The Granddaddy - 2008 Rose Bowl Edition

Here we go . . . the Rose Bowl. And its time to get back into the swing of things.

This is familiar territory for the Trojans - another BCS bowl appearance with a Rose Bowl title at stake. For Illinois, this appearance is a welcome surprise to a season that has seen a resurrection for their program.

So will the Trojans be hungry? Will the Illini just be happy to be here?

Let's break it down:

Illinois

Offense: The Illini are a spread option team that has averaged 31 pts per game. And the straw that stirs the drink is QB Isaiah "Juice" Williams. A talented runner and developing passer, Juice threw for just under 1500 yards with 13 TDs and 10 INTs on 57% passing for the year. Their passing offense finished last in the Big 10 conference. The strength of the team is the run game which was #1 in the Big 10 averaging 266ypg. It is led by a terrific RB in Rashard Mendenhall. Rashard compiled over 1500 yards on the year (6 ypc) and was 1st team All Big 10. QB Juice Williams contributed nearly 800 yards rushing, as well. The WR unit was led by frosh Arrelious Benn, a strong player off the line who caught 49 balls on the year. Benn also returns kicks and returned (1) kickoff for a TD this year. The OLine is a terrific run-blocking group led by first team All Big 10 selection, guard Martin O'Donnell. The OLine also gave up the fewest sacks (11) in the league.

Defense: The defensive unit held opponents under 20pts per game, and although they were stout against the run (only allowing 114 ypg - 3rd in conference), they gave up some yards in the passing game - nearly 250 ypg to finish 9th in conference play. The DLine is led by DT Will Davis who compiled 9.5 sacks on the year. 1st team All Big 10 and all american LB J. Leman is the leader of the defense. DBs Kevin Mitchell and Vontae Davis led the team in INTs with (5) and (4), respectively.

Special Teams:The Illini have a very accrurate FG kicker in Jason Reda who nailed 15 out of 16 FGs for the year, but the punter is not that good, only averaging 37 yards per kick. Kyle Hudson handles the punt return duties, but has not made a big impact. Arrelious Benn, however, averages 30 yards per kickoff return.

Signature Win this Season: A 28 - 21 upset victory over Ohio St. at the Horseshoe in Columbus, keyed by a surprising 4 TD passes from QB Juice Williams.

Signature Loss this Season: A 10 - 6 loss on the road vs. the Hawkeyes. Iowa held the Illini to only 137 yards on 3 ypc.

Last Time Illinois was in the Rose Bowl: The Illini were beaten 45 - 6 by UCLA and QB Rick Neuheisal and WR Karl Dorrell

Last Time USC and Illinois Met: The Brad Otton and Sammy Knight led Trojans smashed Illinois in Champagne, 55 - 3 in 1996.


USC

Offense: QB J.D. Booty finished the year strong, running the offense efficiently and committing very few mistakes in the last four games in particular (8TDs & 1INT). The Rose Bowl is the scene of one of Booty's greatest performances, snagging the MVP last year after passing for 375 yards in a win over Michigan. This year's game could see a repeat of the aerial attack as Illinois is not strong vs. the pass (ranking 9th in the Big 10). SC's running game will see a return of a healthy Stafon Johnson, although Chauncey Washington is battling a strained leg muscle that may be healed by gametime. We'll see plenty of Joe McKnight and Stanley Havili in the running and passing game as they closed the regular season strong. The TEs/WRs will get some work this game - TE Fred Davis can expect double coverage, so WRs Turner, Hazleton and Ausberry will be involved from the start. The OLine should have a good game in this one, especially if Sam Baker and Chilo Rachal are anywhere near 100%. The big uglies for SC matchup
very well against the DE strengths of the Illini DLine.

Defense: SC's DLine vs. the very good Illini OLine will be a matchup to watch closely. SC's DEs will have to be disciplined vs. the spread option attack of Illinois. In addition DTs Ellis and Moala will have to occupy blockers to allow the LBs to make tackles near or behind the line of scrimmage. The Trojan LBs will have to make sure tackles as well against strong runners in QB Williams (225lbs) and RB Mendenhall. The DBs will not be challenged much by the Illini outside passing game to WRs - they run alot of slants, quick hitters and crossing routes, but the safeties in particular will have to watch the slot WR running up the seam in the middle of the field. One observation - Illini QB Williams tends to float any ball thrown over 20 yards - so the DBs may get some opportunities at some INTs.

Special Teams: Kicker David Buehler has been solid on kickoffs and FGs all year, and he'll need to get some touchbacks to negate Illini KR Arrelious Benn. The return game of SC can provide a boost if KR Ronald Johnson and PR Joe McKnight can get loose.

Signature Win this Season - A 44 - 24 pasting of ASU on the road on Turkey day.

Signature Loss this Season - A 24 - 23 loss to heavy underdog Stanford at home.

