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SC Notes 11/25/11

Looking back at the Oregon game: Even though Lane Kiffin has said on more than a few occasions that SC didn’t play all that well in its victory over Oregon, one has to be impressed with the poise, discipline and play calling throughout the game.  With the exception of RB Marc Tyler’s fumble late in the game, the very young Trojan squad hung together and responded each time they were challenged.  Monte Kiffin did a great job preparing the defense and the Trojans unassisted tackling was a thing of beauty.  When you can limit a spread offense like Oregon’s in yards after the catch and yards after initial contact you will give yourself a chance to win and the Trojans did that.  The 4^th quarter wasn’t pretty but that had to be expected with the Trojan defense being pretty worn down facing the Ducks fast break offense.  The Trojans put on a tackling clinic in Eugene…and most of them are freshman and sophomores…   

The balanced attack on offense was superb and Robert Woods and Marqise Lee proved they are the best wide receiving duo in the country.  How about that offensive line?  Quietly it has become one of the more efficient position groups on the team after being thought of as a big weakness early in the year.

Talk about turning the corner:  After the Arizona State loss many pundits including this one were very concerned about the direction of the now Associate Press 10^th ranked SC football program.  Barring a complete lack of focus and loss to UCLA on Saturday, Lane Kiffin and his staff deserve to be recognized as NCAA Coaches of the year and Matt Barkley should be on his way to New York to take part in the Heisman trophy ceremony. ..it’s amazing what can happen in two months…

Woods on pace to set records: WR Robert Woods, slowed for a few games because of injuries, is

on pace for a record-setting season going into Saturday's finale against UCLA at the Coliseum. He has 99 receptions, three shy of the school and Pac-12 Conference record set by Keyshawn Johnson in 1995. Woods has scored 13 touchdowns. Woods was announced Monday as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, presented annually to college football's top receiver.

Freshman stand out in Oregon game: Redshirt Freshman linebacker Hayes Pullard had a brilliant game making 14 tackles, including two sacks, and forcing a fumble.  True Freshman WR Marqise Lee finished with eight catches for 187 yards and a touchdown.  He has 33 catches, including five for touchdowns in the past four games.

Need to close it out against UCLA: Just like it was a tall task for Oregon to play back to back games against Stanford and SC, it will be tough emotionally for SC to bounce back and play a great game two weeks in a row.  Emotions will be running high and anything can happen in a rivalry game.  A loss to the Bruins Saturday will erase many of the tremendous gains SC has made this year whereas a victory heading into the off-season will create momentum in recruiting and a possible top five pre-season national ranking.

What to look for against UCLA:  *UCLA QB Kevin Prince can be a little bit of a Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde player.  If he is on his game he will cause some problems for the SC defense.  The key will be for SC to pressure him early and not let him scramble for first downs with his feet.  If Prince gets spooked he has a tendency to make ill advised throws.

*UCLA Tight End Joseph Fauria is a strong athlete who definitely makes his presence felt in the red zone. 

*If the Trojans can get up by two or three scores early they should be able to run away with the game.

*As long as the Trojans don’t turn the ball over and they play disciplined football they will be fine.  UCLA cannot match up with Woods and Lee and the SC running game should have success as well.

*Expect the Bruins to play a good game and it will be a dog fight in the second half if the Trojans don’t create separation by the middle of the third quarter.  If this happens the Trojans hold a decisive advantage in the field goal kicking department which could come in handy.

Sibling Rivalry:  SC safety T.J McDonald will be playing against his younger brother UCLA safety Tevin McDonald.   Back-up SC safety Marshall Jones also has a younger brother who is a Bruin, back-up running back Malcolm Jones.

Final Note: In his four years at the helm, UCLA Head Coach Rick Neuheisel has won only three league games on the road and all of them were at the expense of struggling programs.

Make it a great weekend!!

**Remember to read the Skinny on Real Estate Blog: A look at Westside October sales data and other key information you should know.

SC Notes 11/18/11

Coach of the year?: The season has not ended but any objective observer would say that USC is one of the most improved teams in the country this year.  The Trojans have gone from struggling against poor teams such as Minnesota to thoroughly beating solid teams like Washington and Notre Dame and being in a position to beat one of the top teams in the country in Stanford.  As long as the Trojans don’t get upset by the Bruins in two weeks anyone who follows college football has to commend the Trojan staff and players on the marked improvement they have made even if they struggle at #4 Oregon.   I have openly had my concerns with the Kiffin’s at the helm of the program but from what I have seen this year and in the ability to recruit despite severe NCAA sanctions has me firmly believing that this looks like a good hire.  Along those lines, the Trojan Nation has to applaud Monte Kiffin’s job of turning around the defense.  With the exception of two games (probably three after Oregon), the USC defense has given up 17 points or less and tackling in open space better than they have in years.

Why is SC only ranked 18^th?: This is another area where probation and having a defiant attitude during the Bush investigation has hurt the Trojans.  I agree with ESPN Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller who said “There isn't a single person in the country -- at least one with a brain -- who believes 17 teams could beat 8-2 USC. None.  Zero. No one would pick Michigan State to beat USC. No one would pick South Carolina to beat USC. No one would pick Kansas State to beat USC. No one.”

SC has a legit shot to win at #4 Oregon: The Ducks have a tremendous all-around team and they are a ton of fun to watch. However, they don’t appear to be as good as last year’s BCS National Championship participating team and the Trojans are much better than last year’s version that lost to the Ducks 52-31. Secondly, it is very difficult for college athletes to play two emotional games in a row.  Oregon is coming off a huge win over Stanford in a battle of top 10 teams and a let-down typically occurs.  The Trojans have absolutely nothing to lose and are playing with quite a bit of confidence.  Finally, the Trojans will be the most athletic team the Ducks have faced outside of LSU.

SC has a legit shot to get blown out at #4 Oregon: The Ducks are clicking on all cylinders and Auzten stadium is the toughest place to play west of the Mississippi.  The Trojans posses a very young defense and could have a lot of problems with Oregon’s fast pace offense and phenomenal ability to confuse defenders.   Weather could also play a key factor with rain and wind possibly throwing a monkey wrench into an SC passing attack that is not at full strength with WR Robert Woods limping into the game.  Finally, Oregon has been unbeatable for two years when teams do not have more than three weeks to prepare.  Their only losses have been in bowl games or the first game of the year.

The keys to an SC victory:

1-      The Trojans must win the turnover battle:  In Oregon’s close losses to Ohio State, Auburn and LSU, turnovers played a huge factor.  The Trojans must get some help from the Ducks to pull this one out. 

2-      Force Oregon to convert on 3^rd down: “The whole key is to get them to third down,” USC defensive guru Monte Kiffin said. Oregon was only 1 of 9 on third down against Stanford. According to The Oregonian, its percentages have declined steadily: 50 in September, 45.7 in October, 28.6 in November. Although the Ducks still scored 53 points against the Cardinal thanks to big plays and turnovers, the Trojans’ still have to get them to third down — preferably third-and-long. The USC defense did just that against Washington, which entered last week converting 50 percent of its third downs but went just 2 of 13 at the Coliseum.   

3-      Offense needs to shine: Matt Barkley and the Trojan offense will need to create its own tempo and launch a balanced scoring attack that can put up around 40 points and keep the Duck offense off the field.   Observers say that Barkley has looked phenomenal in practice this week. 

4-      The Trojans must make unassisted tackles: This will be the ultimate test to see how much the Trojans tackling has truly improved.  "They're going to make some plays, but where they hurt you is yards after contact," Assistant Head Coach Ed Orgeron said. "We're ready for the speed, but tackling in space is going to be important."

5-      The cold and rainy weather is gone prior to kick-off!!

Quick Duck factoids:  Oregon is first in the Pac-12 in total offense (498.30 ypg), rushing (291.80) and scoring (46.70 ppg). It’s second in passing efficiency (160.94) and sacks allowed (0.70 spg). It ranks in the top 12 in the nation in all of those  Running back LaMichael James has rushed for a nation-leading 150.8 yards a game.  USC gives up 100.4 yards rushing, which ranks eighth nationally.  The Ducks aren’t just about offense. Their defensive line is tied for fifth in the nation in sacks. . .

Trojan health update:  Lane Kiffin has been hinting that WR Robert Woods may not play against Oregon since he is dealing with a myriad of injuries.  However, we fully expect him to attempt to play and he stated today (Thursday) that he feels better than he did going into the Washington game.  

Senior defensive tackles DaJohn Harris and Christian Tupou remain limited because of ankle and knee injuries, respectively. Tupou will play; Harris is questionable. Redshirt freshman George Uko is expected to start in Harris' place for the second consecutive game.

 SC Notes 11/11/11

First and foremost: A big THANK YOU to all military personnel/veterans who protect this country and provide us with safety and freedom we are so lucky to have! Enjoy this special day.  

