Bleacher Report - Articles by Paul Peszko

Charlie Weis Takes A Shot At Pete Carroll, Then Apologizes

Paul Peszko — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:36:39 -0500

When I first read Chalie Weis’ comments on an alleged extramarital relationship between Pete Carroll and a grad student, I thought it was a hoax.

Why would Charlie Weis make a comment like that?

Not too many NFL GMs and head coaches will be so quick to hire an offensive coordinator who might some day throw one of his peers under the bus.

Whatever aspersions Weis’ offhanded comments may have on Pete Carroll’s character, they have certainly cast doubt on his own.

Here is the remark that was part of an exit interview that Weis gave to five reporters from IrishIllustrated.com and posted by the site's senior editor, Tim Prister.

"Let me ask you this question," said Weis. "You guys know about things that go on in different places. Was I living with a grad student in Malibu, or was I living with my wife in my house? You could bet that if I were living with a grad student here in South Bend, it would be national news. He’s doing it in Malibu and it’s not national news. What’s the difference?

"I don’t understand. Why is it okay for one guy to do things like that, but for me, I’m scrutinized when I swear. I’m sorry for swearing; absolve my sins.”

I first read the interview and Weis’ comment about Pete Carroll on the Rivals.com Notre Dame site at Yahoo! Sports. But when I checked the interview on the Irish Illustrated website, the remark had been edited out.

Early this morning Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reported Pete Carroll’s response to the Weis’ comment: "It’s untrue, it’s irresponsible, and it’s incredible he’d be talking about me like that."

Incredible and incredulous, I thought. What on earth was Weis thinking?

Since then, Weis has told the Times that his comments were part of a “totally subjective” conversation with several reporters in an aside to the formal interview.

Weis contends that he was explaining how Internet rumors can adversely affect the personal lives of coaches and their families.

“In no way was I trying to take a shot at Pete," Weis told the Times in a phone message. "What we were talking about was how the rumor mill can affect people’s lives.

"When I was asked a specific question like that, I responded like, 'This is the same crap that I’m talking about.' You start saying things like this and one thing, this guy does this, I do that, and all of a sudden the Internet takes it all over the place.

"So, in no way was I trying to take a shot at Pete. I feel if I offended Pete, I will run Pete down and apologize ... In no way do I have any idea what’s going on in anyone’s life other than the fact that rumors on the Internet can affect coaches' lives in a very, very negative fashion.”

Weis also mentioned that he had left a phone message for Carroll. Later this morning, Carroll said that he had spoken to Weis.

"I talked to Charlie and he wants to set the record straight," Carroll said. "He apologized profusely for being represented wrongly. I'm not commenting anymore."

Whether by design or not, Weis has made himself a prominent part of the rumor mill which he supposedly despises. Now every available reporter at Yahoo.com will be trying to track down leads to a supposed mystery grad student.

For a guy who considers himself to be very bright, Weis has acted in a way that is the epitome of stupidity.

Even though it was an informal sidebar to a formal interview, Weis should have known better. What is said around a group of reporters does not stay with a group of reporters.

So far, Tim Prister, the senior editor at IrishIllustrated.com, who posted the interview, has not commented.

Don’t hold your breath.

How Has the 2009 Season Affected Pete Carroll?

Paul Peszko — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:33:02 -0500

It started way back in early January when Mark Sanchez announced that he was entering the NFL Draft, and things have been spiraling downhill for Trojan football ever since.

The offensive and defensive coordinators left along with the director of football operations, and the revolving staff door went into an absolute tailspin.

More staffers were quickly promoted for on-the-job training to fill the vacancies along with the usual NFL suspects. And they certainly were suspect as far as coaching college kids who are not pulling in seven-figure salaries.

The only bright spot had been the luminous true freshman, Matt Barkley, whom the entire coaching staff was agog over. But his luster, too, wore away as he has been caught up in the downhill spiral like everyone else.

Injuries started to occur early and often. Players never fully recovered. Even the healthy ones found the going difficult in the fourth quarter.

The team just couldn’t seem to finish when it counted. The coaches, on the other hand, never seemed to get started. They never had a good feel for their players, let alone their major opponents.

So, how has this season affected Pete Carroll?

Do you think he will consider it a simple aberration? Will he just chalk it up to injuries and new coaches getting adjusted to working with one another?

Or do you think he will make wholesale changes in the way the Trojans practice, in the way the coaches game-plan, and in the way the players are conditioned?

Pete Carroll has pretty much stuck to his guns during his time at USC, and I admire him for that. He has continued to promote staff from within as well as draw from his contacts in the NFL.

He usually stays with his starters especially at quarterback, come hell or high water.

But in recent years, despite winning the Pac-10, his teams have not achieved some key goals.

The positive turnover ratios have dwindled or disappeared. The Trojans have had their problems holding onto the ball and making fumble recoveries and interceptions.

They have been one of the most heavily penalized teams, not only in the Pac-10, but also in the nation.

The penalties, plus defenders overrunning plays and missing tackles, have shown a lack of discipline. Can they play hard and still play smart?

Of course, every year except this one they have achieved the stated goal: to win the Pac-10 championship. But they have not achieved that unstated goal that you know is in Pete Carroll’s heart: to return to the BCS Title game.

The last truly classic BCS Title game was in January, 2006 at the Rose Bowl between Texas and USC. This year two of those three elements are in place once again.

The BCS Title game is at the Rose Bowl, and Texas will be there. It must really weigh on Carroll that his Trojans are not on the slate.

This year we won’t hear him state with supreme confidence, “We’ll play anybody, anytime, anywhere.”

Not with this team.

The Trojans are losing 19 seniors and maybe even a few key juniors from a team that didn’t play all that well by Pete Carroll’s standards.

So, what does that say about next year?

That hackneyed adage about reloading instead of rebuilding does not apply. The Trojans certainly need to rebuild from the ground up.

So, I ask you Trojan fans, how will the way this season has ended affect Pete Carroll?

Do you think he will make changes or maintain the same course? In the way he chooses his staff? In the way he has his coaches game plan? In the way they call plays?

Will their practices be any different? Will they practice even harder and faster to match the tempo of the Oregon Ducks?

Will the conditioning focus on running and stretching to cut down on injuries and enable strong finishes?

What about recruiting? Will Carroll rethink the way in which his staff selects recruits?

Four losses, two in the Coliseum, two huge blowouts, a couple of games where the Trojans barely managed to hold on at the end, I doubt these things will rest very easily with Pete Carroll.

What do you say?

Does the Lack of Competition Hurt the Lakers?

Paul Peszko — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:18:52 -0500

It’s no secret that 17 of the Lakers' first 21 games are at the Staples Center. It’s also no secret that the Lakers are on a seven-game winning streak and blowing out their opponents by double digits.

But what might not be apparent is the fact that only one of the last seven opponents, Oklahoma City, has a winning record.

In fact only four of the Lakers' 14 wins have come against teams with winning records: Atlanta, Houston, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix.

So far, the Lakers have only played two division leaders—Dallas and Denver—and lost both games.

At this point the Lakers can look forward to two things when their home stand ends next Friday, and neither one is very good: seven out of nine games on the road and five out of the next nine against teams with winning records.

Then at the end of January, the Lakers go on a grueling eight-game road trip.

So, has starting off the season with such a huge block of home games, the overwhelming majority against teams with losing records, hurt or helped the Lakers?

Let’s take a look at the positives.

The Lakers started the season without Pau Gasol for the first 11 games. Andrew Bynum also missed a couple of those games. So, the scheduling helped the Lakers to an 8-3 record prior to Gasol’s return.

The schedule, especially over the last seven games against weaker opponents, has allowed the Lakers to rest their starters for most of the final quarters.

Starters’ minutes have been decreasing compared to last season. Saving their legs for those long road trips down the line and a playoff run will prove particularly important.

The schedule has enabled Ron Artest to adjust to the play of his new teammates and vice versa. It has also allowed Phil Jackson to experiment with different combinations of his eight-man rotation with Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, and Shannon Brown coming off the bench.

Now for the negatives.

The lack of competing with top teams and having a heavy home schedule to start the season could lull the Lakers into a false sense of security.

They may go into games against better competition on the road or at home feeling over-confident. They really haven’t been tested since Pau Gasol has returned.

I don’t think this will hurt them as much offensively as it could defensively. Trying to defend against some of the better teams with highly competitive players may find the Lakers playing catchup.

One thing is certain, however: the starters will not have the luxury of sitting out most of the final quarters, as the schedule gets more competitive.

If anything, the easier schedule to start the season has shown that Phil Jackson cannot depend on his bench beyond the current eight-man rotation.

When he has pulled all his starters and put in an entire unit of reserves, they have allowed huge 25-point leads to dwindle down to seven or eight points in the closing minutes. He has even been forced to put a couple starters back in some games to ensure the win.

The reserves just cannot get stops on defense and commit far too many turnovers on offense. Except for Farmar and Brown, none of the other reserves want to work the ball into the post and instead settle for low-percentage jumpers.

In a way, that could be a huge positive. The easier schedule that the Lakers are going through has given the staff a good chance to evaluate all of the reserves in action.

I have said it before and I will say it again: A couple of these guys will not be with the Lakers much past the holidays and certainly not beyond the NBA All-Star Game.

What’s in Mitch Kupchak’s stocking this Christmas?

USC-UCLA: My Only Problem with the Way It Ended

Paul Peszko — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:00:41 -0500

I didn’t have a problem with USC coming out for the last minute of the game and taking a knee.

Okay, so maybe the coaching staff forgot that UCLA had three timeouts remaining. The staff has forgotten a lot of things this year, like how to get the defense ready to play a decent offense.

Of course, that doesn’t include the Bruins’ offense.

Speaking of offenses, the staff also has forgotten how to shift the USC offense into high gear. It seems like they have been stalled most of the season in second gear. In their Rivalry Game on Saturday, like their game earlier at Arizona State, the Trojans never got it out of first gear until the fourth quarter.

Anyway, whether they actually forgot that UCLA had all their timeouts, or taking a knee was supposed to signify that the Trojans were willing to end it at 21-7, doesn’t matter.

I had no problem with Rich Neuheisel refusing to end it at 21-7 and calling a timeout. Why take three timeouts into the locker room? You can’t redeem them at Walmart even on Thanksgiving weekend.

I had no problem with Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates calling a play-action pass since Neuheisel was willing to take it to the limit.

I had no problem with the Trojans celebrating and even taunting the Bruins when they scored. After all, it is supposed to be a rivalry game, isn’t it?

Here’s my problem. Why was Matt Barkley in there to take the knee or to throw the play-action pass?

Why not have Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp get a chance to do the honors? Don’t they deserve some recognition for warming the bench all year while the staff has ignored them time and time again because the coaches are too busy kissing Barkley’s behind?

Better yet, why wasn’t Garrett Green in the game at that point?

