TrojanWire - Matt Barkley http://www.trojanwire.com/football/matt-barkley/index.php USC Football As It Happens Copyright 2009 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:07:10 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Morning Buzz We asked USC coach Pete Carroll if he still thinks Matt Barkley is playing as well this season as any quarterback he ever coached.

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/morning-buzz.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/morning-buzz.php Coach Pete Carroll Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:07:10 -0800 The Struggles of Matt Barkley Photo

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 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.



]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-struggles-of-matt-barkley.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-struggles-of-matt-barkley.php Aaron Corp Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:07:04 -0800 USC football: No plans to bench Barkley USC coach Pete Carroll said tonight that he has no plans to bench freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, even though Barkley has been struggling recently. “He needs to keep playing,” Carroll said. “We have to continue to develop him. We see the potential, the playmaking, the mentality, all the stuff we’re looking for.” Carroll said he and his [...] http://www.trojanwire.com/football/usc-football-no-plans-to-bench-barkley.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/usc-football-no-plans-to-bench-barkley.php Coach Pete Carroll Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:04:09 -0800 The Skinny: It All Comes Down To The Running Game 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.

More keys and injury updates after the jump

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-skinny-it-all-comes-down-to-the-running-game.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-skinny-it-all-comes-down-to-the-running-game.php Headlines Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:56:16 -0800 Pictures from Thursday's practice 1112fg.jpg
Kicker Jordan Congdon, holder Garrett Green and snapper Chris Pousson go through early-practice field goal drills.

1112sevenon.jpg
Matt Barkley and tailback Curtis McNeal line up in the backfield during 7-on-7 period.

1112team.jpg
Matt Barkley leads the Trojan offense in the final team period.

1112bbjb.jpg
Wideout Brice Butler poses for a picture with football legend Jim Brown. ]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/pictures-from-thursdays-practice.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/pictures-from-thursdays-practice.php Brice Butler Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:13:35 -0800 Dispatch from Howard Jones
- 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 at the Coliseum on Saturday. "We were really sharp this week in practice," Coach Carroll said. "Hopefully we bring that to game time."

- Wideout Damian Williams (ankle) has been ruled out of Saturday's game, and Brice Butler will start in his place. "We'll miss [Williams'] production and leadership," Carroll said. "But we're excited for what Brice did this week."

- Tight end Anthony McCoy (ankle) will play Saturday, and his return will be very positive news for a position group that was thinned by Blake Ayles' knee and ankle injury in Wednesday's practice. Ayles is doubtful for this weekend, Carroll said.

- Hall-of-famer Jim Brown's appearance added a special element to the practice, as he watched from the sidelines and then briefly spoke to the team after the workout. "Joe [McKnight] and A.B. [Allen Bradford] went over there and they came back like little kids," Carroll said of their mid-practice meeting with Brown, who stopped by because of his connection with Carroll's A Better LA charity.

- Matt Barkley produced the highlight of the day during 11-on-11 drills when he stepped up in the collapsing pocket and threw on the run to Brice Butler over the middle. Coaches burst out in applause for the heady play. ]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/dispatch-from-howard-jones.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/dispatch-from-howard-jones.php Anthony McCoy Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:13:13 -0800 USC football: Bates has Barkley’s back Jeremy Bates really said this about USC quarterback Matt Barkley on Wednesday: “I think Matt’s playing great. I really do. We’ve got to give him a chance. We’ve got to call the right plays for him. The guy’s a stud. He’s doing everything we ask. He’s taking care of the ball. We’ve got to protect a [...] http://www.trojanwire.com/football/usc-football-bates-has-barkleyas-back.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/usc-football-bates-has-barkleyas-back.php Matt Barkley Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:15:05 -0800 What to watch in the Pac-10 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 the history of college football -- the Trojans' seven years atop the Pac-10 -- will come to an end. If the Trojans win, however, they head into a bye week when they can get healthy and rested and then fix their eyeballs on a conference race that remains within reach. Quick trivia question: How many Top-25 teams other than USC have played six of their last eight games on the road?

2. Will California be flat or inspired by Jahvid Best's absence? Arizona has a lot to play for at Cal. The Bears? Hard to say. It will be interesting to see which team shows up. The Bears have looked good at times this year. And very bad. Best, who suffered a concussion last weekend against Oregon State, was once a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Now his season is likely over. Cal, which has clearly underperformed this fall, might come out yawning, a team just playing out the string. Or it might come out more focused than ever after learning how one unlucky moment could take the game away for good.

3. How will true ASU freshman QB Brock Osweiler respond to Autzen Stadium? Alright kid, go get 'em! What? Go get 'em! What? Osweiler will make his first career start in one of the nation's loudest and toughest venues against an extremely fast defense that was humbled last weekend at Stanford and will be plenty motivated for redemption. Osweiler, by the way, won't have Toby Gerhart or the Cardinal's smart, physical offensive line to help either. Good luck, though. What? The Pac-10 blog said good luck! What?

4. Sean Canfield vs. the Washington secondary: Canfield has been playing as well as any quarterback in the conference of late -- and that's saying something because a lot of quarterbacks are playing well. The Huskies' secondary has struggled throughout the season. It ranks ninth in the conference and 110th in the nation in pass efficiency defense. The idea of Canfield and his quick release dumping the ball to either of the Rodgers brothers in space has to keep Huskies defensive coordinator Nick Holt up at night. His secondary just doesn't have the speed to match up.

