More photos » by Matt Sayles - AP Browse more photos » It is safe to say that the recent play of Matt Barkley has been some cause for concern for many of us. We all marveled at his poise on the road against tOSU, Cal and ND. The tOSU and ND games were not the prettiest but the... more »
Tuesday’s USC practice provided three rare sights (besides almost half the team being unable to participate because of injuries): C.J. Gable ran with the first-team offense. Aaron Corp ran the scout team. Kristofer O’Dowd ran well. With Allen Bradford and Joe McKnight nursing knee injuries, the coaching staff had no choice but to turn to Gable, last season’s starter... more »
Lets start with Anthony McCoy! We all saw how great he played against Penn State in the Rose Bowl and he is now showing us that he is a legitimate contender for the Mackey Award and the he could be a great pick-up in the NFL. He is one of the better blocking TE's in the game and his... more »
This is the best Notre Dame team USC has played since the Trojans barely escaped South Bend in 2005 with a win. Quite a few experts are picking a Notre Dame victory due to the Irish being led by Heisman Trophy candidate Jimmy Clausen, the Trojans playing back-to-back road games (please note the bye in between) and this being a landmark game for the Irish program.
The experts who are predicting a Notre Dame upset must also think the Trojans are going to revert back to penalty and turnover laden football. If the Trojans keep penalties down and win the turnover battle, they will win the game. Unless the Trojans get up big early, I expect it to be a tight battle that will come down to some classic 4th quarter drives.
1-- Play Disciplined Football: #1 priority every week! Limit turnovers and penalties.
2-- Contain ND's running game: Though Jimmy Clausen has thrown 12 TD's only 2 Int's and leads the nation in passing efficiency, he will only have success against the best secondary in the country if the Trojans give up over 120 yards on the ground. If the Trojans put Clausen in obvious pass situations, he will make mistakes. The throws he has gotten away with against much lesser defenses will not happen against the Trojans.
3-- Don't Let the Golden One get loose in the Red Zone: Wide Receiver Golden Tate is having a phenomenal year. He is a big and athletic and Clausen loves to throw him fade routes and he is great at catching high passes. The Trojans need to make sure he is well covered in the red zone and force other ND players to make plays when it counts.
4-- Stay aggressive and balanced offensively: QB Matt Barkley is playing with a swagger after the Cal game and the Trojans need to take advantage of that. Barkley seems to have his hands around most of the playbook and with Ronald Johnson back, the Trojans need to stretch the field early. Even if some of the deeper throws are incomplete, it will soften the ND defense up and the Trojan running game should be able to have a great day. The Trojans should be able to run for over 200 yards.
5-- Avoid the 2nd and 3rd quarter lull: The Trojans cannot suffer some of the 2nd and 3rd quarter lulls they have had this season. The best case scenario for the Trojans is to get up early on the Irish and not let them back in the game for a 4th quarter run. The Trojans are best to avoid the 4th quarter magic that Clausen has been mastering this season.
Unless something changes between now and Saturday, quarterback Mitch Mustain is in line to back up Matt Barkley when USC visits Notre Dame. Mustain took the second-team reps when the Trojans (4-1) returned to practice Monday, dropping Aaron Corp - the preseason starter - to No. 3. “He’s a little bit ahead right now,” USC coach Pete [...]... more »
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller The backup quarterback is just a bruised shoulder or broken jaw away from taking over the most critical position on the field -- just ask USC or UCLA. There's already been plenty of quarterback movement in the conference -- injuries, depth chart changes, etc. -- so it seemed like a good time to see... more »
*Stafon Johnson's physical condition improved Thursday. He has been transferred to Cedars Sinai hospital. Coach Carroll said: "It's amazing how he is dealing with it, he's up and around and getting out of bed. He looks like he is OK, to tell you the truth.''
*Defensive End Nick Perry practiced Thursday and despite being hobbled by a bruised knee is expected to play against Cal.
*Corp still #2: Mitch Mustain had a great week of practice but Coach Carroll said that Aaron Corp is still the #2 back. Will see how long that lasts if USC is in a tight situation on the road and Barkley is unable to go. . .
*Speedster Wideout Ronald Johnson expects to be back for the Notre Dame game which will be a big lift to the offense.
*Wes and Shane Horton will both start for USC on defense Saturday. It will be the first time since 1990 (Craig and Don Gibson) that two brothers started in the same game for the Trojans.
The panicking and second guessing of the coaches needs to stop. Pete is the man, let him lead the team. The Trojans are reloading, but they will still compete in every game. Even if you have the most experienced QB behind center, which the Trojans do not have, when you fumble on three potential scoring drives, throw an interception and commit stupid penalties you will lose no matter how better you are than the other team.
The silver lining of this year so far is the DEFENSE. They are playing superb football. They lost last week but were on the field the majority of the game (Washington time of possession 34:11). The stats don’t lie. Going into this week USC is ranked 5th in the nation in rushing defense only allowing 51 yards per game and 1.63 yards per rush. USC has not allowed a passing TD and only given up two rushing TDs. Per game the defense is averaging 10 tackles for a loss, 226 total yards and 11.3 points. These stats might even be better if Taylor Mays was on the field last week.
Ben Malcolmson wrote yesterday that, “Taylor Mays will most likely start Saturday's game,” and Coach Carroll said, "He's ready to play."
Speaking of Taylor Mays, did you know that Disneyland is making a Taylor Mays ride. Outside the ride there's a sign that says, "You must be this bad-ass to ride this ride," next to a picture of Taylor Mays. No one will ever ride this ride.... For more Taylor Mays “facts” click here.
The Cowboys built a new stadium in Dallas. The seven story HD scoreboard that hangs over the field is cool, but not as cool as the “cages” they built for their cheerleaders to dance in, booyah!
What a surprise! USC had another post-big game letdown entering Pac10 play.
Don't go into hibernation just yet; there are positives to be taken away from this game shown in the highlights.
Joe McKnight rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries, upping his current season total rush yards to 305. Could he be the first Trojan since Reggie Bush to rush for over 1000 yards in a season?
The offense struggled with the passing game, but there were some great runs by Stanley Havili, Stafon Johnson, and Allen Bradford.
USC's young defense did a great job containing Jake Locker and holding the Huskies to 16 points. If only the offense would have scored another touchdown or two. Sophomore Jurrell Casey and redshirt freshman Nick Perry set up camp in the Huskies' backfield.
USC quarterback Aaron Corp has been chosen to start the Trojans' Pac-10 opener against Washington on Saturday, a person briefed on the decision told ESPN's Joe Schad on Friday.... more »
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