Green is a senior. He has served faithfully as a safety, wide receiver, and scout team quarterback for four years. Not only that, but he also threw for a touchdown in the Rose Bowl two years ago.

Has Pete Carroll become so enamored with Matt Barkley that he can’t give a loyal senior like Garrett Green the chance to throw that play-action pass?

Why did it have to be Barkley?

He has been anything but superlative over the past month. In fact, his accuracy has been downright pathetic at times.

I can understand why Corp might not be in there with his poor performance at Washington, but Mitch Mustain is another player who deserves some recognition and should have had a chance to throw that pass.

Even if Green or Mustain had thrown an incomplete pass and given UCLA an additional timeout, so what? There was no way that the Bruins were going to score two touchdowns.

So, I will stop short of calling Pete Carroll “classless” like some of his media critics. But I do think he has been rather myopic.

Matt Barkley will have at least two, or possibly three, more Rivalry Games in his future. Garrett Green will have none. This was it for him.

Green will have just one more game in the Coliseum next week. But the defense has struggled all year against decent offenses, except for Ohio State.

Arizona is no UCLA when it comes to offense. They can certainly put up points.

The odds of Green or any of the other quarterbacks seeing any playing time against the Wildcats are slim and none.

Pete Carroll’s chance to recognize Garrett Green for his contributions has most likely come and gone.

But then it has been a season of opportunities for the Trojans that have come and gone.

USC-UCLA: Has the Rivalry Lost Its Luster?

Paul Peszko — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:02:08 -0500

For USC and UCLA fans, this year’s rivalry game is what it is—the biggest game on the schedule. No matter if the teams are 11-0 or 0-11, the school that loses must live with that for an entire year.

It’s one thing to live with when your rival is across the state. It’s quite another when your rival is just across town.

If you recall the 13-9 UCLA victory a few years back that prevented USC from playing in the national championship game, Bruin fans have reminded Trojan fans of that loss for these past four years.

It didn’t matter that USC had also lost to Oregon State earlier in that season. As far as wins and losses went, both losses held equal weight. But it was the UCLA loss that USC players and fans could not live down.

It turned UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker into a hero and co-offensive coordinators at USC, Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian along with quarterback John David Booty into instant goats.

The fact that USC was the Pac-10 champion and defeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl that season did little to assuage the upset loss to rival UCLA.

Even though Booty had a terrific Rose Bowl, for the next 12 months fans were beseeching Pete Carroll to replace him with Mark Sanchez.

Kiffin and Sarkisian couldn’t escape the fans’ ire either, who were clamoring for their removal as well.

But that was then, this is now. Even though neither team can win the Pac-10 or is in line for a BCS bowl, the game still matters to fans of both schools.

This is the first time in eight years that this game has neither Pac-10 Championship nor BCS implications.

So, what about fans of other schools and conferences? Other Pac-10 fans, Big Ten fans, SEC fans, college football fans in general? Has this game lost its luster for you? Are you still going to tune in and watch it Saturday evening?

I would like to hear from fans of other schools in the Pac-10 and from other conferences across the nation. Tell me how you feel about this year’s game between the Trojans and the Bruins.

As for USC and UCLA fans, I would like to hear your thoughts on the BCS matchups. Especially USC fans, have all the BCS ratings and possible BCS bowl matchups lost their luster for you?

Or are you following them with as much interest as you have in the recent past? What intrigues you about this year’s top ten standings and the BCS bowls? What disinterests you?

Have you closed the book on this year and are thinking about next season? I’d like to know your thoughts.

USC Trojan Fans, What's There to be Thankful For?

Paul Peszko — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:25:46 -0500

That time of year is upon us once again when we give thanks for all the blessings in our lives.

This year Trojan fans might think there’s not very much as far as football goes to be thankful for, but I disagree.

First of all, we should be thankful that Stafon Johnson pulled through surgery and is in full recovery mode. Also, Brian Baucham was able to return from his harrowing motorcycle spill on the 110 freeway.

As far as the season is concerned, we should be thankful that the powers that be scheduled Ohio State and Notre Dame earlier in the season. So, the Trojans were able to maintain their dominance over both of those schools.

It’s never nice to wish ill on anyone, but perhaps we should be thankful that all three teams that beat the Trojans this year lost their next game. That shows they had to put such a huge effort into beating USC that they had little left in the tank for their next opponents.

Again, in the “it’s never nice to wish ill on anyone” category, we should be thankful that Stanford blew it’s chance to win the Pac-10 and play in the Rose Bowl with Andrew Luck’s last minute interception at Cal.

How’s that for karma? That will teach Jim Harbaugh to go for a two-point conversion when Stanford’s in the midst of crushing an opponent.

Speaking of Harbaugh, let’s be thankful that Uconn beat the Irish in OT last Saturday. That sealed Charlie Weis’ fate.

Now that Urban Meyer has said he is not interested in the position, the Irish will no doubt offer the job to Harbaugh within minutes of Stanford’s victory over Notre Dame.

Having Harbaugh at Notre Dame and not at Stanford is something all Trojan fans can look forward to.

And, above all, be thankful that Mark Sanchez is with the New York Jets instead of quarterbacking the Trojans this year. Just look how horrible he has been. Aren’t the Trojans fortunate to have Matt Barkley instead of Sanchez? I’m sure Coach Carroll and Jeremy Bates are extremely thankful.

Also, let’s be thankful that Coach Carroll and Jeremy Bates have stuck with Barkley even when he has played poorly instead of inserting Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp into a blowout just to see what they can do.

What? You detect a tone of sarcasm in my writing? Never. You have been sucking down too much egg nog, my friend.

Oh, and let’s be most thankful that the UCLA game is being played after Thanksgiving, so all of us can enjoy our holiday feast and festivities.

Now that’s sarcasm.

Are the Los Angeles Lakers on the Brink?

Paul Peszko — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:43:33 -0500

Between the Lakers' victories last Thursday against the Chicago Bulls and Sunday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they had two practice sessions.

This was unusual because Phil Jackson will normally give the team the next day off when games are three days apart. But he decided to hold practice on Friday because he felt the Lakers were “on the brink.”

On the brink of what, Jackson didn’t say. But seeing how the Lakers have performed in both of those games now that Pau Gasol has returned, it’s quite obvious what Jackson was alluding to.

The Lakers seem to be on the brink of having one of the most successful seasons in their history despite losing three games during Gasol’s absence.

They are virtually indefensible. With two seven-footers and four players on the court who can post up, they will cause match up problems for every team they face.

And unlike most NBA teams, the parts are interchangeable.

They start out with Andrew Bynum at the five-spot, Gasol at the four, Ron Artest at the three, Kobe Bryant at the two, and Derek Fisher running the point. Lamar Odom, their 6-11 sixth man, can come off the bench for Gasol.

But Gasol can move to Bynum’s spot and Odom then goes into Gasol’s spot. Or, if Jackson prefers, he can have Odom come in for Artest and go extremely big.

The really cool thing about all three big men is their athleticism and versatility. Odom has even been known to play the two-spot and bring the ball up.

All three can hit medium range jumpers, and Odom is tied for second on the team with 10 three-point buckets.

Their best man-up defensive player, Ron Artest, is also the leader in three-point makes with 21.

Going deeper into the bench, Jordan Farmar usually comes in for Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown for Kobe Bryant.

When those two are on the court along with Ron Artest, the team speeds up from a half-court game to more of an explosive Phoenix-style fast break game.

Just as he does with Odom, Jackson can interchange Farmar and Brown. Sometimes Brown will be on the court with Bryant, along with Artest, Odom and Gasol or Bynum.

The last two games have shown what a nightmare this is for opposing coaches. The only time there is any relief at all is in the fourth quarter when Jackson removes all of his starters along with Odom and puts in the rest of the bench.

That remains the one problem that Jackson and the rest of the staff must solve. If the Lakers are on the brink, the bench (or at least the remainder of the bench beyond Odom, Brown and Farmar) is on the blink.

Sasha Vujacic, Adam Morrison, D.J. Mbenga, and to some extent Josh Powell have not shown any consistency so far this season. Powell has been the most consistent of those four, averaging 13.5 minutes and 5.3 points per game.

Morrison and Mbenga are averaging 2.3 points while Vujacic is low man with just 2.0 points per game.

Even the injured Luke Walton, who is out for the next six weeks with a pinched nerve in his back, hasn’t done much better, averaging only 3.7 points in ten minutes.

Nevertheless, this may suit Jackson, who normally likes to go with an eight-man rotation in the playoffs. Walton, if he is healthy, will be the ninth man, and Mbenga will come in only if one of the big men incurs an injury.

So, now that Gasol has returned, Jackson and the Lakers have a lot to be thankful for.

First of all, they can be thankful that they don’t have a game on Thanksgiving. Instead, the Lakers can feast on the New York Knicks tomorrow night at Staples Center.

Secondly, they can be thankful that they will have three days off to rest and heal before back-to-back games with the Warriors and Nets this weekend.

The Warriors and Nets? Hmm, that’s even more to be thankful for. Here’s looking at a 13-3 start!

LA Lakers Should Not Imitate USC Trojans Basketball's Losing Playbook

Paul Peszko — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:42:53 -0500

What do an NBA team and a college basketball squad have in common? They don’t show up to finish a game.

The LA Lakers have unfortunately taken a page out of the USC book over the past week, allowing their opponents to do whatever they want in the second half.

The Lakers had the same problem in games with the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets over the weekend. Then, last night, it almost happened again in a game at the Staples Center with the Detroit Pistons.

In all three games, the Lakers' second half defense resembled the basketball version of the USC Trojans. All three opponents were able to score at will.

On Friday, in the second of back-to-back games, the Lakers offense managed just 23 total, second half points as Denver crushed them 105-79. Coming out of the break, the Lakers only scored eight points, probably their lowest quarter in history.

On Sunday, it was deja vu as the Rockets and Aaron Brooks blew into the Staples Center and handed the Lakers a 101-91 defeat.

Again, the Lakers were dismal in the second half, scoring just 37 points.

In both of those games, the bench was virtually nonexistent at both ends of the court. They were outmatched and outscored by both the Nuggets’ and the Rockets’ reserves.

Kobe Bryant played through both games with a painful groin pull and put up 19 and 18 points respectively, which is a low-scoring game by his usual standards.

Last night, the groin was feeling a little better, and he scored 40 points against the Pistons. But the bench once again nearly blew a 25-point lead.

With the Lakers up 88-63 going into the final quarter, Phil Jackson called upon his reserves to hold the lead so Bryant and the rest of his starters could relax.

Not so.

Andrew Bynum had to return at the 10-minute mark to replace D.J. Mbenga, as the Pistons were grabbing offensive rebounds and getting second chance points off of slam dunks.

With the lead down to 15 and the Lakers in foul trouble, Kobe Bryant was forced to re-enter the game at the eight-minute mark.

The Pistons whittled the lead down to seven points, 98-91. That forced Lamar Odom to return.

