USC beats Arizona . . . 17 - 10

Once again, the Trojan defense led the way to another win over the Arizona Wildcats. The offense, however, looked like it forget to board the plane for Tucson. Offensive mistakes kept this game close, and gave the Wildcats to get lucky and try to steal the game. But the Trojan defense would have none of it . . . and SC escaped the desert for its 6th win.

Grades, grades, grades:

Offense

QB - At this point, Mark Sanchez is not having a good run. Overthrows, missed reads and a tendency to go for the risky, big play rather than taking the easy pass to move the chains is costing Sanchez big time - and costing the Trojans points. His stats were respectable at 21 - 36 for 216 yards and a TD. But he threw an INT, and just made bad decisions throughout the game. Sanchez's play (between the ears) has to improve. Grade: D

RBs/FB - Rarely have I seen an RB play with more heart than Stafon Johnson did last Saturday. Leading the team in rushing at 87 yards on 19 carries only told part of the story. His blocking and key first down runs were clutch. Neither CJ Gable nor a gimpy Joe McKnight were able to get anything going. FB Stan Havili, however, killed 'Zona in the passing game as he caught (5) balls for 67 yards and a TD. Grade: B

WRs/TE - Decent game for this unit who's stats would have been better if not for some poor decisions and overthrows by Sanchez. Damian Williams led the group with (5) receptions for 77 yards. Grade: C

OLine -Nothing spectacular from this group. They did lead the way for 151 yards on the ground, and at one point opened some holes for Stafon Johnson to run through on a key drive. Gave up (3) sacks - a couple of which I wouldn't consider their fault. Grade: C +

Defense

DLine - The DLine played pretty well. They had (5.5) TFLs, including (3) sacks combined from Griffen, Matthews and Moala, and kept the 'Zona running game to about 100 yards. Frosh NT Jurrell Casey is looking very good.
Grade: B +

LBs - Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing continue to lead this group, filling holes and causing general havoc. They were late on a couple of run plays, but generally kept the Wildcat RBs in front of them. OLB Kaluka Maiava pitched in with (5) tackles, as well. Grade: B

DBs - CB Kevin Thomas is beginning to make this a habit - he had another INT, and played solid football in coverage. The same goes for Josh Pinkard and Cary Harris. 'Zona QB Willie Tuitama only had 88 yards passing. Safety Taylor Mays was laying the wood, stopping a couple of Wildcat RBs with vicious hits . . . just the way an SC safety is supposed to. Grade: A minus

Special Teams - PR Stafon Johnson had a couple of excellent returns in this game, but also made a mistake fielding a punt inside the ten yard line. Punter Greg Woidneck shanked one punt and Kicker David Buehler made a 43 yarder, but missed a 30 yarder on FGs. Grade: C minus

Coaching

Offensively, the troubles centered around Sanchez's decision making. At times, you could see the coaching staff imploring Sanchez to make the easy play instead of going for the big play. At some point, I believe the coaches should give him simpler plays to calm down and develop a rhythm. SC did get the ball to the FB in the passing game, which had been missing for a little while. Also, the sequence of plays bothers me. Instead of running on 1st down and putting SC in a nice 2nd and mid range situation where they can run or pass and set up 3rd and short yardage - SC passes a lot on first down and puts itself in low percentage 3rd and long plays too much. can't be happy with the execution in the game. The defense executed the scheme about as well as could be expected against a balanced offense like Arizona. I liked the rotation on the DLine that kept guys fresh. Grade: B minus


Game Balls:

Offense: RB Stafon Johnson
Defense: DT Fili Moala
Special Teams: PR Stafon Johnson

Prediction Winner: DMoody - rings up a winner by correctly predicting a close game.

Trojans Take on Arizona

The Trojans finally get back to playing Pac 10 football next Saturday (sorry Wazzu - that performance was pitiful) with a matchup against the Arizona Wildcats. The Cats are 5 - 2, averaging 40 ppg, and present the most balanced offensive team the Trojans will have faced thus far this season.

