SB Nation - Chris Galippo

USC Football News and Notes 11/24

Paragon SC — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:13:20 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

There is a lot of speculation about whether or not USC WR Damian Williams will play on Saturday.

USC's #1 receiver injured his ankle against ASU and he was missed in USC's loss to Stanford. Williams has been irreplaceable the past few seasons and his sure handedness has had a big impact on Matt Barkley as he has matured in his role as the starting QB.

The question right now is will Williams be able to take the field on Saturday?

USC wide receiver Damian Williams is probably doubtful for Saturday's game against UCLA because of the severity of his ankle sprain, according to sources. However, USC's coaches are optimistic he will try to play.

"He said it felt pretty good," wide receivers coach John Morton said Monday. "He did some stuff today."

Williams ran but did not do any cuts during a brief workout Monday afternoon. He will wear a brace today and attempt to participate in some of the practice.

"I think he's the kind of guy that will find a way," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He's going to try. He'll find out how to adapt. He did it with a hamstring strain a couple weeks ago when he shouldn't have played."

Guys like Williams are competitors and they want to be in there.

But when they can't be in there it gives guys behind them on the depth chart a chance to step. The Offense has had some nice showings this season. Even with some guys out because of injury there have been some pretty good performances, so the talent is there. But is starts with Matt Barkley...he just needs to settle down and get back into the groove like he was earlier in the season. He has the supporting cast around him so he should be able to make some plays...he needs to it this weekend.

Ronald Johnson will once again be the go to guy.

If Damian Williams can’t play Saturday, USC most likely will need a big game from Ronald Johnson to defeat UCLA.

Those performances have been few and far between in a season Johnson has found to be less than satisfying.

Since returning from a broken clavicle, the junior receiver has 18 catches for 222 yards and two touchdowns in five games. But aside from his six-catch, 99-yard, one-TD performance vs. Oregon State, Johnson hasn’t made the impact he’d hoped to make.

"Up and down," Johnson said when asked to describe his season so far. "Coming back was kind of difficult … just trying to get through it."

Johnson said he has felt a little bit "off" since returning, never quite capturing the focus or regaining the conditioning he had before getting hurt in the final preseason scrimmage.

"I’m not the same as I was before the season. That’s where I want to get to," he said.

There is no question he was missed in the first half of the season. Being the speed receiver added such a huge dimension to this offense. Brice Butler is getting in his groove and Brandon Carswell has shown us some nice things but this weekend these guys need to make ZERO mistakes.

- - -

On defense it gets a little trickier.

The defense had some good performances as well but since the second half of the Notre Dame this defense has looked a lot different.

One of the players that has taken the most heat is middle linebacker Chris Galippo...

"At the end of the day, as young as we are and the fact we played six of nine games on the road, there was a lot of great stuff we did," Galippo said. "There are still lessons to be learned and there's so many things we can improve on. But we're doing our jobs on defense."

Galippo was listed as one of 16 Butkus Award semifinalists last month but that was before the linebacker struggled in losses to Oregon and Stanford.

He was not one of the five finalists named Friday for the award.

I could care less about the award...there is still a lot of football left to play.

This is a young defense but they had some good games earlier in the season, though some will say there really wasn't any competition against SJSU, and they wet the bed against UW, but it really has been spotty since ND.

But Galippo said he is pleased with his play this season.

"Personally, I've played pretty solid," Galippo said.

Galippo is physically worn down because he played without a backup who could spell him during games, a luxury afforded his predecessor, All-American Rey Maualuga.

Yes and no...this is Galippo's first season as the full-time starter and he is not playing at 100% with a couple of nagging injuries. Yes, he has not anyone to back him up like Rey had so it should be a surprise to anyone if he is a little bit spent.

Galippo has played almost every snap this season, but no, fatigue can't excuse everything.

While others among the Trojans' struggling front seven have been sidelined because of injuries or sat out plays because of rotations at their positions, Galippo has been on the field for nearly every meaningful snap this season.

That, of course, includes recent blowout losses against Oregon and Stanford, games in which the Trojans gave up a combined 716 rushing yards and 102 points.

So Galippo, a third-year sophomore and first-year starter, has been a focal point for scrutiny in the wake of Stanford's 55-21 rout at the Coliseum.

"The last thing I want to do is make up an excuse," he said. "You've just got to take it and treat it as a learning experience."

As noted above, Galippo is in a tough spot. But he has missed some plays he missed out there...there were plays where he has been out of position or where he overran some plays. Galippo still has some size issues he is a little on the average size but he has speed. Because he was Rey's back-up it should surprise no one that he didn't see a lot playing time last season, thus affecting his seasoning at the position. Next year I expect to see a big improvement in his level of play.

With all the talent SC lost on defense it really is hard to expect the players to play at the level we have been used to seeing. All four of USC's LB's that are in the NFL have had significant impact on the they teams they now play for. USC cannot be expected to replace that sort of production overnight.

I found this interesting...

More questions about the defense will await.

A main one: How could a unit that looked so good in the first half of the season play so poorly in the second?

