SB Nation - Aaron Corp

Random thoughts for an early Sunday Morning...

Paragon SC — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:11:47 -0000

Just throwing a few things out there this morning. I have no particular opinion on these...yet. But I am curious on what you guys are seeing. I may have more later...

Where is the high flying passing attack that John Morton supposedly brought from New Orleans?

Is Pete Carroll's shepherding Bates into the college game taking time away from the defense? Many think Rocky Seto is a yes man. If true then it is a double edged sword? Is Seto having a hard time delivering PC's message? If he is not a yes man and he has some input on the defensive schemes what does that say about Seto as the DC?

Following that line...we have heard very little about Ken Norton this season. The LB corps is certainly not what we have been used to seeing, are the LB's progressing under Norton's tutelage? It has looked good the past few weeks...

There were some complaints about too much assistant coaching turnover the past few seasons. Not all of that is PC's fault. It is clear that PC really has no choice but to make some coaching changes in the off season. Will that affect team chemistry? Who should go, Who stays?

I am certainly not conceding the ucla game, but the performances of the past few weeks have to give everyone pause, Instead of two good teams fighting it out it will be two ugly teams fighting it out.

Does Matt Barkley give us the best chance to win?. It is pretty clear that neither Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp is ever going to see the field in any significant capacity, if at all. How did Pete Carroll miss on those two guys...

There a lot of questions now and not many answers...thank God for the bye week...

USC Football News and Notes 11/11 - Havili and McCoy Return, Barkley refocuses and Kennard to LB?

Paragon SC — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:00:35 -0000

by Matt York - AP

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So, Stanford is not to be taken lightly...

It would appear that they are really up for this game. They are no longer intimidated by either playing USC or playing them at the Coliseum. Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh has taken his lunch pail mentality and really has his players prepared...This will be a great game!

There is some good news on offense with both Stanley Havili and Anthony McCoy back in the mix.

Both the fullback and tight end positions are key to executing the USC offense. For being a tight end Havili is one of the better receivers on the team. At one point this season he was #2 in receiving, in either catches or receiving yards...I don't remember. You can line him up just about anywhere and throw him the ball.

So, having him back on the field is a big deal...

Havili, hurt in the game against Notre Dame on Oct. 17, did not play against Oregon State and Oregon. The junior was in for a few plays last week against Arizona State but did not carry the ball or catch a pass in a victory he described as "just a terrible game to watch."

"We just need more tempo -- we need more life out there," Havili said Tuesday. "If you ask anyone, it seems like the offense is dead even when big plays are made.

"This week I've told myself to make it an emphasis of bringing guys up and letting guys know that they are doing good."

Havili's return should bolster an offense that has been outgained in each of the last three games and produced only 10 points in the last six quarters.

With Damian Williams probably out for Saturday, having both Havili and McCoy back will will make life a little easier for Matt Barkley. McCoy has been another favorite of Barkley's. He has become a key weapon in the offense and with the apparent inability of Blake Ayles to step up and make a statement that he is the TE for the future McCoy's presence should calm some nerves as the season enters its final stages.

Speaking of Barkley, Many of us saw that last Saturday's game at ASU was far from the Matt Barkley that we have been used to seeing. He lacked some of the poise that we saw earlier in the year. He throws seemed hurried and it was clear that he was a bit rattled in the pocket. That is understandable...He was destined to have a bad game sooner or later and the ASU defense gave him fits for most of the evening. You could probably lay blame in at a number of peoples feet but Barkley has taken the blame for last weeks sub-par performance and has rededicated his focus for this weeks game...

Asked about the USC offense's struggles in the past six quarters, the freshman quarterback pointed the finger squarely at himself.

"There are a lot of things that go into it, but I'll take the responsibility for it and for the offense," Barkley said Tuesday. "It does start with the quarterback."

Consider that yet another lesson learned for the Mater Dei High product in a college career that is still only eight games old: No matter what, take the blame.

Although other factors contributed — including some dropped passes — Barkley's numbers have taken an undeniable nosedive since halftime at Oregon. In the past six quarters, he has completed 31.5 percent of his passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. Before that, he had a 61.7 percent completion rate and a 9-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

Carroll likes the way Barkley has responded in practice as USC prepares to face Stanford on Saturday.

There is no question that Matt Barkley is mature beyond his years...

No, he is not a God. But he has taken command of this team. He knows that regardless of dropped passes, missed routes or assignments it is on him to to get the team firing on all cylinders. I certainly do not expect Barkley to be grabbing players face masks or publicly berate players on the sidelines but he knows that he needs to set the tone and the example to get the rest of the offense to perform.

Barkley's maturity shows us that he knows just what he needs to do and he will not point to excuses for his recent poor performance...

In the last six quarters, he has completed only 12 of 38 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions. The USC offense has scored only 10 points during the span.

Carroll said this week that he was "not worried about it a bit."

On Tuesday, Barkley also sounded unconcerned while refusing to blame injuries or a rigorous road schedule for the struggles.

He focused instead on "corrections" the Trojans were making in practice to help the offense get back on track.

"We're confident this week we're going to get a complete game and really finish strong," he said.

He is becoming a true leader.

I never expected it to be all wine and roses. Many of us knew that Barkley would probably have some struggles. We all knew that Pete Carroll was taking a gamble in starting a true freshman with two other QB's on the roster that more experience in the system but Barkley really stood up and took control of his destiny. I am not disappointed at all in his performance. Nobody could have expected Barkley to play like a senior in his first season but after witnessing the complete meltdown of Aaron Corp against UW and the apparent inability of Mitch Mustain to fully grasp the offense Barkley stepped up and controlled his own destiny.

The season is far from over so Barkley has an opportunity to make a bigger statement than he already has...

A lot is being made of the number of young QB's in the Pac-10. There are something like 5 true freshman or red shirt freshman starting or getting ready to start at this point in the season. I am not really sure what the reason is for the new youth movement but it is clear that Pete Carroll is not the only one who sees the benefit and risk of going young.

Harbaugh thinks he has the best one in the bunch...

Last month, Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh said the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Luck was "the best quarterback in the country." And that was before he passed for 251 yards and two touchdowns Saturday in the Cardinal's 51-42 victory over Oregon.

Luck, the son of former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck, has completed 58% of his attempts, with 11 touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games. He leads the Pac-10 in passing efficiency.

He is also the Cardinal's second-leading rusher, averaging 5.7 yards a carry.

"He's as good right now as anybody we've faced," Carroll said. "And [it's] really because they've gone with it and they've allowed him to really come out and go for it.

"And when you add their running dimension with that kind of passing attack, it really makes it a challenging offense."

Harbaugh said Tuesday that Luck benefited from redshirting last season while senior Tavita Pritchard started at quarterback.

That is fine...

Luck has really shown us some nice things this season. He has had an extra year in the system so I would expect him to have a better grasp at this point in his young career but lets not get too carried away. Except for WSU all of their losses have been on the road. Their big "wins" have been at home. In contrast when you look at SC's road schedule Matt Barkley has gone into much tougher environments and performed pretty good. Sure, Luck has better number and stats but I would like to see just how good he would do with a similar road schedule that Barkley has had to navigate. This is not to take anything away from Luck...he is scary good and SC will have his hands full but where you win is sometimes important to how you win.

Does anyone think that Stanford would have beaten the Ducks if that game was in Autzen?

I don't know...but that is a growing experience I don't care who you play for.

Simply stated...Luck is a solid QB and Harbaugh has done some great things with him but even with some of Stanford's "signature wins" its not like Harbaugh or Stanford is an elite team in the nationally or the Pac-10. The next three games is the toughest part of the schedule for Stanford. I do feel that if they were to win out then you could have that conversation, after SC the both Cal and ND at home.

We'll see how it goes...

- - -

Briefly...

Devon Kennard tries his hand at linebacker.

this is an interesting development...

USC freshman Devon Kennard might start at strongside linebacker against Stanford on Saturday despite his limited experience with the position - only two days.

Kennard, a defensive end who made his first career start last weekend against Arizona State, could replace Michael Morgan, who sprained his right wrist. Kennard was switched to linebacker this week and made an impressive transition.

"He's really astute and picked stuff up quickly on film," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He sees everything and has a knack for the position."

Kennard, who is 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, would give the Trojans a big, physical linebacker in the mold perhaps of former All-American Brian Cushing.

"I feel like I'm capable of doing it," he said. "I don't know if it's permanent or not. I'm picking things up quickly and I understand the concepts of the defense. I'll be ready Saturday. I don't think I'll be nervous."

Intriguing to say the least. It says a lot about USC's depth. I have no idea how this experiment will work out but I am not the one coaching the team. This might be another way to have a big body on the field to counter Stanford RB Toby Gerhart. This reminds of last year when Pete Carroll wanted all the LB's on the field in the "elephant" formation. I can see why he would want to maximize his talent. But, it would seem to me that moving a linebacker to the down lineman position would be easier than the other way around.

This will be interesting to see...

- - -

Finally some links...

Pete Carroll's Stanford Presser

Freshman quarterbacks are growing up fast -- latimes.com
A little more on the youth movement in the Pac-10

USC defensive back Baucham savoring a new lease on life - LA Daily News
I'll say!

Hail Harbaugh! - Inside USC with Scott Wolf
Jim Harbaugh's presser quotes...

Various Provocations: Toby Gerhart! Also, Andrew Luck is the Special One.
Hey there is a Stanford Blogger out there! We will do a Q & A with these guys later this week...

Pac-10 Week 10 Notes and Observations: USC Trojans | All Pac 10

Closing the Book on Arizona St.

Paragon SC — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:23:31 -0000

More photos » by Darryl Webb - AP

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A win is a win right?

In what was obviously the "worst" win of the Pete Carroll era many of us were definitely shaking our heads.

I am not going to get to crazy with this.

We all know what we saw.

