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LOS ANGELES -- Here are notes and quotes from the USC Trojans' 50-6 smashing of Colorado on Saturday at the Coliseum that won't make it into our other coverage from the day.

The best of the records

Tee Martin, USC's first-year receivers coach, remembers it vividly.

It was Halloween 1998, Tennessee's national championship season, and his Volunteers were taking on South Carolina on the road.

As the quarterback, he completed his first 23 passes on the day in a 49-14 win, finishing 23-of-24 for a 95.8 completion percentage. The national championship win takes precedence in his pantheon of collegiate memories, he said Saturday, but that performance might well be second.

So it's not crazy to assume that Matt Barkley's completion percentage in Saturday's win was actually the best record he set on the day. In a magnificent performance against a horrific defense, Barkley completed 19 of his 20 attempts for 98 yards and six touchdowns. He tied his own record for scoring throws in a game and set a new school and conference record for them in a career, breaking Matt Leinart's mark of 99.

And he did it all in about 35 minutes, coming out before the third quarter was even half over. And the only incompletion came on a dropped pass by Curtis McNeal, too -- on an on-the-money throw.

Barkley's 95 percent completion rate set a USC and Pac-12 record and came just short -- by .8 percent -- of Martin's all-time NCAA record set that day in Columbia. Martin knew what was going on in the second half and half-expected Trojans coach Lane Kiffin to send Barkley back in to challenge for the record.

Barkley used the word "special" at least five times discussing his record-setting day in the postgame press conference, but he used a different word talking about his accuracy.

"To have a nearly perfect game in that sense was something cool," Barkley said.

Similarly, Kiffin seemed to expect most of the records Barkley and receiver Robert Woods set against the Buffaloes. But he didn't expect his quarterback to complete 19 of 20 passes.

"I think we really felt that this was gonna happen," Kiffin said. "I don't know if I could have predicted a 95 percent completion percentage, but I really felt we were going to throw the ball really well."

The turnovers

Nickell Robey and Jawanza Starling bowed their heads in shame recalling the incident.
Starling messed up a for-sure interception -- and likely pick six -- late in the second quarter when he overran a Jordan Webb pass intended for Tony Jones that was thrown more closely to him. Starling reacted violently to the mistake and still groaned when asked about it afterward.

He simply got too excited.

"I hate to admit it," Starling said, "but, yes."

Said Robey, who was nowhere near the play but saw it all happen: "Don't remind me. It made me mad. I told him, 'Bro, you just ran through the ball. You would've been gone.'"

Here's the crazy thing, though: That would have been the Trojans' seventh turnover of the night. The fact that they were lamenting that says a lot about the progress Monte Kiffin's unit has made over the past year-plus.

"We want more," said linebacker Tony Burnett, who had one of the three interceptions. "If we can get six turnovers against these teams coming up, it's gonna look really good for us."

First-time interceptions

Three Trojans made the first interceptions of their major-college careers Saturday -- well, two, but Drew McAllister's previous picks were so long ago that they barely count.

Burnett's and safety Gerald Bowman's were both legitimate, though. In a crafty third-quarter play, Burnett snatched the ball out of the hands of Colorado's Nelson Spruce and returned it 55 yards, with only the opposing quarterback preventing him from scoring. Bowman later picked off Webb just short of the end zone and returned it 19 yards.

"It fell right into my lap," Burnett said of his play. "While he was bringing his hands down, I slapped at it, the ball popped in the air and I grabbed it. Then I turned around and I was like, 'Whoa, I got the ball.'"

USC is now averaging almost three times as many interceptions this season as last, with 14 through seven games compared to nine in 12 games.

Still with the penalties

USC had set a goal to limit its penalties against the Buffs after leading the nation in flags per game midway through the 2012 season.

That didn't work too well. The Trojans finished with 10 penalties, including four of the personal-foul or unsportsmanlike-conduct variety.

"It was just really upsetting," Kiffin said. "That's not who we want to be and not the product we want to put out there."

The flags cost USC a total of 90 yards. Colorado, by contrast, had only four for 46 yards.

Williams' ejection

Freshman defensive tackle Leonard Williams was ejected in the second quarter after he threw a punch at a Colorado offensive player's facemask.

Teammates said Williams was spit on in the bottom of the dogpile. Because he was ejected due to a flagrant foul, the play will be reviewed by the Pac-12 office to determine whether he'll be suspended for the Trojans' next game.

Williams could miss half or all of the Arizona game. Kiffin said he didn't get a good look at what Williams did but was going to pull him from the game even if the officials didn't.

Injury update

Left tackle Aundrey Walker went down with an apparent neck injury in the third quarter and was carted off the field and transported to the hospital.

