Bleacher Report - Articles by Rick McMahan

Winning UGLY (and Controversially): USC 28 UCLA 7

Rick McMahan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:59:19 -0500

At various times this season, I have written Trojan "Report Cards," which break down USC's efforts by unit: offensive, defensive, and special teams, including coaching.

However, I have found this exercise to be tedious and limiting in terms of being able to express what I want to say.

So, in what can only be described as a stroke of inspiration, I have decided to combine a pseudo report card with a commentary on what I saw last night at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

USC beat UCLA 28-7 in a completely forgettable game.

At least until the last Trojan drive of the contest.

But more on that later.

Here is the report card:

Offense: D-

Defense: A-

Special Teams: B+

Coaching: C+

Controversy: A+++++

Now for the breakdown:

The offense was abysmal. Period.

And it all starts, or in this case, ends with the offensive line.

The supposed strength of this year's USC team has been, at best, mediocre this year.

Unable to consistently open holes for Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford, the Trojan running game has suffered.

In turn, this has impacted the passing game, which, without a steady running game, is unable to effectively call play action passes.

Because of this, Matt Barkley has had to operate in less than optimum conditions.

I know, a simplistic analysis, but one that nonetheless, has merit.

Of course, Matt Barkley has to take responsibility for some bonehead passes but he is a true freshman and this is to be expected.

Last night, the Trojans were the recipient of four turnovers and managed, until the controversial last drive, one score.

One.

Now, I understand that UCLA has a good defense and that UCLA defensive tackle, Brian Price, is a beast, but come on...

One score?

All of this was reflected in the Trojan offense last night and is something that will have to be focus for next week's Arizona game and beyond.

Meanwhile, the Trojan defense continued with its Jekyl and Hyde performance with last night being of the good doctor variety.

However, this was against an anemic UCLA offense that must have their offensive coordinator, Norm Chow up at night munching Rolaids like they are going out of style.

Regardless, the Trojan defense was magnificent all night long, including creating those four turnovers that the offense pretty much squandered.

Included in those turnovers, was Malcolm Smith's "pick-six" interception, which got the scoring started for USC.

So, despite the woeful UCLA offense, it is hard to take exception with the Trojan defense.

As far as the special teams go, they did fine.

UCLA was supposed to have a big advantage in this area but not last night.

Jacob Harfman delivered many big punts (with the Trojan offense in continual "stall mode," he had to).

And Damien Williams, the nations second best punt returner, often gave the Trojan offense good field position from which to bog down.

As far as the coaching goes, again, defense (Pete Carroll) did well while the offense (Jeremy Bates), not so much.

Which brings us to the Trojans final offensive series of the game.

And the long bomb touchdown that Matt Barkley threw to make a game already won, 28-7.

Many people, especially Trojan haters, are going to label me a hypocrite for my support of Pete Carroll.

After all, I recently wrote an article blasting Jim Harbaugh for running up the score against the Trojans but this is fundamentally different.

Pete Carroll had no intention of passing or even running in that final series.

Leading 21-7 with less than two minutes remaining in the game, Carroll had the offense lined up in the "victory" formation and ordered Matt Barkley take a knee.

Then Rick Nueheisel called a time out.

And they had two more time outs as well.

This, according to coach Carroll, convinced him that UCLA wanted to continue playing the game.

So Pete Carroll and Matt Barkley obliged him.

The resulting long touchdown pass drew the ire of the UCLA bench and their players, who streamed out to the playing field in indignation.

But why the indignation?

Was USC supposed to just stop playing when it became apparent that the Bruins still intended to?

UCLA should use that indignant energy to play football the whole 60 minutes, especially when it was they, who by calling the timeout, motivated the notion that this game was still to be contested.

Of course, the bottom line here is that this now one sided rivalry has an undertone of bad blood between Nueheisel and coach Carroll.

Good.

With the Trojans winning nine out of the last ten in this series, it needed some controversy.

And maybe next time Nueheisel will think twice before calling useless timeouts.

How Tim Tebow and Florida Fans Won Over a Rabid USC Trojan Honk

Rick McMahan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:00:55 -0500

Before I explain the title of this article, let me first confess some sentiments that are borne of being a fanatic USC Trojan fan.

I don't like the SEC or their fans.

More specifically, I have never liked or appreciated Florida fans.

As a USC fan, not liking Florida or their fans felt like a moral obligation.

Of course, in some ways, Florida fans have made it easy for me not to like them.

I have written several articles, some of which were not very complimentary to the SEC, and in return, I have received some very obnoxious replies. The worst of which came from those same Florida fans whom I confessed my distaste for.

Of course, on the field Florida has represented excellence and this too has threatened me, because Florida, over the years, is the only team I believe rivals my Trojans in terms of overall greatness.

And then there is Tim Tebow.

You know, "Superman."

I couldn't stand the guy for his first two years.

However, despite my efforts to maintain a distance emotionally from Tebow, he has won me over in the last couple of years.

After all, the guy is a great player and leader.

But more importantly, he is a great human being.

So despite my efforts to the contrary, I have come to like Tim Tebow.

"That's okay," I thought to myself, "I still can't stand those damn Florida fans!"

And then this morning arrived and that changed too.

While watching ESPN's "college gameday," who are broadcasting from Gainesville, Florida, the home of the Gators, a segment was devoted to my USC Trojans and their efforts on behalf of a soon to be blind seventh grade boy named Jake Olson.

The young man, an avid Trojan fan like myself, had cancer which attacked his eyes.

When he was very young, his left eye had to be removed and eight different times the cancer returned to attack his right eye.

Eight times he beat the cancer but when it returned for a ninth time, it didn't respond to treatment and it was determined the eye would have to be removed, thus sentencing him to a lifetime without sight.

Pete Carroll and the Trojans responded by granting young Jake's final wish before he lost his sight...to be with his beloved Trojans.

An extremely touching story to be sure and one that brought tears to my eyes.

But that isn't what this article is about.

No, this article is about what happened after the segment aired.

Florida fans, those same folks that I developed such distaste for, clapped in appreciation of the Trojans and young Jake Olson.

I was shocked.

Florida fans acting civilized and compassionate? Impossible!

Then on cue, as if they were consciously sending me a message some two thousand miles away, they did something else.

They started chanting.

"Jake!," "Jake!," "Jake!"

Over and over again.

And with each chant, I felt my distaste for Florida fans slowly ebbing away.

Now all is forgiven.

Of course, this can all change if I continue to receive personal insults every time I innocently write an article that questions Florida or the SEC's supposed superiority.

But in the meantime, from a rabid Trojan fan, thanks Florida fan for your kindness and compassion.

Now what am I going to do with all this distaste and no one to direct it toward?

Oh yeah, UCLA is playing my Trojans tonight.

Problem solved.

A USC Trojan Fan's Perspective of the Texas Longhorns

Rick McMahan — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:52:44 -0500

As the title of this piece suggests, I am a fan of the USC Trojans. More specifically, I am a disappointed fan of the USC Trojans.

The 2009 college football season has been one of chagrin of both myself and my fellow fans of the Men of Troy.

Nonetheless, I remain, even in this time of abject angst over my Trojans, a fan of college football.

As such, I cozied up to my television, fat from too much holiday eats, and prepared to watch what I thought was the best college football team in the land, the Texas Longhorns.

Now, I am not so sure.

Yes, the Longhorns impressed me on offense.

My Heisman vote, if I were to have one, would be directly deposited into the account of Colt McCoy, who is a marvellous talent. Hell, I might even be convinced to cast my ballot for Jordan Shipley, McCoy's roommate and a fantastic wide receiver in his own right.

The Longhorn offense, in my opinion, is among the very best in the land.

However, there is more to a football team than just the offense. And what I saw last night of the Texas defense has given me cause to pause.

Texas A&M, an up-and-coming team with some nice young talent, but still only a .500 team, ran and passed through the Longhorn defense with impunity.

How does 532 total yards and 39 points sound?

To the Longhorns and their faithful fans, probably like an out of tune garage band.

For me, last night only served to reinforce what I already suspected: that this year, there is no completely dominant college football team.

Florida, Alabama, and now Texas have all displayed significant chinks in its armor.

I remain unconvinced as to the quality of teams such as Boise State and TCU.

In a season where traditional powerhouses such as my Trojans and Oklahoma have been mediocre at best, even those with unblemished records have significant warts.

Of course, there is still time for the Texas defense to right its ship.

In the Big 12 championship game, they should easily handle Nebraska.

And certainly they are in the drivers seat to meet either Florida or Alabama in the national championship game. In that game, they will have an opportunity to show the nation that they are indeed a championship team.

But they won't do it with the kind of defensive effort I witnessed last night.

And unless some team displays a complete team game that shows excellence on both sides of the ball, this season will continue, for me, to be what it already has been.

A disappointment.

Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting in 2009 (DJ Morgan)

Rick McMahan — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:25:10 -0500

In a season that has experienced many lows and few highs, the 2009 USC Trojan recruiting class has begun to follow suit.

DJ Morgan, the speedy tailback out of Woodland Hills, CA (Taft High) and rated the No. 36 top prep prospect by ESPN, tore his ACL in his last game.

This injury will end the season for Morgan and will require surgery.

DJ Morgan was the top running back prospect for the Trojans, a player whose speed and shifty moves are reminiscent of current Trojan tailback, Joe McKnight.

It should also be noted that recently there has been speculation that Morgan might forgo his verbal commitment to USC and join his brother at Arizona.

How this injury affects those plans is unclear.

What is clear is that this year's Trojan recruiting class, while deep in quality in certain areas, such as tight end, remains in a state of flux as many USC targets are withholding commitments until the Feb. 2 signing date draws near.

Meanwhile, other verbal commitments, such as Illinois wide receiver, Kyle Prater, are only considered "soft verbals," which in recruiting speak means prepare for signing day surprises.

Trojan faithful need only go back to last year to recall two of these signing day shocks, Morrel Pressley to UCLA and Vontaze Burfict to Arizona State.

The loss of Burfict, in particular, is one that still sticks in the craw of USC fans as Burfict would have looked awfully good in Cardinal and Gold right now.

Of course, in Burfict's case, there were eligibility issues involved in his decision to enroll at ASU so perhaps it just wasn't meant to be.

Nonetheless, there appears to be a disturbing trend where either opposing programs are badmouthing USC, costing them recruits or, and this might be even more disturbing, the luster has worn off the USC Trojan shine.

Either way, this is a critical year for USC to replenish its talent reserves, and this year's class will play a crucial role as the Trojans try to move on from a disappointing season.

The injury to Morgan, the soft status of Kyle Prater, and the transient state of verbal commitments to USC make this one of the more difficult recruiting seasons to project.

By Feb. 2, the signing day for high school recruits, this will all become crystal clear and the Trojans can move forward knowing what needs have been filled and which remain in question.

Expect the USC coaching staff to hit the recruiting trail long and hard between now and signing day.

After this year's team's disappointment on the field, a successful season recruiting will take some of the sour taste out of both the program and their fans mouth's and will provide an optimistic path to spring practice.

Lord knows the Trojans and their fans could use a smile right about now.

Should USC Sit Matt Barkley if He Struggles Against UCLA?

Rick McMahan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:00:20 -0500

First, let me emphatically state that I am aware that what I am proposing would have been considered blasphemy just five short weeks ago.

Bench Matt Barkley?

Are you serious?

The short answer is yes. But with an explanation.

I am aware that for USC, the future is Matt Barkley.

But is it fair to the team if the quarterback of the future is not playing well enough to be the quarterback of now?

Barkley, the nation's darling when the Trojans were 6-1, is now just another struggling young quarterback trying to find his way on a Trojan team that has slipped to 7-3.

Along with his flashes of brilliance, so evident early in the season, now comes the true freshman mistakes that resulted in four turnovers in USC's home debacle against the Stanford Cardinal.

Saddled side by side with his 11 touchdown passes are 10 interceptions, the majority of which have come recently.

Now, I know that the Trojans slide is far from young Mr. Barkley's fault.

It goes without saying that even a "typical" Trojan defensive effort would have possibly resulted in one or two more victories.

So this line of questioning isn't wrapped around an accusation that Matt Barkley is the reason for the Trojans' less than stellar record.

But given the deterioration of that same defense, can the Trojans afford to couple that with another poor performance by Barkley?

Please understand that in the grand scheme of things, there is no greater fan of Barkley than myself.

I fully believe that this talented young man will lead the USC Trojans to the promised land and that soon, perhaps even next year, he will be hoisting that crystal football as the Trojans celebrate a national championship.

However, I also believe that at this point in time, there may be other options that might better suit this year's Trojans should Barkley struggle again.

I also know that the Trojan coaching staff has thrown their support fully to Matt.

I get that.

It is a show of support meant to prop up the confidence of a young quarterback who is struggling.

