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

Trojans Get Blasted by Ducks, 47 – 20

Ohhh . . . humanity.

We haven’t seen anything like it for a long time. The Trojans got their Halloween candy taken from them . . . and could do nothing about it. The Ducks ran the ball at will against a confused and frustrated Trojan defense. Offensively, SC hung in there for a half, but then got turned into a one dimensional team that could only hope to pass their way back into the ballgame. But it didn’t happen.

This wasn’t a game . . . it was a crime scene. And unfortunately, we gotta do our best impression of “CSI” to examine what’s left of the victims:

Offense

QB – Matt Barkley kept the Trojans alive and was very accurate in the first half. But with Oregon continuing to score, Barkley had to “wing it” in the second half, and the Trojan offense just wasn’t effective. Barkley finished 21 – 38 for only 187 yards with 2 TDs and a pick. Grade: C minus

RBs/FBs – RB Joe McKnight ran the ball very well, tallying 95 yards on 15 carries (6.3 ypc). But no one else got on track and could help carry the mail. Grade: C

WRs/TEs – WRs Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson each scored a TD, with Williams garnering (9) catches. But the receiving corp really missed TE Anthony McCoy. Replacement Blake Ayles only caught one pass for three yards. Grade: C

OLine – Believe it or not, the Trojan OLine was pretty good. Despite SC’s total reliance on the pass throughout most of the game, this unit only gave up two sacks. And they blocked well in the run game for McKnight. Grade: B

Defense

DLine – Zero sacks folks. And that wasn’t the worst part for the Trojan DLine. They couldn’t get any penetration to stop the run game. The Ducks rushed for an amazing 391 yards. NT Jurrell Casey led the team with (11) tackles . . . I just didn’t see any of them. Grade: F

LBs – This unit could not have played any worse. They simply didn’t know which Duck offensive player had the ball. MLB Chris Galippo did not fill the gaps fast enough, OLB Mike Morgan was a non-factor, and OLB Shane Horton was totally lost falling for the fake handoff to the Duck RB in the Oregon spread offense almost every single time. Grade: F

DBs – The Trojan secondary spent the night chasing Duck ball carriers. End of story. Grade: D minus


Special Teams

Kicking/Coverage/Returns – Just to add insult to Trojan injury, the KO coverage team gave up a 77 yard return to the Ducks. Grade: D

Coaching

Eeesh . . . where to start? The offense moved the ball well in the first half, but went dead in the water in the second half. The coaches obviously wanted to keep pace with the Ducks in the 2nd half by throwing the ball, but would have been better served to run the ball just to keep the ball out of the Duck offense’s hands. On defense, it was a total collapse of gameplan and player execution. The “containment” plan of Duck QB Jeremiah Masoli by the DLine did not work. And the coaches were helpless in assisting the Trojan LBs find the ball. Grade: F

Prediction Winner:

The AFLAC Duck

USC Goes to Oregon on Fright Night

As usual, when SC goes on the road to play a ranked opponent . . . it’s the “game of the year”. And this one is no different. The winner of this game will have the Pac 10 in a chokehold, and a BCS bowl invitation for the taking.

Oregon is on a roll after a shaky start, compiling an undefeated Pac 10 record of
4 – 0. The Trojans have picked up steam offensively, but are looking for its defensive mojo as it enters Autzen stadium – always a scary place to play.

So which team will impose it’s will on the other? Here’s the match up in a nutshell:

Oregon

Offense – After losing its star RB, Oregon found a young star in the making in RB LaMichael James who is averaging 105 yards per game. His backup Kenjon Barner is also very good, giving Oregon two very quick backs in their run-oriented spread attack. An early knee injury slowed QB Jeremiah Masoli, but he’s finding his stride as a dual threat now. The Duck WRs don’t do much, but TE Ed Dickson is a real threat leading the Ducks in receptions and TD catches with (4).

