SB Nation - Marc Tyler

USC 20 Oregon 47 - The Morning After...

Paragon SC — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:39:26 -0000

I am going to take a couple of different paths with this post...

One of things that frustrated me about last night's loss was the lack of adjustments.

Whether it was before the game or during the game Pete Carroll has simply refused to make any adjustment away from the Tampa 2 bend don't break defense that he is so wedded to. Some of that has to do with being thin at some positions because of injury or eligibility issues, the rest is simply habit. You can never stay 100% healthy and you can’t get every recruit you covet so he has what he has…But that does not excuse the poor tackling technique and the numerous false starts that we all saw last night.

The Pac-10 has caught up to Pete Carroll in terms of how they scheme against his defenses, in how he recruits his players and they have taken advantage of how he develops his talent. Pete Carroll has always been seen as the master of adjustments but I didn't see any last night...or in the previous two games where the defense fell apart in the second half.

I guess we really shouldn't be surprised...many of us thought (myself included) that with all this talent on defense we would be able to keep the defensive production respectable even as we lost all that talent on defense to the NFL. I did not think that we would simply pick up where we left off after the win over Penn St. but I also didn't think that ANY Pete Carroll defense would get schooled like they did last night. Stated differently, I knew we would have some growing pains and maybe a few tough losses but not the type of performances that we have seen the last three Saturdays.

It makes me wonder...with all this talent is Pete Carroll really managing it effectively? Zoulou made a great point in his commnet in the post game thread...

If Galippo is the best LB recruit since the famous haul of 2005, then we are in a world of hurt for the next two years because Malcolm Smith is too small at the point of attack and Gallippo isn’t big enough to get off block or go around them. Morgan does what is does, he is servicable, but if your MLB and your SLB can’t make plays, the cover two is in trouble.

Yeap...PC has not adjust his schemes to match his talent. And the talent he has is not as aggressive as we have seen in the past. I could take Rey overrunning some plays because I knew he would come back and smash someone in the mouth. Galippo has that ability but for some reason he isn't doing it like we saw early on. We used to see Morgan blitz from the outside all the time early on but that has been lost too.

Unfortunately, PC is forever wedded to the Tampa 2 regardless of the talent. That’s fine, but if you don't tweak it here or there you live by it and you die by it. If PC wants to keep the play in front of the defense by using a soft zone then he better make damn sure that his players can tackle the ball carrier. This has been one thing that has been so alarming on this defense...we saw it bit last year but this is just unreal. USC's defense looked like ucla out there last night with their poor tackling. PC has relied too much on the stout play of the defensive line instead of blitzing more to confuse the QB. Because of the early success of the D line PC got complacent by not bringing Taylor Mays in from his center field position for run support or for blitzing, making Mays pretty easy to scheme against and now we see the result.

You can also see it when the LB's are backing off the LOS making it easier for the QB to take off and scramble...especially one like Masoli. Keeping the CB's off the receiver 5-8 yards allows the QB to make quick throws. Why not man up the receiver off the line every so often just to keep him honest? Especially if you do not want to bring Mays up for run support...he can back up the CB's as very little is going to get past him with his speed.

Now with all that being said...

It is fair to criticize and analyze last night's loss but people also need to have some perspective

Lono over on WeAreSC let me use this...

I am also going to use his words...

ALL OF THEM!

When we lost 10-11 guys to the NFL, folks believed "we'll just reload."

Those guys included arguably the greatest linebacking corps ever. Maualuga, Cushing, Matthews and Maiava. All doing great in their first years as pros.

The weakest part of this year's defense? I would beg to say linebackers.

Oh and another guy, Mark Sanchez left. We have a freshman quarterback taking his place.

We also lost Kevin Ellison (pros) and Shareece Wright (ugh).

To date this year, we have lost Stafon Johnson, Loni Fangupo and Marc Tyler.

We were without the services of McCoy, Havili, Ausberry and Patterson. Kris O'Dowd, the centerpiece of the O'line still is battling injury and did not even play. Brian Baucham is still hampered. Adam Goodman has been out.

Again, our linebacking corps is thin, and we are battling injury there.

If some of you think coaching can overcome this, you need to turn in your gameboys and x-boxes, because there is a bit called reality here.

We are very short on manpower.

And if you use the 'we are more talented than they are' cop-out, tell me, are Carswell, D.J. Shoemate and Ayles better than the folks they are replacing? Are they equal to the folks they are replacing? Are they even close to being Ausberry, Havili and McCoy? The answer is NO.

Oh yeah, this 'reloading' thing is so last year.

The Trojans are rebuilding this year. Get used to it.

Before the season started I put up a thread that we were going to lose 3 games.

Guess what?

No other program can make those claims!

For as pissed off as we get about these types of things think about the 118 other schools that can't even sniff those accomplishments listed above.

Sure Florida has two crystal balls but Urban Meyer has not come close to PC's accomplishments. Very few teams schedule, recruit and produce the results that USC has in the past 5 years.

WE ARE THE DOMINANT PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY!

That doesn't guarantee that our team won't play poorly at times. It doesn't guarantee that we won't get beat bad like we did last night...but it does mean that SC has set the standard that everyone has either tried to emulate or catch up to. Watch those clowns across as they can't even get out of their own way week in and week out and then tell me how bad last night was.

The injuries are a problem for us, but other schools have injury problems as well. It just goes to show us that depth is still the key to a successful program but it is a tough thing to manage. Players still need to develop and that takes some time...anyone remember Rey and Cush against Texas?

We should question some of things that we have ween the past few weeks. But USC can't be dominant like this forever. I agree with Lono that this is our re-tooling year. We have the talent we just have to develop it and PC has gone a little off track of late. I suspect he will right the ship.

