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.
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.
Matt Barkley completed 15 of 25 passes for 202 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. In light of the interceptions, he has improved tremendously since the home opener against San Jose State. And it sure is nice having Ronald Johnson back on the field, too!
Allen Bradford rushed for a career high 147 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sharing number 21 and being a solid, bruising back, he looked liked LenDale White. Joe McKnight rushed for 65 yards on 11 carries and left the game near the end of the 1st half due to a hand injury; it is unknown what his status for next week is at the moment. With McKnight's speed and explosiveness combined with Bradford's bull-like qualities as a running back, will this tandem be Thunder and Lighting version 2.0?
Here are some of the defense "highlights" against the Beavers. USC struggled defensively against Oregon State last year, so it should have been no surprise this year considering they returned a veteran quarterback in Sean Canfield and the notorious Jacquizz Rodgers, along with brother James. Enjoy the few clips of the defense stopping the Beavers' offense. If any other team expects to beat Oregon State, it must be done with a good offense. No matter how good a defense is, it is hard to prepare for the Beaver offense.
History repeats itself for the Golden Bears; they enter the season with lots of hype, only to fold like a bad hand in poker. Time for them to enter hibernation!
Cal's Heisman hopeful tailback, Jahvid Bust, was held to a season-low 47 rushing yards against USC. Meanwhile Joe McKnight looked the best out there, rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
Cal's quarterback, Kevin Riley, really outdid himself this time. Just when you thought his passing completion rate of 38.7% against Oregon could not get any worse, he sunk to a new low against the Trojans with a completion rate of 37.5%.
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller Matt Barkley is now The Man. USC quarterbacks win Heismans. They win Rose Bowls and national championships. They get drafted in the top half of the first round of the NFL draft and make a lot of money. Heck, some even pose for magazines in short shorts. And Barkley, who turns 19 on Sept.... more »
The hills of Los Angeles are ablaze and two USC starters are down and out — one for the entire season — but the Skinny's here to quell any fear and provide the low down on what this all means.
WR Johnson Injured: USC lost starting Wide Receiver Ronald Johnson to a broken clavicle putting him on the shelf for 6-8 weeks.
The Skinny: The wide receiver depth definitely takes a hit. However, as odd as this may sound, this could end up benefiting freshman QB Matt Barkley. David Ausberry moves into the #2 Wide Receiver position providing Barkley with a 6'5 target that is very easy to find. Ausberry has had his best fall camp since being a Trojan and has made big strides with Coach Bates now leading the offense. Over the past few seasons Ausberry did not mesh well with Sarkisian's often critical and negative style and Bates seems to have breathed new life into the potential difference maker. Usually, Ausberry would look great in the spring but get lost in fall camp. This year, he has continued his fine play through fall camp and if it translates into games it will give Barkley a big target he can lean on in tight situations. He has Mike Williams like qualities and we all know the impact he had on Carson Palmer's career.
Damian Williams will be the #1 option but don't be surprised to see David Ausberry lead the team in receptions.
The injury to Johnson will also give Freshman Da'von Flourney a chance to get on the field earlier than expected. He has been extremely impressive with his playmaking ability after catching the ball. Once he gets his arms around the playbook he will be tough to keep off the field. Brice Butler is the new #3 Wide Receiver beating out Travon patterson who will now have to battle with Flourney for the few plays delegated to the #4 WR. Jordan Cameron will be utilized in red zone and short yardage situations.
The wide receiver corps will be fine as long as they can stay away from another major injury.
Thoughts on missing big hitter Shareece Wright after the jump.
The jury is out. Pete Carroll announced today his depth chart going into the huddle. Of course in traditional Carroll fashion, the competition for starting positions will continue throughout Summer workouts. But the Spring depth charts typically hold strong resemblance to the final list, come start of the football season.
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller Ever wonder what a coach might say about a quarterback competition the day before he announces a pecking order? You're in luck! USC coach Pete Carroll stopped by for a chat with the Pac-10 blog on Monday, the day before he announced on his Web site that Aaron Corp would emerge from spring practices... more »
<!--start image--><!-- end image-->Without safety Will Harris on the field, things in the defensive backfield have been shaken up. With Harris tending to academic issues, sixth-year senior Josh Pinkard stands to gain the most. Pinkard returned to USC to play safety and now the team needs him to do just that. Go inside for an update plus more from... more »
Eight practices down, seven to go for USC. Here’s what the quarterback candidates had to say just past the halfway point of spring practice 2009: AARON CORP (on his performance in the scrimmage) To me it seemed like it was hit or miss the whole day. It was kind of hard for me to get into a rhythm. I... more »
Although USC’s DeMar DeRozan says he’s “still 50-50″ on hiring an agent, it’s worth noting that he interviewed four potential candidates last week. DeRozan said he should know by the end of this week whether he’ll hire one or wait to see how the pre-draft process pans out. The assumption here is that DeRozan, a projected lottery pick in... more »
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