Freshman Max Tuerk, who replaced him Saturday and stands to take his place if Walker's out for an extended injury, said the injury looked "really bad."

"I really wish the best for him," Tuerk said. "We'll see how he is tomorrow."

Walker and Tuerk had been rotating in every other series in the first half.

In other injury news, receiver Marqise Lee had stitches in his hand, Woods said, which played a role in Barkley throwing the ball to him only six times Saturday.

Final notes: De'Von Flournoy's 21-yard second-quarter catch was the first of his career. Woods recalled a passing-league tournament from his junior season of high school football when he was playing safety and Flournoy tore him up as a receiver. Woods said that was one of the reasons he came to USC. ... Receiver George Farmer said he was "caught off guard" when Kiffin called him into the game late in the fourth quarter at running back. Farmer's one carry, which went for nine yards, was called back because of a penalty. ... One of the most famous members of Earth, Wind & Fire, falsetto Philip Bailey, was in attendance at the Coliseum, invited by Colorado coach Jon Embree. ... Said Embree of Barkley: "There's a reason why he's gonna go like that in the draft. I'm glad he's done and I don't have to see him in person anymore."

LOS ANGELES -- After he made his record-breaking touchdown catch Saturday night, the first image that flashed before Robert Woods' eyes as he looked down for the ball was that of his wrists.

They are the last things he looks at before he takes the field and have been since he was a sophomore in high school.

Woods will sit in front of his locker before games, tape his wrists and take out a black marker from his gym bag and draw a large "O" on each wrist with a crucifix in the center.

The pregame ritual is Woods' way of honoring his sister Olivia, who died of cancer on April 19, 2007, when she was 17. Robert, who was a year younger than Olivia, was a sophomore at Serra High in Gardena, Calif., when she succumbed to her five-year battle with the disease.

As Woods stood in the end zone after breaking USC's career receptions record, he looked down at the familiar drawings on his wrists, then looked up and smiled as he raised the football to the one person with whom he wished he could share the moment.

"After I scored the touchdown, everything was calm for me," Woods said. "I looked at my wrists and I saw my sister's name and I pointed up. I just thank God for allowing me to play for her and through her. I had to give her some glory, too."

When Woods, who finished with eight catches for 132 yards and four touchdowns, was later shown on the video board at the Coliseum after becoming the first Trojan to catch four touchdown passes in a game, he pointed to his wrists and pointed to the sky again.

"I always put her on my wrist tape as a reminder that she's always with me," Woods said. "My mom likes it as well so I'm going to keep doing it. It's a reminder that my sister still lives on through me."

Woods always knew he wanted to be a receiver when he was growing up in Gardena. His father and grandfather each played college football and when Robert would go grocery shopping with mother, Sharon, he would throw fruit up in the air and catch it as if he was in the corner of the end zone.

His biggest cheerleader was always his sister. Despite going through treatment for cancer, she would go to every one of his games and yell his name after every catch.

"She would be the only voice I would hear in the crowd," Woods said. "She would always yell, 'Let's go, Robert!'"

Olivia was the biggest reason Woods decided to go to Serra High. Many kids in Woods' neighborhood usually end up going to Narbonne or Carson and Woods could have also gone to Banning like his father, Robert Woods Sr. But since his sister chose Serra, that's where he wanted to go as well. Of course, Serra is where Woods would eventually meet and become teammates with Marqise Lee and George Farmer, who would later follow him to USC.

"I wanted to be with her at Serra," Woods said. "If she didn't go there, I would have gone somewhere else. I might have gone to Los Alamitos with my cousin."

The first thing players and coaches say about Woods is he doesn't play or act his age. They've been saying that about him since he was in high school. He became one of the top prep players in the Southland during his sophomore year at Serra, catching 43 passes for 801 yards and seven touchdowns while making eight interceptions as a defensive back. And last year as a sophomore at USC, he caught 111 passes for 1,292 yards and 15 touchdowns.

"He is beyond his years," said USC receivers coach Tee Martin. "God is smiling on a kid like that. I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to be in his life. Robert has had some tough things that have happened to him in his life and he's the kind of kid that you want good things to happen to him in his life because you know what he's been through. He doesn't complain about anything. As a coach you don't normally say this, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for him."

Woods was forced to become an adult after the death of his sister. He went from being a baby brother to an only child and was expected to act like a man before he was old enough to drive.

"Things got a lot stricter when I became the only child," Woods said. "My parents were constantly on me and making sure I was doing the right things. It was something that just came along with it."

When Woods was at home watching football games with his sister, he would watch USC receivers like Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett, Keary Colbert and Steve Smith. He always wanting to be just like them and play in the Coliseum, never dreaming he would pass them in the record books midway through his junior year.