Poor tackling has been an obvious issue, but inexperience, coaching decisions, injuries and a schedule that included six of the first nine games on the road also have taken a toll.

Former linebackers Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Kaluka Maiava, all NFL rookies, are among those who have called or texted Galippo.

"They're wondering what's up with us and stuff like that," said Galippo, who is second on the team with 60 tackles. "I think they know that we're young and know that we have lessons to learn. And somehow we've got to learn them -- whether that's someone telling you or whether you've got to find out for yourself."

How quickly Rey and Cush forget...I don't think anyone will forget how tough they had it in Rose Bowl against Texas. I can see why it is a distant memory to them.

It just takes time...

Ranking the top 25 draft-eligible sophomores

Mocking Dan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:12 -0000

by Mike Fuentes - AP

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With a possible record number of redshirt sophomores entering the 2010 NFL Draft, it might be a good idea to start thinking about some of the best.

The clear-cut top third-year sophomores are Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett and Texas strong safety Earl Thomas. After them there is a moderate drop in talent, but the top six in the list could all go in the first two rounds of the upcoming draft.

Game Day Notes - Stanford

Paragon SC — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:43:30 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

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Apologies for the lack of posting yesterday. I got stuck at a one-day conference longer than I had expected.

It is hard to really know what team we are going to see today. Will it be the team we saw early in the season that seemed to have a certain spring it is step with a true-freshman QB at the helm or will the team we see today be the one that seemed to lose all sense of desire on both sides of the ball at different times during the past four games.

This is a different feeling for SC fans at this point in the season.

It is clear that the 2009 version of Pete Carroll's incredible run is not living up to the same standards of success that we have been used to seeing in the past few seasons. The annual loss to a unranked team is almost a right of pasage now...it shouldn't be that way but it is what is. It is clear now that losing al that we lost on defense from last season was more than anyone wanted to admit. I know it sounds like a tired excuse but the numbers bear it out.

You know its bad when you have look at a defensive lineman to possibly play linebacker.

Pete Carroll seems a little bit "tighter" that I am used to seeing him. His control of the offense, or lack there of (see the Oregon game) coupled with the defensive struggles and you can see why many of us have some concerns...

Because of USC's visible struggles over the past few weeks there are some rumblings in a few places that Stanford has chance to upset USC. Of course that is a possibilty...Stanford is the only Pac-10 team to beat USC at the coliseum in the Pete Carroll era. Is this just another test for this team? I don't know...but how the team plays today will tell me alot about the last two games of the season.

Of course we all remember 2007. Stanford look's to repeat that feat while taking SC down another peg in the 2009 season...(emphasis mine)

But if Stanford beats USC on Saturday in the Coliseum, that result will resonate.

If the No. 9 Trojans (7-2, 4-2) suffer a third Pac-10 loss, it's a near-certainty their extraordinary seven-year run atop the conference --- and college football -- will end. One of the great dynasties -- two national championships, seven consecutive top-4 finishes -- the sport has known would tumble.

Boom! And then the big picture would transform. The Pac-10 and all of college football would feel an impact.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh has refused this week to wax poetic about the 2007 game. And he's also refused to use the "one game at a time," "every game is important" refrains that are so popular with coaches when they want to tamp down media hyperbole.

"This is put-up-or-shut-up time for Stanford football," Harbaugh said. "We win this game and we stay in the hunt for the conference championship. If we don't, then we are out."

I would agree with that sentence wholeheartedly. While no fault of their own, Stanford has lived off of that win in 2007 without anything else to show for it (kind of like ucla in 2006).

Stanford comes to USC looking for some respectability. A win in L.A. would do just that.

Yes, they beat Oregon, but as I noted earlier in the week this is a Stanford team, that while playing with a certain fury at home they have struggled on the road (outside of WSU). I think it is clear that Stanford is not intimidated by playing USC, let alone playing them in the Coliseum. Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh has obviously recruited well, gotten the most out of his players, changed the attitude of the program and not been afraid to say or do things are against the grain (kind of like Lane Kiffin).

Harbaugh is right...it is put up or shut up time. Once again it is clear that the Pac-10 plays some very solid football overall but so far...even this year, no one has stepped up to take the tile away from SC in any resounding way. Just beating USC in your "signature" isn't enough you have to do something more with it.

SC will have their hands full today. The defense will have to play in its old form if they expect to shut down Stanford's proficient offense.

When USC plays Stanford, a common question is whether this game is a physical mismatch.

That's the key issue today when the No. 11-ranked Trojans play the No. 25-ranked Cardinal at the Coliseum. But there is a twist to the question.

This time, there are doubts whether the Trojans can physically handle the Cardinal.

It's a unique position for USC but also a legitimate question when the Trojans average 228 pounds at linebacker while Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart is 235.

"Their foundation is a smash-mouth running game," USC linebacker Chris Galippo said.

"He is just a hammer back there," USC coach Pete Carroll added.

Whether the Trojans (7-2, 4-2) can stop the Cardinal (6-3, 5-2) will determine if the Trojans play in a BCS bowl game.