Yet, there is also an obligation that must be considered to the senior players and others who came to USC to forge their own success as part of this traditional powerhouse.

Is it fair to them to stubbornly refuse to consider Mitch Mustain as a possible option should Barkley stumble once again?

And let us not forget USC's opponent this week.

It is UCLA. Need I say more?

Should Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates keep refusing to explore other options against this rival should Barkley fail to produce?

In my opinion, no. Any and all options must be considered and utilized against UCLA this week.

So while many may consider my suggestion blasphemy, please forgive me.

More importantly, let's do whatever it takes to beat UCLA.

Another Open Letter To Notre Dame Fans From a USC Honk

Rick McMahan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:36:23 -0500

As some of those who will read this piece know, I have been known in the past to agitate those who follow the Fighting Irish.

However, this was prior to my interaction with those same fans who won me over with their thoughtful and considerate rebuttals to many of the points I had to offer.

I should also point out that I write this article as a humbled USC fan, one who has shared the same kind of disappointment with my team this season as those who follow Notre Dame.

But to the point of this article, I am a bit confused.

Yesterday, Charlie Weis gave an interview in which he said that he would never forgive those fans, and there have been many of them according to Charlie, who have made their attacks personal thus invoking irreparable harm to his wife and son.

Charlie went on to say, and I am paraphrasing here, that those fans have denigrated him about his weight and other various slights regarding his appearance.

These attacks have made life miserable for his family, even prompting his wife not to attend the Connecticut game.

This was the first game she has not attended since Weis was named coach of the Fighting Irish.

Now to me, this sounds like an SEC fan or even, God forbid, a rabid USC fan who has lost their way.

But not Notre Dame fans.

At least not the dozens I have had the privilege to engage with following my articles.

No, those fans, the ones who invited me to share their tailgate parties and sit with them at the game, are nothing but class.

More specifically, they made me, a rabid USC fan, turn my utter contempt for Notre Dame and their fans, into a person who actually roots for the Fighting Irish when they aren't playing my Trojans.

One of my best memories of this season is the image of Coach Weiss, locked arm-in-arm with his players, taking the field with tears streaming down his face just prior to the Connecticut game.

Of course, I understand the passion that goes into following a program you live and die with every Saturday, because I share that same passion for my Trojans.

So I can also understand a deep seated feeling of the necessity to remove a coach from a legendary program when he fails to produce.

And certainly Charlie Weis has been a disappointment in terms of wins and losses for those who follow the Fighting Irish.

I get that.

But what I don't get are the personal attacks on Weis.

Even when Paul Hackett was driving my beloved USC program into the ground, I never read, heard, or saw those kind of attacks.

And Lord knows, if anyone ever deserved that, it would be Hackett (grumble).

Which brings me to my question.

Is this true?

Is there a large contingent of Notre Dame fans so vicious that it would prompt Weis to go out of his way to indict them for such behavior?

If you are kind enough to respond to this query, I hope that you will tell me something like, "Hell no, there are just a few meat-heads out there behaving badly."

Please don't shatter my illusions of what I have come to know as great Notre Dame fans.

I don't want to go back to hating the Fighting Irish.

A Trojan Fan's Perspective: Choke On It, Jim Harbaugh

Rick McMahan — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:40:17 -0500

First, for sake of full disclosure, I readily admit I am a USC Trojan fan.

Big time.

Second, I am not too proud to take absolute delight in the suffering of a newly despised program via the hands of another besides my beloved Trojans.

Of course, that "newly despised" program is the Stanford Cardinal led by their chief villain and head coach, Jim Harbaugh.

And the program that handed Harbaugh and the Cardinal that defeat is none other than their hated rival, the California Golden Bears.

You know, those same Cal Bears that the Trojans thumped 30-3 in Berkeley some weeks ago.

Now, many would say that my delight in the defeat of the Cardinal is motivated by Stanford's destruction of USC 55-21, two weeks ago at the coliseum.

True, but of course, as any good Trojan fan will tell you, it goes deeper than that.

The real source of my hostile attitude toward the Cardinal can be summed up in one play.

That play is, of course, the infamous two point attempt Harbaugh called for when leading the Trojans by three touchdowns late in the game.

The Trojans stuffed it but that is besides the point.

After the game, at the midfield handshake, Pete Carroll questioned Harbaugh as to his motivation for the play, although it wasn't necessary to do so.

Everyone knew Harbaugh was trying to show up the Trojans, including coach Carroll.

In the week that followed the game, Jim Harbaugh was hailed by the national media as the "hot coach." leading the "hot program" to the promised land.

Except that the Cal Bears had something (I say gleefully) to say about it.

And the "hot coach" made some bad decisions.

Like going for it on fourth down, with 3-1/2 minutes to go and all of his timeouts left, Harbaugh rolled the dice and came up snakeyes when Andrew Luck ran out of same and threw an harmless pass which fell incomplete.

So much for Stanford's Rose Bowl aspirations.

Of course, many would say it is cheap to acquire such joy in the defeat of a program by someone other than the team you follow.

Guilty as charged.

However, while in my perfect world, the Trojans would have won two weeks ago, it wasn't meant to be.

The Trojans got beat by a better team that day.

So now I will gladly get my "jollies" vicariously through the Cal Bears and I have only one thing to say:

Choke on it Jim Harbaugh.

Is Pete Carroll's Charity Work a Hindrance For The USC Trojans?

Rick McMahan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:16:57 -0500

As Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans attempt to climb out of the quagmire of a disappointing season, the radio talk around the Los Angeles southland has centered on a most unusual topic.

Is Pete Carroll's work with his charity foundation "A Better LA," detracting from his ability to guide the Trojans?

This was the topic for discussion on ESPN's popular "Steve Mason and John Ireland Show," where a surprising number of call in's said that indeed, the charity work was limiting Carroll's ability to pull the Trojans out of their recent travails.

Both Mason and Ireland took exception to this line of thinking, saying that Pete's charity work was never a problem when he was guiding the Trojans to their NCAA record seven straight top four finishes along with those consecutive PAC-10 championships.

Well, yes and no.

The fact that the Trojans were winning all those championships, in and of itself, precluded this line of questioning of Carroll's altruistic work.

Those who support the line of thinking that the charity work is getting in the way could also contend that the charity work got in the way of Carroll's preparation when the the Trojans lost those yearly pesky conference games that seemed to haunt USC annually.

Except that there is a problem with this rational also.

When Carroll appeared on the Mason and Ireland show, he was asked specifically if the charity work was a hindrance time-wise, for which the Trojans have suffered.

I am paraphrasing here but this is basically how Carroll responded:

"No," said Pete, "The vast majority of the time spent on the foundation is done by others. In no way does this charity take away from my ability to my job."

Again, yes and no.

To be sure, the main work is done by others.

"A Better LA," a "take it to the streets" program that attempts to guide young people in the inner city away from gangs, is largely run by others.

Carroll, who founded the program some years ago, lends both his name and considerable popularity to the cause but during the college football season, not much time.

With this exception:

Pete Carroll has been seen on CBS' "Sixty Minutes" and various other talk shows promoting the foundation which, admittedly, has done tremendous work around the southland.

Carroll has also appeared at his various fundraisers throughout the years, including the upcoming "A Night Of Comedy," hosted by Will Ferrell, a friend of both Pete Carroll and the Trojans themselves.

But does this really hinder Pete's ability to guide the Trojans?

In my opinion, no.

Carroll, like most coaches, arrives very early and leaves just as late as any other coach in his pursuit of Trojan college gridiron excellence.

His passion and diligence has translated into fabulous success for USC and their fans.

In what little time Pete has left over, he donates to his foundation and its charitable cause.

Part of the reason for the Trojans success is his amazing ability to recruit four and five-star players to come play for the Trojans.

When Carroll sits in these recruits homes and tells their parents that he will take care of their sons, Pete can point to his foundation as proof of his passion to care about things beyond the field of play.

The fact that the focus of his charity is in the inner city also plays well for these parents and recruits, many of whom hail directly from where the foundation does its best work.

But the best thing of all is that this charity work and Pete's passion are genuine.

"A Better LA" has done some fantastic things in the inner city by providing opportunities for youth to find a way to success beyond gang life.

That Pete Carroll cares enough about the community should be celebrated by the Trojan faithful who are struggling to come to terms with three losses (so far) in the 2009 season.

Those fans who are complaining about Pete Carroll's time distribution should take a step back and reconsider what is truly important.

Making life better in your community is a wonderful goal and those with the juice to effect change are truly blessed.

But they are only blessed if they choose to make that difference, which Pete Carroll has.

And there is a hidden benefit to this charity work for Trojan fans that worry every year that Pete will leave for NFL riches.

As each year passes and Pete Carroll becomes more heavily invested in his foundation, chances of his leaving become more remote.

So, in essence, Pete Carroll's investment in his charity is also an investment in the notion that he will stay and coach the Trojans.

Talk about your "win-win" scenarios...

Two Games for Redemption: What Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans Must Accomplish

Rick McMahan — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:01:58 -0500

As Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans migrate down an unfamiliar path (the road to mediocrity), there are still definitive goals that must be accomplished, both for this season, and perhaps more importantly, for the next.

The very same questions that, left unanswered, have resulted in this disappointing season, are those same ones that beg clarity as the Trojans move forward.

Without these answers, Pete Carroll and his staff will find themselves staring at the same results that have led some of the Trojan faithful to wonder if the Pete Carroll era has run its course.

Some of these questions, such as the maturing of Matt Barkley, will only come with the playing of the game itself, while others are fundamentally more difficult, involving personnel and perhaps even schemes.

Bear in mind, many of these strategical dispostions will remain in a state of flux until players who are eligible for the NFL draft make decisions regarding their futures; while others, such as incoming recruits, won't be evident until the arrival of the February 2 signing date.

Here are some, though not all, of the questions that Pete Carroll and his staff need to address in these final two games as well as the all important off season:

Defense

The defensive backfield will be the focus of a major overhaul.

Kevin Thomas, Taylor Mays, and Josh Pinkard are all seniors and will have to be replaced.

Shareece Wright, who was tabbed as a starting corner back until academic woes derailed him will be back, assuming he has met his scholarly obligations.

The rest of the defensive backfield will come from a bevy of highly regarded but largely untested four and five star recruits.

Of greater concern is the defensive front seven, which has exponentially become more of a question mark as the season has wore on.

However, there are mitigating circumstances with that front seven that should be acknowledged.

For example, many among those who started the season so well are now injured or playing hurt.

Jurrel Casey and Everson Griffen are playing hurt as is the case with Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith at the linebacker positions.

For this reason, Devon Kennard, the highly regarded defensive end recruit and Shane Horton, a safety forced into linebacker duties both started for the Trojans.

Both were found to be lacking.

With two weeks off to heal, it is hoped that the Trojan defense will be demonstrably better against UCLA.

These next two games, against the Bruins and Arizona, should provide some clarity going into the 2010 season.

Offense

Some questions have already been answered.

Kristopher O'Dowd has gone on record as saying that he will be back for his senior season.

This is huge for a unit that will graduate everyone around him except Tyron Smith.

Given the fact that the offensive line has, by and large, been a disappointment, now might be a good time to rotate some of the younger O-linemen like Kevin Graf, Khalid Holmes, and Matt Kalil into the mix.

Meanwhile, there is also a very good chance that both Damien Williams and Ronald Johnson will also return.

Same with Joe McKnight—who will be an important transition in the running game.

With a year under Matt Barkley's belt, the offense has a chance to be as special as this year's unit was hoped to be.

If the Trojans sign the recruits that have verballed, including both outstanding wide receivers Kyle Prater and Robert Woods, they will have a very intriguing offense.

Special Teams

The kickers will be back and they will welcome Matt Darr, a David Buehler clone who will make his presence felt immediately.

Special teams have not been a problem this year and they will only get better next year.

Conclusion

Don't get me wrong. The Trojans should not give up this year to pave the road for 2010.

A 10-3 year (assuming they can win the final two games and their bowl game) is still damn good and something to strive for.

But there are better things on the horizon and Pete Carroll has the football acumen to deliver the best he can this year while preparing for next year.

At a charity dinner last night, Pete Carroll was asked if it was fair that Trojan fans are so spoiled that they would complain after one so-called "down year," after seven straight good ones.

Pete responded: "Trojan fans SHOULD be spoiled. It is what we have worked for."

Now is the time to set the table to spoil Trojan fans for years to come.

A Season Of "Firsts" Spells the End for the 2009 USC Trojans

Rick McMahan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:12:16 -0500

With the 55-21 thumping the Stanford Cardinal put on the USC Trojans Saturday at the Coliseum, also came a number of "firsts" for the Trojans in the Pete Carroll era.

Although many of these milestones, none of which was desired by any good Trojan fan, were expected long before Saturday's debacle, the loss only served to emphasize the futility that USC has offered in this trying season.