Perfect timing for game against an awful Colorado team:  The banged up and emotionally spent Trojans caught a much needed break in the schedule when they played Colorado last week.  After two highly emotional games and missing important starters on the defensive side of the ball the Trojans were in a position to be vulnerable and possibly drop a game they should win.  Despite a quick score by the Buffaloes, the Trojans buckled down with a great offensive effort and took control of the game quickly.  Not only did the Trojans avoid this trap game but it was a great opportunity for the reserves filling in for starters to get quality snaps in a road environment.         

Injury update for the Washington game:  Fortunately Trojan stud outside linebacker and leading tackler Dion Bailey (concussion) has been cleared to play and will start.  Senior running back Marc Tyler is ready to go but will probably back-up Curtis McNeil.  Defensive tackle DaJohn Harris (ankle) and cornerback Torin Harris (shoulder) will be game-time decisions.  Freshman J.R. Tavai will play in place of Harris if he cannot go.

 Expect a shoot-out at the Coliseum- Pete Carroll’s two former offensive assistants could be taking part in a big-time offensive shoot-out even if the expected rain showers take place.  The Huskies are 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (33.4 points per game), ninth in total defense (424.9 ypg) and last in passing defense (283.1 ypg).  Matt Barkley should have a field day against the Huskies and overrated defensive coordinator in Nick Holt, especially if the running game can get going early. 

On the flip side, Washington is a very difficult match-up for the Trojan defense.  Husky quarterback Keith Price has had an excellent sophomore year with over 2,100 yard passing and a 67% completion rate.  He is agile and can easily run for major yardage which has been a problem for Trojan defenses in recent history.  Price is surrounded by an excellent cadre of skill players as well.  Running back Chris Polk (former SC commit) is one of the best in the Pac-12.  He has rushed for at least 100 yards in seven games and averaged 148.5 yards rushing in a recent four-game stretch.  The number one thing the SC defense must do is contain him and get a solid performance from its defensive line.  Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse is a stud and will create match-up issues in the secondary.  

Trojans showing improvement in the fourth quarter: Coach Lane Kiffin has adjusted how many snaps he has been playing the lineman on both sides of the ball and it is helping the Trojans finish stronger.   "Playing our (starters) every snap, especially in the front seven, was not working," Kiffin said. "We just were not productive in the fourth quarter.  You go back to last year's game against Washington, (defensive tackle) Armond Armstead's playing 72 snaps, I think we had four defensive linemen playing over 65 snaps.”  The recruiting focus on the offensive and defensive lines is already starting to show positive signs by providing depth the Trojans just didn’t have last year.  It is still a work in progress and the depth is very young but it is nice to know the Trojans best players can get a few plays off and have some gas in the tank in the 4^th quarter. 

The Conductor of the Lane Train says: “All aboard! Kiffie has the boys playing.  Stepped up and finished off Colorado in a situation where lack of focus could have easily popped up. . .Going to be a real tough one against Sark and the Huskies.  Sark has faced a tough schedule as of late but feels confident his boys are ready to finish the year strong.  Feel bad for Holt (Washington defensive coordinator), just doesn’t seem like he can get it together defensively…Kiff respects Price and what Sark can do with the passing game but feels he has a solid edge with Barkley and his NFL type receivers.   Kiff also wants to continue to show off SC’s ability to run block…thinks he can spring for over 150+ yards.  It should be another great one in the Coli!”

MAKE IT A GREAT WEEKEND!!

SC Notes 11/4/11

A game for the ages:  Last week’s game vs. Stanford was simply amazing.  Obviously it was a bummer that SC lost but those that witnessed the game in the Coliseum had to walk away with the feeling they witnessed something special that night.  Stanford QB Andrew Luck and SC QB Matt Barkley helped give the game a pro feeling.  Luck has the moxy of a pro quarterback already and should be an All-Pro very soon in the NFL.  Barkley showed the college football world he will compete and some pro scouts say he has made himself a top 10 pick.

The Barkley factor: Over the past few years SC fans have been split on Barkley. Some love him and some feel he is overrated and too slow with his feet.  The last two games have had to make a believer out of some of the naysayers and frankly they better start getting on his bandwagon.  He is not in the class of Andrew Luck (frankly, nobody really is) but USC is extremely lucky to have a quarterback as talented as Barkley.  SC has been spoiled by some pretty amazing QB’s in the last decade (4 starting in the NFL- no other school can say that).  I have always stated that if a kid is going to be a 1^st round pick, especially top 15, he should go to the NFL and get his paycheck.  However, Matt Barkley has a ton to gain by staying and not going pro after this season.  He can be the potential #1 pick or at least the #1 QB taken next year (could be the 3^rd or 4^th this year) along with being seen as the man who led SC out of the darkness of NCAA bowl sanctions and right back into a BCS bowl which will rank him pretty darn high in Trojan football history.  Oh, a possible Heisman Trophy as well though Robert Woods could have something to say about that. . .

What the last two games proved: Kiffin has his team heading in the right direction and if they finish strong they will be highly regarded next year, despite the NCAA sanctions they are facing.  It is difficult for college kids to play two big-time games back to back and perform well in both.  The Trojans did that and put themselves back into the national conversation.  Young players are stepping up and the team as a whole is executing better and most importantly playing good fundamental football.  The jury is still out on Monte Kiffin but the defense is turning the corner.  Running back Curtis McNeil is really showing some pop and you can see that Kiffin is looking for him and George Farmer to be a potent 1-2 punch next year.  EXCITING!  Bottom line: People now want to see what SC is going to do the rest of the season.  After the loss to ASU, USC was beginning to become a back page news story on ESPN Gameday. . .not anymore.  Now they need to finish strong and capitalize on this momentum.

Don’t let the ultimate trap game catch you: After two highly emotional games and a short week to prepare, the Colorado game is truly the ultimate trap game with tough games against Washington and Oregon looming ahead.  SC is a 21 point favorite but Colorado returns stud receiver Paul Richardson and might also have top Running Back Rodney Stewart.  Before his injury he caught a school record 11 receptions for 284 yards in a triple overtime loss to Cal.  Stewart is a workhorse back that was projected as a 1^st team All-Pac 12 player.  SC could be without the services of leading tackler Dion Bailey due to the concussion he suffered against Stanford.  This could be a huge loss to the defense.  When he went out against Stanford it was evident SC had virtually no chance of stopping Luck in the red zone.  Also, Safety TJ McDonald has been suspended for the 1^st half.  Add all of this together along with a nationally televised game, near freezing temperatures on a Friday night with Colorado smelling upset and SC could be in for a tough fight.  The Trojans need a focused and sustained effort which has not necessarily been the case in recent history when playing an opponent they know they should handle easily. 

The Conductor of the Lane Train says:  “I have been difficult to get a hold of the past few weeks. My bad. Hey, how about them Trojans!  I kept telling everyone that you better get aboard the train because once this puppy is full they don’t let the bandwagon on and Kiff doesn’t play games.  It takes about a year and a half to get things going in most instances and as a coach it is so much fun when you start getting things rolling and all the people who didn’t believe come full circle and bend over backwards to be your friend.  SC is the best at that… How about that run game adjustment in the second half by Kiffin and the O-line coach? Changed the blocking scheme up and McNeil made them look slow.   That kid has some game.  Kiff’s gotta keep Barkley around…team could be real special next year and energize the Coli...but you need an experienced QB to be special.  Still pisses me off about Sanchez leaving when he did. Happy the kid is doing well but talk about throwing a monkey wrench into a good thing.”

SC Notes 10/28/11

Best all-around performance by Kiffin coached team in a big game:  When USC punched the ball in for its first score in South Bend rushing the ball down Notre Dame’s throat last week something felt different about SC football and it was a positive feeling that has not been felt in over three years.  Kiffin went against tendencies, challenged Notre Dame’s supposedly solid D-line and let the team ease into a pretty chaotic atmosphere.  The Trojan coaching staff coached a brilliant game and the players played with purpose and discipline.  Sixth ranked Stanford without question will be a much tougher test and Notre Dame did hand USC the game with timely turnovers so it is not time to celebrate.  However, love him or hate him, Kiffin and his team deserve praise for turning Notre Dame’s “Super Bowl” atmosphere into a nightmare of negativity and “We Want Urban” chants.

Stanford reminds some of SC in 04: In a very short period of time, Stanford has gone from one of the worst teams in the NCAA to a team that seems to have many similarities to the Matt Leinart led USC squad’s without the world class team speed.  Stanford is led by the best quarterback in college football, plays extremely physical and takes pride in outworking everyone as the game wears on.  They have won their past 10 games by 25 or more points!  

