Barkley, Running Game Strong In Trojans Debut

Barkley, Running Game Strong in Trojans Debut

By: Daniel Guy

            At the end of the first quarter Saturday the USC Trojans trailed the San Jose State Spartans 3-0, even Pete Carroll couldn’t predict what would happen next.  The fourth ranked Men of Troy led by their true freshman quarterback and dominant running game unleashed an onslaught of 56 unanswered points, at one point scoring touchdowns on six straight drives. 

            Even more impressive then the margin of defeat was Matt Barkley in his first start, albeit against an over matched Spartans team.  Barkley completed 15 of 19 passes on the day for 233 yards including a four yard touchdown to redshirt sophomore tight end Rhett Ellison.   Barkley was crisp and accurate with his passes, hitting receivers in stride much of the day.  The biggest positive for Barkley was he didn’t throw an interception, which was a concern due to his lack of experience.  Backup quarterback Aaron Corp came in during mop up duty in the fourth quarter completing all four of his passes for 45 yards.  Corp also finished the Trojans scoring when he found fullback D.J. Shoemate for a 13 yard score. 

            The real stars of the game however were the Trojans stable of running backs as well as a speedy and stingy defensive unit.  The defense did their job all day, swarming to the ball carrier.  The Trojans defense forced two turnovers one of which led to a touchdown.  The Trojans tailbacks were very busy today accounting for most of the scoring.  Junior tailback Joe McKnight had a highlight reel run as he sliced through the Spartan defense early in the third quarter for a 54 yard touchdown, his second on the day.  McKnight ended the day with 145 yards on 14 carries.  Stafon Johnson and Allen Bradford also had productive days; Johnson had two touchdowns on just six carries while Bradford picked up 53 yards on the day including a 43 yard touchdown run in the second quarter.  Marc Tyler also scored for the Trojans on a 1 yard carry. 

            After the game Barkley was given the Trojans quarterback treatment as he was mobbed by reporters.  Barkley was asked whether or not he was nervous coming out of the tunnel to which he responded, “I was nervous during the Trojan walk earlier in the day, but when I came out of the tunnel I was not nervous, it was so much fun to be out there.”

            Up next for the Trojans is a visit to Columbus Ohio where they will play the Ohio State Buckeyes who will look to rebound from a lackluster performance in a 31-27 win against Navy.  The Trojans may have to open up the offense to be successful however, as Barkley ran a conservative offense for the majority of the day.  USC will lean on their veteran offensive line to provide time for Barkley to throw the ball and open lanes for their stable of backs to run through.  The Trojans will also look to correct their turnover problem as McKnight and tight end Anthony McCoy each lost fumbles in the first quarter.