The College Football BeltThe CFB Belt
Belt / 2004 season / Reign #258 · Game 1,349 of 1,643
November 13, 2004 Week 12 · Regular Season Belt defended

USC defends the belt, 49–9, at home over Arizona.

Home · Defending Holder
USCAP No. 1 49
AT
Away · Challenger
Arizona 9

AP poll, week 12: Arizona unranked at USC No. 1 · No. 1 that week: Wisconsin. The belt vs. the polls →

Belt context

Where this game sits in the lineage

USC came in 317 days into reign #258, which began with a win over Michigan, with 9 defenses already behind it; this was its 10th defense. USC went on to defend it 15 more times before Texas took it on January 4, 2006, 734 days after the reign began.

For Arizona this was its 13th shot at the belt; it had held the belt 5 times before.

It was the 4th of 5 belt games between the two; going in, USC led the belt series 3–0; all-time USC leads 5–0. Every meeting →

AI-Written

Recap

Arizona struck first with a 48-yard field goal by Nicholas Folk in the first quarter, but USC's dominant offense quickly took control. Matt Leinart led the Trojans on a methodical assault, with LenDale White emerging as a battering ram, scoring three touchdowns on the ground including runs of 3, 2, and 6 yards. The Trojans' passing game also clicked, with Dwayne Jarrett making an explosive 55-yard catch in the second quarter and finishing with a 44-yard reception late in the third. Arizona managed a 9-yard touchdown pass from Richard Kovalcheck to Steve Fleming in the third quarter for their only offensive touchdown, but it was too little too late as USC's defense stifled the Wildcats' ground game and Leinart's offense proved too efficient, controlling the clock with 20:29 time of possession to Arizona's 16:12.

Written by Claude from the box score and play-by-play on this page — a plain-English recap of the numbers below, not a substitute for them.

Full Box Score

Team stats

CFBD box score
 USCArizona
Total yards585255
Rushing yards21690
Passing yards376192
First downs2514
3rd down conv.7/142/12
Turnovers32
Penalties–yards0–00–0
Time of possession20:2916:12

Full team box score from CFBD’s /games/teams data. This section only appears for belt games from 2003 onward — CFBD doesn’t have team-level stats that far back.

Play By Play

Key plays

CFBD play-by-play
WhenTeamYardsPlay
Q1 12:54Arizona+25 ydRichard Kovalcheck (UA) pass right side complete to Mike Jefferson (UA) for 25 yards.
Q1 7:30Arizona+23 ydRichard Kovalcheck (UA) pass left side complete to Biren Ealy (UA) for 23 yards.
Q1 6:45Arizona+48 yd48 yard field goal by Nicholas Folk (UA) is good.
Q1 6:02Arizona+38 ydKickoff returned by Reggie Bush (USC) for 38 yards.
Q2 15:00USC+5 ydMatt Leinart (USC) pass left side complete to David Kirtman (USC) for a 5 yard touchdown.
Q2 15:00USC+0 ydExtra point by Ryan Killeen (USC) is good.
Q2 8:19USC+27 yd27 yard field goal by Ryan Killeen (USC) is no good.
Q2 3:13USC+0 ydExtra point by Ryan Killeen (USC) is good.
Q2 3:13USC+55 ydDesmond Reed (USC) pass right side complete to Dwayne Jarrett (USC) for 55 yards.
Q2 3:13USC+3 ydLenDale White (USC) rushed up the middle for a 3 yard touchdown.
Q2 2:48Arizona+24 ydRichard Kovalcheck (UA) pass left side complete to Clarence McRae (UA) for 24 yards.
Q2 0:33USC+0 ydTrojans fumble by Matt Leinart (USC), recovered by Chris Kolone (UA), returned for no gain.
Q3 10:12USC+22 ydMatt Leinart (USC) pass across the middle complete to Jason Mitchell (USC) for 22 yards.
Q3 10:12USC+0 ydExtra point by Ryan Killeen (USC) is good.
Q3 10:12USC+2 ydLenDale White (USC) rushed up the middle for a 2 yard touchdown.
Q3 8:42USC+0 ydTrojans fumble by Lee Webb (USC), recovered by Tony Wingate (UA), returned for no gain.
Q3 8:42USC+22 ydMatt Leinart (USC) pass across the middle complete to Lee Webb (USC) for 22 yards.
Q3 5:41USC+0 ydTrojans fumble by Reggie Bush (USC), recovered by Wilrey Fontenot (UA), returned for no gain.
Q3 5:41Arizona+31 ydSyndric Steptoe (UA) rushed right side for 31 yards.
Q3 5:03Arizona+9 ydRichard Kovalcheck (UA) pass left side complete to Steve Fleming (UA) for a 9 yard touchdown.
Q3 4:55Arizona+20 ydKickoff returned by Reggie Bush (USC) for 20 yards.
Q3 4:11USC+54 ydLenDale White (USC) rushed left side for 54 yards.
Q3 3:24USC+0 ydExtra point by Ryan Killeen (USC) is good.
Q3 3:24USC+6 ydLenDale White (USC) rushed up the middle for a 6 yard touchdown.
Q3 1:27USC+44 ydMatt Leinart (USC) pass across the middle complete to Dwayne Jarrett (USC) for 44 yards.
Q3 1:27USC+13 ydMatt Leinart (USC) pass across the middle complete to Dwayne Jarrett (USC) for a 13 yard touchdown.
Q3 1:27USC+0 ydExtra point by Ryan Killeen (USC) is good.
Q3 0:50Arizona+20 ydRichard Kovalcheck (UA) pass right side intercepted by Justin Wyatt (USC). Returned for 20 yards.
Q4 13:00USC+12 ydMatt Leinart (USC) pass right side complete to Dwayne Jarrett (USC) for a 12 yard touchdown.
Q4 13:00USC+0 ydExtra point by Ryan Killeen (USC) is good.
Q4 12:54USC+28 ydKickoff returned by B.J. Dennard (UA) for 28 yards.
Q4 10:50Arizona+19 ydRichard Kovalcheck (UA) pass left side intercepted by Lawrence Jackson (USC). Returned for 19 yards.
Q4 11:41Arizona+22 ydMike Bell (UA) rushed up the middle for 22 yards.
Q4 12:47Arizona+21 ydMike Bell (UA) rushed right side for 21 yards.
Q4 7:35USC+0 ydExtra point by Ryan Killeen (USC) is good.
Q4 8:38USC+20 ydMatt Cassel (USC) pass left side complete to Jason Mitchell (USC) for 20 yards.
Q4 7:35USC+1 ydHershel Dennis (USC) rushed up the middle for a 1 yard touchdown.
Q4 10:50USC+27 ydDesmond Reed (USC) rushed up the middle for 27 yards.
Q4 2:35Arizona+20 ydRichard Kovalcheck (UA) pass left side complete to Steve Fleming (UA) for 20 yards.

