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Kelly Breaks Second Mark for Receiving

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

USC receiver Kareem Kelly added the record for receiving yardage by a USC freshman to his resume Saturday, breaking R. Jay Soward’s record of 507 yards with his first reception.

Kelly, who already owns the freshman record for number of receptions, has 34 catches for 632 yards.

He led USC with eight catches for 129 yards against Stanford, his third 100-yard game of the season.

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Another freshman receiver also made a mark on the game: Marcell Allmond caught a 64-yard touchdown pass and had three catches for 90 yards.

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Linebacker Markus Steele left the field on crutches and has a sprained left ankle, but he says he’s all right.

“I’ll be ready to practice Tuesday,” he said.

Steele, who had been USC’s leading tackler, had only four and was limited by a shoulder injury as well.

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Soward, who left the game because of a hamstring strain, returned at the end of the game but was limping noticeably afterward and isn’t sure if it will affect him next week against California.

“It could. It hurts real bad,” he said.

Offensive lineman Faaesea Mailo left the game because of a bruised lower right leg, but X-rays proved negative.

Mailo’s injury forced tackle Travis Claridge, a former guard, to play guard at the end of the game.

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Stanford receiver Troy Walters, who had five receptions, broke the school record of 214 set by Darrin Nelson.

Walters needs five more to break the Pacific 10 Conference record of 223, which includes bowl games.

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Stanford’s Rose Bowl hopes are getting rosier by the week.

The Cardinal hasn’t played in the Rose Bowl game since 1972--when they were the Stanford Indians.

Stanford, at 5-0, is the only Pac-10 team without a conference loss.

“It feels awfully good,” Coach Tyrone Willingham said. “This is a tough place to win, with all the tradition and history here.”

Stanford hadn’t won at the Coliseum since 1991.

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USC tailback Sultan McCullough’s 26-yard run in the first quarter was USC’s longest run from scrimmage this season. . . . Soward’s 64-yard touchdown was the 23rd play of 40 yards or longer in his career. . . . USC cornerback Antuan Simmons had two interceptions, returning one 44 yards. He also forced a fumble and recovered it, and broke up three passes, including one he tipped away that probably would have gone for a touchdown.

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