USC football: Matt Barkley is Pac-12 offensive player of the week

After passing for a record-tying five touchdowns and leading USC to victory over Syracuse, Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley on Monday was selected as the Pacific 12 Conference offensive player of the week.

Barkley threw touchdown passes to tight end Rhett Ellison, receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee and tight ends Randall Telfer and Xavier Grimble in the Trojans' 38-17 victory.

It was the third time that Barkley passed for five touchdowns. He did it last season at Hawaii and against California.

USC Coach Lane Kiffin was low-key on Saturday night, saying Barkley played well.

But upon reviewing the game tape, Kiffin said Barkley was "awesome" against the Orange.

"I think we have become accustomed around here to seeing those kinds of performances," Kiffin said Sunday night. "Those types of days don't happen very often across the country."

Rodney Peete, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez also passed for five touchdowns at USC.

Barkley completed 26 of 39 passes for 324 yards, without an interception. He has passed for nine touchdowns, with only one interception, this season.

More later at latimes.com/sports.

--Gary Klein

Photo: USC quarterback Matt Barkley sets the Trojans at the line of scrimmage during Saturday's 38-17 victory over Syracuse. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

USC football: Matt Barkley, Matt Leinart, Tim Tebow talk quarterback sneak

USC pulled off perhaps the most famous quarterback sneak in college football history when Reggie Bush assisted Matt Leinart into the end zone with the so-called "Bush Push" at Notre Dame in 2005.

Leinart, current Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow are among the voices in a story about the art of the quarterback sneak play in ESPN The Magazine.

Some excerpts from the conversation-style story:

"I just called "Kill!" in the huddle and everyone knew what we had to do."

-- Tim Tebow, Denver Broncos quarterback

"It's not just a meathead play. There is an art to it. You have to know what the defense is going to do before the ball is snapped, know certain guys will slant a certain way when we're in an empty set or that a team doesn't load the box in the red zone."

-- Matt Barkley, USC quarterback

"I think I had six rushing touchdowns my senior year at USC and three were QB sneaks from the 1-yard line. I stole a lot of TDs."

-- Matt Leinart, Houston Texans quarterback

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-- Gary Klein

Photo: USC quarterback Matt Barkley. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times