USC 38, Syracuse 17 (final)

 

USC quarterback Matt Barkley passed for five touchdowns as USC remained unbeaten with the victory over the Orange at the Coliseum.

Barkley connected with fullback Rhett Ellison, receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee and tight ends Randall Telfer and Xavier Grimble to help the Trojans improve their record to 3-0 heading into next week's Pacific 12 Conference game at Arizona State.

Barkley completed 26 of 39 passes for 324 yards, without an interception.

The Trojans led 17-3 at halftime and blitzed to a 38-10 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib completed 25 of 37 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown for the Orange (2-1).

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Photos: USC vs. Syracuse

USC 38, Syracuse 17 (6:34 left in the fourth quarter)

Syracuse scored, but the real drama involves whether USC quarterback Matt Barkley will come back onto the field in a blowout to attempt to break the school record of five touchdown passes in a game.

The Orange might have helped Barkley's bid to make history by cutting into the Trojans' lead on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Nassib to Alec Lemon.

USC 38, Syracuse 10 (11:51 left in the fourth quarter)

Matt Barkley is on the verge of a record-breaking day.

The USC quarterback just tied a school single-game record by completing his fifth touchdown pass, a nine-yard connection with tight end Xavier Grimble that has given the Trojans an insurmountable lead. Barkley was the last USC quarterback to pass for as many scores, doing it last season against Hawaii and California.

Barkley has completed 27 of 40 passes for 326 yards without an interception, and there's still nearly 12 minutes to play. Will we see the likes of Jon Manoogian, Cody Kessler or Max Wittek the rest of the way, or will Coach Lane Kiffin allow Barkley to go for the record?

USC 31, Syracuse 10 (2:54 left in the third quarter)

It's another big game for the receivers from Gardena Serra High.

Marqise Lee just hauled in a perfectly thrown 43-yard touchdown pass from Matt Barkley, the quarterback's fourth scoring pass of the game.

Robert Woods has eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown and Lee has two catches for 63 yards. Barkley has completed 24 of 35 passes for 309 yards and has not had a pass intercepted.

USC 24, Syracuse 10 (10:43 left in the third quarter)

Syracuse isn't going to roll over.

Floyd Mayweather defeats Victor Ortiz by knockout

Floyd Mayweather knocked out Victor Ortiz in stunning fashion in the fourth round of their welterweight title fight Saturday, but the finish will win probably cemented his reputation as a villain in the eyes of most boxing fans.

Late in the fourth round, Ortiz head-butted Mayweather and was given a warning by referee Joe Cortez. Ortiz apologized to Mayweather, and leaned in to him as if to give him a hug while Cortez seemingly gave a weak signal for the fight to resume. Mayweather used the opening to throw a hard right that knocked Ortiz out. Mayweather was greeted by a cascade of boos.

In an interview in the ring after the fight, Mayweather talked about being booed. "I got hit by a dirty shot. The rule is protect yourself at all time. We're not here to cry and complain about what he did or I did dirty."

Referee Joe Cortez: "Time was in. [Ortiz] needed to keep his guard up. Mayweather did nothing illegal."


Lance Pugmire will have more on this controversial fight later at latimes.com/sports. You can read his round-by-round update here.

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Photos: Mayweather vs. Ortiz

--Houston Mitchell

Photo: Floyd Mayweather Jr. delivers the knockout punch against Victor Ortiz in the fourth round of their title fight on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Credit: Eric Jamison / Associated Press

Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz live updates

 

 

Round 3

Mayweather slaps Ortiz with lefts. Ortiz looking for opening to no avail. Mayeather gets in jab. Nice firm right to face by Mayweather. Nice right to jaw by Mayweather. Ortiz too slow, walking into punches. Mayweather lands right, quickly backs away. Mayweather hides behind left shoulder and lands rights. All Mayweather now. Mayweather 10-9

Round 2

Ortiz lands a shot. Mayweather lands big counter right. Ortiz charges in. Mayweather again. Ortiz right to body. Mayweather holds in corner. Ortiz flails. Mayweather lands. Mayweather 10-9

Round 1

Mayweather throws two rights and ducks after each. Both guys feeling jab. Mayweather lands jab and right. Ortiz swings a glancing left. Mayweather gets in a right. Ortiz charges with a left. Mayweather to body before hold. Mayweather 10-9.

 

Pre-fight

Call him a villain if you want, but Floyd Mayweather Jr. is 41-0 with 25 knockouts and the most successful pay-per-view fighter in the world.

"Floyd is motivated because he's the best thing out here at this time in boxing, and he wants to show the world how great he is," said his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather.

If Mayweather's boxing skills match his swagger tonight, look out.

Mayweather, 34, expressed no concern about the issues some fight fans feel could be detrimental to him inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena boxing ring.

Has a 16-month layoff built up rust on his aging body? Might legal problems, including a three-felony domestic violence case set to resume next month, distract him?

"Next question," Mayweather said earlier in the week while playfully flipping a reporter's notebook page.

 Ortiz, 24, listened and reasoned, "He tries a little too hard to scare people. I think it's funny how hard he tries to get into somebody's head. He talks some stuff. I'll take it."