So, without further delay, here are the "firsts" that the Trojans have managed to serve up in the 2009 season:

For the first time in seven years, the USC Trojans will neither win nor share the PAC-10 title.

This will end an NCAA record, one of two that the Trojans have acquired in their record run from 2002 to 2008.

Also for the first time in seven years, the Trojans streak of finishing in the top four in the BCS officially came to an end.

This too is an NCAA record and one which might stand for some time.

Also, for the first time in the Pete Carroll era, the Trojans lost in November.

This record also included the 2001 season when the Trojans only managed a 6-6 record but still had an unblemished November record.

Finally, the Trojans managed, not only for the first time but also the second, to lose a game by more than the 11 points which represented their worst loss in Carroll's tenure.

These "firsts" were bound to happen some time and the Trojan faithful can still take heart in the fact that other good teams have suffered the same slings and arrows of fate that the Trojans face this year.

Following the 2006 Florida Gators championship run, they went 9-4 in Tim Tebow's first year at the helm after taking over for Chris Leak.

As has been described by this author and others, this year's team was thought to have limitations going into the season.

A very young defense and a turnover of special teams players made the 2009 season tenuous going in.

Although the offense will graduate most of the line, which has been a disappointment anyway, the Trojans look to be in pretty good shape for the 2010 season.

So as the Trojans suffer through a series of firsts in the 2009 season, Trojan faithful can look forward to better times ahead.

Perhaps the 2010 season will the first in a new set of records.

And more importantly, these records will be of the sort that the Trojans will desire.

Time For USC Fans to Face The Ugly Truth; Trojans Just Aren't Very Good

Rick McMahan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:40:01 -0500

Any confusion USC fans had regarding their beloved Trojans has just been cleared up in resounding fashion today at the coliseum.

With Stanford's 55-21 thrashing of USC, clarity has been made evident as to the quality of this years version of the men of Troy.

They just aren't very good.

Its one thing to lose road games to an improved Washington and a very good Oregon team and quite another to get thrashed by Stanford at your homecoming game.

USC suffered from a bad case of the "too's" today.

As in:

Too many turnovers.

Too little effort from the defensive front seven.

Too good of an opponent.

Couple this with a true freshman quarterback, Matt Barkley, who has played like one the last three games and it is easy to see how this game got out of hand so quickly.

Barkley, who was personally responsible for the Trojans four turnovers, played marvelously for his first five games but now has become just another young quarterback trying to find his way.

However, the fact that Barkley is interception prone should not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the young quarterback's career.

Coming out of Mater Dei, the knock on Barkley was that he tried to force too many balls into coverage, which resulted in an inordinate amount of picks.

A good example of this was Barkley's attempt to force a screen pass to Joe McKnight when McKnight was covered by three Cardinal players.

Result?

Interception that led to a Stanford touchdown.

But for the Trojans, this goes far beyond a young quarterback making silly mistakes and not protecting the ball.

For the second time this year, the USC defense has given up a record amount of points.

After Oregon rolled the Trojans up for 47 points two weeks ago in Eugene, excuses were made that this was due to the Trojans playing an option team with a running quarterback and that the Trojans always have problems with those kind of teams.

All of that was true.

So what do you make of today's game?

Stanford is not a fancy, tricky option team.

They are a straight forward, hard nosed team who features a bruising 235 pound tailback, Toby Gerhart, who would just as soon run over you as run around you.

They are also led by a redshirt freshman quarterback, Andrew Luck, who is known for an accurate arm, not blazing speed.

Yet, there was Luck rushing for 61 yards, mostly on third downs, to keep Cardinal drives going.

And breaking Trojan hearts.

When it was all over, the Stanford Cardinal had scored more points on the Trojans than any other team ever in their storied history.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Now the Trojans have two weeks to get ready for their cross town rivals, UCLA, who must be licking their chops at the prospect of facing this woeful Trojan defense.

Two weeks to let this embarrassing historic defeat to simmer and percolate.

With all hopes gone for playing in an BCS bowl game, the Trojans must now hope to recapture some Trojan pride and prepare for 2010 by winning out.

This will be a tall order for a Trojan team that just isn't very good.

Is the Arizona State-USC Game the Most Important of the Pete Carroll Era?

Rick McMahan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:30:22 -0500

A new and ominous sound is being heard throughout college football.

Distant rumblings of smug assertions by those whose teams have suffered through eight years of Trojan dominance, either directly or indirectly, are becoming louder.

Has Pete Carroll lost his magic touch with the USC Trojans?

After last Saturday's 47-20 blowout loss to Oregon, some are saying that the luster has come off the Trojans and that Pete Carroll is no longer capable of casting the spell over his opponents, a spell that has led to his sterling 94-17 record since he took the helm of USC football.

Others additionally point to the somewhat close victories over Oregon State and Notre Dame in the two games prior to the debacle in Oregon and say this is a trend of deteriorating Trojan football.

What can't be denied is that the Oregon loss represented, by far, the worst loss in the Pete Carroll era.

Not just on the scoreboard, which provides tangible proof for even the casual observer, but also in the game itself, where the Trojan defense, the unit that Pete Carroll claims mastery over, acquitted itself most miserably.

As Trojan-haters gleefully watched the Ducks run around, over, and through the anemic USC defense, the assertions that the Trojans were coming apart became the standard fare for the Internet mavens.

In the maelstrom of criticism, Pete Carroll has just smiled and cautioned those who have predicted the Trojans demise to take a deep breath.

After viewing the horror show that was the Oregon game, Pete Carroll shuddered and took the blame.

Saying that he installed an overly ambitious defense in preparation for the Ducks, Carroll said he will get back to basics against the Sun Devils Saturday night in Tempe.

If he is successful and the Trojans can get a victory against Arizona State, it will represent a new start for USC, who will have played its last road game of the season on that night.

After Saturday, USC will play its last three games at the coliseum, where they are almost unbeatable.

As many forsee a Trojan run of the table, they also suggest a 10-2 record should land USC in a BCS bowl game.

Not exactly how Coach Carroll and the Trojans would have drawn it up prior to the season, but not a bad consolation prize either.

Now, I understand that the Trojans have played an abundance of huge games in recent years.

Games that have decided BCS bowls and clinched titles.

However, all of these big games have been played while the Trojans have rode on the crest of success.

The game against Arizona State is fundamentally different.

For the first time in recent memory, the Trojans will try to prove they are still among the college football elite.

But it all starts Saturday night against the Sun Devils.

When the Trojans play the most important game in the Pete Carroll era.

Urban Meyer's "Suspension" of Linebacker Brandon Spikes Sends Wrong Message

Rick McMahan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:19:02 -0500

Let me set the scene for you.

All American linebacker, in a rivalry game, deliberately attempts to gouge the eyes of the opposing teams running back.

Fortunately, for all concerned, Brandon Spikes, the Florida Gator's all American linebacker, was unsuccessful in his attempt to permanently injure Washuan Ealey, the Georgia running back in question.

Fortunately, indeed.

It goes without saying that emotions, especially in a rivalry game run high and sometimes players do things that they normally would never do otherwise.

Understood.

And for his part, Brandon Spikes has shown remorse and said all the right things since the regrettable incident.

Brandon Spikes, who doesn't have a history of dirty plays, should be forgiven.

But he also should be punished.

Maybe not suspended for the year, but punished nonetheless.

So what does Urban Meyer, the tremendous Florida Gator coach do?

He suspends Spikes for the opening half of the Gator's next game against 2-7 Vanderbilt.

That's right, a half.

Perhaps Meyer's should have just sent him to bed without dinner or make him stand in the corner for five minutes.

For a coach, whose responsibility to his players goes beyond "X's & O's," this "suspension" is almost a mockery of the values that should be instilled in his players.

I find it almost laughable that this is Meyer's idea of meting out punishment to a player who could have seriously hurt an opposing player.

Some might say that Meyer also has an obligation to the team itself and that would include putting his best players on the field in order to ensure success.

I can understand that.

Except this is Vanderbilt, proud owners of the aforementioned 2-7 record and going nowhere.

Meanwhile, Florida is number one in the nation, led by the best college football player in the country, and expected to steam roll the Commodores with or without Mr. Spikes.

So in this case, the notion that there is a greater obligation to the team simply doesn't wash.

Not that I am so sure it is valid anyway for an incident like this.

Urban Meyer is a great coach with good values but in this case he blew it.

Instead of making a statement by benching Spikes for at least the entire game for an ugly transgression, Meyer slaps him on the wrist by suspending him for a half.

How this sends a message to his players that this kind of conduct is absolutely unacceptable, I'm not sure.

If I am a Gator playing for Urban Meyer, the message I get is that if I try to permanently injure an opposing player, I will basically get little or nothing in the way of punishment.

This is a slap in the face to all those who teach good values as educators (which a coach, by extension is) and especially to Washuan Ealey, who fortunately still has a pair of eyes to see with.

Its just too bad that Urban Meyer's doesn't have the "vision" to see that his "punishment" is sorely lacking.

What USC Trojan Fans Must Ponder After the Scream in Eugene

Rick McMahan — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:39:26 -0500

A day has passed since USC's defense embarrassed itself against the Oregon Ducks, and now the Trojan faithful must ask itself some hard questions.

What the hell happened out there?

Was the Trojan defense truly that bad, or was the Oregon Duck offense that good?

Or was it a combination of both?

Truth be told, this shouldn't have come as a total surprise to anyone.

Even the most ardent Trojan fan knew that coming into this season, the Trojans had to replace nine starters from last year's stalwart defensive unit.

When the season started, the predominant notion was that the offense was going to be good and the defense was going to take time to jell.

So the fact that USC's defense is struggling shouldn't be a revelation.

What is a surprise is how and when it is happening.

For the first five games of the season, the Trojan defense was good.

Damn good.

Top five in almost every defensive category, USC's defense asserted itself right out of the gate and it seemed that it was only going to get better with defensive guru Pete Carroll at the helm.

Except that isn't what happened.

What happened is that after those first five games, the defense took a step back.

Make that a leap.

Beginning in the second half of the Notre Dame game, continuing with the second half of the Oregon State game and blossoming to full ugliness against the Ducks, the Trojan defense suddenly has forgotten how to play fundamental football.

Gap responsibility, zone coverage, and solid tackling are now just concepts for this beleaguered unit.

After getting rolled by the Duck offense to the tune of 613 yards (613 yards? Good Lord), the luster is off this year's version of the men of Troy.

This might be expected if it were the first or second game of the season and the inexperienced defense was just getting acclimated to the rigors of big time college football.

However, this is the eighth game and reasonable expectations should be that this unit would be getting better instead of dramatically worse.

The fact that the defense is so bad should be a concern for both Pete Carroll and Trojan fans goes without saying.

But of deeper concern are the circumstances surrounding the deterioration of the defense.

We are at that time of the season when this unit should be fairly seasoned and finding ways to polish its efforts on the field.

Instead, the defense will be going back to square one and learning what the definition of fundamental tackling is.

There is still time for Coach Carroll to work his magic on this unit and salvage the rest of the season.

And Pete Carroll has earned the time to get it done.

For most college football fans, a 10-2 record and a berth in a lesser, but still significant, bowl would be a blessing.

For USC fans, it is lamentable.

Yet, good things can come from a resurrection of the defense that leads to a solid foundation for 2010, which is the year I personally thought would be the Trojans' season for contention in the national championship.

This is unfamiliar ground for Trojan fans and they should not jump ship yet by any means.

But what happens from here on out will preface the story that will be told in 2010.

Good luck, Pete.

Based on the scream in Eugene, you are going to need it.

USC Trojan Report Card: Oregon 47 USC 20

Rick McMahan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:38:54 -0400

The one thing Trojan fans can take consolation in is that the best team won.

Nothing cheap, no luck involved, simply the best team won.

I am sure that many Trojan diehards will take offense at this notion, and will complain that I am giving too much credit to the Ducks but the facts speak for themselves.

I wrote an article this week suggesting that it would take a complete effort on the part of the Trojans to escape Autzen with a victory and sadly, for the Trojans, this was not to be.

In the last eight years, I have not personally witnessed a more abysmal effort than the Trojans displayed against Oregon and it was this lack of defensive prowess that doomed the Trojans to defeat.

So lets get to it, this Trojan report card, one that will be sent home to the BCS condemning USC to the Holiday bowl, if they are lucky:

Defense:

Coaching:

Pete Carroll will have you believe that it was all Jeremiah Masoli's ability to be creative on broken plays that made the difference in this game.

Uh, bullcrap Pete.

The defensive game plan was horrible and it was compounded by Carroll's defensive corps inability to tackle anyone.

Grade: F

Defensive Line:

Whether it was Masoli, James or any other Duck, the Trojans simply could not tackle anyone. Rarely has a Pete Carroll defense acquitted itself so miserably.

