Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley (7) celebrates after throwing a touchdown to Stanley Havili (31) during the second quarter of the Emerald Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday in San Francisco.<br><i>AP?photo</i>

SAN FRANCISCO – Matt Barkley threw touchdown passes to Stanley Havili on Southern California’s first two possessions and added a touchdown run in the fourth quarter to help the Trojans beat Boston College 24-13 Saturday in the Emerald Bowl.

The victory was far from impressive but it did put a positive ending on a disappointing season for USC (9-4). The Trojans lost three of their final five regular-season games to fall out of the national rankings for the first time since Pete Carroll’s first season as coach in 2001.

That left USC in an unfamiliar bowl setting after making it to the Bowl Championship Series the past seven years, including four straight Rose Bowl bids. But the Trojans made the most of it, handing Boston College (8-5) its second straight bowl loss after an eight-year bowl winning streak.

Damian Williams caught 12 passes for 189 yards in what could be his final game for the Trojans. Williams is expected to skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

USC was without leading rusher Joe McKnight, who was not cleared to play as the school investigates whether he violated rules by using an SUV that doesn’t belong to him.

Meineke Bowl

Pittsburgh 19, North Carolina 17 – In Charlotte, N.C., Dion Lewis rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown to pass Tony Dorsett as Pittsburgh’s top freshman rusher, and Dan Hutchins kicked a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left to give the 17th-ranked Panthers a 19-17 win over North Carolina on Saturday in the Meineke Bowl.

Winning 10 games for the first time since Dan Marino was the quarterback in 1981, Pitt (10-3) overcame a disappointing loss to Cincinnati three weeks ago that cost it a Sugar Bowl berth and staged a late rally in front of a hostile crowd.

Pitt converted on fourth down at its own 30 and took advantage of a key offsides penalty to set up Hutchins’ fourth field goal.

T.J. Yates threw two touchdown passes to Greg Little, but his incomplete pass on fourth-and-10 from his own 49 with 6 seconds left sent the Tar Heels (8-5) to their second straight loss.

Lewis surpassed Dorsett’s freshman rushing record of 1,686 yards in the first quarter and finished with 1,799, behind only Dorsett’s 2,150 in his Heisman Trophy-winning, national championship season of 1976.

Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Marshall 21, Ohio 17 – In Detroit, Martin Ward ran for two touchdowns in the first half and Marshall held off Ohio in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

DeQuan Bembry’s interception with 40 seconds left sealed the victory for the Thundering Herd (7-6), who led by three touchdowns midway through the second quarter.

The Bobcats (9-5) rallied with Shannon Ballard’s 75-yard return off a fumble in the second quarter, Terrence McCrae’s TD catch and Matt Weller’s field goal. Ohio had chances to complete the comeback but was stunted on the drive before its final possession.

The game appeared it was going to be a route when Ward’s 2-yard run put Marshall ahead 21-0 with 7:21 left in the first half. Ward scored on a 12-yard run late in the first quarter and Andre Booker had 58-yard punt return for a touchdown at the end of the quarter.