But now they face probably the nation's best defense in USC . . .
somethin' has got to give. Let's break down this key Pac 10 matchup:






Arizona

Offense- Wildcat #7 QB Willie Tuitama is one of the most improved players over the last few years. He emerged a better player last year under Arizona
OC Sonny Dykes new spread passing game, and now is in very good command
with 15 TDs and only 3 INTs. Just as important, the Cats have a running
game with #5 Nic Grigsby (650 yards on 6ypc) and backup Keola Antolin
(149 yards vs. CAL).

The WRs are good, led by #10 Mike Thomas who's been a nice player for a
long time, with Terrell Turner and Delashaun Dean rounding out a
productive trio that's produced 90 receptions for about 1200 yards.

The "not-so-secret" weapon of this offense is #48 TE Rob Gronkowski - a
terrific player with size who will go deep downfield to make plays.
"Gronk" leads the receivers in yards per catch (16), and scoring (6
TDs).

The OLine is solid in the run and passing games, giving up an average of
about (2) sacks a game and clearing the way for a good running attack
that averages 150+ yards per game at 4 yards per carry.

Defense - The 'Zona DLine is led by #42 DE Brooks Reed who has (3) sacks on the year, but that group as a whole doesn't get much penetration vs. the run or the passing game. An issue for the 'Cats is that the DLine is not big at all -the heaviest player is 280lbs - the others are in the 260-270 range.

The LBs are led by a couple of active players in #33 Ronnie Palmer and
Sterling Lewis. Lewis leads the team in tackles, and Palmer leads the
team in TFLs this season.

#32 Safety Nate Ness is the leader of the defensive backfield - he's got
(2) INTs on the year, and the CBs Devin Ross and Marquis Hundley have
broken up a combined (15) passes with (3) INTs.

Special Teams - The kicking unit for Arizona has been very strong this year. Kicker Jason Bondzio has made 8 - 9 FGs, and has not missed a PAT on the season (37 - 37). Punter Keenyn Crier has been strong averaging 43 yards per boot.

WR Mike Thomas doubles as the punt returner and has been very good, averaging 15 yards per return (2nd in the Pac 10), and he has (1) return for a TD.


USC

Offense - SC's offense get some players back this week (OT Butch Lewis
WR Vidal Hazleton and RB Joe McKnight) so they'll be at full strength
against an Arizona defense that has put up some good numbers (ranked
19th in total defense nationally). But the Arizona front (7) can be run
against, as other teams have pushed the light Wildcat Dline around for
big yardage. USC should be able to have success running the ball.

QB Mark Sanchez and the Trojans need to get off to a good start by
scoring and converting 3rd downs to keep the Arizona offense off the
field and change their game plan to rely on passing the ball to keep up.


Defense - This is an excellent matchup for a Trojan defense that has been playing lights out (giving up only 7.8 ppg). Arizona's offense is
balanced, so the LBs will have to be good against the run and pass. And
the Trojan DBs will have to keep an eye out for 'Zona TE Rob Gronkowski
going deep on 2nd downs, and as an outlet on 3rd downs.

The DTs (Moala and Topou/Spicer) will have to clog up the inside running
lanes as Arizona mostly runs up the middle for the spread option, "I",
and single back formations.

Special Teams - The kicking and coverage units have been solid. Still waiting for a big return play from these units. But Joe McKnight was back in practice taking a lot of punts . . . we'll see if he's got his mojo back, and takes the place of the solid Stafon Johnson.

Prediction:

USC - 38

UofA - 13

SC Runs Past Wazzu . . . 69 - 0

In reality, Washington St. should not have played this ballgame. They should have mailed in a respectable losing score and not risked (nor embarrased) their players. I mean, you saw it people . . . SC threw ONE pass in the 2nd half. They tried to let the Cougars tackle them, and they couldn't do it.