One NFL scout stated to me that he would have loved to see this Stanford team play USC’s 2004 squad.   Even though former Head Coach Jim Harbaugh has left for the 49’ers, they still possess his “winning is the only thing attitude” and there dominant offensive line is the true story of Stanford’s greatness which could be said about SC during its magical run…a run that started to lose its juice just 5 short years ago when Stanford came into the Coliseum as a 42 point underdog and shocked the world…

SC not at full strength: Lost in the hype of USC’s big win last week and ESPN “College Gameday” atmosphere is that stud WR Robert Woods is “limited” due to a bad ankle and pulled groin, freshman phenom kicker Andre Hedari also has a bad ankle and Freshman RB George Farmer is “out” also due to an ankle injury which happened in practice on Tuesday.  Now, I wouldn’t put it past Kiffin to be playing some mind games with Stanford’s coaching staff regarding the severity of these injuries but if Woods is seriously limited along with WR Marqise Lee and RB Marc Tyler only a few weeks out from shoulder injuries, SC could be playing at a serious disadvantage on Saturday.  Expect Hedari and Woods to play but it will be interesting to see how effective they are.

Not so good Barkley stat: In games after Oct. 25th in 2009 and 2010, quarterback Matt Barkley has 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. This trend will need to be reversed for SC to have any chance on Saturday.

Match-up to watch on Saturday: Besides the touted Andrew Luck vs. Matt Barkley match-up, the battle in the trenches between two future NFL players USC Defensive End Nick Perry and Stanford Offensive Tackle Jonathan Martin will play a huge factor in this game.  The 6’6, 300 pound Martin is the anchor of the best offensive line in the Pac-12 and if Perry can have some success it will be a big boost for the Trojan offense.

FYI: The Stanford offensive line has only allowed two sacks all season.  However, SC has the best front seven they have faced this summer.

Keys to the game: This is easily the best team USC has played all season and it is paramount the Trojans continue to play efficient, turnover free football on offense and create opportunities on defense.

* SC needs to be able to run the ball: Stanford ranks 4^th in the nation in scoring defense (giving up only 12.6 pts. a game) and only gives up 75.6 yards per game rushing (3^rd in the nation).   The Trojans should have success thru the air but must be able to keep Stanford off-balance with a good run game to keep Barkley from being roughed up by Stanford’s strong D-line.  Stanford has over 25 sacks on the season.

* SC needs to be able to contain Stanford on the ground:  Even though Stanford has the best QB in the country, if SC cannot contain the Stanford running game, the Trojans will get blown out (ex: Stanford over Washington 65-21 with over 400 yds rushing).

 * Score touchdowns in the red zone: SC did a much better job in the red zone against Notre Dame and needs to continue that trend and punch the ball into the end zone especially since Hedari is not 100%.

Make it a great weekend and hopefully it will be a great one in the Coliseum Saturday.

SC Notes 10/21/11

UCLA Note- A source close to the UCLA athletic department told me UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisal may not last through the season despite Athletic Director Dan Guerrero’s comments to the contrary.  It is not his style to make a change in the middle of the season and has a very friendly relationship with Rick so it could very well not happen.  However, UCLA clearly looks lost and Guerrero might be better off ending the speculation and focusing on Neuheisal’s replacement.  He is currently 0-2 on hires and the next guy needs to be a proven commodity. Names to consider: Mike Belotti, Mike Riley, Al Golden (if NCAA cloud the he inherited at Miami allows him out of his contract- was a finalist when Neuheisal got the job), Chris Peterson (Boise St.). Long-shot- The Bruin fan base wants Urban Meyer but I have a real hard time believing they or its boosters could afford him and his staff.  Also, if Meyer comes back to coaching he will probably land at a more tradition rich school like Ohio State or USC.

Quick review of Cal game: Though the score looked fairly impressive the Trojans still looked shaky against a Cal team that turned the ball over 5 times.  The Red zone offense still seems to be an issue and Barkley clearly seemed a little confused by Cal’s defensive schemes.   

The defense was solid but not challenged at all by Cal QB Zack Maynard.  He is awful. 

How about SC’s special teams! The unit is playing very well and freshman kicker Andre Hedari looks like a star in the making and definitely worth the scholarship that a Pete Carroll coached team probably wouldn’t have used.

Oops…All-American Michael Floyd wanted to be a Trojan: The Notre Dame star wide receiver wanted to play for the Trojans when he was an underclassman in Minnesota but when Floyd was a senior, USC did not like his film. . .another example of some so-so recruiting when Pete Carroll had his son Brennan as recruiting coordinator.  I still think the best overlooked player was Stanford RB Toby Gerhart who also wanted to be a Trojan. (*source: Scott Wolf)

Oops Part II: WR Ronald Johnson’s drop of Mitch Mustain’s pass at the ND 15 yard-line for a sure go ahead touchdown with one minute still stings many Trojans.  A tough ending to a pretty solid career by Johnson. . .

WR Lee should play…Tyler still iffy: Lee will probably start the game WR but don’t be surprised to see RB Curtis McNeil get the start as RB Marc Tyler’s dislocated shoulder is better but he has not faced contact since the injury.  Kififin will probably want to get a feel for the game before deciding on Tyler.

Will RB Carlisle get a shot?: Freshman Running Back Amir Carlisle is 100% after spraining his ankle and was the star of many fall practices. . .the coaches want to get him on the field as the future looks to be Farmer and Carlisle at the position. However, it probably won’t happen in such a hostile environment.

A huge game for both programs:  Even though both the Trojans and Irish are not ranked this is a huge game in front of a primetime national TV audience and a ton of nationally ranked recruits.  A loss by the Trojans will give ND Head Coach Brian Kelly two wins in a row over the Trojans and huge recruiting momentum against SC along with the sanctions the Trojans are dealing with.  Also, SC will be facing Stanford, Washington and Oregon over the next month while ND should win the rest of its games outside of its match-up with Stanford.

Don’t kid yourself…Notre Dame is pretty good: If it wasn’t for a freak rainstorm delaying ND’s game with South Florida and Michigan QB Denard Robinson making some unbelievable 4^th quarter plays ND would be undefeated.  They are starting to round into form and are playing with a chip on their shoulder.  A friend close to the ND Coach Brian Kelly told me that Kelly is very confident and thinks they are ready for prime time.  He has not been this confident and uttered words close to that since taking over the program.

Defensively, ND is led by former SC commit (last second change of heart to Notre Dame) Mantei Te’o.  He plays like a beast and leads the team in total tackles, solo stops, assisted tackles and tackles on running plays. He also leads all the middle linebackers in the country in sacks and tackles for a loss.  USC quarterback Matt Barkley had a problem when going up against ASU LB Vontaz Berfict and Teo is better than Berfict.

The ND defense prides themselves on not giving up big plays and don’t mind teams racking up a ton of yardage as long as it doesn’t mean lots of points.  Head Coach Brian Kelly feels he has a decisive advantage defensively and is also banking on a porous SC red zone offense to be kicking field goals while they score touchdowns.  

Offensively, the Irish have a balanced attack led by a decent QB in Tommy Rees.  Wide Receiver Michael Floyd is a Robert Woods type receiver who could have a huge day if the Trojans can’t pressure Rees.  Running Back Cierre Wood averages nearly 6 yards a carry and look for ND to try and establish the line of scrimmage early with some runs up the middle to test the Trojan D-Line. In red zone situations and some 3^rd and long situations look for ND to utilize 6’6 Tight End Tyler Eifert. 

Keys to a USC victory: 1- Contain Notre Dame’s rushing attack- ND is very difficult to beat under Brian Kelly when rushing for over 200 yards a game. They surpassed that total in its last three victories. One of the nice things about the Cal victory was USC’s ability to stop the Cal rushing attack.  Unfortunately ND QB Rees is far better than Cal’s Maynard but if they can put together the same performance that will be a major step toward victory.

2- Take advantage of better Special Teams play- ND Placekicker David Ruffer is only 4-8 on field goals and they are not very good punting the ball while USC placekicker Andre Heidari is 10-of-11 in field goals and 18-of-18 in extra points.  Offensive Tackle Matt Kalil has blocked four kicks.  The weather will be cold and windy so that could shake up SC’s obvious advantage in this area.

3- Score in the Red-Zone- USC must improve on its paltry 52% scoring average in the red zone and they will need at least 70% of those opportunities to go for touchdowns.

4- Barkley must have a great game- The SC QB must complete on at least 70% of his passes and be in-sync with Robert Woods especially since Marqise Lee is not 100%. He also needs to utilize his athletic Tight Ends. . . Barkley passed for 380 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman in South Bend as a freshman so he is familiar with having success at the Mecca of college football.

Make it a great weekend and those in Chicago for the game make sure you are bundled up as the night time kick-off temp is supposed to be around 40 degrees.

SC Notes 10/13/11

A look back at the Arizona game: USC’s offensive performance against Arizona was a thing of beauty.  Kiffin exploited the porous Arizona defense with Playstation 3 like efficiency.   Even though Robert Woods had an amazing day with over 200+ yards receiving, Barkley spread the ball around and did a good job of using Woods as a decoy creating opportunities for others. 

