The Irish are Comin'

Its Notre Dame week! And it doesn't matter whether either team is having a good or bad season, the week leading up to this game is special. College football's greatest intersectional rivalry has stood the test of time, and has produced some of the game's greatest moments.

The 6 - 5 Irish stumble into the Coliseum just playing for a little pride after a humiliating loss to Syracuse. Few give them a chance to win, or even stay close, to the Trojans. At 9 - 1 on the other hand, USC simply looks to keep the train moving by disposing of Notre Dame with their eye on bigger BCS fish to fry. Adding to the Trojan intensity will be the fact that is "Senior Day", the last home game for several Trojan seniors.

So can the Irish overcome their recent malaise and make a game of it?

Let's get to the break down:

Notre Dame

Offense - QB Jimmy Clausen is not returning home to Southern California in the fashion that he wanted to. Definitely improved over last year, Clausen has completed 60% of his passes for 2700+ yards with 20 TDs. However, 15 interceptions have hurt his cause. The Irish running game has not been a friend to Clausen, either, as the top three rushers produce less than 4 yards per carry. Running back Armondo Allen leads that unit with 596 yards on the season.

WR Golden Tate is clearly the playmaker for this Notre Dame squad. Tate has gotten deep often this season, and produced 888 yards on 50 receptions for almost 18 ypc and 7 TDs. TE Kyle Rudolph has chipped in with 24 receptions to give the Irish a bit of a threat over the middle of the field.

The offensive line is also better than last year, but its still inconsistent as they have not been able to open any holes for a running game that produces a paltry 119 yards per game.

Hidden Stats: Notre Dame has really struggled scoring in the red zone this year. At 115th in the nation, the Irish only convert (TDs or FGs) at a 68% clip once they get the ball inside the opponents' 20 yard line. Turnovers have also been a problem, as the offense has coughed up the ball 25 times this season - 90th in the country.

Defense - Even with well-regarded defensive coach John Tenuta joining the Irish staff, this unit has struggled in key areas and at critical moments. The defensive line struggles to get pressure in the passing and running games. Their defense has only produced 17 sacks in 11 games (85th in the country), and they rank 113th in the country in tackles-for-loss. DT Pat Kuntz is the veteran of the defensive line, and leads the unit with 3.5 sacks.

Linebackers Maurice Crum and Harrison Smith are good players who man the middle of the Irish defense. Safety Kyle McCarthy leads the team in tackles with 96, and CB David Bruton has snagged 3 interceptions on the season.

Special Teams - "Do it all" WR Golden Tate also returns kicks and punts for the Irish. FG kicker Brandon Walker has only made 13 - 23 FGs. Walker is only 8 - 17 on FGs of 30 yards or more.

USC

Offense - QB Mark Sanchez is not putting up big numbers lately, but he is taking care of the ball very well. In the last three games, Sanchez is 44 - 65 for 541 yards and 6 TDs with 0 interceptions. The running game moved to center stage with CJ Gable, Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight sharing the ball, and making a lot big plays lately.

Trojan WRs Patrick Turner, Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson should find space in the Irish defensive backfield. The Irish cornerbacks are tall, but not very physical and can be beaten off the line of scrimmage.

Behind an Trojan offensive line that is playing consistently now, the Trojans will have opportunities in both the running and passing game against Notre Dame. All they'll have to do is read the defense, and take what's given to them.

Defense - The Trojan defense has got to be licking it chops when it sees the Irish offense. Defensive ends Kyle Moore, Clay Matthews and Everson Griffen should be able to put great pressure on the QB from the edges as they are too quick for the Irish offensive tackles.

The trio of LBs (Maualuga, Cushing and Maiava) should be able to fill the gaps well against the Irish running backs. But they'll have to guard against being overly aggressive, because the Irish may try to take advantage of their initial quickness with screen and draw plays, especially on third downs.

The SC defensive backs have handled anything thrown their way this year. They'll have a special threat to handle in Irish WR Golden Tate. When looking for a big play, the Irish offense will look to go deep down the sideline to Tate. You can bet Trojan Safety Taylor Mays will be aware of Tate's whereabouts on every play.

