The Wildcats Come Calling

This is it folks . . . the finale . . . and who knows what’s going to happen. The Arizona Wildcats bring a formidable offense to the Coliseum, and the question is whether SC’s defense will be able to shut it down.

The SC offense also needs to have a good game, and maintain possession of the ball to keep the Wildcat offense off the field.

Here we go:

Arizona

Offense – The Wildcats bring in a very balanced offense behind QB Nick Foles who’s completing 67% of his passes with 17 TDs and only 7 INTs. UofA can also do some damage on the ground with Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin, two quick RBs who both have 500+ yards rushing this season. As one might expect, the Wildcat OLine is very good, only giving up (9) sacks on the year.

Defense – This unit is solid, and boasts a couple of very good players. DE Ricky Elmore leads the Pac 10 in sacks with 10.5, while LB Xavier Kelley is a quick, smart player who patrols near the line of scrimmage. CB Devin Ross is one of the better cover-men in the conference, and leads the team in passes defensed.

USC

Offense – Well, this game represents another opportunity for QB Matt Barkley and the Trojan offense to find the groove that’s been missing since mid-season. The pieces are there as key injured players are back. But the play-calling has not helped the cause. SC should get series’ started with it’s solid run game, and get to 3rd and short situations . . . giving them a better chance to keep drives going.

Defense – Another stiff test for the Trojan defense that has struggled recently against teams that can score. And Arizona can score. So it will start up front with DE Everson Griffen, Jurrell Casey having to make a dent in a very good Arizona OLine. If they don’t, it will be a long day for the Trojan LBs covering the small and quick Wildcat RBs in the running game. The Trojan secondary can’t sleep, or they will be on the wrong end of some long gainers from the tall Wildcat receivers.

Prediction:

USC – 28

UA – 24

Trojans Show Some Fight, Beat Bruins 28 – 7

Take heart, Trojan fans . . . USC is still the king of L.A.

On a cool, crisp night at the Coliseum, things got kind of heated as SC took control and then applied the “sleeper hold” with a late TD pass that got the fans juiced up, and the Bruins riled up. It was beautiful.

Here’s the breakdown:

Offense

QB – Matt Barkley had a decent night going 18 – 26 for 201 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. But he has been unable to keep offensive drives going, and in my opinion, it’s not all his fault. SC is in 3rd and long situations all night long, and that just puts too much pressure on Barkley to complete downfield passes when the defense is expecting it. Grade: C

RBs/FBs – RB Allen Bradford led the way in this game gaining 70 yards on 14 carries, with 2 short TD runs. McKnight left the game early with a thigh bruise, but it was good to see FB Stan Havili back on the field and contributing. Grade: B minus

WRs/TEs – The trio of receivers Damian Williams, Ronald Johnson and TE Anthony McCoy combined for 13 receptions and 190+ yards. The late deep TD to Williams added a punctuation mark to a nice game by the group. Grade: B

OLine – The OLine didn’t overwhelm a solid Bruin front (7), but they did enough by not allowing a sack and opening holes for SC RB’s to average over 4 yards per carry on the ground. Grade: B minus

Defense

DLine – This group should have been more dominant vs. a weak Bruin OLine. Although, UCLA couldn’t get anything going offensively, NT Jurrell Casey had the only sack by the Trojan DLine. Grade: C minus

LBs – This unit had it’s best game since ASU. OLB Malcolm Smith got things going with a pick 6, and also made (15) tackles. Fellow LBs Chris Galippo and Michael Morgan each added a TFL to the cause. Grade: B

DBs – The Trojan secondary contributed some nice plays in this game. Safety Taylor Mays led the group with (9) tackles, while CB Josh Pinkard and Safety Will Harris both collected INTs. CB Kevin Thomas also broke up two passes, in addition to his (6) tackles. Grade: B +


Special Teams

Kicking/Coverage/Returns – The return of punt returner Damian Williams (62 yards in returns) added some spark to this unit. But the FGs continue to struggle with any kick over 40 yards, with Jacob Harfman missing again from long distance. Grade: C minus

Coaching

Finding a rhythm offensively was again a problem. And to me, it stems from not using the running game more often early on offensive possessions to set up the passing game. As a result, the team is in 3rd and long too much and not converting. Defensively, the game should have been a shut out, except for not falling on a fumble during UCLA’s only scoring drive. A good game plan would have been even better had SC been more stingy on 3rd downs. Grade: B minus

Prediction Winner:

J-Man scores one for the out-of-state Trojan fans!

