SB Nation - Devon Kennard

USC Players React to Kennedy Polamalu News

ShotgunSpratling — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 04:20:36 -0000

USC-UCLA Preview: What To Watch For

ShotgunSpratling — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 16:01:06 -0000

USC-UCLA. Crosstown Showdown. Bragging rights.

There's nothing quite like 'em. For as long as there is until another game is played, one team completely "owns" the other. The score could be 3-2 or 50-0. It doesn't matter...for an entire year, one school, one fan base gets to stake claim to victory. Gets to gloat in the face of friends, family, co-workers. Gets to wear the crown of victory.

Those are the spoils after four quarters are played. Bragging rights extend to every matchup, but no bragging rights are quite like those of a rivalry matchup. And no rivalry matchup has quite the same feel as the Crosstown Showdown. As USC running back Silas Redd found out earlier this week, no other schools have quite the same dynamic as that of UCLA and USC.

No other BCS conference schools face off every year with so much riding on the line. This is not just conference standings and the chance to win the Pac-12 South (which both schools made claim to last season). This is pride. This is honor. This is husband vs wife; this is T.J. McDonald vs Tevin McDonald; this is Wes & Shane Horton vs their former UCLA Bruin and American Gladiator father Myke; this is me having bragging rights over my co-workers.

Here are five burning questions to watch for as No. 18 USC travels across town to the Rose Bowl to take on No. 17 UCLA:

1. How much trouble does Brett Hundley's legs give USC ?

The Trojans defense has shown that it is susceptible to running quarterbacks. Both Arizona's Matt Scott and Oregon's Marcus Mariota gained more than 100 yards on the ground and Stanford's Josh Nunes had 33 huge yards on three carries, including a crucial first down pick up in the fourth quarter.

And yet, Hundley might be the most athletic of any quarterback USC faces this season. He is definitely the most likely quarterback to run. He has 111 attempts this year (Mariota has 86).

USC's defense will have to contain the edges...which hasn't always been the easiest thing this season. The Trojans want to turn Hundley into a running quarterback, but only if that means he isn't getting time to throw because of pressure in his face. If they keep him contained in the pocket, there could be a number of sacks to go around. However, that is going to require the assignment discipline that the line did not show against Oregon.

2. How aggressive is UCLA's defense with the troubles it has had against the pass?

It is no secret that UCLA has struggled against the pass this season. It's how Washington State nearly came back last weekend and how Cal was able to dominant the Bruins despite having Zach Maynard at quarterback. USC torched the UCLA defensive backs last season and it won't be a surprise if the Trojans do the same this season.

What can the Bruins do to try to prevent that? One way to throw off a passing attack is with pressure. It is certainly a gamble, but if the deck is stacked against you...that's normally something you do. How often will we see Anthony Barr coming off the edge? How aggressive will the Bruins be with blitzes and how well will they be able to disguise it in order to keep Matt Barkley from picking them apart?

3. Who causes more havoc: Anthony Barr or Morgan Breslin?

After having only 14 sacks as a team last season, the new UCLA coaching staff knew they needed to try something different than the previous regime. What they tried was converting running back/fullback Anthony Barr to a speed rushing outside linebacker. It definitely is paying off. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound monster leads the Pac-12 with 11 sacks on the season.

USC had it's own concerns about rushing the passer this season after losing last year's Pac-12 sack leader, Nick Perry, to the draft and senior Devon Kennard to a torn pectoral before the season even began. The coaching staff was able to find a diamond in the rough as junior college transfer Morgan Breslin has seized the opportunity and been a dominant force off the edge for the Trojans. "The Silent Assassin is third in the Pac-12 with 9.5 sacks this season -- the same number Perry had last year.

Blocking these two edge terrors will be priority No. 1 for both of the offensive lines, but if either of these guys can make an impact play causing a turnover, it could be what sways the game.

4. Can the frosh (Brett Hundley) show up the senior (Matt Barkley)?

Earlier this week, the Los Angeles Times talked to some scouts about the NFL stocks of the players in this game. One of the most interesting pieces of information was the buzz about Hundley's potential draft positionin two to three years. The scouts are raving about Hundley's future potential. He has size, mobility and a strong arm. Barkley has the intelligence, experience and savvy to dice up a defense. But could this be Hundley's national coming out party? Can he supplant Barkley as the pre-eminent arm in Southern California even before Barkley finishes up his eligibility and leaves for the NFL?

5. Does the streak continue?

There are going to be some different things this time around for the Crosstown Showdown.

There will be no USC Drum Major stabbing the field/staking the territory/whatever you want to call it (even if it is a silly tradition that has nothing to do with the opponent). There will (hopefully) be no god-awful all-white jerseys...I shudder even thinking about what an all-white USC version would look like. There will be no evening kickoff, which means everyone should be arriving at 6 or 7 a.m. to assure the correct amount of tailgating prior to the game.