The special teams unit is improved over last year and freshman kicker Hadari is impressive and has a very bright future ahead of him.  Solid special teams should lead to a close victory or two that USC would not have pulled out the past two seasons.

Even though Arizona QB Nick Foles has a promising pro future ahead of him the USC defense looks below average and has not improved nearly as much as observers felt early in the year.  With the highest paid defensive coordinator in the country and top 10 recruited talent, USC has absolutely no excuse to play the type of defense they are playing.  Though Linebacker Chris Galippo is a good leader, he is a little slow and overworked. The Trojans need to get true freshman Lamar Dawson healed from his high ankle sprain and on the field to split time with Galippo.

Current running backs don’t impress Kiffin: When the highly touted recruit George Farmer started playing running back the writing was on the wall that Kiffin wants to go in a new direction.  He wouldn’t move the #1 recruit in the nation at wide receiver to running back and burn a redshirt year ½ through a non-bowl year if he felt players like Dillon Baxter and Curtis McNeil had a great future.   With Marc Tyler playing his last season at USC look for Kiffin to start focusing on Farmer and fellow true freshman Amir Carlisle backing up Tyler.  Kiffin still likes McNeil and thinks he will play an important role but doesn’t feel he is the answer with Barkley probably headed to the NFL draft.  A consistent running game with explosiveness and catching the ball out of the backfield will be paramount with a young quarterback.   

On that note USC should strongly consider moving Dillon Baxter to fullback/H-Back and have him play a Stanley Havili type role…unless Kiffin is sending a message to Baxter to take his talents and attitude elsewhere which could easily be the case.

The move of Farmer to RB also creates more opportunities in the future for wide receivers like Kyle Prater.   The last thing USC wants is players transferring with severe scholarship limits over the next three years.

 Should two-way talk start again?: Last year Kiffin talked openly about the USC program strongly considering the use of players on both sides of the ball especially when scholarship reductions hit.  With the USC defense performing at such a sub-par level wouldn’t the defense be aided by having the talents of Robert Woods, Marquise Lee and Curtis McNeil rotating in sparingly especially when facing opponents with high powered and high volume offenses like Oregon and Stanford? 

Games are won in the red zone: If USC is going to approach a 9 win season they must continue to improve in the red zone on both sides of the ball.  The offense looked great against Arizona but don’t be fooled.  The Arizona defense is terrible and SC also scored on a lot of big plays.  I don’t know what the answer is defensively but at 1.2 million per year Monte Kiffin needs to figure it out.  The games against Notre Dame and Cal will really show us if improvement has been made in this department.

Reason for concern:  USC has been fortunate to start the season against a very light schedule.  USC's four victories are over teams with a combined record of 8-15. If you take away Football Championship Subdivision teams, like Arizona's lone victory over Northern Arizona, the record is 5-15.  The only above average team USC played (Arizona State), soundly beat them in the second half.  SC struggled to beat a Minnesota team that lost to Michigan 59-0. 

Even though Cal has been struggling they played a great half of football against Oregon and possess more than enough talent to beat a mistake prone Trojan team.  The Gold sheet out of Las Vegas has SC losing to Cal tonight due to defensive deficiencies. 

A look at the Cal game: A win at Cal tonight is imperative for a Trojan team facing back to back games against Notre Dame and Stanford.  

Though the gold sheet is down on the Trojans prospects, USC’s offense should have a field day against Cal’s secondary and if they limit turnovers and play disciplined they should pull it out in the 4^th quarter. Cal is just a little too young at QB.  However, if SC has red zone deficiencies and can’t protect Barkley (see 2^nd half of ASU game) they will lose.

USC will not be able to stop Cal junior RB Isi Sofele but they need to slow him down and force QB Zack Maynard into obvious passing situations allowing the secondary and linebackers to take advantage of his accuracy issues under pressure.  If Sofele routinely breaks off 5-7 yard runs and sets up play-action opportunities Cal will be able to torch the Trojans as WR’s Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones are some of the best in the Pac-12. 

SC Notes 9/30/11

Offensive Line woes continue- Though Matt Barkley made some bad decisions, the offensive line was a strong contributing factor.  Guard Kevin Graf had a very difficult game and ASU’s defensive line was able to routinely expose him and freshman Martin Coleman. Hopefully Graf can step it up but Kiffin has moved Freshman Audrey Walker to the position and he has competed well this week in practice and could start over Graf on Saturday.   Expect teams to routinely blitz the SC offense forcing Barkley into quicker throws.  The good news is that run blocking is improving and that could lead to some big gains on the ground against overzealous defenses.  

Red-zone offense- Lane Kiffin is considered in some circles as an offensive guru but he needs to seriously consider hiring a seasoned play-caller to help him especially when it comes to execution in the red zone.  The Trojans are difficult to watch when the field gets shorter and most defensive coaches will tell you it is easier to scout against an offense on a shorter field.  This has been a problem dating back to last year and frankly it is unacceptable for the amount of offensive talent USC has. The offensive line woes contribute to this issue but for the Trojans to truly compete as a top 15 program the red zone offense has to improve.  Kiffin is spread pretty thin with all the head coaching duties and a play-caller up in the booth would make a difference and may keep him in his “dream job” longer than two to three years.

Self-sabotage- Though the score indicated a thorough beating in Tempe, the reality is that if SC limited turnovers and stupid penalties SC may very well have been victorious by 14+ points.  Whether it is a player issue or a coach issue, the Trojans are impeding their own progress. The concern is this has been an issue in the program for three plus seasons.  The good news is the talent is in place for SC to put together some impressive games this season against the likes of Stanford, Oregon, etc if they can eliminate many of the errors.  If they don’t figure it out, SC will have top 10 talent and finish 6-6.

The conductor of the Lane Train says: “Barkley is getting unfairly criticized at times. The offensive line is getting beat up and it is tough to sit back and make the right throw when you are hurried and told to make something happen. . .SC probably wins going away without the turnovers in Tempe.  Kiffie needs to address the turnover situation badly…Defensively SC has to stop thinking and reacting…Arizona is going to bring it and Kiffie better get the boys ready or he will be on a hot seat from what I hear…that would be a shame.”

Litmus test Saturday- This game could be the biggest game in Kiffin’s USC tenure.  A win gives the Trojans a solid 4-1 record going into a bye week before a tough three game stretch.  A loss will create more doubt and create a slippery slope for the Trojans that could lead to a third straight disappointing year.  

What to look for from the Trojans on Saturday- Don’t be surprised if you see a little more Wildcat out of the Trojans…a throw from Tyler or Baxter on a short yardage third or 4^th down play late in the game could be in the cards if the Trojans have been successful with the formation earlier in the game.

 Defensively look for Monte Kiffin to try and disguise Hayes Pullard around the defensive line and see if he can intercept a short pass.  The Trojans might give up a few more big plays but hope they also create more turnovers and take advantage of Arizona QB Nick Foles propensity to force throws.

Trojans Win Saturday if -They are able to run the ball effectively.  Arizona struggles against the run (119^th in the country) and Tyler and company should run for 150+ yards.

- Convert in the red zone- SC will need to convert more touchdowns than field goals to pull out a victory.

-Get Foles out of the pocket-  Foles is a gamer and will continue fighting.  SC needs to constantly pressure him and get him out of the pocket.  He is pretty slow and doesn’t throw as well on the run.  If he has time he will throw for 300+ yards and wreak havoc on the Trojan secondary.

Trojans Lose Saturday if - They continue to make untimely mental mistakes and don’t take Arizona seriously.  Arizona has struggled but the struggles have been against nationally ranked top 15 teams and they see a victory over USC as a golden opportunity to get back on track. 

This one could come down to who has the ball last…could go either way

SC Notes 9/23/11

Trojans needed that: After playing two sub-par games the Trojans finally proved they are capable of a complete effort with its victory over Syracuse.  This was sorely needed heading into this weekend’s showdown in Tempe against Arizona State.  Without this thrashing of Syracuse the young Trojans would have nothing to fall back on and be susceptible to losing confidence early if things don’t go well early on Saturday.

Offensive Line loses Markowitz for season- The worst fears concerning Left Guard Abe Markowitz were realized on Wednesday when Head Coach Lane Kiffin announced his injured left foot was indeed a stress fracture and he will be out for the season.  Markowitz would have probably been a starter this season.   The good news is true Freshman Marcus Martin will get a ton of experience and has tremendous upside.  The bad news is the offensive line is already thin on depth and they can’t afford anymore attrition. 

Defensive Lineman Armstead to redshirt- Without clearance from SC’s doctors, Stud Defensive Tackle Armond Armstead has decided to redshirt this season.  Though the defensive line has performed well in Armstead’s absence he is an NFL talent and will be sorely missed this season.  A chance exists that Armstead will apply for the NFL draft and forego playing for the Trojans next season.