The Pride Bowl: Trojans Take on Bruins

It's come down to this for the Trojans in 2009. I mean, if they can't beat the lowly Bruins on their own home field . . . what is there left to play for?

No matter what the records are, SC is 7 -3 and UCLA is 6 - 5, this game still means something. The winner will still be able to hold there head up high in their home city.

Let the battle for L.A. commence!

UGLA

Offense - It has been a real struggle for QB Kevin Prince and the Bruins. A lack of depth, talent, and injuries to members of the offensive line have made life tough for the inexperienced Prince (8th in the Pac 10 in passing efficiency) and the Bruin running game which ranks 9th in the Pac 10. As a result, scoring has been a big issue as the Bruins are only averaging 22 ppg. FG kicker Kai Forbath is the best offensive weapon on the team, ranking #1 in the conference at 89%.

Defense - The UGLA defense has carried the team for the most part. They lead the conference in takeways (27), and rush defense. DT Brian Price is the primary playmaker with a stunning 20 TFLs. LB Reggie Carter and Safety Rahim Moore provide leadership and playmaking in the back (7). Moore has (9) INTs this season.

USC

Offense - It's been awhile since the Trojan offense hit on all cyclinders, but getting WR Damian Williams, FB Stan Havili and TE Anthony McCoy back from injury should help big time. SC has been running the ball very well with Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford, but they and the OLine face a stiff test with the Bruin run defense.

Defense - The Trojan Dline must dominate this game against a suspect Bruin Oline. The Bruins struggle to run the ball, and protect the passer (given up 27 sacks this season), so DE Everson Griffen and DT Jurell Casey should make some plays. The LBs have been a much maligned group, but don't face a great offense in the Bruins. MLB Galippo and company should be able to hold their own in this one. And the Trojan secondary can take some chances in this game - CBs Pinkard and Thomas won't face consistent Bruin wideouts, so playing tight and physical should not be a problem.

Prediction:

USC - 34

UGLA - 10

Stanford Runs Over SC, 55 - 21

Well . . . that didn't go as planned, did it? Another trip to the woodshed for the Trojans, and this one hurt. Stanford ran left, ran right, and ran up the middle for a stunning 325 yards, and there was nothing SC could do about it.

I'm in pain writing about this shellacking . . . But here it goes:

Offense

QB - QB Matt Barkley had his worst game as a Trojan. You simply can't win with (3) INTs. Barkley had some terrific throws in the game, but those costly turnovers, which included a fumble, did him in. Barkley finished 21 - 31 for 196 yards with a TD pass and was sacked twice, as well.

Grade: D minus

RB/FB - RB Joe McKnight was a bright spot for the Trojans, finishing with 142 yards rushing on just (16) carries - a 9 ypc average. RB Allen Bradford had a TD run, but left the game early with an injury. Grade: B

WR/TE - WR Brice Butler had a little bit of a break out game, catching six balls for nearly 100 yards and a TD. RoJo also chipped in (7) receptions. No other receiver, however, was able to make an impact on the game. Grade: C

OLine - This group did not play that badly, and I don't think they were put in position to control the contest in the running game, even though McKnight had a very good game. They did give up a couple of sacks QB hurries, but that was due to SC's need to throw the ball exclusively in the 2nd half. Grade: C minus

Defense

DLine - This unit didn't make a play the whole game. Grade: F

LBs - See above comment. Grade: F

DBs - When the top tacklers for the game are the DBs . . . you know you are in trouble. Although the Cardinal passing game was not a problem, SC's DBs combined for (41) tackles, led by safety Will Harris who had twelve, coming up to make stops in the running game. Grade: C minus

Coaching

The offensive coaches missed the boat completely in this game. SC did not take advantage of the running game working well with Joe McKnight. This was a game in which McKnight should have had (30) carries, not the 16 he got. That would have allowed the Trojans to wear down the Cardinal defense, and keep the potent Cardinal offense off the field. Instead, SC passed on first down too much, and stayed in 3rd and long situations that were low percentage opportunities.

