LACK OF DRAMA WORKS JUST FINE.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

BERKELEY - Ho-hum.

No dramatic finish. No stirring comeback. Scarcely a spectacular play all day.

And the Trojans won. Won easily, actually, leaving Cal behind 35-10 Saturday with the kind of victory seldom allowed in the Land of Troy this season.

It was almost methodical. A grind-it-out affair. After all of those road theatrics earlier this season, it was almost routine.

Reggie Bush looked reasonably mortal. LenDale White lumbered for three touchdowns. Quarterback Matt Leinart rushed for two more, but didn't throw for a single TD pass.

It was marvelously efficient. Nearly mistake-free football, save for a tipped Leinart pass that was intercepted and eight penalties.

Otherwise, it was USC in control, USC doing what it wished, just in more sedated fashion.

``It just shows we can win in different ways,'' White said. ``We had a good game plan and we executed it today.

``I'm sure if we needed a 60-yard play, Sark (assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian) would have come up with one. You don't always need the 60-yard play. Sometimes you just have to grind it out.''

Cal was the site of USC's last loss, way back in the Neolithic Age, and it remained something of an open sore for a team that has otherwise won each of its last 44 games.

USC needed dramatic come-from-behind victories at Arizona State and at Notre Dame this season to keep its current 32-game winning streak alive, and in Cal - the one team that had consistently dared to be its equal - more potential drama seemed to await.

But it was nothing doing, the No. 1 Trojans just going about their business, moving the ball consistently, just sans the brilliant individual plays that had marked their entire season.

It was veritable lunch-pail time. They might as well have left their helmets in the locker room and come out in cardinal hard hats.

USC had only two plays over 20 yards all day. An offense that had been averaging almost 600 yards per game, was held to 434 yards by the Bears.

Bush - second in the nation in all-purpose rushing (193.2 yards) - was held to 86 yards overall and did not return a single punt.

White rushed for 90 yards on 16 carries. Leinart was 20 of 32 for 246 yards, his second-lowest total of the season.

Receiver Dwayne Jarrett caught five passes for 69 yards, and had several passes land just beyond his grasp.

There was not a huge run by a single player. Not a one-handed catch to be found. Not even a moment when the quarterback-challenged Bears even made USC nervous.

And Pete Carroll couldn't have been more pleased.

``I love it when we have a day like this,'' Carroll said. ``Just to know we can play a game like this from start to finish. This is the challenge, to do it again next week. It's awesome. I love it.''

The three-year run of success and the remarkable comebacks in Tempe and South Bend, have almost spoiled the USC faithful. There was almost a feeling about this victory that was strangely routine and unique at the same time.

``We're happy for all for all of wins any way we can get them,'' said nose tackle Sedrick Ellis. ``I don't think it was routine at all.''

It was because of the play of the defense that the Trojans' offense could afford to go after the Golden Bears like they were showing up for the 8-to-5 shift.

USC was already down linebacker Oscar Lua, and then lost Thomas Williams to a knee injury early in the first quarter.

But true freshmen Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga stepped in and the Trojans barely missed a beat. Cushing was playing with a neck so sore they feared a few days ago it might end his season, and Maualuga with the heaviest of hearts; his father is gravely ill.

Cushing led the team with seven solo tackles, and Maualuga tied linebacker Keith Rivers for second with six.

``This is a day in which everybody contributed,'' Carroll said. ``It was a well-rounded win.''

The Trojans led 21-3 at the half.

``That's a nice day's work,'' Carroll said.

And don't forget to punch out on you way out of Memorial Stadium.

The one team that had been their conference challenger fell meekly by the wayside. No one was left confusing quarterback Joe Ayoob (9 of 19 for 98 yards and four interceptions) to Aaron Rodgers, or Saturday's game with the one here two years ago.

``We had an opportunity to finish the road season,'' Carroll said. ``It's been really packed with drama. We've had terrific matchups, great stadiums and all, and we really wanted to finish this thing off right.''

All different, all just fine.