This is actually the toughest game ever to grade . . . but here it goes:



Offense

QB - QB Mark Sanchez hasn't seen this many open receivers since high school. He completed 15 - 20, for 250+ yards with 5 TDs by halftime. It was shooting fish in a barrel. It was so easy that I'm going to have to give him a de-merit for a couple of bad passes. Grade: A minus

RBs/FB - Three 100+ rushers is super rare, but that's what Gable (109), Johnson (112) and Green (121) did. Brod Green started out tentative, but then realized no Cougar wanted to tackle him, and he looked like "Earl Campbell" in the 2nd half. Fullback Stan Havili looks like he's getting back to normal with (5) receptions, and backup Adam Goodman had some good blocks. Grade: A

WRs/TE - Again, the WRs met no resistance, but they didn't drop any balls either. Ronald Johnson and Patrick Turner led the way with two TDs pass receptions apiece. TE Anthony McCoy did his best "Fred Davis" impression with a determined TD catch and run. Unfortunately for backups Patterson, Ausberry, and Carswell, SC had mercy on the Cougars in the 2nd half and only got one pass thrown their way. Grade: A

OLine - Despite having a sub at OT (Nick Howell), SC dominated the trenches. Howell had (18) knockdowns, and the Trojan OLine knocked out the Cougar front seven for 362 yards rushing on 7ypc, and gave up no sacks. Grade: A

Defense

DLine - This was a game for the reserves. The starters knocked a few people down, and got out of the game. Backup DT Armond Armstead was the star with (4) tackles, including two TFLs. The DLine only allowed (88) yards rushing, but couldn't get any sack action cuz Wazzu only threw the ball (9) times. I will downgrade the unit because DE Malik Jackson didn't keep containment on a reverse that led to one of the Cougars few positive offensive plays. Grade: A minus

LBs - This group was really active early. MLB Rey Maualuga dominated the Cougars' first two possessions with (5) tackles before he took a seat with fellow starter Brian Cushing who forced a fumble in his own right. And then it was backup Chris Galippo's turn. He looked tentative his first defensive possession, but got it going as the game went on. Galippo and fellow reserve OLB Malcolm Smith combined for (8) tackles and (2) TFLs. Grade: B+

DBs - The game couldn't have been easier for this group - with only (9) passes to defend - it was tough for SC's excellent D-Backs to get opportunities. But they found a way to make a few plays. CB Josh Pinkard forced and recovered a fumble, and reserve safety Will Harris had an INT that he returned for 28 yards. Grade: B

Special Teams

I'm still waiting for a big play from the return team . . . and it didn't happen. Plus SC had a PAT blocked for the only negative play of the first half as the Trojans got out to a 41 - 0 first half lead. On the positive side, Kicker David Buehler had (9) touchbacks out of eleven kickoffs, and punter Greg Woidneck averaged 49 yards on his (2) punts. Grade: C +

Coaching
Offensively, the team was sharp early. We saw OC Sarkisian stick with his game plan of mixing it up with the pass and run. And the team did a nice job of playing with intensity the entire game despite only running the ball in the second half. On defense, the coaches played "straight up" with no blitzes. Needless to say, a lot of backups got time and the coaches used this game as an opportunity to see some key reserves like frosh OT Tyron Smith and DT Armond Armstead. The brightest spot for the coaching staff had to be the lack of penalties - SC only committed (2), an offensive holding call and a defensive offsides - and that's major progress for a team that is last in the conference in that category. Grade: A

Game Balls

Offense - QB Mark Sanchez
Defense - LB Rey Maualuga
Special Teams - K David Buehler

Prediction Winner: J-Man got SC's score exactly right . . . Dang!

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

Trojans Shut Out Sun Devils . . . 28 - 0

Well, it wasn't a masterpiece, but it was a win. The Trojan defense dominated, and the offense sputtered, but the result as satisfactory. ASU never really had a chance, even though USC took awhile to apply the death blow.

The grades:

Offense

QB - Mark Sanchez would probably like to forget this one. 13 for 26, for 179 yards, with (3) INTs and only (1) TD threw the air marked his worst performance to date stats-wise. The gimpy knee may have been a factor in some of his throws, and one of the picks wasn't Sanchez's fault. But nonetheless . . . burn the tape.
Grade: D

RBs/FB - Joe McKnight ran for 143 yards with a 13 yard per carry average. It was a few big runs that carried the day for him, while CJ Gable and Stafon Johnson chipped in with 50 yards combined. Fullback Stan Havili is still nursing a sore neck so he wasn't involved much at all. Grade: B