Defensively, I gotta blame the players. The whole stadium knew what Stanford was going to do . . . run the ball. Still SC was not able to stop it. And it wasn't just Cardinal RB Toby Gerhart who did the damage. On 3rd downs, QB Andrew Luck ran for a couple of key 1st downs on scrambles. At some point, a Trojan defender needed to make a stop . . . and they did not do it. Grade: F

Prediction Winner: There were no winners in this one.

The Cardinal Come Rollin' In

Week by week, it doesn't get any easier for the Trojans. And this week they face a hot Stanford Cardinal team that just finished beating the #8 Oregon Ducks (who of course, spanked SC a few weeks ago.)

So all is lost, right? Not exactly. Stanford is tough at home (5 - 0), but not so much on the road (1 - 3). Their defense is the main culprit, as the Cardinal give up twice as many points on the road (35ppg) vs. only (19ppg) at home.

So as the Cardinal roll into the Coliseum, it's time for the USC Trojans to put together a great effort in all (3) aspects of their game - offense, defense and special teams.

It's go time!

Stanford

Offense - RB Toby Gerhart is the heart and soul of the Cardinal offense. He's leading the Pac 10 in rushing, and is a tough back with surprising foot quickness. But the player who has taken Stanford's offense to the next level is redshirt frosh QB Andrew Luck who leads the conference in passing efficiency completing nearly 60% of his passes with 11TDs and 3 INTs. He's also good with the deep ball, and can scramble a little bit when he gets out of the pocket. WR Chris Owusu is a deep threat in the passing game with 5 TDs, and he's also a terrific kickoff returner with (3) TDs on the season.

Defense - If there's a weak link in Stanford's game, it's the defense which ranks 8th in the Pac 10. They've given up some big rushing yardage to the better teams they've played due to an undersized defensive line. Also, the Cardinal lost the captain of their defense MLB Clint Snyder for the season due to a knee injury just this past week.

USC

Offense - QB Matt Barkley and the Trojan offense are looking to bounce back from a rough game last week that saw them only put up (7) pts. And even though SC will miss WR Damian Williams who's out due to injury, the return of FB Stan Havili and TE Anthony McCoy should help them get back on track. The running game tandem of Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford will play an important part in this game, behind a Trojan OLine which should have an advantage against a smallish Cardinal front (7).

Defense - The entire defense will be tested this week as the Cardinal can run and pass the ball with efficiency. The matchup to watch is the Trojan Dline vs. the Cardinal Oline which has only given up 6 sacks this season, and paved the way for 211 yards rushing per game. Safety Taylor Mays and the Trojan DBs will need to remain alert, because Stanford gets defenders thinking "run", and all of a sudden is passing downfield.

Prediction:

USC - 27

Stanford - 14

Trojans Outlast Sun Devils, 14 - 9

This one will not go down as a masterpiece. In fact, the Trojan offense was downright ugly for most of the game. But the Trojan defense showed up time and time again to repel the Sun Devils who had to change quarterbacks just to threaten SC.

All in all . . . we'll take the "W" and keep moving.