I also agree with Zoulou...PC has been so good at recruiting top talent that sooner or later some of these guys just are not going to come this way because we have TOO MUCH talent. The linebacker corps is the perfect example of that.

Calling out Seto like I have seen in a few places is so way off base that it is hilarious. This is PC's defense, he calls the shots. He is also the final say on the offense...he is not yet ready to let Bates and Morton do it all by themselves so this is all on him and he will be roundly criticized for it. But if you think there is someone out there who could produce these same results you better call Garrett and Sample.

It is a crappy feeling for all of us to see this team get beat like a drum last night but it is only one game. There have been some close calls this season and this time it caught up to us. So, the team has to start all over again and focus on ASU. I may be disappointed about the performance of the past few games but I really could not be happier with the over all package that we have all enjoyed the past 8 seasons.

We should question Carroll for some of what we have seen but we should also trust him in how he addresses it, he has much more information than we have and he knows a lot more than any of us ever will regardless of his stubbornness not to change.

I AM STILL IN!!

FIGHT ON!

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)

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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.

Evening Links

Paragon SC — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:04:09 -0000

Just some housecleaning from some things over the past few days...

Marc Tyler could be out for the year - OCRegister.com

USC center O'Dowd takes note of freshman quarterback Barkley's growth - LA Daily News

Joe McKnight alone atop TB depth chart - OCRegister.com

Scout.com: DG on PX - Pac 10 Things We Learned in Week 6

The logic behind the new nickel - OCRegister.com

Trojan great Leon Clarke passes
I apologize for being a little late on this

The value and versatility of Garrett Green - OCRegister.com

Allen Bradford steps into new offensive role for USC -- latimes.com

Some Basketball Notes...

USC's Stepheson: 'I knew I was in a better situation for me' - Mike DeCourcy - Sporting News

SLAM ONLINE | " USC ‘09-10 Preview

Notes from Kevin O'Neill's presser- OCRegister.com

Roll On: Xs and Os of the Trojans & How California Can Beat USC

Avinash — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:29:57 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

This could be Jeff Tedford's biggest game since 2004. Will his California Golden Bears roll on or step down?

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Don't forget to RSVP to the CGB tailgate!

Now that you're thoroughly pumped up, it's time to get to know the enemy on the field. To get us prepared for the technical side of the Cal-USC game, we talked with the West Coast version of Smart Football, Trojan Football Analysis. In addition we'll look at last year's 2008 game (with help from ieeebear) and see what has changed and what we might look out for on Saturday. My notes are in parentheses.

1. Could you explain the basic concepts of USC’s simple but effective offense? Have you seen any variation between the way Sarkisian and current OC John Morton have designed their game plans?

Let’s start with the running game which is somewhat simpler to explain. Since 2002 the USC rushing offense has increasingly relied upon the inside zone (IZ) and outside zone (OZ) stretch plays for 70-80% of its rush attack. Other plays include standard one and two back power plays, toss sweep, and a few lead isolation or draw type plays. The inside zone attack is a downhill in the play side A & B gaps (or offer cutback opportunities on the backside) with linemen executing blocks according to "covered" vs. "uncovered" rules. USC can run inside zone leaving the backside defensive end unblocked like a lot of option teams do. However since the USC QB is not a threat to run usually they instead utilize a fullback or H-back across on the play to secure the back side. This motion importantly also ties into the passing game as well since those same two players often leak out into the passing game thus putting the DE into a bind….Should he try and run down the IZ play from behind, pressure the QB if it is a pass, or disrupt the FB or HB leaking out into the flats?

(Author's Note: One of the biggest things we should look at is how the Cal linebackers perform in run defense. Although the D-linemen did their job in stopping the run for much of the first half last week, they will have a much tougher go against a veteran Trojan offensive line. If USC's running back platoon of McKnight, Bradford and Gable can get to the second level the linebackers have to be ready to make quick open tackles. Put the Trojans in 2nd and 3rd and short situations and it opens up the playbook for Barkley and Bates.)

USC Inside zone runs vs Cal 2008: Background music--Day 'N' Nite, Kid Cudi.

(After the jump, more on USC's running game, their pass plays, their defense, and how to attack each part of the team.)

The outside zone game is a more perimeter oriented play attacking the play side C & D gaps. The run two plays complement one another. Running the inside zone with success eventually pulls defenders a couple of feet closer to the center of the play. This in turn opens up a little more space on the perimeter plays. The outside zone concept is basically to stretch out the defensive line and linebackers horizontal to the line of scrimmage and create bigger running gaps. If the LB’s in particular over pursue on the play the back can often cut up on the play and head more north – south. Otherwise they press the zone outside the tackle / tight end area and try to make it to the perimeter for a few yards.

(Author's Note: Again see how many yards USC picks up on these carries: having the luxury of backs and an offensive line that can put up 5-9 yards on 1st and 2nd down makes it way easier for the Trojans to catch the defense off guard with the passing game via play-action. More on the passing after the jump, but it's safe to say that California cannot allow this type of offensive production through the game.)

USC Outside zone runs vs Cal 2008: Background Music--My Squad, Chief Kamachi and the Ju Ju Mob.

Stopping at least one of these plays is key to stopping the USC offense. Ohio State for example shut down the outside zone game with an unusual alignment, fast LB flow on the play and disciplined reads.

The basic USC offense philosophy in reality has not changed all that much the past few years despite the changes in coordinators. Success of course has varied depending upon the personnel and execution. So far in 2009 USC has been pretty conservative the first four games of the season with new quarterbacks in the back field. There has been a lot more use so far of 12 personnel packages and Twin / Pro Wing Single Back alignments. Chris Brown did a pretty thorough job on the USC passing game on Yahoo! Rivals a while back, and I’d suggest that readers go to that piece as a starting point on the passing game. USC employs a mix of 3 step quick game concepts (slant flat, double slants, curl flat, etc.), 5 step intermediate stuff (Smash routes, 4 Verticals, etc.), drop back play action, and then roll out plays off the IZ/OZ run action to confuse the defense. The USC vs. Cal game in 2008 shows some of the quick game concepts as well.