WRs/TE - The first game that the WR unit has looked human. Both Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson dropped catchable balls (one that turned into an INT), and only Williams scored a TD. TEs Blake Ayles and Anthony McCoy corraled (3) passes, a couple for first downs. Grade: C minus

OLine - Spotty day for this group. They led the way for 210 yards rushing, but short yard plays are a problem up the middle and there was very little consistency although ASU really stacked the line of scrimmage sometimes. There were also two sacks against Sanchez in this game. Grade: C

Defense

DLine - This group played strong at the point of attack. ASU only got 75 yards rushing, and didn't allow the Sun Devil QBs a lot of time to do anything. Senior DEs Clay Matthews and Kyle Moore, plus DT Fili Moala have really stepped up their game accounting for (10) tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks. Grade: A minus

LBs - Another solid game from this group. Everyone is banged up, but still playing well against the run and pass. Maualuga and Cushing accounted for (15) tackles, and Mike Morgan added (5) more as he is playing well. OLB Jordan Campbell played a lot in this game as Kaluka Maiava sprained an ankle. Grade: B

DBs - Outstanding game for this group. Safety Kevin Ellison has been magnificent in run support, and equally as good in pass coverage. He had (7) tackles, including (1) TFL and (2) pass breakups. CBs Kevin Thomas got a pick six, Cary Harris forced a fumble and intercepted a pass, and even true frosh TJ Bryant got into the act with his first career INT. The ASU QBs completed less than 45% of their passes for a paltry 154 yards. Grade: A

Special Teams

Gotta give it up to DT Fili Moala who blocked two FG attempts to preserve the shut out. He received Pac 10 special teams player of the week for his efforts. Otherwise it was a quiet day for the return and coverage teams. Grade: B

Coaching

Offensively, the coaches can't be happy with the execution in the game. Dropped passes nullified some good plays, and SC was missing is secret weapon in fullback Stan Havili. They have to find a way to get better in short yardage situations in the running game to keep the chains moving and demoralize the opponent. On the opposite end, the defensive coaches could not have been happier. The offense put them in some bad situations, but they didn't give up an inch. One memorable defensive play call was a cornerback blitz on 3rd down that knocked ASU out of FG range - gutsy, aggressive call. Penalties, however, continue to haunt this squad. Maybe making defenders who commit personal fouls crawl the length of the field during games will help . . . maybe? Grade: B minus

Game Balls:

Offense: RB Joe McKnight
Defense: Safety Kevin Ellison
Special Teams: DT Fili Moala

Prediction Winner: Payback . . . although nobody was close.

ASU Limps into the Coliseum

Before the season began, the SC versus Arizona State contest was supposed to be the game that decided the Pac 10 championship. Instead, it’s a battle for conference survival for both teams.

ASU is in a total tailspin - losers of their last three consecutive games (UNLV, Georgia, and CAL), the Sun Devils are struggling on both sides of the ball. SC, as we know, cannot afford another conference loss. But the Trojans bounced back from a defeat at Oregon St., with an impressive win against Oregon. So who will emerge the survivor in this must win matchup for both teams?

Here's the tale of the tape:

ASU

Offense - The news didn't get any better for ASU this week as they found out that starting QB Rudy Carpenter is very doubtful for the game. His replacement, Danny Sullivan, is 1 - 8 for -1 yards and no TDs on the season. The running game may not be of any help either. ASU is last in the Pac 10 rushing the ball at only 85 yards per game. Neither RBs Dimitri Nance nor Keegan Herring average (4) yards per carry. Which leads us to the OLine - a unit that has struggled to open running lanes and protect the QB (12 sacks given up in 5 games). The WR unit is solid with Mike Jones and Chris McGaha, but these guys have only two TDs between them on the year.

Defense - The DLine struggles to put pressure on the passer, with only DE Dexter Davis able to consistently get into the backfield (Davis has 4 of ASU's 6 sacks). The strength of the defense is the LB unit - both Mike Nixon and Travis Goethel are solid tacklers. Safety Troy Nolan and CB Omar Bolden lead the SunDevil secondary.

