For the first time in the Pete Carroll era at USC, the Trojans were humiliated and Caroll isn’t afraid to take the blame for the disaster that occurred at Autzen Stadium.

Carroll normally likes his players to react and use their athleticism to make plays on defense, but last week it was different. Since spring practice the Trojans had prepared for the type of offense that Oregon runs and might have been over prepared and thinking too much, the coach said.

“We spent a long time preparing for that offense that features the quarterback,” Carroll said. “We took it a step further and that step took us into a dark alley. We didn’t perform the way we thought we would. This was the best challenge to the scheme and it got messed up.”

Messed up might be an understatement. The Trojans were embarrassed to the tune of 613 yards and 47 points allowed in a 47-20 loss. To put that into perspective, USC hadn’t lost by more than a touchdown since 2001.

“This is unusual. This is a different impact,” Carroll said. “But when you lose, you lose, you know. When you get beat, you get beat. You have to deal with it.”

In the rare cases that they’ve lost under Carroll, the Trojans have responded the next week with a vengeance.

Since 2002, USC has outscored its opponents by an average score of 31-11 in the eight games after losses.

The Trojans haven’t lost back-to-back games since October 2001, Carroll’s first season at the school.

They do it different at USC and seven straight Pac-10 Championships will do that. But with another title and a BCS bowl game pretty much out of the picture, Carroll has been asked what is there left to play for?

“We have never talked about the season in championships and ratings and bowl matchups,” Carroll said. “I’ve never talked to these guys about that. It just isn’t the way we approach it.

“What we have is to finish this season by going one game at a time and see how far we can take it. We have to make sure that message is clear. This is a real learning experience for us.”

The learning experience will continue for true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, who, despite putting up pedestrian numbers of nine touchdowns and six interceptions, has wowed his head coach.

“He has played terrific football. He did a really good job again,” Carroll said. “That crowd didn’t even phase him, he handled it beautifully.”

Carroll has had quarterbacks such as Carson Palmer, Matt Lineart and Mark Sanchez play for him in Los Angeles, but he thinks Barkley could be unstoppable down the road.

“In future years, as he grows and gains more command, there are going to be games where you can’t stop him. He’s just that capable.”

But first, USC must shore up its defense and it won’t be easy. The Trojans will be banged up when they come into Sun Devil Stadium on Saturday, especially at the linebacker position.

That will force Carroll to play inexperienced players, part of the reason he thinks the unit is struggling.

“You can’t deny the fact that last year we had fourth- or fifth-year guys playing,” Carroll said. “Their ability to handle the scheme and mentality with what they played was obviously different last year. This year it was a mistake on my part to put those guys into that position.”

Now USC will have to take it one game at a time, to learn and build to try and take back its crown next season. The first step will be against ASU, who Carroll thinks could try and take a page out of Oregon’s playbook.

“Dennis is going to have those guys cranked up,” Carroll said. “They certainly could (take a page out of Oregon’s playbook), they have the same plays to do the same things, but not with the quarterback being the focal point.”

Carroll’s Trojans have bounced back every time they have been set back, the problem is they have never taken this big of a hit before.

“This is an unusually different challenge that we are facing here. They want to show that they are ready to get after it,” Carroll said. “They don’t have a choice, they have to bounce back. It is the only way to do it here.”

Reach the reporter at andrew.gruman@asu.edu.