Woods opening up opportunities for Tight Ends and Fullbacks:  Wide Receiver Robert Woods is one of the most respected players in the nation and starting to command double teams which should really help the Trojan offense take it to the next level.  During the Carroll era the SC offense was at its best when teams were consumed with stopping Reggie Bush.  Though Bush still had some huge games it was the games that he was relatively quiet and drawing tons of attention that the offense really flourished.   With Woods drawing this type of attention the Trojans should continue to get favorable match-ups for Tight End Randall Telfer (All-American upside) and Fullback Rhett Ellison.  Also, look for Kiffin to start incorporating more short passes to the tailbacks where Woods is occupying defenders.  The goal of these quick throws will be to gain 5-7 yards and supplement the running game which is having a tough time getting going this year. 

 Speaking of supplementing the running game: You simply can’t run where you don’t have space. The Trojans will never abandoned the running game and Kiffin is all about balance but don’t be surprised if Barkley is throwing the ball 40-50 times routinely.   However, don’t let that stat fool you.  Many of these throws will be quick and safe and taking the place of what might be called if SC was a little stronger upfront.  A famous former SC offensive coordinator once told me that people misconstrued balance as 50/50 run-pass.  Many short passing plays function as running plays to get you better position on 2^nd or 3^rd downs.  Not every passing play has to go for 10+ yards. . .

A partial reason why Dillon Baxter is in the Kiffin dog house:  Though Kiffin will not admit it publicly part of the reason Baxter is not seeing the field (besides not consistently practicing well) is the high school highlight phenom is not as fast as the coaches thought.  He makes good quick moves but his 40 times have supposedly come in around the 4.6 range which ranks him fifth on the running back depth chart in terms of speed.  His big play ability at the BCS level is being questioned.

The Conductor of the Lane Train says: “Good complete game from SC.  Told you Kif would open things up.  This team will be fine as long as they don’t turn the ball over.  Will be interesting to see how they play in Tempe. Tough place to play and Berfict is the best Linebacker in college football. Should have been a Trojan but was a little too crazy for us off the field plus we thought we had Jones and Telfort who would have been all-conference at the very least. Crazy how things end up. Hey, Barkley starting to show that skill we all talked about coming out of Mater Dei and Kif will make sure he has monster stats.  Last thing- Don’t put it past Erickson to try and go after Barkley. He’s a dirty SOB and this is a huge game for his job security.”

A look at Arizona State: The Trojans definitely face its toughest test of the young season on Saturday night.  The crowd in Tempe will be hostile and it will be interesting to see how the inexperienced Trojan players handle it especially true freshman Offensive Tackle Martin Coleman.  Arizona State returns all 11 starters on the offensive side of the ball led by QB Brock Osweiler.  He looked great in their two victories but he has a tendency to self-distruct when facing a lot of pressure.  It will be important for SC to try and rattle him early. He was sacked 6 times in the Sun Devils lone loss to Illinois last week.   Despite his struggles, the Sun Devils probably should have won the road game as they outgained Illinois 362 yards to 240.  Look for them to run a hybrid spread offense.

Defensively they are anchored by All-American Linebacker Vontaz Burfict.  He will be emotionally charged for this game being a one-time SC commit and that could play against him. He is known for untimely personal foul penalties but seems to have cleaned up his act this year knowing a top 10 draft position in the NFL is potentially on the line.  USC will be fine if they keep false start penalties to a minimum and give Barkley some time to make plays.  ASU will bring a ton of blitz packages in hopes of shaking up the SC offensive line which will also provide huge opportunities for the young Trojan offense. 

This is the biggest game of the year for ASU and head coach Dennis Erickson. Everyone is expecting them to take the next step this year and possibly win the Pac-12 South.  If SC plays disciplined /focused football they will leave Tempe with a victory but it will be very tough.  SC has yet to play a road game and have not faced a team with this much athleticism.  It should be a great game.

Last fact to keep in mind: ASU is 3-11 in games decided by 7 points or less in the past three seasons. 

SC Notes 9/16/11

Lacking killer instinct:  The Trojans were clearly better than Utah on both sides of the ball and should have won by at least three touchdowns.  Unfortunately this was the second game in a row where a clearly inferior opponent was in a position to potentially win the game late in the 4^th quarter. This will eventually cost SC a game or two they should win.  Though I appreciate the Trojans focus on executing on both sides of the ball in an almost mechanical fashion they need to throw in some pazaaz and ride the momentum when they have it.  This team seems to be going through the motions a majority of the time and waiting for something to happen as opposed to making something happen.  The players need to step up and make plays and Kiffin needs to give them a little more freedom.

True freshman might start at Left Guard: Marcus Martin (Crenshaw High School) continued to work with the first-team offense at left guard in practice this week and appears on track to become the first true freshman since Jeff Byers in 2004 to start at guard for USC.  It will take some time but Martin is an imposing force and the Trojans need to shore up the Left Guard position with the meat of the schedule arriving next week.

Interesting Stat about Kiffin as a head coach/offensive coordinator: When looking at Kiffin’s number’s when running an offense at the college level they decrease dramatically throughout a game compared to fellow FBS schools.  Typically, his 1^st and 2^nd quarter numbers are in the top 20. However, they drop off dramatically and rank around 70 in the third quarter and below 90^th in the 4^th!  Many things can factor into these numbers but this stat seems to show he does a great job of preparing the game plan but struggles with in-game adjustments and prefers to play conservative with any type of lead.

Will Armstead ever get to play?: Stud Defensive Tackle Armond Armstead had and undisclosed medical issue pop up this summer and he has yet to be cleared by the University even though some outside doctors have declared him fit to play.  Since the issue seems to be heart related the University is being extra cautious.  Kiffin would hate to see Armstead declaed unable to play at USC and see him transfer.  Linebacker Jarvis Jones was not cleared by the University last year and he transferred to Georgia where he was cleared and now a starting linebacker. 

The Conductor of the Lane Train Says: “People need to lay off Kif for not opening up the offense. Without the two turnovers in the red zone SC runs away with the game. It’s all about protecting the football especially in the red zone.  Also, Kif needs to protect Barkley.  The O-Line is still young and mediocre and can’t afford to lose Barkley…Barkley goes down and the season will resemble the Titanic. . .like those Tight Ends he has out there and TMZ boy looks like the natural fit as the #1 ball carrier. “

Linebacking core impressive: Observers have to be pleased with what they are seeing out of the linebacking core this year.  Redshirt Freshman Hayes Pullard seems to have a real nose for the ball and Chris Gallippo makes up for his lack of foot speed with good instinctual football.   Nice to see #55 true Freshman Lamar Dawson get a look this past week.  His athleticism is special and you should expect great things from him throughout his SC career.

Clean play: Trojans played a very clean game against Utah which is great to see. In Caroll’s last two seasons the Trojans resembled an old tenant of the Coliseum that wears Silver and Black… This trend of clean play needs to continue for them to be able to have a chance against teams like Oregon and ASU. 

Thoughts on the Syracuse game:  Once again the Trojans have an advantage in almost every fact of the game this week and should handily win this game.  The key is going to be how SC’s offensive line matches up with the Syracuse defensive line which is Syracuse’s strength.  Matt Barkley will put up big-time numbers against a weak secondary if the offensive line has a solid game.  If not, it will be another close one at the Coliseum. 

Though the Trojans are 2-0 they need a consistent performance where they are able to hit on some big plays to help their confidence heading into the big showdown with Arizona State next week.

SC Notes 9/9/11

Can the coaching staff be a little less arrogant?:  The Trojans are simply not anywhere near where they were circa 2003-2007. For the Trojans to have a successful 9 win season they are going to have to grind some very tough games out and win based on execution and solid play.  The days of Trojan intimidation are over for now.  The last thing this coaching staff should be doing is giving teams hope by going for two points early in games.  The Trojans were 1 unfortunate play away from losing to a team they should have soundly beaten.    It is one thing when you are the best team in the country and have that intimidation factor but not when you are the current USC team.   Get all the points you can and use the two point plays in specific/surprise situations. 

Offensive play-calling:  I don’t mind going to Robert Woods all day long but the concern is whether the offense has any flow to it.  Are any plays or sets of plays being called to set up something later in the game?  Chow and Carroll did a terrific job of that and completely exposed defenses in the second half of games.  When Kiffin was OC back then the talent level was ridiculous and SC put up mind blowing numbers but a quick look at the box scores and you will notice SC stopped trouncing people in the second half when he took over for Chow.  Kiffin gets a pass for awhile right now due to the lack of depth and overall talent on the O-Line and the good news is the experience he is gaining will lead to more fluid play calling…he is only in his mid 30’s. . .

Sub-Plot- the running back situation:  It will be very interesting to see how Kiffin deploys the running backs this week.  Marc Tyler is back from suspension and Dillon Baxter should be in the mix more often this week after only playing 1 snap against Minnesota.  Kiffin sent a strong message to Baxter that his intensity level in practice needs to be at a higher level to garner playing time even though he is the most talented back.   Word is that Baxter has stepped it up and should get some opportunities.  This could leave DJ Morgan and Curtis McNeil on the outside looking in if Tyler and Baxter have success. 