2) I’m not sure how much you watched of the Cal-Oregon tape, but Jeremiah Masoli played a precise quick-hitting game that negated the Cal pass rush and broke down the holes in a porous zone using bubble screens and short passes to the outside flats. It worked almost to perfection, and disastrously for Cal’s defense.

Interestingly, this passing game plan was very similar to what Mark Sanchez did last season, although USC made a note of establishing the run first and then mixing up the play calling, while Oregon primarily opened up the pass before devastating the Bears with the run. Based on the things you’ve seen from Matt Barkley and from previous seasons, what do you see the Trojans doing in order to break down Cal’s defense?

In some respects I don’t think USC coaches will be too influenced by the Oregon contest. It has to be thrown out as somewhat of an aberration. Also USC does not run Oregon’s spread option attack so it is pretty hard to emulate. USC will run its normal offense plus whatever wrinkles they want to work in for Cal. USC will balance its attack in terms of run and pass. Last season the coaches seemed really concerned about throwing deep versus Cal and its secondary which ranked #3 in the country with 24 interceptions. As a result Sanchez seemed to rarely throw deep in that game. The same might happen in this game unless Cal’s secondary is a lot more vulnerable than last season. USC will throw different passes out of different formations than Oregon but they’ll look to attack the perimeter with quick hitch throws, bubble screens, etc. when corners play off. Against normal down and distance alignments they’ll run their standard 3 step quick game plays. A big question is how much the coaches feel comfortable trying to attack deeper this week with a true freshman QB.

(Author's Note: You see a lot of these quick hitch throws and bubble screens in the video below, as well as the play-action fake bootleg which has been so successful for Trojan offenses in the past. Expect to see plenty of these on Saturday, unless Matt Barkley suddenly gains potent accuracy in the midrange/downfield game. Again, critical for the linebackers to step up and play their zones well--those holes got really deep last Saturday.)

USC Passing vs Cal 2008: Background Music--Conquistadors, Binary Star

3) With Stafon Johnson now out, how do you see USC’s run game changing? Johnson was arguably the Trojan’s best goal-line/short yardage back; does this put more responsibility on Joe McKnight or will it be delegated toward Allan Bradford?

The loss of Stafon Johnson hurts in many ways. Johnson was not the biggest or fastest of the USC running backs but as you point out he was consistent and probably the best at picking the right hole and gaining a few tough yards. The lost Johnson carries will probably translate into more playing time for Allan Bradford at tailback in short yardage situations and plays where Joe McKnight comes out of the game. CJ Gable or Marc Tyler may see a few more plays as well.

(Author's note: Stop Bradford and the Bears have a really good shot at controlling SC on offense. McKnight is a skilled runner, but he's not a grinder and can't hit the holes as well--in last year's game he was hitting the outside a lot, and they preferred to go with Gable or Johnson inside. This year it's been Johnson and Bradford on the ins. Gable is available but has not played much this season. Take away either the outside or inside zone and it forces Matt Barkley to beat you.)

4) Having watched the Trojans first four games, I’m guessing you’re more satisfied with USC’s defense than their struggling offense. Based on what you’ve seen, is the 4-3 under scheme still the same as previous seasons? And has there been a huge drop off in the production of the current players from the seven that were picked in the NFL draft?

I think there are some holes in the USC defense and injuries are also starting to become a real concern. USC in reality gave up 138 rushing yards to Washington State. The NCAA subtracts sack yardage off the run game so with the eight sacks versus Washington State USC padded its run stats by subtracting off 53 yards off that total to make it a more respectable figure. The Cal rush attack will be the second major test for the defense…USC surrendered 108 on the ground to Ohio State before sack yardage came off the total.

Pete Carroll likes to base out of a 4-3 under front however that is very dependent upon his available personnel, what formation the opponent chooses, and what plays they like to run the most. In recent years with Brian Cushing and then Clay Matthews available USC played the under front with a stand up LB at one of the DE spots. Additionally as the spread type of offense has proliferated on college football USC has played some more "over" fronts and "solid" aka double eagle fronts the past couple of seasons.

(Author's note: Cal will again be severely tested on the edges with Tepper and Schwartz needing to step up against a defense that leads the nation in sacks. Although USC has lost several of their key players on th, including DT Hebron Fangupo, DE Armond Armstead, and their sack leader DE Nick Perry and LB Malcolm Smith being questionable, Everson Griffin, Devon Kennard, Christian Tupou and Jurrell Casey (the likely starters for Saturday if Perry cannot go) are far from pushovers on that front line. Cal's O-line cannot let Kevin Riley get tossed around or the Bears offensive gameplan will crumble from the outset. It's on Ludwig and Marshall to have them properly prepared.)

Generic Defensive Fronts

via i109.photobucket.com

Double Eagle formation on display vs ASU

via i109.photobucket.com

5) Based on what you’ve seen from the Ohio State/UW games, what is the best way for an offense to attack the 4-3 under? Is the Trojan defense’s weakness really quick decision-making, mobile quarterbacks? Or is it something more?

As I mentioned USC has become a lot more multiple in its defensive alignment up front in recent years. Depending upon Cal’s formations, the down and distance, etc. you can expect to see USC in either the Over, the Under, or the Double Eagle front.