Last Time in the Rose Bowl - A 32 - 19 victory last year that included a second half bombing of a very good Michigan team


Prediction:

USC - 38

Illinois - 13

The Year in Review

The 2007 season was an up and down adventure for the Trojans. The year started off with the rumble of player transfers, and then injuries to key players and units took their toll in October. But by the end of the year, the Trojans came out smelling like a rose with an undefeated November and December that put them back among the elite in college football.

The roller coaster included high points in big nationally televised wins at Nebraska and Arizona State, and the lows were losses to heavy underdog Stanford at home and at Oregon. But ultimately, SC accomplished its stated goals in any given year: Beat Notre Dame, Beat UCLA, Win the Pac 10 title, and go to the Rose Bowl. Its hard to complain when those things happen.

Let's hand out the regular season grades and awards:

Offense:

QBs- JD Booty did not have the great season he was hoping for. New starting WRs with a season-long case of the dropsies, and a mid-season injury causing him to miss three games were the main culprits. But he put some really solid performances together the last (4) games (8 TDs, 1 INT), and still had 20 TDs against 9 INTs for over 2,100 yards (62% completion rate) on the year. Mark Sanchez got some valuable experience starting three games at a crucial time. He showed the skill level and mobility that will make him a prime-time player in the years to come, but also showed the inexperience reading through progressions that comes with a first time starter. Grade: B minus

RBs/FBs

- Chauncey Washington finally had a healthy season with weight loss and added muscle, and SC relied upon him all year. He finished with nearly 900 yards on 5 yards per carry. Stafon Johnson showed what he could do early, and was on his way to a big season until a foot injury derailed him. A healthy Johnson was the best RB on the team and he finished with 569 yards (6 ypc) despite missing (4) games. Joe McKnight just got better as the year progressed. Ball security was an issue, as with all frosh, but the big time playmaking in the running and passing game was apparent. And Stanley Havili was Mr. Versatility - running, blocking and serving as a weapon in the passing game. He suffered through the dropsies during the year, but his threat as receiver gave SC's offense a whole other dimension. Grade: B +

WRs/TE - What a year from Fred "Mackey Award Winner" Davis. He led the team in receptions with (55), and was un-guardable the entire year. The WR unit was a disappointment, however. Pat Turner finished with 48 receptions, but was not consistent in catching the ball or playmaking, especially early in the year. Vidal Hazleton made excellent strides this year and really played well. David Ausberry did not make the impact anticipated from his great Spring and Fall camps. He dropped quite a few passes and did not read defenses well to get open consistently. Ronald Johnson, however, looks like a playmaker in waiting. Grade: C

OLine - Yeoman's work from this unit. Injuries were a constant theme, as three starters went down mid- season. But All Conference selections Sam Baker and Chilo Rachal led the team to 185 yards on the ground per game, and only gave up (15) sacks. The healthy year turned in by Jeff Byers was a great story, and solid performers Spanos and Radovich helped the cause. The future is also bright with players like Kris O'Dowd and Butch Lewis playing well when their number was called. Grade: B+

Defense:

DLine - Tremendous performances this year from this unit that helped SC finish 2nd in overall defense nationally. NT Sedrick "The Beast" Ellis, was a nightmare for interior OLinemen collecting 8.5 sacks. DE Lawrence Jackson also played at an All American level, especially in the last 4 games of the year, garnering 9.5 sacks. DE Kyle Moore was a playmaker early with a couple of INTs and knocking down passes, before an arm injury slowed him down. Fili Moala was an overlooked contributor, while youngsters Everson Griffen and Averill Spicer introduced themselves to big time football. Grade: A minus

LB

- This group turned in a very good year. All American Keith Rivers was a force against the running game, and MLB Rey Maualuga led the team in tackles and "snot bubble hits" . And while Brian Cushing was slowed by an ankle injury, he still made plays when on the field. Backup LB Kaluka Maiava had a terrific year playing the run and pass aggressively. And reserves Clay Matthews and Luthur Brown also made solid contributions. Grade: B +

DB - Despite not having a lot of INTs, PCarroll stated that this may have been his best secondary. CB Terrell Thomas really stepped up as a leader, and had some key INTs at the end of the year. S Kevin Ellison was finally recognized as one of the best by garnering 1st team All Pac 10 honors. Cary Harris and Taylor Mays were also very good in coverage denying any big plays deep and playing the run aggressively. CB Shareece Wright is an up and comer who will continue to make strides in coverage, but really made his mark with physical play. Grade: B

Special Teams: Kicker David Buehler did a very good job on FGs this year. He was money inside the 40 yard line, and ended up 16 - 19 on the year. On kickoffs he did a good job considering that the the ball was moved back five yards this year. Punter Greg Woidneck did not have a stellar year avergaing 38 yards per kick. That's not bad, but he wasn't able to knock many within the 10 yard line or really give SC a field position advantage.

