SC Vandalizes Idaho 38 - 10

Well, it didn't take long for fans to realize that USC viewed this game vs. the Idaho Vandals as a glorified scrimmage. After scoring on its first three possessions to take a 21 - 0 lead, the Trojans substituted liberally and ran plays and schemes specifically to see how its new, younger players would handle the assignments. The result was a dominating, yet uneven performance by the nation's #1 team.

Offensive Grades:

QB - B minus

J.D. Booty had 3 TDs and 1 INT as he looked to establish a rhythm and timing with new wideouts VHazleton and DAusberry. The Booty - Haze combo looked really good, however trying to connect with Ausberry downfield and in the red zone did not happen.

RBs/FBs - A minus

FB Stanley Havili did work. He was a great option in the passing game, plus he ran the ball and blocked well. SC's RBs CJ Gable and Stafon Johnson did as they pleased in the first half and the SC running game broke the 200 yard barrier. Johnson, especially, looked fast and powerful. ABradford did not have a lot of room to run behind the reserve OLinemen in the 4th quarter.

TEs/WRs - B

Veteran TE Fred Davis caught a couple of passes, including a 30 yarder that showed off his hands and running ability after the catch. Hazleton played particularly well with a spectacular one-hand grab in the end zone - SC always has dudes who can do this. Ausberry, on the other hand, had trouble establishing a rhythm with Booty, although he showed some quicks on bubble screens.

OLine - B

Frosh Center Kris O'Dowd had a good debut - no fumbled snaps! Plus the 1st string OLine opened nice running lanes for the RBs and kept Booty clean. The reserve OLinemen, however, struggled and did not play well.

Defensive Grades:

DLine - B

NT Sedrick Ellis had a monster game, and his backup ASpicer had a sack. After adjusting to keep containment on Idaho QB bootlegs, DE Kyle Moore made a few plays - blocking a pass and recovering a fumble. No sacks, but they did force a lot of bad and hurried throws and knocked down a few passes as the Vandals were committed to getting rid of the ball quickly.

LBs - B minus

Cushing sprained an ankle early, but his replacement Clay Matthews played well. Rivers and Maualuga were solid, although they could have stopped a few running plays earlier at the line of scrimmage. Backups Mike Morgan and Luther Brown and frosh Chris Galippo and Malcolm Smith got some time - but they missed some tackles in the 4th quarter that allowed the Vandals to get a cheap TD.

DBs - B minus

Shareece Wright brought the hammer by making a few plays behind the line of scrimmage. But the unit as a whole allowed some 15 - 20 yard 3rd down completions that need to be locked down in the future.

Special Teams:

Kickers - B +

Great tribute to Mario Danelo was paid, and David Buehler lived up to his memory by nailing an FG and a few Kickoffs.

Returners/Coverage - B

Solid - Vince Joseph and Des Reed did their jobs, although I'd love to see RoJo in there on kick returns. The coverage teams didn't give up anything.

Coaching - B

Considering the number of youngsters the staff was getting a look at, plus the situational plays they ran, it was obvious the coaching staff never worried about this game and used it as a teaching/learning tool for the team. This is the only game that will happen in, however.

Prediction Winner: B-Dub takes it in a landslide (winning prediction 38 - 0)