I will admit that if SC was a lot healthier on defense I would say that this Stanford offense would be the perfect match-up for USC. This is obviously a run first offense. SC has done well against the run. If the USC defense reduces Toby Gerhart effectiveness by even 50% SC will win this game. Gerhart will be playing with some extra motivation today...

USC once coveted Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart, who set California high school rushing records at Norco four years ago.

But Tailback U told the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Gerhart he'd have to play linebacker or fullback if he wanted to be a Trojan.

"I wanted to be the featured back, so I told them I wasn't interested," said Gerhart, who on Thursday was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award that honors the nation's best collegiate running back

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Same old story, "they gave me no respect"...

I know Gerhart is a special player but for all that he shows his hand in the quote above that he is still a guy who places his aspirations higher than the team. He thinks SC disrespected him by not giving him what he wants, fine. But that is crap...USC can't pick them all.

Gerhart is a fine back in the Stanford system. He got what he wanted by being the featured back and he has put up some nice numbers but I really think that PC could have nurtured him into being a Mike Alstott type FB and we all know how well Alstott did in the NFL. They are the same height, Gerhart just needs to bulk up a bit more. Gerhart can piss and moan all he wants about being disrespected by USC but if he wants to get to the NFL I pick Pete Carroll over Jim Harbaugh any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Anyway...

SC MUST curtail the Stanford running game...

It isn't difficult to picture the powerful Gerhart hauling stuff, including teammates. Nor is it farfetched to imagine him rumbling through USC's defense, which has had trouble tackling at times.

The difference this time is that the Cardinal won't deceive the Trojans, and Gerhart won't elude them. The runners who have given USC fits this season are MINI Coopers, not Ford F-150s. Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers, who rushed for 113 yards against USC on Oct. 24, is 5-7, 191 pounds. Oregon's LaMichael James, who rushed for 186 yards the following week, is 5-9, 180.

"We've seen a lot of finesse running – a lot of little guys, a lot of edge guys, quickness type of guys," Carroll said. "With Gerhart, there's a dimension to him that makes them unique. It's his heavy-duty running, and their commitment to getting him the football a bunch."

Gerhart leads the Pac-10 with an average of 135.2 rushing yards per game, and he leads the nation with an average of 25.9 carries. Last week against Oregon, Gerhart rushed for 223 yards on 38 attempts, both career highs.

But just because they know it's coming doesn't mean the Trojans can stop him. Their linebacking corps isn't as sturdy as last season's, which featured 260-pound Rey Maualuga and 255-pound Brian Cushing (and Gerhart still was one of only two rushers to top 100 yards vs. USC). The Trojans moved 255-pound freshman defensive end Devon Kennard to linebacker this week because of injuries, but the timing could be fortuitous.

Pete Carroll admits later on in the article that he may have pigeon-holed Gerhart a bit too much when recruiting him as a full back. That's fair but I also think that Gerhart would have different production at SC because of how the offense is run. Every team talks about establishing the run first to set up the pass. But with the receivers SC has had the past few years and the reliance of using both the TE and FB in different scenarios Gerhart doesn't get half the touches he has at Stanford. Again, its all about team...I doubt Gerhart would be happy with that.

Simply put, if Gerhart goes down Stanford is toast. It is the gambit you run when relying on just one guy...

If SC controls the Stanford run game that puts it all on Stanford QB Andrew Luck. As good as Luck is he is not the most mobile QB that SC will face this season.

If SC's front seven gets the pressure that we have seen in a number of games this season Luck may have to put it up quickly and putting up quickly does not necessarily mean taking of advantage of the quick slant that is sure to be there in the middle. I also think that Pete Carroll may use the same tight coverage on Stanford's WR's like we saw against ASU and that changes some things for Stanford.

After a grueling road schedule SC can now take comfort in playing at home to close out the season. But that is not enough, SC has to go back to the things that helped them win earlier in the season when it appeared that everything was firing on all cylinders...

USC must establish its running game, with tailbacks Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford sharing the workload. McKnight has not scored a touchdown in the last three games, Bradford the last two.

It really is as simple as that...Stanford is a different team on the road this season and if SC can get things fired up at home against a Stanford team that struggles on the road then that is another thing that USC can use to its advantage. It feels odd writing that...SC shouldn't have to worry about home field advantage as something in the plus side of the column to help them win but with all the injuries and with offense in a bit of a stall that is just how it is...

- - -

Here a few links...

Steve Mason's Blog: HOMECOMING EVE!: 710 ESPN

Video: Stanford-USC Preview - Pac-10 Blog - ESPN
Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller previews the Stanford-USC game.

Williams out, but McCoy will try to go for USC - Pac-10 - ESPN

TheMatadorSports | SC’s top WR is out

Game Day Notes - Arizona St.

Paragon SC — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:03:43 -0000

USC can't possible lose two weeks in a row can they?

That pretty much seems to be the consensus from all the pundits and analysts. I agree with that assessment, but SC is far from being out of the woods after last weeks loss in Eugene.