But will things be the way they have been 12 of the last 13 years? Unless UCLA finds a way to stop the Barkley-Woods-Lee combination, I'm thinking we're going to see what we've been seeing. But then again...this is a rivalry...so anything can happen!!

USC-UCLA kicks off at noon PT and will be televised live on FOX and FOX Deportes. You can also catch the game on 710 ESPN .

Follow Shotgun on Twitter @ShotgunSpr.

Devon Kennard injury: USC senior DE out for year, will redshirt

TheMJ — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:34:45 -0000

USC Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin confirmed on Monday that defensive end Devon Kennard will miss the remainder of the 2012 season with a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in July.

Kiffin confirmed that Kennard will be saved for next year, meaning he will redshirt in 2012. Kennard suffered the injury in July while weightlifting during offseason conditioning and underwent surgery to repair the damage.

Kennard will be a senior next year, and played in 11 of 12 games for USC during his junior campaign. He had 28 total tackles that year, and played eight games at linebacker during his sophomore season. He was moved to defensive end a season ago and was tabbed to start in 2012.

Kiffin also mentioned that fifth-year senior defensive back Brian Baucham is out for the year due to an undisclosed injury and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Cody Temple will miss the season due to an ankle injury.

The Trojans are 6-1 and currently ranked ninth in the BCS standings, which were released for the second time in 2012 on Monday.

Colorado Buffaloes Vs. USC Trojans: Enemy Intel

Jon Woods — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:00:42 -0000

To get an USC point of view on Saturday's match-up in against the Trojans in Los Angeles we sat down with Mike Piellucci (@mikelikessports) of Neon Tommy for a quick Q&A. You can view our answers to their questions here.

The Trojans entered the season with National Title hopes in their first year with full postseason eligibility restored. USC now sits at 5-1 nearly halfway into the year after a loss to Stanford and some less than comfortable wins. How do fans feel about the season so far and what are their hopes for the final six games and postseason?

NT: USC is a half decade, a bout of sanctions, and a head coach removed from the days of ripping off BCS bowl wins yet this is still the same place where the fan base once became jaded with annual trips to the Rose Bowl, so you probably won't be surprised to hear that a large chunk of it was furious after the Stanford loss. Of course, there were some mitigating circumstances but the fact remains that people don't like seeing a team that was hyped as a special group by both the local and national media lose its conference road opener the same way it has in three of the last four seasons. That same level of expectation just as easily translates into optimism, though, and it has the fan base hopeful - though I wouldn't go so far as saying optimistic - that this team can win out and work its way back into the national title picture.

Great things were expected out of Matt Barkley and the Trojans offense headed into the year. What's been wrong with the passing attack so far?

NT: I think it's a combination of factors. USC has only played two home games so far, and Lane Kiffin has alluded to calling a more conservative game plan on the road given that the Trojans are still a pretty young team overall; accordingly, he wants to minimize risk. But this is the same guy who made mention in the preseason of fans coming out to see exciting football, so I have trouble believing this was his plan from the get-go. More likely, the offensive line's struggles - particularly those on the left side manned by sophomores Aundrey Walker and Marcus Martin - have put a damper on some of his grander scheme ideas. Then there's third downs: USC has converted just 30% of them, which puts them 112th out of 120 FBS teams. Stir it all together and you have a recipe for a floundering passing game, even with all the weapons on tap.

Penn State transfer Silas Redd was considered to be the final piece to a title run for USC. How has his season gone so far? Has he met expectations?

NT:
Other than Marqise Lee, Redd is the only skill position player on offense putting up big numbers. He's currently averaging 5.6 yards per carry and on pace for 1,140 yards on the season and what started as a timeshare with Curtis McNeal has evolved into more of a 2 to 1 split of the carries in Redd's favor. He only has one truly outstanding trait - his vision - but he has no obvious weakness as a runner either, which allows him to be productive whether he's running between the tackles or bouncing things to the outside, giving Kiffin plenty of flexibility in his play calling. The expectations coming in were for Redd to be a useful piece in the running game; instead, he's become its focal point.

Who has stood out on the Trojans defense so far? Better, as expected, or worse than expected?

NT: As underwhelming as the passing game has looked, the defense has been every bit as stellar. That isn't especially surprising with the back seven, where usual suspects like safety T.J. McDonald, cornerback Nickell Robey, and linebackers Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard have been excellent. But nobody knew what to expect from the defensive line, which boasts just one senior at any position in defensive end Wes Horton after losing bookend senior pass rusher Devon Kennard to a torn pectoral muscle in fall camp. It wound up becoming a force largely thanks to junior college transfer end Morgan Breslin and true freshman defensive tackle Leonard Williams, who have combined for 12.5 sacks. USC still lacks quality depth in some spots due to the sanctions but the talent and balance in the starting lineup is at a truly elite level.