Kick returner Ronald Johnson ended up averaging 25 yards per return finishing among the top returners in the PAC 10. On punt returns, SC did not gain a significant advantage here, but Joe McKnight got acclimated to that position, and that bodes well for the future. Importantly, there were no turnovers by the return units all year long. The coverage teams were solid, with only one breakdown on kickoff coverage at ASU. Grade: C +

Coaching: It took awhile for offensive coaches to establish the RB rotation, and injuries to key personnel and execution (dropped passes) prevented a whole lot of rhythm in the passing game. The staff probably should have relied on the running game more during the year since it was the team's strenghth. And penalties and turnovers were a problem for most of the year. But the offensive numbers on the year were strong - 185 on the ground and 230+ through the air per game. Interestingly, SC was very good offensively in the 2nd and 3rd quarters outscoring their opponents 227 to 80. On Defense, finishing 2nd in overall defense in college football is fantastic, and the gameplans to stop teams generally worked over the course of the games. The only downside was the generation of takeaways did not pick up steam until later in the year, and of course, 4th and 20 vs. Stanford will haunt everyone for a little while. Grade: B

MVPs:

Offense: TE Fred Davis
Defense: NT Sedric Ellis
Special Teams: K David Buehler

Predictor of the Year: Payback - on the strength of an unprecedented run of predictions at the end of the year . . . Payback takes the home the hardware.

Road Warrior of the Year: Ricky Bobby - the good ole' boy traversed through rain and wild fires to get to SC games this year.

Trojans Win War for Roses, 24 - 7

It is done. The USC Trojans have risen from the ashes and climbed the ladder back into elite status with an easy victory over the UCLA Bruins, 24 - 7.

The Bruins, depleted at QB, were fed to lions at the Coliseum and never really had a chance against a dominant Trojan defense. And the Trojan offense, while not completely efficient, relied upon its strength in the running game to over-power the Bruins.

Let's tally up the grades:

Offense:

QB - JD Booty played a solid game. He was 21 for 36 and 200+ yards with a TD pass, and once again his WRs dropped 3 or 4 passes that hurt his stats.

Grade: B

RBs/FB - Strong game from the running backs as Washington, McKnight and Johnson all had over 70 yards rushing. McKnight could have had a huge day if not for stepping out of bounds on a sideline run that could have been a 70 yard TD run, and fumbling later in the game after a 30 yard run. FB Havili made a critical running mistake early that cost SC a first down pickup, but rebounded by catching the ball well. Grade: B

WRs/TE - What can be said . . . Fred "The Truth" Davis was dominant in this game as he has been all season - (6) catches and a clutch TD reception to add to his resume as the best TE in college football. The WRs didn't perform as well. Several dropped passes, including a 3rd down killer by David Ausberry, haunted this unit that has not strung together consistent performances this year. Grade: C+

OLine - Another strong effort as SC leaned on this group to keep the Bruin pass rush off Booty, and clear the way for rushing yards. They did both to the tune of giving up only (1) sack, and bulldozing the Bruin DLine for 231 yards. Grade: A minus

Defense:

DLine - Another masterpiece. The DLine absolutely controlled the line of scrimmage, and although they had no sacks, they accounted for (3) TFLs and only allowed 52 yards rushing by the Bruins. DT Fili Moala had 1.5 TFLs for the game. Grade: A minus

LBs - A terrific overall game for this unit. Rey Maualuga did a nice job filling gaps and led the team in tackles with (8). Thomas "Hit Man" Williams made 5 tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass. Kaluka Maiva had a sack and another TFL, while Brian Cushing and Keith Rivers both made impacts forcing an additional fumble and disrupting the passing lanes. Grade: A

DBs - Solid game. The Bruins did get a TD pass and one longer pass against the CBs, but the Bruins never got into a great rhythm. The CBs were active at the line of scrimmage as Shareece Wright had a sack and Terrell Thomas had a TFL and followed that up with an interception later in the game. Grade: B

Special Teams - FG kicker missed an attempt, but nailed a 46 yarder. And the return guys were solid, but unspectacular. Punter Greg Woidneck, however, finally nailed a punt inside the 10 yard line, and had another fair caught at about the 11 yard line. Grade: C+

Coaching - It was redemption time for the offensive coaches who didn't do a good job last year of making adjustments in this game. But this year they got it done. They went to the running game just enough for 231 yards, although they probably should have leaned upon it even more. In general, they kept the Bruin defense off balance. Defensively, the Trojans executed the way they wanted to - stuffing the run game, and then pressuring the Bruin QB garnering (4) sacks. Grade: B +

Game Balls:

Offense - TE Fred Davis

Defense - LBs Rey Maualuga and Thomas Williams

Special Teams - Punter Greg Woidneck

Prediction Winner: Payback (Who else?)