Both Curtis McNeal and DJ Morgan show signs of explosiveness but Baxter and Tyler are bigger backs and Kiffin has told the media they need for some size at the position.

The Conductor of the Lane Train says:  “Choo Choo…a win is a win. Robert Woods is amazing…wish I could have coached that kid. He is going to break records with Lane calling the plays and Matt throwing darts to him.   Overall, tough first game and gotta improve second half performance. What is Laine doing to those guys at half time?  People need to give this group some time though.  Lane is a bit frustrated with the execution on all fronts but this group will improve.  He is trying to get some of the kids like Baxter to step it up and you can only do that with the bench which hurts the team in the short term.  He needs them to perform consistently and Always Compete.  Defensively, I like how Monte has made some adjustments on defense. Time has not passed him by. You watch.  He’ll get it done and they will be formidable.”

Utah is decent but not the Utes of the past couple of years:  Fortunately for the Trojans the inaugural Pac-12 game against Utah is against a team that is in the process of rebuilding after a great run of success where they reached a BCS bowl and had quite a bit of success against rank opponents.  Offensively expect the Utes to play discipline/balanced football led by Running Back John White IV. In typical Chow fashion he will try and set the SC defense up to be susceptible to big plays in the second half.  Unfortunately for the Utes QB Jordan Wynn has been a bit of a disappointment and should have trouble with the Trojans defensive team speed.  If the Utes are able to run well up the middle then this will be a difficult game for the Trojans to win.  However, if the Trojans force the Utes into long passing plays the Trojans should accomplish a double digit victory.   Defensively, the Utes are solid but will have a very difficult time containing the Trojans offense.  With most of the focus on Robert Woods look for the Trojans to spread the ball out more and have more success on mid- to long range throws when the safety and linebackers are cheating to the area that Woods is occupying. 

Though the Trojans looked average and reminded many of a Trojan team circa 2000-2001, expect a different look this Saturday.  The Trojans should roll to a double digit victory behind a great effort from the defensive line and another big day from Matt Barkley.

SC Notes 9/1/11

Success hinges on the offensive line staying healthy: Though SC has talent along the O-Line, they have very little depth and experience to work with.  The line lost three starters from last year and will be relying on Freshman Audrey Walker and JC transfer Jeremy Galten playing important roles.  In fact, a strong possibility exists that Galten will start on Saturday with left guard Abe Markowitz foot still in a boot with doctors concerned Markowitz's foot displays the same symptoms that caused him to break his other foot at the beginning of last season.  Look for the Trojans to run early and often behind Pre-season All-Pac-12 Left Tackle Matt Kalil.  However, the Trojans need to keep him healthy because without Kalil anchoring the line the Trojans will not be able to use all of their offensive weapons effectively.

“Always Compete” alive again: When Pete Carroll first arrived at USC the program did a great job of living up to Carroll’s moniker of Always Compete.  However in the final four years of Carroll’s campaign the politics of recruiting and keeping the 5-stars happy seemed to creep into the program and the guys that were producing in practice were not necessarily getting sufficient playing time.  It was frustrating for many impartial practice observers. 

Fortunately Kiffin and his staff seem to have gone back to truly living by the Always Compete mantra.  Despite the plethora of talent at Wide Receiver, true freshman Marqise Lee, who many thought would play at a cornerback position, emerged with the starting nod Saturday.  For USC to have any success during the sanction years it is paramount the guys that perform in consistently in practice get opportunities in the game otherwise the negativity in the locker room will lead to a .500 program.

Change up the personnel packages:  One criticism other college and pro coaches make of Kiffin is that he telegraphs his play calls based on his personnel packages.  This especially becomes a problem in the latter stages of the season.   Hopefully the offensive staff will self scout throughout the year and help shed Kiffin of this reputation.

Recruiting machine: Despite dealing with heavy handed NCAA sanctions the Trojans landed another phenomenal recruiting class.   The main reason Kiffin and Orgeron were brought to USC was to keep the talent pipeline going and they have certainly done that.  Ultimately Kiffin will be judged on his Win-Loss record but he definitely gets an “A” thus far in this area.  He has stockpiled the skill positions so he can focus on recruiting the most important and of injury prone positions along the offensive and defensive lines during the limited scholarship years.

 55 is back: Incoming Freshman Linebacker Lamar Dawson has impressed the coaching staff so much that they bestowed #55 upon him, which is only given to special players like Junior Seau, Willie McGinest and Chris Cliaborne.  He is a very smart player who has picked up the defensive schemes quickly and could start on Saturday if Galippo is not ready to go because of an injured shoulder. 

The Conductor of the Lane Train says: Each week we will dedicate a paragraph of insights from a well connected individual who technically resides in Manhattan Beach and is all about seeing Kiffin succeed…in fact, he’s been the biggest  Kif fan since he arrived on the SC campus as a low rung assistant years ago.  He’s a pretty busy guy but should get his insights every week.  He wants the Trojan nation to support Kiffin and get on the Lane Train as likes to call it.  Here we go: “Should get the Gophers by about 17. SC will eventually wear them down once they figure out what the running QB will do. Kif is really worried about that kid.  Overall, SC will be strong. Offensively, love the receiving corps and if Barkley matures the way we always thought he would he will put up big time-heisman-like numbers.  Defensively, Monte is a competitive son of a gun and will get things going again. ”

What to expect Saturday: Don’t sleep on the Gophers who are 23 point underdogs.  New Head Coach Jerry Kill is highly respected and known for getting mid-level talent to step up and perform at a higher level.  He has moved his best offensive talent in MarQueis Gray to Quarterback and do not be surprised if he runs the ball at least 15 times.  Kill’s QB at Northern Illinois ran for almost a thousand yards last year. Wide Receiver Da’Jon McKnight is a play maker and has a nose for the end zone.  The Gophers have the offensive talent to score on an average at best Trojan defense that historically has trouble with a running quarterback. 

Minnesota will be improved on defense but the Trojans will be able to put up some impressive offensive numbers despite the offense line woes.  Expect a 180+ yard day from the Trojan running backs as the Gophers had the worst rushing defense in the Big 10 last year.   The Trojans also hold a decisive edge in Special Teams which will ultimately be the difference in a 10-13 point Trojan victory.  

Make it a great Labor Day weekend and enjoy the first weekend of college football!

SC Notes 11/25/10

Psychologically Speaking:  The Trojans simply didn’t show up to play football against an inspired Oregon State team last week.  Kiffin has done a solid job this season but this game was a big test of his ability to get his team focused on the task at hand instead of thinking about the looming rivalry games.  Last week Kiffin spoke quite about the game against Oregon State being a “classic trap game” and hopefully Kiffin takes a page out of Pete Carroll’s book and starts to drop that talk.  Even though the intention is good, unwittingly a head coach actually puts more pressure on the players and you cannot talk about any opponent like that, especially when you are going on the road to try and pull off a victory in a place you have not won in 10 years.  Treat every game the same. 

Defense continues to improve:  Even though Oregon State was operating without the services of star wide-out James Rogers, the Trojans defense did a good job of slowing down the Beavers and giving the offense plenty of opportunities to take control of the game.  Monte Kiffin has slightly adjusted the defense and the young cornerbacks are starting to make plays that were not happening earlier in the year.  Safety T.J. McDonald has really stood out and could be a potential All-League/All-American performer by the time his career ends in a Trojan uniform.  

Recruiting Linebackers and Defensive Lineman is going to be very important since they are destined to lose Jurrell Casey and Nick Perry to the NFL draft.  In a perfect world, they can get some star linebackers to join the program (the recruiting loss of Man’tei Teo to Notre Dame and not having Frankie Telfort has been a killer for the defense) which would allow Devon Kennard to move back to Defensive End which is the next position they could struggle at from a depth perspective. 

As the defense Improves, offense struggles:  The offense looked completely out of sorts against the Beavers both from a play calling and execution standpoint.  It was tough to watch and Barkley looked like he regressed back to his freshman year before he was injured which was too bad since he has been having a solid season.  

One adjustment teams are making against Freshman Wide Receiver Robert Woods is challenging him at the line and knocking him off his route successfully.  Barkley and Woods connected so well at the beginning of the year that Barkley has been focused a little too much on trying to get him the ball instead of making the easy pass.  

Whether it is Mustain or Barkley this week, the Trojan offense needs to focus more on quick throws and making the easy pass instead of forcing a play down the field.  Secondly, with Dillon Baxter eligible again, we should see a steady dose of the Wildcat and actually see him potentially throw the ball.  USC’s best offensive performance of the year was against Stanford and Kiffin did a terrific job of mixing the offense up.  In fact, the one time the Trojans threw the ball out of the Wildcat against Stanford, the receiver was wide open and unfortunately dropped the ball. 