If you were Buffaloes head coach Jon Embree how would you attack this Trojan team?

NT: USC's Achilles heel on defense has been the second cornerback spot opposite Robey, so that's the obvious place to start. Monte Kiffin, as we all know, built the Tampa 2 defense and as a result USC also tends to spend a lot of its time sitting in soft zone, meaning that Colorado will have opportunities to pick up small chunks of yards if Jordan Webb has time to throw and makes the right reads. It's tough to formulate a strategy for containing USC's fleet of skill position players on offense but the teams that have had the most success against the Trojans have done so with the blitz. Neither Walker nor right tackle Kevin Graf are especially light on their feet, so sending speed rushers off the edge or the occasional corner blitz is a good way to exploit that. Of course, that just increases the chance that Lee or Robert Woods breaks free for a big play but there isn't a team in the country that can handle both straight up, so Embree might as well go for broke and hope to get in Barkley's face before he can find them.

Game prediction? Will the Trojans beat "Alabama" and cover the spread?

NT: I don't anticipate USC covering that gargantuan line, but I do expect them to win comfortably and for Lane Kiffin to open up the passing game now that the Trojans are playing on home turf. One thing to note - Barkley is four touchdowns away from setting the USC and Pac-12 record, and Woods is five catches away from becoming the school's all-time reception leader. No matter how much he's denied it this year, Kiffin likes seeing his guys break records and I bet he makes sure they both go down this weekend as part of a 45-17 USC win.

USC Football: Defensive Line Getting It Done

Julio Nievas — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:27:19 -0000

The defensive line of the USC Trojans has been a strength, despite entering the season as perhaps the weakest and most inexperienced area of the team. A pair of newcomers have led the way by wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

"Young" and "inexperienced" were terms defining a line that featured the departure of four seniors last year. Defensive tackle George Uko was the most polished of the 2012 bunch, but he’s not the best lineman at his position.

As punishing Uko can be, with flashes of great power and speed in an instant, he is overshadowed by junior defensive end Morgan Breslin.

Breslin was behind Devon Kennard in the depth chart before Kennard tore his chest muscle because of weight training. After four weeks Breslin is easily USC’s best lineman, and it’s not even close.

For the season, Breslin has 9.5 tackles for losses, tops in the nation. Only three players in the past four seasons have achieved a tackles for loss total of more than nine: Nick Perry (twice), Michael Morgan (2009), and Jurrell Casey (2010). With the way Breslin has been playing, he could eclipse Perry’s 2011 tackles for loss total of 13 by the next game.

Breslin was originally committed to the UCLA Bruins before USC snagged him around the end of the 2012 recruiting period, and that robbery has paid dividends for the Trojans. Originally the sack master at Diablo Valley Community College in Pleasant Valley, Calif., Breslin has translated his game to the college level fairly quickly and easily. He penetrates the offensive line with a high motor and never quits a play.

Breslin had 3½ sacks in the Trojans' 27--9 win over the Cal Bears on Saturday.

True freshman Leonard Williams is also having a phenomenal start to his season. Originally from Tampa, Fla., Williams was committed to the Florida Gators before spurning them to decide to enroll at USC on Signing Day earlier this year. The true freshman has four sacks under his belt and his change of position from defensive end to tackle seems genius.

With Wes Horton healthy and playing at a high level (he achieved a sack against Cal on Saturday), USC’s line may be their greatest strength on defense.

They have not seen this kind of dominant play from the defensive line in years. Per cfbstats.com, the USC Trojans currently average 8.25 tackles for losses a game and 3.5 sacks per game, production not seen since 2007, when the Trojans averaged 3.46 sacks a game and 7.46 tackles for losses. This "young" and "inexperienced" line have comfortably passed expectations.

As tremendous as the start of the season has been for the defensive line, we won’t get used to seeing this high level of play for much longer. USC will face stronger offensive lines and teams will have to adapt to USC’s front four sometime.

But make no mistake about it, coach Ed Orgeron has done more than a solid job of teaching the young linemen how to puncture an offensive line. Maybe this year’s line will be the "Wild Bunch" of the present.

For more on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.

Roll On: Previewing The USC Defense

norcalnick — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:00:23 -0000

We’re switching things up a little bit the rest of the year. To satiate everybody’s unending thirst for football talk we’ll be getting our unit previews out a bit earlier in the week, and that means I’m batting leadoff with the USC defense.