Special Teams - So far Punter/FG Kicker is the MVP for ASU this year. He is averaging 42+ yards per punt, and is 8 - 10 on FGs on the season. Kyle Williams is a good combo returner as he doubles as the main punt and kick returner for the SunDevils.



USC

Offense - SC has a little QB limbo going itself - odds are, however, that Mark Sanchez will be recovered enough from a bruised knee to start for the Trojans. Mitch Mustain, who had a solid outing vs. Oregon, waits in the wings if Sanchez is unable to go. The RB unit is starting to define its roles with Stafon Johnson and CJ Gable starting to step up in the running game, with Joe McKnight becoming effective as an RB and receiver out of the backfield. The WRs just need to keep doing what they are doing. Pat Turner, Damian Williams and RoJo have been fantastic catching the ball and making plays. And once again, the OLine can end this game quickly if they impose their will in the trenches and help SC get out to an early lead. ASU will try to pressure the QB early, so the Tackles Butch Lewis and Charles Brown will need to play well - especially against DE Dexter Davis.

Defense - SC has a nice rotation going on the DLine with veteran know-how and young legs. They should be able to plug up the struggling ASU running game, and make new QB Danny Sullivan feel nervous in the pocket. LB Rey Maualuga resumes his starting spot at MLB, and the LB unit should have a great game vs. the run and pass. SC should also see a continued dominance by the DB unit. Safeties Kevin Ellison have played extremely well this year, and the CBs may finally get a few ball thrown their way against ASU's solid receiver corp.

Special Teams - We'll keep saying it until it happens . . . Can a brotha get a kickoff return for a TD??!!
RoJo and CJ Gable are the guys that have to get a least one this year. And in a good move, Stafon Johnson will probably replace Joe McKnight as the punt returner.

Prediction Time:

USC - 51

ASU - 7

Trojans Roast Ducks . . . 44 - 10

Now that's more like it! Trojan domination on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Bouncing back with a good performance was important as opponents thought they saw blood in the water from the Trojans. But they were wrong. This team is capable of making a run at another great season.

Here's the breakdown . . .

Offense

QB - Mark Sanchez came through with another big game completing 19 - 28 passes for 332 yards with (3) TDs and zero interceptions. The only demerit was a fumbled snap that gave the Ducks possession deep in SC territory. But Sanchez accomplished his mission - show leadership, confidence, and playmaking to lead the team. QB Mitch Mustain came in to show a few things. Although he had an INT, he did lead a solid drive with clutch third down conversions and then a bomb for a TD to WR David Ausberry. Grade: A minus

RBs/FB - Trojan RBs banged out 4 yards a carry and 155 yards running very well on the perimeter. Stafon Johnson had the highlight run with a 22 yard multi-cut back run that sent Duck fans to the exits. C.J. Gable continues to run well with 49 yards on 10 carries, and Joe McKnight really hurt the Ducks catching passes out of the backfield and from the WR position. I also liked the quick handoffs to FB Stan Havili in short yardage situations. Grade: B

WRs/TE - The consistency the WR unit is showing is impressive. Another strong performance from Patrick Turner who had 5 catches for 77 yards and a TD. Both Damian Williams and Ronald Johnson burned the vaunted Duck secondary for deep scores, and David Ausberry jumped into the act with the longest bomb of the night - a 60 yard TD catch and run. TEs Anthony McCoy and Blake Ayles didn't get a lot of opportunities in the passing game, but they are blocking well. Grade: A

OLine - A good night for this group after the debacle up in Corvallis. Oregon came in with (17) sacks, but the SC OLine held the Ducks to just one sack late in the game. Substitute starter at Guard Alex Parsons did a nice job in his debut, as SC kept the Duck defense off balance by opening running lanes for the RBs for 155 yards rushing. Grade: B

Defense

DLine - An active game for the DLine unit. They finished with (20) tackles, (3) sacks, and a ton of QB hurries to control Oregon's offense which had come into the game as one of the best in the nation. DT Fili Moala and DE Kyle Moore were especially good after the first series when the Ducks were able to move the ball. Young bucks like sophmore NT Christian Topou and true frosh Jurell Casey also played well. Grade: B +