Grade: F

Linebackers:

Perhaps the only redeeming feature to a loss like this is the ability for this writer to economize my words. So, here it is:

See the comments for the defensive line.

Grade: F

Defensive Secondary:

See the comments for the defensive line.

Grade: F

Offense:

Coaching:

I can't really fault Jeremy Bates for the Trojans lack of offensive prowess, especially in the second half. Because of the hole the defense put the offense in, there wasn't much Bates could do. Bates play calling in the first half was adequate although some might say that the lack of a running attack put too much pressure on Barkley who threw over twenty times in the first half. It should be noted that the Trojan offense played without Anthony McCoy, Kristofer O'Dowd, David Ausberry, and Stanley Havili among others.

Grade: C+

Quarterback:

Matt Barkley did the best he could under the circumstances. Stuck in a continual cycle of playing catch up, Barkley, especially in the second half, had little opportunity to do anything other than hope that at least once the defense would hold and give him a chance to work some magic on the offensive side of the ball.

Barkley's hopes were dashed all game long.

Grade: C+

Running backs:

Joe McKnight did some nice things when it was still a competitive game. Allen Bradford continued his maddening habit of playing well in one game and disappearing in the next.

Grade: C

Offensive Line:

At least six penalties were called on the line for false starts and illegal procedure. Yes, Autzen is loud but this was a lack of discipline. The offensive line opened up some decent holes for McKnight and protected Barkley fairly well, but the penalties were killers.

Grade: D+

Receivers:

Both Damien Williams and Ronald Johnson had some nice catches. Brandon Carswell got some playing time and made the most of it. Where was Brice Butler though? Given the fact that McCoy, Ausberry and others were not available, this unit may have been the best the Trojans had to offer.

Grade: B-

Special Teams:

The Trojans first kickoff was returned some seventy plus yards setting the tone for the crowd who was into the game from that point forward. Made field goals give this unit a passing grade.

Barely.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Trojan fans have been spoiled for the last few years and when a game like this occurs, Trojan faithful may be tempted to jump off the ledge.

Don't.

While this game was NOT an aberration, in that the Ducks are just a better team right now, there is plenty of hope for the future. As long as one doesn't consider the future to be this year. This defense is just plain bad right now.

The last two games against Notre Dame and Oregon State obviously were not flukes and Pete Carroll has his work cut out for him both in getting back to fundamentally sound defensive football and restoring the confidence to a unit who must be shaken very badly.

Good luck Pete.

Has the USC Trojan Running Back Stable Turned into a Stall?

Rick McMahan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:42:02 -0400

Okay, Trojan fans, before you gear up to blast me with facts about how USC's running game is strong, resurgent, and very effective, hold your horses (pun intended).

This isn't about the running game itself, per se.

With the two-headed monster of Joe McKnight (more on him later) and Allen Bradford, the results are starting to speak for themselves.

The Trojans are becoming very effective indeed.

Mike Riley, Oregon State's head coach and recipient of the 227 yard rushing outburst led by Bradford's 147 yards (almost a 10 yard per carry average), said that "USC's offense seems to be getting better every week."

The Trojan rushing game has a lot to do with that statement.

No, this has nothing to do with the effectiveness of USC's rushing attack.

Rather, it has to do with who is doing the rushing.

You know, that "veritable embarrassment of riches" that the Trojans had at their disposal to tote the ball.

Or, as it has been said so often, "The stable of Trojan running backs."

The "stable" has been turned into a "stall."

Okay, maybe two or three stalls.

The one time never-ending stream of talented running backs the Trojans had at their beck and call has been turned into a trickle.

Stafon Johnson, as everyone knows, has been lost for the season due to his unfortunate weight room accident.

Marc Tyler, who was rounding into shape and who has "star" written all over him, is also out for the season with a toe injury that required surgery.

CJ Gable, the one time Trojan starter, has spent this season alternating between the trainers room and Pete Carroll's doghouse and has yet to see the playing field with any regularity.

Meanwhile, Curtis McNeal, the Darren Sproles clone, has been fighting nagging injuries all year long which has reduced his effectiveness.

Stanley Havili, the Trojan fullback who may very well be the best at his position in the nation, has a shoulder injury which may keep him out of the Oregon game this Saturday night.

Even Joe McKnight isn't in perfect health (not that any running back is at this time of the year), although the cut hand he suffered against the Beavers isn't expected to keep him out of this Saturday's game.

That leaves Allen Bradford as the one healthy back...at least the one that doesn't have an asterisk by his name denoting a specific injury.

And Bradford is operating on a rebuilt hip that came as a result of offseason surgery.

In effect, this stable of Trojan horses is now just a couple of very talented running backs who can't afford an injury.

What used to be a mad shuffle of gifted ball carriers, has been reduced to Pete Carroll and his staff crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.

And if things do go wrong and either McKnight or Bradford are hurt, the Trojans' stable of running backs will turn into a stall.

Literally.

USC-Oregon: Trojans Require a Complete Game vs. Ducks in Hostile Eugene

Rick McMahan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:57:04 -0400

This Saturday when the Trojans meet the Ducks in Eugene, national title hopes will be on the line for both teams.

The Trojans will be in a hostile environment playing a Ducks team that has improved each and every week and now finds itself ranked No. 10 in both the BCS and AP rankings.

With a "healthier" Jeremiah Masoli back under center for Oregon (Masoli said he was about 75 percent healthy for the Washington game), the Trojans face a nemesis, the dual threat quarterback, that has haunted them throughout the years.

For USC, facing a running quarterback who also has the ability to make plays with his arm comes at an inopportune time.

Losing nine starters from last year's dominant defense, the Trojans began the year surprising everyone by fielding a defense that was top five nationally through the first five games of the year.

This was a defense that replaced the physicality of last year's version with speed and the ability to pursue from sideline to sideline.

Meanwhile, the Trojan offense, assumed to be the strength of this year's team, struggled to find itself under true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley.

Barkley, who was injured in the Ohio State game and missed the following week against Washington (USC's only loss), wasn't really the reason for the early stagnation by the offense.

Rather, it was just a case of offense finding its identity and meshing under first year offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

Now, it appears that the Trojans have found continuity on offense as evidenced by the Trojans' last two games.

Having scored 34 points against Notre Dame and 42 against Oregon State in the last two weeks, there is reason for optimism for the Trojan faithful that USC has hit its offensive stride.

Yet, as the Trojan offense inspires confidence going into the Oregon game, the defense raises serious concerns.

While the USC offense regained its balance over the last two games and became a force, the defense has taken steps backward.

Notre Dame scored 27 points against the vaunted Trojan defense and last week, and the 36 points given up to Oregon State were the most surrendered by a Trojan defense since the 2005 Rose Bowl against Texas.

This doesn't bode well for a Trojan team that will face a resurgent Ducks offense that has averaged over 38 points in its last six games.

Granted, many of these points were given up after the Trojans assumed they had the games well in hand, and maybe that is part of the problem.

Assumptions that these games were already won resulted in nail biters for the Trojans, who were lucky to leave South Bend with a "W" and made last week's game against the Beavers much closer than it had to be.

It will be imperative for USC to play a complete game against Oregon when the two teams meet Saturday night if the Trojans expect to win.

A good game by the offensive unit must be matched by the defense or USC will leave Eugene as a two-loss team out of the national title picture and perhaps even out of BCS bowl consideration.

It will be crucial for Taylor Mays and company to find themselves and contain an Oregon offense that may be the best offense they face all year.

The Oregon defense, which recently lost its best player in Walter Thurmond, will face a Trojan offense that now appears to be on its way to meeting preseason expectations.

However, a Trojan game plan that doesn't mesh on both sides of the ball will find itself boarding the plane for a sullen trip back home.

The time is now for the Trojans to finally play a complete game.

Trojan Report Card: USC 34-Notre Dame 27

Rick McMahan — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:23:04 -0400

When the Trojans sauntered in to South Bend, many pundits, including myself, thought they would leave with a fairly easy victory.

Many of these pundits, once again, including myself, were wrong.

As this report card is submitted, it is altogether appropriate to ponder what was learned.

The Trojans learned that they are not good enough to make silly mistakes late in a rivalry game against a worthy opponent.

They also learned that this years version of the fighting Irish are far too good not to take advantage of what those mistakes offer.

While any Trojan victory in South Bend is ultimately a good victory, this report card comes with a cautionary note to Pete Carroll and his coaching parents that Tommy (Trojans) have the ability to be unruly and needs a stern talking to.

With this in mind, here is this weeks Trojan report card, along with with failing grade on the importance of being a good citizen on field, which resulted in a myriad of punishments in the form of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties:

Defense:

Coaching:

For three quarters or so, Pete Carroll and Rocky Seto dialed up a good defensive game plan against what had been an explosive Irish offense led by quarterback Jimmy Clausen and wide receiver Golden Tate.

Then came the fourth quarter and Clausen started picking apart the soft cover two zone the Trojans defense kept running. However, that wasn't Carroll's biggest problem, his troops lack of discipline was.

Time after time in the second half, the Trojan defense either extended drives or Irish field position by committing silly personal fouls.

As the famous saying goes, one stupid personal foul mistake: shame on the player, Five stupid personal foul mistakes: shame on the coaching staff.

Grade: B-

Defensive Line:

As a whole, the defensive line came in and did what they have done all year long.

They only gave up 82 yards rushing and generally made Jimmy Clausen's life in the Notre Dame miserable by sacking him five times and hurrying him on many others.

The fact that they were able to accomplish this by rushing no more than four linemen was huge in allowing the defensive secondary the man power to cover Notre Dame's receivers, at least in the first three quarters.

However, in the fourth quarter, the pressure disappeared, and Clausen began his fourth quarter magic drawing the Irish to a last second possibility of an improbable win.

Factor in two silly after the whistle personal fouls, one on Everson Griffen, the other on Malik Jackson, both of which extended eventual touchdown drives, and the overall grade suffers.

Grade: B

Linebackers:

One question, where the hell were they?

Seriously, with the exception of Chris Galippo, whose name I heard a couple of times, the linebacker trio, so heralded as an up and coming group, simply disappeared.

I can't recall Michael Morgan's name being called at all and Malcolm Smith, coming back from an injury was only in on a few plays.

Generally, the defense played well without dynamic contributions from the linebackers but think how good they could have been with a significant contribution from the back end of the defensive front seven.

Grade: C

Defensive Backfield:

The Trojans came into this game as the only division one (sorry, I am "old school") team that hadn't given up a passing touchdown all year.

Flush that stat down the toilet.

Although the first Golden Tate touchdown, a 45-yard bomb, was covered well, the second Tate touchdown, a 15-yard slant, wasn't.

Golden Tate, with his eight receptions and 117 yards, to go along with the aforementioned two touchdowns and Robby Perris, who had nine receptions for 92 yards, kept sliding under the Trojans zone, exploiting opportunities that the Trojans so charitably offered.

However, the real problem was that the defensive backfields lack of discipline almost cost the Trojans the game.

Time after time, silly personal fouls by Taylor Mays, Josh Pinkard, and the rest of the defensive backfield breathed new life into a Notre Dame offense that damn near made them pay for it.

Overall Defense Grade: C+

Offense:

Coaching:

Sorry Jeremy Bates, I'm still not feeling you.

A marginal rushing attack needs to be focused on by Bates and his coaches in order to exploit Matt Barkley's immense talent.

Given the fact that the Trojans can't rely on a consistent running game means that despite the innovative passing game plan, which admittedly has been successful, the Trojans offense will continue to fall short of what it could be.

Now, before you ask me how I can be disappointed with 501 total yards, let me remind you that the Trojans put up that gaudy number with a rushing attack that accounted for all of 121 yards against an undersized Notre Dame defensive line.

This offense will not have the luxury of 380 passing from Barkley in every game.

Grade: C+

Quarterback:

Watching Matt Barkley, it is so easy to forget that this is a true freshman.

So, following Pete Carroll's advice, I am not going to view this special talent with the fog of that perspective anymore.

No, Barkley is wise and talented so far beyond his years that normative criteria no longer applies.

Throwing for 380 yards and two touchdowns on the road against a hostile opponent and an even more angry crowd screams that this kid can't be looked at the same way you would look at others in his position, at his age.

Sure, he had a tipped pass intercepted and his stats did come against the 110th ranked passing defense, but this was a special effort by a very special player.

Grade: A-

Receivers:

Wide receiver Damien Williams and tight end Anthony McCoy were practically unstoppable.

In a dizzying display of receiving prowess, both McCoy and Williams showed why the Irish pass defense was so lightly regarded.

Other contributions by wide receiver Brice Butler and reserve tight end Rhett Ellison just added to the very effective receiving corps.

Ronald Johnson, who will be a key contributor to the future passing game showed that he isn't near 100 percent despite a nice reception of a tipped pass.