Which . . . I dunno. When you write about USC, you always expect extremes and superlatives. Five star this, NFL stud that. And USC does have guys like that. But the defensive results on the field are just meh. Not bad. Not great. If you want to know why, you’ll probably hear a number of explanations. Monte Kiffin blame. Lack of depth from sanctions. Recruiting misses. Regardless, this is a team you can move the ball against.

Well, hypothetically speaking. Since Cal's last win over USC the Bears have averaged 10.2 points per game with a high of 17. Cal has scored less than a touchdown per game since Adimchinobe Echemandu and Reggie Roberson led the upset in 2003. Even if this is the worst USC defense over that span, and even if this is the best Cal offense since 2006*, that's quite a bit of bad mojo to overcome.

So maybe this game is less about Cal vs. USC and more about Cal vs. Cal. I'm sure if you asked, the players would say that the losing streak (and last year's ugly blowout) motivates them. But after so many ugly performances you can't help but wonder. I don't think anybody would argue that the Bears aren't capable of putting up points. But until the offense breaks through skepticism will persist.

*If Saturday's offensive output isn't a mirage, you could actually make this argument. I don't know if you'd win, but the argument could be made.

Personnel

Defensive Line: Sr. DE Wes Horton, Fr. NT Antwaun Woods, So. DT George Uko, So. DE J.R. Tavai

As has been widely reported, USC just doesn’t have many defensive linemen, period. Veteran Devon Kennard’s season ending injury really hurts USC’s depth, and the only upper classman left on the line, Wes Horton, was injured against Syracuse and didn’t play against Stanford. That left just six linemen that USC felt comfortable sending onto the field in Palo Alto.

Horton was a gametime decision against Stanford and is still listed on USC’s depth chart. Knowing Lane Kiffin, we won’t know his status until the USC defense takes the field on Saturday. Regardless of his healthy, expect to see plenty of Morgan Breslin, who isn't listed as a starter but has nevertheless been the most productive lineman with five tackles for a loss this year.

Despite a lack of depth and experience, USC has managed seven sacks so far this season . . . but five of those came against Hawaii and none came against Stanford. Stanford’s offensive line is almost certainly better than Cal’s, but that’s still a distressing performance for USC fans.

Linebackers: So. Strongside LB Dion Bailey, So. Middle LB Lamar Dawson, So. Weakside LB Hayes Pullard

Pullard and Bailey are the 'veterans' who make the defense go. They're both sophomores, but each have three years in the program and they were 1-2 on the team in tackles last year, so don't get fooled by the 'So.' next to their names.

Bailey is the guy that really scares me. 24 tackles in 3 games, but most frighteningly, 3 interceptions. I can't help but imagine him lurking in coverage, playing soft on a receiver over the middle and reading Maynard's eyes before jumping a route. Word of warning: DON'T WATCH THIS VIDEO. You watched, didn't you. Sorry, but I warned you.

Dawson saw partial time last year and hasn't had a huge impact so far this year. None of the backups have registered much on the stat sheet, likely because Pullard and Bailey don't come off the field often. I get the sense that USC's run defense has been solid more because of the linebacking unit than the defensive line.

Secondary: Jr. CB Nickell Robey; Sr. FS T.J. McDonald; Sr. SS Jawanza Starling; Jr. CB Torin Harris OR So. CB Anthony Brown

McDonald is the most recognizable name, in part because he's following along in the long tradition of USC cheap shot artists. Which isn't to say that he isn't a great player, because he is, though he might be better off going for the ball more often than he goes for the head.

Robey is the #1 corner, while Harris and Brown have been splitting time on the other side. None of them has done a ton yet despite having faced two teams that threw the ball quite a bit. Beyond the starting foursome, look to see back-up safeties Demetrius Wright and Drew McAllister.

2012 performances

264 total yards allowed (3.71 yards/play) in a 49-10 win over Hawaii
455 total yards allowed (5.23 yards/play) in a 42-29 win over Syracuse
417 total yards allowed (6.04 yards/play) in a 21-14 loss to Stanford

The first performance looks solid, but Hawaii has a new coach and a new QB, so it's not quite the same as the June Jones yardage machines of years past. Then Syracuse and Stanford outperformed expectations (and Stanford should have scored more but special teams errors lost them points). Decidedly underwhelming stuff.

Against the Run

2011: 3.62 yards allowed/attempt, 34th in the nation
2012: 3.55 yards allowed/attempt, 50th in the nation

Shutting down Syracuse and Hawaii isn't significantly meaningful, but it’s certainly better than the alternative, but I'm not sure how to grade USC's performance against Stanford's running game. On one hand, USC held Stanford mostly in check, save for one spectacular individual run by Taylor. On the other hand, USC knew that Stanford was going to run as much as they could and Taylor still got his yards and kept drives moving.

