JARRETT IS A SINGULAR SENSATION.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

SEATTLE - He made the most vital catch of the year last week while suffering from double vision. He made the most dazzling catch of the year Saturday with a single out- stretched hand.

If Dwayne Jarrett ever gets all of his faculties working in the proper proportions, the USC split end might put up some really big numbers.

He's on his way to several school receiving records after pulling in touchdown passes of 24, 7 and 7 yards from Matt Leinart in a 51-24 victory over Washington that kept top-ranked USC's winning streak going at 29 games.

But whether or not Jarrett ever gets those records held by Mike Williams, he might already have made himself a minor legend in Trojans sports with the sheer spectacle of his performances.

Last week, with an eye injury causing him to see two footballs, he made the fourth-down catch and run that set up the last-second victory at Notre Dame in one of the great college games ever played.

On Saturday, when the angles forced him to get creative to have a shot at a third-quarter pass in the end zone, the natural left-hander reached up with his right hand for the highlight of what otherwise was one of the more predictable college games ever played.

``Reminiscent of Mike Williams, huh?'' said Trojans defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, who anticipates questions as well as cutbacks.

It appears that as USC diversifies its reputation under Pete Carroll, going from Tailback U to Tailback, Quarterback and Wide-Receiver U, the calling card of a star receiver is the one-handed catch.

Williams punctuated his All-America career at USC with a one-handed catch in the end zone in a late-2003 victory over Oregon State at the Coliseum. Trojans coaches thought Williams could have gotten two hands on that pass from Carson Palmer, but not even football coaches could be killjoys where that catch was concerned.

Jarrett remembers watching Williams' catch on television from his sofa in New Jersey. Jarrett was being recruited at the time by the Trojans, who saw him as the Next Mike Williams in part because of his 6-foot-5 build.

``That (catch) showed how talented he is,'' Jarrett said of his predecessor.

Now this catch speaks for Jarrett.

It was 37-17 Trojans, and LenDale White had just run the ball to the Washington 7-yard line, when Leinart lobbed his pass to the right corner of the end zone.

Leinart, who was back on his game Saturday, later admitted the ball slipped out of his hand.

``He makes my job a lot easier,'' Leinart said of Jarrett.

It became a jump ball between Jarrett and 5-foot-11 cornerback Roy Lewis, and Jarrett had to reach back over his head with his right claw, then arrange his long legs to bring his right foot down inbounds. Washington fans booed, but the Pac-10 replay officials didn't bother to review the touchdown call.

``I just used my body control and concentrated, and slowed down so I wouldn't go out of bounds,'' Jarrett said. ``I'm not a showoff type, so I always try to use two hands, but if I can't I know I can use one.''

His stats definitely cannot be calculated on one of the fingers of one hand.

Jarrett's seven receptions for 95 yards and the three touchdowns led the Trojans on Saturday and his 46 catches for 663 yards and 12 touchdowns lead the team this season. Steve Smith (Taft High of Woodland Hills) had five for 25 and a touchdown at Husky Stadium.

Jarrett tied the Trojans record for touchdown catches in a game, a record he had already shared with many players, and was denied a possible fourth by the replay crew. He has a chance for Williams' Trojans record for single-season touchdown catches (18). And the sophomore is five away from Williams' Trojans record for career touchdown catches (30).

All of which is overshadowed by the artistry involved.

The most impressive thing about Jarrett's one-hander Saturday might be that it didn't impress his teammates.

``That's every day if you come to practice,'' said Patrick Turner, the freshman split end who caught the Trojans' last touchdown. ``I saw the ball go up, and I knew he would make a play on it.''

``That was routine (for him),'' Carroll said. ``I always thought Cris Carter was the greatest catcher there ever was. Nobody has anything on this guy (Jarrett).''

Ellis was asked which one-hander was better, Mike Williams' or Dwayne Jarrett's.

``I'd say D.J.'s got him by a little bit,'' Ellis said, then explained with a grin, ``because he's on my team this year.''