TrojanWire - Boston College

Best and worst of the Pac-10 bowl season

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:22:12 -0800

The Pac-10 went 2-5 during the bowl season, so it wasn't difficult to find many "worsts."

But there were some good things that shouldn't be overlooked.

Best performance, defensive player: Oregon's undersized but quick defensive end Kenny Rowe set a Rose Bowl and Oregon bowl record with three sacks in a losing effort against Ohio State. He finished the season with 11.5 sacks, which led the Pac-10.

Best performance, offensive player: In his final game in a USC uniform, receiver Damian Williams caught 12 passes for a season-high 189 yards in the Trojans' 24-13 win over Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. It's fair to say that Williams was USC's most consistent player over the entire season.

Worst performance, period: There was nothing good about Arizona's 33-0 loss to Nebraska in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl. Nothing. Feel free, though, to look at this box score and try to find something.

Best play: With UCLA trailing Temple 21-20 in the fourth quarter, and the Owls pinned on their 8-yard line, Bruins outside linebacker Akeem Ayers -- after falling down on his initial pass-rush burst -- leaped into the air and intercepted Vaughn Charlton's pass and gamboled 2 yards into the end zone.

Worst play: Trailing 19-17 in the Rose Bowl, Oregon faced a second-and-2 from Ohio State's 18-yard line. A huge hole opened. But running back LeGarrette Blount couldn't handle a high handoff from quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. The Buckeyes recovered the fumble and dominated the rest of the game.

Worst play, II: After BYU tied Oregon State 7-7 in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas, the Beavers took over at their 40-yard line. On second down, running back Jacquizz Rodgers couldn't handle a backward pass from Sean Canfield, and Matt Bauman returned the loose ball 34 yards for a touchdown. That was the first fumble of Rodgers' career, and the Cougars dominated the game from then on.

Best performance under tough circumstances: Oklahoma knew Stanford had no passing offense without quarterback Andrew Luck. So it ganged up on running back Toby Gerhart. Nonetheless, the Heisman Trophy runner-up rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries in a rugged effort in the Sun Bowl loss.

Worst pass defense: California made Utah true freshman quarterback Jordan Wynn look like an All-American in the Poinsettia Bowl. Against what was supposed to be one of the nation's best secondaries heading into the season, Wynn completed 26 of 36 passes for 338 yards with three touchdowns. He shook off an early pick-six to run the Bears ragged.

Best second-half defense: UCLA held Temple to 41 yards and zero points in the second half of the EagleBank Bowl.

Worst performance you didn't see coming: Canfield, Oregon State's quarterback, earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors this season. He has been invited to the Senior Bowl and is going to have an NFL career. Nonetheless, he had a horrible Las Vegas Bowl and was outplayed by BYU's Max Hall, who threw three touchdown passes. Canfield completed just 19 of 40 passes for 168 yards with an interception and no touchdowns, and he seemed completely befuddled by a strong wind and the Cougars' secondary.

Best unsung performance: USC fullback Stanley Havili always seems to sneak up on folks. In the Trojans' win over Boston College, he caught six passes for 83 yards with two touchdowns, including a 53-yard jaunt on a screen pass. He also had a critical tackle after one of Matt Barkley's two interceptions.

And then there were two: Final polls

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 10:33:53 -0800

The Pac-10 entered the bowl season with five ranked teams, more than any other conference.

It finished the bowl season with two ranked teams, none in the top 10.

That's what a 2-5 bowl season will do.

Oregon finished ranked 11th in both polls after losing the Rose Bowl to Ohio State. The Buckeyes bounced up to No. 5.

USC, after beating Boston College in the Emerald Bowl, finished 22nd in the AP poll and 20th with the coaches. That means the Trojans have now finished ranked every year since 2002.

Oregon State, Stanford and Arizona finished among the "others receiving votes."

Each of them finished with five losses, and only one five-loss team -- Clemson -- finished ranked in either poll. The Tigers were 24th in the AP poll and unranked by the coaches.