Special Teams - Kickoff returners CJ Gable and Ronald Johnson had big games last week. But they may not have a chance to follow it up as its a good bet that the Trojan defense will keep the Irish out of the end zone most of the game. Punter Greg Woidneck had his best game of the season against Stanford, and Kicker David Buehler has been solid all year long.

Prediction:

USC - 42
Notre Dame - 3

Trojans Steamroll Cardinal . . . 45 - 23

Well, there was no upset for the ages this time. But it wasn't an easy early for the Trojans as Stanford showed plenty of fight once again. All is right, however, with the universe as the Trojans turned loose its three talented running backs on the Cardinal and never looked back.

Let's grade this puppy:

Offense

QB - Mark Sanchez had a quiet, but efficient game throwing for only 136 yards. He had (2) TDs, though, and most importantly (0) INTs. The start was rough for Sanchez, as Stanford anticipated SC's desire to expose their weak CBs. But again, Sanchez made no big mistakes. Grade: B

RBs/FB - A stellar night for the Law Firm of Gable, Johnson and McKnight. We wrote in the preview that if the RBs could get past Stanford's usual five man defensive front, there'd be plenty of running room. And there was. CJ Gable ran with speed and determination for 86 yards on 14 carries with some big plays. Stafon Johnson led the team with 115 yards on 8.2 yards per carry and (2) TDs, while Joe McKnight gashed the Cardinal for 72 yards on 9 carries. FB Stan Havili chipped in with a couple of receptions, including a 50 yard TD catch and run. Grade: A

WRs/TE - Not a lot of opportunities for this unit, as Sanchez only threw the ball (17) times. Damian Williams led the way with (4) receptions and a TD catch, and Patrick Turner snagged three balls. Grade: B

OLine - After a rocky start in the first quarter handling the rush of Stanford's un-balanced DLine, the OLine got its footing when SC turned to the running game on the very first possession of the 2nd quarter. They opened holes that lead to 282 yards rushing on 6.6 ypc, but also gave up (3) sacks in the game. Grade: B

Defense

DLine - After getting no penetration vs. the Run or Pass game of Stanford in the first half, this unit finally got it together in the 2nd half and hassled the Cardinal QBs into several incompletions. The unit (led by Fili Moala and Clay Matthews) finished with 4.5 TFLs and a sack, but Stanford's RBs & QBs rumbled for good yardage in the first half. Grade: C minus

LBs - Similar to the Dline, the LBs could not scrape outside fast enough to stop the Cardinal sweep and stretch running plays in the first half. But in the second half, they did a much better job. Rey Maualuga led the team with 9 tackles, and one TFL. OLBs Kaluka Maiava and Brian Cushing combined for 13 tackles, with Cushing snagging an INT. Grade: C +

DBs - The Trojan DBs were not tested much at all, but CB Josh Pinkard had a nice game with 8 tackles, one TFL and a pass break-up. Safety Will Harris also contributed 8 tackles. Grade: B

Special Teams - FINALLY . . . CJ Gable took a kickoff to da house!!! And Ronald Johnson almost had as well on a 75 yard return. The Trojans racked up 230 yards in returns for the game.

Punter Greg Woidneck had his best game of the year averaging 42.5 per punt, and nailing two inside the 20 yard line. Kicker David Buehler also had (4) touchbacks on kickoffs, and hit his only FG of the game. Grade: A

Coaching - Offensively, the coaches plan to expose the weak Stanford pass defense didn't go so well. And after three empty possessions in the first quarter, SC leaned on the run game beginning in the 2nd quarter and steamrolled the Cardinal defense.

SC's defense, or lack thereof in the first half, may have been the most surprising thing about the game. SC knew that Stanford could only run the ball . . . and yet the Cardinal still ran the ball down SC's front 7's throat in the first two quarters. The bulky Cardinal RBs (and even the QBs) actually ran to the outside for over 100 yards in the first half, resulting in three long scoring drives. Adjustments were made, though, and by the second half the defense began to get more pressure on the Stanford QBs, and get the Cardinal offense off the field on third down plays. Grade: C

Game Balls:

Offense - RB Stafon Johnson
Defense - CB Josh Pinkard
Special Teams - CJ Gable

Prediction Winner: DMoody chalks up another win!