Here's a detailed look at the unit by unit grades:

QB - Matt Barkley didn't want to look at the stat sheet after going 7 - 22, for only 112 yards. But his stats would have been much better if not for some key dropped passes by receivers. And although Barkley was only sacked one time, he was harassed all night by the ASU Dline. Grade: D +

RBs/FB - Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford continue to run consistently, each pounding out 5 yards per carry on a combined 29 carries for about 150 yards. Bradford really could have blown the game open but tripped on the 40 yard line of what could have been a 60+ yard TD run. Grade: B

WRs/Tes - Not a good night for this unit. It was Damian Williams to the rescue, though, with a 75 yard catch and run TD that gave SC it's win. Tight ends Blake Ayles and Rhett Ellison had some key drops, however. Grade: D +

Oline - This group led the Trojans to about 150 yards on the ground, and gave up only one sack. But that was the good stuff. The bad included allowing the ASU Dline to pressure Barkley most of the night, and a committing a couple of penalties that stalled offensive drives. Grade: C minus


Defense

Dline - Strong night against the run, as this unit helped limit ASU to only 81 yards on the ground. They also had (3) sacks. NT Christian Topou forced a key fumble in the SC red zone. And young DE Wes Horton had a very good game with (6) tackles, and Malik Jackson and DT Derek Simmons tallied a sack each. Grade: B +

LBs - A solid night for the LBs in this one. MLB Chris Galippo had an INT, and OLB Shane Horton laid the wood a couple of times on some nice plays. Grade: B

DBs - Safety Will Harris was the star of the show with (2) INTs, including a "pick six" that was SC's first TD of the game. The unit did make one mistake allowing a deep TD pass, as CB Kevin Thomas got caught looking in the offensive backfield in coverage. Grade: C

Special Teams

Kicking/Coverage/Returns - FG kicker Jordan Congdon missed what could have been an important FG for SC, and punter Jacob Harfman had an up and down night getting a 51 yarder, but also only averaging 37 ypp. Grade: C minus

Coaching

The offense could never get going in this game. But the coaches did call some nice plays that were not executed, including a dropped potential TD pass to TE Blake Ayles and a crucial 3rd down pass to FB DJ Shoemate that was called back due to a penalty. Defensively, SC bottled up the ASU offense for the majority of the night. SC's defensive coaches knew what to do against ASU's starting QB Danny Sullivan.

Grade: C +

Prediction Winner:

JMW does it again!

On the Road Again for SC vs. ASU

Who would have thought that this would be a big game for the Trojans and the Sun Devils? ASU has lost two straight games to CAL and Stanford, and is looking to get their mojo back. And after having their lunch money stolen at Oregon, SC is just looking to get it’s dignity back.

The final month of the season starts with this game, and the Trojans need to continue their “no loss November” streak to salvage the season. Here’s how the game breaks down:

ASU

Offense – The Sun Devils have been looking for an offensive identity all season. QB Danny Sullivan has not been consistent, only completing 54% of his passes with (8) TDs and (7) INTs. RB Dimitri Nance is solid, but not spectacular. The ASU WRs Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha are active, and have scored three TDs apiece on the year.

Defense – This unit has been the strength of the team. Led by leading tackler LB Mike Nixon, the Sun Devils currently rank #1 in defense in the Pac 10. They are particularly strong against the run keeping offenses to only 2.6 ypc. DT Lawrence Guy leads the team in sacks with 4.5 on the season, and safety Ryan McFoy has collected (3) INTs to lead the secondary.

USC

Offense – QB Matt Barkley and the Trojan offense has developed a balanced attack at this point in the season. The running game behind Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford has been consistent, but they and the Trojan OLine will be tested by a strong ASU run defense. SC can make the Sun Devils pay through the air, but the absence of TE Anthony McCoy and FB Stan Havili will be may felt again this week.

Defense – The ASU offense sets up very well for the Trojan defense to get back on track. The Sun Devils don’t do anything fancy, and the SC front (7) needs to establish itself in the trenches from the get – go. The Trojan LBs, especially, need a confidence building game, and can get it here. The DLine will probably not have DE Everson Griffen, so this is a big game for back up true frosh and Arizona native DE Devon Kennard to make his presence felt. The Trojan secondary will have to be ready against the ASU WRs who have good size, and will be a primary weapon for the Sun Devils in this game.

Prediction:

USC – 31

ASU – 10