Defense – The Duck defense has had a lot of injuries, especially in the secondary,, but they’ve managed to be effective behind the play of MLB Casey Matthews and DE Kenny Rowe. Rowe has (7) sacks on the year, and Matthews leads the team in tackles. The Oregon defense is not big, but they are active and cause problems with their pressure on the opposing passers. They are 3rd in the conference in total defense, and first in pass defense.


USC

Offense – QB Matt Barkley has a ton of confidence on the road, but playing in Oregon will test him. The Trojan offense is getting on a roll with the return of key performers like WR Ronald Johnson, and the emergence of RB Allen Bradford. Maintaining possession of the ball and scoring in the red zone will be important to take the Oregon crowd out of the game early. So SC’s execution on 3rd down, especially, will be extremely important to keep drives going. Once again, keeping turnovers and penalties at a minimum will key SC’s effectiveness against a good opponent on the road.

Defense – The mantra for the SC defense this Saturday: Stop the Run. Oregon averages over 200 yards per game out of the spread offense, so SC’s DLine will have to be disciplined against the mis-direction and “slip” handoffs the Ducks like to execute. The Trojan safeties will play a strong role in run support. The Trojan LBs will need to be sure tacklers and take good angles against some very quick Duck RBs. Prediction:



USC – 34

Oregon – 20

Trojans Outlast Oregon St., 42 – 36

They say a win is a win . . . but that sure wasn’t a satisfying win by the Trojans. Once again, SC took a commanding lead in the 3rd quarter, but had to hang on to win at the end after the defense gave up two scores to the opponent in the 4th quarter.

Luckily, the Trojan offense came to play, and a big punt return by Damian Williams proved to be the difference. Here’s the good and bad of a performance the Trojans will need to learn from:

Offense

QB – Matt Barkley had his moments in this game with a couple of TD passes to TE Anthony McCoy and WR Ronald Johnson. But he also under-threw a couple of passes that turned into INTs. He was mostly efficient, though, going 15 – 25 for 200+ yards. Grade: C

RBs/FBs – This night belonged to Allen Bradford who rushed for nearly 150 yards on 15 carries with 2 TDs that included a 43 yarder. Joe McKnight also ran well for 65 yards until a cut hand sidelined him for most of the night. Without fullback Stanley Havili, replacement DJ Shoemate and the Trojans didn’t make an impact in the passing game. Grade: B

WRs/TEs – The Return of RoJo was a hit with the fans as it only took the lightning fast WR only one game to get his legs back. RoJo caught (6) passes for about 100 yards and a spectacular diving TD grab. Damian Williams was solid, and TE Anthony McCoy had a TD catch but left the game early after spraining an ankle. Grade: B +

OLine – This unit was very good in both run blocking and pass protection. They helped SC to 229 yards on the ground, and Barkley was not sacked once. C Jeff Byers and LG Butch Lewis did an outstanding job. Grade: A minus

Defense

DLine – A frustrating game for this group. Even though they had (2) sacks, the Beaver passing scheme and quick trigger QB prevented many more. Guys like Nick Perry and Everson Griffen were just one step away from blowing up a passing play several times. Grade: C

LBs – The worst game for this unit this year. MLB Chris Galippo and crew had a tough time corralling OSU RB Jacquizz Rodgers in the 2nd half both in running and receiving. Beaver RB and TE receptions over the middle turned into even more yards with a couple of missed Trojan tackles. OLB Malcolm Smith led the group with (10) tackles. Grade: D

DBs – The Trojan secondary was busy trying to break up the Beaver passing game. Unfortunately, they were unable to create turnovers and had to settle for making the tackle after a short reception. CB Kevin Thomas and S Taylor Mays led the team in tackles with (11). Grade: C minus


Special Teams

Kicking/Coverage/Returns – One of the bright spots of the night, the combination of Damian Williams’ key punt return for a TD and punter Jake Harfman averaging 44 yards per boot made this special teams effort a solid one. Grade: B plus

Coaching

The offense continues to come around with personnel additions on the OL and at WR making the team more balanced. The offensive coaches are becoming very comfortable going for it in different down and distance situations. Defensively, the coaches need to figure out how to keep a lead. More aggression is necessary when SC has a team down, and rushing 7 or 8 players should replace dropping 7 or 8 players into coverage when the opponent resorts to the passing game to make the game close. Grade: C minus


Prediction Winner:

J-Man rings it up!