The Trojans Visit Stanford on the "Farm"

One thing is for sure . . . the Stanford Cardinal will not sneak up on SC this year. Last year's monumental upset by Stanford occurred in a perfect storm: un-motivated Trojans, QB breaks finger and five turnovers. Will that (or anything like it) happen again . . . I highly doubt it.

Stanford, at 5 - 5, is a decent team, however. They are undefeated at home, and rely on a strong running game. But the question is . . . will they be able to run against a hot SC defense? And the Trojan offense may get a break this week against a Cardinal secondary that gives up a ton of yards.

Let's break it down:

Stanford

Offense - When you talk about Stanford, you start with the running game. Running behind a Cardinal OLine led by center Alex Fletcher, RB Toby Gerhart has been a horse rushing for 932 yards on 5.5 ypc and 13 touchdowns. RB Anthony Kimble is also solid, and has run for 650+ yards on (6) ypc.

QB Tavita Pritchard has not been real productive. He doesn't throw much, averaging only 121 yards through the air with (9)INTs vs. (9)TDs, ranking him last in the Pac 10. WRs Ryan Whalen and Doug Baldwin lead the receiving corp combining for (52) receptions and four TDs. The Cardinal offense has been extremely efficient in the red zone this season, scoring 95% of the time (27 TDs and 6 FGs in 35 opportunities inside the oppponents' 20 yard line).

Defense - The Stanford 3 - 4 defense has been up and down this season. Ranking 8th in the Pac 10 in total defense, the Cardinal have been especially bad against the pass giving up about 250 yards per game. But the LB unit is strong, led by Bo McNally and Pat Maynor. DE Tom Keiser leads the DLine unit with (6) sacks, on a defensive unit that leads the Pac 10 in total sacks with (30).

Special Teams - Freshman punter David Green is doing a nice job averaging 40 yards per punt. And Kicker Aaron Zagory has connected on 12 of 14 FGs this year. WR Doug Baldwin doubles as the punt returner, and Jeremy Stewart is the primary kick returner averaging 23 yards per kickoff.

USC

Offense - A Trojan offense searching for a rhythm could find it versus the Cardinal defense that gives up a lot of yards and points (about 25 per game). QB Mark Sanchez could have a big game against a porous Stanford secondary. But he must get rid of the ball quickly to avoid sacks from the effective Cardinal rush.

The Trojan RBs could also find ample running room in the "second level", if they can get past the (5) Stanford defenders typically on the line of scrimmage. And there's no doubt that SC's WRs have favorable matchups against the Cardinal CBs. But look for FB Stanley Havili and TE Anthony McCoy to see opportunities in the passing game as quick outlets for Sanchez.

Defense - The Trojan defense will seek to set the tone by stopping a Cardinal rushing attack that averages 207 yards per game. MLB Rey Maualuga and Company will have to switch gears after facing the speedy RBs of the CAL Bears, and prepare for bruising Cardinal RBs Gerhart and Kimble who can move the pile. The Trojan defensive tackle rotation (Fili Moala, Christian Topou and Jurrell Casey) will play a huge role in stopping the Stanford running game by holding their ground up the middle.

Special Teams - Can SC's return game finally make a big impact by taking one "to da house"? It hasn't happened thus far. And perhaps punt returner Stafon Johnson should just secure the ball after dropping one in the previous game. SC's kickoff returners Ronald Johnson and CJ Gable just don't get any opportunities as opponents don't score enough to even kick the ball off to them. And that probably won't change in this game.

Kicker David Buehler has been good on FGs and spectacular on kickoff touchbacks (35 so far this season). But punter Greg Woidneck's punting average is not good (36 yards net), although he has been hitting a few inside the opponent's 20 yard line.