5. Might Pullman put a chill in UCLA? Good news for UCLA: It doesn't appear the Bruins will encounter a real mid-November day in Pullman. Reports say it may snow on Friday but it will be partly cloudy and pleasant -- mid-30s -- on Saturday. If the Cougars are to pull the upset, they need all the help they can get, and snow and cold might be a boon against the visitors from sunny southern California. Of course, the weather is often unpredictable. Maybe that snow will start Friday and keep coming?

6. Luck & Gerhart challenge the USC D: After piling up 505 yards against an Oregon defense that mostly shut down USC, Stanford will face those Trojans with a physical, balanced offense that can attack a defense by land (Gerhart) or by air (Andrew Luck). Whether the blame falls on youth or injuries, USC's defense has not been itself since the fourth quarter of the Notre Dame game on Oct. 17. Considering Stanford has scored 84 points the past two games against two of the nation's better defenses, this could be a humbling afternoon for the Trojans. Or it could be a turning point.

7. Will Nick Foles pick apart the Cal secondary? Before the season, Arizona had questions at quarterback, and California, with four starters returning, had one of the best secondaries in the nation. Now, the Wildcats have Foles, a sophomore who is completing 71.4 percent of his passes, and the Bears rank 93rd in the nation in pass efficiency defense. Go figure. Foles' quick release -- the Wildcats have surrendered only four sacks all season -- and accuracy will stress the Bears.

8. Jake Locker is due a big performance: Locker has been spectacular for Washington at times this year. Not so great at others. He's banged up. And his team has lost five of six. But there are reasons Pac-10 coaches fear Locker and the NFL covets him -- he's a great talent with superior playmaking ability. Washington can't win if he doesn't play well. It sometimes can't even if he does. But if he puts together a special game, the Huskies could pull the upset.

9. Oregon's O vs. Arizona State's D: The Sun Devils are suddenly hurting in the secondary, but they have been consistently tough on defense all season, particularly against the run where they rank sixth in the nation (87.4 yards per game). Oregon, of course, is one of the nation's best running teams (233.56 yards per game). It will be interesting to see who blinks in this strength-on-strength battle, or if the Ducks just try to attack through the air, sensing that's where Arizona State will be most vulnerable.

10. Will Matt Barkley's slide end vs. Stanford's defense? A few weeks ago, Barkley was running the USC offense with aplomb and was the toast of college football. But his last six quarters -- the second half at Oregon plus the visit to Arizona State -- haven't been sharp. It doesn't help that his two favorite targets, tight end Anthony McCoy and receiver Damian Williams, may not be available Saturday. But he's coming home, which should help, and it's hard to believe that he won't be eager to prove that his recent slump was just a momentary blip on his path toward becoming a superstar quarterback. ]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/what-to-watch-in-the-pac10.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/what-to-watch-in-the-pac10.php Washington State Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:06:11 -0800 Barkley Takes Responsibility MB 1111.jpg
(Photo by Icon Sports Media)

A lot is being made about the USC offense and Matt Barkley’s recent “struggles.” When asked about this Matt Barkley told the LA Times:

"I'll take the responsibility for that and for the offense because it does start with the quarterback."

I would personally put the blame on the play calling, injuries, stupid penalties and some costly drops by our tight ends, but what do I know. To read the full article click here.

USC's Matt Barkley wants to get the shine back [lat]

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/barkley-takes-responsibility.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/barkley-takes-responsibility.php Headlines Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:47:25 -0800 HIGHLIGHTS: Arizona State 2009 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.

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/highlights-arizona-state-2009.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/highlights-arizona-state-2009.php Headlines Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:14:54 -0800 The Skinny: At Least This Year, The Trojans Are Running With The Pac 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

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-skinny-at-least-this-year-the-trojans-are-running-with-the-pac.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-skinny-at-least-this-year-the-trojans-are-running-with-the-pac.php Headlines Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:14:12 -0800 The Skinny: We Will Learn A lot About The Trojans Psyche In Tempe 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...

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-skinny-we-will-learn-a-lot-about-the-trojans-psyche-in-tempe.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/the-skinny-we-will-learn-a-lot-about-the-trojans-psyche-in-tempe.php Headlines Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:08:33 -0800 Morning Buzz 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.

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/morning-buzz.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/morning-buzz.php Arizona State Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:42:56 -0800 Losses eat at stoic Barkley USC freshman quarterback Matt Barkley hates losing and doesn't plan on doing it again at Arizona State. http://www.trojanwire.com/football/losses-eat-at-stoic-barkley.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/losses-eat-at-stoic-barkley.php Arizona State Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:39:24 -0800 Rick Reilly on Matt Barkley rr mb 113.jpg

If you don't know Rick Reilly (he's kind of a big deal), he is the guy that used to write those one page columns on the last page of every Sports Illustrated. He is no longer with SI and is now at ESPN where he recently wrote a piece about Matt Barkley. You can click here to check it out.

Not your typical frosh [ESPN]

]]> http://www.trojanwire.com/football/rick-reilly-on-matt-barkley.php http://www.trojanwire.com/football/rick-reilly-on-matt-barkley.php Headlines Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:10:17 -0800