Double Eagle Alignment Up Front

via i109.photobucket.com

Double Eagle up Front, 2 High Safety Look

via i109.photobucket.com

4-3 Under Alignment Up Front

via i109.photobucket.com

4-3 Under Cover 1 secondary look

via i109.photobucket.com

4-3 over alignment up front

via i109.photobucket.com

Rotation to Cover 3 post snap from Cover 2 shell.

via i109.photobucket.com

The Cal contest will be interesting since the Bears run an excellent power game and mix in some zone concepts as well. Mobile QB’s can give any defense trouble but in reality just good execution and push by the offensive line can also give a team trouble all night. Oregon State in 2008 essentially ran one inside zone running play over and over versus USC and Jacquizz Rodgers gained 186 yards running right at USC.

(Author's note: Uhhh, Cal's O-line can't whiff on their blocks or be out of position like they were last week. They do and we lose. Handily. They play well and execute their blocks and maintain push on the front seven, then Jahvid Best will have a good opportunity to eat them up.

More importantly, if the running game stalls, the receivers need to run their routes properly, or at the very least be able to adjust and make plays on the ball against what figures to be strong Trojan coverage. A healthy run and pass balance is the best way to attack this hard-hitting, physical USC defensive front and a lethal secondary headed by Mays, in order to keep them guessing the same way USC's offense kept Cal's defense guessing last year.)

6) How concerning is USC’s poor 3rd down conversion rate, currently at 25%, 114th in the country? Are the Trojans putting themselves into too many 3rd and long passing situations, or are there execution issues you’ve seen between quarterback and receiver, or is the veteran offensive line making mental errors?

The 25% 3^rd down conversion rate is a major concern and in real need of improvement. USC has to get this number up into the 40-45% range otherwise it will not sustain many drives this season. Stupid penalties, poor field position, poor QB decisions, and dropped passes, etc. are all part of the problem. Everyone shares in the blame on this one. Bad execution, a few curious play calls, and too many mental mistakes are killing USC in this department in the first four games.

(Author's note: If Cal's zone defense allows the Trojans to convert 40-45% of their 3rd downs, I'll be okay, I'm resigned to that figure this season with the weaker linebacking corps. If it goes over 50%, I will be severely distressed.)

Thanks again to TFA, who you can follow all season with his excellent analysis of the USC Trojans, plus other useful articles and analysis on the game of football.

Poll

The most important part of Saturday's Cal-USC matchup will be...

Cal passing game versus USC pass defense

68 votes

USC passing game versus Cal pass defense

14 votes

Cal run game versus USC run defense

94 votes

USC run game versus Cal run defense

20 votes

Something else.

4 votes

200 votes | Poll has closed

A Brief Look at the Trojan Offense

Sam @ WWAHT — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:00:30 -0000

More photos » by Mark Avery - AP

Chex better check himself before he wrecks himself against Damian Williams this time around.

Browse more photos »

Breathe a sigh of relief, Buckeye fans: Matt Barkley is still the quarterback of the USC Trojans. If there is anything we're all hanging our collective hat on heading into this game, it's that USC's signal caller is a true freshman making his first road start in one of the 5-most hostile environments in college football. If Ohio State hangs tough with the Trojans for a quarter or two, the 'Shoe is going to rock for the whole game. Barkley comes into the game as one of the most polished freshman passers we've seen in the last five years, but he goes up against one of the top-3 pass rushes he'll play in the regular season. USC will probably be able to get its running game going, but it'll have to move the ball through the air consistently if it wants to beat Ohio State. Can they do it?

How they might beat us

USC's offense is an admirable one. It doesn't have a whole lot of bells and whistles, as they say, and it excels primarily based on exceptional amounts of talent. Similar "West Coast" offenses have failed to take flight at other schools recently - Nebraska and Miami immediately come to mind - but at USC, it's literally just about plugging in the right QB and watching him work wonders. Usually, a solid running back needs to be found, but at SC, it's tougher to find a bad running back than a good one. As you have undoubtedly heard, the Trojans run five-deep at running back - Stafon Johnson, CJ Gable, Joe McKnight, Marc Tyler, and Allen Bradford each. I had this to say about two of the Trojan tailbacks in my previous USC Early Look:

Well, if you watched last year's game and didn't immediately drown your sorrows afterward, you probably remember a darting, shifty little bastard by the name of Joe McKnight. McKnight carried the ball 12 times for 105 yards against Ohio State last year, but ended the year with just 89 carries for 659 yards. Stafon Johnson actually ended up being the Trojans' leading rusher last year in their surprisingly-effective committee approach to the ground game.

The Trojans will be relying even more on this committee approach as they attempt to shepherd along a true freshman in a rowdy environment. Expect Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford both to see a carry or two as USC tries to feel out the Ohio State front seven, seeing what works and what doesn't.

USC might have four first-round draft picks on its offensive line. You know they're going to run the ball between the twenties. Last year, the Trojans could not close the deal in the red zone on the ground, so they went to the air. That's where Barkley comes in, and here's how the Trojans might get Ohio State: play-action. This is where those of you who watched Anderson Russell struggle so mightily against play-action in Ohio State's last two games might start getting antsy. USC runs the play-action like no one else in college football. What they really, really do well: the play-action boot.

I personally expect to see this play on at least three separate occasions come this Saturday, and it scares the bejesus out of me. Kurt Coleman will probably be able to come up and make that tackle if it goes right, but can you say with any confidence that Austin Spitler - last seen getting burned by the Navy FB - can cover Blake Ayles or Anthony McCoy? Chris Brown from Smart Football chimes in on this play, and others, over on Dr. Saturday:

The other trends in the offense, evident under Chow but omnipresent once he left, were the rise of misdirection passes -- i.e. bootlegs, half-rollouts, and the like -- and an increased use of vertical pass patterns. Now, some of this was to take advantage of the fact that USC had suddenly become a talent juggernaut: Why not get vertical when all your receivers, running backs, linemen and quarterbacks are headed to the NFL? But this still was a change from Norm Chow's more measured, methodical style of playcalling. The best way to observe this is to simply watch USC play and get a feel for it.