Prediction:

USC - 33

Stanford - 10

Trojans Shut Down CAL . . . 17 - 3

If there is a better defense around than SC's . . . I haven't seen it. The Trojan D completely shut down a very good CAL offense, and led the way to a 17 - 3 victory over the CAL Bears.

The SC offense, however, still hasn't found its rhythm against the last couple of good teams they've faced. Penalties and mistakes remain a bugaboo, and continue to short circuit offensive drives for the Trojans. But with a defense that's barely giving up anything, SC continues to win.

Let's grade 'em out:

Offense

QB - Mark Sanchez had a solid game. He finished with (2) TD passes on 18 - 29 for 238 yards. The big stat was ZERO interceptions against a very good CAL defense. Sanchez made solid decisions with ball in terms of taking what the defense gave him. Grade: B

RBs/FB - Trojan RBs ran very hard on their way to 170+ yards. CJ Gable led the way with 79 yards on 10 carries, followed by Stafon Johnson who collected 60 yards. Joe McKnight made his return with 51 yards on 7 yards per carry, but had a key fumble that stalled one of SC's offensive drives. FB Stan Havili chipped in with 3 receptions for 27 yards, and blocked very well. Grade: B

WRs/TE - This group had kind of a quiet game. Damian Williams led the group with (4) receptions for 67 yards, and Pat Turner had another TD reception but caught on (2) balls in the game. TE Anthony McCoy had his best day as a Trojan with (4) catches for 53 yards. Grade: C +

OLine - A mixed night for SC's OLine. On one hand, they opened up some nice holes in the running game that led to 173 yards rushing and nearly (7) yards per carry for the running backs. But they also gave up (3) sacks to CAL, and a few penalties on OLinemen stalled some drives. Grade: C

Defense

DLine - The Trojan DLine had to have a strong game to stop CAL's explosive running attack . . . and they did just that. The group had (15) tackles, (5) TFLs and (2) sacks. They also did a great job of occupying CAL's OLine allowing the Trojan linebackers to flow to the Bear running backs unblocked to make tackles. DE Kyle Moore continued with his very good year with (2) TFLs, including a sack. Grade: B +

LBs - The Trojan linebackers continue to be a nightmare for opposing offenses. MLB Rey Maualuga led the team with (10) tackles (seven of them solo) and OLB Brian Cushing added (9) tackles, (2) TFLs, including a sack. Grade: A minus

CBs - Taylor Mays had a spectacular game for the Trojans. He broke up (4) passes, including two deep attempts with spectacular hits. Trojan cornerbacks Cary Harris, Kevin Thomas and Josh Pinkard also had solid games, with Pinkard collecting an INT. SS Will Harris also made his presence felt with (5) tackles and a tipped pass that led to a Trojan interception. Grade: A minus

Special Teams - Kicker David Buehler made his only FG of the night, and had two touchbacks on (4) kickoffs. But punting continues to be an issue for Greg Woidneck. He averaged only 27 yards per punt with a long of 35 yards. PR Stafon Johnson also had a less than stellar night, fumbling a punt, but luckily recovering it before any damage was done. Grade: C minus

Coaching - Let's start with the defense this time . . . SC's schemes and mix of DLine stunts and CB/LB blitzes harassed the CAL QBs into a 15 - 31 passing night for only 138 yards. Add on the fact that a couple of defensive INTs were taken away on questionable penalty calls. The Trojan defense leads the nation in scoring defense giving up only 6 pts per game . . . that will get it done.

Offensively, the Trojans are not in rhythm. They had very good running success, and Sanchez made good decisions. But small mistakes with penalties and McKnight's fumble stalled drives. Give CAL's defense some credit too, they are tough to score upon - they are #1 red zone defense in the Pac 10. But SC should have put up one or two more scores. Grade: C

Gameballs:

Offense: QB Mark Sanchez
Defense: Safety Taylor Mays
Special Teams: Kicker David Buehler

Prediction Winner: Big XII - nailed the opponent score (3 points)

CAL Comes Marching In . . .