I don't think I am breaking any earth shattering news that SC is officially in some sort of rebuilding/retooling mode. Plain and simple the road schedule, our youth and our thinning depth really exposed many of SC's flaws that many of us are not used to seeing in a Pete Carroll coached team. In reflecting on last weeks loss I simply do not think that the sky is falling. It is one loss, a bad one for sure, but that's the way the ball bounces...sometimes you need to get your teeth kicked in to get your mind straight.

I guess that makes me a sunshine pumper because I refuse to beleive that this is the begining of the end for USC. This is where Pete Carroll will earn his money...there is no guarantee that SC will win their last 4 games so he has his work cut out for him.But I am not too terrible concerned with the teams mind set. Pete Carroll knows how to rebound so I expect the team to be ready.

So, obviously with that rebounding mindset in place SC look's to get back on track and Arizons St.'s offense could be the perfect elixir for USC's struggling defense ...

USC's defense breathes a sigh of relief. Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is in Palo Alto to play Stanford and can no longer torment the Trojans -- until next season, perhaps.

Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan is neither as efficient as Oregon State's Sean Canfield nor as mobile as Masoli. He has completed 54% of his passes with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions. Samson Szakacsy, who at one time committed to USC, is more mobile and could be utilized in goal-line situations as he was last week against California.

I watched a fair amount of the Cal/ASU game last Saturday and I didn't come away impressed. Sullivan made some plays but that was also against a Cal defense that both SC and Oregon shredded so as aeve as SC's defense is hurting in some areas I expect the defense to make some plays.

Injuries continue to plague SC right now, especially on the defense and that is PC's first challenge. He needs to plug those holes with players who are going to respond and pick up the slack...

USC's linebackers are still smarting, physically and emotionally, from the Oregon nightmare.

Middle linebacker Chris Galippo is fully recovered from a sprained neck, but Malcolm Smith is not on the trip because of a shoulder injury. Shane Horton starts on the weak side with Michael Morgan on the strong side.

All three linebackers need to play better than last week. It looked like these guys had never played before with missed assignments and missed tackles that needs to change this week.

Injuries also open the door for others to show us what they can do on a consistent basis. With Everson Griffen not making the trip his week Malik Jackson and Devon Kennard will get their chance to prove their worth.

First some news on Griffen...

Griffen, a junior defensive end from Avondale, Ariz., suffered a toe injury against Oregon. He did not practice this week, working instead with trainers on the sidelines with the hope of healing enough to play.

Griffen, however, did not make the trip.

"He woke up . . . a little bit worse maybe from the work they did [Thursday] so we just figured it would be best to treat him for three straight days," Coach Pete Carroll said Friday after the 12th-ranked Trojans' walk-through at Sun Devil Stadium. "We never thought he was going to make it to full speed, but he was trying."

Don't get me wrong, both Jackson and Kennard have shown us some nice things this season but this weekend they will get the majority of the work on the defensive line so now they can really show their stuff. They will also have some help...

USC received some rare good news on the injury front this week when defensive linemen Nick Perry (shoulder) and Armond Armstead (wrist) responded well to rest. Their availability should ensure a deep DL rotation.

The more help the better.

I think the D line will have a good showing today. ASU just doesn't have the same level of talent on the O line that SC has faced in the past and with Sullivan's average performance numbers I think SC can force him into making some mistakes...but there are no guarantees...SC needs to earn this one on defense today.

What could make this game close is ASU's solid defense.

Even though Matt Barkley didn't have a terrible game last week it certainly wasn't one of his better performances either...

Though Barkley did not turn the ball over until his final pass was intercepted, the freshman was far from stellar. He uncharacteristically underthrew one receiver. He also overthrew another for what could have been a touchdown. He completed only five of 16 second-half passes.

Barkley, who has passed for nine touchdowns with six interceptions, now faces the Pac-10's top-ranked defense, an aggressive unit that has a conference-best 13 interceptions.

Closing the book on Oregon

Paragon SC — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Don Ryan - AP

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I guess there really isn't much to say...so I am not going to get too crazy here.

I think we have all read the disaster reports from Saturday, so there isn't much to add though there are a few interesting things floating around...

Go here to watch this interesting video...

Click on the video link "Speed Games USC Oregon"

Tell me how bad the defense looked on Saturday... It is worse the second time around, not just the missed tackles but the the lack of speed that the USC defense has in this game.They were getting beat bad.

That is alarming...

Here is Pete Carroll's Take...

"I watched it pretty closely and was pretty disappointed in our performance, particularly on defense. We had a game, for the first time that I remember, that got out of hand. It was a statistical nightmare."

Carroll said the one thing he would not do is panic after the lackluster performance, despite USC being only 10 yards shy of tying a 63-year record for most yards allowed in a game (623 by Notre Dame in 1946). Oregon gained 613.

"We're not going to change our philosophy," Carroll said. "We've got to nail down some technique stuff. We have to get our fundamental play down. Like being in the spots you are supposed to be. We've got to get our front seven shaped up."