Trojans Come Home to Face Oregon State

It’s been awhile since the Trojans played at home in the friendly confines of the Coliseum. And they get to exact a little revenge in the process against the Oregon St. Beavers.

The Beavers, you’ll recall, upset the Trojans last season in Corvallis behind the Rogers brothers (Jacquizz and James). Well, the Rogers boys are back, and SC will have to be prepared to stop them.

Here’s how the game shapes up:

Oregon State

Offense – RB Jacquizz Rogers leads the offensive charge for the Beavers averaging 116 yards per game rushing. QB Sean Canfield has been extremely efficient, completing 68% of his passes for 8 TDs against 4 INTs. WR James Rogers is also dangerous in the passing game, collecting 43 passes this season to lead the Pac 10. The OLine is not as good as it was last season. This unit has given up 19 sacks on the year, ranking 9th in the conference.

Defense – Oregon St. plays fast on defense, led by the underrated LB Keaton Kristick
Who leads the team in tackles, INTs, and TFLs. The DLine, however, doesn’t put a lot of pressure on the passer. They rank last in the Pac 10 in sacks with only (4) on the season. That pass rush weakness has led to difficulty in the secondary defending against the pass. The Beavers’ DB unit has given up 275 yards passing per game, and (11) TD passes so far this season.


USC

Offense – QB Matt Barkley has improved every game he’s started this year, and he could have a big game against the porous Beaver defense. RBs Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford will look to put their stamp on the game behind an OLine that now has Jeff Byers starting at Center and OG Butch Lewis joining the starting unit. Soph. fullback DJ Shoemate will also start in place of the injured Stan Havili. Look for WRs Damian Williams, returning starter Ronald Johnson and TE Anthony McCoy to find a lot of room in the Beaver secondary.

Defense – The challenge stopping the Rogers brothers starts up front with the DLine, and NT Jurrell Casey in particular. The DLine must force the hard to find and tackle Jacquizz Rogers to “dance” to find a hole, and the LB unit led by Chris Galippo must “clean up” before Rogers can hit the second level. Strong safety Will Harris will help by playing close to the line of scrimmage as well. Free safety Taylor Mays will need to shade over to Beaver WR James Rogers area to keep an eye on the crafty offensive playmaker.

Prediction:

USC – 31

OSU – 17

Trojans Out-Gun Irish, 34 – 27

Another trip to South Bend . . . another SC win. That’s eight consecutive wins for the Trojans over their intersectional rivals. And it feels good.

SC got out to a big lead, but the referees and a little bit of a defensive let down made it close at the end. But the Trojans prevailed, and got out of town.

Break down time!

Offense

QB – This Barkley kid is a keeper. Matt Barkley performed well on the big stage again going 19 – 29 for 380 yards, with (2) TD passes. The only blemish was an ill-timed INT in the 2nd half. But overall, Barkley showed his poise and precision to lead SC to the win. Grade: B+

RBs – Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford combined for 120+ yards rushing, and had some signature runs helped SC on scoring drives. Grade: B

WRs/TEs – Terrific game for TE Anthony McCoy who finished with 153 yards on 5 catches. WR Damian Williams caught (2) TD passes and finished with 106 yards receiving on 4 receptions. Even WR Brice Butler got into the act with a couple of clutch catches for first downs. Grade: A

OLine – A solid job by this group, that provided good pass protection for most of the day. Running the sweep proved to be a successful play for the OLine that got the tough yards when they needed to. Grade: B minus

Defense

DLine – Stellar effort for the DLine that garnered 5 sacks in the game, led by DEs Everson Griffen and Nick Perry who had two apiece. NT Jurrell Casey had an astounding 10 tackles. The Irish also only gained 82 yards on the ground primarily as a result of this unit’s effort. Grade: A minus

