The Trojan’s most dynamo player (in my humble opinion), Damian Williams, is no longer wearing a protective boot on his injured ankle. Williams will not practice tonight or tomorrow but he will try to run on Monday to test his ankle. Hopefully he will be back in time for FUCLA. We will update you as soon as we learn more.
Since it is such a slow news day in the land of Troy, how bout a little song girl love.
Stanford comes into the Coliseum as a hot team with Rose Bowl aspirations. The Cardinal’s defeat of the 8th ranked Oregon Ducks 51-42 put the nation on notice that Stanford football can compete at the highest level and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh is one of the best young coaches in the game.
It was just two years ago that Harbaugh inherited a football program that was one of the worst in the country and used the biggest upset in college football history against USC (Stanford was a 42.5 point underdog) that year as a stepping stone to building a top 25 team.
The heart and soul of Stanford is Toby Gerhart, a 6’1, 235 pound physical powerhouse running back who is one of the best in the nation. He is one of the few backs in the country that can and will carry the ball over 30 times a game and beat defenders up. His mentality has crossed over to his teammates who thrive off playing a physical brand of football.
Another key to Stanford’s success is they play intelligently and usually will not beat themselves. The development of Redshirt Freshman Andrew Luck has been tremendous and gives Stanford the balance on offense that makes them dangerous anywhere on the field. In the past 3 games, Luck was 50-83 for 910 yards and 5 TD’s against only 1 interceptions and that included games against two top 25 teams (Oregon and Arizona) and against one of the best defenses in the conferences Arizona State.
The banged up Trojans will have to play far better than they have the past 6 quarters to leave the Coliseum with a victory. It is going to be tough as the offense will need to come to life without #1 wideout/punt returner Damian Williams (high ankle sprain) and Wide Receiver Ronald Johnson and Tight End Anthony McCoy not operating at 100%.
The Stanford defense is vulnerable to a balanced attack and the Trojans offense is not only going to have to generate at least 24 points of offense but also grind away at the game clock to rest the defense which will be involved in a very physical battle.
4 Keys to the Game:
Hold Gerhart to under 4 yards a carry: It is going to be difficult to completely shut down a back as physical as Toby Gerhart. The Trojans have to look to contain him and not allow him to frequently gain over 5 yards a carry. The Defensive Line will have to play very physical and win the line of scrimmage battle.
The shift of Defensive Lineman Devon Kennard to Linebacker could be a huge factor. Kennard looked great in practice this week and has the size and strength to handle a guy like Gerhart. He gives the undersized linebacking core a physical presence that is sorely needed in a game like this. USC coaches are very enthusiastic about Kennard's physical and mental attributes. He can be a “55” type linebacker. However, a lot is being asked of a freshman who has not played the position before.
Wide receiver Williams, who suffered an ankle sprain against Arizona State, officially is ruled out of Saturday's game at the Coliseum. Wide receiver Damian Williams is out. Tight end Anthony McCoy is in.... more »
Thoughts from Thursday's practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt...- With football icon Jim Brown in attendance and cool weather in the air, the Trojans sped through a brief half-pads practice on a quintessential gridiron evening under the lights. The workout closed out the on-field portion of game preparation and pushed the team one step closer to the Stanford matchup... more »
It's not looking good right now for Damian Williams to play against Stanford while Allen Bradford and Vontaze Burfict exchanged some words in the Morning Buzz.... more »
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller To paraphrase a great philosopher and renaissance man, Ric Flair, "This ain't no garden party, brother, this is the Pac-10, where only the strongest survive. Wooooooo!" Folks, the screws are tightening. 1. Does USC's Pac-10 run end Saturday? It's fairly simple. If Stanford wins at USC, it's likely one of the great runs in... more »
Fullback Stanley Havili practiced yesterday and is expected to start on Saturday. Havili injured his shoulder vs. Notre Dame last month.
Defensive end Everson Griffen got some work in yesterday and said that he will play on Saturday. Griffen missed the ASU game because of turf toe.