Play-action with the talent USC has at RB can be particularly brutal, especially with Ohio State's inexperienced RBs.

How we might beat them

Most would expect the clear-cut answer to be "with the pass rush" here, but with USC's talented OTs, I'm not sure how easily Ohio State will be able to bring pressure with four. Obviously, blitzing is going to play a major factor, but last year, Ohio State was blitzing aplenty and the blitzing guys were simply getting blocked. There are two reasons for this:

1) Mark Sanchez proved to be excellent at diagnosing blitzes, manipulating the pocket and throwing to his checkdowns. Whether Barkley is uncannily good at this too remains to be seen.

2) USC is a well-oiled machine when it comes to using its tight ends in RBs in blitz protection

This year, Barkley has such an excellent line that pressure with four won't be a concern. However, when Ohio State brings the pressure - and its strategy against redshirt freshman Colt McCoy leads me to believe it will - Barkley is going to have to do all the things Sanchez did as a junior to avoid taking the sack. Thaddeus Gibson is improved. Brian Rolle is faster that James Laurinaitis. This is Ohio State's one great hope to stop the USC aerial assault, because honestly, I don't have much faith in the secondary to contain someone like Damian Williams. But duh, of course Ohio State has to blitz if it wants to win. You knew hat.

The real way Ohio State might throttle the Trojan offense is simply by occupying its guards. If USC's guards can't get to the second level with any consistency, even Joe McKnight will have trouble moving the ball. Personally, I'm hoping Cameron Heyward sees a lot more time on the inside this weekend, because it's clearly his best position and he's a rock against the run in ways that Doug Worthington and Dexter Larimore are not. On USC's first few offensive possessions, watch this battle closely. If Ohio State is consistently getting a push on the interior of the USC offensive line, it should be able to keep the score manageable, which means the offense may only have to put up three or four touchdowns at the most to win.

Speaking of the Ohio State offense and, by association, the USC defense, I'll be going over that tomorrow.

Closing the Book on San Jose St.

Paragon SC — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:01:29 -0000

by Lori Shepler - AP

3 months ago: Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley (7) hands off to running back Stafon Johnson (13) who runs it in for a touchdown during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against San Jose State in Los Angeles, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)

View full size photo »

There were a lot of great story lines yesterday.

I would not say that all of our questions were answered but we saw some things that calmed our nerves. I think that USC was probably a little more jittery early on. SJSU really had nothing to lose as they have played in front of raucous crowds before so they just went out and did their thing. US on the other hand had some questions to answer and with the decision to start a true freshman quarterback it left a lot of fans and pundits unsure if that was the right move.

As I noted in yesterdays post game thread SC had to get settled in and get their sea legs. The offense was without Kris O'Dowd and Ronald Johnson. The O line pretty much kept Barkley protected most of the day. I saw atleast one sack and few pressure situation but they did a great job in keeping his uniform clean. The running game looked solid though McKnight's fumble pissed a lot of us off. McKnight came back later in the game and had some great runs, one of which went for a 54-yard touchdown run. Williams and Ausberry had a decent day though it was clear that there were not going to be many throws coming their way that were in the air-it-out type of mode.

The defense looked solid once they adjusted to the end around that San Jose St. looked to employ numerous times early in the game. The Spartans got some pretty good yardage of that play early but SC adjusted and bottled that play up. The Linebackers lived up to their billing and they are ready to step up and make their mark...

Don't think there wasn't pressure elsewhere on the field for USC, and it fell on linebackers not named Maualuga, Cushing or Maiava.

"I haven't been nervous for a game like this for a long, long time," Chris Galippo said. "Before the game, we were all just talking about how nervous we were."

Galippo is now the man in the middle, roaming the field where Rey Maualuga once crushed opponents.

Alongside him are Mike Morgan and Malcolm Smith, who must live up to the reputations built in past seasons by Brian Cushing and Kaluka Maiava.

In USC's 56-3 season-opening victory against San Jose State on Saturday at the Coliseum, apprehension made a pretty quick getaway. Galippo forced a fumble USC recovered on San Jose State's second possession, and one drive later, Galippo and Morgan combined on a sack to effectively end that march.
By the time the carnage was over, Galippo had a team-leading nine tackles and three tackles for loss, Smith had six tackles and broke up a pass, and Morgan had three tackles, including one for a loss.

It is going to be tough to fill the shoes of Maualuga, Cushing and Maiava but if there any group ready to step up it is this group of line backers. I think this group is actually faster than the last group and they are pretty much the gate keepers. Their pressure behind the D line will take a lot of pressure off the secondary, not that they really need any help. Another Linebacker that made a big impression was Jarvis Jones. This kid is the real deal and he is going to challenge for some playing time.

Linebacker Jarvis Jones finished with five tackles, including one for a loss, in his first game at strongside linebacker.

"Jarvis Jones showed up and was great for us today," USC coach Pete Carroll said.

Jones said he felt comfortable from the outset, although he was initially surprised the Trojans were losing 3-0after the first quarter.

"But I knew we'd come back eventually," Jones said.

Jones, who is from Columbus, Ga., said he was not sure what to expect from his first game in front of a large Coliseum crowd. Many fans expected him to go to Florida, because he grew up a Gators fan.

I think SC will be fine at Linebacker...Not getting Burfict or Te'o, along with the medical loss of Telfort, really hurt but I think SC is in a really solid spot at Linebacker. This crew will really make some plays.

- - -

So lets talk about Barkley...