Grade: A-

Running Game:

Although there were a couple of nice runs by both Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford, by and large, the running game disappointed.

Of course, much of the blame for this must be shared by the offensive line but more on that later.

If you take away the big runs, of which there were only a very few, the rushing attack was pedestrian at best.

Grade: C

Offensive Line:

First the good.

The offensive line, so touted at the beginning of the year, did a good job of keeping Matt Barkley upright.

However, as has been the case all year long, the O-line fell short on opening holes in the rushing game.

121 yards on the ground, most of it gathered on a few long runs, exhibit deficiencies that must be fixed soon if the Trojans offense is to become complete.

Grade: C+

Overall Offensive Grade: B

Special Teams:

Two made field goals and decent coverage on kick returns tempered another whiff on a trick special teams play by the Irish that led to the first Notre Dame touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, an attempted reverse by the Trojans resulted in horrible field position.

Grade: C+

Summary:

For the first three quarters, what looked like an impressive Trojan victory wound up as a nail biting escape from South Bend.

Lack of discipline and a meager running attack give the Trojans plenty to work on as they prepare for some payback when they host Oregon State next Saturday.

As USC attempts to continue improvement in this up and down season, the focus must be on eliminating mistakes that of are their own doing, and if they can, they should be fine.

But if not, teams like Oregon, who is far more talented than Notre Dame, will find a way to make the Trojans pay for their transgressions.

Overall Team Grade: B-

USC-Notre Dame: How Returning Trojans Could Spell Trouble for the Irish

Rick McMahan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:06:22 -0400

Although both USC and Notre Dame enjoyed bye weeks to prepare for this Saturday's big game, the extra week was particularly fortuitous for the Trojans, who will welcome back several key players that are expected to see significant minutes against the Irish.

Several of these players will have a direct impact on the Trojans game plan and one in particular will fundamentally change the way USC does business on the offensive side of the ball.

As if the Irish didn't have enough to do game planning for the Trojans who have been recently playing, here is what Notre Dame must now consider as they prepare for these returning USC players:

First and foremost, wide receiver Ronald Johnson returns.

"Rojo," as he is known, has been out all season long with a broken collarbone, and with him comes the return of the Trojan's vertical passing game.

Johnson, who is USC's version of Notre Dame's Michael Floyd (and who will miss the game due to injury), completely changes the dynamic of the Trojans offense.

Rojo's speed will prevent the Notre Dame defense from stacking the defensive line by bringing a safety up to protect against the run.

In turn, not only does the Trojan running game benefit but so does the intermediate passing game where wide receiver Damien Williams and tight end Anthony McCoy will find ample room to showcase their skills.

Make no mistake about it, the return of Johnson will create opportunities for quarterback Matt Barkley and the rest of the Trojan offense all over the field.

Also back is defensive end Armond Armstead, who is returning from a foot injury that he suffered during training camp.

Armstead, whose speed and athleticism prompted the unusual move from defensive tackle to end, is a gifted lineman who will probably get most of his playing time back at defensive tackle.

Part of the reason why he will move to the interior is because of the emergence of Nick Perry, the Pac-10 sack leader and the continued excellent play of Everson Griffen who is only a sack behind Perry.

The other reason is that Averil Spicer and Christian Tupou, both defensive tackles who see significant time in the rotation, are banged up.

This week, Armstead has seen most of his practice time playing along side Jurrell Casey, who is having a breakout season as defensive tackle and nose guard.

A healthy Armond Armstead will further strengthen a defensive line that is already statistically one of the best in the nation.

Meanwhile, the Trojan linebacking corps gets a big boost with the return of staring strongside linebacker Malcolm Smith and his back-up, Jordon Campbell.

Smith and Campbell, both returning from ankle injuries, are expected to be eased into the rotation and their health directly influences the depth of the defensive backfield, who has been missing safety Shane Horton.

Horton, who had filled in for Smith and Campbell and did an excellent job, is expected to rotate between linebacker and safety.

Speaking of the defensive backfield, USC will also welcome back Brian Baucham, an up and coming cornerback, who, prior to a motorcycle accident, had been one of the first in USC's d-back rotation.

The above mentioned players who are returning constitute a significant portion of both starting talent as well as depth to a Trojan team that comes into South Bend as a 10 point favorite.

While the bye week allowed extra time for the Trojans to welcome back key missing players, it also allowed other Trojans who have been playing with nagging injuries to recover as well.

Nick Perry, the aforementioned defensive end and Christian Tupou, will both benefit from the time off although their contributions in terms of playing time may still be compromised.

So what does this mean for the fighting Irish?

It means that Charlie Weis and company, as if they didn't have enough of a headache planning for the recent version of USC, now has more to make their heads hurt.

Better keep the Tylenol handy, Charlie.

USC-Notre Dame: Could Irish Fans Plan Save Charlie Weis' Job?

Rick McMahan — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:42:09 -0400

Well, the big game is finally upon us, and when the USC Trojans take the field in South Bend to meet the Notre Dame fighting Irish, it will mark the 81st time these two storied programs will meet on the gridiron.

Along with their game plans, both teams will also take the fervent hopes of their passionate fans with them when the whistle blows to start the game.

USC, ranked sixth in most polls, will meet a Jimmy Clausen-led Notre Dame team that has re-entered the AP and Coaches poll at No. 25.

Both the Trojans and the fighting Irish are coming off bye weeks and odds-makers have installed USC as an early eight-point favorite.

An interesting side show to this classic is the impact a win or loss will have on the status of beleaguered Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.

To be certain, coach Weis could REALLY use a victory over USC.

So fans of the fighting Irish have offered their best plan for Notre Dame to finally break the eight-year winning streak by the Trojans.

However, judging by the comments I have received from the Notre Dame faithful, there is also an underlying theme that best can be described as one of dread.

The many examples of the sophisticated and reasoned analysis I have been privileged to receive from these dedicated fans of the fighting Irish seem to all be tempered with the caveat, "It is going to be very difficult to beat USC, but, if we are to do it, it has to be..."

Then they finish with:

"done by outscoring the Trojans in a high-scoring game."

Because these Notre Dame fans are rooted in reality, they understand that there is a good possibility that a seasoned USC offense, led by a re-energized running game and featuring a very talented freshman quarterback, Matt Barkley, who gets better by the week, may run rough shod over a fighting Irish defense that has given up yards and points in large chunks.

So these fine Notre Dame fans suggest that an Irish victory might be best engineered in a shootout.

In some ways, this makes sense.

Jimmy Clausen, the Irish quarterback, is having a marvelous season throwing the ball all over the field to talented receivers Golden Tate and tight end Kyle Rudolph amongst others.

To be sure, Jimmy Clausen will be one of the very finest quarterbacks the Trojans will face all season.

To complement the Irish passing game, Notre Dame will welcome back a healthy Armando Allen and his tough fullback, James Aldridge.

Allen is a very good running back and Aldridge will be playing on Sundays some day.

This offense, which has engineered several late-game comebacks this season, is talented, fast and precise.

Which bodes well for those Notre Dame fans who extol the virtues of simply outscoring the Trojans.

Except there is a problem.

USC's defense is...well...scary good.

Despite nine new starters replacing six drafted defensive players by the NFL, the Trojans haven't missed a beat defensively.

Regardless of replacing four linebackers who all were drafted in the first four rounds, the Trojans simply shrug and say, "next."

And in the 2009 version of the Trojan defense, "next" means a leaner, faster, yet just as nasty trio of linebackers.

Chris Galippo, Michael Morgan, and Malcolm Smith (whom the Trojans will be welcoming back after missing two games with a sprained ankle) while not as physical as last years linebackers, are noticeably faster.

And just as tenacious.

Meanwhile, the Trojans defensive line, featuring Nick Perry, the PAC-10 sack leader and Everson Griiffen, the freakishly fast and athletic defensive end, lead the nation in sacks per game.

Oh, and they are top five nationally in yards per rush allowed.

Hold on you say, what about the Trojans defensive backfield? Is this where Jimmy Clausen and his talented receivers break through?

Probably not.

Taylor Mays, USC's all everything safety who runs a 4.25 40 and at 6'3", 235 pounds, simply crushes everyone who has the temerity to enter his territory.

Will Harris, Mays's partner at safety, lays the wood with the same ferocity.

The corners, Kevin Thomas and Josh Pinkard, are fast and stick to opposing wide receivers like fly paper.

Just to set your mind at ease that this isn't just a Trojan honk blowing smoke, the Sporting News had this unit ranked No. 1 in the country in the preseason and they have done nothing to refute this lofty praise.

So there it is.

The Trojan foil to the well reasoned, albeit hopeful, plan of the fighting Irish faithful.

The fly in the ointment to securing Charlie Weis's continued employment at the legendary academic institution in South Bend.

Of course, coach Weis's future may not hinge on a Notre Dame victory against the Trojans at all.

Maybe, he has shown enough progress that an upset of the Trojans would only be icing on the cake.

But if outscoring the Trojans is truly the game plan that Notre Dame intends to hang their hat on, I have a suggestion.

Find a new game plan.

The Sunday Musings of an Idle USC Trojan Fan

Rick McMahan — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 09:17:49 -0400

So what does a college football fan do when his team is on a bye week?

Well, if they are anything like me, once they get those mundane necessities of life dealt with, they ease into their comfy chair, turn on the tube, and check out their favorite team's national competition.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see what most of the big boys ahead of my Trojans had to offer.

Especially intriguing was the Florida-LSU tilt, with Tim Tebow coming back from his concussion two weeks ago.

In addition, my day of channel surfing included the Alabama-Ole Miss game, Texas-Colorado, Iowa-Michigan, and Virginia Tech-Boston College.

The winners of the above referenced games all had an opportunity to impress this bored Trojan fan and with the exception of Viriginia Tech, all failed miserably.

Now, I know what you are thinking.

Just another elitist USC fan honking for his Trojans, blind to anything not painted cardinal and gold.

But you would be wrong.

Despite my unabashed allegiance to USC, I am not myopic when it comes to objectivity.

And although I did put USC No. 4 in my rankings for the B/R college football poll, there was no chance of them cracking the top three, no matter how much better I think the Trojans are than Alabama, Texas, and to some extent, Florida.

Of course, the allergic reaction I have to being ridiculed also played into my self-restraint, but even if I enjoyed that kind of humiliation, I wouldn't have voted the Trojans into the top three.

Even though I am fairly certain that USC would beat all of them.

That being said, I still came away with some distinct impressions and not all of them were denigrating to the aforementioned teams.

First, the good:

I liked what Virginia Tech brought to the table. In the first half, their defense absolutely dominated hapless (at least in this game) Boston College. Tyrod Taylor, Va Tech's nimble quarterback, continued his impressive growth as a passer and the Hokie running attack provided balance to an overall impressive offense.

Virginia Tech either is very good or the ACC is pretty bad. Maybe a little of each.

Boston College came in as one of the better ACC teams and left wondering what Mack truck hit them.

With the exception of Miami, the ACC looks pretty ordinary so it is difficult to gauge how impressive the Hokies really are.

Is Virginia Tech a juggernaut or is BC that bad?

My suspicion is that it is a little of both.

Hats off to Florida and ailing quarterback Tim Tebow for going into Baton Rouge and exposing LSU for what they are.

Overrated.

Tebow, still recovering from his devastating hit two weeks ago, led an obviously cautious offense to victory by providing exactly one offensive touchdown, which came as a result of an obvious offensive holding penalty from the receiver who caught Tebow's scoring pass.

Now, to be sure, LSU has a nice defense.

And Urban Meyer, to be equally as sure, fielded an offense that was focused on protecting their recovering star quarterback.

Having said that, my dominant interest in watching this game was stifling yawns.

LSU, who had made a habit this year wriggling out of close calls, finally ran out of miracles and they now have been relegated to the crowded second tier of "nice" teams who aren't anything particularly special.

What about Alabama? Surely the Crimson Tides domination of Ole Miss scored big ups with their 22-3 victory at Oxford, MS.

Uh, no.

We already knew that the 'Bama defense was good and they didn't disappoint.

But how much of this fine defensive showing was because Ole Miss, especially their offense, is inept?

Of course, because I am abjectly fair, I will give Alabama's defense credit for having something to do with Jevan Snead's woeful game and his charitable offering of four interceptions.

The Crimson Tide defense is very, very good.

But as good as the defense is, Alabama's offense is just as ordinary.

Sure, Mark Ingram ran wild on Ole Miss, but even with five turnovers, the offense could only manage to put up 22 points.

Six field goals and a rushing touchdown. That's it.

Stuff of a champion? Hardly.

Meanwhile, Texas hosted a 1-3 Colorado team and for the opening half, was in a dogfight.

Texas entered the second half leading 14-10 before they finally found themselves (sort of) and won 38-14.