With the three starters—Bryant, Bynum and Odom—on the court, the Lakers secured a 106-93 win.

But it wasn’t easy.

All three were winnable games. Yet the Lakers, particularly their bench, lost two of those games. And these games in November count just as much in the final standings as the ones in March.

Everyone is pointing to the fact that Pau Gasol has missed all 11 Lakers’ games. Things, of course, will change with Gasol starting and Odom coming off the bench. Odom makes the bench stronger.

However, all teams have to deal with injuries in an 82-game stretch. The Lakers didn’t need Gasol on the court to beat the Nuggets and the Rockets. They just needed some extra effort and some heads-up play.

Bryant, as tough as he is, can’t do it all.

The Lakers have a dominant center in Andrew Bynum. If they work the ball into Bynum more and don’t settle for so many of these one-and-done jumpers, they can win games that they otherwise might lose.

In Denver, Josh Powell went 1-for-5, Shannon Brown 1-for-8, Adam Morrison 1-for-5, Sasha Vujacic 0-for-4. Meanwhile, Bynum, the forgotten man, was 8-for-13.

Many more games like that, and the Lakers’ season could be as huge a disappointment as the one the Trojans are having.

Let’s hope not.

Pete Carroll-Jim Harbaugh: What's the Deal?

Paul Peszko — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:03:16 -0500

Well, the deal, Peter, is the scoreboard.

If you’re rankled over a two-point conversion attempt with the score 48-21, maybe you should ask your defense what its deal is. How come they stopped the two-point conversion but managed to give up another touchdown?

While you’re at it, ask Rocky Seto, Ken Norton, Jr., and Jethro Franklin, what their deal is.

If a coach really wanted to run up a score, why wouldn’t he try for a second two-point conversion after the final touchdown?

But maybe someone should ask you what was your deal last season, Peter.

With USC up 38-10 against Oregon at the Coliseum, Mitch Mustain came in at the 11:25 mark of the fourth quarter along with Broderick Green, a reserve tailback.

Against ASU USC led 28-0. Mustain, Green, and the entire second unit came in with 6:27 left in the game.

At Washington State, with USC up 41-0, the reserves started coming in at the seven-minute mark of the third quarter.

The same thing against Washington, with USC up 42-0, the reserves were in with half of the third quarter still remaining.

Later in the year, at Notre Dame, with USC up 31-3, the reserves started coming in at the 12 minute mark of the fourth quarter. After making it 38-3, Mitch Mustain replaced Mark Sanchez with seven minutes remaining.

But what was the deal when USC went up to Stanford?

That day Tabitha Pritchard was 9-for-22 with no TDs and an interception. With USC up by three touchdowns, 38-17, the first unit remained in the game at the six-minute mark and went on a 10-play, 64-yard march to inflate the score to 45-17.

With a little over a minute left, the Cardinal ran back the kickoff 44 yards. Harbaugh yanked Pritchard and put in Alex Loukas who drove the Cardinal in for a touchdown to make the score look just a bit more respectable, 45-23.

So, who actually fired the first shot?

Maybe Harbaugh should have asked what the deal was after the USC starters pushed up the lead to four touchdowns with a little over a minute left in the game.

But Harbaugh knew what the deal was. Carroll was paying him back for upsetting the Trojans at the Coliseum the year before. And not one USC fan complained about that.

Maybe Pete Carroll should ask himself what was the deal last January when he threw all sorts of figures at Mark Sanchez in front of the national media. He claimed that 60 percent of all third-year quarterbacks who opt for the NFL never make it.

But here’s another statistic that Coach Carroll over looked. No team with a true freshman starting quarterback has ever won the BCS Championship. That’s zero percent for anyone who is academically challenged.

So, what’s the deal with falling in love with a true freshman quarterback? What’s the deal with putting so much time and effort into grooming Matt Barkley and depriving the defense of the attention it deserved?

What was the deal in recruiting Aaron Corp when Pete Carroll never intended to adapt his offense to a running quarterback? Or Garrett Green for that matter?

What’s the deal that teams like Cincinnati and Oklahoma can have excellent backups when their starting quarterback gets injured, but USC can’t?

No there are so many deals that went down, flipping out over a two-point conversion is just diverting attention away from this year’s incompetence at the top.

Some may blame Pete Carroll for jacking up his players and telling them that they played hard despite the 55-21 pasting. I don’t. It was never a question of the Trojans not practicing hard or playing hard.

What was the deal then? Not playing smart.

USC: For Pete's Sake, What's Next?

Paul Peszko — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0500

‘The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” as the quote goes. And USC has certainly fallen with a thud.

How can one of the most superlative stretches in the Trojans’ storied history end in such devastation?

It’s one thing to have an off season and lose three or four games. But to have teams like Oregon State, Oregon, and Stanford lay 138 points on your defense in three games is a total embarrassment.

But the real question now is what are they going to do about it.

"I'm not sure I have the right words to describe being humbled like this," Carroll said today after the 55-21 drubbing by Stanford. "I don't really know where to put it...We have fallen apart and given our opponents the opportunity to do whatever they want."

Well, for a start, he could practice what he preaches and open all the spots to some real competition. Why not let it be known that whoever does the best job over the bye week gets to start in the annual city championship game against UCLA?

That includes the quarterback spot, the o-line and the entire defense and especially the safety positions. Let it be known that whoever misses a block or is late getting over in coverage sits, whether it is Joe McKnight or Taylor Mays.

However, except for saving face, this season is all but over. So, let’s talks about next year.

What do you think Pete Carroll needs to do to restore the swagger? Here are some choices. Let’s hear your thoughts.

Maybe Carroll needs to stop promoting from within and all this on-the-job training of offensive and defensive coordinators. How do you feel? Should he hire experienced offensive and defensive coordinators?

Matt Barkley never really felt the heat of competition. No matter how poorly he threw, he was never lifted for a backup, not even for a series or two.

Should Pete Carroll open up the quarterback spot to competition and let the chips fall where they may? Or should he and Jeremy Bates continue grooming Barkley without the threat of being replaced in a game?

Most of the starting secondary will graduate. Are you satisfied with their backups? Or should the coaches hit the recruiting trail looking for the best secondary players out there?

Except for Michael Morgan, the linebackers and their backups return. Do you think this year of experience is enough to sharpen them for next season? Or should the coaches look for a recruit or two who can move right into a starting assignment?

Tight end Anthony McCoy also graduates. Do Blake Ayles and Rhett Ellison have the skills to exert themselves at this vital position?

Jeremy Bates has not been successful in getting Barkley to stop forcing the ball into coverage. Barkley has 11 TD passes and 10 interceptions. Should they keep Barkley on a short leash?

Also, do you think Bates has done anything to develop Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain? Or has the coaching staff more or less given up on them?

Should Pete Carroll consider changing his offensive system? Should he institute a system that requires more mobility from the quarterback?

These are not necessarily my personal suggestions, but points that fans have brought up throughout the season. What are your thoughts?

USC and Michigan: A Tale of Two QBs, A Tale of Two Programs

Paul Peszko — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:25:45 -0500

They were both powerhouses in their respective conferences. They last met in the 2007 Rose Bowl. USC beat Michigan 32-18.

Lloyd Carr would coach the Wolverines one more season, winning the Capital One Bowl, 41-35 over the former national champion, Florida.

Carr then turned the reins over Rich Rodriguez, the former West Virginia head coach. Rodgriguez took over a team that had been on the decline for several years, playing in the shadows of Ohio State.

But under Rodgriguez, who instituted a new offensive scheme, the bottom quickly dropped out as Michigan wound up 2008 with a 3-9 record, 2-6 in the Big Ten.

USC, on the other hand, had not finished any lower than fourth place in the BCS polls for seven consecutive years. They had won at least eleven games in seven consecutive years and were Pac-10 champions for seven consecutive years.

This year, both Rodriguez at Michigan and Pete Carroll at USC handed their offenses over to true freshmen quarterbacks.

The season started off on a high note as the Wolverines won three straight non-conference matchups with true freshman Tate Forcier at the helm, including a last second 38-34 victory over Notre Dame.

Michigan then opened its Big Ten season with a closely-fought 36-33 win over Indiana. But since then they have suffered six straight conference losses and sit at the bottom of the Big Ten in danger of not making a post-season bowl game.

USC is not in danger of missing a bowl game. However, their string of sevens has abruptly ended and with it their string of BCS Bowl appearances.

Like Michigan, USC began the season with a true freshman, Matt Barkley, under center and won its first two non-conference games including an 18-15 win over Ohio State in Columbus.

But Barkley suffered a bruised shoulder and missed the next game, a 16-13 defeat at the hands of the rebuilding Washington Huskies.

After Barkley’s return, the offense had strong showings against Cal, Notre Dame and Oregon State. But the defense began to show trouble signs barely holding off the Irish and the Beavers.

Then the bottom fell out as the offense sputtered and the defense completely caved in at Eugene in a 47-20 rout by the Oregon Ducks.

The following week in Tempe, the offense did not run one play in the Arizona State red zone the entire game, which the USC defense won 14-9.

Today has to be considered one of the worst losses in USC history, especially before a home crowd at the Coliseum. The true freshman quarterback that Pete Carroll and USC had pinned their hopes on threw three interceptions as the Stanford Cardinal spoiled the Trojans homecoming 55-21.

It was the worst home loss since 1966, a 51-0 loss to Notre Dame and the most points ever allowed by the Trojans. The 111 points the Trojans have allowed in three games is also the most over three games in the school’s history.

For Barkley, who was totally outplayed by red-shirt freshman Andrew Luck, the game represented a new low in his young career.

"This isn't what we grew up watching," Barkley said. "I'm not used to this...I don't know what to think right now."

Part of his confusion is that he has been coddled all season long by Carroll and his staff and told how great he is, but his on-field performance hasn’t come close to matching the hype.

Barkley has very little mobility in the pocket and very little competition from backups Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp. Except for Aaron Corp starting the Washington game, neither one has seen any real time on the field even when Barkley has faltered.

Forcier, unlike Barkley, has been criticized at times by Rich Rodriguez and has also been benched a few times in favor of another true freshman, Denard Robinson.

But in today’s 45-24 loss to Wisconsin, it was Forcier who kept Michigan in the game, converting a 4th-and-9 play to set up a 10-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree to cut Wisconsin's lead to 28-24 in the third quarter.

However, like the USC defense, Michigan’s defense could do little to stop Wisconsin from that point on.

But Forcier, unlike Barkley, remained unfazed by the loss and determined.

"If I have to spend 10 hours this week watching film, I'm going to do that," Forcier said. "We're going to get the seniors to a bowl game. We're going to come out and do what we need to do to beat Ohio State."

Rodriguez, on the other hand, had no idea how he could right the ship and keep it afloat. "Defensively, we are reaching to find an answer to stop people," Rodriguez said.

Still, Rodriguez hasn’t given up all hope. "There's no question we've got one more chance (against Ohio State)," Rodriguez said. "I've asked the team to be extra focused. We've been focused all year, but this is the biggest game of the year. Our guys know that."