Scoring plays, turnovers, and gains of 20+ yards, pulled from CFBD’s play-by-play. This section only appears for belt games with play-by-play on file (2003 onward).

Box Score

Player stats

CFBD player stats

Passing

USC

PlayerC/ATTYDSAVGTDINTQBR
Matt Leinart27/352808.03081.5
Desmond Reed1/15555.000100.0
Matt Cassel2/3289.30045.8
Brandon Hance1/166.0001.3

Arizona

No recorded stats in this category.

Rushing

USC

PlayerCARYDSAVGTDLONG
LenDale White161187.4354
Reggie Bush12453.809
Desmond Reed23718.5027
Matt Leinart372.3012
Hershel Dennis351.714
Andre Woodert144.004
Brandon Hance100.000

Arizona

PlayerCARYDSAVGTDLONG
Mike Bell15744.9022
Syndric Steptoe13131.0031
Chris Henry331.002

Receiving

USC

PlayerRECYDSAVGTDLONG
Dwayne Jarrett614424.0255
Jason Mitchell57414.8022
Dominique Byrd8729.0014
Lee Webb12222.0022
Alex Holmes3217.0010
Reggie Bush4194.809
William Buchanon2115.506
David Kirtman155.015
Desmond Reed111.001

Arizona

PlayerRECYDSAVGTDLONG
Steve Fleming33511.7120
Syndric Steptoe3279.0013
Mike Jefferson12525.0025
Clarence McRae12424.0024
Biren Ealy12323.0023
Ricky Williams11313.0013
Pedro Limon199.009
Mike Bell492.307
Show more stats (4 more categories)

Interceptions

USC

PlayerINTYDSTD
Justin Wyatt1190
Lawrence Jackson1190

Arizona

No recorded stats in this category.

Kicking

USC

PlayerFGPCTLONGXPPTS
Ryan Killeen0/10.007/77

Arizona

PlayerFGPCTLONGXPPTS
Nicholas Folk1/1100.0480/03

Punt Returns

USC

PlayerNOYDSAVGLONGTD
Reggie Bush410.310

Arizona

PlayerNOYDSAVGLONGTD
Syndric Steptoe144.040
Ryan Eidson100.000

Punting

USC

PlayerNOYDSAVGTBIn 20LONG
Tom Malone28944.50047

Arizona

PlayerNOYDSAVGTBIn 20LONG
Danny Baugher830738.40050

Full player stats from CFBD’s /games/players data, split out by team. This section only appears for belt games from 2003 onward — CFBD doesn’t have player-level stats that far back. Linked player names go to that player’s stat line in every other belt game they’ve appeared in.

Sources Box score at ESPN · Game record: College Football Data (id 243180030) · This game in the downloadable dataset