Arizona State
The Trojan football program is venturing down a road it has avoided for a very long time. Since 2002, USC has always followed up a loss with a string of victories to continue the Trojans unmatched success for the past seven years. However, USC has not suffered a loss of this magnitude in the Pete Carroll era. The 47-20 loss to Oregon was the first time the mighty Trojans got severely outplayed and out-coached in all phases of the game.
In the past, one could review the game and say the Trojans were just unlucky or if they played with a little more discipline they would have won. Not this time. If anything, the amount of injuries the Trojans suffered on the defensive side of the ball is a clear indication of how manhandled they were by the Oregon offense.
Saturday's game against Arizona State will provide great insight into the psyche of both the coaching staff and the players. Was the Oregon game just a set of unfortunate circumstances they can easily put behind them and continue Pete Carroll's perfect November record and put themselves in contention for a BCS bowl game? Will the Trojans fight though injury issues like they have in years past and put together a great performance or will the shaken confidence of a defense that has given up over 1500 yards of offense in 3 games lead to a debacle in Tempe?
Arizona State is not going to make it easy on the Trojans. They are led by the best defense in the Pac-10 and are fighting for Head Coach Dennis Erickson's job. This is also the second of back-to-back road games for the Trojans which are always tough.
However, this is a game the Trojans should win and be able to gain some confidence and swagger back on the defensive side of the ball. ASU has one of the worst offenses in the Pac-10 and doesn't possess a game-breaker close to the ability of Jacquizz Rogers, James Rogers or LaMichael James.
Keys to the game...
1-Trojans need to pass to set up the run: Cal Quarterback Kevin Riley threw for 351 yards last week in a narrow 23-21 victory over ASU. ASU does a great job of applying pressure and making it difficult to run with one of the best run defense's in the country. The Trojans should come out throwing the ball to send an early message to ASU's secondary which is susceptible to mid-range throws.
Once ASU's defense is worried about the pass, the Trojans should have success running the ball with McKnight and especially Bradford provided his knee is okay. Bradford fits the mold of Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart who ran for 125 yards against ASU.
More keys after the jump plus an injury update...
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USC's special teams deserve scrutiny too, Matt Barkley says the loss, ``kills him,'' and former commit Vontaze Burfict is making an impact at ASU....
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By Michael Lev, staff writer,
USC
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...
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USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley hates losing and doesn't plan on doing it again at Arizona State....
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Bumped...P The Sark Virus Dictionary: vac·cine (văk-sēn', văk'sēn'), n. A preparation of a weakened or killed pathogen, such as a bacterium or virus, or of a portion of the pathogen's structure that upon administration stimulates antibody production or cellular immunity against the pathogen but is incapable of causing severe infection. Paragon commented below on Chip Kelly's visits with Jon...
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Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller No changes this week, which may be a first this season. 1. Oregon: The Ducks left no doubt against USC. None. Zero. Now, can they maintain the focus that got them here -- the Pac-10 title within sight -- or will they start to do most-muscular poses in their bathroom mirror? Because if they start to get...
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Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller The big one is in Eugene but every game matters. Three teams are chilling at home. 1. Matt Barkley thinks Autzen Stadium is going to be a barrel of monkeys: Matt Barkley told the LA Times that he's looks forward to playing in Autzen Stadium -- "the energy is going to be awesome and...
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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...
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Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller A full slate of games -- nobody's sitting home this weekend eating Doritos. 1. It's going to be nasty fun in Husky Stadium: Oregon has beaten Washington five consecutive times. And by at least 20 points each time. What was once the most bitter rivalry in the Pac-10 has become a mismatch, which has...
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Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open. Nick Foles and the Arizona passing game are flowing because young receivers are stepping up....
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Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller We have a new No. 1, and California moves up. UCLA falls into the dreaded No. 9 spot after starting Pac-10 play 0-3. 1. USC: The Trojans have now beaten two ranked teams on the road and are back in national title contention, rising to No. 4 in both polls. While they made things...
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A look at how prognosticators from around the country view this week's games. Tim Sullivan, New York Post: Texas keeps plodding along. Oklahoma is 0-2 in its only true tests. Yes, Sam Bradford is back, but that's not enough for the Sooners. Take the Longhorns and give the points in the Red River Rivalry.Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News:...
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