Pete Carroll’s sentiments after the total embarrassment at the hands of Stanford were very much in line with those of his despondent quarterback.

"I'm not sure I have the right words to describe being humbled like this," Carroll said. "I don't really know where to put it...we have fallen apart and given our opponents the opportunity to do whatever they want."

So, where do these two storied programs go from here? Which one will best be able to pick up the pieces of a disappointing season and regain its former glory in 2010?

Michigan under Rich Rodriguez with Tate Forcier at the helm or USC under Pete Carroll with Matt Barkley taking the snaps?

USC vs. Stanford: Are the Cardinal Too High To Fly?

Paul Peszko — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:37:09 -0500

It seems to happen every year in the Pac-10. One team gets a huge upset win over a highly-ranked foe but then loses its next game. They are riding such an emotional high that they cannot get grounded in time to take care of business.

It has already happened several times this year and could happen again on Saturday.

USC pulled out a last minute win over Ohio State, 18-15, in their second game of the year then lost the following week to lowly Washington, 16-13. The following week Washington was soundly trounced by Oregon State 34-14.

The same thing happened last year. USC trounced Ohio State 35-3 at the Coliseum then lost to Oregon State in Corvallis, 27-21. The following week the Beavers were edged out by Utah, 31-28.

Two weeks ago, the Oregon Ducks blasted USC in the worst defeat in the Pete Carroll era, 47-20. The Ducks went out last week and laid an egg at Stanford as the emotionally-charged Cardinal held on to win 51-42.

But will all the emotions of that game leave the Cardinal so depleted that they won’t be able to pull off another Coliseum upset like they did in 2007?

Back then USC was the No. 1 team in the nation and a 41-point favorite to beat Stanford. But Jim Harbaugh, in his first year as head coach at Stanford, pulled off what some considered the greatest upset in college football history as Stanford went on to win 24-23.

Things are a little different this time as the Cardinal are no longer 41-point dogs but a more manageable 10-point underdog.

In some respects, Stanford might even be considered the favorites. After all, they hung 51 points on the team that trounced USC only two weeks ago.

Stanford is second in the conference in total offense: USC is fifth. Stanford is second in scoring offense; USC is sixth. They are fourth in passing offense; USC is eighth. Stanford is second in rushing offense; USC is fourth.

Where USC holds the edge is on defense. USC is fourth in total defense; Stanford is eighth. USC is first in scoring defense; Stanford is eighth. USC is fifth in pass defense; Stanford is right behind them at sixth. USC is fifth in rushing defense; Stanford is seventh.

USC ranks first in sacks and tackles for a loss while Stanford is sixth and eighth respectively.

Special teams are a draw. Stanford is ranked first on kickoff returns while USC ranks last. But in punt returns USC ranks second, and Stanford is eighth. However, the Trojans main punt returner, wideout Damian Williams, has a high ankle sprain. Even if he does play, most likely he will not be returning punts.

For the most part, it looks like the game will come down to Stanford’s offense versus USC’s defense. With the Cardinal coming in as 10-point underdogs, it looks as though Las Vegas is betting on the defense.

Also, they may be counting on Stanford’s inability to come down from the emotional high of last week’s triumph over Oregon.

As has happened several times to the team they are playing this weekend, Stanford may be looking back at last week’s victory instead of focusing on the game at hand.

But don’t count on it. USC’s reputation as the dominant team in the Pac-10 has been tarnished by their loss to Oregon, but it hasn’t been destroyed. At least not yet.

That is especially true in the Coliseum where the Trojans have only lost once in the last 48 consecutive home games.

Although Stanford comes into the Coliseum with the No. 1 ranked passer (Sean Canfield), the No. 1 ranked running back (Toby Gerhart), and the No. 2 ranked receiver (Ryan Whalen) in the conference, Jim Harbaugh and his players know that a second upset win in a row will not be easy.

USC won’t be looking back or looking ahead. Pete Carroll will have his Trojans focused and ready. And with good reason. USC’s one loss at the Coliseum came at the hands of Jim Harbaugh’s Cardinal.

If Stanford does manage to pull off another upset at the Coliseum, this one won’t be by surprise.

D.J. Mbenga: The Lakers' MVB

Paul Peszko — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:10:20 -0500

Christmas cannot come too early for the Lakers this year. That’s the latest timetable for Pau Gasol’s return to the team according to Phil Jackson.

Gasol’s hamstring injury, which had been a day-to-day then a week-to-week issue, has just turned into a month-to-month wait and see.

Hamstrings can have a very complicated healing process, and Gasol’s is one of the more peculiar.

Having played all the way through the 2007-2008 NBA season and full playoff run, then in the 2008 Olympics, followed by the 2008-2009 NBA season, and full playoff run and then this summer in the European Championship, Gasol’s injury is no doubt complicated by fatigue.

He hasn’t been able to string two consecutive workouts together where the muscle didn’t tighten up on him the next day and limit his movement.

The fact that Mitch Kupchak was able to re-sign Lamar Odom this summer may prove to be the MVS, the Most Valuable Signing of this NBA season.

Odom has jumped into Gasol’s No. 4 spot, and the Lakers have forged on without hardly missing a beat.

But almost as huge as re-signing Odom was re-signing D. J. Mbenga, a Phil Jackson favorite. Mbenga, a limited reserve last season, has become an everyday player with the injury to Gasol.

His play on the court has so improved that one might call him the Lakers' MVB, Most Valuable Big.

That’s not to say that he is better than Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom, but there are few starting centers in the league who can play better defense.

Bynum and Odom are superior to Mbenga offensively, but at the defensive end no one is as imposing except for Dwight Howard and Shaquille O’Neal. Mbenga certainly holds his own in the post with anyone.

But what makes him especially valuable is his ability this year to play lights out defense without fouling out. Last year, if Mbenga played for six minutes, he would pick up four fouls.

This year, he is more than likely to go twice that long and pick up four blocked shots and a half dozen or so rebounds. In fact, Mbenga filled in for Andrew Bynum, who had a strained elbow, against Memphis and New Orleans. In 30 minutes, he picked up 12 and 13 rebounds respectively along with four blocked shots in each game.

Those were two games that the Lakers were supposed to win. But with both Gasol and Bynum out, the Lakers were just as likely to lose. Mbenga gave them the defense to not only win those games but to do it in blowout fashion.

With Gasol out until Christmas or maybe even longer, the Lakers may not win against some of the other NBA powerhouses, but they need to make certain that they win against teams they are supposed to beat. Mbenga gives the Lakers that opportunity.

An Additional Note: Watching the Cleveland-Orlando game tonight, I spied Coby Karl, the son of Nuggets coach, George Karl, on the Cavalier bench. Coby was a Staples Center favorite when he was with the Lakers. It’s good to see him back in the NBA, and I hope he gets more playing time.

The Pac-10: The Changing of the Guard

Paul Peszko — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:51:37 -0500

Now that this decade is drawing to a close, it seems like the leadership of the Pac-10 is undergoing a significant change. Since 2000, three names have dominated Pac-10 football: Pete Carroll, Jeff Tedford, and Mike Belotti.

But now new names are forging ahead and may possibly overtake the Old Guard in the next decade. Names like Jim Harbaugh, Mike Riley, Mike Stoops, and Chip Kelly are leading their teams on a fast track to overtake the competition.

Chip Kelly, who was Mike Belotti’s offensive coordinator and gave Oregon the multi-dimensional spread offense that has become their trademark, now has full reins of the Ducks as their head coach.

Oregon, under Belotti, wasn’t as explosive a team until Kelly’s arrival a few years ago. Now under Kelly’s leadership, the Ducks were the first team to destroy USC this decade, 47-20. A few weeks earlier they annihilated Tedford’s Cal Bears 42-3.

The Ducks were seemingly on their way to a Pac-10 title and a possible a spot in the BCS Championship game when Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford Cardinal exploded for 51 points in a 51-42 shootout on the farm this past Saturday. That win made Stanford bowl-eligible for the first time in eight years.

But that wasn’t the only major win for Harbaugh’s Cardinal. Stanford went into the Coliseum two years ago as 41-point dogs and upset the No. 1 Trojans 24-23. That victory broke USC’s 35-home game winning streak and may have been a harbinger of things to come.

Mike Riley’s Oregon State Beavers have upset the top-ranked Trojans the past two times they have visited Corvallis. Then a couple of weeks ago, they nearly upset USC in the Coliseum with a second-half offensive barrage that the Trojans couldn’t seem to stop.

Just this past Saturday, Riley brought his feisty Beavers down to Berkeley, where they embarrassed Tedford’s Cal Bears, 31-14.

The Arizona Wildcats have been inconsistent at best since Mike Stoops took over in 2004. His overall record is 31-36 and 21-27 in the conference, but that includes his first two seasons when the Wildcats had back-to-back 3-8 teams.

They have improved since then going 6-6, 5-7 and 8-5 last season with a 31-21 win over No. 17 BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. That was their first appearance in a bowl game and their first winning season since 1998.

Everyone talks about Pete Carroll being undefeated in the month of November, but Stoops has had victories over top-10teams during November in three of the past four years.

This year the Wildcats are 6-2 and ranked No. 1 in total offense in the Pac-10 and No. 13 nationally. They are ranked No. 17 in the BCS standings.

To win out, the Wildcats would need victories over Cal, Oregon, Arizona State, and USC. Such a feat would definitely put Mike Stoops near the top among Pac-10 coaches.

All four teams—Arizona, Stanford, Oregon and Oregon State—are ranked 1-2-3-4 respectively in total offense in the Pac-10. In scoring offense, Oregon, Stanford and Arizona are ranked 1-2-3 with Oregon State ranked fifth just behind California. USC is sixth.

Not only has there been a change at the top of the coaching ranks but also among players.

At the beginning of the year, freshman Matt Barkley was getting all the hype at USC as was tailback Joe McKnight and safety Taylor Mays. The other top running backs were supposedly Jahvid Best of Cal and LaGarette Blunt, who was suspended by Chip Kelly of Oregon for punching a Boise State player in the mouth after the Ducks lost their opener to the Broncos, 17-9.

But as we look at individual statistics now, James Rogers, Oregon State, Chris Owusu, Stanford, and Jacquizz Rogers, Oregon State rank 1-2-3 in all-purpose yards. Toby Gerhart of Stanford is fifth.

Further down on the list at eighth is Jahvid Best and ninth Joe McKnight. Damian Williams is 11th.

In rushing yards Toby Gerhart, Stanford, LaMichael James, Oregon, and Jacquizz Rogers, Oregon State rank 1-2-3 ahead of Jahvid Best, fourth, and Joe McKnight, fifth.

In passing efficiency, red-shirt freshman Andrew Luck of Stanford leads the Pac-10 followed by Nick Foles, Arizona and Sean Canfield, Oregon State. Jeremiah Masoli of Oregon, who runs as much as he throws, is fifth. However, Masoli is first in Points Responsible For—13.5 per game.

