game and the Western Athletic Conference title.
Ryan Dinwiddie completed 10 of 15 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown for the Broncos (11-1, 8-0 WAC), who are headed to a postseason bowl for the third year in a row.