PASADENA, Calif. -- The Big Ten Conference keeps making a big mess out of the Rose Bowl.

Penn State lost its bloom very quickly last night.

Although a 17-point fourth-quarter rally made the final score more respectable, the Nittany Lions' highly ranked defense and undersized secondary proved no match for Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez. He and his towering receivers shrunk Penn State down to size and turned the green Rose Bowl grass into their own personal playground.

Sanchez completed 28 of 35 passes for 413 yards and accounted for five touchdowns as No. 5 Southern California dominated No. 6 Penn State, 38-24, before a crowd of 93,293 in the 95th Rose Bowl.

Sanchez, the offensive MVP, tossed four touchdown passes -- the most against Penn State in a bowl game. And he became the third quarterback in Rose Bowl history to pass for more than 400 yards in a game.

Sanchez also ran for a touchdown for the Trojans (12-1), who won their 10th consecutive game.

"I think Southern Cal deserved to win," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "They played better than we did. They're an awfully fine football team. The quarterback did a great job tonight for them.

"We got licked."

Penn State (11-2) had not allowed more than 24 points in a game all season, but the Nittany Lions were torched for 31 in the first half after a 40-day layoff. And the secondary, which surrendered only six touchdown passes in 12 regular-season games, was burned for four last night.

USC wide receiver Damian Williams had a game-high 10 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown. And another 6-foot-1 receiver, Ronald Johnson, managed four catches for 82 yards and two scores. Tailback C.J. Cable, also 6-1, caught a touchdown pass.

"I don't think our secondary played particularly well," Paterno said.

Penn State, which trailed, 31-7, at halftime, managed two touchdowns and a field goal in the fourth quarter against USC's top-ranked defense.

Quarterback Daryll Clark, who completed 21 of 36 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns, tossed a 2-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Derrick Williams and a 9-yarder to wide receiver Jordan Norwood in the fourth quarter. Kevin Kelly kicked a 25-yard field goal.

Clark tossed his second interception on the game's final play.

"Hats off to a great Penn State team," said Sanchez, who did not throw an interception. "They were on us the whole game and they didn't quit. You saw there at the end they were hanging on, but, in the end, we got the victory. It was a total team effort."

Sanchez, who may have played his final game in a USC uniform, threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Johnson early in the fourth quarter to account for the Trojans' only second-half points.

"The size difference with their receivers wasn't the reason why they won," said 5-10 Penn State cornerback Lydell Sargeant.

"I think a 4-foot-10 guy could have caught some of the passes Mark was throwing.

"I would say he had his best game of the year," Sargeant said. "He didn't make any mistakes."

The Big Ten hasn't won a Rose Bowl since the 2000 game, dropping six in a row. Southern California also posted its sixth consecutive win against a Big Ten opponent in the country's oldest bowl game.

After Penn State tied the score, 7-7, late in the first quarter on Clark's 9-yard run, Southern California reeled off 24 unanswered points in the next 15 minutes.

"Our offense was on fire in the first half," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said.

Sanchez scored on a 6-yard draw up the middle to give the Trojans the lead for good at 14-7. After David Buehler kicked a 30-yard field goal, Sanchez struck again. He threw a 19-yard scoring strike to Johnson, who ran past free safety Anthony Scirrotto and nickel back A.J. Wallace to make the catch.

Penn State tailback Stephfon Green, subbing for starter Evan Royster, who injured his left knee in the first quarter and did not return, fumbled the ball after a 30-yard reception late in the second quarter.

Sanchez wasted little time, hitting Gable with a 20-yard touchdown pass five plays later. The 31 points marked the Trojans' best first-half performance in 33 Rose Bowl appearances.

Not only did Sanchez account for four first-half touchdowns, he completed 18 of 23 passes for 276 yards.

"It would take a heck football team to beat Southern Cal the way they played today," Paterno said.