USC NO WORSE FOR WEAR TROJANS GRIND OUT WORKMANLIKE WIN NO. 4 USC 28, NO 19. NEBRASKA 10.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF  Staff Writer

As the game ended, Ryan Kalil crumpled to the ground on one knee. The USC center was joined by the rest of the starting offensive line, oblivious to the outcome and in a state of exhaustion.

``We were tired,'' offensive tackle Kyle Williams said. ``It was run after run out there at the end. They were some big boys, bigger than what we usually face.''

Judging from the players' expressions, it was hard to tell No. 4 USC comfortably disposed of No. 19 Nebraska 28-10 in front of 92,000 at the Coliseum on Saturday night.

``Some teams submit and give up against us,'' Kalil said. ``They were physical and they play their hardest. That was a pretty rough game.''

Things could be a lot worse than an 18-point victory over one of the best-known programs in the country, but there wasn't much high-fiving among USC players afterward. Or coaches.

``I didn't think I was good tonight,'' offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said. ``We've got a long ways to go. I just thought there were mistakes, some instances with timeouts that needed to be taken, and other things that we can do better.

``We've got consistency issues.''

If Kiffin was upset, imagine how Nebraska coach Bill Callahan should feel. He inexplicably tossed out half his game (the passing part) for the game, despite all the talk of the Huskers' West Coast offense.

``We wanted to establish the run,'' Callahan said. ``We felt we could run. You need to run to win championships. Let me be clear. We want to run.''

Apparently, he wanted to run. But that suddenly made the Cornhuskers (2-1) a one-dimensional team, and that dimension was not working so well for large parts of the game. Nebraska averaged just 1.9 yards per carry.

USC coach Pete Carroll almost talked in disbelief about the suddenly conservative nature Nebraska showed, with 36 running plays and only 16 passes.

``They went back into their total running offense,'' Carroll said. ``I was surprised how they thought they needed to play us. They threw a ton last year.

``I felt we were really in command. Then it turned into a slugfest.''

That's where Kalil and Co. suffered the brunt of the workload, as Carroll rammed the ball at Nebraska late, especially on the last drive when he tried to score a touchdown with passing but came up just short as time expired.

``Coach Carroll really wanted to score right there,'' Williams said.

USC (2-0) owns two fairly comfortable victories despite all the losses from last season, not to mention the losses to injuries the past week, and should move up in the top 25 polls following Notre Dame's loss to Michigan.

``I think we're obviously in the top one or two,'' Williams said. ``We should be competing for the national championship.''

Freshman tailback Emmanuel Moody, a surprise starter, who gained 70 yards in nine carries, was more blunt.

``We're No. 1,'' Moody said. ``We're USC.''

Two USC players immune from criticism were quarterback John David Booty and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett.

Booty came through with another successful performance, completing 25 of 36 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Jarrett caught 11 passes for 136yards and two touchdowns.

``You could see Jarrett really coming in practice this week and John David recognized that coming as well,'' Carroll said.

Jarrett broke USC's career- touchdown record with 31, breaking Mike Williams' previous mark of 30.

He got a little help from Nebraska on his record-breaker. Quarterback Zac Taylor and tailback Marlon Lucky fumbled a handoff in the third quarter and cornerback Cary Harris recovered at the 31.

Booty threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jarrett to give USC a 21-3 lead with 12:05 left in the third quarter.

USC substituted liberally in the third quarter on defense, Taylor responded by passing or rushing for all 74 yards of a drive that ended with him scoring on a 1-yard bootleg that cut the lead to 21-10 with 12:44 left in the quarter.

USC's defense lacked at least five starters on the series and a key play was a defensive holding linebacker Kaluka Maiava after Taylor fumbled and linebacker Keith Rivers recovered.

But the Trojans put the game away on the ensuing series, as tailback Chauncey Washington scored his first career touchdown on a 7-yard run to make it 28-10 with 6:27 remaining.

Booty continued his Matt Leinart-impression from Arkansas in the first half, completing 14 of 18 passes for 149 yards. With that accuracy, it did not matter that the Trojans rushed for 49 yards in the half.

Conversely, Nebraska generated little offense in the first half, as former North Hollywood tailback Lucky gained just 27 yards in 10 carries.

But the play that changed the first half was a fluke. Booty got hit and fumbled, but Washington scooped up the loose ball and ran 13 yards for a first down.

That run set up the Trojans' first touchdown, as Booty found Jarrett on a 12-yard pass to end the first quarter.

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CAPTION(S):

4 photos, 7 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) USC quarterback John David Booty throws on the move during the first quarter Saturday night at the Coliseum. Booty threw three touchdown passes.

(2) USC's Chauncey Washington holds the ball aloft in the end zone Saturday after scoring on a 7-yard run in the fourth quarter against Nebraska.

(3 -- color) no caption (USC football player)

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(4) Bill Callahan, Nebraska coach

Box:

(1) BY THE NUMBERS

(2) THEY SAID IT

(3) HEORES

(4) GOAT

(5) STAT OF THE GAME

(6) USC (2-0) LOG

(7) CATCHING ON