USC Travels to face Washington State

The Trojans venture up to the Palouse to face Washington St. in Pullman, Washington. A trip many SC players admit is the worst in the Pac 10. But this is a business trip for USC. We're getting in, and we're getting out as fast as we can with a win over the hapless Cougars.

If there's one thing you can say about about Wazzu this year . . . its that they are consistent. They rank at or near the bottom of every statistical category. It has simply not been a fun year for the 1 - 6 Cougars.

Let's go to the breakdown:

Washington State

Offense - Wazzu has lost three QBs to injury at different points this year, so its simply a matter of who is healthy enough to take the field. The (un)lucky this week is Kevin Lopina, who only completes 54% of his passes, and has thrown (0) TDs but (5) INTs on the year. A banged up RB Dwight Tardy is a solid player, and so is WR Brandon Gibson who is the team's best player with (38) receptions on the year. The offensive line, however, has been a disaster. They've given up a Pac 10 leading 24 sacks in (7) games, and have only provided enough push in the running game for the RBs to average 2.6 yards per carry.

Defense - LB Greg Trent leads this unit that has had a hard time stopping teams from running the ball - giving up 250+ yards per game. Wazzu also doesn't put any pressure on the passer - last in the sacks in the conference with only (6) after seven games. CB Chima Nwachukwu leads the Cougar secondary that is not too bad - they have (7) INTs on the year.

Special Teams

The kickers are solid, but the punt and kickoff coverage units are horrible . . . dead last in the Pac 10.

USC

Offense - Wazzu should be the perfect tonic for what ailed the Trojan offense last week. QB Sanchez is coming off of his worst performance as a starter, so the wide open spaces of the Cougar defense that gives up 45 points per game should be a sight for his sore eyes. But Sanchez shouldn't have to do too much with his WRs who are also coming off a subpar game. The OLine (even with OT Nick Howell subbing for the ill Butch Lewis) and the running game behind CJ Gable and Stafon Johnson (Joe McKnight will not play) should click against a Cougar defense that gives up 250 yards a game.

Defense - There's no time to let up for this unit that holds opponents to only 9 points per game. SC's DLine should be able to control Wazzu OLine, and put a lot of pressure on the QB. The starting LBs (Maualuga, Cushing and Maiava) are banged up, but the rotation of young guys like Malcolm Smith, Mike Morgan, Chris Galippo, and Jordan Campbell should keep the unit fresh enough to clean up any mess the DLine doesn't handle. And all you can say to the DBs is, "keep doing what you are doing." But this stellar group led by safety Kevin Ellison will have to watch the short stuff to Wazzu WR Brandon Gibson, and the deep stuff to speedy WR Jeshua Anderson.

Special Teams - I'm waiting . . . and waiting . . . and waiting. Could this be the day SC gets a TD from its return teams. There's no better opportunity for PR Stafon Johnson and KR Ronald Johnson/CJ Gable against the poor kick coverage teams of the Cougars.

Prediction:

USC - 51

WSU - 3