And I'm not even sure how much it matters, because what Cal presents is significantly different than what Stanford tries to do. Cal isn’t a true spread offense, but the Bears are a hell of a lot closer than Stanford, which is about as anti-spread as you can get. Cal can barely find 8 healthy linemen, let alone play them all at the same time. So although USC held Taylor somewhat check, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the performance can be extrapolated to Isi, C.J. and Brendan.

Against the Pass

2011: 6.9 yards allowed/attempt, 52nd in the nation
2012: 6.4 yards allowed/attempt, 51st in the nation

Arguably, USC hasn’t really been tested yet through the air. Hawaii’s passing offense can be prolific, but as mentioned above they aren't necessarily the same team they've been in the past. Syracuse is Syracuse. And Josh Nunes is clearly a work in progress, somebody closer to a game manager than anything else.

What I’m saying is that Zach Maynard, Keenan Allen, Bryce Treggs and Chris Harper represent the best collection of passing talent USC has faced so far this year, and it’s not especially close. And Keenan went for 13/160 last year with no real support from the run game.

Stats of Dubious Value

Turnovers

2011: 17 turnovers forced (9 interceptions, 8 fumbles), 95th in the nation
2012: 8 turnovers forced (6 interceptions, 2 fumbles), 8th in the nation.

I don’t need to remind you what happened last year. Turnovers turned a winnable game into an embarrassing debacle. Unfortunately, USC has shown a propensity for forcing turnovers so far this year, and it's what has kept the defense going against Syracuse and Stanford despite giving up plenty of yards.

Cal accounted for 30% of USC's turnovers last year. And people wonder why we're fatalistic about USC.

3^rd Down

2011: opponent conversion percentage of 40.12%. 63rd in the nation
2012: opponent conversion percentage of 42.55%, 85th in the nation

Red Zone

2011: Opponents scored in 76.09% of red zone possessions (24th in the nation), scored touchdowns in 60.87% (72nd)
2012: Opponents scored in 87.50% of red zone possessions (93rd in the nation), scored touchdowns in 62.5% (72nd)

It wasn't quite a red zone failure, but Cal had 5 drives enter Ohio St. territory that resulted in zero points. That can't happen again.

Conclusions

Even if USC gets surprisingly healthy between now and Saturday, Cal’s offense should be capable of putting up yards and points. I see no reason to expect that USC’s defense is better than, say, Ohio State’s defense, and Cal moved the ball with relative ease in Columbus.

From the opposite perspective, Cal’s offense just might be the best offense USC has faced so far this year. I’m quite confident Cal is more talented than Hawaii and Syracuse. And while Stanford has an offensive identity that is ultimately effective, without Andrew Luck there’s a ceiling on how good they can be. Stepfan Taylor will get his yards and they’ll complete some nice passes to the tight ends, but it’s not an explosive, quick strike offense. They don’t have a player like Keenan Allen, they don’t have a running back like Brendan Bigelow, and Zach Maynard's QB rating is nearly 20 points higher than Josh Nunes.

In other words, no excuses. There are zero excuses for not scoring points. If Robert Woods goes nuts and Cal loses a shoot-out, fine. But if this team gets held to 17 points or less again . . . I don't know what I'll do. I'm worried it will be something rash. We know this team has talent. We know they're capable of executing. We know that USC's defense has been mediocre for more than a year now. I'm not asking for 45 points - I just want to see enough points that a win is a reasonable prospect. For the love of God, make it happen. 2003 was cool and all, but it's getting harder and harder to look back on it fondly because you can't help but think about how depressingly unique it is.

Poll

How many points will Cal score against USC?

10 or less

33 votes

11-20

92 votes

21-30

120 votes

31+

41 votes

286 votes | Poll has closed

Tuesday Happy Hour would be heartbroken, Brady. You should too.

Zach Travis — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:32:19 -0000

Injury roundup: Michigan to get back Desmond Morgan, but without others for Notre Dame - Desmond Morgan is back from injury, but James Ross could provide a stiff test when it comes to who starts at WLB. The rest of Michigan's injuries are known quantities.

Michigan's Brady Hoke enjoys Notre Dame series, but won't be heartbroken if it ends - Hoke engaging in coachspeak.

Hoke loves playing Notre Dame. But, if for some reason the Fighting Irish aren't on the Wolverines' schedule at some point down the road, Hoke won't exactly be heartbroken. "They've got to do what they need to do for them," Hoke said Monday. "If (the Michigan-Notre Dame series) continues, it's great. "If it doesn't, then we'll move forward."

