AP Top 25 College Football Scores: Mark Sanchez Leads #1 USC Trojans in Rout of #5 Ohio State

Mark Sanchez threw for 172 yards and four touchdowns, Joe McKnight rushed for 105 yards on 12 carries and Damien Williams had a two TD receptions as the #1 USC Trojans (2-0) trounced the #5 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-1) 35-3 on Saturday.

Ohio State actually put the first points on the board as Ryan Pretorius gave the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead late in the first with a 29-yard field goal but it was all Trojans after that as Sanchez picked apart the secondary and the USC defense stonewalled the running game.

Sanchez put the Trojans in front 7-3 with 33 seconds left on the clock in the first quarter when he hit Stanley Havili on a 35-yard TD toss and then four minutes into the second quarter the QB found Blake Ayles on a one-yard touchdown pass to boost the lead to 14-3.

The Buckeyes tried to get back into the game late in the second quarter but when Todd Boeckman’s pass was intercepted by Rey Maualuga and returned 48-yards for a score the game looked done.

In the third quarter there was confirmation as Sanchez hooked up with Damien Williams twice on TD passes of 24-yards and 17-yards to seal the contest.

Without Beanie Wells the Buckeyes had little chance to establish a running game and the Trojan defense knew it as they caused Boeckman problems all night and held Ohio State to just 207 yards of offense and forced three turnovers.