How did USC upset Texas? The Trojans did it with defense.

LOS ANGELES — In the wake of USC's stunning 73-56 victory over previously surging Texas on Sunday night, each Trojan who met with the media had to answer a variation of the same question. 

How on earth did a USC team that got crushed by TCU and Rider and blew a 20-point lead at Nebraska thoroughly dominate Texas to the point that the outcome was never in doubt the entire second half?

Some of the Trojans admitted they played with greater intensity against a marquee opponent like Texas. Others pointed to a sense of urgency brought on by their mediocre 4-4 start. But to a man they all said the biggest reason for their improvement was the way coach Kevin O'Neill got their attention with a series of grueling defense-oriented practices the previous week.

Irate that USC played three halves of lackadaisical defense during its Thanksgiving week road trip to TCU and Nebraska, O'Neill punished his players with practices rife with screaming, running and defensive drills. In response, the inspired Trojans contested shots, took charges and ran over the top of every pick, holding the high-scoring Longhorns to a season-low 32.1 percent shooting in the process.

"The first practice back from the road trip was the toughest we've had all year because we focused the whole practice on defense," senior guard Marcus Simmons said. "K.O. was cursing like he always does and guys were diving on the floor making hustle plays. I just knew right then that our whole team had changed."

If an overtime victory over Illinois and a narrow two-point loss to Pittsburgh last month suggested that Texas would be a Big 12 title contender, this loss was a reminder that the youthful Longhorns may not quite be at that level. They didn't match USC's energy from the start, falling behind by as many as 17 early in the second half never trimming the deficit to any less than eight.

For USC, toppling Texas eases some of the frustration from a ragged start to the season and provides a blueprint for how the defensive-minded O'Neill wants to win. Add soon-to-be eligible Fordham transfer Jio Fontan to the mix later this month, and suddenly the Trojans have some perimeter firepower to go with the swarming defense and interior muscle they showcased Sunday night.

"It's one on the plus side," O'Neill said. "I didn't think we'd be good early. I thought we'd be a little better than we've been but not much and I didn't think we'd be good until Jio came back. So to me it's kind of a pleasant surprise we played with the kind of intensity and focus we had tonight."

Although USC bottled up Texas big man Tristan Thompson down low and hustled back to prevent many Longhorns' fastbreak chances, the key to the improved defensive effort on Sunday was Simmons. He validated his reputation as one of the Pac-10's top perimeter defenders by consistently frustrating Los Angeles native Jordan Hamilton by contesting his jump shots and keeping him out of the lane.

Playing in front of about 50 friends and family, Hamilton scored just two points during a quiet first half and finished with just 12 total points on 4 of 13 shooting. The sophomore had his opening shot of the game blocked by Simmons and didn't score until almost 15 minutes elapsed, frustration escalating so quicly that he slammed the ball to the court in frustration after one errant first-half shot.

"I just tried to make him work," the 6-foot-5 Simmons said. "I'm a competitor and he's a great player, so I took it upon myself to hold him as much as I can."

USC's youthful backcourt lacks a consistent scorer until Fontan regains his eligibility in two games, so it was crucial for the Trojans that their defense fueled some easy fast-break buckets. And even more importantly, when USC did need to run a half-court offense, the Trojans looked down low to forward Nikola Vucevic (24 points) and center Alex Stepheson (14), who combined to grab 20 boards and shoot 16 of 26 from the floor.

O'Neill had been frustrated with Vucevic's dubious shot selection and intermittent defense during the road trip, so he was especially pleased with the all-conference forward's performance against Texas. Vucevic exploited his size advantage on the low block, grabbed nine rebounds and physically manhandled Texas freshman Tristan Thomas, all while avoiding foul trouble long enough to play 34 minutes.

"I think Nik is a guy that plays up and down effort-wise," O'Neill said. "Tonight his effort was great, but that's one of his biggest problems, to be honest. He plays lazy some of the time and when he plays lazy he doesn't help us. He hurts us as a matter of fact." 

With USC showcasing a renewed commitment to defense and to interior scoring and Fontan due back in just a few days, it's tempting to call this victory a turning point for the Trojans. The problem is that USC's non-conference schedule still includes road games at undefeated Kansas and Tennessee, hardly the opponents you want to meet when you're trying to get on a roll before conference play.

As difficult as those games will be later this month, the Trojans know they're capable of being competitive if they can sustain the defensive intensity they showcased against Texas. 

"Our defense is back to where it was last year and it's going to stay that way, right?" O'Neill said, looking directly at Stepheson seated to his right.

Said Stepheson with a smile, "Yes, it is."

Christina DaRe Malin Akerman Melissa Joan Hart Bianca Kajlich Giulianna Ramirez