It was ugly but USC left Tempe with the win. Yes, the defense did the majority of the work in helping SC get the win but I don't know how many of us were satisfied with the win. The offense was clearly not firing on all cylinders. Matt Barkley had a terrible evening...not that that is a bad thing...he was destined to have a "freshman outing" sooner or later. This was agme where the defense bailed SC out. The previous weeks it was the offense that carried the day.

Regardless of how it looked its still a win in the book.

Things on offense looked so bad that some thought this team was being coached by Paul Hackett...

If I did not know better, I’d have sworn we were looking at a Paul Hackett coached USC team on Saturday in Tempe. We looked that bad. That undisciplined. That off the mark. Coverages were blown. Our vaunted speed on defense was nowhere to be seen. Our freshman phenom QB looked like, well, a freshman QB minus the phenom.

And don’t even get me started on the play calling. If I were Pete Carroll (or Mike Garrett as Carroll seems befuddled by this implosion of the mighty Trojans), I’d be taking Offensive Coordinator Jeremy Bates and Defensive Coordinator Rocky Seto out behind the proverbial woodshed. 3rd and 15 and you call a running play? Are you freaking kidding me?

The USC offense continues to struggle on 3rd downs, something USC fans have not seen in the offenses of the Pete Carroll era. However in the past we’ve had guys like Norm Chow and Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian calling the plays. Remember? Remember when USC was explosive on offense? Remember when every single play called wasn’t a 2-4 yard running play?

Ouch!

I never thought I would see the day where some fans were pining for the days of Kiffin and Sarkisian.

I admit I was scratching my head too at some of the play calling but I wasn't the on the sidelines so I couldn't possibly know all the coaches knew. The running game continues to perplex...there were some flashes of big plays but for the most part it just could not get going. The offensive line had a very difficult time with ASU's bookend Defensive Ends. BArkley was skittish back there all night. It looked like he never got his feet set. His throws were all over the place and to make matters worse some of the throws that were nice were dropped...I am looking at you Blake Ayles.

I guess things looked so bad that some wondered if Pete Carroll was going to pull Matt Barkley...

USC coach Pete Carroll said Sunday night he never considered removing freshman quarterback Matt Barkley from the Trojans' 14-9 victory over Arizona State.

That is not surprising, given Carroll's affection for his freshman quarterback.

But it is unexpected that he is answering questions about pulling Barkley, since he was being discussed as a Heisman Trophy candidate a few weeks ago.

"It wasn't all Matt's fault," Carroll said. "He got rushed, we didn't hang on to the football. I'm not worried about him a bit. He didn't have the game he's been having.

It was bad, but there was no way Pete was going to pull Barkley.

And he is not worried...

In the last six quarters, Barkley is 12 for 38 for 161 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. The USC offense has scored only 10 points during the span.

Coach Pete Carroll acknowledged Barkley did not play well against Arizona State, but he is not concerned.

"I'm not worried about it a bit," Carroll said Sunday night.

Struggles against Arizona State are nothing new for USC quarterbacks.

Mark Sanchez, for example, lost a fumble and had three passes intercepted in the third quarter last season against the Sun Devils.

Barkley, facing the top-ranked defense in the Pacific 10 Conference, was seven for 22 for 112 yards with an interception Saturday....

Look, I never would have expected Barkley to light it up every week.

Players get injured, opposing defenses figure out little things from watching film and sometimes a player just has a bad game. Barkley isn't God...he isn't infallible so crap happens. I mean what was Pete going to do? Put in Aaron Corp?

On defense it was nice to see Pete Carroll make some adjustments. It was nice to see the CB's lined up tight against ASU's receivers but it still was frustrating to see the middle of the field open with ASU getting good yardage with some quick slants. The front four continue to be beasts. They made it tough on Sullivan in the first half and continued it in the second half when ASU switched QB's

So, SC looks a little more mortal...Any team would look mortal with the road schedule that SC just went through and I doubt many if any other team would have done any better.

ASU has a stout defense and with SC struggling on offense for whatever reason, it made what should have been an easier win a little close than what many of us wanted to see...

Stanford and Harbaugh are next on the slate.

Game Day Notes - Oregon

Paragon SC — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:31:18 -0000

I am just going to throw out some observations about tonight's game. Too many have already over analyzed this match-up. These are just some things that I see.

I get the feeling that a lot of people are or will be picking Oregon to win in tonight's game at Autzen.

The tone of the articles I have read that have either criticized the defense or the coaching are setting an interesting tone. I think Oregon is fine team. They have got their heads on straight after that stinker of a loss against Boise St. Boise is a tough place to play and when you couple that with Oregon playing their first game with Chip Kelly as head coach you could see where there might have been some growing pains. seems to have got things tuned up pretty good.

A lot has been made of how Oregon has played since that loss.

So, lets take a not so scientific look...

I am going to throw out the ucla and WSU wins for the obvious reasons because those teams are just bad. Yes, they are wins but it almost seems that any local high school could play those teams competitively.

Oregon's win against UW is impressive and to the casual observer, one could (like that idiot Eddie George) point to the fact that the Duckies handled UW pretty easily while SC struggled against UW in their loss...that would be a mistake. Give SC Barkley and Mays, take away all the emotion of two former SC coaches facing their mentor, knowing all the teams weaknesses (read Aaron Corp) and that is a win. USC's loss to UW was because of two things emotion and an exposed USC QB.

Oregon dominated Cal...but so did USC, so that is a wash...

So looking at just how Oregon has played this season comes down to really just two games Utah and Purdue...

Lets take Utah first. From SBN's Mountain West Connection...

The run defense which was to be Utah's strength but in this game Oregon ran all over Utah. Oregon was lead by LaMichael James who had 152 yards, also QB Jeremiah Masoli made timely runs to keep drives going and happened to score two touchdowns. However Oregon was able to win by only completing four passes.

So, we know this Utah team is a shadow of the team that beat Alabama. But this shows that Oregon needs to run the ball to win. Masoli only completed FOUR passes in this game and the Ducks win by 7. I can assure you that USC run defense is much better than Utah's run defense. Masoli can run ball...so could Terrelle Pryor and the USC defense shut him down. Now, there will be those that will then point to Jake Locker in his win over USC...but the missing factor there was Taylor Mays. Regardless of all the criticism of his pass coverage skills as of late there is no denying his run defense skills. We all remember his stops of Jahvid Best and of Terrelle Pryor.

As for Purdue, the Duckies barely got past them at Autzen. Purdue's Defense is not as good as Utah's and the barely beat them...at home! The Oregon Defense bailed them out setting up 17 points off of turnovers. But the game also showed that the Oregon D line can be run on but I also know that Oregon D line has tightened things up a bit since that win.

Those two wins were early in the season so you know there were some adjustments to be made and it would appear that they have tightened things up.

Here is an interesting take from The Trojan Empire...

Anyone watching and reading about Oregon in the past week has surely seen the repetitive focus on the so called "high flying" Ducks offense. Truth be told, despite being ranked 16th in scoring, Oregon ranks 66th in total offense (368 ypg). In comparison, the Trojan offense, as conservative as it began the season, ranks 13th nationally at 440 yards per game. USC’s past opponents, Oregon State, Notre Dame, and Cal, have more productive offensive units.

The reason for the lagging production total is simple. The Ducks are 108th in the country passing the ball, which represents the lowest of all Trojans opponents so far this season. USC is most threatened by balanced attacks, so emphasizing the need to air it out is a definite key to Oregon success.

Another myth exposed is that Oregon lacks defensively. When the Trojans travel to Eugene tomorrow night, they will face the best defense since playing Ohio State in the second week of the season. The Ducks rank 19th in total defense, allowing season opponents fewer than 300 yards per outing. When you couple the defensive effort creating short fields, you come to understand their ranking in scoring offense without productive numbers. If there is a soft spot, it would be against the run, which could prove favorable for USC on an expected rainy field that would limit passing abilities.

That's a good take...SC has played in the rain before and has done fine like against Cal in 2007 and with the arrival of Allen Bradford on the scene coupled with Joe McKnight it will be an interesting battle. I also agree that a rainy forecast keeps the ball out of the air...maybe we see some throws underneath but I would not expect many deep balls thrown in the game.

My biggest area of concern for the USC defense is stopping Oregon TE Ed Dickson. He had a monster game against Cal and it made me take notice.

Dickson is the leading receiver in Oregon's run-first offense with 27 receptions for 362 yards. He has 23 catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns in his past four games, including an 11-reception, 148-yard, three-TD performance in Oregon's upset of then No. 6 Cal on Sept. 26.

"Ed Dickson really draws your focus," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He's a great player. They've been going to him for years so he's going to be hard to stop anyway, so we're going to have to focus on him and try and keep him from being a big part of their offense."

The Trojans face Dickson a week after the USC defense gave up 127 yards on nine catches to Oregon State tight end Joe Halahuni in a 42-36 Trojans victory.

"Last week, we just kind of made a lot of mistakes," USC linebacker Chris Galippo said. "This guy is actually their go-to guy. You know they're going to see that film from last week.

"We exposed ourselves, obviously. We're scheming up for that. We've got stuff that's going to take care of that. It's really just trusting in the players who are going to be on him, and hopefully he won't be a factor."

SC got exposed last week against Oregon St. when they allowed the Beavers TE Joe Halahuni run wild underneath. I actually think that poor performance could not have come at a better time. It was clear last week that SC was overly focused on the run and they missed the open TE right in front of them. But now that they have had their scare they have seen the error of their ways so they should adjust accordingly. I would expect to see a balanced approached on Defense.

OK so lets quickly look at USC's offense...

Many Ducks fans think that Autzen is going to rattle Matt Barkley. Maybe...then again maybe not. Barkley has already stated that while he acknowledges the noise he doesn't see how it will affect his play on the field. He knows like the rest of us that when USC comes to town that is the other teams Super Bowl so they line up to take their best shot. The crowd gets a little louder, the opposing team gets up for the game a little more.