Colt McCoy had a nice game hitting 32 of 39 passes for 267 yards against a Colorado defense that has specialized this season in making ordinary offenses look exceptional.

That's great, but look a little further.

The Longhorns managed a paltry 46 yards on the ground against that same Buff defense.

Hell, you can run quarterback sneaks all game long and gain more than 46 yards.

Again, stuff of a champion?

As Chad Ochocinco would say:

"Child, please."

Finally, I checked out the Iowa-Michigan game to see what the buzz over these Hawkeyes was all about.

Iowa hosted the Wolverines, who are at least a year away from returning to the spotlight, and left with a 30-28 victory despite being a recipient of five Michigan turnovers.

It was an entertaining game to be sure, but neither of these teams would throw a scare into anyone else in the top 10.

When my Saturday was all said and done, I felt the chills of a recurring nightmare entering my college football soul.

My USC Trojans, beginning to find themselves after their obligatory head scratching early season loss to a team that had no business beating them, will be traveling to South Bend to take on an Notre Dame Irish team that cracked my top 25 this week.

If the Trojans manage to depart with an impressive victory, which I think they will, the demons of "what if," will start their, as of late, perennial haunt of Trojan fans who will face the very real possibility that once again the best team at the end of the year won't be playing for the national championship.

In what has become a maddening annual rite of passage, USC may face the obstacle of hurdling the yearly BCS barrier.

In the end, the preseason picks of Florida and Texas may very well be featured in the national championship game.

But if the same Florida and Texas teams I saw yesterday participate in the title game with the same fragmented game I just witnessed, and USC, with their true freshman quarterback growing with each passing week doesn't, the cries of foul from the Trojan faithful will ring out once again.

And once again, the best team in country at the end of the year will be on the outside looking in.

USC-Notre Dame: 11 Classics from Years Gone By

Rick McMahan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:10:00 -0400

On Oct. 17, the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take the field to continue a heated rivalry that began in 1926.

While USC has dominated the recent years of these gridiron battles, it has not always been this way.

Much of the 1980s and 1990s saw the Irish, led by Lou Holtz, beat the Trojans with the same regularity that USC enjoys over Notre Dame in this decade.

Every year, the USC-Notre Dame game captures the imagination of college football fans throughout the nation, and many of those years found the winner of this game vying for the national championship.

This year, the game may not feature a national championship winner, but it will figure prominently in both the Trojans' title game hopes and perhaps the future of Charlie Weis as Notre Dame's coach.

In honor of this long-running contest that has provided so many sterling moments and memories, here are my top 11 USC-Notre Dame games throughout the years.

11) 1930: Notre Dame 27, USC 0

While this game wasn't a classic for the on-the-field exploits, it merits distinction as the last regular season game coached by Notre Dame's legendary Knute Rockne.

Coach Rockne, who won six titles in 12 seasons as the Fighting Irish coach, died in a plane crash at the age of 43, but not before he guided the Irish to a 10-0 season and his last national championship before he boarded that airplane for his ill-fated flight.

10) 1948: USC 14, Notre Dame 14

A hard-fought game that saw the Trojans break Notre Dame's 21-game winning streak. This game cost the Irish the AP national championship, which elevated the Michigan Wolverines to the top spot.

9) 1929: Notre Dame 13, USC 12

Another classic, hard-fought game played in front of the largest crowd ever to witness a college football game.

8) 1964: USC 20, Notre Dame 17

Notre Dame came into this game 10-0, undefeated, and ranked No. 1. Meanwhile, USC, under the tutelage of the legendary John McKay, was a lackluster 6-3.

John Huarte, Notre Dame's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback of that year, led the Irish to a 17-0 halftime lead, and from all appearances it looked like Notre Dame would roll to another victory and perhaps another national championship—but it was not meant to be.

Craig Fertig, USC's much less heralded quarterback, led a stirring USC comeback, and with 1:35 left in the game, he hit wide receiver Rod Sherman on a spectacular fourth down pass that gave the Trojans the lead. Huarte then marched the Irish down the field, but a last second pass to Jack Snow fell incomplete as time ran out.

7) 1968: USC 21, Notre Dame 21

USC, led by O.J. Simpson, came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1. Notre Dame was 7-2, and when Irish quarterback Terry Hanratty was injured, it marked the beginning of the Joe Theismann era; he promptly threw an interception that USC returned for a touchdown.

Theismann shook off that mistake and led Notre Dame to a 21-7 halftime lead. USC came back with two touchdowns in the second half, and when Notre Dame missed two field goals that same half, the game ended in a tie. Simpson, who would go on to win the Heisman, was held to 55 yards that game.

6) 1986: Notre Dame 38, USC 37

In Lou Holtz's first year as the Irish coach, Notre Dame trailed 37-20 in the fourth quarter before staging a furious rally capped by John Carney's (isn't he still kicking somewhere?) field goal as time ran out.

Although the Irish would only finish 5-6 that year, it was the start of Notre Dame's return from the woeful Gerry Faust era, and only two years later Holtz would lead the Irish to a national championship.

5) 1996: USC 26, Notre Dame 20

After 11 straight years of futility against the Fighting Irish, the Trojans finally broke through in the first overtime game in the long series.

Coming off of a heartbreaking double overtime loss the week before against rival UCLA, Trojan quarterback Brad Otton's pass to Rodney Sermon gave the Trojans a 27-20 lead, and when Ron Powlus' last gasp pass fell harmlessly to the Coliseum turf, the Trojan faithful finally had some thing to cheer about in an otherwise dismal Trojan season.

4) 1988: Notre Dame 27, USC 10

This game was special for the circumstances that surrounded it. Notre Dame came into the game undefeated and ranked No. 1, while USC was also undefeated and ranked No. 2.

Notre Dame, playing without suspended stars Tony Brooks and Ricky Watters, beat a Rodney Peete-led Trojan team behind the stellar play of Tony Rice. The Fighting Irish would go on to win the national championship that year.

3) 1970: USC 38, Notre Dame 28

Interestingly enough, this game was memorable not for the final score, which saw USC, a pedestrian 5-4, end Notre Dame's national title hopes, but rather for the remarkable performance of Joe Theismann, who passed for a school record 526 yards in a driving rain.

Although Theismann's heroics would fall short of a Notre Dame victory, his performance nonetheless was one for the ages.

2) 2005: USC 34 Notre Dame 31

With a tip of the cap to Vincent and Sean, who "slapped me up" for forgetting about the famous "Bush push," I include this game and install it as my #2 alltime game in this revised top eleven.

USC came into the game riding a 27 game winning streak, which included three straight 30+ point beat downs of Notre Dame. However, Brady Quinn led an inspired Irish offense who took the Trojans down to the wire.

Key plays included a fourth and nine pass from Matt Leinart to Dwayne Jarrett that covered 61 yards with 1:37 left in the game. Two rushes by Reggie Bush brought the Trojans to the Irish two yard line and on the next play, Leinart rolled out with seven seconds left when the ball was knocked out of Leinart's hand out of bounds. The timekeeper let the clock run out and frenzied Irish fans stormed the field thinking they had won. However, time was put back on the clock setting the scene for Leinart's quarterback sneak, assisted by a well place shove in the back from Reggie Bush that propelled Leinart into the end zone and this game into the annals of alltime great USC-Notre Dame games.

1) 1974: USC 55, Notre Dame 24

Simply known as "The Comeback," the Fighting Irish raced out to a 24-point lead, but with 10 seconds remaining in the first half, USC quarterback Pat Haden threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to running back Anthony Davis to finish the half.

On the second half's opening kickoff, Davis returned the ball 102 yards to spark the Trojans to 55 straight points in a mind-boggling 17 minutes. Davis would go on to score two more touchdowns, while Haden would throw for two.

When it was all over, Notre Dame's then-president Theodore Hesburgh told Trojan coach John McKay that what he did to the Irish "wasn't very nice." McKay, known for his biting wit, replied, "That's what you get for hiring a Presbyterian" (Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian's religion of choice).

So there you have it: my 11 greatest USC-Notre Dame games in this memorable rivalry.

I tried to be fair (this coming from a rabid Trojan fan), but lists are always subjective, and I hope you forgive any unconscious transgressions.

There have been many, many great games in this series, and I am sure that I have slighted many games that possibly deserve inclusion in this list.

On Oct. 17, the Trojans and Fighting Irish renew the series once again in South Bend.

Let's hope that this game barges its way into my top 10 Trojan-Irish games next year.

As long as it features a USC "W."

USC-Notre Dame: A Well Placed Bye Should Have The Trojans Sitting Pretty

Rick McMahan — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:21:28 -0400

Let me start this article off by expressing my sincere affection for Notre Dame fans.

Now, before you go off and accuse me of being facetious and sarcastic, let me set you straight.

I mean it.

Notre Dame fans are some of the classiest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, both on the net and off of it.

Knowledgeable and passionate, fans of the Fighting Irish exhibit their unabashed love for their team week in and week out.

But it's not only that, they are also a giving sort. Once I wrote a rather insulting article about Lou Holtz, the ex-Notre Dame coach and beloved Fighting Irish Icon.

Instead of showering me with insults, the barrage I experienced was the many thoughtful responses and even a couple of offers to join them for a tailgate party prior to the game should I be able to make it back to South Bend for the game.

Can you believe that? Classy, classy people.

In fact, they are such giving people that one of their most fervent supporters, a fine writer who covers Notre Dame football here at B/R, gave me the idea for this article.

This writer extended an offer for me to review his latest piece which examined the various effects that the USC-Notre Dame bye weeks would have for each program.

After reading the article, which was well written, objective, and fair, it suddenly occurred to me that I could shed additional light on the benefit of the bye week for the Trojans so that fans of the Irish could better prepare for what is coming in two weeks.

Being a "giver" myself, I am happy to oblige, and in doing so, I hope I don't deflate those Irish hopes that are riding so high right now.

First, my Irish friends, forget what you have seen from the Trojan offense so far.

They have a true freshman quarterback who got hurt in the second game, against Ohio State, and who keeps getting better every week. The bye week will allow the Trojans to further hone Matt Barkley's considerable game and at the same time, his shoulder should be 100 percent healthy by game time.

Every week, young Mr. Barkley gets better. Pete Carroll recently said that Barkley is as good as anyone the Trojans have had at the position, which includes two Heisman winners and a total of five quarterbacks in the NFL.

Hyperbole? Sure, but you get the idea. The kid is really, really good.

If a completely healthy Matt Barkley doesn't throw fear into Irish fans' hearts, the return of Ronald Johnson should.

Rojo, as he is called, was hurt in the spring game and has been on the mend all year long.

Now he returns, and with him comes the Trojans' long passing game.

Johnson is the Trojan version of Michael Floyd, the Fighting Irish's very talented wide receiver.

He will stretch the Irish defense, opening up opportunities for Damien Williams (13 receptions for over 220 yards in the last two games) and tight end Anthony McCoy in the mid-range passing game.

While Ronald Johnson will be back and ready to give Notre Dame nightmares, Michael Floyd will miss the game due to a season ending injury.

But that's not all.

Armond Armstead, the Trojans defensive tackle that was so fast and talented that Pete Carroll moved him to defensive end and made him a starter, is back too.

His return allows Pete Carroll quality depth along a defensive line that has seen the emergence of Nick Perry, the PAC-10's sack leader.

Nick Perry was hobbled by a knee injury, which severely limited his effectiveness against Cal.

These two weeks off will do wonders for Perry's health.

Wait, there's more.

USC's defense, which once again is rated top five nationally, has been missing monster linebacker Malcolm Smith and his very capable backup Jordan Cameron, for the last two weeks due to ankle sprains.

They will both be back too.

There are other factors that the Trojans will benefit in by these two weeks off, such as reshuffling the defensive backfield by returning Shane Horton to his safety position (Horton filled in for Smith at linebacker and did a fantastic job), thus providing stability to the unit.

There are other benefits that this bye week brings the Trojans, but I don't want to pile on.

Suffice to say that I feel this bye week benefits the Trojans more than it will the Irish.

I expect to hear from Notre Dame fans telling me why I am wrong and how this extra week of preparation will give the Fighting Irish an advantage.

These fans of the Irish will craft well reasoned arguments and deliver them to me in a thoughtful, concise manner because that's who they are and what they do.

Which is why, as I celebrate another Trojan win on October 17, I will feel a bit of angst that my happiness will be a result of Notre Dame fans disappointment.

Somehow, I think I will get over it though.

Trojan Report Card: USC 30, Cal 3

Rick McMahan — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 10:26:16 -0400

"One for Stafon."

As the USC Trojans mantra evolved from "win one for Stafon" to "won one for Stafon," one thing became abundantly clear.

Pete Carroll and his staff, along with the rest of the team, did a marvelous job of channelling their emotions for their fallen teammate, Stafon Johnson, who is back home recuperating from a serious weight room accident, into a complete domination of the Cal Bears at Strawberry Canyon, in Berkley.

