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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 end result was achieved. We expected a certain amount of freshman mistakes. We knew there would be some periods of stagnation while Barkley continued to get comfortable to the college game. There is no question that he has grown but there are also some signs that he has not progressed in a few areas like he probably should have to this point in his first season.

The most disconcerting are some of the throws into coverage that have resulted in INT's or just missed INT's. Barkey had a bit of reputation in high school as an INT machine. We are seeing why over the past few games. I had less of an issue with the INT against ND, that was a timing issue that resulted in a tipped ball. But since then there has been more of that sort of throw as the season has moved on...not less.

Barkley is making a few more mistakes out there than some of us thought he would...

USC quarterback Matt Barkley lost a fumble and had three passes intercepted Saturday in Stanford's 55-21 victory over the Trojans.

Barkley came into the game having completed 12 of 38 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the previous six quarters.

The freshman was 21 for 31 for 196 yards and a touchdown against Stanford, but the Cardinal turned every turnover into a touchdown.

"I don't feel really flustered," Barkley said. "It's just we've had some bad breaks and I think maybe tried to do too much at times."

There is no question that Barkley is forcing things or not going through all of his check downs. That is not really surprising for a freshman especially with an O line that has not given him the best protection the past few weeks but none the less it is cause for some concern among the fan base and Pete Carroll addressed it earlier this week...

Coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that he had no thoughts of replacing the freshman after a four-turnover performance in the Trojans' 55-21 loss to Stanford.

Despite Barkley's struggles in much of the last three games, Carroll said he and his staff have a "clear thought" that the 19-year-old gives the Trojans the best chance to win.

"We see the potential, the playmaking, the mentality and all the stuff we're looking for," Carroll said.

Some will say that Barkley has regressed others will say he hasn't progressed...same difference to me. I expect some amount of plateauing but I think there should be a little more positive progress. But not so much that Barkley should lose his starting job.The coaching staff has hitched their wagon up to Matt Barkley. It his clear that he is the future..so much so that there has been little discussion of either Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp. Those two seem like distant memories.

On the flip side I think the bar has been set incredibly high for Barkley. I also think that the coaching staff has tried to portray a picture that Matt Barkley has either done no wrong or can do no wrong. Pete Carroll gives that impression to me in yesterdays interview on PMS. I think not holding Matt accountable for some of his mistakes is a problem. The fan base knows better than that. We are not that blind. I would expect the coaches to do a fair amount of deflecting to keep the heat off of Barkley but there has to be some intellectual honesty as well. This stubborn side of Pete Carroll is what makes him great but it could be a stumbling block as well.

There is no question that the pass protection has not been up to par when compared to all the hype of this stud O line. I don't expect them protect Barkley on every play but it does appear that the O line has not been as good as was earlier in the season. I realize that O'Dowd has been out for a stretch but if we are going to rely on the play of just one player of that unit then I think the problems are bigger than we imagined. Even when Stanford stacked the box the offense was running the ball fairly effectively against Stanford so why go away from it? When Barkley threw that Pick-six you could just see the team deflate...

A lot of this on Barkley. He has to start making better decisions. Some of it is not on him...like Blake Ayles dropping easy catches that could prolong drives but there have been some plays that were clearly all on Barkley.

But there are some things he can improve...

The biggest one is turnovers, which were as significant a problem as run defense in last week’s 55-21 loss to Stanford. Barkley lost a fumble and threw an interception on the Trojans’ first two possessions, leading to a 14-0 deficit. Barkley threw three interceptions in all, giving him seven in the past four games.

“We’ve just got to take what they give us,” Bates said Wednesday. “We can’t try to win the (game) on one play, we can’t try to make a play when it’s not there. We’ve got to throw it away. We’ve got to take care of the football and live to see the next down. We can’t make plays that aren’t there, and that’s the biggest issue we’ve got going right now.”