Barkley had a less than stellar performance last week against Oregon St....That is fine, he can't have a great game every week. Leinart and Sanchez didn't so why should we expect Barkley to. He still makes some freshman mistakes but some of those types of mistakes are made by 5th year seniors too.

Like I said earlier If the weather is a factor then I see SC trying to push their ground game. If not we will see USC attempt a more balanced attack.

This one is hard to pick. We all know what happened the last time SC played in Eugene but we also know what happened in 2005.

To me this almost a pick-em game. I do not see a blow out. this one will tight all night. It could be a barn burner as much as it can a low scoring affair.

I think SC has better over-all talent but the Duckies are not to be taken lightly and while I don't think Autzen will affect Barkley I do think Autzen will fire up the Ducks. We saw it when the Ducks demolished Cal and I do not expect anything less from their fans tonight.

- - -

Here are some links....

Pac-10 Q&A: USC defensive coordinator Rocky Seto - College Football Nation - ESPN

Sports Radio Interviews - Pete Carroll and The Trojans Will Have Their Hands Full With Oregon This Weekend

USC hopes to mask Oregon's advantage: its rabid fans - LA Daily News

Damian Williams expected to play for Trojans -- latimes.com

Trojans missing some pass catchers - OCRegister.com

Leaving the USC football team in a sorry state -- latimes.com

Oregon-USC: Pac-10 showdown poses big recruiting opportunity, too | The Ducks Beat - OregonLive.com

Gary Klein gets up on the wrong side of the bed

Paragon SC — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:46:12 -0000

Or maybe he was forced to sleep on the couch....

I think Gary Klein is a pretty Beat writer. I can't think of many pieces that he writes that are unfair or lack facts. For the most part I could say the same here except that he wants to beat a dead horse in a way that only Scott Wolf can.

I don't think Klein is off the mark with some of his observations. USC has lost in Oregon the last three times it has played there. USC defense has looked more porous the past few weeks than we have seen in the past few seasons.

But...I find this observation interesting.

Previous USC quarterbacks readying for first starts under Carroll were managed masterfully before and during their debuts.

In 2003, Carroll and former offensive coordinator Norm Chow built up Matt Leinart's confidence and then protected him with a game plan that played to his strengths at Auburn.

Carroll and former offensive coordinators Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin did the same for Booty at Arkansas in 2006.

Carroll and Sarkisian propped up Sanchez and treated him with kid gloves when he started in place of Booty against Arizona in 2007. And Carroll and first-year quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates put reassuring hands on the precocious Barkley's shoulders before this season's opener against San Jose State.

The formula worked. Everyone came out a winner.

But with Barkley ailing from a bone bruise suffered against Ohio State, Carroll apparently could not bring himself to afford Aaron Corp the same treatment.

Hmmm...Is Gary Klein saying that Pete Carroll plays favorites?

Is Gary Klein walking around blind without a cane?

That has to be the worst kept secret in LA. In fact if Gary Klein paid attention he would know that the only reason that Aaron Corp came to USC was because SC suddenly took a lot of interest in him after Mark Sanchez was arrested on that bogus sexual assault charge during his freshman season. PC wasn't sure how it was going to work out and they needed a stop gap measure just in case. Corp's stock rose and all of a sudden SC had this great QB.

Lets not get carried away. Corp is a nice QB for another system but not the pro-style set that SC runs. Pete Carroll knew that once he saw Corp first hand, but he played his cards close to the vest. This crap that he didn't give Corp the same treatment as the others is just another way to stir the pot.

Go take a look at how Slick Rick treats his QB's and then tell me how bad PC really is...

Klein is way off base here. Pete Carroll made Corp the starter in Spring ball before it was over just like he did with Mark Sanchez (over Mitch Mustain) the year before. Corp was the projected starter going into training camp before he was injured. Yes, we all knew that PC loved Matt Barkley but it wasn't until Corp went down with a broken fibula that Barkley took the lead.

It was rumored after the UW game that the UW coaches knew that Corp would NOT be a big threat to them...Why? Because Steve Sarkisian coached him and knew his every weakness.

And he exploited it!

As I wrote here...

Corp has been in the system for 3 years Barkley 9 months. I stand by my remarks that Pete Carroll saw something that gave him pause on naming Corp the starter early in the week. It is clear he wants Barkley. The question is where will Corp end up on depth chart? That was a terrible performance...the worst in the Pete Carroll era and it could have serious repercussions.

Barkley will continue to grow and hopefully become what we expect him to be...Corp on the other hand is a big question mark. He did not answer the bell when he was called and we saw the results of it yesterday.

Pete Carroll did right thing with Corp with getting him ready, Corp simply did not answer the bell. The questionable coaching decisions are attributed to Corp simply not being ready to grasp the playbook....after three years in the system!

How ominous was the sight of Jeremy Bates scratching off plays on his play card because Corp just wasn't grasping it in the game...again, AFTER THREE YEARS in the system.

Pete Carroll doesn't need Gary Klein to kiss his butt. But he is making a bigger deal out of this then it really is. No team is dominant forever.

Like I said in my answers to ATQ...it is the fans and the press that make a big deal out of theses games. USC just needs to go out and do their thing. All this second guessing is a waste of time. I mean the SEC is so freaking good that there is no clear front runner on the field of play...except for the officials who gift wrap calls for the popular teams.

Ted Miller thinks that the loser of this game still has a shot at the Pac-10 title because of the two teams upcoming schedules the winner could easily fall down the line as well. I don't know...maybe. Oregon may win on Saturday. They may win the Pac-10 but lets not get carried away. One great win does not a season make... one great season does not a career make. The Duckies have been close before and they wet the bed when Dixon went down.

USC is tried and true for the "BIG" games. So if we are to believe the hype that this is a BIG game then SC should be just fine right?

I mean come on 7 consecutive 11 win seasons! 7 consecutive Pac-10 titles! 2 MNC's! 3 Heisman's!

And all of a sudden the bloom is off the rose? Because the team doesn't always play like an NFL power house?

NO OTHER PROGRAM CAN MAKE THAT CLAIM IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME!

Will losing really change anything? USC will still get the top players. USC will still be in the national picture...even if it is by default. This is the only team that matters in L.A.

That other team is still trying to pass GO...so much for them being even being in the discussion let alone taking over as the dominant team in L.A.

I guess I am just surprised...Gary Klein is usually pretty even tempered, this seems out of character for his style of reporting.

This article shows me that Klein is misinformed.

This article shows me that Klein is bored...

</rant>

Oregon St. Notes, Byers starts over O'Dowd, RoJo will start on Sat. as well

Paragon SC — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:13:49 -0000

There was some interesting news from the coaching staff yesterday...

Jeff Byers will start at center over Kristofer O'Dowd. This might be a shock to some but the running game doesn't seem to be where many of us think it should be.

The season has not gone as planned for the 6-foot-5, 300-pound O'Dowd, who had off-season shoulder surgery that caused him to miss spring practice and then suffered a dislocated kneecap for the second time in three seasons.

O'Dowd sat out the opener against San Jose State but returned to play against Ohio State.

"I tried to fight back and got back as quickly as I could, but it still wasn't necessarily 100%," he said. "I was hoping that by going out there and working on it, I would build it up to where it would get back to normal, but it just hasn't been the case."

Byers, who came to USC as a center in 2004, took the majority of snaps with the first-team offense during practice this week. He will start for the second time this season at center.

I am not surprised that he was not 100%. A dislocated patella is a tricky injury to recover from, especially if you re-injure it. O'Dowd is looking at some off-season knee surgery to fix the damaged structures.

The great thing in this article is that O'Dowd plans on returning for his senior season.

Opposing defenses have been able to get penetration on our running game this season. We have seen it in a number of different games. With Marc Tyler out of the season and C.J. Gable inexplicably still in the doghouse it all falls on Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford. It is possible that we could see Curtis McNeal in the game but with Stanley Havili pretty much questionable that opens up the door for D.J. Shoemate at the FB spot. Regardless of who is on the field the O line needs to blow some holes open to get these guys some room to operate.

From what I have seen it would appear that McKnight actually does pretty well when runs between the tackles. When he jukes and moves trying to get to the outside is when he seems to not be less effective...this is particularly true (obviously) when the defense can beat him to the outside.

The offense is really close to busting out...If the running game gets rolling we could see some some really interesting games in the second half of the season.

USC closed the first half of '09 with its strongest offensive performance since the season opener (which was against 1-5 San Jose State, so please feel free to affix an asterisk). The Trojans scored 34 points at Notre Dame – after scoring 30 at Cal, 27 against Washington State and 13 at Washington.

Barkley missed the Washington game – the lone loss on 5-1 USC's ledger – because of a shoulder injury. In his four games since the opener, he has mirrored the offense's ascent.

Barkley passed for 195 yards Sept. 12 at Ohio State. He nearly doubled that total – 380 – at Notre Dame.

Barkley completed 48.4 percent of his passes against the Buckeyes. He hit on 65.5 percent – again, the best since San Jose State – against the Fighting Irish.

Yet in a sign of how driven he is to succeed – and how he is raising the standard for every freshman quarterback to follow him – Barkley was far from satisfied with his performance.

"I've got more potential in me," Barkley said. "After watching tape on Saturday's game, it was a lot more scrappy than I thought it was, not as pristine. There's always stuff to improve on. ... There are some little things we need to work on in order to get better."

I don't think there is any question that Barkley has some growing to do.

He has come a long way for a true freshman...just going on the road and getting the win at Ohio St. and Notre Dame with minimal mistakes shows his maturity.

And Barkley learns fast as well...

USC twice ran play-action passes on third-and-1. The first time, tight end Anthony McCoy was open – but Barkley didn't set his feet and underthrew the pass. McCoy gained 23 yards, but it could have been a lot more.

The next time, McCoy again was open – and Barkley delivered a strike. McCoy rumbled downfield for 60 yards. It took all of a quarter for Barkley to learn his lesson and make the proper adjustment.