Putting The 2009 Season Into Perspective

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:33:44 -0800

When you are accustomed to watching USC win Pac-10 championships and Rose Bowls, anything short of that is a disappointment. By those lofty standards, the 2009 season was a disappointment (and hopefully just a down year). When talking about an upcoming season for the USC Trojans, you will hear the words "Rose Bowl" and "National Championship" along with it. It is a sign of where USC football is and where it expects to be. That alone tells you that in the college football world, the high standards at USC are the exception, not the rule.

Consider this: a down year for Notre Dame and Michigan is finishing 3-9. A down year for Pete Carroll's USC is finishing 9-4 and comfortably in the Top 25. If finishing 9-4 and remaining in the Top 25 is a down year for USC, I'll take it!

One man's trash is another man's treasure. To translate that, one bad season for USC is another team's dream season. This year the Temple Owls had their best season in 30 years. Guess what their record was? 9-4. Illinois had their miracle season in 2007 when they made it to the Rose Bowl (and was blown out by USC 49-17). Their record was also 9-4. And there are plenty of other teams, too many to count, who wish they finished 9-4.

Putting The 2009 Season Into Perspective

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:33:44 -0800

HIGHLIGHTS: Boston College 2009

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:37:19 -0800

For those of you who missed the USC-BC game or would like to watch it again, TrojanWire has you covered.

OFFENSE:

Despite missing 3 starters on offense (RB Joe McKnight, TE Anthony McCoy, and OL Tyron Smith), the Trojans did not miss a beat. Matt Barkley had one of his best performances this season, throwing for 350 yards, 2 touchdown passes, and 1 interception. Damian Williams had a career-high performance, 12 catches for 189 yards. The NFL is calling for Williams, but USC fans are calling for one more year.

DEFENSE:

The defense played tough. Jurrell Casey had a monster performance and Shareece Wright's return was welcomed and a positive impact. Wright had an interception and great pass coverage the whole night.

The Eagles Have Landed

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:21:01 -0800

You'll often hear coaches and administrators talk about the benefits of playing in a bowl game, but lost in that sea of chatter are the reporters who do the heavy lifting while covering a team.

Scott Wolf, the USC beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, shows there is fun to be had for the working press on a postseason trip. Wolf caught up with the Boston College cheerleaders during his trip to San Francisco to cover the Emerald Bowl.

View other shots from Wolf's portfolio by clicking here.

12-26-09: USC

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:58:40 -0800

This is a no-brainer. We're betting everything left in the account.

Straight Bet $194.10 to win $176.45
USC (-7.5) over Boston College

The Skinny: Boston College Provides Tailor Made Opponent for USC

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:27:27 -0800

A focused Trojan effort should lead the Trojans to a victory over a Boston College team that plays a conservative pro-style offense, fitting right into what USC defends against the best. The Trojans also possess offensive speed, even without RB Joe McKnight and Tight End Anthony McCoy that Boston College has yet to see this year.

However, getting the Trojans to play focused and passionate in a normal bowl game will be a tall order for Coach Carroll.

Keys to the Game:

Avoid Complacency: Since 2002, the Trojans have been playing in BCS bowls so it is a foreign concept for the Trojan players to be participating in a lower tier bowl to finish the season. Typically, teams in this situation do not play with the focus and passion that is required to beat an opponent who is looking forward to knocking off a top tier program. With four losses including two where they were soundly beaten, the Trojans cannot think for a second that a pedestrian effort will win this game. Couple that with the loss of four big contributors due to academics or NCAA investigation (McCoy, Spicer, Smith and McKnight), Troy has no room for error.

On the flip side, a focused effort should result in a victory to help wash away some of the disappointment of the season.

Stuff RB Montel Harris early: Boston College Running Back Montel Harris has rushed for 1,355 yards this season and accounts for about 70% of BC’s offense when they win. He is a strong straight ahead runner who also possesses good break away speed. When Harris is running well, especially early, it allows BC to play it safe in the passing game and avoid turnovers. It will be interesting to see how SC fares against Harris. BC runs a very simple offense with uncomplicated blocking schemes which should play right into the Trojans hands. Against similar schemes this year, the Trojans were successful stopping the run but those teams didn’t possess a back like Harris.