Matt Barkley is sixth in passing efficiency and ninth in Points Responsible For—8.75. However, he ranks third in interceptions behind Jake Locker, Washington, and Danny Sullivan, Arizona State, with seven.

Of course, there are still four more games to go, and anything can happen in the always unpredictable Pac-10. But as of right now, there has been a definite shift in leadership among the coaches, the teams and the top players in the conference.

Stanford Poses a Big Concern for USC

Paul Peszko — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:19:34 -0500

If today’s events hold true to form next Saturday, USC is likely to suffer its third loss of this season.

Stanford laid 51 points on Oregon, the No. 8 team in the nation, in driving to a 51-42 upset victory. Meanwhile, USC’s lethargic offense, which could only manage 20 points in a 47-20 loss at Oregon last week, regressed even further in the Arizona desert tonight.

Pete Carroll’s erratic offense scored only one touchdown in posting a 14-9 win against a mediocre Sun Devil team.

Matt Barkley, the quarterback that Pete Carroll hailed as the most advanced true freshman quarterback he has ever coached at USC, looked like…well…a true freshman or perhaps just a high school senior. A high school senior with happy feet, jitterbugging back and forth, unable to plant.

Could it be the Trojans will be underdogs at home next week against the Cardinal?

It’s very possible. The Trojan defense, which was adequate tonight against a team without a dominant running back or passer, had been decimated in the previous three games by both.

And the Stanford Cardinal have both.

Stanford’s red-shirt freshman quarterback, Andrew Luck, looked like a seasoned veteran as he threw for 251 yards and two TDs without an interception.

But the big story on the farm today was the Cardinal’s powerful running back, Toby Gerhart. He lugged the ball 38 times and gained a Stanford record 223 yards and three TDs against the Pac-10’s No. 2 defense.

Going into today’s games, Stanford had the No. 2 ranked offense in the conference right behind the Arizona Wildcats. With the power running of Gerhart and the accurate passing of Luck, Stanford should pose much concern for that patchwork USC defense.

While today’s win was an impressive one for the Cardinal, the Trojans, who needed to bounce back impressively from their defeat at Oregon last week, instead managed only an unimpressive dribble against a .500 team that committed four turnovers.

The Trojan offense will have to do much better than that next Saturday. The same goes for the Trojan defense, which gave up 266 yards in the air and allowed the Sun Devils to keep the ball for 33:35.

Arizona State almost had twice as many first downs, 23-12. And once again the Trojans third-down efficiency, a problem all year, went from bad to worse with a pathetic 2-for-13 effort.

Pete Carroll and his staff have also shown a tendency in recent weeks to be outmatched by opposing staffs as far as schemes and adjustments are concerned. Jim Harbaugh will not make it any easier for them as he brings his Cardinal offense into the Coliseum clicking on all cylinders.

The Worst Losses in USC Trojan Football History

Paul Peszko — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:15:41 -0500

You know the old saying: it hardly ever rains in Southern California, but when it does rain, it pours.

The same might be said of this year’s edition of the USC Trojans. After seven years of dominance over Pac-10 foes, the Trojans finally caved in at Oregon. And I mean they were crushed in all areas of the game.

Although they plunged from the nation’s Top Ten rankings, they did make a different Top Ten list. Last Saturday’s game ties for the No. Eight spot among the Trojans All-Time Conference losses.

Going way back to 1915, when the Trojans loss to who else but Oregon, 34-0, here is the list by year.

1915 Oregon 34-0

1921 California 38-7

1950 UCLA 39-0

1954 UCLA 34-0

1957 Stanford 35-7

1960 Washington 34-0

1990 Stanford 31-0

1997 Stanford 27-0

2009 Oregon 47-20

If we look at Non-Conference games, there were ten losses that were worse than the loss at Oregon, eight were to Notre Dame.

1941 Ohio State 33-0

1947 Michigan 49-0

1947 Notre Dame 38-7

1949 Notre Dame 32-0

1953 Notre Dame 48-14

1957 Notre Dame 40-12

1961 Notre Dame 30-0

1966 Notre Dame 51-0

1977 Notre Dame 49-19

1985 Notre Dame 37-3

Way back in 1930, Notre Dame shutout USC 27-0, the same margin as last Saturday’s loss at Oregon.

Trojan fans can take some solace in the fact that offenses and defenses back in those early years were nowhere near as sophisticated as they are today. But still a 27-point loss is a 27-point loss.

What makes it seem so harsh is those seven years of USC dominance, which should have actually ended at five years back in 2007.

Oregon had defeated USC and was clearly the better team that year. Only an unfortunate injury that ended quarterback Dennis Dixon’s career prevented Oregon from being crowned the 2007 Pac-10 Champions and possibly having a shot at the national title.

Now Oregon is in the same position in 2009. All they have to do is keep winning.

And so does USC. Not for a shot at the Pac-10 title or even the Rose Bowl, which they would get only if Oregon is selected to play for the national title. But they need to keep winning simply as a matter of pride.

Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza: Trading Places, Part I

Paul Peszko — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:27:34 -0500

By now, most fans know the story of how Ron Artest left the Houston Rockets to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, in a complete flip-flop Trevor Ariza, a Lakers’ free agent, signed with the Rockets.

The still-embittered Ariza was mum before yesterday’s game with the Lakers in Houston. When asked for an interview with the Lakers’ radio network here in Los Angeles, a team spokesperson said that Ariza would prefer to let things be.

Perhaps he feels that the Lakers passed over him in favor of Artest, which is simply not the way the situation transpired. The Lakers wanted to re-sign Ariza and made him their very best offer, the full mid-level exemption, right from the start.

Ariza’s agent told the team that wasn’t good enough. Well, that was that as far as the team was concerned. They had given Ariza and his agent their best offer and had no more cap space to maneuver.

So, Ron Artest, a Houston Rockets’ free agent, was willing to take a salary cut and sign for the same money that was offered Ariza. The Lakers jumped on it.

Ariza, a Los Angeles native, had no choice then but to sign with the Rockets for virtually the same money the Lakers’ had offered him.

Ariza’s disappointment is very obvious even though he has gone from being a role player with the Lakers to a star feature with the Rockets who are without their two highest profile players, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.

Ariza, who leads the Rockets in scoring, had averaged some 23 points per game going into last night’s contest with the Lakers.

The game proved to be a dramatic overtime affair with the Lakers squeaking out a 103-102 win, their second overtime victory in as many nights. But the Ron Artest-Trevor Ariza match up was just as dramatic if not more so.

Not only did Ariza and Artest trade places this past off-season, but last night’s game proved that they are still trading places.

They covered one another for most of the game. Ariza wound up with 15 points, and Artest ended with 15 points.

With 30 seconds left in regulation, Artest hit a three-point shot to put the Lakers up 92-89 practically assuring them of the victory.

With 19 seconds left, there was a jump ball at the Houston end between Ariza and Derek Fisher. Ariza won the jump and tapped the ball to Carl Landry. Ariza then circled out to the three-point line. Landry tossed him the ball, and Ariza matched Artest’s three-pointer with one of his own to send the game into OT.

Stripping the ball away from opponents was perhaps Ariza’s greatest contribution last year as a Laker. So, in a fitting end to last night’s game, it was Derek Fisher who stripped the ball away from none other than Trevor Ariza to seal the Lakers’ victory.

I will have Part II of Ariza and Artest: Trading Places on Sunday, November 15, when the Houston Rockets meet the Lakers at the Staples Center.

Meanwhile, great news for Laker fans and the Lakers’ bench. Pau Gasol has been medically cleared to play and will return to the starting lineup this weekend. That means Lamar Odom will return to his role as the sixth man. We shall see if Odom can help the Bench Mob straighten out their game.

Phil Jackson Benches the Lakers' Bench

Paul Peszko — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:02:13 -0500

Things have gone from bad to worse for the Lakers Bench Mob. Just how bad are things? Things are so bad that Phil Jackson benched the bench last night in their game with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It was the first night of back-to-back road games. Normally you would expect the reserves to see a good number minutes in that first game to give the starters a breather.

But would you believe it if I told you that four of the five Lakers starters put in 43 minutes or more?

The facts are Kobe Bryant played 46 minutes, Lamar Odom 43 minutes, Ron Artest 47 minutes and Andrew Bynum 49 minutes.

The only Laker starter not to log in more than 49 minutes was 35-year-old point guard Derek Fisher. He was on the court for 35 minutes.

That’s a lot of basketball!

The entire bench put in only six points, four by Josh Powell and two by Sasha Vujacic, and a total of five rebounds.

As far as stops are concerned, forget it. The Bench Mob has no idea what the word means. The other night against the Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers had a 22-point lead going into the final quarter.

Phil Jackson put the reserves in, hoping to rest up his starters before the Lakers head out on the road. But before the quarter was even half over, the starters were back in there.

It’s not just a matter of the Lakers bench being unable to score, they can’t come up with the stops on the other end either. And that will be a huge concern for the Lakers’ hopes of repeating as NBA champions.

Although the situation will improve somewhat as Pau Gasol has been cleared to play and will rejoin the starting lineup this weekend. When Gasol returns, Lamar Odom will rejoin the Bench Mob and hopefully that will spark the rest of the reserves.

But it’s not clear sailing by any means. What happens if another starter should go down for any length of time? It will be necessary for Odom to return to the starting lineup and leave the reserves to fend for themselves.

At this point, that isn’t a very bright prospect.

USC-Oregon: Trojans Rebuilding Not Reloading

Paul Peszko — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:02:45 -0500

There! It’s official. By the count of 47-20, the votes are in. USC is rebuilding this year not reloading like all of the media hype had suggested.

Surprised! I’m not. Back in late August I predicted that USC would lose two or three games this year. I thought Oregon would be one of them, but not by a 27-point margin.

The defense lost eight starters to the NFL; the offense lost a quarterback and a wideout. Not a great way to start the next season, especially when it lost all four of its linebackers (Clay Matthews, Jr. was the elephant defensive end-linebacker hybrid).

The staff lost its two coordinators, who also doubled as quarterbacks coach and defensive coach, along with the director of football operations. Head Coach Pete Carroll replaced them from within by promoting his wide receiver coach and defensive backs coach.

The leading candidate to fill the middle linebacker position, Chris Galippo, was having back surgery and had not completed a full season in his three years at USC. Not a very good sign.

After losing two top linebacking recruits on National Signing Day, USC picked up Frankie Telfort in the closing hours. He was the kind of recruit like Brian Cushing or Rey Muauluga who could come in right away and start.

But just as fall camp opened, he was diagnosed with a heart condition and had to give up football. It was a huge blow to the Trojan defense, but perhaps an even bigger blow to a kid like Frankie.

But USC still had a cohesive secondary. That is, until Shareece Wright was declared academically ineligible. More bad news.