"The kid is doing great," senior guard Jeff Byers said. "He impresses me every day. He's a really special guy back there. He's playing his butt off."

That Barkley has won over his veteran teammates isn't insignificant. USC returned nine starters on offense, and the unit had great expectations despite one of the losses being All-Pac-10 quarterback Mark Sanchez, whom the New York Jets took with the fifth pick in the NFL draft.

When Carroll elevated Barkley over redshirt sophomore Aaron Corp – who won the job in spring but lost it in fall after breaking his leg – there were hints of skepticism inside the locker room and heaps of it outside. The Trojans entered 2009 with seven consecutive conference crowns, BCS bowl berths and 11-plus-victory seasons, and now they were entrusting a freshman to help make it eight?

I don't think anyone is questioning PC's move now are they? Barkley has done good enough to shut the mouths of clowns like the insufferable Matt Hayes who constantly tried to say that Barkley's inexperience would hurt SC. So far that hasn't been the case and while I am not ready to say that he is not susceptible to a rookie mistake Barkley has done a remarkable job at leading the offense.

SC needs to put some points up on the board early to force The Beavers to have to play catch up and the running game is key to putting points up on the board. More on why later...

USC also gets RoJo back in the starting line up on Saturday.

Receiver Ronald Johnson struggled to regain game speed against Notre Dame and acknowledged continued soreness early this week.

The junior, however, will start against Oregon State, Carroll said.

Johnson, who suffered a broken collarbone before the season, had one reception against Notre Dame.

Johnson replaces David Ausberry in the starting lineup. Ausberry, who has 10 receptions, has been slowed this week by a calf strain.

I think that is a big deal.

RoJo clearly was not himself against ND, nor did I expect him to be. I think he needed a little more time to get back into the groove in regards to his timing and route running. You just don't come back after being out six weeks and hope to perform at the same level that you were out prior to your injury, especially in a big game like Notre Dame at South Bend. We all know RoJo is our speedster and if he is on that will keep the OSU defense honest. If RoJo gets behind their DB's it could spell trouble for Oregon St. especially with Barkley getting better and better each week.

On the defensive side of the ball this weeks game is a big test for the USC defense.

Last year the D line was embarrassed by Jacquizz Rodgers. Averill SPicer and Christian Tupou both had bad games last year, they had no answer for him in the first half, though SC made some adjustments in the second half to contain 'Quizz better. They moved Casey to the NT spot and moved Ellison up into the box. I could go on...

This is a very stout D line that SC has coming into this game. With Casey at NT and Armond Armstead (probably right nest to Casey) back in the groove from his injury I think that 'Quizz will have a tougher time than he did last year. It will be more difficult than last year to get the type of yardage that he had last year. I also want to see how Everson Griffen plays in this game. Last season he was continually motion-blocked by James Rodgers and taken out of the play. Hopefully Jethro Franklin has brought Griffen along to be able to handle that wrinkle in the OSU offense.

I think 'Quizz will get some yards and he won't put the ball on the turf, but I think this is a better front seven for this game than what we had last year by just putting in Casey and Armstead over Tupou and Spicer (no offense gents). The speed of this years D line is just insane. We already have seen their speed but I think the LB's are less susceptible to over running the play like we say Rey do last season in Corvallis. The OSU O line lost three players to the NFL last season, not that it matters, so while they still have some talent it is not quite as experienced as last season if SC gets some points on the board early it could force OSU to use 'Quizz less if they have to play catch up by airing it out.

Lets talk a little bit about some players on Oregon St.

There is an interesting article up at the Oregonian discussing Oregon St. players who feel they were snubbed by not being recruited by USC.

I found these comments by Beavers OL Gregg Peat...(emphasis added)

"Not even a second glance," Peat said. "Pete Carroll was there and I'm sure (he watched me) and was like, 'Ah, um, no.' They recruit the best of the best and none of us are usually their caliber of player.

"Or so they think."

Peat's recruiting anecdote is common among Oregon State players who played high school ball in the Southern California area. A handful of them, like senior corner Tim Clark, who is from Compton, and safety Lance Mitchell, who is from Pasadena, grew up in USC's backyard -- but they didn't get a sniff from the Trojans.

"I think not being recruited by your hometown team is a little bit of a slap in the face," Mitchell said.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Blah, Blah, Blah.

Please...

Peat has turned into a fine player, no question. Some players need a few years at the college level to really blossom and Peat looks to be one of those. Look, I get it that these guys will try to use what they feel is "snub" as some motivation for this game but SC can't recruit them all. Pete Carroll and his staff can't look into the crystal ball and see how every player out there will turn out.

More interesting is this...

Peat originally committed to Nevada before accepting an offer from the Beavers without ever taking a visit. Nevada? Really? That is a real power house of football...I guess SC really missed out when the kid committed up there, I am sure they scrambled to steal him from Nevada.

</sarcasm>

So, yeah PC may "have seen him" when he was recruiting Mark Sanchez but does anyone think that Peat would be on the field now with all the other talent SC has on the O line? There are only 85 schollies so I am not sure who SC should have NOT recruited on the OL in place of Peat. Point being is simple...everyone gets up to play USC. If these guys want use a supposed "snub" about not being recruited then so be it. I wish them luck...

I think this will be a great game and if all the mini drama's help to make it a better game than that is fine with me.

USC News, Notes and Mid-Season Reviews

Paragon SC — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:07:33 -0000

Lets start with Anthony McCoy!

We all saw how great he played against Penn State in the Rose Bowl and he is now showing us that he is a legitimate contender for the Mackey Award and the he could be a great pick-up in the NFL. He is one of the better blocking TE's in the game and his performance on Saturday simply increased his exposure to those who don't folloow USC on a regular basis.

From the LA Times

McCoy looked like the best tight end in college football against the Fighting Irish, catching five passes for 153 yards and setting up two touchdowns and a field goal in the Trojans' 34-27 win at Notre Dame.

After waiting two seasons behind Mackey Award winner Fred Davis, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound McCoy has developed into an upper-round NFL prospect in his second season as a starter.

"He's got the whole package," USC Coach Pete Carroll said. "Few guys are that flashy and effective as receivers that can also block.

"He's going to be a tremendous prospect at the next level."

McCoy enters Saturday's game against Oregon State averaging a team-best 25 yards a reception. He has caught 14 passes, second on the team to wideout Damian Williams, and overcome a few early drops to become a short, mid-range and deep threat.

"He can stretch the field," freshman quarterback Matt Barkley said. "It's been such an advantage to have that. . . . The way he can run vertically and just have a knack for catching the ball and finding that open window is huge."

I still laugh at the scene of McCoy dragging those ND defenders downfield before thy brought him down short of the goal line. That was a sight! McCoy was honored for his performance against ND by being named the Mackey Award player of the week.

He will continue to play an important role as SC goes down the stretch.

- - -

We are about to enter the second half of the season and now the fun begins. SC has the meat of the schedule in front of them. After this weekends game against Oregon St. SC goes on the road against the Duck's in Eugene then on to Tempe to face ASU. It has been an interesting ride so far, SC has not left us bored that is for sure with huge road wins against Ohio St. and Notre Dame. Yes there was the slip up against the Huskies but with what we have seen from them I think it was clear that the loss of Barkley and Mays along with Sarkisian and Holt knowing the strengths and weaknesses of this team backward and forward combined for a perfect storm for the upset...Hats off to them for the win but lets not get carried away.

The mid-season reviews and award lists are out and SC has some good representation...

Lets start with Ted Miller's Second-half outlook of USC...

Will Washington prove to be the only bump in the road for USC? And if USC rolls to an 11-1 record, will it play its way into the national title game? Or will we see the Trojans matched up again (sigh) with a Big Ten team in the Rose Bowl? It might be more fun if the Trojans lost to Oregon on Oct. 31 and then won out and earned an at-large invitation to another BCS bowl game. It seems like a massive long shot, given the selection procedure, but just picture USC vs. Florida/Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Yummy!

I am not even worrying about the post season, there is way too much football left to play and a couple of tough games still on the schedule...not just Oregon.

If anything the Notre Dame game showed me that we still have some work to do on finishing. The defense took their foot off the gas and let ND back in it, the dumb penalties sooner or later will come back to haunt us and cost us a game and for as great as Matt Barkley played he still is susceptible to making rookie mistakes.

SC needs to tighten a few things up...

Decreasing dumb penalties,3rd down conversions, the running game and the red zone offense still need to improve.

Michael Lev of the OCR has a quick take...

MIDSEASON MVP

MLB Chris Galippo

Taking over at the heart of an almost all-new front seven, the redshirt sophomore from Servite High has become an instant leader and among the top playmakers for the ninth-ranked defense in the nation. Galippo leads USC in tackles (41), is tied for first in pass breakups (four) and also has five tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

RB Allen Bradford

Even though he didn't play much last season because of injuries, Bradford has made the most tangible gains. The redshirt junior entered this season with 123 career rushing yards and a 2.9-yard average. In six games, he has 228 yards and a 6.3-yard average. Also considered: RB Joe McKnight, TE Anthony McCoy, OT Tyron Smith, DT Jurrell Casey, DE Nick Perry and LB Michael Morgan.

Any one of those players listed above could be seen as most improved. Especially Nick Perry. You have to love what PC is doing with him...he is an absolute beast and he will only get better.

- - -

Here are a few links to some mid-season awards.

Phil Steele's 2009 Mid Season All-Pac-10 team

SN's midseason All-Americans: Offense

SN's midseason All-Americans: Defense

- - -

Here is an interesting take on the BCS from the WSJ...

Quantitatively and qualitatively, USC looks like the top option should any member of the Alabama-Florida-Texas triumverate falter. The Trojans top Boise, Cincinnati and Iowa in total defense. Of that group, they trail only the Bearcats in total offense. With the nation's ninth-rated defense by yards, the Trojans appeared to have one weakness heading into the season: quarterback play. But Matt Barkley continues to disprove that notion, along with the now-foolish idea that Aaron Corp should've started over him to begin the season. Mr. Barkley threw for 380 yards in the victory over Notre Dame.