There was some concern that the emotion of the Trojans could be a distraction rather than motivation as the Trojans travelled north to play an angry Cal team whose precipitous fall in the top 25 came as a result of their 42-3 embarrassing loss to Oregon the week before.

Pete Carroll and his staff would have none of it.

Vowing to clean up the Trojans game, whose fundamental flaws included 13 penalties the week before, the Trojans coaching staff set out to focus their young team on beating a quality Cal team while their hearts resided with Johnson who watched the game from his hospital bed in southern California.

The Trojans only committed five penalties and with a dominating defense, much improved special teams and an offense that made significant strides, consider the job well done.

Here is the Trojans' report card, delivered with an ringing endorsement from Stafon Johnson:

Offensive Coaching

It is sometimes difficult to remember that along with the Trojans evolving, there also is a growing and familiarity period for Jeremy Bates as well, who is in his first season with the Trojans calling plays. Bates, who has been roundly criticized this year for his conservative play calling, continued to open up the game plan and in doing so, the Trojans racked up 451 yards against the Bears.

Nice, but they still missed touchdown opportunities inside the Bear 10 yard line and the offense only scored two touchdowns. Another Bates head scratcher was his two calls of running plays on the Trojans third drive where they were stopped on third and fourth downs, continuing a trend of USC not being able to get that big yard when they need it.

Grade: B

Quarterback

Matt Barkley continues his amazing growth as the first true freshman quarterback to ever start for the Trojans. Barkley set another personal best for yardage with 283, completing 20 of 35 passes. Continuing to nurse his injured shoulder, Barkley missed several open receivers and threw an ill advised interception late in the game.

Barkley's lack of touchdown passes (none this game) is a direct correlation to the Trojans season long lack of success of getting touchdowns inside the red zone, particularly inside the 10 yard line and this must improve.

Grade: B

Receivers

Damien Williams was a monster in this game with eight receptions for 101 yards. Time after time, Williams made big catches and extended drives. The tight ends, led by Anthony McCoy and Blake Ayles with two catches each, had very nice games. Lost in the statistics was McCoy's absolute domination blocking throughout the game. David Ausberry finally showed up with two catches as did Brice Butler.

Grade: A-

Running Backs

Welcome back Joe McKnight. McKnight, whose tremendous potential often fails to meet expectations on the field, put it all together against the Bears. Rushing for 119 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, including a spectacular scoring run on the Trojans first possession, McKnight also contributed three receptions in possibly his most complete game for the men of Troy.

Of considerable note was McKnight's ability to hold on to the ball, which has been a continual source of concern for Pete Carroll and Trojan fans. Allen Bradford mixed in some nice runs but his numbers were fairly pedestrian. CJ Gable and Curtis McNeal got a few garbage time carries on the Trojans final possession after the game was out of hand.

Grade: A-

Offensive line

This unit showed a lot of improvement by limiting penalties, opening holes for the running game and protecting Matt Barkley pretty much throughout the game. While there is still concern about the Trojans lack of success in short yardage situations, especially on fourth downs, the O-line can use this game to build on as they head into their bye week.

Grade: B+

Overall grade for the offense: B+

Defensive Coaching

Rocky Seto, USC's first year defensive coordinator, continues his quietly masterful job of molding a unit who lost nine starters from last year's team into a top five national defense. Seto, a deeply religious man, has a special relationship with his players and their cohesion is a reflection of not only the Trojans abundant talent but also the immense respect they have for coach Seto and the rest of his staff.

Against the Bears, the defensive game plan was to bottle up the Bears all-everything running back Jahvid Best and make quarterback Kevin Riley beat them with his arm and they succeeded admirably. Rocky Seto and his staff have been solid all season long.

Grade: A

Defensive Line

The Trojans only managed two sacks as opposed to the eight they had last week against the Washington State Cougars but that was due to playing against a much better Cal Bear offensive line. Nick Perry, hobbled by a sore knee couldn't add to his Pac-10 leading six sacks but like the rest of the line, was effective against the run.

Nonetheless, this line harassed Kevin Riley all night as Riley's woeful 15 completions in 40 attempts will attest to. Mix in the fabulous job the D-line did in limiting Jahved Best to 47 yards in 14 carries and it is easy to see why this line has exceeded all expectations, not only for this game but all year long.

Grade: A

Linebackers

Coach Ken Norton's unit was banged up for this game but you couldn't tell it by the results. With Malcolm Smith and Jordan Cameron both sidelined with injuries, Chris Galippo and Michael Morgan stepped up and continued their rock solid play as they have done all season long.

Morgan continually shadowed Best and contained him throughout the game while Galippo took care of everything in the middle. Shane Horton, normally a safety who filled in for Malcolm Smith, did a fine job in both the run and pass defense.

Grade: A-

Defensive Secondary

This unit continues to show why the Sporting News rated them as preseason best in the country. All night long the defensive secondary harassed the Bears wide receivers. Kevin Thomas and Josh Pinkard were solid on the edges and Taylor Mays finally got that interception he has been so hungry for.

Mays pick off in the end zone on the Bears' first offensive series was quite possibly a game changer in that it quieted the crowd and deflated the Bears offense who had put together a very nice opening drive.

Grade: A

Special Teams

In this game the unit was well named. Jordon Congdon kicked three field goals in gusty wind conditions and Damien Williams had a sweet 66 yard punt return for a touchdown. The punt and kickoff cover units didn't give up anything big and they finally cut down on their penalties.

A scene that sticks out was Pete Carroll hugging his much-maligned new special teams coach Brian Schneider after Williams punt return.

Grade: A-

Summary

Going into their bye week, this was a game that the Trojans can definitely build on. Sure, the Trojans must find a way to turn field goals and missed fourth down conversions into touchdowns, but with two weeks to prepare for their trip to meet the fighting Irish in South Bend, don't be surprised if those ills are cured.

Pete Carroll and his staff expect to greet key returning players Ronald Johnson (his return is huge as he will stretch the field as the Trojans fastest wide receiver), defensive end Armond Armstead, and several others, including the aforementioned Malcolm Smith and Jordan Cameron.

Meanwhile, other key players, such as Nick Perry will mend and should be at full strength for the Notre Dame game.

Overall Game Grade: A-

Is Allen Bradford the Key to Fixing the USC Trojans Offensive Woes?

Rick McMahan — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 07:38:47 -0400

Ever since Lendale White took his considerable game to the NFL, the USC Trojans have been searching for that bruising back that could combine raw power with running prowess.

Pete Carroll thought he had found his man in Broderick Green, a 230 pound beast of a runner who came to the Trojans in 2007 from Pulaski Academy in Arkansas.

In limited duty, Broderick Green showed flashes of the combination of power and speed that made Lendale White such an effective alternative to the elusiveness of Reggie Bush.

But Green, like Emmanuel Moody, the 2006 running back recruit who transferred to Florida, found the competition presented too much of a challenge and, like Moody, who transferred in 2007, Broderick Green transferred in 2008.

To be fair to Green, he also had family issues that necessitated his return to Arkansas, unlike Moody, who simply couldn’t stand the competition.

Since then, the Trojans have not had that bruising style of runner who they could turn to with a presumptive certainty for that combination of raw power and bruising speed.

Until now.

Allen Bradford, also a recruiting gem of the 2006 class, was brought in as a highly coveted linebacker from Colton high school in Colton, Ca.

Bradford, regarded as one of the best prep linebackers in the nation at the time, was a rare blend of speed and power at the outside linebacker position.

However, Allen Bradford was soon changed to the tailback position and there he languished until 2008 when he underwent hip surgery and sat out the year. When spring camp opened, a new version of Allen Bradford made his abundant presence felt.

All through spring, and later, fall practices, Allen Bradford was one of the most impressive players on the field. Practice after practice, including the few I attended, featured an explosive Allen Bradford running around and over his stalwart defensive teammates.

For those who witnessed his impressive work, it seemed only a matter of time before Allen Bradford found his way into the rotation with significant playing time.

That time is now.

After Bradford averaged over nine yards a carry in last Saturday’s 27-6 win over Washington State, all those who witnessed his domination of the Cougars clamored for more playing time for the now 240 pound power running back.

Then Stafon Johnson suffered his devastating weight room injury.

With Johnson on the mend in southern California, Allen Bradford is assumed to be the heir apparent to those carries that Stafon Johnson would otherwise had.

Meet the new Reggie Bush-Lendale White Trojan running back combination.

Say hello to Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford.

While Joe McKnight has a long way to go to make people forget Reggie Bush, Allen Bradford already has displayed skills that seem to surpass White, who was a great Trojan.

Like White, Bradford has the power to shed tacklers and make positive yardage out of nothing.

Unlike White though, Allen Bradford has the speed to outrun even some of the fastest in their opponent’s defensive backfield.

While last weeks performance against the Cougars was impressive, it did not come against top flight competition.

However, as those who witnessed Bradford in practice against his Trojan defensive teammates will attest, he was doing the same things against them that he did to the Cougars.

The only questions for Bradford now are those of consistency and health.

Can Allen Bradford’s surgically repaired hip withstand the rigors of his bruising running style?

Perhaps as important, can Bradford bring the same intensity and effort not only game after game but carry after carry?

If he can, Allen Bradford will also bring a new, dynamic component to a Trojan offensive that, quite frankly, has been a disappointment this year.

This 2009 version of Allen Bradford will do wonders for true freshman Matt Barkley, who will find opponent’s defense cheating to the line to try to stop the Trojans running game.

Needless to say, this will create mismatches in the defensive secondary that Barkley can exploit in the passing game. If this occurs, don’t be surprised to find a sickly Trojan offense getting healthy very quickly.

And don’t be surprised to find Allen Bradford the focus of opposing college defenses.

If Allen Bradford can bring the game he is capable of bringing for the rest of the season, the Trojans will be a very tough team to beat.

Of course, the downside to this is that at the end of the year, should this happen, the Trojans will probably once again be the best team in the nation and not get a chance to prove it in the title game.

Damn you Washington.

But that’s a subject for another time and another article.

USC Trojans-Cal Bears: Questions, Questions...and a Couple of Answers

Rick McMahan — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:06:07 -0400

As the USC Trojans, emotionally hurting with the unfortunate accident to Stafon Johnson still fresh in their minds, prepare to meet an angry Cal Bears team this Saturday in Berkeley, the men of Troy face a myriad of questions.

Can the Trojans "compartmentilize" their emotions regarding Johnson, who is recovering from a serious weight room accident which left him a with a crushed larynx, and focus on taking care of the Bears?

I received a comment from another writer that I am making the injury too much of a factor, but I don't buy it.

Young men, playing on a tightly knit team, can go one of two ways when a teammate falls with a devastating injury, especially one that was life threatening.

They can let their concern distract them from the task at hand or they can focus and use it as motivation.

I am betting on the latter, but it is a question that ultimately must be answered on the field.

What will the Trojans running back rotation look like now that Johnson is out for the year?

Logic states that C.J. Gable and Marc Tyler move up, but that isn't really the question.

The real question is how many additional carries will this translate to for Allen Bradford?

Bradford, who had a monster game against the Washington State Cougars, averaging over nine yards per carry, was probably going to get more playing time anyway. Now with Johnson out, I expect him to get the bulk of the carries, especially in short yardage situations.

Can the Trojans eliminate the mental mistakes that saw them commit 13 penalties against the Cougars last Saturday?

They better. If they don't, USC will be in for a long game against the Bears.

Pete Carroll has made cleaning up the penalties a focus this week.

Penalties against the offensive line, a strength of this year's team, must be eliminated. And special teams penalties cost the Trojans some nice returns. This must be fixed.

Speaking of special teams, the Trojans had better find a field goal kicker, and they better do it fast.

A botched hold by a woozy Garrett Green, who had his bell rung on the opening kickoff, resulted in a missed extra point. And later they missed a very makeable field goal.

In a game on the road against a quality opponent, those points may come in handy.

Finally, can the Trojans use the Oregon defensive game plan against the Bears?

The Ducks stacked the line against Cal, bottled up dynamic running back Jahvid Best, and forced quarterback Kevin Riley to beat them.

He couldn't and the Ducks rolled to an impressive victory.

While I expect USC to rely less on stacking personnel on the line due to the Trojans exceptional speed (especially linebacker Michael Morgan and safety Taylor Mays), I still suspect that Pete Carroll will align his defense with the notion that he would rather take his chances with Riley than the supremely talented Jahvid Best.

So there you have it—a few questions that the Trojans face in this critical early season conference game.

If they lose this game, the Trojans can pretty much count on falling out of the national picture when it comes to participating in a BCS bowl.

Not to say it is impossible, but two losses this early in the season does not bode well.

Can the Trojans answer these questions successfully and move forward in what has already been a difficult season?

Only time will tell.