But five-star recruit from St. Bonaventure, Patrick Hall, was coming aboard. He could probably step in somewhere down the line.

No, he didn’t get cleared in time to register and blew out his knee the first day he stepped onto the practice field.

That was the point when I predicted the Trojans would not win the Pac-10 and would lose at least two or three games. As far as I was concerned, that defense was in a rebuilding mode.

That was even before defensive linemen Averell Spicer and Armand Armstead went down with injuries. All USC fans could do at that point was be thankful that the Trojans opened against San Jose State and not Ohio State.

Things never really improved even though the team started winning. The injuries continued to mount on both sides of the ball. The reserves stepped up here and there, but none of them were really seasoned.

The USC defense was like a dam with a large crack in it. The pressure on the injured starters to return before they were healthy mounted. Then suddenly in the second half at Notre Dame, the dam burst, and a deluge ensued.

Of course, that deluge is nowhere near as great as the deluge of fans jumping off the bandwagon tonight.

I really don’t know which vehicle will spin out of control first, the bandwagon or the bus that fair-weather fans are throwing Pete Carroll, Chris Galippo, and Taylor Mays under.

I am astounded at the reaction on the USC boards and probably this one as well and not to mentioned the Los Angeles media tomorrow. They want Carroll to change his system, change his philosophy, change his staff. So far no one has demanded that he change his wife. But that will probably come on Monday.

That’s what happens when you haven’t had a rebuilding year in seven consecutive seasons. Two years ago, the Florida Gators had to rebuild. They lost four games that year including a non-BCS bowl game. After winning the National Title, LSU lost five games last year while rebuilding.

Let the walking wounded take some time off to heal. You cannot chase after a Jermiah Masoli or a LaMichael James or a Jacquizz Rogers if you’re still nursing a sprained knee or ankle.

Let some of the younger guys fill in for them and get some experience. So what if the Trojans lose another couple games? It’s called REBUILDING. Got it?

And relax. The sky isn’t falling. The Trojans will be back as strong as ever next season.

USC-OREGON: In Defense of Pete Carroll's Defense

Paul Peszko — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:16:22 -0400

The USC defense has been getting clobbered lately. No, not by Jimmy Clausen and Notre Dame, or Sean Canfield and Oregon State.

But by the Los Angeles media as well as the ever-wise college football commentators on ESPN. The E stands for The Eternal as in the See-All and Know-All Sports Network.

I have openly criticized Coach Carroll in a few of my articles. Nevertheless, I’m often surprised that many writers and commentators don’t look at the whole picture. They need to fire off a story to make a deadline and just take the first thing that comes to mind.

Both the Los Angeles Times and the Los Angeles Daily News carried articles today, critical of Pete Carroll’s handling of the USC defense. ESPN has also been quick to point out the defensive collapse the last two games.

Oh, really? And what would they have Carroll do?

Jump onto the field and make a picture perfect shoulder tackle of an opposing ball carrier before he reaches the first down marker?

There is no problem with Pete Carroll’s defense.

The USC defense that allowed only 8.6 points, 173.8 passing yards, and 64.8 rushing yards per game over the first five games has now given up 31.5 points, 307 passing yards and 117.5 rushing yards per game over the past two games.

Is Carroll to blame? Of course, he will accept the blame like any decent coach rather than let it fall on his players. But execution is not something a coach can always control.

Neither are injuries and fatigue.

Prior to the opening game, I wrote that I expected USC to drop at least two if not three games this year. One of the things I based that on was Shareece Wright being declared academically ineligible. I thought at the time it would have huge implications further down the line.

First of all, it caused Josh Pinkard to move over from safety to cornerback, and the nickel back, Will Harris, moved into Pinkard’s safety spot. Brian Baucham then became the nickel back.

But as the season progressed, Taylor Mays went down with a sprained knee. Then Brian Baucham dumped his motorcycle on the 110 Freeway. Taylor Mays’ backup, Drew McAllister suffered a severe hip flexor. Pinkard got banged up as well when Taylor Mays crashed into him on a sideline play in the opener.

Remember that the defensive backfield during fall camp was considered USC’s deepest group. The defensive line and the linebackers had been decimated by the NFL Draft, and all of last year’s reserves had to step up and fill the starting spots.

Then one by one linemen started going down—Averell Spicer, Armand Armstead. No sooner did one or two of them come back than two more went down—Hebron Fangupo, Christian Tupou.

The same thing happened with the very thin linebacking corps. Malcolm Smith went down with an ankle sprain as did backup Jordan Campbell.

Do you get the picture?

Sure, the defense was fine in the first five games against teams that did not have explosive offenses. All the guys who had stepped up were able to go four full quarters as long as they were getting a lot of three-and-outs and the USC offense established ball-control drives.

Then along came Notre Dame and Oregon State, and suddenly Pete Carroll’s no longer a defensive genius according to these media types.

It’s called fatigue, people. There are no replacements to give the starters any relief because the replacements are now the starters.

Oh, and thank you, Todd McShay, for you wonderful video, showing that Taylor Mays has been a couple steps slow on TD passes. You would be, too, if you were playing with a sprained knee.

Just because Mays and Pinkard are in the starting lineup does not mean they are a hundred percent. They are playing hurt, and there’s nothing Pete Carroll can do about it but let them suck it up.

I criticized Mays as much as anyone for going for the big hit instead of the big INT. However, I have come to realize that Mays like several others in that defense are nowhere near a hundred percent.

Mays has no choice if he can’t leap or run over to cover as fast as he did last year. The only thing he can do is launch himself and try to throw a shoulder into the receiver.

Carroll has also been criticized for his pass defense adjustments in the second half of the Notre Dame and Oregon State games. But if the linebackers and secondary are winded, even the best of schemes won’t hold up.

The other thing that is beyond Carroll’s control is the movement of staff. When Nick Holt decided to join Steve Sarkisian in Washington, what was Carroll expected to do?

Holt was a major loss. Not as far as defensive schemes and game planning were concerned. His Husky defenses this year haven’t been all that great. However, he knows how to teach the basics.

He made pass rushers like Clay Matthews, Jr. and Kyle Moore effective. He taught his players how to get penetration and containment. Above all, he demanded toughness. And no arm tackles!

Also the success of the USC offense has actually hurt the defense. All season long fans have been calling for Jeremy Bates to open up the offense and let Matt Barkley throw the long ball.

Over the past two games that is exactly what has happened.

So, instead of sustained scoring drives that kept the Trojan defense on the sidelines, USC scored quickly, and the defense found itself right back on the field again.

Last week Oregon State ran 77 plays versus 58 for USC. The week before, Notre Dame ran 75 plays to 62 for USC.

But against Cal, the numbers were reversed. USC ran 77 plays to 65 for Cal. USC must return to the same type of ball-control offense. The defense is not deep enough to remain on the field for 70-plus plays.

However, with the offense now banged up just like the defense, I don’t expect the Trojans to come out on top against No. 10 Oregon at a place like Autzen Stadium. But that does not mean they won’t.

The trick is the offense must grind it out with sustained, ball-control scoring drives against the nation’s No. 19 defense to keep their own defense off the field as much as possible. If that happens, USC fans will be in for a real treat.

And maybe the media will stop haunting Pete Carroll with their narrow-minded conjectures.

USC Trojans-Oregon Ducks: Trojans Limp into Autzen Stadium

Paul Peszko — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:01:19 -0400

The Trojans will definitely try to put their best foot forward on Saturday, but it may be somewhat gimpy.

What amounts to the biggest Pac-10 game of the year comes at a time when the Trojans are bruised and banged up.

First off, their leading receiver as far as yards per catch, tight end Anthony McCoy, will not even make the trip to Oregon as he stays home nursing a sprained ankle. McCoy is also second on the team behind wideout Damian Williams in overall receiving yards.

Williams is banged up as well but will make the trip. He has a bruised glute and did not practice until Thursday. He completed most of the drills and is expected to see some action. However, Williams declined to comment on his condition.

Versatile fullback Stanley Havili—who has been dealing with a sprained shoulder—was cleared by team doctors today and will also make the trip. However, Pete Carroll intends to start D. J. Shoemate at fullback.

Wide receiver David Ausberry said he will miss the game with a strained calf and did not know if he would return next week. Meanwhile backup safety Drew McAllister has been on crutches since Monday. He has a severe hip flexor, and no timetable has been set for his return.

That once huge stable of running backs has been decimated lately by surgeries. It has been one month since Stafon Johnson’s freak weightlifting accident that saw him undergo surgery on his crushed throat. Also, Marc Tyler was scheduled to have surgery Thursday on his fractured big toe.

Both Johnson and Tyler will miss the remainder of the season.

Tailback Joe McKnight completed the entire workout Thursday after sitting out Wednesday’s practice. He had a hamstring strain that was causing tightness behind his right knee. If that weren’t enough, McKnight also is recovering from bruised knuckles that required heavy bandaging.

Curtis McNeal has also been banged up, which leaves Allen Bradford and C. J. Gable, who played tailback on the scout team all week, as the only tailbacks not currently plagued by serious health concerns.

Before the season started, I expected USC would lose at least two games. This was one of them. But when Boise State tagged Oregon in the opener, I was greatly surprised and a little less concerned. However, after the Ducks' remarkable recovery and climb into the top-10, there is every reason for concern once again. The health of the Trojans only increases that concern.

Mix in the rain that is in the forecast and Autzen Stadium, one of the loudest venues in college football, where Duck fans can get ultra crazy, and I see a very tough road for the Trojans to climb as banged up as they are.

Combine all this with the fact that it’s not just any night game, but Halloween night, and Duck fans intend to celebrate with a total black out. Everyone will be clothed in black including the players. I don’t think that will have as big an effect on the Trojans as all the injuries. Nevertheless, keep your fingers crossed, Trojan fans, and let’s see if Halloween brings USC a trick or a treat.

Los Angeles Lakers: One Trouble Spot Ahead

Paul Peszko — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:49:19 -0400

The T-shirts that the fans received read: A New Journey, Same Goal.

The ceremony celebrating last year’s journey went off without a hitch. The game against the Clippers got the new journey off on the right foot, with a 99-92 win.

But if there is one kink in the Lakers’ armor, a pitfall on the journey to another NBA Championship, look no further than the Lakers' bench.

The danger sign that lurks ahead has one word written on it: inconsistency.

The Lakers’ bench had a fine preseason up until their last game against Denver. The subs played most of the game so coach Phil Jackson could give his starters a rest.

Offensively, the bench did very well, even though Denver blew out the Lakers. The subs scored 67 points to go along with 15 assists.

But defensively, they allowed the Nuggets' bench to score 71 points and grab 22 rebounds compared to only 16 rebounds for the Lakers’ subs.

They also gave up a ton of points to the Denver starters, which accounted for the blowout.

In the opener at the Staples Center last night, the Lakers' bench broke down at both ends of the court. They were vastly outplayed and outscored by the Clippers' bench 29-9. They were out-rebounded 15-7.