Tight end Anthony McCoy is close to returning to practice. He did some light rehab work yesterday and is going to try to practice on Tuesday or Wednesday. He is anxious to get back on the field.
The Bad News:
Our all world receiver, Damian Williams, has a boot on his ankle after injuring it against ASU. Williams leads the team in catches with 45, receiving years with 688 and five TDs. He is also the most clutch player on the team, delivering big plays (two punt returns for TDs) when the team needs them most. If Williams can’t play, look for Brice Butler to start opposite Ronald Johnson. Travon Patterson and Jordan Cameron will fill in at the third receiver spot.
<!--start image--><!-- end image-->Saturday, Damian Williams made one of the best offensive plays for USC this season, catching a short pass and turning into a 75-yard score. It gave USC a crucial touchdown in a close game, helping keep the Trojans' Pac-10 championship dreams alive. But with another big game Saturday, those hopes could be in trouble, as one... more »
It wasn't the prettiest win, but it's nice to be back in the winning column nonetheless.
Matt Barkley struggled in part due to an injury-plagued receiving corps, but his short pass to Damian Williams who took it 75 yards for a touchdown would be enough for the offense to pull out with a win. Not to mention, it's great material for a highlight reel. Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford each had quietly productive games, rushing for 78 and 67 yards respectively.
It looked as if the defense returned back to its normal form, holding the Sun Devils to 9 points. The Trojans recorded 3 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Will Harris. Seeing more interceptions by the defense is a good sign considering they've only had a total of 3 interceptions coming into this game.
For the first time since the middle of the 2002 season, the separation (at least this year) between USC and the Pac-10 is not evident. The Trojans 14-9 victory over Arizona Sate was a clear indication that USC looks like any other solid Pac-10 team and they are fortunate to finish with 3 straight home games.
The Trojans will need to play well in all phases to successfully defend the Coliseum turf against 3 tough opponents (Stanford and Arizona are ranked and in the Rose Bowl race and you have the crosstown rivalry with UCLA). If they are able to win the final three, another trip to Pasadena is still very much alive. If they struggle, a match-up with Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl is easily be in the cards.
The Pac-10 is extremely strong this year and any 1 of 5 teams would represent the conference very well against a top 15 team on a neutral field. This type of quality is why a team with two losses in conference could play in the Rose Bowl.
Notes and Analysis for the Water Cooler and IM Chats:
Barkley in a slump: Matt Barkley was 7-22 for 122 yards against Arizona State. If you take away the short pass to Damian Williams that was turned into a 75 yard touchdown, Barkley was 6-21 for 37 yards. In the second half against Oregon, he was 5-16 for 49 yards. Did Raider quarterback Jamarcus Russell take over for the Trojans?
Hopefully the offensive coaches are doing some self scouting to help Barkley make adjustments to his tendencies. Opposing defensive coaches have enough film on Barkley to truly dissect his game and it is showing. Arizona State has a great defense but his throwing numbers were awful considering Cal QB Kevin Riley threw for 351 yards the week before.
*More Barkley, offensive line, Williams injury after the jump
Here are several injury updates for Saturday's game following team doctor visits tonight: DE Armond Armstead (wrist): Probable WR David Ausberry (calf): Out RB Allen Bradford (knee): Probable LB Chris Galippo (neck): Probable DE Everson Griffen (toe): Probable FB Stanley Havili (shoulder): Probable LB Jarvis Jones (neck): Questionable S Drew McAllister (hip): Out TE Anthony McCoy (ankle): Questionable RB Joe McKnight (ankle): Probable DE Nick Perry (knee): Questionable LB Malcolm Smith... more »
Thoughts from Tuesday's practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt...- Down two with three plays remaining in the full-pads practice, the offense cam roaring back with three straight wins to capture an 8-7 victory on Competition Tuesday and earn loads of praise from the coaches. "That's the kind of practice that gets us right," Coach Carroll said in the post-practice... more »
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