"I grew up watching all those receivers ever since I understood USC football," Woods said. "As I accomplished what I did today, I don't see myself above them, I just see myself being a part of them in an elite group. I'm just following in their footsteps to be a great receiver at USC."

Olivia's final words to Robert before she passed were to "be a role model." She always envisioned her brother playing in front of thousands of people one day in college and later the NFL. When Woods caught his final touchdown of the day after setting two USC receiving records, he smiled as he looked up into the crowd and saw kids and adults wearing his No. 2 jersey.

"I'm going out there and actually living what her last words to me were," Woods said. "Everything she lived for and fought for, it was kind of like a breakthrough. I felt that I had made it just to be along with that group of guys."

As Woods exited the Coliseum to have dinner with his father and mother, he looked up and smiled again, thinking of the one person he wished he could share the moment with.

"I know she would be proud me," Woods said. "I'm just trying to be a role model like she told me to be."

LOS ANGELES -- Here's video of the No. 11 USC Trojans' press conference following the team's dominating 50-6 win over Colorado on Saturday at the Coliseum.

Head coach Lane Kiffin discusses his feelings after his team's biggest win of the year, and Matt Barkley and Robert Woods talk about the records they set.

See the video here:

The USC Trojans came into Saturday's game looking for a spark, something to kickstart the second half of their season. With a 50-6 victory over Colorado, they might have gotten their wish.

It was over when: The teams got off the buses at the stadium. Well, maybe not literally, but close to it. The Trojans scored a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage and had three touchdowns on the board before the game was six minutes old. USC dominated from start to finish against the struggling Buffaloes and gave the home crowd multiple record-breaking offensive performances to enjoy.

Game ball goes to: Matt Barkley. The USC signal-caller had a game for the ages by completing 19 of 20 passes (his only miss was a dropped ball) for 298 yards and six touchdowns. His completion percentage (95 percent) set a Pac-12 record, and his touchdowns gave him 102 for his career, which broke the school record held by former USC quarterback Matt Leinart. It was the type of performance which should put Barkley back in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy with several high-profile games left on the schedule to make his case.

Stats of game: First downs and time of possession. The Buffaloes had 25 first downs compared to 22 for the Trojans and held the ball for 37:10 compared to 22:50 for USC. Needless to say, those stats didn't lead to on-field results, as six Colorado turnovers resulted in the Buffs mustering only only six points on two field goals.

Record performance: Barkley wasn’t the only USC player with a record-breaking night. Wide receiver Robert Woods had eight catches for 138 yards and four touchdowns, which gave him 220 receptions in his career to set a new USC mark (formerly held by Dwayne Jarrett). Woods also became the first USC receiver to have four touchdown catches in one game.

Unsung hero: Drew McAllister, the USC senior safety who had an interception and a fumble recovery early in the game. It was the first interception since 2008 for McAllister, a senior who has battled multiple injuries throughout his career.

What we learned -- USC: The Trojans needed a crisp offensive performance to gain some confidence on that side of the ball with a tough stretch of opponents coming up in November, and they got it. If USC can build off this effort, it should be able to compete for not only the Pac-12 title but a potential national title shot as well.

What we learned -- Colorado: The Buffs' transition to the Pac-12 Conference continues to be a tough experience. The last three losses for CU had been by a combined 117 points, and the Trojans added to that with a 44-point margin Saturday.

LOS ANGELES -- No. 11 USC easily rolled over Colorado at the Coliseum on Saturday, topping the Buffaloes, 50-6. Here's a report card for the Trojans' record-setting day:

PASSING ATTACK
Wouldn't it be funny if there was a 'B' here and a criticism of Matt Barkley's one incompletion? Ha -- anything other than an 'A' would be blasphemy, even considering the opponent. He was magnificent. Max Wittek and Cody Kessler showed positive signs in garbage time, too.

RUSHING ATTACK
There really wasn't one, sort of out of necessity because of what Lane Kiffin wanted to accomplish through the air. Curtis McNeal and Silas Redd carried a combined six times. D.J. Morgan looked great late, carrying 10 times and showing the same explosion we saw against Utah.

IN THE TRENCHES
Aundrey Walker didn't do anything to stand out until he got hurt was carted off -- and that means he was doing well. The Trojans' second-team offensive line created some holes, and just about everybody on the USC D-line got to the quarterback at one point or another.


DEFENSE
The Trojans did nothing to disprove the argument that they're significantly improved on defense this year. Yeah, they allowed Colorado to gain some yards, but they also forced six turnovers. This USC unit has produced big plays all season long, and that's an underrated strength going forward.

SPECIAL TEAMS
There was still a big kickoff return, and there were still penalty issues on the unit, so this wasn't perfect. Kyle Negrete's only punt went 64 yards and was downed inside the 20, though, so that has to count for something. Andre Heidari banged an extra point off the uprights.