It will be bad news for the Trojans If Harris runs the ball around 30 times and rushes for over 150 yards. . .

Confuse the BC Quarterback: 25 year-old freshman Quarterback Dave Shiniskie has had a solid year for BC throwing for 1,831 yards with 14 touchdown passes in a run happy offense. However, he has also thrown 13 interceptions and played awful against teams that mixed things up defensively and possessed team speed like the Trojans. Against Virginia Tech and North Carolina, both games that BC fell behind early and had to throw, Shiniskie was 13 for 31 with 6 interceptions and only 1 td pass. He ended up being pulled in the second half of both games. He does not do a good job of throwing the ball away against pressure and will literally throw it up for grabs at times. The BC coaches have been working with him on just taking the sack or throwing it out of bounds but the Trojans should still get opportunities at multiple interceptions if they contain the running game.

*Offensive keys to the game, players to watch and a little inside the locker room info after the break

Barkley remains upbeat, says USC will be ready for Boston College

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:51:42 -0800

Disappointment? Distractions? Declining performance? Controversy and allegations? Criticism and even ridicule?

All are words or phrases one could associate with USC's football program at present. Yet none seems to touch Matt Barkley.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesUSC quarterback Matt Barkley is focused on Saturday's Emerald Bowl against Boston College.

Perhaps one big reason that coach Pete Carroll is such a fan of his quarterback is that the true freshman's sunny disposition matches his own, even during dreary times.

And these are dreary times for the Trojans.

After seven consecutive Pac-10 championships and BCS bowl berths, they dropped four conference games, finished tied for fifth in the standings and will play unranked Boston College in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday.

And USC didn't just get beat this year. It got blown out by Oregon and Stanford and seemed indifferent during a loss to Arizona in the season-finale.

Oh, and there's this little matter involving running back Joe McKnight and the alleged use of a 2006 Land Rover owned by a Santa Monica businessman who employs his girlfriend that might raise an eyebrow from the NCAA. And then there's three players ruled academically ineligible this week, including starting tight end Anthony McCoy and offensive tackle Tyron Smith.

Yet all one gets from Barkley is gee-whiz enthusiasm. That's probably a good thing, by the way.

"We're excited -- we can't wait for this game," he said. "We've had a great last two weeks of practice preparing for the bowl game. We're really stoked to get one last game in and to be able to finish the season strong."

Barkley's season devolved individually like the Trojans has a whole. He threw nine of his 12 interception over his last six games. He finished ranked seventh in the conference in passing efficiency and was mostly eclipsed in the Pac-10 quarterback pecking order by several other young starters, such as Stanford's Andrew Luck and Arizona's Nick Foles.

As to what triggered his and his team's slide, Barkley isn't specific.

"A lot of factors contributed -- a lot of little things that we don't have time to get into," he said. "But overall execution is what it came down to. All those things piled up and we weren't playing Trojan football like we know it."

Barkley hardly deserves the predominant blame. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates struggled to find his rhythm in his first year replacing Washington coach Steve Sarkisian. Carroll also probably set the bar too high for Barkley by repeatedly calling him an "outlier" and casting him as a quarterbacking savant.

And, you know, the defense wasn't exactly the impenetrable wall that has been typical during Carroll's tenure.

Whatever the reasons -- and it's never just one thing, is it? -- USC's slide seemed to be greeted with glee across the college football landscape. It certainly inspired copious message board ripostes.

Barkley acknowledged that the Trojans are well-aware of the sniping of their critics.

So, is that motivation?

"Absolutely. Guys never like to hear how it's been a terrible season and how bad we've done," he said. "To be able to finish the season with a win will be huge. Not only to end this year but for next year's off-season and how we approach that. A win on Saturday will be huge to right those wrongs."