I think pretty much everyone is happy with his performance. He kept his composure he never looked rattled and he really didn't make a mistake thought at times it appeared that he wasn't seeing the field with some of the throws he was making. The only real criticism I had was that when the game was put away the coaching staff really never let him loose. He needed to air it out a few times to get a feel for what opposing defenses can do especially when SC heads to Columbus next week to take on a Buckeye team that will be looking to make some amends for last year AND yesterday.

Never the less the coaching staff was absolutely pleased with his performance...

Pete Carroll was right about Matt Barkley after all. The kid is unflappable.

Barkley probably won't lead USC to the national championship this season, but it's obvious he's not frazzled by anything.

The first collegiate game for the first true freshman at USC, and the kid barely registered a pulse.

Really.

The only nerves Barkley felt came during the Trojan Walk, in which players stroll through a walkway of fans leading to the Coliseum.

Barkley was so focused that he didn't notice his walk onto the field for his first offensive possession was accompanied by a standing ovation.

Carroll didn't exactly say he told us so, but he sure tried. The script on Barkley already has been written. Barkley just has to fill in the blanks.

Well, I think he had a decent game yesterday but I won't celebrate for a while..at least not until we get through the meat of the schedule. SJSU was a nice appetizer but lets concentrate on the steak and not the peas next weeks game in Columbus will give us some more infor on Barkley but it will it will be on the road against Cal and Oregon and at home against UW before I can make a solid opinion on the kid.

Barkley had a terrific supporting cast yesterday and that went along way to making his first start a little easier. There wasn't a running back on the sideline that didn't contribute and with the staff calling a very conservative gane plan it was hard for Barkley to mess this one up.

The Trojans' ground game made Barkley's introduction to college football a whole lot easier by covering 342 yards -- 7.6 yards per carry -- and scoring six touchdowns in a 56-3 victory over San Jose State at the Coliseum.

Joe McKnight led the way, bouncing back from an early fumble to gain a career-best 145 yards and score twice. But he was only part of the story on a day when Johnson, Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler made big plays against an overmatched opponent. "That's why SC's so good," San Jose State defensive end Carl Ihenacho said. "They have a bunch of backs and they all do something different."

The Trojans needed the running game to hit on all cylinders after getting off to a sluggish start, trailing the underdog Spartans, 3-0, after a quarter.

I have become so used to SC starting off a little sluggish over the past few years that I pretty much brace myself for some sloppy play play early on. We definitely saw that yesterday with two fumbles and some missed tackles on defense. SC really can't afford that next Saturday as they need to come out strong. OhioSt. will be up for this game...I don't care what we saw from them against Navy. More on that later in the week.

- - -

I don't want to get carried away here, again it was against SJSU, but we saw an awful lot of production from the freshman yesterday...

I already discussed Jarvis Jones but Devon Kennard had 5 tackles, Nicke Perry had 2 sacks and T.J.McDonald had 3 tackles...that sort of production and exposure goes a long way to building confidence of the new guys and for prospective recruits that if you are good enough you will see the field early...it is all about attitude.

So, we we move on and turn our attention to Ohio St...

- - -

Here are a bunch of links from yesterday and today that I have even had a chance to get through yet. If you find something interesting please write up a fan post...

USC football: 5 observations on Trojans-Spartans - OCRegister.com

Trojans' Galippo shows his mettle - OCRegister.com

Ripsit Blog - Pictures from USC's 56-3 win

Cautious gameplan tries patience of USC fans - OCRegister.com

Barkley enjoys a glorious USC debut - OCRegister.com

Matt Barkley gets the USC party started -- latimes.com

Pac-10’s New Commissioner Gets Involved - The Quad Blog - NYTimes.com
Early signs are that the Pacific-10 conference will be more pro-active under its new commissioner, Larry Scott.

Barkley gaining reputation as 'special' player - Pac-10 - ESPN

Reload, not rebuild, for USC defense - College Football Nation - ESPN

USC Tailback Focus

Paragon SC — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:00:15 -0000

With all the focus on the QB situation we really haven't had much of a discussion on the tailbacks situation.

USC still has one of the deepest rotations at tailback in the country...some would say that it to USC's detriment but Pete Carroll has made it work even if it doesn't always look that way. We all know the names and the faces, they are as familiar as our own families. But this is the season where it will all be on them to set the tone.

Tailbacks Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable came to USC with a lot of promise and they initially had to rotate time with Chauncey Washington and Emmanuel Moody. Things worked themselves out that season as Johnson found himself buried on the depth chart and SC rotated the backs as we have seen. SC then recruited McKnight, along with a few others, Johnson changed his attitude and got a ton of playing time while Gable's went a bit south though he continued to be a major factor in the running game.

Gable, the best pure blocker out of the bunch, had some problems hanging onto the ball late in the season (against ucla and PSU) which saw him land on the bench. There was even a rumor that he was going to leave school after last season but he stayed.

Last week it was Joe McKnight that finally shed the pressure deciding to throw caution to the wind and have some fun. This week it is C.J. Gable's turn to make his mark this season by showing us early that his attitude may have made a change for the better.

Despite being among USC’s most productive offensive players last season, C.J. Gable wasn’t happy. He had to share carries with his fellow tailbacks, and it made him angry.

But as this season approached, Gable decided to discard the bad attitude. He looked back at his performance and came to a simple conclusion: He plays better when he’s happy.

"I wasn’t doing that good because I was always mad," Gable, a redshirt junior, said Sunday. "I let my mind get off of football. When I’m happy I’m doing good, doing good runs, making good blocks and focusing."

Gable thought about leaving school after last season, which ended, at least for him, on a down note. Gable fumbled in each of USC’s final two games, resulting in extended time on the sideline.

