LOS ANGELES -- Ronald Jones just needed an opportunity to show he was still the running back that became Southern Californias most prolific freshman rusher a season ago.With starter Justin Davis sidelined because of injury and the Pac-12s worst run defense trying to stop him, coach Clay Helton knew that the sophomore was ready to explode.Jones rushed for a career-high 223 yards, Sam Darnold threw five touchdowns passes and USC downed California 45-24 on Thursday night.Darnold threw for 231 yards, with Darreus Rogers making six catches for a career-high 97 yards, as the Trojans rolled up a season-high 629 yards of total offense. AcaCedric Ware contributed a career-high 130 yards rushing to USCs total of 398, the fourth time this season the Golden Bears have allowed more than 300 yards on the ground.We looked like a tired, beat-up football team and we were, Cal coach Sonny Dykes said.USC (5-3, 4-2 Pac-12) scored on three of its first four possessions, with Darnold finding Rogers, Jones and Deontay Burnett for touchdowns. Rogers added a second touchdown catch with 28 seconds left, but two fumbles by Darnold allowed Cal (4-4, 2-3) to maintain a modicum of hope despite allowing 451 yards on 46 plays in the first half.Defensive tackle James Looney returned a fumble to the USC 22, where Tre Watson took a screen pass into the end zone. Webb, the Texas Tech transfer, found his rhythm on Cals next drive, with throws of 23 and 32 yards to set up Matt Andersons field goal.Webb threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns, throwing a ball up for grabs that was intercepted by safety Marvell Tell in the first quarter. Webb also rushed for a touchdown in the third quarter that cut USCs lead to 28-17 before Jones had a 37-yard touchdown run and Daniel Imatorbhebhe caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Darnold.Melquise Stovall, a freshman who originally committed to attend USC as a recruit, had nine receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown.Cals best chance to take the lead came on its fourth play from scrimmage, but freshman Demetris Robertson dropped a potential 64-yard touchdown that hit him in the hands. After Webb quick kicked on fourth-and-1 from the Cal 45, Jones ripped off a 61-yard run on the next play and the Cal defense was on its heels for the rest of the half.I think we were prepared when we got here, Webb said. Its on us. Thats how it should be. Its a players game.Jones had 149 yards on eight first-half carries.RECORD RETURNSUSC cornerback Adoree Jackson set a new school record for career kick return yardage, breaking the previous mark of 1,723 yards held by Curtis Conway.Jackson had 56 yards on two kick returns, giving him 1,779 yards in his three seasons at USC. The electric Jackson also had two spectacular punt returns, though one was called back because of a holding penalty.THE TAKEAWAYCal: The Bears have now lost 13 in a row to the Trojans since handing Pete Carrolls 2003 national championship team its only loss in triple overtime that season. Cal was always going to have trouble defending Darnold and USCs plethora of skill players, and that task was even tougher with a short week to prepare and mounting injuries. But with three home games left, Cal has a good chance at becoming bowl eligible if it can maintain its strong play in Strawberry Canyon.USC: The Trojans are white-hot, with Darnold leading the way. The freshman quarterback has now thrown 16 touchdown passes in leading USC to four consecutive wins, playing with a fearlessness and fire that the team was missing at the start of the season, though his ball security must improve. They need help to win the Pac-12 South, but the Trojans are more than capable of turning the conference race upside down when they travels to No. 4 Washington on Nov. 12.UP NEXTCal: The Bears host the Huskies on Nov. 5, a potential trap game for Washington while completing its only back-to-back road games this season.USC: The Trojans host faltering Oregon on Nov. 5, seeking their first five-game winning streak since interim coach Ed Orgeron won five straight in 2013. Custom Football Jerseys Throwback . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Clearance Football Jerseys Throwback . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). http://www.cheapfootballthrowback.com/ . - Connor McDavid scored 53 seconds into overtime as the Erie Otters came from behind to defeat the visiting Guelph Storm 4-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Sale Football Jerseys Throwback .