I'm with Brian over at MGoBlog: it would be terrible for this series to end. How much joy (and pain) has this series brought? How great have these games been? Both schools look to be trending back upward for the first time together in quite some time, and now we are thinking about stopping it in a few years? Crazy.

Ordinary

Part of the magic of working on the MVictors' Michigan History Calendar is not just walking down memory lane for the obvious highlights, it's finding those little moments in the hopes that the user will remember them as well. David Brandon may have committed himself to creating "wow" experiences, but the Magic of Ordinary Days is not about wow. It's about "neat" or "nifty" or "cool". For instance, no one would remark on Michigan's 1996 game against Boston College as a "wow" game, it, in fact, was not much of a game. But it always has stuck in my memory as the moment I earned my first Fandom Endurance III badge, and for the Battle of Britain of marshmallow fights (back in the day when we were allowed to bring things like marshmallows into the stadium.) So a day like yesterday is going to be important for someone. It was inevitably someone's first time at Michigan Stadium yesterday, probably a place that they had dreamed of going for their whole life. And they're going to remember that they got to see Michigan win and that will be all that matters. Because there is Magic in Ordinary Days, you just have to know how to look for it.

Michigan vs. UMass Awards - Magnus is high on Bolden

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Joe Bolden. I'm not a huge fan of replacing seniors with freshmen, but Bolden has done a good job the past couple weeks. Starting middle linebacker Kenny Demens played the vast majority of snaps last season, but Michigan can afford to rest him (or replace him?) with Bolden and not miss a whole lot. He's more athletic than Demens.

I am as well, but I don't want to see Demens taken off the field too much. Despite his faults, Demens is still an experienced starter and a capable middle linebacker. Bolden is young and has yet to flash his promise against a really good team (at least I don't remember him doing much against Bama, but I could be wrong).

Hokepoints: Denard Under Center - Seth did some incredible work compiling this study of Denard Robinson's passing success from different formations, and even though the conclusion is below, you've really got to read the whole thing.

So that's my final answer. Drilling on his footwork seems to be helping Denard's accuracy reach Henne-an efficiency overall, but it's not being under center so much as being in the West Coast offense's dedicated pass-protection formation on 1st and 2nd downs. More time in the pocket means better chances to collect yards with scrambles, and more passes that Robinson has time to step into. For about three plays per game, Borges has found Denard that time by trading in the threat of his quarterback's legs for the built-in passer protections that made the Ace Two-TE formations a favorite among WCO aficionados. It's not often enough to distract defenses from focusing on stopping the core shotgun spread offense, but it's enough to act as an extra weapon deployed where it can do maximum damage. And from the results above, you'd have to admit this particular course of Borges-Robinson fusion cuisine has been exquisite!

Mining the Box Score: Caught Short - The Only Colors takes a closer look at MSU's loss to Notre Dame. Worth a read to get a better understanding of what Michigan is facing. The overall takeaway seems to be: attack the Irish with downfield passes because the front seven will eat you alive if you try to dink and dunk and run all day in an effort to be conservative.

Week 3 Hotseat Watch - Nice to know that Michigan's coach doesn't end up on every one of these lists, right?

Five Wide Fullbacks: The "We're Taking This to the BCS/Getting Carried Away" Edition - One Foot Down on Notre Dame and Denard Robinson.

So how is Notre Dame going to stop Denard Robinson?

They're not. As coaches typically say, you can't quite stop Denard Robinson, you have to contain him. Though, I gotta say Alabama pretty much stopped him. The play of the Prince Shembo/Ishaq Williams duo will be key as will the (now even younger, due to Slaughter's season ending injury) secondary. If the pass rush can get to Robinson every once in a while and land a good hit just to get to his head (I'm looking at you all 650 pounds of Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt) while using Shembo and Williams' athleticism to bother Robinson on the rollouts, there is a chance that Robinson will not completely embarrass Bob Diaco's defense this Saturday. But who are we kidding. This is Denard Robinson we're talking about. Of course he'll look like the Heisman favorite against Notre Dame. (Dear God, please let this reverse jinx work.)

The writer then goes on to predict that Robinson is held under 50 yards rushing, which sounds to me like a refutation of "contain him", but hey, it isn't my blog. I think Robinson goes over 100 on the ground, but with the way the line is handling things I think he is the only one that gets anywhere close to the century mark. Probably going to be another disappointing day for Fitzy.

One Foot Inbounds: The Sack of Troy - Hinton over at Football Outsiders on USC-Stanford and other things.