LBs - Solid game from a mixed bunch. With Rey Maualuga out, Brian Cushing moved to MLB and OLB Michael Morgan got a chance to start. And after taking a little time to adjust, they made plays behind the active DLine. OLB Kaluka Maiava had (8) tackles and Morgan had (7), both doing a nice job of shutting down cut back lanes for the Oregon RBs. Cushing also broke up (2) passes. Grade: B

CBs - A terrific game from sub-CB Josh Pinkard. He forced a key turnover just before the first half ended that basically gave SC an insurmontable lead. Safety Kevin Ellison was key in supporting the run defense and led the team in tackles with (9). CBs Cary Harris and Kevin Thomas also played well supporting the run defense, and true frosh safety Drew McCallister garnered his first career INT. Grade: B +

Special Teams - Kicker David Buehler continues to be a consistent force making all (3) of his FGs and garnering several touchbacks on kickoffs. PR Joe McKnight continues to struggle with punts, so it looks like RB Stafon Johnson will take his place in that role because he did well. The kickoff and punt coverage was once again very good. Grade: B +

Coaching - Offensively, the variety in the run/passing game was right where the coaching staff wanted it. Nearly every skill position was involved, and SC knew to run the ball against Oregon's Cover (3) defense, and pass the ball against the Ducks frequent man to man coverage. After the first couple of Duck possessions, the Defense zeroed in on the inside running game the Ducks tried to establish and shut it down. From there it was a matter of bottling up the short passing game which SC did with good DLine pressure and coverage from the CBs/Safeties. The personnel moves (Matthews, Morgan and Topou starting) worked out well also. Grade: B +

Gameballs:

Offense: QB Mark Sanchez

Defense: Defensive Line

Special Teams: Kicker David Buehler


Prediction Winner: J-Man takes it!!!

Oregon Charges Into the Coliseum

Its Bounce Back week for the Trojans against a hot Oregon team. And these Ducks don't fly or swim . . . they run. And run they have for big rushing yards and a 4 - 1record. Although they've lost their first, second, and third string QBs to injury, the Ducks have been able to rely on a strong running game and a risk-taking defense to stay afloat.

Will the Trojans, who had a tough time with Oregon State's running game, be able to stop the Quack's running attack?

Oregon

Offense - Duck QB J. Masoli has thrown less than (50) this year for 4 TDs and no INTs. He basically has one mandate - hand the ball off to excellent RBs in JC transfer LaGarrett Blount and Jeremiah Johnson who are averaging nearly 190 rushing yards per game. WR Jaison Williams leads the WR unit, but doesn't get a lot of action until the Ducks get into the red zone. And the other WR starter is former SC player Jamere Holland. Oregon's OLine not only does a great job run blocking, but they also protect the QB only giving up (4) sacks in five games this year.

Defense - The Duck defense can be summed up in one phrase: All or Nothing. They take risks that sometimes pay off and sometimes do not. They lead the Pac 10 in sacks with (17), but the defense is also ranked dead last in the red zone (teams are 16 out of 16 scoring TDs or FGs against them). Their front (7) is good against the run (second only to SC giving up 100 yards per game), but the back (4) are only middle of the road against the pass giving up 10 TDs and 200+ yards per game thru the air.

USC

Offense - All eyes will be on the OLine. They will be facing an Oregon front seven that gambles and blitzes (17 sacks so far), so communication amongst the OLine will have to be great. QB Mark Sanchez's leadership and confidence will be key . . .he's got to get SC in a rhythm. And he must avoid throwing that 1 INT per game that he's thrown in the last three. RB Joe McKnight just has to put his last forgettable performance out of his mind, and FB Stan Havili needs to get the ball in the passing game again. The other RBs must put their head down and go forward even if a hole is not there. Positive yards to keep drives going is a MUST. To the WR/TE group: Keep doing what you are doing.

Defense - This is a huuuge game for SC's DLine who must get off to a good start. They got ambushed in Corvallis . . . That can't happen in the Coliseum. The Oregon OLine is formidable and will be tough. DT Fili Moala was touted as a pre-season all american . . . this is the game he can prove it in. The LB unit has been shaken up due to MLB Maualuga's injury, so Cushing moves to the middle and Mike Morgan finally gets his starting shot at OLB. Safeties Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays will have to help support the run game, and CBs Cary Harris and Kevin Thomas will need to be alert for the occasional deep pass.

