Trojans escape from California

No. 1-ranked USC needed a goal-line stand to get past the Golden Bears, 23-17.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Southern California could stop Aaron Rodgers and California only when it counted most.
The top-ranked Trojans held the seventh-ranked Golden Bears out of the end zone after a first-and-goal with less than two minutes remaining, and held on for a 23-17 victory Saturday.
Before Cal's final four plays, Rodgers was 29-for-31 for 267 yards and a touchdown.
But after Rodgers got Cal to first-and-goal at the 9 with just under two minutes to go, the Trojans got a sack and forced three incomplete passes. Rodgers' final throw came with pressure coming up the middle and zipped by a diving Geoff McArthur in the end zone, sending most of the more than 90,000 at the Los Angeles Coliseum into a frenzy and the Bears home with a hard-fought loss.
14th win in row
Southern California (5-0, 2-0 Pac-10) extended its winning streak to 14 games and avenged its only loss in the last 26. The Bears' 34-31 triple-overtime victory last season kept the Trojans from claiming an undisputed national title.
Matt Leinart threw two touchdown passes for the Trojans, who had only two possessions in the fourth quarter -- both times going three-and-out.
Rodgers tied an NCAA record by completing his first 23 passes for the Bears (3-1, 1-1).
It was the first time in 52 years the Golden Bears and Trojans met with both teams ranked in the top 10, and the much-awaited match-up lived up to the hype.
The teams traded long touchdown drives to start the third quarter with Leinart hooking up with freshman Dwayne Jarrett on a 16-yard score and Marshawn Lynch plunging in from 2 yards out for Cal to make it 23-17.
Reggie Bush appeared to get the momentum back for Southern Cal with an electrifying 84-yard kickoff return. Bush bobbled the ball twice trying to field the kick, then split the coverage and raced clear across the field before being taken down at the 16.
Trojans thwarted
But Cal thwarted the Trojans when Harrison Smith intercepted Leinart's tipped pass in the end zone.
Cal missed a shot to pull within three after a 16-play drive that stalled at the 19, but Tom Schneider missed a 36-yard field goal wide right with 6:53 remaining.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.