Barkley said sympathy -- not distraction -- was the reaction to recent off-field issues that will sideline two and probably three starters for Emerald Bowl.

"It's really terrible that they can't be with us," he said. "But we've been dealt a lot of adversity this year, so it's just another challenge for us in this last game. But it is really disappointing to know those guys can't play."

It seems many are expecting a flat and apathetic performance from the Trojans against Boston College. Barkley said that's not going to happen.

"We'll be up, definitely. We're so excited," he said. "We don't care if it's the Emerald Bowl. It's another game we get to play. And Boston College is a great team. They are going to put up a fight. We're not approaching this any differently than a Pac-10 championship game. We're excited to play one last time."

USC rules three academically ineligible

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:56:46 -0800

The notion that USC merely reloads talent ad infinitum despite the departure of a bevy of starters was cast into doubt this season, and it will be tested further -- unexpectedly -- in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday.

With starting running back Joe McKnight's eligibility for the bowl game against Boston College already in question due to an alleged NCAA rules violation, the school announced Tuesday that tight end Anthony McCoy, offensive tackle Tyron Smith and defensive tackle Averell Spicer have been ruled academically ineligible.

McCoy and Smith are both starters and earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors. Spicer is a key reserve. McCoy and Spicer are both seniors, so their USC careers are over.

"We're really disappointed these guys didn't come through," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "They had all the help in the world to get it done and they didn't do it."

How many times do you read a statement from a coach that was released through the school and sense genuine chagrin? In that single sentence, you can feel Carroll's disappointment.

So, if USC isn't able to resolve the McKnight situation over the next couple of days -- and expect an athletic department already under NCAA investigation to be as cautious as possible -- the Trojans will face Boston College down three starters and a reserve on their defensive line.

Not good for any team, even USC.

McCoy will be replaced by sophomore Rhett Ellison -- USC is already thin at tight end because of Blake Ayles' knee injury. Redshirt freshman Matt Kalil will replace Smith, a sophomore. Kalil is a major talent -- his older brother Ryan was was an All-American center for USC and now plays for the Carolina Panthers -- and he is expected to be fill one of the three vacancies on the Trojans offensive line next year.

As if USC falling from seven-time Pac-10 champion to four-loss Emerald Bowl team wasn't enough, the Trojans are now burdened with major off-field issues, which are forcing key players out of the lineup.

Heading into the bowl season, the main question was how motivated and focused USC would be against Boston College in a mid-level bowl game. That question is even more relevant now.

When a team is down and caught in a whirlwind of issues, it can either tear apart or come together.

Many will be curious to see what USC will do on Saturday against a BC team that surely sees blood in the water.

HIGHLIGHTS: Anthony McCoy 2009

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:40:14 -0800

Senior tight end Anthony McCoy has been ruled academically ineligible for the Emerald Bowl against Boston College, thus marking the end of his career as a Trojan. McCoy's most notable performance this season was against Notre Dame, where he racked up an astonishing 153 yards on 5 catches. Below is a TrojanWire highlight video of Anthony McCoy making a statement for why he should play on Sundays.

USC Football News and Notes 12/14 - Emerald Bowl Prep, Team Banquet and C.J. Gable News

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:49:01 -0800

So, the team is back at it this week as they go into bowl prep.

A couple of interesting story lines are taking shape as the season comes to a close.

I noted yesterday that Safety Josh Pinkard is out for the Emerald Bowl because of a knee injury. That makes things very interesting as Pete Carroll will now be giving us a small glimpse into the future as to what players may have a role in 2010.

With Pinkard out, sophomore T.J. Bryant, who has been the nickel back, probably will start. But redshirt junior Shareece Wright and redshirt freshman Brian Baucham also are in the mix.

Wright, a projected starter, is expected to be available for the game after sitting out the regular season because he was academically ineligible.

Baucham, who was ahead of Bryant coming out of training camp, returned to practice Sunday after missing several weeks because of a foot injury related to a September motorcycle accident.