Fundamental play would include making simple tackles. I read elsewhere that if you are out of position it forces you to use your arms and not your whole body, and that is where missed tackles come in. I am not surprised that PC has no plans to change philosophy... one reason no doubt being that it is tough to change things mid-season. He isn't going to a whole different scheme, the changes needed are ones of technique. That is sure piss off a lot of people on the message boards who are calling for changes... I would like to see some tweaks like bringing Taylor Mays up a few yards closer or taking some of the soft zone cushion away but nothing drastic.

One thing that really hasn't been brought up in great detail is that SC has been on the road a lot so far this season. That takes its toll on a young team. I can't remember a road schedule this aggressive in a long time. I will admit that I haven't really analyzed the schedule but there is no question this one has been brutal. I realize that SC has a lot of tough road games this year, but it seems that they aren't spread out enough for the guys to rest.

Maybe it's just me... but I can guarantee that this will raise the discussion with some of having an easier OOC schedule that is closer to home.

Another issue that hasn't really been discussed much here is depth. SC always takes a hit with injuries but we always seem to have depth. This year it is different... especially at linebacker. I noted last week that having Rey, Cush, Clay and Kaluka made it tough to continue recruiting top linebackers because they knew that they were not going to play right away. Couple that with not getting Burfict or Te'o then losing Telfort to his heart condition and all of a sudden we are very thin at LB.

And the news doesn't get any better...

Linebacker Malcolm Smith suffered a shoulder injury that could keep him sidelined indefinitely.

Middle linebacker Chris Galippo and reserve linebacker Jarvis Jones suffered neck sprains and will be evaluated this week.

Defensive lineman Armond Armstead suffered a wrist fracture, and doctors must determine if he is capable of playing with a cast.

And defensive end Everson Griffen suffered a turf toe injury that could limit his effectiveness.

I guess this is USC's year to really handle adversity.

The question is how does the team bounce back from this?

Ben has an interesting take...

What do they do now?

Plain and simple, the Trojans go back to the principles that have worked for the last seven-plus seasons: Practice, tireless work and a trust in the system that's brought consecutive 11-win seasons, conference titles and BCS bowl game appearances since 2002. Knee-jerk reactions are left in the newspapers and on TV, as they don't have any place in the USC football machine. The team will return to its foundations, looking intently at Saturday's issues through a lens that's been crafted over the years of many ups and some downs.

In fact, the recuperation has already started. Coaches spent all Sunday breaking down the tape and also looking to the future, namely the Arizona State game this coming weekend. Players are in strength and conditioning workouts all morning, and the Trojans will come together for meetings starting at 2:15 this afternoon.

The road to redemption and the route to resurgence have begun.

There had better be a lot of introspection from the staff and the players this week. The fans can handle a loss, they can even handle a blow out, but they will not accept and will lose patience very fast if the team that has been so dominant continues to mail it in like we saw the past few weeks.

But all is not lost. SC has to show they are tough enough to bounce back from this one and I think that they have what it takes... but it is not going to be easy. I have taken Ted Miller to task in the past, but I think he does an outstanding job of laying out where SC is at, what they need to do, and what we all need to be mindful of as the team heads in to the last four games of the season.

Every other team in the country has suffered many, many, many double-digit defeats since 2001. Seems like it's about time the Trojans suffered their second.

Of course, there will be blustering about the Trojans being overrated despite the fact they have accomplished more this season than just about any other team in the nation, posting three wins over teams ranked in the current BCS standings, all of them on the road.

Oregon is better than USC. No question. That doesn't mean the Trojans aren't a top-10 team.

And if USC wins the rest of its games and finishes 10-2 -- and Oregon takes care of business and wins the Pac-10 title -- the odds are good that the Trojans still will earn the conference a second BCS bowl berth.

So despair not USC fans!

Or maybe you should.

That defense that gave up (clear throat) 613 yards on Saturday is banged up. Linebacker Malcolm Smith suffered a shoulder injury and won't play this weekend at Arizona State and could be out for weeks. Middle linebacker Chris Galippo and backup strong side linebacker Jarvis Jones suffered neck sprains against the Ducks, which could be issues for a while even if they can play Saturday. Defensive lineman Armond Armstead fractured his wrist. Defensive end Everson Griffen is experiencing turf toe, another injury that could linger for weeks.

And more than a few folks are wondering if if All-American safety Taylor Mays' is hurting. Mays, who missed the Washington loss with a sprained knee, didn't look like himself against the Ducks.

Miller does this rationally without going off the deep end using the "USC is dead" mantra that we are now seeing.

On the other hand, Ivan Maisel tried that yesterday but he seemed to back track on that when I heard him on Cowherd this afternoon. I hope to record that segment later. What Maisel seemed to miss is that if wants to call SC a fraud then he better put two teams up there with them... Ohio St. and Notre Dame. No two other teams have had their butts kissed by the media more than those two.

USC is not out of anything by a longshot... USC is still a name that big bowl games would want in their game.

There could be a silver lining in all of this but I haven't really looked at it... it is still too soon yet.

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.

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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

Getting to know the USC Trojans: Q&A with Conquest Chronicles

jtlight — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:30:27 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

The Ducks will need to get to Matt Barkley early to limit the powerful USC offense.

