Armond Armstead celebrates (Shotgun Spratling/Neon Tommy)

What a difference a week can make.

Just seven days after allowing 478 yards of offense to Stanford, the USC defense clamped down on Cal Saturday, holding the Bears to a season-low 245 yards on the way to a 48-14 home victory.

It was such a blowout that USC led 42-0 at halftime.

“I think we played our most complete game yet,” quarterback Matt Barkley said after the game.

Barkley had another impressive performance, throwing for over 350 yards in his second straight game, but it was USC’s uncharacteristically stalwart defense that shone brightest against Cal.

Monte Kiffin introduced a new blitz-heavy approach that led to five consecutive Cal three-and-outs in the first half.

“We wanted to get after [Kevin Riley] and we wanted to just play with that tenacity all over,” said middle linebacker Devon Kennard. “I think we were effective with that today."

Freshman Robert Woods continued to showcase his skills, catching seven passes for 116 yards (his second straight week over the century mark) and two touchdowns. Ronald Johnson added two touchdowns. And running back Marc Tyler rushed for 79 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries.

Kennard and Chris Galippo led the Trojans with six tackles apiece.

It was as decisive a win as the Trojans have had this season.

“I’m very pleased by the way our players came out today,” Lane Kiffin said. “For the first time, we played in exactly the style we wanted to play in.”

The Trojans improve to 5-2 with the win, 2-2 in Pac-10 competition.

Player of the game: Matt Barkley was without a doubt the most impressive player on the field Saturday. He played Peyton Manning to Kevin Riley’s Ryan Leaf, throwing for 352 yards and five touchdowns, all five of which came in the first half. Barkley was replaced by Mitch Mustain after USC's second drive of the third quarter, taking away the opportunity for him to set a school record with his sixth touchdown pass of the game. Nevertheless, it was an outstanding showing

Play of the game: Robert Woods’ first touchdown catch, a 16-yard grab on 3rd-and-5 that put the Trojans up 7-0. Not only was Woods blanketed by a Cal defensive back on the play, he was also falling out of bounds. It was a terrific play that set the tone for a Trojans offense that scored six touchdowns and racked up 602 total yards.

Key moment: David Ausberry’s 22-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. The catch came on a lob pass from Matt Barkley that "Aus" timed perfectly as he crashed into the end zone. It was the kind of play that makes you sit back and say, “Wow. Did that actually happen?” More importantly, it extended the Trojans’ lead to 14-0 and demoralized the Bears.

Game changer: Speaking of demoralizing moments, Kevin Riley may need to go into therapy after this game. The senior quarterback was so bad Cal fans campaigned for the return of Joe Ayoob. There were many low points for Riley, but the lowest came in the second quarter when he was intercepted by USC safety T.J. McDonald. The pick killed Cal’s first successful drive of the game and allowed USC to take a commanding 35-0 lead on its next series.

Unsung hero: The USC offensive line. The Trojans’ O-linemen were terrific all game. They gave Barkley plenty of time to set his feet and opened up massive holes for Marc Tyler, who ran successfully out of the Wildcat all day. 

Key stat: The Trojans held Cal to 198 yards passing. It was just the second time this season USC held an opponent under 200 yards through the air.

Best coaching decision: Every offensive play call for the Trojans in the first half. Lane Kiffin and Co. put on an absolute clinic on the way to a 42-0 halftime lead. Honorable mention goes to Monte Kiffin’s decision to blitz more often on first and second down, which significantly improved USC’s ability to defend the pass.

Worst coaching decision: As tempting as it is to say Cal’s playcalling in the first half, it’s unfair to blame Jeff Tedford for the shortcomings of Kevin Riley and the Bears’ offensive line. Truthfully, there wasn’t a true worst decision of the game. USC’s defense simply took it to another level and Cal couldn’t hang with the Trojan offense. It was a blowout based on talent. USC had it. Cal didn’t.

Insider scoop:

- The win was USC’s seventh in a row over Cal. The Bears (3-3, 1-2) have yet to win a game on the road this season.

- USC’s offense went over 600 yards for the second time this season. The Trojans have had at least one receiver go over 100 yards in each of the last four games.

- The Trojans scored on six of their first seven possessions. Their early game success put Cal behind by 42 points, the worst deficit in team history.

- C.J. Gable had his best game since 2008, rushing for 72 yards on 13 carries. The performance was bittersweet though. Gable left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. “I think he’s done,” Kiffin said after the game. “I think he blew his knee out.” Team doctors have yet to make a determination on the severity of the injury.

- The Trojans were held to six points in the second half. They had a chance to score a touchdown early in the third quarter, but Kiffin chose to throw the ball three times from the five yard line and USC came away with just a field goal. After the game, Kiffin admitted he was trying to get Matt Barkley a record sixth TD on the drive: “I'm just tired of it being tied in the books like that,” he said. “One of these days we're going to break it."

- Barkley on Robert Woods: “He continues to work hard, but he’s not satisfied, which is good. He’s still searching to find something in his game to work on. He’s always trying to get better.”

- Kiffin on Woods: “He’s [former USC receiver] Steve Smith, but he’s faster.”

- Chris Galippo on the difference in defensive preparation: “We came in, looked at film and took a look at ourselves individually. We needed to focus on individual technique, and we did, and that results in great play as a team.”

- In addition to T.J. McDonald’s pick, DaJohn Harris intercepted a screen pass in the second quarter. After the game, Harris admitted he was trying to take it to the house: "I was trying to score man. I was trying to get into the end zone. I thought I had enough room between the sideline and the block but I didn't.”

To reach editor Patrick Crawley, click here.

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