That assessment is about the closest any USC coach has come to criticizing Barkley in public. Bates and Pete Carroll generally have tried to protect the Mater Dei High product whenever he and/or the offense have struggled.

I don't think Barkley needs to tuck it away or throw it away every time he feels some pressure but I wouldn't chuck it and duck either.

I understand that some progress eventually stalls but the trick is getting it back on track. I know Barkley can do it, he just has to dig down deep.

• 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 and this season’s odd man out.

Gable made some nifty runs and drew praise afterward from Trojans coach Pete Carroll.

“C.J.’s ready to go,” Carroll said. “He’s been waiting. He’s done a great job being patient about it. It’s been hard for him so far, but he’ll jump to the call whenever he gets the chance. He’s a great team player for us.

“I don’t mind him being frustrated. I think he should be because of the kind of guy he is and the kind of competitor he is. But I think he’s dealt with it very well. He worked on the service team for us when we needed him. I think he’s been just right. I hope he gets the chance to jump in and play some more in really critical situations, because he can answer that call. He’s done it for years, and I know he can do it now.”

Corp doesn’t have the same wealth of experience, only bad experiences from what was supposed to be his breakout season. He did not land on the scout team by demotion but by default: Usual scout-team QB Garrett Green was needed to play wide receiver, another area hit hard by the injury bug.

With all due respect to Green — among the best athletes on the team — I can’t help but wonder if the swifter, more elusive Corp wouldn’t have better prepared USC’s defense for Jeremiah Masoli.

It was just three months ago that Corp and O’Dowd were the starting QB and center. Injuries derailed both, but O’Dowd seems to be on the comeback trail. I saw him pulling on outside running plays and looking quicker and niftier than he has in weeks.

“He’s looking stronger,” Carroll said. “He needed a break. We piled it on him, and he was willing to stay in there and keep battling. But we had such a good alternative with Jeff (Byers) and with Butch (Lewis) going that I think it was the right thing to do in long haul for Kris. I think it was pretty clear that it helped us.”

More from the USC blog:

• USC football: Barkley hates losing (he just doesn’t show it)
• USC football: Further injury updates
• USC football: Leg injuries limit McKnight, Bradford
• USC football: ASU’s Erickson braces for ’scary’ Trojans
• USC football: Have opponents ‘caught up’ to the Trojans?
• USC football poll: How will the season end?
• USC football: Trojans won’t lose again this season
• USC football: Carroll, Galippo point fingers — at themselves
• USC football: Galippo should be available for ASU
• USC football poll: What is the worst loss of the Carroll Era?

Post from: USC

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 performance on Saturday simply increased his exposure to those who don't folloow USC on a regular basis.

From the LA Times

McCoy looked like the best tight end in college football against the Fighting Irish, catching five passes for 153 yards and setting up two touchdowns and a field goal in the Trojans' 34-27 win at Notre Dame.

After waiting two seasons behind Mackey Award winner Fred Davis, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound McCoy has developed into an upper-round NFL prospect in his second season as a starter.

"He's got the whole package," USC Coach Pete Carroll said. "Few guys are that flashy and effective as receivers that can also block.

"He's going to be a tremendous prospect at the next level."

McCoy enters Saturday's game against Oregon State averaging a team-best 25 yards a reception. He has caught 14 passes, second on the team to wideout Damian Williams, and overcome a few early drops to become a short, mid-range and deep threat.

"He can stretch the field," freshman quarterback Matt Barkley said. "It's been such an advantage to have that. . . . The way he can run vertically and just have a knack for catching the ball and finding that open window is huge."

I still laugh at the scene of McCoy dragging those ND defenders downfield before thy brought him down short of the goal line. That was a sight! McCoy was honored for his performance against ND by being named the Mackey Award player of the week.

He will continue to play an important role as SC goes down the stretch.