And get this: The Lakers' bench had exactly zero assists while the Clippers’ subs had seven. That’s right—zero.

If that doesn’t spell trouble for the Lakers, I don’t know what does.

The fact that Lamar Odom started in place of Pau Gasol meant that the bench did not have his statistics to add to their totals. Nevertheless, the subs did not acquit themselves very well, to say the least.

Instead of being able to rest his starters, Jackson was forced to put them in early in the fourth quarter to ensure the seven-point victory.

Since the Lakers do not play again until Friday night, there’s plenty of time to rest. What happens once the long grind of the 82-game season really kicks in? What happens to all those back-to-backs on the road?

I wouldn’t be too worried about the frontcourt once Gasol returns. Lamar Odom can come in off the bench to spell Gasol or move Gasol over to center and give Andrew Bynum a rest.

It is the backcourt where the starters really need some relief. Kobe Bryant and especially Derek Fisher need to stay as fresh as possible, but last year Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic were terribly inconsistent. When they came into a game, Laker opponents were able to cut into the lead.

Farmar at least played some defense, but Vujacic rarely did. In fact, the Lakers could count on Vujacic to commit a foul only seconds after he entered a game.

That has got to change if the Lakers are to repeat as NBA Champions.

Shannon Brown, traded from Charlotte at midseason last year, had his moments. Although he has become a crowd favorite with his leaping dunks, he too has been inconsistent, especially on defense.

Watching Farmar or Brown play the Clippers' Eric Gordon and Denver’s Ty Lawson was no contest. All three reserve guards need to work extra hard on that aspect of their game.

That also applies to the two reserve small forwards, Luke Walton and Josh Powell. Defensively, Powell is considerably ahead of Walton who had the worst plus/minus of all the Lakers in last night’s opener. Walton was a negative eight in the very short time he was in the game (3:22).

Fortunately, the season is just starting, and the Lakers' bench has time to turn their performance around. If not, the new journey may wind up making a dangerous U-turn.

Los Angeles Lakers Opener: A New Journey, Same Goal

Paul Peszko — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:13:30 -0400

Fans who attended last night’s opener with the Clippers received Lakers t-shirts with those words.

It was ring night for the Lakers, a night when the team raised their 15th NBA Championship banner above the floor at Staples Center.

The 20-minute ceremony officially put last season’s incredible performance to rest and marked the beginning of a new journey with the same goal in mind. Usually, it can be difficult for a team to put this type of ceremony behind them and actually focus on the start of that new journey—their home opener.

In both 2000 and 2002—after winning the previous seasons’ championships—the Lakers lost both home openers.

"The energy is difficult to muster (after such a ceremony),” said Phil Jackson. “A lot of it dissipates. You're reliving last year and not ready to step it up, but we did all right."

But muster the energy they did and went on to defeat the Staples Center neighbors, the Clippers, 99-92.

The journey won’t be so new for most of the starters. Despite the emotional pregame ceremony, they played as though they were in midseason form. Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom—starting in place of Pau Gasol—were all in double figures. Both Bynum and Odom picked up double-doubles.

But this will be a completely new journey for one starter, who sat in the Lakers’ locker room watching the pregame ring ceremony on TV.

"I was happy for them," Ron Artest, the newest Laker, remarked, "A lot of them got their first rings. Lamar got his first and now we've got to get him No. 2, and my first."

Artest, who is the Lakers’ answer to Dennis Rodman, delighted the Staples Center crowd with his new haircut. It was Artest’s quirky way of compensating for not having a ring of his own.

He had the word “Champion” inscribed in Chinese characters on the left side of his head. On the right was the name of a New York playground star who was shot to death a few days ago. Prominent on the back of Artest’s head was the Lakers’ logo, much like the one inscribed on their championship rings.

What will he do next? Well, Artest is thinking about dying his hair gold for Friday's game with Dallas.

But once the game began, Artest was all business, fronting up against the Clippers’ Al Thornton.

Jackson praised Artest for his outstanding defensive work against Thornton. "He played shut-down defense very well against their scoring forward, Thornton," Jackson said. "I thought he looked like he was in the offensive mix most of the time.”

Offensively, Artest was three for 10 with one three-pointer and a dismal three for seven from the line for 10 points. But he did have four assists and a steal.

In case you’re keeping track, the player that Artest replaced, Trevor Ariza, had 12 points with an assist and a steal on opening night against Portland. However, tonight Ariza already has 18 points at halftime against Golden State, leading all scorers.

Now that the journey has begun, let’s hope there are no roadblocks along the way.

Tuesday's Ring Night for All the Lakers Except Ron Artest

Paul Peszko — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:33:46 -0400

Tuesday night, a little after 7:00 p.m. at Staples Center, all of the Los Angeles Lakers will receive their 2009 NBA Championship rings. That is, all of the Lakers except for one starter.

Ron Artest just joined the team as a free agent this past summer. He will be looking on from the bench with eyes that have seen twelve NBA seasons go by without a ring for himself.

Those eyes will be looking on with envy and perhaps a great deal of determination. The same determination that caused him to take a salary cut when he signed on as a free agent.

With Artest, it’s a matter of pride not money. Long considered a defensive stalwart, he is arguably the best on-ball defender in the NBA. Four times he has had as many as eight steals in a game. Three times he has had four blocked shots in a game.

An NBA All-Star, Artest combines superb defense with timely scoring. He has averaged 16.1 points per game over his career along with 3.2 assists.

The irony on Tuesday night will be that some five months ago Artest was trying to prevent the Lakers from getting those championship rings. He was the heart and soul of a Houston Rockets team that battled the Lakers down to the wire in a Western Conference Semifinal Series that went to seven games.

No one had given the Rockets a chance, especially when their franchise player, center Yao Ming, went down with another foot injury that required surgery. But Artest played the Lakers and especially Kobe Bryant as hard as he could.

In fact, Artest went overboard. He was ejected near the end of game two and fouled out of another game.

It was the toughest series the Lakers would play during their championship run.

Another stroke of irony is that one of the players who contributed so much to the Lakers’ championship season won’t be at Staples Center to receive his ring.

Trevor Ariza, a home-grown product of UCLA, is now in Houston. He and Artest switched teams during free agency.

After being part of the championship team, Ariza and his agent held out for slightly more money than the Lakers were willing to pay.

Artest, on the other hand, was willing to take a pay cut to get a shot at wearing one of those rings that his new teammates will be slipping on their fingers Tuesday evening.

While preseason statistic don’t really figure into how players will do once the grind of an 82-game schedule kicks in, here is how the two compared over the eight-game preseason.

Both Artest and Ariza appears in all eight of their teams’ games.

Ariza averaged 26.5 minutes, made 37.5 percent of his field goal attempts and 40.7 percent of his three-point shots and 69.9 percent of his free throws. He grabbed 3.80 rebounds and dished out the ball for 2.4 assists and had 1.38 steals. He averaged 10.9 points per game.

Artest averaged 25 minutes, made 39.6 percent of his shots and 25 percent of his three-pointers and 57.7 percent of his free throws. He took down 4.30 rebounds and had 3.8 assists to go along with 1.25 steals. He averaged 7.9 points per game.

USC-Oregon State: Trojans Escape but Title Hopes Wane

Paul Peszko — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:18:19 -0400

This game reminded many of the 2005 contest between USC and Fresno State, which the Trojans finally pulled out 50-42 on some last quarter heroics by Reggie Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner.

Tonight, it was the running of Allen Bradford with 147 yards and two TDs and Joe McKnight with 65 yards that saved the Trojans Pac-10 title hopes.

But even their running and Matt Barkley’s passing could not make up for a horrible defensive performance that will no doubt knock the Trojans down a couple of spots in the new BCS standings.

The Trojan defense actually allowed the Oregon State offense to out-gain the Trojan offense, 482 yards—429 yards. They made the Beavers quarterback Sean Canfield look like a Heisman candidate.

Canfield completed 30 of 43 for 329 yards and three TDs while Barkley was 15 of 25 for 202 yards and two TDs. But Barkley also threw three interceptions. However, one was negated by a roughing the passer penalty.

I expect TCU and LSU and possibly the Oregon Ducks, who stomped all over Washington 43-19, to jump USC in when the BCS standings come out on Sunday.

And, USC fans, no complaints, please. Here’s why.

Florida gave up only 237 yards and 19 points.

Alabama—341 yards and 10 points.

Texas—173 yards and seven points.

Cincinnati—275 yards and 10 points

Iowa—310 yards and 13 points

TCU—298 yards and seven points

LSU—193 yards and 10 points.

Miami, which gave up 410 yards and 40 points in losing in OT to Clemson 40-37, will drop out of the Top 10. Oregon will surely move into the Top 10. The Ducks gave up 395 yards to Washington but only 19 points.

Giving up 482 yards and 36 points will not bode well for the Trojans nor should it. So much for that vaunted USC pass defense.

It’s a good thing for Pete Carroll and the Trojans that Allen Bradford decided to stick it out and keep plugging away for playing time.

A very good thing. Kudos to Mr. Bradford.

USC-Oregon State: Last Minute Adjustments

Paul Peszko — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:11:14 -0400

In case you haven’t heard, USC benched their All-American center for Saturday. This week, Jeff Byers moved over from left guard to replace All-American candidate Kris O’Dowd at center. Butch Lewis will fill in at Byers’ left guard spot.

Essentially, it is the same offensive line that started the season against San Jose State when O’Dowd was out with another kneecap dislocation.

According to O’Dowd, he tried to come back too soon from his injury and hasn’t been a hundred percent since his start at Ohio State.

USC will also be without their do-it-all fullback, Stanley Havili. His shoulder was banged up against Notre Dame last week.

Sophomore D. J. Shoemate, a former defensive back who switched to fullback this year, will replace Havili.

Other players who were banged up last week and are questionable for Saturday include wide receiver David Ausberry and cornerback Josh Pinkard. Both sat out practices earlier this week.

Ronald Johnson returned from a broken collarbone last week but appeared rusty. Johnson and quarterback Matt Barkley just weren’t in sync. Whether that situation improves this week will pretty much depend on how healthy Johnson feels.

The Trojans will definitely need red-shirt freshman Brice Butler to step up.

Speaking of quarterbacks, head coach Pete Carroll called Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield a "first-round draft pick."

Prediction

Considering the fact that USC got banged up at Notre Dame last week while Mike Riley and his Oregon State Beavers had a bye week to get healthy and game plan for USC, I expect the Trojans to have a rough time winning this one.

On defense, especially if Pinkard isn’t in there, defending against the Rogers Brothers and Canfield will be a major task. I believe Pete Carroll is very much aware of that. I don’t remember Carroll ever calling for help before.

Posted on the USC Trojans Blog, USCRipsIt.com:

Coach Carroll is calling for your help.

On third downs and other key plays when the Trojans are on defense during Saturday's game at the Coliseum, Carroll is requesting that the home crowd ratchet up the volume to disrupt the opponents.