The USC Trojans' Painful Season Has Little to Do with Football

Rick McMahan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:23:41 -0400

Forget for a moment about the Trojans' annual loss to an unranked conference foe, which will probably cost them a shot at the national championship.

Put on the back burner a disappointing offense, which was supposed to be the strength of this years Trojan team.

Set aside the fundamental flaws that saw the men of Troy commit 13 penalties against an out manned Washington State Cougar team last Saturday.

These are just transitory concerns that can—and probably will—be corrected in the upcoming weeks as a largely young Trojan team continues to mature.

For the Trojans, even the atypical rash of on field injuries, which has seen players such as Hebron (Loni) Fangupo, who broke his leg, and Marshall Jones, who fractured a vertebrae in his neck (both injuries occurred last Saturday), while unfortunate, can still be reconciled because they occurred on the playing field.

No, the Trojans can deal with all of these things because they, for the most part, controlled their destiny in regard to circumstances.

What the Trojans can't control, and what they must deal with now, is the uncontrollable sweep of fate.

Late in the summer, Frankie Telfort, one of their star linebacker recruits in 2008, was found to have a serious congenital heart defect which has forced the young man to quit the game he loves.

Telfort, a heat-seeking, 4.4 40-yard dash missile, was being counted on to play serious minutes both at linebacker and special teams.

A bit later, Blake Ayles, the highly regarded sophomore tight end, was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, which necessitated an operation in order for him to continue his football career.

Fortunately, Ayles procedure went as planned and the young man recovered.

Blake Ayles is now back to playing football and is contributing very nicely as evidenced by his long reception last week against the Cougars.

Now, Stafon Johnson, an emotional leader and one of the first running backs in the Trojans' rotation, is laying in a southern California hospital recovering from a serious weight room accident that left him with a crushed larynx, amongst other injuries.

Johnson, whose doctors expect him to recover fully, will not play again this year and his future as a football player is murky at best.

Stafon Johnson has gone from a malcontent, who spent his first year and a half in Pete Carroll's doghouse, to an emotional leader for the Trojans.

His example as a "team first" guy, has been an inspiration for the team and he will hold a prominent place in their hearts when the Trojans meet the Cal Bears this Saturday in Berkeley.

This rash of accidents and illness are completely out of the Trojans hands in terms of football.

More to the point, football has nothing to do with the pain that the Trojans have experienced in this heartbreaking season.

No amount of practice or studying of the playbook can fix the hurt that the Trojans have felt in this young season.

If the Trojans can somehow find a way to repair both their football related problems and get through what has been a brutal off-the-field season, it will be a tribute to both the team and the coaching staff.

The road in front of USC is littered with football related fundamental problems, all of which can be fixed, and also with the painful shards of fate which the Trojans have no control over.

What lies ahead will be the measure of what this Trojan team is made of.

Stafon Johnson Emergency Surgery Leaves USC Trojans Reeling

Rick McMahan — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:06:12 -0400

On a day when college football takes a backseat to the trials and tribulations of life itself, the USC Trojans must find a way to focus on the mundane aspects of gridiron prowess.

While Stafon Johnson, their star senior running back who already has five touchdowns, lays in a hospital room recovering from emergency throat surgery after a serious weight room accident, the Trojans prepare to meet an angry Cal Bear team in Berkeley Saturday.

Though Trojan hearts will remain in southern California with their fallen teammate, their bodies will face a Cal team that was embarrassed by Oregon 42-3.

As a result, the Bears, ranked number six a week ago, now find they have fallen to No. 24 in the latest AP rankings.

For the Cal Bears, they must be wondering about the fairness of it all. Or perhaps a lack of it.

When the Trojans lost to an unranked Washington Huskies two weeks ago, they fell from third in the AP rankings to 12.

Meanwhile, the Bears, though admitedly losing by a significantly higher margin, fell 18 places while losing to a much better Oregon team.

This won't go over well with an already angry Cal team who played far, far below their capabilities.

In every way possible, the Bears threw in a clunker and they will be eager to show the college football world that the Oregon game was just an aberration.

And they are good enough to do it too.

Meanwhile, the Trojans, coming off a lackluster 27-6 win over the out manned Washington State Cougars, will arrive in Berkeley with a heavy heart.

Stafon Johnson is a team leader who went from a malcontent to a go-to running back for Pete Carroll and the Trojans.

At a time like this, with a team already in transition due to offensive woes, it is difficult to say what effect Johnson's accident will have.

If anyone can get the team to focus, it is Pete Carroll.

But Carroll and his coaching staff, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, already have their hands full just trying to get the Trojans to play fundamentally sound football.

Last Saturday the Trojans committed 13 penalties and this was to be a focus for the Trojans, not worrying about whether or not a loved teammate can pull through with his life on the line.

Inconsistent offensive line play and getting Matt Barkley and his receivers on the same page was supposed to capture the attention of the Trojans.

Instead they are saying prayers for a young man who has come a long way since he constantly resided in Pete Carroll's doghouse for not dedicating himself to the game.

Now Stafon Johnson's dedication, this time in the weight room, has landed him in a hospital emergency operation room and a nation of Trojan fans can only pray and hope for the best.

For the Trojans, whose collective heart beats with their fallen running back in a hospital room in southern California, the best dedication they can give to Stafon Johnson is to beat an angry Cal Bear team.

It won't be easy but all they need to do is remember why Stafon Johnson was in that weight room in the first place.

Stafon would want it that way.

USC Trojan Sunday Report Card: USC 27 WSU 6

Rick McMahan — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 09:55:15 -0400

In a game that demanded repairs to a Trojan offense that stalled badly in Seattle where they lost yet another game they should have won, only partial answers were supplied. Meanwhile, new questions arose and in some ways, a much larger sense of vulnerability prevailed.

Going into Berkeley next week to face an angry Bear team, the Trojans needed to find themselves in a hurry in this game and for the most part, what they found was still left wanting.

Here is the Trojan report card for this highly uneven performance:

Offensive Coaching:

Jeremy Bates needed to open up the passing game and to his credit, he did. Even with a sore shouldered Matt Barkley, the Trojans threw down field often and with success. It was apparent that young Mr. Barkley was not throwing at full strength but overall, the game plan will give the Bears something to chew on for next Saturday. The running game was effective, except for inside the WSU five yard line on fourth downs but more on that later. Sustained drives were an issue and WSU actually had more first downs than the Trojans (18-14).

Grade: B

Quarterbacks:

Matt Barkley, under the circumstances, was outstanding. Though obviously not at full strength, the true freshman still found receivers down field and showed great touch. At least three passes were dropped and one taken away when Travon Patterson went out of bound and came back in to make a catch. Barkley had a career high 247 yards on 13 completions. Meanwhile, Aaron Corp, in mop up duty, managed a fumble and little else.

Grade: B+

Running Backs:

Allen Bradford looked great. He was a steamroller who couldn't be stopped as his 9.1 yards per carry would indicate. Same with Joe McKnight who averaged over 8 yards. Curtis McNeal, in mop up duty, showed what the fuss about him was about during the spring and fall practices as he too averaged almost 8 yards a pop. After that, it gets pedestrian as Stafon Johnson, CJ Gable and Stanley Havili combined for 29 yards on 10 carries. The Trojans went 0 for 2 on fourth down running plays inside the Cougar 5 yard line. That is unacceptable. It is time for Coach Carroll to tighten up this rotation...now.

Grade: C+

Recievers:

Another uneven effort. Damien Williams looked great sometimes and he did compile 100 yards on 5 catches with a touchdown but he also had a fumble and a couple of costly penalties. After that, it was a crapshoot with only Stanley Havili and his 3 receptions counting for much in terms of multiple receptions. Brice Butler had a nice touchdown and Anthony McCoy, who was hurt later in the game and Blake Ayles, who replaced him, each had a long pass reception. However, there were several drops and those need to be tightened up as well.

Grade: C+

Offensive Line:

Two things...first, this is supposed to be the strength of the Trojan offense. Second, they were playing against a depleted Cougar defensive line. Instead of taking advantage of this obvious disparity in talent, the offensive line struggled to some extent. Yes, they opened up some nice holes for runners like Bradford but they also had multiple holding calls and let Barkley get hit far too much although they only gave up one sack. When they needed 2 or 3 yards on the fourth and goal plays, they didn't deliver. This line should do better and they better find themselves fast.

Grade: C

Overall Grade for the Offense: C+

Defensive Coaching:

For the most part, the defensive game plan worked well against an over matched opponent whose offensive line was wracked by injury. The defense had 8 sacks and the first unit pitched a shutout although they had some trouble on the last drive of the first half when WSU inserted true freshman quarterback John Tuell, who made some nice plays with his feet. The second unit gave up a garbage time touchdown as time ran out.

Grade: A

Defensive line:

This unit had a nice game but again, it was against a Cougar offensive line that was depleted. Jurrel Casey stood out and Everson Griffen was in the Cougar backfield all night. The Cougars only averaged 1.8 yards per carry and the Trojan d-line disrupted the Cougars throughout the game. Two fumbles recovered helped. Loni Fatupu, the Trojans massive back-up nose guard was hurt. As of this writing, his status hasn't been confirmed.

Grade: B+

Linebackers:

Another solid performance and Michael Morgan was simply a beast with 3-1/2 sacks by my count. Chris Galippo stuffed the run on numerous occasions and Jordan Cameron, filling in for Malcolm Smith led the team in tackles but he sprained an ankle and likely will miss this Saturday's game with Cal. Jarvis Jones, the first linebacker into the rotation and a true freshman, had an okay performance.

Grade: A

Defensive Secondary:

Josh Pinkard had a nice interception in garbage time but they also had trouble covering true freshman Gino Simone, who had eight receptions. There were a couple of corner blitzes which worked and on those plays, the safeties did a nice job of covering their responsibilities to make those work.

Grade: B+

Overall Defense Grade: B+

Special Teams:

Ummm, not so special. Yes, Damien Williams had several nice punt returns. But the Trojans also missed another very makeable field goal and there were several penalties on both the kickoff and punt returns. The punting, with Jakob Harfman replacing Billy O'Malley improved to some extent.

Grade: C+

Summary:

The Trojans needed a much better effort in this game to prepare for going into next weeks game at Cal. If they play against the Bears the way they played against the Cougars, chances are they lose. The Trojans had 13 penalties and this is completely unacceptable. Although WSU coach Paul Wulff is making strides with the Cougars and it appears he found his quarterback of the future, the Trojans had no business struggling against this team and struggle they did. Pete Carroll had better find answers, and it has to happen quickly.

Overall Game Grade: B-

USC Trojans: Inquiring Minds Want To Know...

Rick McMahan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:57:06 -0400

The days roll by and between games, fertile minds (and even mine) sometimes pass the time wondering about things only because we have too much time on our hands.

Having admitted to this sad situation, here are some questions that have passed through my bored and unproductive head:

What does Pete Carroll have against Mitch Mustain?

As last week's "Debacle in Seattle" played out in front of my incredulous eyes, my thoughts kept racing back to the erstwhile transfer from Arkansas and for the life of me, I could not imagine Mustain being any worse than the effort brought by Aaron Corp.

It seems as though Mitch Mustain has either played or practiced his way deep into Coach Carroll's doghouse because Mustain has never been in any serious conversation Carroll has had regarding the quarterback position.

So what gives? Is Mustain that bad or is there something else going on?

It can't be for a lack of effort on Mustain's part. For crying out loud, the young man has even volunteered for punting duty after witnessing Billy O'Malley's woeful efforts.

God forbid anything happens to Matt Barkley, but if it does, Coach Carroll, how about giving Mustain a shot?

Typically, I would never question Pete Carroll, but since I already have I might as well go all out...

Hey Pete, where has C.J. Gable been?

I know that last week he was hurt, but what about the other two weeks and spring and fall scrimmages?

I understand that you said during fall practices that you knew what he and Stafon Johnson could do and you wanted to see what the other backs and Joe McKnight were capable of.

Fair enough, but you also said that ball protection was of paramount importance, which is why you sat Gable in the first place.

So why do you keep trotting McKnight out there when he fumbles as much or more than Gable or anyone else?

Be it far from me to question Coach Carroll, but it seems there might be a bit of a double standard here.

Pete Carroll's criteria for playing time seems a bit convoluted, which brings me to my last query regarding the Coach:

Given the fact that Ronald Johnson is out, how nice would it be to have Vidal Hazelton right now?

Hazelton, who transferred last year when his playing time was cut dramatically after an injury, had over 50 receptions as a freshman.

Vidal Hazelton, though not the burner that Johnson is, would have been a nice part of the rotation and would have been a better bridge to get over Johnson's injury than anything the Trojans have now.

Please understand, these are musings from an avowed rabid fan of both the Trojans and Pete Carroll.

Perhaps I do indeed have too much time on my hands...but this inquiring Trojan mind would like to know.