It's no great feat of analysis to point out what went wrong after it's gone wrong –- 20/20 hindsight and all that -– but it was also no secret coming into the season that USC's glaring weakness as a national contender was its defensive line. Read those season previews closely enough, somewhere down in the footnotes beneath odes to quarterback Matt Barkley and his world-class wide receivers, and you'll find it. That concern only deepened when senior defensive end Devon Kennard was ruled out for the year in preseason drills, leaving one returning starter along the front four, Wes Horton, who was subsequently injured himself in the Trojans' win over Syracuse. So it probably should not have come as any surprise that Stanford, nouveau beacon of old-school, salt-of-the-earth power running, turned out to be the opponent that exploited it.

Three Thoughts from USC's 42-29 Win Over Syracuse

wrobinson91 — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 01:49:00 -0000

Well, that third quarter was scary, no? A rough way to fall from the grace of a Week 1 blowout. Here are three quick thoughts from USC’s 42-29 victory over Syracuse, which took place at MetLife Stadium.

There’s the run game!

Last week was all Matt Barkley and Marqise Lee. Though both men played well today, as did Robert Woods, Silas Redd and Curtis McNeal looked sharp carrying the rock. McNeal shouldered the load on the Trojans’ first scoring drive, recording 42 yards. Redd went over 100 yards for the first time in his ‘SC career, the highlight being a 40-yard run in the fourth quarter to allow Barkley and Lee to score their final touchdowns of the day. Woods and Lee joined the running fun, too. Each had their number called for a reverse, and Woods’ went 76 yards while Lee’s covered 23. A mixed offensive attack will be essential going forward.

Better call Spike Lee: Morgan Breslin’s doing work

Since Redd’s arrival, the number one concern with USC was their defensive line depth. With no Devon Kennard for the season among others, the group looked thin. Enter Breslin, a junior college transfer from the Bay Area. Breslin played well for the second-straight game, routinely applying pressure on Orange quarterback Ryan Nassib, recording one sack and a few tackles for loss; he also tipped the ball which led to Dion Bailey’s second interception. Last week, Breslin harassed Hawaii quarterback Sean Schroeder, taking him down once. Even when Wes Horton returns, as of now, Breslin looks to be a key down the season’s stretch.

Can anyone play No. 2 corner?

Since Isiah Wiley is no longer with the program, a bevy of prospective cornerbacks have been trying to earn the spot next to Nickell Robey. Well, it hasn’t gone too well. Anthony Brown and the returning Torin Harris looked incredibly rough today. As Joey tweeted, no Wiley could be a bigger problem than previously anticipated. Brian Baucham made a nice pass defense, which saved a touchdown. But he wasn’t on the field much. Many noted on the Twittersphere that it would be surprising to not see Josh Shaw working with the cornerbacks this week in practice. So true. Coach Lane Kiffin needs to find a stopgap to that leaky hole. While Stanford passing attack is not as intimidating as Syracuse’s, Cal’s receivers (notably Allen, Keenan) the following week could cause problems.

USC Football Vs. Syracuse: Trojans Hope To Keep Machine Humming

Avinash Kunnath — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 11:30:02 -0000

The magical mystery tour of the USC Trojans move on. Except it's not a real mystery. Barring a bizarre lapse in MetLife, USC should capture it's 35 thousandth straight victory over non-conference foes not named Notre Dame.

USC and Syracuse had a closely contested battle last year, but these are much different times. USC has stayed about the same while Syracuse has overhauled a bit. The Trojans are clearly superior in the spots that will guarantee them flawless victory. The Orange are weak in the areas that they need to put pressure on the Trojans in any sort of fashion to make this game competitive. Ta-da, victory!

Syracuse is a nice team with a fun offense that should put a lot of points on any given week, but they have no chance to match up with a USC offense that can control the clock with balance and precision. The defense has lost almost all their depth on the interior, which immediately puts them at a disadvantage against one of the best offensive lines in the country. If Matt Barkley isn't being pressured, it's only a matter of time before Marqise Lee and Robert Woods get found, and then the defense will start crumbling from big play after big play.

What will be intriguing is how well the Syracuse offense does at exploiting any potential weaknesses in a thin USC defense. The offense is high-octane (470 passing yards in Week 1), but pass heavy is usually a recipe for failure, since it's highly unlikely Ryan Nassib will have quite as much time to throw against Wes Horton and George Uko as he would Northwestern's sturdy upstarts. However, if the Syracuse O-line can pass block for awhile, that does allow the Orange some opportunities to exploit some vulnerabilities that will make USC a plenty interesting study for the rest of the Pac-12.

It's not all that bad to be a case study for the number two team in the country.

SB Nation Snippets

trevor.wong of Conquest Chronicles details things to watch for USC, particularly the weakest spot on either side of the football.