I am not really sure as to just how effective Wright will be after not playing for almost four months. His loss really became apparent in the second half of the season when SC's defense started to struggle. I was not pleased that Wright did not take his classwork seriously...his not being on the team really changed the dynamic of the defense.

The question I have for everyone is academically eligible does Wright deserve to play or should he wait for spring ball? Wright definitely should not start but should he see some playing time? Playing in a bowl game to me is privilege not a given. I know he is talented but is missing the regular season enough of a punishment? It is a fine line but what is the message that needs to be sent?

T.J. Bryant already has some playing time under his belt but we really have not seen anything of Baucham after his motorcycle accident...will he be game ready?

- - -

Last night USC held their Team Banquet and handed out a number of awards...

Sixth-year senior Jeff Byers was named offensive lineman of the year, while Christian Tupou and Jurrell Casey shared defensive linemen of the year honors. Senior quarterback/wideout Garrett Green was recognized as special teams player of the year. And, for the third consecutive year, Green also won the Howard Jones/Football Alumni Club Academic Award for having the highest GPA on the team.

The night wasn't lacking thrills. Cedric the Entertainer performed standup comedy and linebacker Marquis Simmons led a rendition of "Lean on Me" -- along with the tear-jerking presentation of Johnson's award by Jake Olson.

Here's a look at the full list of winners from the 2009 USC football awards ceremony on Sunday night:

Most Valuable Player: Wideout/punt returner Damian Williams

Most Inspirational Player: Tailback Stafon Johnson

Linemen of the year: Center/guard Jeff Byers (offense); defensive tackles Christian Tupou and Jurrell Casey (defense)

Special teams player of the year: Quarterback/wideout Garrett Green

Service team players of the year: Center Michael Reardon (offense); linebacker Marquis Simmons (defense)

Player of the game versus Notre Dame: Tight end Anthony McCoy

Player of the game versus UCLA: Tailback Allen Bradford

Jack Oakie "Rise and Shine" Award (year's biggest hit): Safety Taylor Mays

Howard Jones/Football Alumni Club Academic Award: Quarterback/wideout Garrett Green

Bob Chandler Award (underclassman with outstanding athletic ability, academic achievement and character): Defensive tackle Christian Tupou

John McKay Award (underclassman with the most competitive spirit): Linebacker Devon Kennard

Courage Award: Cornerback Josh Pinkard

Co-Lifters Award: Offensive lineman Jeff Byers, safety Will Harris, safety Taylor Mays

Recognition of the 22 graduating seniors

The awards for Stafon Johnson, Garrett Green and Damian Williams are no surprise.

Speaking of Garrett Green...

Garrett Green has been cleared to hold on placements despite a torn ACL in his right knee.

How cool is that! He definitely deserves it. He has probably been the most under the radar player on this team over the past few seasons. It sucks that he won't have a bigger role on kick returns like he has had but at least he will get a chance to have a hand in his final game as a Trojan.

- - -

So, what about C.J. Gable?

No player has been as much as an enigma as Gable has during his time at USC.

He had the hot hand before going out with an abdominal injury and he had a pretty good season in 2008 until he saw the bench after putting the ball on the turf against ucla and Penn St. At times his attitude has been questioned in the press but that is hard to really know. He made some statements in the past that probably put him in the doghouse but this season he has been completely off the radar.

Last season there were some rumblings that he might go pro but he stuck it out...

But with the season almost over the questions are now being asked...will he stay or will he go?

Gable is one of several draft-eligible Trojans underclassmen who must decide by Jan. 15 whether to go pro or return to school. Unlike many of the others, Gable has played only a bit role this season after being a major contributor a year ago.

Gable started all but one game last season and tied for the team lead with 10 touchdowns. This season the redshirt junior has no starts and just 21 carries as Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford have shared most of the workload.

"It’s been frustrating," Gable said Sunday after USC’s second practice in preparation for the Dec. 26 Emerald Bowl. "Anybody would be frustrated. … Why would you play if you don’t care whether you get in or not?

"I care because I want to play. But I can’t do anything about it but keep on doing what I’m doing, which is work hard and let everybody see what I can do."

