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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.

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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...

USC Football News and Notes 11/10 - The Offense

Paragon SC — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:45 -0000

USC is going to be challenged this weekend when they Stanford if for no other reason than the amount of players injured on the team.

This week Damian Williams is unlikely to play due to a high ankle sprain...

Damian Williams, USC's top receiver and punt returner, is doubtful for Saturday's game against Stanford because of a high ankle sprain suffered against Arizona State.

The junior did not practice Monday and wore a calf-high protective boot on his right foot.

"It's been tough the last two days just trying to walk," Williams said. "I kind of figured out, like, 'OK, there is a possibility that I might not play,' so that's really tough for me."

Williams said it was too early to rule out his playing against the Cardinal -- "I'm a quick healer," he said -- but high ankle sprains typically take weeks to heal.

USC tight end Anthony McCoy, for example, has sat out the last two games because of the same injury. The senior did a few drills Monday and said he would meet with doctors tonight with hopes of playing Saturday.

This is the last thing SC needs. This Stanford defense can be exploited but USC needs its skill players to make plays. RoJo is pretty much back at full strength so who will play the #2 receiver. Ausberry is pretty much out for the year. Carswell? Butler? Carswell has a toe injury so I doubt he's the guy. Butler has shown us some nice things, 10 catches for 166 yards and a touchdown, but he hasn't been on the field enough to really show some consistency. Now is his chance. This is really concerning because the passing game has been the one thing that has kept opposing defenses on their heels as the running has been inconsistent.

This is where the coaching staff is going to earn their money...it is easy to be good when you are at full strength with top notch players. When you have piece a team together with untested players it is a whole different story.

One weapon SC hopes to have back is TE Anthony McCoy...

Receiver Damian Williams‘ situation makes tight end Anthony McCoy’s possible return even more essential for USC.

McCoy, who has missed the past two games, ran in a straight line and jumped without any setbacks Monday. He said he still has some pain but expects it to dissipate by the end of the week. He will try to practice Tuesday or Wednesday.

Although replacements Blake Ayles and Rhett Ellison have struggled with drops, that isn’t McCoy’s motivation to come back.

"The season’s almost over; that’s my urgency trying to get back," said McCoy, a senior. "I’ve got three games left. … I want to get back so I can finish my senior season."

Don't get me started. Ayles hasn't struggled, he simply hasn't shown up. He has 5-star talent with a 5th grade mind. He has dropped some easy balls the past few games that were drive stoppers. When highly touted players with great potential aren't getting it done it takes another option away for an already struggling offense. The TE position is crucial component to the USC offense so whomever is playing need to have a lot of positive production. I say give Ellison a bigger role until Ayles gets his head straight.

Of course the other concern that we really shouldn't have is with the O line. They got pushed around by the ASU defense especially their stud DE's. There is definitely some talent on the line but for some reason they have not lived up t their potential. Again, some of that is due to injury but you can't use that excuse forever...guys need to step and beat back the rush...

One of the more interesting comments following USC's offensive meltdown at Arizona State occurred when quarterback Matt Barkley said the Sun Devils' defensive ends lined up wider than expected and he could not see them when they tipped his passes.

But USC coaches said Monday the Sun Devils did not line up wider than other teams. They simply slipped past USC's offensive tackles when they pressured Barkley.

"We just got beat. Flat out," USC offensive coordinator John Morton said. "That was unexpected. It was one-on-one situations."

The most successful rusher was Arizona State defensive end Dexter Davis, who tipped two Barkley passes.

I understand that they can't protect Barkley on every play but you could see SC's O line really struggled. I also think that the ASU defense was already in Barkley's head before the game even started...he had happy feet all night. He never looked comfortable in the pocket. And it showed with some of the throws he made...he made a couple of short throws but it was the over thrown balls that concerned me more. That showed me a guy who had a little too much adrenalin going.

Barkley has enjoyed a fair amount of success this season it hasn't been perfect but it has been serviceable. His last to games though have shown us that his still growing into the game. I realize that some do not to want to hear that he is a freshman QB...but the facts are the facts. He is a true freshman and while he has shown us some great things he is still prone to mistakes. Heck, last season MArk Sanchez looked like a freshman against ASU throwing 3 or 4 picks, we see how that turned out...

Barkley is not satisfied with his poor performance...

Barkley completed only seven of 22 passes for 112 yards, 75 of which came on a catch-and-run touchdown by receiver Damian Williams.

Barkley was four for 11 for 24 yards in the first half and three for 11 for 88 yards in the second. He had one pass intercepted, and might have had two more if not for a penalty that overturned one and a drop that prevented another.

Barkley, who also struggled in the second half against Oregon, said he was "a little frustrated" against the Sun Devils.

"I just felt like we couldn't get into a rhythm," he said.

Barkley has completed 125 of 221 passes for 1,839 yards, with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

I cannot blame Oregon on Barkley...the coaches went off the reservation in trying to force things to play catch-up. But I can lay some blame on Barkley for his ASU performance...some receivers did drop some easy balls but Barkley made some errant throws as well...lets just say that there is plenty of blame to go around and leave it at that.

SC need to put all of its focus into beating Stanford this weekend.

- - -

File this in your "NOT. GOING. TO. HAPPEN." file...

Think UCLA at 4-5 is a cinch to make a bowl game with two more victories? Think again. In a testament to how weird this Pac-10 season has been, in order for the Bruins to earn a bowl invitation, not only must they beat Washington State and Arizona State but they likely need USC to win out … which means they would need to lose to USC in their regular season finale.

Consider the following:

There are only six guaranteed bowl spots for the Pac-10.

UCLA, with two victories in its final three games, would be 3-6 (6-6 overall) and finish seventh in the conference.

UCLA, if it wins out, would be 4-5 (7-5 overall) and still probably finish seventh in the conference. (Only Cal, currently 3-3 in the Pac-10, has a reasonable shot of falling below UCLA. If USC loses out it could also finish behind UCLA.)

Oregon’s loss to Stanford ended the Ducks’ outside shot of playing in the BCS title game, which would have given the conference an extra bowl bid.

USC is the only Pac-10 team in line to play in a BCS bowl other than the Rose Bowl, which would give the conference an extra bowl bid.

If Oregon wins out, it’s going to Pasadena. If the Ducks were to lose again, their ranking would be too low to play in another BCS Bowl. Neither Arizona, Oregon State or Stanford are positioned to finish high enough to make another BCS Bowl. (Note: Another Oregon loss would probably mean a three-way tie atop the conference, which could put USC in the Rose Bowl and deny the Pac-10 the extra bowl bid.)

In other words, UCLA needs any team other than USC in the Rose Bowl and USC in another BCS bowl. This leads to my favorite part: Heading into their season finale with USC, the Bruins, with victories in their next two games, could be in a situation where they would knock themselves out of a bowl by beating USC (subsequently knocking the Trojans out of a BCS bowl) but would ensure making a bowl by losing. That would be fascinating.

Heh.

Right...