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Discount Football Jerseys Throwback . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp have been friends since they played safety for the Georgia Bulldogs. Now the two coaches are set to meet for the first time Saturday night with Smart back at their alma mater and Muschamp at South Carolina.Its just business, not fun.Its never really been about that for me, Smart said. He and I are good friends. We talk time to time. Its never an extra motivation, because thats not really what its about. Its about our players and their players. Its business-like for us, its not really about (our relationship).Muschamp went from walk-on safety to captain at Georgia in 1994 when Smart redshirted as a freshman, with their fathers sitting together during games. Smart took over at safety when Muschamp graduated and went into coaching .So the focus is on the game while friendship temporarily takes a back seat.At the end of the day, its South Carolina and Georgia, Muschamp said.Running one of the Southeastern Conferences 14 football programs is the dream job for many aspiring coaches. Each of the current 14 coaches got his start by playing a sport in college -- even if it wasnt football.Here are some lessons learned before they became SEC coaches:NOT A STAR: Proving its not how you start but how you finish, four coaches are former walk-ons: Texas A&Ms Kevin Sumlin, Muschamp, Arkansas Bret Bielema and Auburns Gus Malzahn.QB NOT KEY SPOT: Five SEC coaches played defensive back, including Alabamas Nick Saban, Vanderbilts Derek Mason and Kentuckys Mark Stoops along with Muschamp and Smart. LSU interim coach Ed Orgeron and Bielema played linebacker. Tennessees Butch Jones and Malzahn were receivers, though Malzahn also punted. Floridas Jim McElwain is the lone quarterback among SEC coaches.NO POWER LEAGUE, NO PROB: They may be trying to sign five-star recruits now, but not every coach played in a Power Five league. Some werent even in Division I. Malzahn walked on at Arkansas and later transferred to Division II Henderson State. McElwain played at Eastern Washington when it was still a Division II program. Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen was a tight end at Division III Ursinus in Pennsylvania, while Jones played both running back and wide receiver at Division II Ferris State before a knee injury ended his career.WORK, PAATIENCE: No coach starts at the top, so that means patience and coaching no matter the sport.ddddddddddddFreeze started coaching at a Tennessee high school, where he also coached girls basketball before heading to the college ranks. Stoops also coached in high school after a couple years as a graduate assistant at Iowa, while Jones was a student coach after his injury.You work your way up in this profession, the nights of sleeping in cars as a GA and having to be the first one in the office and the last one to leave and having to do all the other things, it makes you appreciate it that much more, Jones said.ALMOST HOOPS: Basketball, not football is still McElwains first love. He grew up playing basketball and had a key to a gym while growing up in Montana. McElwain, who started his coaching career at Eastern Washington, was offered a job at Gonzaga on the basketball coaching staff in the late 1980s. He stayed with football and now is in his second season with the Gators. You look back and you wonder sometimes, you know, where life will take you, McElwain said.CANCELED VISIT: Stoops canceled a trip to Michigan State knowing he would play at Iowa, even though Saban was the position coach recruiting him. That phone call didnt go very well, Stoops said. I was really young and na?ve and had no clue because I knew I wasnt a great player or anything like that, but I couldnt believe it because he made it very difficult for me. He was very persuasive and very good.FOOTBALL WON: Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze played two years of baseball in community college, always knowing he wanted to coach football after watching his father in rural Mississippi.Id go to Sunday film with him and they had the old 16 mm clicking and the cutting and splicing, and I just watched the influence and impact he had on kids, Freeze said. Really all I knew was farming or coaching, and I knew I didnt want to farm. I was always drawn to coaching and knew that was the route I was going to take.---AP Sports Writers Mark Long, Pete Iacobelli, Charles Odum, David Brandt, John Zenor, Steve Megargee, Brett Martel and Gary Graves contributed to this report. ' ' '