If Mr. Barkley hadn't missed the Washington game, the Trojans might already occupy one of the top two spots. But with the way Florida and Texas are playing, who knows – maybe they will again.

It is going to get interesting as we go down the stretch.

- - -

Here is Pete Carroll on PMS

All Pac-10 has their USC/OSU preview up.

Ted Miller has a little more in his "What to watch for in the Pac-10"

As expected, Mark Tyler is done for the season, with Stanley Havili expected to be a game time decision because of his shoulder injury.

Here is a good read by the Trojan Empire on the BCS

Inside the Pac-10: A Day Without Defense + Who's Going Bowling?

Avinash — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

Shane Vereen's TD scamper was the first of many examples of Pac-10 offenses humiliating Pac-10 defenses this weekend.

Browse more photos »

Ponder this question in the comments along with your thoughts on the teams and the conference: How many Pac-10 teams will become bowl eligibile, with already nine teams sharing three wins and seven teams with four? Which ones?

Maybe it was because the Oregon schools were off, but it sure seemed a lot like every Pac-10 team was brainwashed into believing they were playing in the Holiday Bowl. Seven Pac-10 teams gave up a combined 3000 yards of total offense to each other and Emu Jimmy Clausen on a ridiculous 6.3 yards per play clip (only 10 teams in the country have given up that much this season). They also gave up 11 offensive touchdowns of 40 yards or more, including TWO OF THE WORST DEFENSIVE PLAYS I'VE EVER SEEN on the game-deciding drives.

And this was with USC playing and Washington State NOT playing! What happened? We look Inside the Pac-10.

California 45, UCLA 26

Cal got the defensive drubbing started on the first drive. I felt the Bears would win if they got to 30 points, and I was ultimately right, but boy did they make things difficult for themselves.

More on this, the rest of Cal-UCLA, plus recaps of the other three games (with video of aforementioned worst defensive plays ever) after the jump.

Let's look at the bright side--outside of one play (like with USC), the run defense remains excellent. The defensive line played great and the linebackers stepped it up in run control after that Franklin TD run, giving up 2.8 rushing yards/carry. If we can keep this up against better backs like Jacquizz, Nance, the Wildcat platoon, and Gerhart, this bodes well when we face better Pac-10 QBs.

The pass defense was, as expected, a struggle. However, despite the whining and bitching about BBDB and all the talk of how Gregory is a Duck saboteur with chainsaws for hands, the Cal pass defense did a lot more in this game than people will give them credit for. There were a lot of periods during the game where they played straight man up (like "men do", as some of the biggest Gregory-detractors have latched onto as their big phrase). It just happened Syd wasn't there for much of the game, it was poor Josh Hill or Bryant Nnabuife (good tacklers, especially HIll, but he still has a bit to learn about covering man). Still, when you go up against Norm Chow, you can expect him to take advantage of the available mismatches, which in this case were those linebackers. He went right at them on several throws, and it was clear they're going to have their growing pains as the year goes along.

Let's also give credit to Prince; he made some GREAT throws even against man coverage! And yes, you'll say those throws wouldn't have been completed against heavy pressure and a youthful Bruin front. But like I said before, Prince still only completed half of his passes against us, Not an overwhelming performance, but efficient enough.

via calbearsonline.com

Although the weakness of the pass rush saddens me, we should probably accept that Cal blitzing too much could burn them. We don't have a pass-rushing linebacker, and sending two or three guys in leaves too much of a responsibility for the other linebackers to handle at this point. Send in a corner or safety blitz leaves us vulnerable deep. The Bears don't have fast coverage men who can get to the quarterback, just solid ones, and we should be happy with that for now. And we still got three sacks.

Finally, despite the lack of defense impressiveness at the end, there were individual playmakers leaving big marks on this one. Darian Hagan re-emerged and stepped up big with several critical deflections, especially in the absence of Syd'Quan. Trevor Guyton forced a huge turnover that gave the Bears a cushion they would hold for most of the day. And the mere threat of Tyson Alualu was not something UCLA wanted to deal with. His one tackle on the day wasn't surprising because he was double-teamed and held up much of the game, as the Bruins tried to do anything outside of the Vulcan nerve pinch to hold him at bay.

Scoring-wise, the pass D still held the Bruins to 19 points and 1 touchdown out of five trips to Bear territory. And although I know people want us to pitch shut-outs like the Florida's and USCs of the world, I'll trade touchdowns for our team with field goals for their teamall day long. Although I agree that 10 man defense was horrifying.

Ultimately, Cal's pass defense didn't play its greatest, but that's been the norm all season, so I wasn't terribly bummed about it. What WAS surprising was the total folding of UCLA's defense, giving up a handful of devastating plays. Credit a great gameplan by Andy Ludwig (who out-Chowed Chow), which ruled the start of the game and left the Bruins reeling with 35 first half points.

via calbearsonline.com

Alterraun Verner, perhaps the best pro prospect corner in the conference, got burned twice on those Jones touchdown catches, even though Verner did everything right in terms of coverage. Good defense, better offense. Kudos to Ludwig for taking advantage of Marvin's skill, as he seems to be assuming the mantle of #1 receiver.

I do agree with some that say that the Bears did struggle to get any consistency going CBKWit did talk about Brian Price being a major disruptor, and I do agree he should get his dap--he disrupted a good deal of the run plays even when facing constant double teams and totally blew up our inside run. Jahvid Best should be happy this is likely his last encounter with the big 92, because outside of that one run he got nothing on the inside or the outside.

However, some of that goes hand-in-hand with line play. I feel Cal's offensive line is going to be up and down the rest of the season--there was bad run blocking everywhere, something Hydro will get to later in his postgame thoughts. Thankfully, the list of good defenses we face the rest of the season is short--Arizona State, Oregon State and Arizona are the best rush Ds left, but the latter two struggle against the pass, so I'd say the Sun Devils are the stiffest test left for this offense on paper.

UCLA did their job on 80% of their plays. Cal's offense won big-time on the other 20%. The Bruins still have a talented defense that could definitely upset a few Pac-10 squads down the stretch, but they let too much go in this one.

Postgame reactions
Great article from Bruins Nation about the logistics of Neuheisel going for it on 4th and short on three times: "However I do think that we should have gone for at least the first and the last situation, short-yardage deals where the odds of converting are slightly higher (see the gap between 4th-and-1 and 4th-and-everything else on that middle graph). For what it's worth here is their graph of what to do/not do on 4th down, based on these findings. Here is a graph that has all three of the above ones merged, you can clearly see that there were higher expected points at the 6, 28, and 46 yard lines for going for it (colored lines) than kicking (black line). Interesting to note that 4th-and-2 is almost always a better decision than kicking from anywhere on the field, and 4th-and-1 is always a better decision, according to this data."

One commenter seems unhappy with his defense: "The absence of a "team" feeling seems especially apparent on defense. On defense I think we do have some very good players. We have some stars actually. But for all the talent I think we have, I wouldn't put $10 on our ability to stop a decent-to-good team on a consistent basis. It's as if the players can't get past the hype that surrounds them. And unfortunately, this has been going on for years. Walker's defenses were always "the strongest unit" on the team, yet we couldn't expect them to win games for us. And great defenses can win games for teams, even with bad offenses. Sometimes it seems our guys think the UCLA logo on the helmet means they are the real deal. Turns out, its just a logo, and means squat on the field."

Bears With Fangs: "Let’s not fully kid ourselves. Saturday’s win over UCLA has confirmed that this team still has a number of issues preventing it from being an elite team. And it’s clear we still have overestimated talent to a certain extent and have underestimated a number of key deficiencies. And it most certainly doesn’t cover up the fact that this team really for the lack of a better word, faceplanted in their two losses against USC and Oregon. But today’s win sure does feel good."

Bear Insider: There was a lot of apprehension among Cal fans coming into the game about how the team had been affected by the two consecutive decisive losses; this victory did a lot to answer those doubts."We're a lot tighter as a family now after what we went through," said Best. We're doing a lot of team bonding and doing everything together and that's been elevated a lot the next couple weeks.
"Coach Tedford pushed for us, when the defense was on the field for the offense to be engaged, rooting them on and not just sitting on the bench," said Best. "It definitely felt like the whole team was behind us this game."

"It was a team effort," said Tedford. "We made a lot of plays on both sides of the ball and played really well together. That was the main focus coming into this game for the last two weeks -that we need to stick together. "As naysayers and critics step up, the players in the locker room believe in each other. They're playing hard for each other and hung in there and kept battling. When they came back we answered and never panicked."

#6 USC 34, #25 Notre Dame 27

via assets.nydailynews.com (Image from Getty)

Didn't see much of this game, as I doubt many Cal fans did, so I can't comment on this much. All I know is USC had a 34-14 lead with about 13 minutes to go into the 4th, and when I switched over, the Trojans were punting up 7. Say what? (It should be noted the Trojans received the good fortune of a missed Irish extra point. Who's to know how much tighter their team would've played on the final drive if Notre Dame had been going for the win rather than the tie?)

People might not realize it, but Pete Carroll, for all the supposed defensive intensity that some Golden Bears yearn for, plays the exact same schemes as Gregory does--BBDB, just with better athletes. And his version gave up 367 yards (not bad, but far from dominant), two touchdowns in the 4th quarter (although one was after a costly Barkley pick) and nearly gave up the game-tying one. There were two or three questionable calls (a Taylor Mays late hit and an extra second put back on the clock for an extra play at the goal-line are the ones that stand out), but USC showed why they are a vulnerable team this year at the end. Oregon better not start looking ahead to Halloween and take care of business next week, because their shot to win the Pac-10 will come down to their tilt in Autzen otherwise.

Anyway, Clausen made a few errant throws and misreads at the end zone, and it was enough for USC. Crisis averted for the Pac-10 and the BCS (11 win Irish team, bleh), and Catholics are sad. Just the way Martin Luther wanted it.