"How loud and crazy can you get?" Carroll said. "The noise helps our defense and affects the other team's ability to communicate, so bring it tomorrow."

As for the Trojan offense, if Oregon State gets ahead early, USC will have a hard time catching up. With their injuries and replacements, I’m not sure how much they will be able to bring tomorrow.

Oregon State 24, USC 17.

USC-Oregon State: How the Beavers Can Beat the Trojans

Paul Peszko — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:13:42 -0400

It could be déjà vu once again when the 5-1 Trojans host the 4-2 Beavers of Oregon State. Last year the Beavers upset the Trojans 27-21.

It was the second time in three years that Oregon State had turned the tables on USC. However, both Beaver wins came at Reser Stadium. Oregon State has not beaten USC at the Coliseum during the Pete Carroll era.

But this year could be different. Why? Because this is the first offense that this Trojan defense will face that isn’t one-dimensional.

University of Washington, Jake Locker; Ohio State, Terrelle Pryor; Cal, Jahvid Best; Notre Dame, Jimmy Clausen.

Shut down any one of those players and you shut down their team.

Last year, Jacquizz Rogers, the diminutive Beaver tailback whose size belies his power, battered the Trojan defense with its eight NFL players for 186 yards in 37 carries and two TDs. But the Beavers nearly equaled that total in the air with 167 yards passing and two TDs to Jacquizz’s older brother, James Rogers.

This year, Jacquizz is the second leading rusher in the conference (697 yards) behind Stanford’s Toby Gerhart. But the Beavers’ passing attack is even more dynamic than last season.

Head Coach Mike Riley has replaced last year’s starter Lyle Moevao with senior quarterback, Sean Canfield, who's No. 2 in the Pac-10 in completion percentage (67.86) and third in passing yardage (1405).

So, look for more of the same from the Beavers tomorrow. Expect Riley to run the ball with Jacquizz Rogers and have Canfield keep the Trojans off-balance with screens to Rogers who has 38 catches for 269 yards.

If the Trojan linebackers and corners move up to stop the run, Riley will have Canfield throw over the middle to James Rogers, second in the conference in total receiving yards (544) and first in receiving yards per game (90.67).

The Beavers' other wide receiver, Damola Adeniji, has 26 catches for 341 yards and has been used most often in the mid-range passing scheme.

It’s not just Jacquizz Rogers’ rushing the Trojan defense must handle, even though that is a huge task in itself. They also need to cover screens to Rogers, Adeniji over the middle, and James Rogers, who has an 87-yard TD reception this year.

Although the Trojans fought back in the second half against the Beavers last year, it was Mark Sanchez’s interception by Greg Laybourn at the USC 30 with three minutes left that sank the Trojans. Laybourn ran the ball back to the two, and Jacquizz Rogers put the icing on the cake.

Rodgers' rushing yards were the most by a Trojan opponent since Vince Young ran for 200 yards for Texas in the BCS national championship game in 2006.

How did Pete Carroll feel at the time? "I'm beside myself," he said after the game. "They (Oregon State) didn't hide what they were doing, they just did it. We couldn't stop it. We couldn't tackle."

After gaining 105 yards against the Ohio State Buckeyes the week before, Joe McKnight could only manage a meager 10 yards against Oregon State and had a key fumble.

If you think Oregon State will be in awe of USC’s high ranking or their true freshman sensation, Matt Barkley, think again.

"They came out and competed," Oregon State coach Mike Riley said of his team after last year’s win. "We were respectful, but not in awe."

Lakers-Nuggets: Lakers' Bench Pass First Test With Flying Colors

Paul Peszko — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:15:03 -0400

The Lakers’ Bench Mob helped extend the Lakers preseason record to 6-1 with a 106-89 win over their 2009 Western Conference Finals opponents, the Denver Nuggets.

I said in my report yesterday that the two back-to-back games against the Nuggets would go a long way in telling just how sound the Lakers’ bench is.

Before last night, the Lakers opponents consisted of non-playoff teams, Golden State, Sacramento and Charlotte. So, the two games against the Nuggets would be key.

And the Bench Mob passed their first test against Denver with flying colors.

The Lakers bench outscored the Denver bench 49-26. They also had more assists, 15-4, and rebounds 19-15. You couldn’t ask for much more.

Individually, forward Josh Powell was the high scorer for the Bench Mob with 15 points. Shannon Brown picked up ten points and four assists. Jordan Farmar added eight points and three assists, and Sasha Vujacic was right behind him with seven points and three assists.

So, it wasn’t just scoring but sharing the ball, as indicated by their number of assists, that really highlighted their performance.

In addition, D.J. Mbenga, who usually comes off the bench only in rare mop up opportunities, actually got to start last night. The Lakers two big men, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, sat out with minor injuries.

Mbenga had one of his best games ever, scoring eight points and blocking seven shots. After committing three personal fouls in the first half, Mbenga, who is used to fouling out, only had one personal foul the entire second half.

Tonight it is test No. 2 for the Lakers’ bench as they face the Nuggets in their final preseason game from San Diego.

The NBA season starts for real on Tuesday night at the Staples Center against the Clippers. It will be Ring Night for the Lakers as they receive their NBA Championship rings from the 2008-2009 season

USC–Oregon State: Quiz Time for the Trojan Defense

Paul Peszko — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:32:03 -0400

This year’s Trojan defense will get its toughest test of the season on Saturday when they face the Oregon State Beavers.

Pass and they move a step closer to their eighth consecutive Pac-10 title and a possible shot at a national title. Fail and they can forget about both.

Administering the test will be none other than Jacquizz “Quizz” Rodgers, the tailback who blasted last year’s Trojan defense with its eight NFL players for 186 yards rushing and ruined USC’s hopes for a shot at the national title.

Currently Rodgers is No. 2 in the Pac-10 behind Toby Gerhart of Stanford with 697 rushing yards. If he has another game on Saturday like he did last season, he will take over the No. 1 spot.

His brother, wide receiver and kick return specialist, James Rodgers, has even better statistics.

James Rodgers is No. 1 in the Pac-10 and No. 8 nationally in all-purpose yards (1081) including receiving (544) and kick returns (105 on punts; 296 on kickoffs).

Jacquizz is No. 3 in the Pac-10 and No. 15 nationally in all-purpose yards (966) including rushing (697) and receiving (269).

But make no mistake about it, Jacquizz was the one most responsible for handing the Trojans a 27-21 defeat last year, knocking USC out of the No. 1 spot.

The diminutive 5-7 tailback packs a wallop in his powerful 190-pound frame that gets lost in the clash of wide bodies up front.

While the Trojan front four may have a hard time spotting Rodgers, the linebackers and corners must be ready for him. But he runs so hard and low to the ground that he carries defenders on his back for several yards before they can wrestle him down.

Last season, Jacquizz Rogers’ speed and power surprised the Trojans right out of the gate. The score was 21-0 before the Trojans could yell, “Where did he go?”

Right now, the Trojans rank second in rushing defense in the Pac-10 behind Arizona State and fourth nationally, allowing just 2.07 yards per carry. But they haven’t faced a tailback of Rodgers’ caliber.

Rodgers’ running keeps pressure on the linebackers and corners, and that opens up the passing lanes for quarterback Sean Canfield, No. 2 in the Pac-10 in completion percentage (67.86), and third in passing yardage (1405).

Quiz’s brother, James Rodgers is second in total receiving yards and first in the conference in receiving yards per game (90.67).

As a team, the Beavers rank second in the Pac-10 in passing behind Arizona and 32nd nationally, averaging nearly 255 yards per game. The Trojans pass defense ranks fourth in the Pac-10 and 33rd nationally, giving up a little over 192 yards per game.

Another test for the Trojan defense will be their ability to cause turnovers. As hard as it is for Trojan fans to believe, the Beavers have not fumbled the ball at all this season.

Zero.

In fact, the Beavers lead the conference in the least amount of turnovers lost: Four. All four were pass interceptions.

The Trojans on the other hand are tied for fourth in the conference with ten turnovers lost.

While Quizz will be testing the Trojan defense, Beavers’ head coach Mike Riley will be testing Pete Carroll and the Trojan coaching staff.

Since Pete Carroll began his Pac-10 Championship run in 2002, Mike Riley has been the only coach to beat Carroll twice. In fact, he has beaten Carroll twice in the past three years, knocking the Trojans out of the No. 1 spot each time.

But Riley has never beaten Carroll at the Coliseum. If he is going to do it on Saturday, it will be before a capacity crowd as USC celebrates family day.

Lakers-Nuggets: L.A. Bench to Be Tested

Paul Peszko — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:39:14 -0400

So far so good. The Lakers’ bench, which had problems all last season including the playoffs, seems to be returning to their 2007-2008 form.

Two years ago, it was the clutch play of the “Bench Mob,” as they called themselves, which drove the Lakers to a spot in the NBA Title Series against the Boston Celtics.

Last season, however, their output really fizzled, and the regulars had to carry the brunt of the load. Even though the Lakers won the NBA Title, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom were logging close to 40 minutes per game.

Currently, the Lakers are 5-1 in the preseason, and the bench’s contribution has improved quite a bit. Although they have allowed double-digit leads to nearly shrink away, the Lakers’ subs have held off their opponents in the last quarter of their games.

It was against the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, but still the bench has had to play with guys who will not be on the Lakers’ roster come the season opener.

The next two nights, however, will be quite different. The Lakers must go back-to-back with the Denver Nuggets, the team they played for the Western Conference Title last season.

I expect the Lakers’ bench to see a lot of action as Pau Gasol and Luke Walton are just coming back from injuries and will probably see very limited playing time.

So far, Jordan Farmar, who was at best spotty last season, leads the bench with an average of nine points and 4.7 assists in 19.5 minutes per game. Shannon Brown is right behind him averaging eight points in 20 minutes.

Josh Powell, who has been getting a lot of work at forward with Gasol and Walton out, has averaged 6.5 points and nearly four rebounds in 18.5 minutes.

Sasha Vujacic, who completely fell off the map last year, has started to make an appearance once again with 5.8 points in a little over 12 minutes.

Last season general manager Mitch Kupchak traded Vladamir Radmanovic to Charlotte for forward Adam Morrison and backup guard Shannon Brown. Morrison was supposed to be the key player in the trade for the Lakers.

Morrison appeared in just eight games and averaged a meager 1.3 points. Instead, it was Shannon Brown who was the one player to come off the bench and ignite his teammates and the crowd in the final 18 games of the season and in the playoffs.

But this preseason Morrison is starting to come around averaging 4.8 points in 17.5 minutes. He had a high of 14 points against the Clippers the other night at Staples Center. Granted, it’s not much, but it’s a whole lot better than what we saw from Morrison last season.

But tonight and tomorrow night are the real tests. The way they perform against the Denver Nuggets will go a long way in determining whether the Bench Mob has returned or if they are just a plain old mob taking up space on the bench.