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While you were enjoying your Thanksgiving feast, ASU’s Rudy Carpenter was eating a mouthful of turf.

I left the TV for about a minute to get my second-plate of Thanksgiving dinner sometime in the third quarter. By the time I got back to the TV, Arizona State had their backup quarterback in the game, and their starter, Rudy Carpenter, was on the sideline cursing and spitting up blood.

It was that sort of night for Carpenter, who was sacked six times. Four of those sacks belonged to defensive-end Lawrence Jackson, who delivered the lip-busting hit in the third. #11 USC Trojans went on to beat the #6 ASU Sun Devils, 44-24.

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For the Trojans, it was great game for both sides of ball. 11 games into the season and it seems they’ve finally hit their stride. Booty silenced any critics that may have remained. There were no boos from the Trojan fans, no calls for Mark Sanchez.

Booty wouldn’t give them a reason this Thanksgiving. John David Booty gave a Heisman-like performance completing 26 of 39 for 375 yards and no interceptions. He threw on average 9.6 yards per completion and had a hand in all five touchdowns. Booty spread the ball around with touchdown passes to Fred Davis (119 yards – 1 TD), Joe McKnight (71 yards receiving – 1 TD), Vidal Hazelton (36 yards – 1 TD) and Stanley Havili (11 yards – 1 TD). The remaining touchdown was run in by the man himself, with JDB keeping the ball on a one yard rush into the end-zone late in the second. Patrick Turner (5 catches for 70 yards), Ronald Johnson (1 catch for 33 yards and 49 yard kick return to start the game) and David Ausberry (2 for 24 yards) also had notable performances.

USC never really broke away on the ground. Their longest run of the game was a mere 12-yards. It was more of a methodical pounding for short yardage, wearing down the ASU defense and keeping them too nervous about the deep-threat to blitz. Chauncey Washington lead the team with 80 yards, followed by Joe McKnight (30 yards) and Stafon Johnson (16 yards).

The Trojan rush defense was better than ever, limiting the Sun Devils to only 16 yards. Despite the beating, Rudy Carpenter was fairly effective through the air; that is during those plays he could get the ball off before getting smashed to the turf. He completed 21/20 for 240 yards to six competent receivers. Chris McGaha had 80 yards for ASU and Rudy Burgess had 50 receiving in addition to 166 yards on 5 returns.

But the Sun Devils’ score was not an accurate indicator of Arizona State’s offensive ability against the Trojans. ASU’s first score came by way of their special-teams two minutes into the game, with an impressive 98-yard kickoff return by Rudy Burgess. Their second touchdown drive received artificial life support by way of poor officiating. What should have been 3rd and 21 via a Sedrick Ellis sack, turned into an automatic first down for ASU because of a bull-shit unsportsman-like conduct call. Immediately after the sack Ellis lifted his arms into the air and flexed his muscles, literally if not for a second. If you watch football, this happens all the time. But the call stood and ASU went on to score. The Sun Devil’s final touchdown was deserved but came well after the game was decided in the fourth

As quoted by LA Times, Jackson had this to say about Carpenter:

“He’s a feisty guy,” Jackson said after USC’s 44-24 win over Arizona State on Thursday night. “We were having some words at the coin toss. He’s always been a good quarterback, very resourceful and hard to get down. I told him we were going to come after him today. Then I got his lip a little bloody; he was pretty upset and said not so nice words after that play.”

But give up for Carpenter, after the game, he told it like it is.

“They came to hit tonight,” he said. “That is the one thing they did do. They hit me, and they hit me good.”

*Stats from ESPN-U