Trojans Dominate Buffaloes on Barkley's Record-Breaking Night

It was not the start USC wanted against Colorado, nor what it expected. But in the end, it was the Trojans who prevailed.

“We finished to the end,” said USC quarterback Matt Barkley. “We played Trojan football.”

Before a largely black-out crowd of more than 50,000 at Folsom Field, the 1-8 Buffaloes got off to a surprisingly impressive start. On the opening drive of the game, Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen completed a 37-yard pass to wide receiver Toney Clemons, giving the team a touchdown and an early 7-0 lead.

“It caught us off guard. They came out fast. We had all hands on deck. We all came together as a team, got refocused, and just came out there fighting and playing hard,” said USC tailback Amir Carlisle.

During the rest of the game, the scoring would be largely by dominated by the Trojans, sending many Colorado fans to the exits long before the fourth quarter even began.

Barkley set himself apart from any other USC quarterback in the school’s storied history, passing for a record six touchdowns in a single game.

“It means a lot. We’ve had five quite a bit now, and to finally get six is a pretty cool feeling,” said Barkley.

What makes the story a bit more special is the fact that Barkley’s sixth touchdown pass of the night fell into the hands of Carlisle, giving the true freshman his first career touchdown.

"You know, that’s kind of cool for me to be a part of that, but Matt did a great job too,” said Carlisle when asked about the record-breaking play. “It was there. The line blocked it well, and I just capitalized on the opportunity.”

Carlisle finished the night with 31 receiving yards on two catches. He also recorded 90 rushing yards on 10 carries.

“Coach (Kiffin) called my number, and I just went out there and made the most of it,” said Carlisle. “It was a team effort, and it felt great to get in there and just contribute.”

And he wasn’t the only Trojan freshman with a memorable performance. Wide receiver Marqise Lee celebrated his first multi-touchdown game of the season, with both scores coming in the first half.

“We’ve called him number nine for a long time for whatever reason, so we always told him, once you finally get your double touchdown game, you’ll earn your name, and so he came over and said, ‘My name’s Marqise,’ and handed me the ball,” said head coach Lane Kiffin, who was not hesitant to praise his young, talented wideout.

“Obviously he’s coming of age. He just makes every play out there,” said Kiffin. 

Lee ended up with 124 receiving yards in the game, just short of fellow wide receiver Robert Woods, who racked up 130 yards.

Barkley completed 25 of his 39 throws and ended the night with 319 passing yards and one interception, the only turnover for either team in the game. After the 42-17 victory, he said he was proud of his teammates but stressed the importance of focusing on the future, rather than celebrating past victories.

“Enjoy this win, but forget about it. It’s not gonna help us win against Washington,” said Barkley. “Just put all our focus into that. One game at a time.”

And speaking of the future, will Matt Barkley be returning for his senior season?

It’s still way too soon to tell, and the USC quarterback has not given much indication either way. He was asked about this decision after he celebrated the team’s win by jumping in the stands with the band and conducting Conquest. His response? One that might at least bring a little hope to the Trojan faithful.

“It could be one more year.”