Postgame reactions
Conquest Chronicles: "There is no question that the USC offense has really come together. Barkley once again went into a very hostile stadium and came away with the win. I can probably count 3-5 plays that Barkley made that I could see where he was still a freshman but he managed the game nicely...I cannot get mad at Matt Barkley over that INT. Not after a 370+ yard passing performance with 2 TD's. The O line did a great job for most of the game in giving him pass protection but my concern is the running game...SC had a very difficult time establishing the run. The red zone offense was also a concern. Even though we did get some TD's in the red zone it just did not look crisp. You can tell we miss Stafon..."

Jeff Miller, OC Register: "What was Pete Carroll thinking at that precise moment? After pulling his players off the field in mid-celebration? Having recalled one giant exhale? Knowing victory now would require goal-line stand, the sequel? "Trying to enjoy the heck out of it," Carroll explained, sounding serious and certainly sober. "It was a great moment. Whether we had to go back again or not, that just doubled the fun of trying to get it done...Unfortunately, we made it real dramatic and fun...Stuff happens. Stuff happened.""

USC-Notre Dame highlights, courtesy of Trojan Wire.

I would link to some excellent Notre Dame blogs (Rakes of Mallow and Blue Gray Sky come to mind), but no post-game reactions exist yet...I guess they're either in mourning or do take Catholic Sunday very seriously.

Arizona 43, Furd 38

Welcome to your Defensive Craptacular.

Yeah, that's exactly what it looks like...and it's exactly what these defenses sucked for most of the game.

71% of passes completed, including 78% by Nick Foles. 8 offensive yards per play. Nearly 10 yards per passing play for the teams combined. When the Wildcats keyed to shut down Toby Gerhart (who still rushed for 123 and 2 TDs), Andrew Luck made them pay by nearly throwing 12 yards per attempt. Almost half of the 3rd and 4th downs were converted, and six of those conversions went for touchdowns. 1,137 total yards of offense.

Give credit to Andrew Luck (who led a valiant but failed comeback attempt in the final seconds, and his receivers like Chris Owusu dropped some critical passes that could've sealed the game) and Nick Foles, who do look like the future of Pac-10 quarterbacks right behind Barkley. I don't envy playing them this season and I wholly dread them in the years to come.

Arizona's pass defense, to be frank, sucked. Nine receivers caught a pass for at least ten yards, seven caught one for at least twenty yards, five caught one for at least thirty yards and three caught one for at least forty yards. These receivers included the quarterback, who caught one on a wide receiver pass. Maybe we should run the Wildcat pass, Best to Riley against these guys.

Furd's pass defense wasn't much better, totally helpless against the Airraid attack and Foles dictating it, giving up an unprecedented 78% completion rate.

But nothing the pass coverage gave up on both sides was as galling than the game-deciding scores at 5:15.

1st play: 3rd and 1, Furd up by 12 defending on their own 43, stupidly stack seven on the line against five (can I just rehinge how stupid you have to be to stack seven this far from the end zone--if they decide to run and Nwoko gets to the second level, he is gone), simple draw play to evade the pass rush from the edges for a 43 yard touchdown. Simple play against a dumb defensive scheme.

2nd play: 3rd and 17, Furd up by 5, defending on Arizona's 43, AND THEY STACK SEVEN ON THE LINE AGAIN!!! I was literally dumbfounded watching this on the screen when they did the second stupid thing and all rushed toward Foles again. And then Arizona nearly outstupids them by RUNNING THE BALL instead of taking advantage of single coverage everywhere. But after Grigsby breaks a weak leg tackle from the Furd edge rusher, since everyone rushed, there's no one standing between him and the first down. And because their defenders are slow at the edge, the Cardinal give up ANOTHER DRAW PLAY for a 57 yard game-deciding touchdown. The Furd gave up 100 rushing yards on those two plays after giving up 38 the rest of the game.

Oh well, guess they aren't the Cardinal for nothing.

Postgame reactions

Ted Miller, ESPN: "We're kind of changing the offense to [Foles]," Stoops said. "He's very comfortable with it. He can distribute the football and make the reads and calls. We look a lot more like Texas Tech than we ever have." Foles has progressed from backup best known for his long, 70s rock star hair to perhaps being the frontrunner for first-team All-Conference quarterback. Yes, his coaches are a little surprised by what they suddenly find themselves with at the position. "Nick is not the best practice player," Dykes said. "He's learning to be one, but he's not as good as he should be. We did notice that when he got into games -- even the spring game -- that he's kind of a gamer. He can improvise well and he has a really good feel for making decisions and staying calm."

Ken Roe, Oregonian: "The play call looked disastrous when the Wildcats came to the line, because Stanford was massing for an all-out blitz. Every gap would be filled. Tailback Nic Grigsby, the designated ballcarrier, was going to be swarmed by white jerseys before he ever got out of the backfield. Arizona center Colin Baxter turned to quarterback Nick Foles and begged him to check out of the play. But Foles, as he told the Arizona Daily Star, figured maybe Grigsby could make something happen. Guess what? Grigsby took the handoff, swerved around a blitzing defender and popped through the line of scrimmage and, because of the blitz, found no second level of defense. He went 57 yards for the go-ahead touchdown . "Really honestly," Dykes told the Daily Star, "it was a bad call that just worked.""

Bobby Stover, Daily Wildcat: "Head coach Mike Stoops — normally stoic and business-like following games, win or lose — strolled into the room with a grin on his face as he took his seat in front of the microphone with the Arizona backdrop behind him. As he began detailing the game from his view, he seemed relieved and elated. The reporters’ questions were more casual and Stoops’ responses more light-hearted than usual. After the head coach finished, defensive and offensive coordinators Mark Stoops and Sonny Dykes, respectively, entered and spoke with similar tones. Mark Stoops got the reporters laughing at one point after telling them he gave all the offensive players and coaches a kiss for bailing out his defense that allowed 584 yards of offense from the Cardinal."

Here is the Furd reaction:

Arizona State 24, Washington 17

Don't let that score fool you. This game had 842 yards of offense. Jake Locker struggled with his accuracy and threw a bad red zone pick, but also threw 8 for 10 for 121 yards and a TD on the two second half scoring drives and by sustaining his drives after the first quarter, made sure that Arizona State didn't have great field position for much of the game (well, until the end, but more on that later).

It was a big help to the weak UDub defense, which simply doesn't have the depth yet to stop Pac-10 teams who can both run and pass. That USC game is looking more and more like two coordinators knowing their old coach's tendencies and Aaron Corp being bad bad bad. They gave up 464 yards in all, 169 on the ground to guys like freshman Cameron Marshall and elder statesman Dmitri Nance. Danny Sullivan is not a great quarterback (ASU is 98th in passer rating and 93rd in completion percentage in D-I), but he completed to seven receivers, all with at least one catch of nine yards or more.

All of this production though, was undone because both teams played mind-numbingly stupid football. There were 21 penalties for 223 yards. 223 yards!!! And most of them weren't even of the negative type--there were at least a half-dozen personal fouls, most on that crazy Sun Devil defense. And Washington's coaching staff got penalized again, leading me to wonder if Pete Carroll let Nick Holt go gracefully because he knew that his ex-DC had recently been released from a mental ward.

There was a hilarious drive in the 2nd quarter by the Huskies which went 82 yards, with six penalties in 13 plays, five of those penalties coming in a six play span, giving the Huskies 45 net yards, yet it still ended with a Locker interception. After the turnover, the Sun Devils went 89 yards, only to fumble it twice, recovering it the first time, and losing the second one into the end zone Cameron Colvin style for a touchback.

Vontaze Burfict might be a beast of a defender, but he also might be legitimately insane--he was involved in about half of those penalties, throwing forearms, trash-talked everyone on Washington, and seemed to be trying out for a part in a 50 Cent music video during the middle of the game. The biggest thing I fear about Tempe is the stupidity quotient, where the relative IQ and inebriation of the Sun Devil fanbase and football team infects the Golden Bears as the game goes along, because as some of our commenters noted, Washington sure seemed like they got dragged down to their devilish level. Thank God we're not playing this on Halloween night.

In one of many curious coaching decisions not involving Mike Stoops, with 1:17 left in a tied game, Steve Sarkisian tries to run out the clock (he gets it down to :13), but also does the second dumbest thing by passing on 3rd and 1. If he runs the ball and gets the first down, you go to overtime, and do you trust Sullivan or Locker more to score a touchdown? Rookie coaching mindfuck. Wonder if Tedford had any in 2002.

All of that led to this. Ladies, gentlemen, I present to you, the worst football defense of 2009.

I have no words left.

Postgame reactions

House of Sparky: "Vontaze Burfict is extremely talented, but he needs to check himself before he wrecks himself: He runs around like he is about to kill whoever gets in his way, and I love having him on our side. But at times last night, he was literally out of control. We cannot have him committing so many penalties. It makes us look bad and ruined several good defense stops. In time, he will be considered one of the best. For now, he needs to realize what is important- making plays before the whistle blows."

UW Dawg Pound: "I listened to the past game show and Bob Rondeau asked all the right questions and Coach Sark gave all the right answers. The thing I really like about Sarkisian is he didn't make excuses and took immediate responsibility for the clock management on that last series.

"Hindsight is 20/20, but if I had to do it again, I would've run the ball," Sarkisian said of the third-and-one play. "That's on me. It eats at me because I felt like I could've managed the ballgame better," Sarkisian said. "I try to pride myself in doing that stuff, but I didn't do it tonight."

On the miraculous Arizona State TD play Sark had these comments:

"We jumped a route, a crossing route, and left the middle of the field wide open."

When you look at that final play on film you see a series of broken assignments and a defense that was confused about what it was supposed to do on what should have been the last play before overtime."

Only Bears fans care about these

Penn State 20, Minnesota 0

Reading the gamethread from The Daily Gopher, people were not happy at all with the gameplan and coaching.