This is a big one . . . as it usually has been between USC and CAL the last few years. With one loss in conference, both teams are trying to stay in position for a run at the Pac 10 championship.

The Bears are a team that presents balance on offense, but more importantly for them, they are playing some defense this year. The Trojans feasted on a pasty in UW last week, and are rested on both sides of the ball. Which team will blink first?


Let's break 'em down:

CAL

Offense - The saying goes that "two heads are better than one", and CAL is trying that notion by rotating between QBs Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore. Either could start against SC, and both have put up solid numbers combining for 154 - 280 for 1,832 yards with 18 TDs and 7 INTs. Riley is more mobile, but is also coming off of a concussion in last week's win over Oregon. The Bear RBs Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen have been very productive, both averaging over 5.5 yards per carry. Best and Vereen are fast, but not big. Best has battled injuries this year, and is nursing a sore foot but should play vs. SC. CAL's receiving unit has been led by TE Cameron Morrah who leads the team with (21) receptions and six TDs. The OLine is a little banged up, but is getting a few players back. Center Alex Mack is thought of as the best in the Pac 10.

Defense - Using a 3 - 4 scheme, CAL's surprising defensive unit is led by a very good LB unit with Zack Follett, Mike Mohamed and Worrell Williams who are very active in both rushing the passer and stopping the run. The DB group has also been productive leading the conference with 17 INTs. Starting CBs SydQuan Thompson and Darian have combined for (4) INTs and (17) pass breakups. The DLine group, however, may be a bit of a weak link this weekend. They are banged up in the middle with starting NT Derek Hill questionable for the SC game.


USC

Offense - Big game for Mark Sanchez. He'll have to contend with a CAL defense that has confused a lot of QBs into throwing INTs. Sanchez's decision-making will be huuuuuge in this game. Taking the easy pass, and not getting flustered if he does make a mistake will be key to leading SC's offense. The RB group welcomes back Joe McKnight, and that can take some pressure off by moving him around and making the CAL D adjust to SC's formations. The WR vs. CB matchups in this game will be great. SC's rushing game will be important to keep CAL's pressure from the edges off of them, especially cuz CAL is banged up in the middle of their DLine.

Defense - SC's D is on a roll, and will have to focus on banging around CAL's fast, but not physical RBs (Best and Vereen). Stopping the run is key for SC because CAL is not very prolific throwing to its WRs. CAL will probably try to take advantage of SC's quick pursuit with screen passes on 2nd and 3rd downs, so MLB Rey Maualuga will have to be alert to keep the Bear RBs from operating in space. Dealing with QB Riley's mobility within the pocket could also pose a challenge for the Trojan defense.


Prediction:

USC - 31
CAL - 13

USC lays UW down easy . . . 56 - 0

It didn't take long in this one. The Huskies should have mailed this one in to save some money on the trip down to So. Cal. The once proud program that was Washington is no more. The Huskies offered no resistance as they were thrown to the Trojans in the Coliseum and trounced 56 - 0.

SC did what they wanted to . . . when they wanted to . . . and in the process may have gotten their offensive mojo back.


Grades:

Offense -

* QB - This was an easy game for Sanchez - WRs were wide open - but importantly Sanchez didn't miss any of them on his way to a 15 - 19, 167 yard performance with (2) TDs and no INTs. His comments after the game about keeping his emotions in check and executing may signal a more even-keeled player for the Trojans' stretch run. Grade: A minus

* RBs/FB - It was CJ Gable's turn to be the star as he ran for 108 yards on 10 carries, and looked quicker than he has in a while. Stafon Johnson chipped in with 40 yards. Marc Tyler also got some great work, getting 16 carries for 86 yards in the second half. Grade: B +

* WRs - Patrick Turner had a terrific stat line with (6) catches for 100 yards ant 2 TDs. It was a light day for everyone else, but it was good to see reserve TE Rhett Ellison catch a couple of balls on the night. Grade: B