Gable made quite an impression Sunday, when, according to USC coach Pete Carroll, "he was the best guy on the field." But being a good practice player — and a good soldier after complaining about playing time last season - hasn’t translated into a greater role during games.

We have heard how great players have performed in practice only to see them disappear when game time comes around so I am not taking Gables strong performance as nothing more than just a snapshot in time.

Personally, I think he goes pro. SC will still have a glut of running backs, four off the top of my head, and that is before LOI Day where SC is in the mix for a couple of more top RB's

Here is a little more for the DN...

After rushing for 617 yards on 107 carries with eight touchdowns last year, Gable has been buried behind Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford in the running back rotation during his redshirt junior season, causing him to contemplate whether he'll return to play for the Trojans in 2010 or explore his value in the NFL draft in April.

"(In the past) I've always been basing my decisions off anger, but now I'm thinking clearly," said Gable, who has seen action in 11 of 12 games, but has rushed for only 98 yards on 12 carries with no scores.

"The most important thing is graduating. I've learned that football isn't everything. There is life after football. It's been difficult, but I just get in a rhythm in practice and I forget that I'm not playing anymore. I don't talk about it unless somebody brings it up."

Gable needs three more classes to graduate, but intends to sit down and talk with coach Pete Carroll following the Dec. 26 Emerald Bowl against Boston College in San Francisco about his future prospects.

"Allen is coming back too, but it also depends on who they might bring in," Gable said. "The only thing I know I'll benefit from by coming back is that I'll graduate. But (this year) they were better than me. The best man won the position."

Gable's mature approach hasn't been lost on Carroll, especially following the Trojans' second practice in as many days since a 21-17 loss to Arizona on Dec. 5.

You know Carroll is going to try and get him stay...but he may be in the same as Mark Sanchez. He can take those three classes and be done next semester so his commitment in my eyes is fulfilled...he has no obligation to stay once he has his degree...

It should be interesting.

Logistical adjustments

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:54:10 -0800

Playing in a temporarily converted baseball stadium will create some unique logistical challenges for the Trojans in the 2009 Emerald Bowl.

First, with USC and Boston College sharing the same sideline at AT&T Park in San Francisco, the bench areas could be chaotic, especially with substitutions that will occur on the opposite side of the field. And because of the alteration, each team's space in the bench area will be reduced from that at a normal football stadium.

The USC locker room setup will also be hairier than normal, as the San Francisco Giants' clubhouse, which serves as the home team's locker room, contains just 55 lockers, though it is a very spacious room. Most players will have to double up in the locker stalls to fit into the locker room.

Also, the coaches who typically go into the press box will instead be situated in a converted luxury suite along the left-field line of AT&T Park. They'll have the option of sitting inside the suite or outside among the elements.

And lastly, the videotaping of the game for coaches' film purposes will be a difficult mountain to climb relative to when the Trojans play at normal football stadiums, which feature specially constructed areas for filming. At AT&T Park, though, both the sideline and end zone cameras will be set up in the upper-deck stands, meaning there will be no electrical outlets and no cover from rain.

All in all, the Emerald Bowl is lining up to be an interesting logistical experience for many of the ancillary aspects of the Trojan football machine.

Nice digs

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:53:45 -0800

Not only will the Trojans be spending five days in one of the country's most cosmopolitan cities during Emerald Bowl prep, they'll also be playing in one of the nation's top stadiums.

Home of the San Francisco Giants, AT&T Park is routinely referred to as one of the top ballparks in Major League Baseball, and in 2008, the stadium was honored as sports facility of the year by Sports Business Journal.

USC and Boston College will face off in the 2009 Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park on Dec. 26 at 5 p.m. on ESPN. Get your tickets here.

NUTS: USC to Play in Emerald Bowl

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:13:55 -0800

The Trojans will face the Boston College Eagles, who are a scheduled home opponent in 2013.

Emerald Bowl Tickets [StubHub]
USC highlights non-BCS bowl teams [ESPN]