"I didn't think it was (a fumble), either," Nunn said of the play that helped launch the

No. 4-ranked Trojans on their way to a 61-32 triumph yesterday.

Slotback Gerald Welch's bobble of a Tim Chang pass was ruled a second-quarter fumble and Nunn's return for a touchdown gave USC a 10-6 lead it never relinquished.

"That was crucial," said Chang, the UH quarterback. "It turned the game because, if it isn't a fumble, it is still 3-3 and maybe we make it 10-3 on that series."

UH coach June Jones said he never got an explanation of the call from officials. "Either he caught the ball and the ground can't cause a fumble or he never had (control of) the ball in the first place and it is an incomplete pass," Jones said.

A member of the officiating crew, who refused to give his name, said after the game: "It was a fumble; that's it."

Welch said: "It was a bad call because I didn't have possession. The play was behind me, so when I turned around and didn't really have possession, I kinda tried to catch it with one hand and, on the way down, it came out. I thought it was an incomplete pass."

So, too, did Nunn. "I just ran over there and picked (the ball) up. I was waiting to hear the whistle. I definitely hesitated until I felt Darnell (Bing) push me and then I got going."

Nunn said, "The only reason I even picked it up was because I didn't want to get yelled at in film (study), so I picked it up, took a couple of steps and was ready to stop until I felt Darnell."

Jones was even more upset at a first-quarter non-call that gave USC prime field position at the UH 46 to set up the first score of the game, a 24-yard field goal.

Jones said before the game he notified an official that the Warriors would likely fake their first punt and throw the ball in an effort to get a pass interference call and first down.

The bit of trickery, Jones said, was inspired by the fact that in the NFL, where USC coach Pete Carroll had been for two decades, "every NFL team doubles the gunner (outside rusher on punt return coverage)."

So, on fourth-and-nine at the UH 46, UH faked the punt and had Chad Kapanui, the upman, pass to David Gilmore, who was engaged by two Trojans.

But the officials failed to rule pass interference and Jones went to midfield to protest the call.

"They said it was not pass interference," Jones said. "They said there was no contact. That's what I was told. I knew there was going to be (contact), that's why I told them before the game."