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With tomorrow's game quickly approaching, we caught up with ParagonSC, who runs Conquest Chronicles, the excellent SBNation USC Trojan site. Paragon's answers our questions here, while we've answered his questions at his site.

1) Matt Barkley has shown no fear, which is something you need in your QB, but he also has a surprisingly high number of interceptions. What do you expect from him against Oregon's defense?

I am not worried about the interceptions...after all he is a freshman so I expect a certain amount of mistakes. Because Barkley is so incredibly talented that he has been able to make plays and sustain drives that make him look like a more experienced player. I think that offsets the mistakes...he makes many more plays in the positive than in the negative.

If he has time in the pocket then I expect him to have a good game.

2) USC's usually dominant defense has looked pedestrian the last few weeks. What will they need to improve to bottle up the Ducks offense?

Short answer...stop the run.

From what I have seen the Ducks are a much better running team than a passing team. SC will definitely keep their eyes on Dickson underneath and in the middle (I think the USC defense may have learned their lesson of not effectively covering the TE from the past two weeks). I think the Ducks will have a tougher time moving the ball if they can't run it like they are used to. I do expect them to get some yards and score some points but not like they have been used to in past weeks.

3) USC's offensive line is one of the best in the nation from the start of the season, while Oregon's defensive line has been a surprise. Have the Trojans faced a quick line like Oregon's, and how to you think they'll fare?

No question that the Ducks D Line has been a surprise! USC faced a pretty good D line at Ohio St. and they held their own. I know this Ducks defense has a lot of no-names on it but they are to be respected.

I expect the Ducks D line to get a few sacks or hurries on Barkley, but as the season has moved on we have seen that Barkley is not easily rattled when under pressure, so they need to take Barkley down not just put pressure on him. I am more interested to see if USC can run the ball on this Ducks D line than I am about the USC O line giving Barkley time. USC has had problems off and on this season in either short yardage situations or running the ball in the red zone. The running game has just not been as effective as I would like.

4) USC is loaded with talent, and most Oregon fans know most of the big names. Which under the radar player should Duck fans keep their eyes out for this weekend, especially on the revamped USC defense?

While USC is loaded with talent a lot of those players are still unknown to many outside of the program. On the USC D line everyone knows Everson Griffen but you also have players like Nick Perry and Jurrell Casey who have been making life very tough on opposing offensive lines. Both have a knack for getting penetration to force the opposing QB's to either throw early or to scramble out of the pocket where it it can be difficult to run on this USC defense. This USC D line is sack machine but they will be tested by a very mobile Masoli.

The USC Linebacking corps is also "under the radar." Everyone remembers the four that left for the NFL after last season but very few know their replacements. Depending on injury and/or the situation Mike Morgan, Malcom Smith, Chris Galippo, Shane Horton and Jordan Campbell have all played and made their presence known throughout the season. Some feel that this could actaully be a better group of linebackers than last years group because of their speed when all is said and done.

As much as I love Rey Maualuga, I think Chris Galippo is showing himself to better, smarter player. His mistakes are not as pronounced as Rey's sometimes were.

5) For every other fanbase, playing USC is many times the biggest game on the schedule. With the constant buzz around your program, how do you fans feel about the national build-up to this game?

Funny you should mention that...Before I read these questions I was reading some things here and there that were making this game look like the MNC. I was thinking what's the big deal? This is just another game. I realize the ramifications...whomever wins pretty much wins the Pac-10. For SC it would be their eighth in a row. For the Ducks it is a clear shot into the national picture.

USC can't win it every year though it sometimes feels like some of the fans think that.It hink SC always has a shot at going all the way but I also know that the rest of the Pac-10 is getting better and I think that is better for the conference as a whole

USC fans have been tempered by every team circling their game with SC on their schedule. I get it...it is a big deal to them but the USC program has been programed to treat all the games pretty much the same. There may be a lot of national hype surrounding certain games at certain times and some fans may look at this particular game as big deal but for many USC fans this game is no different than any other.

We are used to the attention and the emotion that both the press and the opposing teams put on USC. That is not arrogance, it is fact. Everyone makes a big deal out of USC, even when it is not warranted. And while some players may play with a heightened sense of emotion the overall personality of the team on game day is no more than another day at the office.

This is going to be a great game because of the national exposure, the conference and national ramifications and the crazy atmosphere at Autzen. But that is for the fans and the press...not the players.

The Notre Dame Offense - The False Positive

Paragon SC — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:00:25 -0000

One of the things that many pundits and and observers have said about ND this season is that they seem to look much better on offense. Well, they should shouldn't they? I mean with Charlies Weis' "decided schematic advantage" is anyone really surprised that Notre Dame is supposedly better? I mean with a number of stellar recruiting classes under his belt coupled with said "decided schematic advantage" I am sure we are surprised that it took so long...

Check out these interesting comments from Pete Carroll from yesterdays OCR...

USC coach Pete Carroll said Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen is playing his best football, and that is reflected in Clausen being the top-rated passer in the nation (179.25).

But it’s the development of the players around Clausen that has made the Fighting Irish’s offense so effective, Carroll said.

"There’s no one guy you can stop now," Carroll said.