Speaking of Mustain:  Even though Barkley is the better quarterback and will be suiting up for the Trojans after taking some reps in practice, it would be nice to see Mitch Mustain start the next two games for the Trojans.  He had the opportunity to leave USC before the season and immediately be eligible to play for another Division I team due to the NCAA sanctions but he stayed with his commitment to be a Trojan.  He has patiently been a back-up at USC since transferring from Arkansas where he was 8-0 as a starter.  I can’t imagine what it is like to be named the #1 quarterback coming out of high school with tons of expectations and be relegated to being a back-up most of your college career.  

As of now, despite a solid freshman campaign at Arkansas, he will go down as one of the bigger recruiting busts in recent history.  It would be awesome if he could lead the Trojans to victory against its two biggest rivals at USC and end his college career with a 10-0 record as a starter and never losing a game he has started since Junior High.  If that is the case, history will look back on Mr. Mustain in a much kinder fashion.  

Mustain has also had some great practices leading up to the game. "(That's) the best we've seen him ever look since we've been here," Kiffin added. "It probably says a lot for a guy who has had the chance to prepare now for two days and get almost all the No. 1 snaps. You can see him taking advantage of it. He seems to be doing his best off the field as well. He was up in there by himself extremely late (Tuesday) night watching film." 

Expect a spirited effort vs. Notre Dame: Despite the 36-7 loss to Oregon State, the Trojans have moved on quickly and are looking forward to playing in one of the biggest rivalries in college football. The practices on Tuesday and Wednesday were some of the best of the year, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  This is in sharp contrast to last week’s practices before the debacle in Corvallis. All the signs point to a strong Trojan performance in an evenly matched battle with the Irish.

Keys to Beating the Irish: #1- Contain Wide Receiver Michael Floyd- For the first time in three seasons, Michael Floyd will be healthy against the Trojans.  A potential first round NFL pick, Floyd will be one of the toughest tests the Trojan corners have faced all year.  Floyd’s 62 receptions and nine touchdowns lead the team by a huge margin, and his 830 receiving yards are more than double the No. 2 receiver on the squad. Look for the Irish to get him the ball in a variety of ways.  If the Trojans can contain him and put pressure on freshman quarterback Tommy Rees, they should be rewarded with a few interceptions that could be the difference in the game.

#2- Take advantage of the speed differential on Special Teams: Notre Dame’s Special Teams unit might have a better field goal kicker (15-15 on the season) but overall, the Trojans should be able to make some noise especially with punt and kickoff returns.  The Irish are 15^th in the nation in kickoff coverage but they have not played a team with the caliber of speed the Trojans possess.  Also, don’t be surprised if you see Kiffin get sneaky with an onside kick or a fake field goal/punt. 

#3- Keep Notre Dame from scoring early- Notre Dame has won its last two games, including a dominant performance over then 15^th ranked Utah,  and is playing confidently.  If Notre Dame gets off to a good start and races off to a two score or better lead, it could be a long night for the Trojans.  It is imperative the defense makes some early stops to be successful Saturday evening. 

It will go down to the wire in the Coliseum:  With both teams possibly playing with a back-up quarterback and both defenses improving throughout the year, I have a feeling this could be a real tight game.   If the Trojans have the ball at the end in a tight game, I see Mustain or Barkley’s experience along with good special teams play from the Trojans being the eventual edge for the Trojans.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

SC Notes 11/19/10

Kiffin continues to quiet the peanut gallery:  With each passing week, the peanut gallery criticizing Lane Kiffin gets smaller and it is for good reason.  The Trojans have continually improved in every phase of the game.  As one of the original critics, I give Kiffin and his coaching staff tremendous credit for properly focusing the Trojans despite not having a bowl to play for and operating with a thin roster.  Even the much maligned defense is starting to turn it around and take some of the pressure off the offense.  Besides taking the offense to another level and allowing one running back to have the bulk of the carries, the coaching staff has the team playing disciplined football which has not been the case for the last two seasons.  Trojan fans should be pleased with what they have seen.  Though Kiffin still needs a few more PR lessons, I have come to appreciate Kiffin’s frank and truthful demeanor concerning players and when he assesses his own coaching. Ultimately, I believe a coach deserves a full two years of coaching before being judged but at this point Kiffin’s “mid-term” grades are pretty strong and that is coming from a critic…

The next test for Kiffin: The Trojans face a classic trap game in a difficult place to play against a team that has been underwhelming but possesses the talent and coaching to hand USC a loss before the Trojans take on arch rivals Notre Dame and UCLA.  Kiffin has admitted that practice has not been to his liking this week and this is a big test for him to make sure the Trojans continue to stay focused and disciplined.

Robert Woods…can we have an encore?: Earlier in the season, I proclaimed that Robert Woods might become the best Wide Receiver at USC since Keyshawn Johnson. A pretty big statement considering that would put him above Dwayne Jarrett, Mike Williams, Keary Colbert and Damian Williams.   I still stand by that statement due to his speed, precise route running and coach-ability.  However, he has struggled lately do illness and being nicked up.  Kiffin says he's 100 percent and "looks like a normal receiver" whose "burst" seems to be back.  With him being 100% , hopefully he can finish the season the way he played earlier in the year.  The Trojans will need it to finish the season with a 5 game winning streak…

Barkley’s game management continues to improve: While playing with the lead against Arizona, quarterback Matt Barkley sustained drives, didn’t force any passes and committed only one turnover which was Tight End Jordan Cameron’s fault. "I thought he managed the game extremely well," Kiffin said Sunday.  Kiffin said the second half felt like a "four-minute drill" – the football term for the end-game sequence when a team tries to run out the clock.

 Two keys to the Oregon State game: #1- Contain the Beavers star running back Jacquizz Rogers and put the game in the hands of inconsistent sophomore QB Ryan Katz.  Unfortunately, USC hasn’t controlled Rogers in the previous two meetings where he racked up 299 yards rushing.  Rogers loves to run up the middle and cut-back into open space which is a weakness for the Trojans defense. Look for Beavers Head Coach Mike Riley to dink and dunk early in the passing game to try and keep the Trojan Linebackers off-balance and then attack then Trojans right up the middle.  If the defensive line is successful in containing Rogers, the Trojans will walk out of Corvallis with a victory. The Beavers passing game was dealt a severe blow a few weeks ago when star Wide Receiver James Rogers, the brother of Jacquizz, suffered a season ending injury. The Beavs are just 1-3 since losing him and defenses are loading up against Quizz and forcing Katz to beat them.  OSU's first-year starter has not passed for more than 206 yards in a game since losing the elder Rodgers.

#2- Continue to run Tyler: The Beavers rank seventh in the Pac-10 in run defense and with bad weather predicted, USC will need to have a successful running attack.  The Trojan offensive line should be able to wear down the Beavers and if Tyler can get into a rhythm he should be able to rip off some solid runs. With the weather potentially being a factory, it will be tough for Barkley to get into a groove so the run game takes on even more important role.

Fun fact about Jacquizz Rogers:  Super Running Back Jacquizz Rodgers has never fumbled in a regular season college football game…

Fun Fact Part II: Linebacker Devon Kennard with a 3.37 GPA in communications was the only Trojan to make the All-Pac-10 Academic Team.  Matt Barkley, Khaled Holmes and Michael Reardon all earned Honorable Mention selections .

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

SC Notes 11/11/10

USC Needs to finish and score 35+ for a victory: Though the coaches are happy USC technically pulled out the victory against ASU, they did allow ASU to have a chance to win the game down the stretch.  In order to beat the 15^th ranked Wildcats, the Trojans will need to mirror the performance they had against Stanford earlier this year.  Despite losing late in that game, the Trojans fought to the end and will win the game against the Wildcats with a similar performance. 

Arizona has the best passing offense in the Pac-10 and will have success against the Trojans porous secondary.  However, the Trojans are improving in this area and the good news is that Safety Marshall Jones will start for the second consecutive week. He made some great plays against ASU and will be counted on to help stop an NFL caliber receiver in Arizona’s 6’4 Wideout Juron Criner.   The Trojans defense will need to take the next step in its slow improvement and make a few plays early so Matt Barkley and company can take advantage and give USC a lead going into the 4^th quarter.

They will need it.  Arizona has a 60-39 scoring edge in the final quarter against opponents this season while USC has been outscored 84-55 and lost the fourth-quarter scoring battle in seven of its nine games. 

The Trojans need to score 35+ points and do everything it can to not give the Wildcat offense enough time to score at the end of the game. 

