IT'S HALF THE BATTLE FOR USC TOUGHER GAMES AWAIT TROJANS.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF Staff Writer

With a weekend off, USC quarterback John David Booty grew restless with inactivity watching other college games.

``I didn't like it,'' Booty said. ``Just sitting there watching everyone else playing. I felt like I was letting myself go to waste. I wanted to be out and playing.''

There was an upside to the bye weekend -- at least Booty did not hear any boos from the Coliseum fans.

Despite a perfect record (6-0) and No. 3-ranking in the Bowl Championship Series ratings, USC starts its final six games with an increasing amount of restlessness and doubters.

The Trojans' inconsistent offense and string of close games raises questions about a second half of the season that includes games with Top 25 teams Oregon, California and Notre Dame along with archrival UCLA.

``As a team, I think we did a great job in the first half,'' wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett said. ``A lot of guys were hurt. That shows character that we went undefeated.''

But the victories came in a totally unfamiliar fashion for the Trojans compared to recent years. In USC's victory over Washington earlier this month, the offense scored just one touchdown, its lowest mark since the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl.

The lack of a big-play offense is also a foreign aspect to fans weaned on the success from winning 51 of the past 53 games. Last year, USC scored 32 touchdowns of at least 21 yards or longer. This year, the Trojans have zero.

``I've said from the beginning, we miss the explosiveness of Reggie Bush,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``We're trying to find that. But I'm not worried about where we are right now. I think we've finished games the way we wanted to.

``The (victory) margin isn't there because the big plays aren't there because we're not creating them and it's frustrating.''

Everyone is a little defensive about a 6-0 record because they are aware of the criticism.

``I think I can build on things that happened in the past and grow from things I didn't make happen,'' Booty said. ``I'm not worried about what happened in the past. That's gone.''

The conventional wisdom within the program is that things will get better in the second half, despite the tough schedule, with the return of a healthy Jarrett (separated shoulder) and wide receiver Steve Smith (sprained ankle).

``We're used to going out there and seeing (Smith) in the end zone, or him seeing me in the end zone,'' Jarrett said. ``I haven't been healthy since the Nebraska game (on Sept. 16).''

Booty, who struggled the past two games, said he notices a difference in practices with his top two receivers.

``Even to me, you feel like it's the way things should be to look in the huddle and see them,'' he said.

Another plus for the second half could be the emergence of tailback Chauncey Washington. Perhaps it's a sign of how far the running game sank that people hailed its return following the Arizona State game, when Washington averaged 4.9 yards per carry.

``It will open up the offense tremendously having Chauncey in there and help me with double coverages,'' Jarrett said.

But it's easy to focus on the offense. Few are criticizing a defense that received plenty of hype in the offseason and received extraordinary praise after it limited Arizona to minus-16 yards net rushing.

``I tried to dispel that,'' Carroll said, pointing out that nearly everyone shut down Arizona's running game, which ranks last in the Pacific-10 Conference.

The truth is the defense ranks ninth in the Pac-10 with nine sacks in six games.

And USC's red-zone defense is 10th, with teams scoring 100 percent of the time they get inside the 20-yard line.

The Trojans also have just five interceptions this season.

``I'm impatient about getting the ball on defense because we've been so accustomed to it and we've played with that style,'' Carroll said. ``So many (scoring) opportunities are set up by turnovers and by field position and things where you can take advantage of those people on the offensive side. We need to set up our offense more and make it easier for them.''

Whether that actually happens remains to be seen. A defensive coordinator who faced USC and asked not to be identified said the Trojans often rely on their athleticism over fundamentals, which could become a problem against the better teams in the final month.

So far, the Trojans have not faced quarterbacks like Cal's Nate Longshore or Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. How the Trojans do against them will probably determine if they play in Glendale, Ariz., for the national championship Jan. 8.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) The recent bye week allowed USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett to strengthen a shoulder that was separated last month.

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

(2) Notre Dame's Heisman hopeful, quarterback Brady Quinn

Box:

(1) USC (6-0, 4-0 PAC-10)

(2) SIX DOWN, SIX TO GO