Of course it is early yet and anything can change but if Gable has recognized what he needs to do going forward then that is a big first step.

Gable went so far as to accept responsibility for putting the ball on the turf last season and how it affected his playing time.

Gable, who now weighs a career-high 210 pounds, said he is no longer troubled by the final two games of last season, when he fumbled against UCLA and Penn State and was removed by the coaches.

"I didn't ask them about that (after the season)," Gable said. "I don't care. It's in the past. I can't do anything about it. It was my fault. I fumbled. Why get upset? Then they don't put you in."

Hopefully he has made the turn...

With all that talent it was surprising to read that the running game was having a bit of a lackluster performance in their first scrimmage. I don't think I have to tell you just how important the running the running game will be as SC breaks in a new starting QB...

After their mostly lackluster effort in the Trojans' first scrimmage, Coach Pete Carroll pointedly told the group it wasn't running hard enough.

On Sunday, the running backs answered en masse during practice with a punishing performance that left several defenders dazed or on the ground after absorbing contact.

"We wanted to impose our dominance as much as possible and show everybody that we're not a slouch," senior Stafon Johnson said.

I could just imagine what Pete Carroll told them. The Stable is one of the most experienced units on the team so they should not be mailing it in.

Once again we hear a lot about how well Allen Bradford is doing but will it result in some major playing time this season? He has fully recovered from hip surgery last season and is providing some solid leadership in the backfield.

The 5-foot-11, 237-pound Bradford, in particular, initiated clattering collisions and plowed through the defense for several short touchdowns.

Carroll said he had shown Bradford and Tyler tape of former Trojans running back Justin Fargas' performance at Oregon in 2002. Fargas rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown in 27 carries.

"I wanted to make sure they saw the way he ran in that game and how it worked," Carroll said. "As that game went on, he wore them down and . . . he was busting runs and was a big factor.

I really hope that Bradford finally gets on the field consistently this season.

And of course we haven't even discussed Marc Tyler and Curtis "Moody" McNeil....

We have already seen some flashes of what Tyler can do and we are already hearing some great things about Moody in Training camp.

This could be a really exciting season for the stable.

Clueless...

Paragon SC — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:00:11 -0000

I often wonder if those in the traditional media really put the effort into their stories that they should for being supposed professionals of their trade.

It appears at times that they don't do basic due diligence and it is always perplexing. If they do their due diligence its either on "background" or they don't say where they got their information. So when I read tripe like this fine example its not surprising that the newspaper industry is in such a shambles.

To this day, there are UCLA fans who feel scorned by Marc Tyler.

If ever there was a blue chip recruit the Bruins could've and should've beaten USC for, it was Marc Tyler, whose father Wendell starred for UCLA from 1973-76 and led the Bruins to a Rose Bowl victory in 1975 before moving on to an NFL career with the San Francisco 49 ers.

But in the end, Marc Tyler did what so many five-star recruits were doing at the time and signed with the Trojans.

Was it something the Bruins said?

Hardly.

According to Tyler, after running backs coach Eric Bienemy left the program following the 2005 season, UCLA barely recruited him.

"It was like they just assumed I was going to USC," the former Oaks Christian High of Westlake Village star said. "They just stopped recruiting me. It was kind of like they didn't really want to go after the big guys, they just wanted to fill their class."

So if UCLA would've recruited him harder, would Tyler be in Westwood right now?

"I probably would've still gone to USC. I love it here," he said. "But you know what? If the coach they have there now (Rick Neuheisel) was there when I came out, I would've given them a better look. I haven't met him personally, but just from seeing him, you can tell he's got a lot more energy. Coach (Karl) Dorrell, was more laid back. Like you couldn't even get a read on him or tell if he really wanted you."

It was no sure thing Tyler would have qualified academically for UCLA. But wouldn't have been worth it to find out if the No. 1 high school running back recruit in the country, whose father is an alum, might come to Westwood?

It's easy to blame everything on Karl Dorrell as many want to do, he isn't around to defend himself so he is an easy target.

What stands out on this article is Shelburne's gratuitous shot at Mark Tyler supposedly "almost" not being able to qualify at USC. I'd like to know where she got this info. There was a poster on the WeAreSC boards claiming that said when he contacted Shelburne she said that she got that information directly from Tyler. Well, if that is to believed why not simply say that in the article? The myth that ucla's football program has better academics than USC was dispelled long ago. They take their fair share of special admits so its not like every player on the team is a Mensa member.

The current regime under Slick Rick might do better on the recruiting trail than Dorrell did overall because based on what we saw on the field last season there was only one way to go...

UP!

As I have said a million times ucla will get their fair share of players, Pete Carroll and USC can't get them all and if it is to be believed that Dorrell had the personality of a soggy piece of toast then basically all Slick Rick has to do is ask for the commitment... right? The fact is PC really hasn't had much competition from across town and now that Walker has bailed we will see just how good Skippy is on the recruiting trail. Yes, he got Presley and he will probably get Randall Carroll but SC is stocked at the WR position so it doesn't surprise me if PC doesn't land some of those players because he is still in the hunt for a lot of other four and five star players.

It could also be said that Skippy is actually doing worse without Walker because this years class doesn't look as good as Walkers class last year, those were his players not Slick Rick's. Skippy has to hope and pray that players like Hasiak reconsider their de-committments while SC takes the de-committment of a top player like Presley, Moore, Carroll or even Burfict in stride knowing that he has a shot at other 5-star talent out there.

More important in regards to Tyler it would appear that MArc is actually doing very well when it comes to his studies.

From yesterday's entries of the USCRipsIt Blog...