LBs – A bit of an up and down game for the LBs. MLB Chris Galippo shined when stopping 3rd and 4th down short yardage running plays by the Irish. But the group was also out of position on a few successful running plays by ND in the 2nd half.
Grade: C +

DBs – See LB commentary. While breaking up a few passes, the Trojan secondary surrendered its first two TD passes of the year. Safety Taylor Mays led the group with 10 tackles. Grade: C


Special Teams

Kicking/Returns/Coverage – No big plays from this group, but no major breakdowns either. A fake FG by the Irish was not sniffed out by the Trojans . . . but it was an illegal play the refs just missed. What a surprise. Grade: C

Coaching – The offensive game plan was very good. Highlighting TE Anthony McCoy in the seams of ND’s defense worked like a charm. The defense was great in the first half, but gave ground in the second half. The coaches relied on the front (4) DLine to pressure the Irish QB a little too much, and ND was able to throw down field with some success. Grade: B minus

Prediction Winner:

B-Dub takes the cheese!

Trojans Journey to South Bend

This is a game Dr. Phil would love. Notre Dame is 4 -1 by the skin of their teeth this season, and is looking to find out if they are for real or a fake by how they perform against SC. The 4 -1 Trojans are looking to keep the momentum going after improving noticeably as an offensive team the last few games.

So by the end of the game, which team will feel validated or crawl into the fetal position? Let’s breakdown the psyche of each team:

Notre Dame

Offense – QB Jimmy Clausen is finally having a season that matches the hype. With 12 TDs and only (2) INTs thus far, Clausen has been very efficient completing passes at a 67% clip. Helping Clausen is the appearance of a running game in the person of RB Armando Allen who’s run for 365 yards at 5.1 yards a pop. WR Golden Tate has been Clausen’s primary target with (33) receptions, and the playmaker the Irish rely upon. And 6’6 TE Kyle Rudolf has also proven to be a reliable target in the Red Zone and on 3rd downs.

Defense – It hasn’t been pretty for the Irish defense who rank 100th in Total Defense in college football. The defensive backfield led by Safety Kyle McCarthy has given up big yards, and the opponents have also been able to run the ball against the Notre Dame front (7). DE Kapron Lewis-Moore and his DLine mates have not been able to get much penetration this season, putting pressure on linebackers Brian Smith and Manti Te’o to try and make tackles at the second level.

Special Teams – The Irish do have an excellent FG kicker in Nick Tausch who has made 10 – 11 tries. The punt and kickoff return teams, though, have not been very helpful in generating good field position for the Notre Dame offense.

USC

Offense - At this point in the season QB Matt Barkley is no longer playing like a true frosh. His growth has been rapid, but he’ll have to repeat his performance at CAL this Saturday in South Bend. Barkley will be helped by a running game that is humming along with Joe McKnight (400+ yards rushing @ 7 ypc), and an OLine that is starting to assert itself after facing “8 in the box” due to SC’s passing game struggles earlier this year. Playmaking WR Damian Williams is playing fantastic football and will be a tough cover for the Irish DBs. And look for not-so-secret weapon Fullback Stan Havili to be heavily involved in the passing game.

Defense – The SC DLine that leads the nation in sacks behind DEs Everson Griffen, Nick Perry and DT Jurell Casey, is licking it’s chops to get after the pass happy Irish. OLB Michael Morgan has made a habit of getting into the opponent’s backfield, while Safety Taylor Mays is playing at an extremely high level. I expect SC to turn up the heat “blitz-wise” as the game moves along in hopes of forcing some turnovers by the Irish QB Clausen.

Special Teams – This unit is starting to gel with punter Jake Harfman averaging over 40 ypp, and the return game behind punt returner Damian Williams giving SC’s offense good field position or scoring. Look for the smallest Trojan, Curtis McNeal, as he will join CJ Gable on kickoff returns.

Prediction:

USC – 27
Notre Dame - 13