"This is a very good attack. That’s why they’re averaging 30 points per game. They’re giving everyone fits."

Notre Dame (4-1) is 27th in the nation in scoring at 32.6 points per game. The Irish are 10th in total offense (470 yards per game).

Well, OK...

I didn't expect Pete Carroll to say anything different...why give the Domers any billboard material.

But the devil is in the details...Looking strictly at USC's defense going against ND's offense.

Here is a brief synopsis of the teams that ND has played.

Record: 4-1

Week 1: Beat Nevada 35-0. Nevada has a 2-3 record having beaten UNLV and La Tech and lost to Colorado State and Missou (31-21). Nevada is getting better but certainly weren't prepared for the first week.

Week 2: Lost to Michigan 38-34. Michigan's defensive line is small. Michigan is now 4-2 having lost the last two games to Michigan State and Iowa. Michigan is a year away but is starting to get RichRod type athletes.

Week 3: Beat Michigan State 33-30. Could easily have lost this game. Michigan State is 3-3 having beaten Montana State, Illinois and Michigan and has lost to Central Michigan, Wisconsin and ND.

Week 4: Beat Purdue 24-21. If you have watched Purdue, they are a really bad team and got smoked by Minnesota yesterday. Purdue is 1-5.

Week 5: Beat UW 37-30 in OT. UW should have won the game. UW is 3-3 having beaten Arizona, USC and Eastern Washington and lost to Stanford and LSU.

There are some bad or average defenses on this list so while ND is 4-1 it is not like they played some top competition. Yes, they beat the teams they were supposed to beat but lets not get carried away, they need some late drive heroics to beat Purdue and UW (UW in OT) so it is not like we are seeing a dominant offense. I didn't see the MSU game so I am not sure how that game shook out outside of the score.

As I said yesterday, I expect ND to play lights out in the first half of the game just because of the rivalry factor and playing at home but you can't play on emotion for 60 minutes...that takes a tremendous toll and could wear them out quickly. I expect SC to methodically do its thing. The defense WILL get pressure on Clausen and force him to make his throws early. I expect the front seven to have some success stopping ND's average run game. ND has not played a defense like this at all this season.

One person that plans to make his presence known to the Irish is USC LB Chris Galippo...

Galippo, a third-year sophomore, visited Notre Dame as a high school junior, touring the campus with a group of highly rated prospects that included current Fighting Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen and USC tailback Marc Tyler.

Galippo said Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis was so intent on getting an oral commitment from Clausen that he neglected to speak to Galippo or even shake his hand.

"I came back home and committed to SC and then he gave me the call and said, 'We wanted you. You can start,' " said Galippo, who played at Anaheim Servite High. "I'm like, 'Ah, it's all right. I think I'll go to SC.'

"Even if he had talked to me during the visit, I would have come [to USC]. But it would be nice to at least get a handshake."

I guess the Super Bowl rings on Weis' fingers blinded him form seeing Galippo standing right in front of him.

Typical Domer Arrogance...

Whatever it takes for Galippo to get himself fired up is fine with me.

The Match-up I really want to see is when ND call's their infamous fade routes. Anybody think Taylor Mays could have a feast on those plays? It will be interesting to watch. ND will try to set up the pass to establish the run. You can see where they will probably try and take advantage of some of our schemes in the secondary. ND won't try to run on SC early as they have done a pretty good job on containing better backs than ND has.

The other interesting thing to watch is the #1 sack defense going up against the #62 sack's allowed offense...SC is going to bring the wood early and often and let secondary do their thing. They will keep the ball in front of them in their typical bend don't break defense early on and not give up the big play. Then they will make their adjustments and clamp down.

Our friends at Rakes of Mallow attempt to turn the tables on USC using some of the same logic as well.

That is fair and that is fine...

The difference here is that SC has had much better production out of their recruits and Barkley is light years ahead of where Clausen was a sophomore. Yes he is a freshman who has struggled a bit but he did OK in two crazy stadiums at the Shoe and at Cal. The SC team that takes the field on Saturday is going to be vastly different then the one that took the field in Seattle. Some ND fans want to point that game as the benchmark because both teams have played UW but the comparisons should stop there.

I get it about stats, you can make them say anything you want but they do show tendencies. Weis for all his jawboning since he got to South Bend has not lived up to expectations with his players while Pete Carroll keeps feeding the machine. USC's return on their investment has been far greater than Weis' in his five years at ND.

USC has for the most part played the tough schedule year in and year out and SC has to play in the Pac-10. Some years the Pac-10 is up and some years it is down but there is no avoiding anyone. Sure ND has made the effort to schedule teams that at one time were good and who will be good again like UW and and UM but gone are the days when ND would schedule some pretty tough teams almost every week.

USC vs. ND is still the best inter-sectional rivalry in all college football, but it is even better when BOTH teams are at their best!

Bye the way we have seen that Domer Arrogance in the past too...

It is going to be a fun game!!

Notre Dame vs. USC Stat of the Day: Resistable Force vs. Movable Object?