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We are about to enter the second half of the season and now the fun begins. SC has the meat of the schedule in front of them. After this weekends game against Oregon St. SC goes on the road against the Duck's in Eugene then on to Tempe to face ASU. It has been an interesting ride so far, SC has not left us bored that is for sure with huge road wins against Ohio St. and Notre Dame. Yes there was the slip up against the Huskies but with what we have seen from them I think it was clear that the loss of Barkley and Mays along with Sarkisian and Holt knowing the strengths and weaknesses of this team backward and forward combined for a perfect storm  for the upset...Hats off to them for the win but lets not get carried away.

The mid-season reviews and award lists are out and SC has some good representation...

Lets start with Ted Miller's Second-half outlook of USC...

Will Washington prove to be the only bump in the road for USC? And if USC rolls to an 11-1 record, will it play its way into the national title game? Or will we see the Trojans matched up again (sigh) with a Big Ten team in the Rose Bowl? It might be more fun if the Trojans lost to Oregon on Oct. 31 and then won out and earned an at-large invitation to another BCS bowl game. It seems like a massive long shot, given the selection procedure, but just picture USC vs. Florida/Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Yummy!

I am not even worrying about the post season, there is way too much football left to play and a couple of tough games still on the schedule...not just Oregon.

If anything the Notre Dame game showed me that we still have some work to do on finishing. The defense took their foot off the gas and let ND back in it, the dumb penalties sooner or later will come back to haunt us and cost us a game and for as great as Matt Barkley played he still is susceptible to making rookie mistakes.

SC needs to tighten a few things up...

Decreasing dumb penalties,3rd down conversions, the running game and the red zone offense still need to improve.

Michael Lev of the OCR has a quick take...

MIDSEASON MVP

MLB Chris Galippo

Taking over at the heart of an almost all-new front seven, the redshirt sophomore from Servite High has become an instant leader and among the top playmakers for the ninth-ranked defense in the nation. Galippo leads USC in tackles (41), is tied for first in pass breakups (four) and also has five tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

RB Allen Bradford

Even though he didn't play much last season because of injuries, Bradford has made the most tangible gains. The redshirt junior entered this season with 123 career rushing yards and a 2.9-yard average. In six games, he has 228 yards and a 6.3-yard average. Also considered: RB Joe McKnight, TE Anthony McCoy, OT Tyron Smith, DT Jurrell Casey, DE Nick Perry and LB Michael Morgan.

Any one of those players listed above could be seen as most improved. Especially Nick Perry. You have to love what PC is doing with him...he is an absolute beast and he will only get better.

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Here are a few links to some mid-season awards.

Phil Steele's 2009 Mid Season All-Pac-10 team

SN's midseason All-Americans: Offense

SN's midseason All-Americans: Defense

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Here is an interesting take on the BCS from the WSJ...

Quantitatively and qualitatively, USC looks like the top option should any member of the Alabama-Florida-Texas triumverate falter. The Trojans top Boise, Cincinnati and Iowa in total defense. Of that group, they trail only the Bearcats in total offense. With the nation's ninth-rated defense by yards, the Trojans appeared to have one weakness heading into the season: quarterback play. But Matt Barkley continues to disprove that notion, along with the now-foolish idea that Aaron Corp should've started over him to begin the season. Mr. Barkley threw for 380 yards in the victory over Notre Dame.

If Mr. Barkley hadn't missed the Washington game, the Trojans might already occupy one of the top two spots. But with the way Florida and Texas are playing, who knows – maybe they will again.

It is going to get interesting as we go down the stretch.

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Here is Pete Carroll on PMS

All Pac-10 has their USC/OSU preview up.

Ted Miller has a little more in his "What to watch for in the Pac-10"

As expected, Mark Tyler is done for the season, with Stanley Havili expected to be a game time decision because of his shoulder injury.

Here is a good read by the Trojan Empire on the BCS

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.

More notes after the jump...

*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.

( 5 keys to the Cal game after the jump)

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!

More awesomeness after the jump….OH YEAH!

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.