Virginia 20, Maryland 9

Testudo Times: "I like Chris Turner a lot, and I can respect what he's done as QB for the better part of three years, but he's been having a rough go of it lately. Yesterday was no exception. First off, his arm was noodle-y and weak, most evidenced by the Torrey Smithunderthrow. Second, he was rarely on target, even with open receivers. And this wasn't just the rain: Jameel Sewell looked better than he did for most of the game. Worst of all, he rarely even looked Torrey Smith's way. Like I said in the recap, Smith was isolated, one on one coverage, with no safety over the top several times, and he was never even glanced at. Turner's gotta get some of that blame."

Poll

How many Pac-10 teams will make it to bowls this season?

Less than 5

6 votes

5

44 votes

6

84 votes

7

41 votes

More than 7

3 votes

178 votes | Poll has closed

University of Southern California Trojans at University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The Preview

CW — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

2 months ago: In this photo made Oct. 3, 2009, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, left, celebrates a touchdown against Washington during an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind. Clausen isn't the same quarterback who walked out of the Los Angeles Coliseum seven games ago following USC's 38-3 win over Notre Dame that he describes as the toughest loss of his life. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Browse more photos »

This game needs little introduction. It is perhaps the greatest rivalry in college sports, with no conference affiliation or in-state feud to sustain it, just a quest for continued excellence and national titles on both sides. The fact the rivalry has lost some of its luster in recent years also needs little explanation as, save for one fantastic game in 2005, the Irish have been little more than a speed bump for the Trojans as they roll to top five finish after top five finish. If Charlie Weis and Jimmy Clausen want their Notre Dame careers to take the next step, they need to win this game. Considering how the last few games have gone (the Irish haven't scored a touchdown in two years during two rather humiliating contests), there is some work to do.

Irish Defense vs. Trojan Offense

Clausen vs. Pete Carroll's defense gets all the headlines, so let's start on the other side, with Matt Barkley squaring off against Jon Tenuta's defense. Barkley beat out Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain to become starting quarterback out of camp and is undefeated in that role, but the offense revolves around a meat grinder of a running game, with five monsters blowing giant holes in the defense for a variety of tailbacks. With Stafon Johnson still recovering from that awful throat injury, all-world recruit Joe McKnight is the featured back, a dazzling player more than capable of catching the ball out of the backfield. McKnight is the consummate home run hitter, and helping to clear the way is one of the bigger x-factors in the game, Stanley Havili. There are few fullbacks in the country that are capable of taking out a middle linebacker on one play and splitting out to wide receiver and catching a fifty-one yard fly route on another like Havili did against Cal. Allen Bradford will spell McKnight, and depending on CJ Gable's health, you may see him or Marc Tyler get a few touches over the course of the afternoon. With Anthony McCoy a capable blocker and pass-catcher at tight end, the Irish will have to be wary of the passing game even when Southern Cal goes to a power running formation.

The aptitude of the Trojan running game raises an interesting question: Do you sell out to stop the run, loading up the box and sending in a variety of run blitzes, or do you respect Barkley's arm? Notre Dame Stadium was as loud as any venue in the world in 2005, but I'm not sure how rattled Barkley will be after leading a fourth quarter comeback in the Horseshoe. He hasn't been asked to do a whole lot, but he's been absurdly competent and has the arm to make any throw the Trojans ask of him. If the Irish front seven can't at least put a dent in the Trojan rushing attack, then there isn't much of a chance of slowing this offense. If there are eight or nine in the box, Barkley is going to play action and find Williams, or the returning Ronald Johnson, or McKnight, or Havili, or one of the talented tight ends. I wish it were more complicated than that, but I don't think Barkley is going to lose this game for the Trojans if the Irish drop it into his lap. Perhaps that's a strategy you have to try, but I don't think it will end well.

If the Irish can limit big plays - a tall task against an offense like USC possesses - there's a chance the Trojans shoot themselves in the foot trying to string together long drives. They have been awful on third downs, not particularly disciplined when it comes to penalties and have a penchant for putting the ball on the ground (which is one reason Washington pulled off the upset, along with Barkley and Taylor Mays missing the game).

This Irish defense has had issues, yes - that's perhaps the understatement of the season - but there have been flashing moments of brilliance. A good Purdue offense was held scoreless for nearly three quarters. Washington's offense only mustered three first half points after their opening drive. There have been massive breakdowns at horrible times, yes, but this team has the potential - the coaching, the recruits, the motivation, the home crowd - to stop the Trojans. It will take everyone playing at their peak, but the Trojans have been slowed before, and this Irish defense has stood up to some talented offenses when need be. If they don't wrap up the speed merchants who are going to be getting the ball most of the game, be prepared for another game like 2008, or 2007, or 2003, or 2004...

Irish Offense vs. Trojan Defense

When it's strength versus strength - Weis' offense versus Carroll's defense- something will have to give. As I wrote about earlier in the week, neither team has played a unit anywhere near the caliber of the one they'll be facing off against tomorrow. A lot of Irish fans seem to want to establish the run first, but lining up in the I-formation and pounding the Trojans might resemble a suicide mission. Their defensive line is deep and talented, and their linebackers can cover ground on anything going outside. When the Irish run, it seems like a fine idea to keep the Trojans spread out with three or four wide and use the strength of the Notre Dame offensive line - Robinson, Olsen and Stewart - to pop some draws up the middle. If the Trojan front isn't as formidable as it seems (and it seems awfully damn formidable), then adjust and take a few more cracks at them. However, I have no desire to start the game with an I-formation and a two yard loss just so some fans get their fullback fix. (That being said, welcome back, James Aldridge. We need all hands on deck for this.)

Jimmy Clausen is the best player on the team, and while the Irish need balance, they're also going to need a Herculean effort from their QB1. We can pine about how this game would be different with Michael Floyd, but he's a few weeks from returning and Clausen will just have to make do with the tremendous talent remaining at the skill positions. Golden Tate will draw a lot of attention from the Trojan defense, but Weis has been playing a shell game with him since Floyd's injury, and I don't see him suddenly making it easy to bracket his main playmaker. Kyle Rudolph will face some athletes who are more than capable of matching up with him, but he's already shown he can come through when it matters. My primary concern is the continued lack of a definite answer at the second wide receiver position. Whether it's a consistent rotation or one standout performer, someone is going to need to give Clausen somewhere to go when Mays is blanketing Rudolph and a double team has latched onto Golden.

The Trojan pass rush is among the best in the nation, and if Paul Duncan and Sam Young don't seal the edges to protect their quarterback, this offense is going to look like it did in the lights of the Coliseum last year. If I were Weis, I would lean on the no-huddle spread. Not a hurry-up, but simply getting to the line in an effort to limit USC's substitutions, which will in turn limit the effectiveness of that tremendous defensive line depth. Quick drops, quick reads and keep them guessing. Toss in some pro formation and wildcat to keep things interesting, but the Weis offense has always been at its best when it's spread out, in a rhythm and keeping the defense off balance. This will obviously be impossible if there are a flurry of false start and illegal motion penalties, so it would be nice if those were at a minimum.

The Trojan defense hasn't given up a passing touchdown all season and Mays gives the cornerbacks an ability to press up and take chances, but if Clausen can't effectively move the ball through air, the Irish have little chance. He'll need some help from his running backs, but the biggest match-up on the field is how Clausen deals with the pressure, reads Carroll's coverage and finds the correct option. He was 11 for 22 for 41 yards and two interceptions last year, but that Jimmy is long gone. The 2009 Jimmy Clausen is up for this challenge, and I think he'll respond well to it.

Inane ramblings and a vague prediction

Over the past five years, I think I've been respectful of - perhaps even deferential to - the Trojans. They've been the class of college football in the 21st century, continually finishing at the top of the polls and one amazing Vince Young performance away from seven straight Orange/Rose Bowl wins, with victories in Lincoln, Columbus, Auburn, South Bend, Fayetteville, Charlottesville and Landover (against Virginia Tech) thrown in just for fun. I almost never feel good about an Irish game going into it, and especially not against the Trojans, but I find myself oddly at peace about this clash. (There's a very good chance that I've just accepted the fact that if Notre Dame loses this game, the majority of Irish literature I read daily on the internet will become unbearable. As you read on, do not discount this fact that I'm just looking at this whole thing through shamrock-colored glasses because I've experienced the alternative and it's too unbearable to contemplate.)

As I've stated all week, these men of Troy do not jump off the screen at you like some of their past versions. They are obviously dripping with talent, but it's raw, and it's beatable. Washington already knocked them off. Ohio State was very close. The rest of their opponents were either tin cans or a Cal team that was still trying to get its torso back in order after Oregon had ripped its heart out the week prior. People are correct to say this is a giant test for the Irish, but they're downplaying what it means to the Trojans. It won't have any effect on their Rose Bowl chances - the trip to Autzen on Halloween will most likely decide that - but as far as national championships go, there are no more toe stubbings available for the men of Troy.

Of course, Notre Dame and Charlie Weis have considerably more to prove, as there are still plenty of questions after dodging raindrops to a 4-1 open to the season. The Irish lost to the only team with a winning record they've played, and barely survived against a slate of mid-tier Big and Pac Ten teams. But every game, they show off something new that gives fans a little bit of hope. Against Michigan, it was finding two key touchdowns and a necessary pick to rally from an eleven point fourth quarter deficit. Against Michigan State, it was recovering from the loss of their best weapon on offense and another fourth quarter hole in front of a home crowd that was more anxious than supportive. The next week it was domination that slipped away due to a couple poor defensive possessions, but Clausen-to-Rudolph fixed everything. Then there was goal line stand after goal line stand against Washington, the reemergence of Robert Hughes, the ridiculous production of Golden Tate, and again, Clausen-to-Rudolph.