CW — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:15:19 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

3 months ago: San Jose State wide receiver Kevin Jurovich, right, is bought down by Southern California linebackers Chris Galippo (54) , Malcolm Smith (6) and Michael Morgan (17) during the first half of a NCAA college football game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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When critiquing the Notre Dame season thus far, many will point out that Jimmy Clausen and the high-flying Irish offense haven't faced a good defense yet this season, especially one that's the class of Southern Cal. Before I looked at the numbers, that seemed to make sense. But what about the quality of offenses that USC has played?

While the quality of defenses Notre Dame has faced isn't high, the quality of offenses faced by the Southern Cal defense is just as dismal. Notre Dame has faced two top fifty passing efficiency defenses, while USC hasn't faced a single top sixty passing efficiency offense. Obviously these are just numbers with a limited sample size of only five games, but without question, Saturday will mark the stiffest tests for both units.

USC gets the nod here due to having a sort of incumbent's advantage and the fact they absolutely suffocated the Irish offense last season. However, most of the principles of that defense are now playing on Sunday, and while their replacements are uber-talented, they're still young, and hopefully a polished quarterback with some quality skill players can move the ball.

(Of course, what about the other side of the ball, when Matt Barkley is looking across the field at Manti Teo? Perhaps the game is decided there, and we have the rest of the week to look closer at that.)

Post-Game Cal Notes

Paragon SC — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:00:51 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

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I will have a little more on Saturday's win later today but I wanted to get some links and notes up from over the weekend that looked at the game.

Everyone feels great about Saturday's win and while some questions remain there is no question that beating Cal in Berkley does a lot to build the confidence of the team and the fans. But we can't get ahead of ourselves as the The going will only get tougher for USC...

USC's fourth win sent the Trojans into their off week with a template for success: defense, defense, running and efficient play at quarterback.

Oh, there are still issues. The offense ran like a Rolls Royce between the 20s but sputtered near the goal line, settling for one touchdown and three field goals before scoring a late, tack-on touchdown.

"We're still not where we want to be," tailback Allen Bradford, who battered his way for 53 yards, said on the field after the game. "As the season goes on, we want to get better and better."

And, you know what, it's entirely possible.

Last week, the Trojans slogged to a sloppy home win over Washington State but moved up five spots to No. 7 in the polls because four top-10 schools lost.

Saturday, USC played its most complete game against a school whose name doesn't start with "San Jose." Yet, with no teams above them losing this weekend, the Trojans may have been running to stand still.

Pete Carroll sees improvement as he asks fans to pardon the dust.

"We're growing," he said. "It's a process for us to come together. We're in that process."

With road games in South Bend in two weeks and Eugene in 4 SC still has tough slate ahead. Yes, the team looks to be working out some of the issues from early in the season and USC took a big step forward in beating Cal but the tough road schedule leaves little if no room for error if SC still wants a shot at their 8th consecutive Pac-10 title let alone the BCS Title game.

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As DC Trojan noted in his FanShot Taylor Mays stopping Cal's momentum with his great stop of Jahvid Best proves who's the fastest and with his INT on that first Cal drive was one of the big reasons that SC was able roll pretty much untouched in the game...

If there was lingering doubt about the stability of Mays' knee, he emphatically eliminated it late in the second quarter. With Cal facing a third-and-one situation at its own 38-yard line, tailback Jahvid Best took a pitch in the open field and tried to cut outside with seemingly no defender in sight.

That's when Mays raced over to cut him off and nudge him out of bounds for no gain. The Bears were forced to punt.

"Jahvid was out in the middle and had a ton of space and Taylor went and chased him down," USC linebacker Chris Galippo said. "A guy as fast as Jahvid, it's not like many defenses are going to have a guy to chase him down like that."

Said Mays: "He's a fast guy and I like to think I'm a fast guy, so it's kind of like a race to the sideline."

Mays helped the Trojans limit Best to 47 yards in 14 carries, likely extinguishing any flickering hopes for the speedy tailback's Heisman Trophy campaign.

I'll say...

There was a whole lot of cheering going on with that pick! And his denying of Best sent a strong statement twords some of the doubters out there. Especially some of the pro Eric Berry fans out there. Berry Is a stud no question but there is big difference between him and Mays...you really can't compare the two they do different things.

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I noted last week that some Cal fans were taken aback that Matt Barkley wasn't really concerned with the crowd noise at Memorial Stadium. So, of course, the wanted to make sure that that the fans at Memorial did everything they could to try and rattle Barkley...it didn't matter, as the crowd noise doesn't faze him.

Barkley quieted the crowd with a 31-yard completion to tight end Anthony McCoy on the Trojans' first series after Taylor Mays intercepted a pass in the end zone.

The quarterback was asked after the game whether noise was a factor.

"No, it wasn't at all," he said, "and it usually never is."

As for the fliers?

"Someone put one in my helmet before I went out," the freshman said.

I think it worked against them, all it did was fire the kid up!

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Because of Saturday's win Doc Saturday makes and interesting observation...Surprise! USC is the smart money in the Pac-10 again...

I will feel better when we beat Oregon and Stanford before I start celebrating.

More Later!