Tailback rotation:  Look for either Marc Tyler or Dillon Baxter to start at Running Back against the Wildcats on Saturday.  Tailback Marc Tyler was limited in practice on Wednesday due to an ankle sprain in the ASU victory but returned to practice on Thursday. The odd man out is Alan Bradford and unfortunately for the senior back it could remain that way for awhile.  Politically, Kiffin needs to give Dillon Baxter a strong look since rumblings persisted earlier in the year that he was seriously considering transferring schools.  Due to scholarship limitations and the difficulty of recruiting star players during probation, the Trojan coaching staff feels they cannot lose a player of Baxter’s ability and want him to feel some love.   

Tyler has been the most consistent Trojan back and a good compliment to Baxter’s cut back style.  It also is not a secret that Kiffin is looking toward the future with some of his personnel decisions.  Although, it only takes one or two fumbles for Bradford to get another chance in the revolving door of the USC running back situation.

Look for the Wildcat…with a little spice:  The Trojans were not in a position to really utilize the Wildcat against Arizona State. However, look for the Trojans to use it a fair amount to try and keep the solid Arizona defense off-balance. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the unveiling of Dillon Baxter throwing out the formation, possibly to Matt Barkley in a red zone situation.  Teams have not been paying much attention to Barkley when he is lined up as a WR.  Speaking of Barkley…

Look for Barkley to bounce back:  For the past few games, Barkley has been trying to make something happen and/or waiting for his wide receivers to get open in space instead of throwing timing routes.  He is missing the rhythm he was playing with earlier in the season.  The offensive coaches have been focusing on this all week and I also believe that Robert Woods being 100% this week will make a big difference.  He will command a lot of attention from the Arizona secondary and allow more 1-1 situations for Ronald Johnson, Stanley Havili, David Ausberry and others.  As long as the offensive line has a good day and Robert Woods makes a few plays early, Barkley should have a very solid evening in Tucson.  If not, it will be extremely difficult for the Trojans to win.

Recruit watch:  USC received an offensive line commitment from Cody Temple of Bakersfield.  He picked USC over schools like Washington State and Fresno State, which shows USC just wants linemen. USC also received a commitment from defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson of College of the Sequoias. He switched his commitment from Missouri.  Hopefully Ed Orgeron sees something in these players that others do not as these are not the highly touted recruits USC is used to getting.

Still struggling against the spread: USC is 3-6 against the spread this season. For comparison purposes, lowly Washington State is 6-4.

Basketball could surprise: Just like I thought last year, the Trojan hoops team is a little underrated.  I was fortunate enough to observe a practice last week and if they can avoid injuries, the Trojans could battle to be a top three or four team in the Pac-10.   The Trojans possess the best frontcourt in the Pac-10 in potential All-Pac-10 Forward 6’10 Nikola Vucevic and 6’9 Alex Stephenson, who will probably lead the conference in rebounding. 

Despite losing Dwight Lewis, the Trojans back-court is bolstered with the addition of Freshman Bryce Jones who has the ability to step in and fill in the scoring void of Lewis.  The 6’6 guard has a solid three-point shot and penetrates to the basket very well.  Senior back-up point guard Donte’ Smith might be the most improved player I have seen over a two year player.  He has improved his shot and conditioning tremendously, displaying consistent NBA 3-point range in scrimmage situations and he provides Coach O’Neil senior leadership off the bench.  Freshman point guard Maurice Jones may only be 5’7 but he can flat out fly and will spark the Trojans fast break.  He will have an adjustment period to get through but will compliment starting point guard Jio Fontan, a transfer from Fordham, a legit NBA prospect that will be eligible to play at the start of Pac-10 play. 

The biggest problem the Trojans will have is depth, which is no surprise with scholarship limitations.  USC doesn’t really have any options in the front court off the bench so if Stephenson and Vucevic get in foul trouble they will operate at a severe disadvantage.  USC will be lucky to go 8 deep this year and that might ultimately lead to their demise down the stretch this year. 

Even with depth issues, the Trojans will be a competitive bunch when conference play rolls around and Trojan fans should definitely plan on visiting the Galen Center this year.  

SC Notes 11/5/10

Trojans continue to show improvement…will it continue?: Despite losing by 21 points to what looks like the eventual national champion, the Trojans continue to improve in important areas.  The Trojans are playing much more disciplined then they were at the beginning of the year with only 3 penalties for 22 yards and the tackling is starting to improve.  Even though Oregon scored 52 points, the defense caused two turnovers and stopped the Ducks six out of nine times between the second and third quarters. They forced the nation’s #1 offense to punt four times.  The defense did enough to give the offense a chance to win the game.  The offense just wasn’t ready to take the next step.

The players have responded to Kiffin’s call for more discipline and I give Kiffin credit for adjusting his practices to have more live tackling drills despite a short-handed roster. 

The key now is whether they continue to improve.  Kiffin and his staff face the very tall order of keeping the young players motivated without a bowl game to fight for.  They must motivate players individually and collectively about the importance of finishing strong.  Young players have to feel this is a chance to solidify a starting spot next year and draft eligible players have to feel that a strong finish will help out there NFL prospects. 

The Pac-10 is very deep this year and if they are not focused, they could easily finish 2-3 the rest of the way and create an even deeper hole heading into next year with scholarship reductions looming.

Despite improvement, the Trojans are a second tier program for now:  It was really hard to write the intro to this paragraph but even the most devout Trojan followers have to agree that the torch has been passed for the next few years.   The Trojans fought hard but Oregon was clearly the better team.  With future scholarship limitations and the expansion of the Pac-10, USC fans will need to be patient until they are able to get to a level playing field which will probably take at least four to six years. 

The Trojans will be relegated to underdog status against conference powers.   Going back to last season, USC is  7-7 in Pac-10 games.

Becoming a mid-level Pac-12 for a brief period may not be a bad thing.  The Trojan nation will become hungry again and come back with the fervor that engulfed the Coliseum from 2003-2006.  We saw a glimpse of that vs. Oregon and it will only grow as the new alumni that experienced one of the greatest runs in college football history will get a little dose of reality and learn to be extremely grateful the next time USC makes a run at the national title.  It will take some time but compared to the draught of the 90’s and early 2000’s, this will just be a blip on USC’s BCS Bowl appearance radar.

Three Keys to a USC victory vs. ASU:

** Continue discipline play:  ASU has a penchant for getting untimely penalties like USC did at the beginning of the year.  If the Trojans play a discipline game like they did against Oregon, they will have a huge advantage. 

**Pressure the QB: ASU’s offense is predicated on the success of QB Steven Threet who transferred in last season from Michigan.  He has a strong arm and Wide Receivers Kerry Taylor and Mike Willie could do some serious damage against the Trojans inexperienced secondary.  The defensive line must get pressure on Threet who has a tendency to make ill advised throws under pressure (13 interceptions on the year).  If the Trojans get into ASU’s back-field consistently they will win the game by at least two to three scores.

**Quick hitting offense:  ASU loves to blitz and if USC can get the ball out quickly to the likes of Stanley Havili and Robert Woods, they should be able to get quite a few yards after the catch. It is imperative that Barkley makes the quick read and let it go and not try and hang on to make a bigger play.

Middle Linebacker competition resumes: With Malcolm Smith healthy and back at weakside linebacker, Chris Galippo is back at middle linebacker and challenging Devon Kennard for the starting spot. ``We're looking at that position very closely,'' Lane Kiffin said. ``We're rotating both (in practice) and we'll see Saturday who is playing best for us.''

Mike Garrett resurfaces…in a surprisingly positive way: Some readers of the Skinny were nice enough to pass along this editorial piece by Mike Garrett in the New York Times.  My worry has always been that Garrett might be bitter with how things ended at SC and become quite negative. However, he has not done that and took a step in the direction of eventually  being able to come back to USC as a celebrated athletic director.  If he can help further champion the cause for the NCAA to wake up to the problem of unscrupulous agents, he will help change his tarnished image. Garrett has never been and never will be very appealing from a PR standpoint. In fact, I had my own “gruff” encounters with him and his comments toward the end of his tenure were embarrassing.   However, Garrett does bleed Cardinal and Gold to the umpteenth degree and as long as he continues on a positive course, he eventually deserves to be celebrated as one of the greatest Trojans not only for his on-field exploits but also for overseeing an extremely successful run of national championships and raising enough money to build a state of the art on-campus basketball arena.

Locker Room talk: Four USC juniors are talking about declaring for the NFL draft.  Jurrell Casey, Armond Armstead, Tyron Smith and Nick Perry have all entertained thoughts of jumping to the league early. Perry’s pro potential may have been dashed with an injury, but as a redshirt sophomore, he is eligible to leave.

 Will Monte be around next year?:  Rumblings over Monte Kiffin’s future at USC continue to surface.  In recent games, USC’s defensive fronts have become more in tune with Pete Carroll’s 4-3 under look than the stack base 4-3 look used in Tampa Two coverages.  Is he worth the hefty price tag he is being paid to operate a defense he is not known for?  Now that he is in his 70’s, Monte may not be against stepping down and taking on an administrative and consulting role with a young upstart defensive coordinator.