Everyone wanted this team to just be great from the word go in September, but teams usually can't just flick a switch. You have to learn greatness, and more importantly, earn it. This squad bottomed out in November of 2008, with the losses to Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse and Southern Cal. Perhaps it was in Hawaii, or the practices in the cold of the South Bend winter before, that made them look like a completely different team as they mauled the Rainbow Warriors. It's a look in the eye that hasn't faded since. They kicked the crap out of Nevada, punched Michigan in the mouth repeatedly with Armando Allen, then showed tremendous guts in three straight games where lesser teams would have just said "You know what? We're losing. We'll put it together and go get them next week." The offense is a well-oiled machine, led by the best passer in the country who has a support system that has him in ideal conditions to earn that rating. The defense has the horses to slow up Troy, and for the first time in a few years, there's a placekicker that inspires confidence when he walks onto the field

Then you have the intangibles, and the mounting frustration of being on the wrong side of a beat down every season. There's a west coast quarterback who could have followed in the path of two recent Heisman winners in his own backyard but didn't, and has gotten his ass handed to him the last two years for that decision. There's a freshman receiver playing against his hometown school who wants to show them that he also made the right choice, and a freshman linebacker who'd love nothing more than the same thing. No matter how long these guys have been on this team - three months or going on five years - they've never beaten USC. Most of them have never even been close, and for the few fifth year seniors who started to storm the field like the rest of us in 2005, they have to have a burning desire to just take back control of this series and get the respect they want.

Since the dazzling 2005 offense moved on, games like the Rose Bowl against Penn State where the Trojans storm out to a giant lead are the exception, not the rule. The way USC wins is by slowly grinding you, continually throwing haymakers on both sides of the ball until you just break down and end up on the other side of a three touchdown loss. Normally it's a touchdown here and a field goal there and next thing you know some freak tailback is taking a wheel route seventy yards for a score and you immediately realize there's no way your favorite is coming back. They have the swagger and the confidence that no matter what the situation is, they'll make a play and win because hey, they're USC. For the first time in a long while, Notre Dame has a little bit of that same confidence. It's not a confidence where they can slip n' slide on the sideline four days before a giant rivalry game, but it's growing. There is no doubt that the Irish have to play great to win, and they will need some breaks and a little bit of luck along the way. But - and this is a little different from the past few seasons - they have shown over the last six games that greatness is attainable. Maybe it's not there consistently yet, but the flickers are there.

If USC has any lapses, like trailing 3-0 against San Jose State after the first fifteen minutes, Notre Dame will have points on the board. They have to have points on the board after the first quarter. They need touchdowns, not field goals, and need to continue the trend of doing a relatively good job of protecting both the ball and their quarterback. The numbers tell you the USC defense is good, and I don't doubt that it can consistently deal out some pain, but they have not had to deal with a quarterback like Clausen yet. (Locker is good, but he's still learning Sarkisian's system and hiccups were inevitable, like at Stanford. Pryor is still a mess and Riley looked like a deer in the headlights from his initial drive-ending pick on.) If the Trojans can't slow down the Irish, then the pressure goes onto Barkley. He's been calm, cool and collected up until this point, but he's also been either been out in front or in low-scoring slugfests in his other four starts. How will he respond to a shootout, on the road, in front of a crowd that's ready to burst with another chance like 2005? (Probably pretty well, but it's a potential factor that could lean towards the Irish.)

I loathe making predictions and have no idea how things will go Saturday, but all I can say, for really the first time this season and for the first time in years against Southern Cal, is that I like our chances. I will most likely end up eating these words come darkness tomorrow, but for now, I am at peace. Backs are against the wall, echoes are awakened and there are seven years of pent-up frustration that need to be released at some point.

October 17th around 3:30pm seems like as good as time as any to begin.

Go Irish, Beat Trojans.

USC Football News and Notes 10/14

Paragon SC — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:00:20 -0000

Mustain now #2

One interesting development this week was that Mitch Mustain moving into the #2 spot on the QB depth chart...

Mustain, now the Trojans' No. 2 quarterback behind Matt Barkley, said Tuesday that his recent stint working as a punter helped him focus and perform better at his primary position. "Actually having something to do that was at least halfway constructive helped a lot," he said.

Mustain is clearly buoyed by his elevated status, which was evident last week when he took most of the second-team snaps during the Trojans' off week.

The junior, who started eight games for Arkansas in 2006, said it was a "huge boost" in morale to be No. 2 instead of No. 3.

Competition is apparently still king on Howard Jones Field. It doesn't really matter to me as long as whomever is on the field gives us the best chance to win. Aaron Corp really didn't show us all the things we heard about during camp. And even if Pete Carroll does have a man crush on Barkley it is clear that Barkley has shown that he is the guy.

Aaron Corp on the other hand can move back up if he can get his head on straight ...

Today, Corp is USC's third-string quarterback, left with no other option but to try to battle his way back up the depth chart.

"I was told we're still competing," Corp said Tuesday. "That's the way I'm looking at it."

Unfortunately for Corp, the third-string quarterback gets precious few practice reps during game weeks, and USC is waist-deep in preparation for Saturday's game at Notre Dame. So for the second consecutive day, Corp had to watch while Matt Barkley took the first-team reps and surging Mitch Mustain the second.

When he learned about his demotion Monday, Corp (Orange Lutheran High) said he "didn't really say anything. I'm not going to say what I thought. It is what it is."

Corp acknowledged he wasn't happy about it and lamented a blown opportunity at Washington, where he struggled in relief of an injured Barkley in a USC defeat.

"I was given a shot," Corp said, "and I didn't perform well."

Yeap...

The opportunity slipped right through his grasp. There really isn't anything else that can be said...

- - -

Matt Barkley looks to write another chapter in his scrapbook...

Matt Barley continues to ready himself for another tough road game in South Bend.

When sixth-ranked USC plays No. 25 Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium, Barkley has a chance to make his mark in the sport's most intense intersectional rivalry.

Pat Haden and Carson Palmer are among the Trojans quarterbacks who struggled in defeat in starts at a stadium built in 1930. Paul McDonald, Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez are among those who flourished in victory.

Barkley was typically poised when asked if he was looking forward to playing at Notre Dame.

"I'm stoked," he said Tuesday before quickly adding, "But I'll say this a million times: It's no different than any other game.

"I'll probably look back after I finish here realizing what a great tradition this is between these two schools. But to me, I'm not doing anything out of the norm to prepare for this."

According to Haden, who played on two national championship teams and now works as a broadcaster on Notre Dame telecasts, Barkley's preparation before arriving at USC will help him block out the pressure that quarterbacks of earlier generations felt playing at Notre Dame Stadium.

We really already know this...

Barkley has proven himself under pressure in two other tough stadiums...The 'Shoe and Memorial at Cal. Notre Dame is just another game in Barkley's head. I am sure he knows about the tradition and history but he can handle The 'Shoe then I see no reason why he can't handle South Bend. It won't be easy but I really can't think of another young QB that I would rather have in this position.

- - -

Stafon comes home...

I am sure you all saw this today but Stafon Johnson held a presser today when he left the hospital.

I am just glad that he is OK and progressing ahead of schedule!

- - -

USC's Linebackers look to make their own legacy

We have read a few similar stories like this already this season...

Poor ole USC. Five games into the season, its no-name defense -- other than fancypants safety Taylor Mays -- only ranks fourth in the nation in scoring (8.6 points per game), sixth in total defense (238.6 yards per game) and fifth in run defense (64.8 yards per game). It has surrendered no -- zero -- touchdown passes. It's the only team in the nation with a clean sheet.

Seems like these no-names aren't half-bad, particularly the linebackers.

"You can't say enough good things about their defense," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "And they're losing all those -- everyone's, 'Oh, they're losing all these guys to the NFL from last year!' and it doesn't seem like they've missed a beat."

Weis has reason for concern as he prepares for a visit from the sixth-ranked Trojans on Saturday. Sure, his offense averages 33 points a game and ranks 10th in the nation with 470 yards per contest, but the Fighting Irish have scored three points against USC in their past two meetings and haven't faced a defense that even approaches the Trojans' depth and talent level.

You bet he is scared...

This defense is actually ahead of where they were last season...

Blue-Gray Sky has some of the most honest commentary I have read on the game.

Even though they will show up in South Bend led by a true freshman at quarterback, he already has a 4th quarter comeback win on the road at night over Ohio State to his name. And despite losing nearly their entire defense to the NFL, this year's squad is actually ahead of the dominating pace set by last year's crew. Sure, they hit a pothole against Washington, a team that ND just beat, but the transitive property has little value in college football and shouldn't be much solace for Notre Dame fans.

More than SC's strong stats and deep depth chart is the unavoidable fact that the past few years worth of matchups have been a horror show of Irish ineptitude. The players and staff just don't know what it is like to experience success against Southern Cal. I can think of no better way to sum it up than with this unfortunately 100% true statement:

70% of the scholarship players on Notre Dame's roster were not a part of the program the last time Notre Dame scored a touchdown against Southern Cal.
Re-read that statement a few times and you might find yourself looking to make other plans for Saturday.

And yet....despite the odds favoring the Trojans and the unpleasant thoughts of what another loss means for Charlie and the future of ND football, I found myself today looking up last minute airfare to Chicago. Maybe it's because today is 100 years to the day that my grandfather was born, the man that decided to head to college, picked a small school in northern Indiana, and was in the Stadium the first time the Trojans came to visit in 1931. Or maybe I just want another chance to tailgate and catch up with friends. But I think the main reason is that I'm getting the feeling that I don't want to be anywhere other than Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday.

Now that is a fan! My hats off to him...

- - -

More ND News!

Here are a few other links on this weekend's game...

All Pac-10 USC-ND Preview

Southern Cal-Notre Dame Preview | TideSports.com

Clausen, Notre Dame will keep pace with USC - Coppock on Sports

Weis confident in his Fighting Irish

USC maintains Carroll's plan - South Bend Tribune
There's achieving success. And there's maintaining success.

USC-Notre Dame rivalry should be back to old form - LA Daily News