Oregon State kept its bowl hopes alive with a 36-7 victory over visiting USC in a Pac-10 game Saturday night.

The Beavers (5-5, 4-3 Pac-10) scored the game’s first 23 points to snap a two-game losing streak.

Oregon State led 3-0 after the first quarter and scored on the first play of the second quarter when Jordan Poyer intercepted a Matt Barkley pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown.

Jacquizz Rodgers scored on a 3-yard run to increase the lead to 17-0.

Barkley injured his ankle near the end of the first half. He finished 10- of-19 passing for 75 yards. Mitch Mustain took over the Barkley in the second half.

The Trojans also played without running back Dillon Baxter, who had contact with an agent during the week.

USC (7-4, 4-3) got on the board on a 13-yard run by C.J. Gable late in the third quarter.

Ryan Katz (18 for 25, 159 yards) threw a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.

Rodgers finished with 124 yards on 26 carries for the Beavers, who need one more win to become bowl eligible. They play at No. 8 Stanford next week before finishing the season against No. 1 Oregon.