Ortiz will receive $2 million in guaranteed money, plus a share of pay-per-view revenues, while Mayweather is guaranteed $25 million, and could make as much as $40 million.

--Lance Pugmire

 

Jets vs. Jaguars: Matchup to Watch

JAGUARS (1-0) AT JETS (1-0), 1 P.M. EASTERN, CBS

Matchup to Watch: Jets’ Defense vs. Luke McCown

All week, the Jets’ defense spoke in glowing terms about the 30-year-old McCown, who has made eight career starts and threw his last touchdown pass in December 2007. That graciousness was repaid by Jason Hill, a backup receiver for Jacksonville, who suggested that Darrelle Revis did not deserve his reputation as one of the N.F.L.’s top corners. Already smarting after allowing 390 yards to Dallas, the Jets’ defense has one more reason to prove itself, and its aggressive schemes could harass McCown all afternoon.

Number to Watch: 2.7

The average yards per carry last Sunday by Chris Johnson, the Titans’ superb running back, against the Jaguars’ defensive front. That could portend bad news for the Jets, who were held to 45 rushing yards last Sunday, their fewest in the Rex Ryan era. Improved blocking could open up the running game, diversify the offense and help keep Mark Sanchez upright, something the Jets struggled to do against Dallas. After being pummeled by the Cowboys’ blitzes, Sanchez needed concussion testing. “You don’t want your quarterback to get hit that many times, that’s for sure,” Ryan said.

Quote of the Week

“It feels like a fresh-out-of-the-womb knee.”
MAURICE JONES-DREW, Jacksonville running back, who amassed 97 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in his first game since having off-season surgery on his right knee.

Will Floyd Mayweather Jr remain on top of the world ? Ortiz v Mayweather LIVE BLOG

Here in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the atmosphere is building slowly…

The first thing of note from my perspective. Floyd Mayweather has been insisting that Amir Khan should face his promoted fighter Jesse Vargas before they ever meet. Vargas has just won a 10-rounder on a split decision against Josesito Lopez.

That Vargas got the decision was frankly absurd.

A ridiculous split decision with Lopez getting 95-94, and Vargas 96-93, 95-94. There were boos around the arena. Khan would have nothing to concern him and a meeting between the pair would be a mis-match. Vargas is at best an aggressive banger. He clearly lost this fight against Lopez. Apart from on the cards of the two people who counted – judges Duane Ford, and Patricia Morse Jarman.

Slumping Angels fall to Orioles again

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia has long said his team will go only as far as its starting pitchers carry it. If that is true, the Angels probably won't go much further.

On Saturday, the Orioles pounded the Angels' Ervin Santana for two home runs in a five-run first inning, then cruised to a 6-2 win. The Angels' fourth loss in six games left them at least 3 1/2 games behind Texas in the American League West standings with 11 games to play.

Santana, who has lost his last three starts, struggled from the outset, walking leadoff hitter Matt Angle on four pitches and then giving up a two-run homer to the next batter, J.J. Hardy. After a single and a walk, Mark Reynolds followed with a three-run homer.

Santana drilled the next hitter, Nolan Reimold, and hit Reynolds in the head when he came to bat again in third inning, earning a warning from plate umpire Alfonso Marquez.

Although Santana eventually settled down, giving up one more hit before leaving after seven innings, the Angels never did get their offense on track against Baltimore starter Zach Britton (10-10), who struck out a career-high seven in seven innings did not give up a hit until Mike Trout's infield single with one in the fifth.

Trout later scored on Bobby Wilson's sacrifice fly. The Angels' only other run came after a leadoff walk and Vernon Wells' two-out triple in the ninth, but by then the game had been decided.

Texas 49, UCLA 20 (final)

Texas turned the tables.

Embarrassed last season in Austin when they were run over by UCLA in a three-touchdown loss, the Longhorns delivered payback in an even bigger way Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

With a lot of help from the host Bruins.

UCLA committed four turnovers, including three first-half interceptions of passes thrown by Kevin Prince, and the Bruins were unable to recover.

Texas, ranked No. 23 by Associated Press, ran its record to 3-0 by running and passing at will. Sophomore Case McCoy completed 12 of 15 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Malcolm Brown ran for 110 yards and a touchdown in 22 carries.

And the UCLA running game, unstoppable in this matchup a year ago, simply couldn't bust enough big plays to get the Bruins back in the game.

UCLA, which ran for 264 yards in a 34-12 win over Texas last season, gained 141 yards in 34 carries  Saturday.

Prince, making the start at quarterback after missing last week's win over San Jose State because of a shoulder injury, was benched after having three of his seven passes picked off.

Richard Brehaut came on to complete eight of 19 passes for 150 yards.

UCLA is 1-2 and will open Pacific 12 Conference play next Saturday at Oregon State.

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Photos: UCLA vs. Texas

Texas 49, UCLA 20 (2:57 left in fourth quarter)

From start to finish, the Texas offense is cashing in opportunities provided by its defense.

Taking over at midfield after stuffing UCLA on a fourth-and-one play, the Longhorns drove 50 yards in 11 plays for their seventh touchdown in 11 possessions.