* OLine - The Trojan OLine didn't face much resistance from the Husky DLine. Plenty of reserves played, as the Trojans racked up 297 yards rushing, and didn't give up any sacks on SC QBs. Grade: A minus

Defense -

* DLine - The starting group easily passed the test offered by UW's feeble running attack. The starters gave way to the backups who actually allowed some drives, and need to play more physically. Grade: B minus

* LBs - MLB Rey Maualuga played fantastic football, leading the team in tackles and also intercepting a pass. Reserve Chris Galippo chipped in with another pick perserving the Trojan shutout, while OLB Malcolm Smith added (6) tackles. Grade: A minus

* DBs - SS Will Harris came through with an excellent game along the LOS and in coverage, racking up (6) tackles, including 2.5 TFLs. Reserve Drew McCallister picked off his second career INT, and other youngsters like CB TJ Bryant and Marshall Jones got in some good work in an extended period. Grade: B +

Special Teams - * PR Stafon Johnson looks better and better returning punts. He took one for 25 yards as his longest gain. Kick David Buehler got a workout, kicking off (9) times with four touchbacks. Grade: B

Coaching - Everything SC tried offensively worked. Mixing the run and pass, SC spread the ball around in the first half, before running the ball exclusively in the 2nd half. A good game to grade a bunch of reserves in film session as they may be needed later this year. Defensively, the squad is locked in about as well as a team can be. The team is looking good on 3rd downs and getting opponent offenses off the field, and you gotta like the way the 2nd/3rd team defense preserved the shut out once again. Penalties, however, remain a bugaboo for an extremely aggressive unit. Grade: B

Game Balls -

Offense: WR Patrick Turner
Defense: SS Will Harris
Special Teams: PR Stafon Johnson

Prediction Winner - J-Man comes through again.

Punchless UW visits the Coliseum

You've heard of the phrase "dead man walking" . . . well the Washington Huskies are a "dead team walking". This once proud program has fallen on hard times yet again as head coach Ty Willingham has been given the heave ho effective at the end of the season. Winless through seven games, the Huskies haven't had much go their way all year . . . and being thrown to the lions in the Coliseum will be just one more kick in the stomach.

SC, winners of their last four in a row, is looking for a rhythm offensively, and to keep the dominance going defensively. UW comes at a perfect time for a team looking for an identity on offense. Mark Sanchez has been inconsistent the last couple of games . . . the Huskies offer an opportunity to get back on track.


Washington

Offense - After losing their starting QB and best player Jake Locker early in the season, RFr. Ronnie Fouch has taken over the QB duties, and just tries to manage the game. Fouch's stats, though, are pedestrian as he is completing just 49% of his passes, and the Huskies are averaging a paltry 16 points per game. Frosh RBs David Freeman and Terrance Dailey, combine with soph WRs De'Andre Goodwin and Alvin Logan to make up what has to be the youngest offensive skill position group in the Pac Ten. Ironically, UW does have the best 3rd down conversion rate in the Pac Ten at 50%.


Defense - UW has trouble stopping the run and the pass. They give up 235 ypg rushing, and rank last in the Pac Ten in total defense. They don't get any pressure on the passer as they only have (5) sacks through seven games. UW does have a couple of good players in DE Daniel Teo-Nesheim, LB Mason Walters and CB Vonzell McDowell - but the Huskies simply don't have enough of them.

USC

Offense - UW's terrible defense offers QB Mark Sanchez a chance to get back on track. He should be sharp this game, and maybe running the ball first will help Sanchez establish a good play action passing rhythm. The RBs should have a good game because the OLine should have no trouble opening holes for them to run through. I also anticipate the WRs getting going over the middle, and the TEs will be open in this game.

Defense - Key defender S Kevin Ellison will be missing (out for 2-4 weeks), but it shouldn't matter in this contest. Replacement Will Harris will be fine, and the loaded SC defense should look to tee off early and often as the UW offense cannot run the ball. MLB Rey Maualuga has been stellar the last few games, and that should continue as he will be in the Huskie backfield all game long. The reserves should be in by 3rd quarter.


Prediction:

USC - 45

UW - 3