For the Fall 2008 semester, 309 student-athletes — about half of USC’s student-athlete population — earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Among that number of scholar athletes are 11 football players:

- OL Jeff Byers
- WR Sean Calcagnie
- K Jordan Congdon
- LB Nick Garratt
- OL Steve Gatena
- QB Garrett Green
- K Joe Houston
- DB Matt Jordan
- QB John Manoogian
- OL Michael Reardon
- RB Marc Tyler

Well, I guess that debunks Shelburne's theory. Whatever you want to think about RipsIt in regards to its objectivity this is a stat that is easily cross checked so I don't think this is a misprint.

I am usually ambivalent to what I see in the local papers but when something like this stands out I have to call it out. We'll see just how good ucla's class is in 2009. Without Walker I think Skippy is going to have a harder time recruiting because he still doesn't have the network set up like Pete Carroll has and while I get the negative recruiting thing I have never read a negaive story about the way PC recruits. I can find no stories out there accusing PC of some of the crap that we have seen from guys like Meyer, Erickson or Slick Rick. Yes, we some disgruntled former players but form every thing I have read out there their issues with PC/USC was after they were on the team.

Pete Carroll just takes it all in stride and keeps focused on the task at hand.

Football News and Notes

Paragon SC — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:00:06 -0000

After spending the last 2 days shoveling out and getting ready to head out of town I need to catch up a little bit.

I was a little shocked this morning to read that C.J. Gable is looking at the NFL. I know Pete Carroll encourages some of his players to get NFL evaluations but I am not seeing where Gable might be ready for the next level.

Running back C.J. Gable said he is considering leaving USC at the end of the season. Not for another school … another league.

“I don't know if I'll go (to the NFL) or not,” said Gable, who applied for an early draft evaluation. “I've been thinking. I'm going to see how it is with the evaluation.”

Per Coach Pete Carroll's request, several USC underclassmen applied for an evaluation, which is arranged by NFL personnel directors and the league's two scouting organizations.

Its obvious as to where this is coming from.

I know that Gable has been frustrated with his role and he has certainly never been afraid to voice his displeasure over playing time and such but with only two full years of playing time and a partial year that ended up in a medical redshirt I am just not seeing how that adds up to being ready for the NFL. I can understand his frustration, it's not an easy thing to be one of 5-6 TB's on the roster and be one of 3-4 in a rotation that at time seems to have no direction. There was talk that the rotation would be modified to keep the individual backs in for a whole series at a time but that never materialized.

Gable is the most complete back that we have as far as blocking, kick returning etc. The injury he had last season (or was it the year before I can't remember) really kept him from making an even bigger impact. I know some have questioned his attitude especially after his fumble in the ucla game which caused the coaches to sit him out the entire first half and then coaches really didn't get him the ball much in the 2nd half. I tink that was handled poorly. I believe that was Gable's first fumble in the back field so I was puzzled as to why he wasn't given the chance to make up for it. God knows they have done it for McKnight!

The defender made a play on Gable. Sarkisian should have had Gable stand next to him for a few plays and discuss the situation right then and there. Put it in the past and get him back on the field. I realize its ucla but was the outcome of the game ever in doubt? This is the one area where I think Sarkisian has made some mistatkes- personal relationships. We have seen it with Chow, Hazelton and now Gable. Sometimes the "in your face" approach doesn't work.

When you think about it this really is Gable's only choice. Transferring causes him to lose another year of playing time and it appears that staying with things how they are isn't his cup of tea either. I don't have the answer but I also think that with Sarkisian leaving with Morton and probably Carl Smith coming on that it could change some of the offensive philosphy. Smith likes to run the ball and that obviously could have an effect as to how the backs could be used in 2009.

As Signal to Noise noted it seems that Carl Smith is pretty much on board to be the QB coach Pete Carroll just needs to make the final call.

But as Wolf notes this morning he is waiting to make the official word for a specific reason...

USC coach Pete Carroll wants to hire Carl Smith as quarterbacks coach but said Sunday there is a reason he is waiting to complete his coaching staff or announce who will call plays.

"The NFL season ends next week. What if a team wants to hire Carl? What if a team wants to hire (new offensive coordinator) John Morton?" Carroll said. "I'm happy to wait until after the bowl game and see what happens. I'm in no hurry. I like this timetable."

I think this goes along way to settling some nerves and it will hopefully get some questions answered before things really get nutty. If we get him fine, if Smith would rather be in the NFL that's fine too. This is the flip side to having a very successful program. Other programs come a callin' looking to take your top assistants and you need to fill their slots. I am still not 100% happy that Sarkisian is praying to two gods as it were as he just offered Narbonne LB Tim Tucker. But as I have said in the past if PC is happy with how things are then its fine with me. Also it was announced that Dennis Slutak has resigned as USC's director of football operations to take the same position at UW.

USC director of football operations Dennis Slutak resigned today to become assistant athletic director/director of football operations at the University of Washington.

I guess that is good for him but with all these moves going on I hope it isn't a distraction for the team. I have no reason to think that it would be but one can never know.

In light of the Johnson and Gable to the NFL speculation it is refreshing to know that if either one goes we can load another round in the chamber next season...that round is Marc Tyler.

Tyler, the son of former NFL running back Wendell Tyler, has rushed for 198 yards and a touchdown in 36 carries. He has impressed during bowl preparation workouts and says he has been healthy for an extended time for the first time since arriving at USC.

He has been fun to watch you know he is going to be something special all he needs is regular reps and I think he will get them next season. I was really impressed with what I saw with him this season. You have to think that one or both (Gable & Johnson) will probably be gone next season so Tyler will move up the chart quickly.

Penn St. arrived in L.A. over the weekend and started paractice on Sunday. It looks they are anxious to get the party started. Trojan Empire has a nice quick read on it.

I will be back later with a few word on the basketball team and their game against Georgia Tech tonight at the Galen Center.