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Your second favorite time of the week is upon us yet again -- it's time to go all Jack Bauer with our weekly feature, 24 Hours to Kickoff:
This week, the Trojans find themselves matching up against an ASU team that looked strong in their first three games, before getting pasted by the Patchouli Belt. They've had a week off to rest up and prepare for the Trojans, and while they looked thoroughly disinterested against Cal and Oregon, we're expecting that the Sun Devils, like every Trojan opponent thus far, will have used their prep time to get plenty up for the Trojans.
That being said, SC needs to go out and exploit the young ASU secondary with Dwayne Jarrett and Patrick Turner, and then hammer it out with Chauncey and Moody. And the Trojan D-line need to get penetration against Rudy Carpenter, so that the potentially prolific Sun Devil QB doesn't get into a rhythm. We take care of those issues, and of course, the ball, and maybe, just maybe we won't be sweating in the last five minutes.
Ok, enough talk, here's your media rundown:
Smith Looking Doubtful: The Trojans #2 practiced Thursday and said things weren't feeling too good. Patrick Turner will start in his place. [USC FanHouse]
Turnover Time: The Trojan Defense isn't quite forcing turnovers like they used to. And you can rest assured Pete Carroll's letting them know about it. [L.A. Times]
Psych!: ASU coach Dirk Koetter's called in sports psychologists to help Rudy Carpenter. Sun Devil fans: Sam Keller wouldn't have needed sports psychologists. [East Valley Tribune]
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Your second favorite time of the week is upon us yet again -- it's time to go all Jack Bauer with our weekly feature, 24 Hours to Kickoff.
The Trojans face an upstart Washington team that's 4-1 overall (only loss coming against Oklahoma) and 2-0 in conference play. The Huskies come into the Coliseum off of consecutive victories against UCLA and Arizona that have some Huskies feeling confident enough to call the Trojans' "pretty beatable" in conversations with the press this week.
Tyrone Willingham's offensive attack is going to center around quarterback Isaiah Stanback, who's amassed an impressive 951 passing yards and 306 rushing yards through five games. The Trojans will need a more effective pass rush than they showed against the Cougars at Martin Stadium last week; which makes the timing of the return of nose tackle and top pass rusher Sedrick Ellis all the more fortuitous. Establishing that pass rush, and running the ball effectively on offense and controlling the clock more effectively will go a long way towards a Trojan W tomorrow.
Ok, enough prognosticating from us for one day; let's take our weekly tour around the mediasphere:
The Kids Are Alright: Gary Klein's talking about the (injury-forced) youth movement at USC, where "Youth will be served" has become the mantra. [L.A. Times]
He Could Have Been Our QB DB or WR: USC recruited Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback when he was in high school, complete with a Stanback visit to Trojan summer camp; but Coach Carroll wanted to convert the athletic Stanback to a DB or wideout, and Stanback wasn't having it. [L.A. Daily News]
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Finally some movement on our BlogPoll ballot this week, and this weekend's Cal-Oregon and LSU-Florida games promise to help shake things out further.
| Rank | Team | Delta |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Cal | -- |
| 2 | Ohio State | -- |
| 3 | Auburn | -- |
| 4 | West Virginia | -- |
| 5 | Texas | -- |
| 6 | Louisville | -- |
| 7 | Michigan | -- |
| 8 | Oregon |  1 |
| 9 | Florida | 3 |
| 10 | Notre Dame | -- |
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As promised, here's your Trojan football news rundown -- all the stories you need to know about heading into tomorrow's game at Martin Stadium in Pullman. Telecast starts at 4pm on TBS, kickoff shortly thereafter.
Washington State's going to bring the pass -- which means the Trojan D -- in particular, the secondary -- is going to have to keep things going the way they have. On offense, watch for Fred Davis and Chauncey Washington to each play a bigger role against the Cougs.
That's all we've got for now....here's your pregame media rundown:
No Jarrett No Cry: DJ's not making the trip to Pullman, despite his optimism earlier in the week. (In the same story, it was confirmed that Sedrick Ellis won't make the trip either.) [The Fanhouse]
Are Those Boos, or Are They Saying 'Bruce'?: One key for the Trojans' offensive will be stopping the Cougar pass rush, led by 6'7" defensive end Mkristo Bruce. Bruce chalked up 5 sacks last week. Scary. Although it's worth noting, they came against a Stanford line that would likely get outblocked in the Lingerie Bowl. [Daily Trojan]
Herbstreit's Pete Carroll Man Crush Waining?: The GameDayer (who's typically one of the media's leading USC hypeslingers) is talking up Washington State at every opportunity. [ESPN]
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