Other than USC's defensive line, its other weak spot in the defense has to be the cornerback spot opposite Nickell Robey. Anthony Brown, Brian Baucham and Kevin Seymour all were challenged and Hawai'i found some success throwing the ball wherever Robey wasn't occupied. Torin Harris, who started four games last season before missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, is expected to play on Saturday. Nassib's performance in Week 1 has been noted above, and if Lemon plays, then Syracuse's passing attack becomes much more lethal. Will the other cornerback be effective enough to contain Syracuse's wide receivers on the outside?

Here's more about Syracuse's different look from a year ago from Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician.

Offensively, you're going to see a much more open scheme with a bunch more weapons. If Alec Lemon plays (which is a big if), SU has a great 1-2 punch with Marcus Sales at WR. If not, we've got some young guns that can make plays, like burner Jeremiah Kobena. Ashton Broyld should see more PT and he's our Wildcat/wild card RB. Ryan Nassib likes his tight ends and he'll have two to choose from in Beckett Wales and David Stevens. If the offensive line can somehow hold off the Trojan defenders and give Nassib time, he can make plays and get these guys in position to make their own plays.

Defensively, the line might not ave the marquee name of a Chandler Jones, but I dare say it's a more balanced and deep unit across the board. The big question mark will be our secondary, which got torched by Barkley last year.

Conquest Chronicles details the weakness in depth all over the board.

Depth is certainly something to worry about, not only on defense but on offense, too. Of course it’s an issue, considering USC has 10 less scholarship players than the norm. Despite the defensive line’s performance in the home season opener against Hawai’i, I still have to consider the front-four the weakest part of the defense. As has been noted before, senior defensive end Devon Kennard needed surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. And in the first game, the other senior defensive end --- Wes Horton --- missed the game, too. Horton’s injury might not be too serious, but to miss the season opener has to raise some concern. George Uko, J.R. Tavai, Morgan Breslin and Greg Townsend Jr. all stepped up at home, but how they play on the road is something to watch for.

Those are some of the things to look out for. This game is more of a test for what USC's weaknesses could be down the road. Syracuse is the lab mouse.

USC Vs. Syracuse Preview: Spotlight On Trojans Defensive Line

Julio Nievas — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:30:10 -0000

The USC Trojans hope for a repeat performance from their defensive line as they travel to East Rutherford, New Jersey on Saturday to battle the Syracuse Orange in the inaugural New York's College Classic at MetLife Stadium.

The Trojans romped over the Hawaii Warriors 49-in their season opener last Saturday in Los Angeles. Although the opener was expected to be a blowout, the Trojans did impress in their main area of concern.

Getting pressure on the quarterback.

A relative unknown heading into the season, Morgan Breslin dominated the Hawaiian offensive line. Actually, every defensive lineman on USC’s roster had a ‘stand-out’ moment in the blowout game, but Breslin’s performance, which consisted of a sack and two tackles for losses, bested them all. Breslin, who came in as junior college player, replaced starter defensive end, Wes Horton, because of injury. It is safe to say Breslin will see plenty of action on Saturday.

That’s it.

Coming into the season, we all knew USC would regain its high octane offense of the USC of old. Question marks clouded over the defensive line as USC lost two starters to graduation and senior defensive end Devon Kennard to injury. Yet; the line played fast and explosive in the season opener. Yes, Hawaii’s offensive line probably ranks in the bottom half of college football, but explosive is explosive and USC will need that against Syracuse.

The Orange are led by senior quarterback, Ryan Nassib, who led a rally past Northwestern, passing for four consecutive touchdowns to take the lead in the fourth quarter, only to see his defense lose it in the last possession of the game.

Although Syracuse took the loss, Nassib’s performance was impressive. He tossed the ball to eight different receivers, including four plays of over 30 yards.

The Trojan secondary will be tested. Coach Doug Marrone figures to open the playbook to passing only as the pass to rush ratio was over 2-to-1 (65 passing plays, 30 rushing plays).

cornerback Nickell Robey and safety TJ McDonald will have their hands full again. Last year when Syracuse visited the Trojans at the Coliseum, Nassib torched USC’s secondary by throwing 37 times with 25 of them completed to five receivers. Unfortanately, ‘Cuse couldn’t come up with the big plays in the red zone.

Bottom Line

USC is going to win. The question will be, how by how much? As improved as the Syracuse’s offense may have looked against Northwestern, the defense allowed a 68% completion rate against Northwestern’s quarterbacks. Now, replace Northwestern’s quarterbacks and receivers with Matt Barkley, Robert Woods, and Marqise Lee and what would you get? Coach Marrone’s fat headache.

I expect USC’s defensive line to once again dominate on the line again. Syracuse will be forced to limit the playbook on passing plays, which will open USC to scheme its defense on coverage plays. The Orange will have their moments, but USC will end it by halftime at MetLlife Stadium.

Prediction

USC 54, Syracuse 17

For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.