COACHING
Lane Kiffin did a nice job of managing different interests in this game, getting Barkley and Robert Woods their records but also keeping them out of harm's way. He probably could've stood to run the ball more, but it's hard to argue with two incompletions. Nine penalties for 90 yards, though -- that's hard to support.

The major preseason stories in the Pac-12 were four new coaches, the return of Matt Barkley, the nation's leading Heisman Trophy candidate, and USC and Oregon apparently headed for a showdown with national-championship implications on Nov. 3.

The major midseason stories are a little different.

USC and Oregon could still be an epic clash, just not as epic because USC already has lost. Also, Barkley's middling numbers for an offense that hasn't been consistently in sync have diminished the national perception of the Trojans. The Ducks are now the Pac-12 team at the center of the national discussion.

As for the four new coaches, three have gotten off to great-to-solid starts in year one. But how will they finish? And will Mike Leach get Washington State on track?

Will Arizona State maintain its fast start, or are the Sun Devils headed for a tough dose of reality as the schedule firms up, starting with Oregon on Thursday?

Speaking of fast starts: Oregon State. The Beavers have surged, and coach Mike Riley has moved from the hot seat to the throne of a national-coach-of-the-year candidate. Oregon and Oregon State are the only two unbeaten teams in the conference, so it's not inconceivable that the Civil War could be for the North Division crown, a spot in the Pac-12 title game and, perhaps, a chance to play for the national title.

It could become the season's true epic clash.

As for hot-seat talk, as distasteful as it is, nearly all of such focus will be on California coach Jeff Tedford. The Bears have won two in a row after a 1-4 start, but it remains in the air whether this team can be consistent enough to earn a bowl berth. A losing record wouldn't be good for Tedford.

Finally, in terms of individual awards, it will be interesting to see if any Pac-12 player emerges as a true Heisman Trophy contender. Might Barkley turn it up during the second half? Will Oregon's De'Anthony Thomas start to fill up "SportsCenter" with highlights? Is there a potential dark-horse candidate?

Ultimately, midseason reviews don't mean much. Teams and players can reverse course -- positively or negatively -- at any moment.

But what it is fair to say is there are plenty of rich plot lines heading into the season's second half, even if those were not the stories that advanced the season.

Bold prediction: The conference will fill all seven of its bowl obligations, plus one. Oregon is already in; Oregon State, Arizona State, USC and UCLA are all one win from being bowl-eligible. If you follow the Sunday zaniness that is our weekly bowl projections, you know your bloggers project Oregon to the national championship, which opens up one more spot. We see Stanford and Washington bowling. That's seven right there. The eighth spot is up for grabs, with Arizona and Cal the likely candidates. Cal could get to .500 this week, then would need two more wins with Utah, Washington, Oregon and Oregon State remaining. If Arizona takes care of Colorado and Utah in the second half, that leaves it looking for one more win over from among Washington, USC, UCLA and Arizona State.

Looking forward to: The race in the Pac-12 South. Once thought to be gift-wrapped for the Trojans, the recent inconsistent play of USC opens up the possibility of someone else as the South's representative in the title game. The Trojans are still the favorite, but Arizona State and UCLA aren't going to make it easy. Both of UCLA's losses have come to North Division teams, USC's loss was to Stanford and ASU's was out of conference. It's more wide-open than we ever could have imagined in August.

Top five games (by date, not importance):

Oct. 18, Oregon at Arizona State: Time to find out if the Sun Devils are for real. They have the conference's No. 1 scoring defense facing Oregon's top-ranked scoring offense. The Sun Devils rank second in scoring. Both teams are getting phenomenal quarterback play and both like to work fast.

Oct. 27, UCLA at Arizona State: This is a pivotal game in the aforementioned race for the South Division title. It features two explosive offenses and two of the league's brightest young quarterbacks. Some pretty good players from both defenses as well.

Nov. 3, Oregon at USC: This is still the big one. An Oregon win gives the Ducks some much-needed national credibility, while a USC victory puts the Trojans back in the BCS championship hunt. Might be a last-gasp Heisman run for Thomas and/or Barkley.

Nov. 17, USC at UCLA: A new chapter in this historic rivalry begins with Jim Mora at the helm for the Bruins. He has made them a player in the Pac-12 South, and lest we forget, coordinator Noel Mazzone's offense put up 43 points on USC last year when he was with ASU. This one could decide the South champion.

Nov. 24, Oregon at Oregon State: The stakes could be stratospheric -- as in national championship implications for both schools. If the Ducks take care of business Nov. 3 and Oregon State can navigate a second-half schedule that includes Stanford and ASU, then all of Oregon will show up for what could conceivably be the Pac-12 game of the year.