It appears No. 20 will live a double legacy in Southern California football history.

Trojans' strong safety Darnell Bing, who wears the same number as USC 's 1965 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett did, continued to live up to the legend's standards in yesterday's 63-17 romp of Hawai'i at Aloha Stadium. Bing ignited the Trojans with his 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter off UH quarterback Colt Brennan. It was the 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior's fifth career interception, but first returned to the end zone.

The Warriors were moving methodically on their first series from their 19 to the USC 38. On second-and-7, Brennan tried to thread the seam to wide receiver Ross Dickerson coming from UH's right side on a slant. But Bing cut in front of Dickerson and raced unscathed down USC's left sideline for the score.

"We were going over that play all week," Bing explained. "I just read the play, read the quarterback and I was right there to make it happen."

It was the kind of performance expected from Bing, a 2001 graduate of Long Beach Poly, the same program that stomped Kahuku, 42-16, at Aloha Stadium in 2002 with its blazing speed. He had narrowed his college choices to USC, Oregon and Washington. But all along he knew he wanted to be a Trojan, he said.

But there was an issue.

When USC coach Pete Carroll asked the then recruit what number he wanted to wear, Bing said '20.' Carroll had to break the news to him that the number was retired. Yet, fortunately for Bing, the bearer of that number also is the boss at USC. Garrett has been USC's athletic director since 1993. When Bing took his recruiting visit at USC, he met Garrett, who granted him permission to wear No. 20.

"I think he will be a great safety before it's all over," said Garrett, the first of four tailbacks in USC history to win the Heisman. "Today, he started it all for us. I think he's going to have a great year."

Admittedly, Bing did not know of Garrett. That's understandable for Bing, who turns 21 on Saturday.

"Well, you know young kids don't know anyone dating back 20 or 30 years," Garrett said with a smile. "Certainly not 40 years. It's not surprising. But we have a standard of excellence at SC. The issue was whether he could play at that level and I think he's proved he can."

But before Bing could become a Trojan, he spent a year at Fresno City junior college as a part-time student (and did not play football) to qualify for admission at USC. He wasted little time, becoming a starter as a freshman, making 69 tackles, fourth-best on the 2003 national championship team.

As a sophomore, he was third on the team in tackles with 63, earning all-Pac-10 second-team honors the Collegefootball news.com Sophomore All-American first team in the Trojans' second national title team.

"I just wanted to come out here and make things happen with the jersey," Bing said of wearing No. 20. "Hopefully, I'm doing what I'm expected to."

Ironically, Bing was quoted in the Los Angeles Times that USC's offense would score on "The first play or third play" against UH. He later clarified to The Honolulu Advertiser that his quote was "It could be the first. It could be the third. I don't know."

It turned out to be neither since his TD beat the offense to the punch. The Trojans offense did not take the field until 13 minutes, 36 seconds into the game.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.