LOS ANGELES -- Don't think USC junior quarterback Matt Leinart is a Heisman Trophy candidate?
Think again.
Leinart proved his Heisman worth Saturday, throwing four first-half touchdowns and running for another score in a near-flawless effort that enabled No. 1 USC to remain unbeaten with a convincing 45-7 win over No. 15 ASU at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The levelheaded southpaw was so efficient that he had the luxury of watching the fourth quarter from the bench, having been pulled in favor of backup Matt Cassel long after most ASU fans had headed for the exits.
Connecting with seven different receivers, Leinart showed the poise of most Heisman Trophy winners.
It was the type of stuff that Heisman hopeful Kyle Orton couldn't muster Saturday in No. 5 Purdue's 20-17 loss against No. 10 Wisconsin. The same could be said for ASU senior quarterback Andrew Walter, who threw two interceptions and was sacked six times while under constant pressure.
"There's a lot of talk about people being Heisman [candidates]," said USC sophomore tailback LenDale White, who caught one of Leinart's touchdown passes. "I hear Kyle Orton this. I hear Andrew Walter that. I'm hearing everybody else but Matt Leinart. But Matt Leinart proves that he can win week in and week out, and he's putting up the numbers."
Leinart was in control from start to finish, leading the Trojans to touchdowns on six of their seven first-half possessions.
Freshman split end Dwayne Jarrett, playing in place of injured sophomore Steve Smith, had three touchdown catches, including a 52-yarder from sophomore tailback Reggie Bush on a well-executed trick play. Bush and White each caught a touchdown pass from Leinart, and Leinart scored on a 1-yard QB sneak.
"We just kind of went back to the basics," said Leinart, who completed 13 of 24 passes for 224 yards and wasn't intercepted for the first time in four games. "It was a lot of three-step stuff and getting the ball out quick. That's what we've been making our money on the past few years -- just letting our guys run slants, hitches and fades.
"Sometimes we get ahead of ourselves too much and we want to open up the playbook, but we just stuck with our bread and butter. We ran the ball well and did a lot of quick stuff to get it out and let our guys do their thing."
USC head coach Pete Carroll offered nothing but praise for Leinart, even though his "masterful" quarterback hasn't received as much Heisman hype as some of his counterparts.
"It's normal for him to play like this," said Carroll, noting that Leinart was nearly perfect in a number of audibles and checks along the line of scrimmage. "As always, it falls on the quarterback's shoulders, and we're very fortunate to have a guy that can do it. He knows how the game works for us, and he knows our philosophy and what we're trying to get done."
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.