Prediction:

USC - 31

Oregon - 17

Oregon St. shocks USC . . . Again . . . 27 - 21

Well, I guess it shouldn't be a shock by now. Playing in Corvallis is just a bear. This is the second defeat in three games up there, and the last win was a come- from- behind victory. So SC needs to figure out a way to have only home games with Oregon State.

Hold your nose for this breakdown . . . the stench can still be smelled:

Offense -

* QB - Looking at Sanchez's stats, one might say he had a good game - 18-29 for 227 yards passing with 3 TDs and 1 INT. But upon further review, he decision-making was shakier than in passing games as he tried to force a few balls downfield instead of taking the easy pass to keep the chains moving. And then he threw the game killing INT from his own end zone. Grade: B minus

* RBs/FB - A tough and uneven night for these guys - Joe McKnight had his worst game as a Trojan, fumbling and running without authority. Stafon Johnson and CJ Gable did okay, but probably didn't get the ball enough. And where was Stan Havili in the passing game? Did Oregon St. take away his threat or did SC just not call his number? Who knows? Grade: D+

* WRs - Another good game from this group. Damian Williams finished with just under 100 yards on 6 catches, plus scoring on a TD on good effort. Pat Turner and Ronald Johnson turned in solid performances as well combining for (7) catches and both catching TD passes and running good routes. The TEs, however, only caught (2) balls, mostly due to staying back to pass block. Grade: B+

* OLine - Wow . . . I don't think anyone expected this OLine to be overwhelmed by an Oregon St. front seven that was practically all new. But that's what happened. SC's Tackles were out-quicked, and the interior line opened very few holes leading to a paltry 86 rushing yards for the game. They were attacked, but didn't attack back. Grade: D minus

Defense -

* DLine

- The first half from this group was a total mess. DTs Fili Moala and Averil Spicer (who also had two personal foul penalties) had a tough time as Oregon St. rushed for 6 - 8 yards up the middle of SC's defense preventing SC from getting off the field on third down (Oregon St. converted 5 of 7 third downs in the first half). The DEs also did not do their part to stop the run game, as they were easily blocked by slot WRs in motion on some of Oregon State's running plays. Grade: D

* LBs - Rey Maualuga had his first bad game of the year. He was too slow in filling the hole on Oregon State's run game, so his (12) tackles to lead the team was misleading. OLBs Kaluka Maiava and Brian Cushing combined for (2) sacks and (2) pass breakups. They also combined for (19) tackles - unfortunately many of them were downfield. Grade: C minus

* DBs - Although not tested much, this unit played well. At one point, safety Kevin Ellison took over on some possessions in the second half collecting 9 tackles, half a sack, and breaking up two passes. Despite being hurt (bruised chest) Taylor Mays had (6) tackles, and CB Cary Harris collected another (7) tackles. But subbing CB Kevin Thomas just missed making a huuuuge play when a possible INT went off his hands and into a Beavers hands for a TD. Grade: B

Special Teams -
* The kicking teams didn't have much of an impact on the game, but the punt return team was devastating. In fairness to PR Joe McKnight, there were swirling winds, but he fumbled twice (losing one of them) and then did not catch punts that rolled deep into SC territory leading to bad field position for the Trojan offense. Grade: D

Coaching - Offensively, the rhythm of the running and passing games were "off" from the get-go. Oregon St. attacked the line of scrimmage, and zoned up on passing downs, and that combo confused SC. It wasn't until the second half that SC attacked Oregon St. downfield and it worked. But through a critical stretch, SC punted on four possesions and then had the big turnover from Sanchez. Defensively, SC couldn't figure out the Beavers' OLine blocking scheme in the first half. But the coaches did adjust (probably tearing a new one into the DLine) in the second half, forcing Oregon State to punt on (5) straight possessions. Unfortunately, the offense could not capitalize fully. Grade: D

Game Balls - None
Prediction Winner - None