USC's Offense Faces a Husky Task This Saturday

The USC defense is still very much a work in progress.  Although the front four are ready to step up their game to the next level, the linebackers and secondary need more time to mature into their respective roles.

They are all great athletes and possess the basic skills.  But it is a matter of acquiring the advance skills of reading offensive sets and knowing how that offense will react to a particular defensive set, which only comes with experience.

Devon Kenard switched to the middle linebacker spot from defensive end just this season.  Nickell Robey, starting opposite Shareece Wright, is a true freshman.  Safeties T. J. McDonald and Jawanza Starling are sophomores and Torin Harris is a redshirt freshman.

So, there is plenty of inexperience back there, and you had better believe that Huskies’ head coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Jake Locker will try to exploit it. 

This is a homecoming of sorts for Sarkisian, who joined Pete Carroll’s staff at USC back in 2001 along with another young assistant named Lane Kiffin. 

So Sarkisian is well aware that the spread offense his Huskies run with Locker calling the signals has given the Trojans problems both this year as well as in the past under Pete Carroll.

That means the Trojans will need to lean heavily on their offense if they are to win out, not only on Saturday but against some of the high-scoring offenses that proliferate the Pac-10 this year.

Just how heavily cannot be understated.  For USC, this is setting up to be an unmistakable trap game.

The Huskies are not coming in here as proud dogs like they had hoped.  At the start of the season they were picked by many to be in contention for the Pac-10 title.

But after a disappointing loss to BYU and an absolutely humiliating defeat at home by the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 56-21, the Huskies went into their bye week with their tail between their legs.

The 1-2 Huskies enter the Coliseum a wounded animal, ready to tear and claw their way to a much needed road win in their Pac-10 opener against the favored Trojans.

Make no mistake about it.  Washington’s and Sarkisian’s season is on the line this Saturday.  After convincing Jake Locker to stay in school for his final year of eligibility rather than opt for the NFL Draft, Sarkisian needs a victory to make sure all of his players continue buy into his program.

A loss in the Coliseum could have disastrous ramifications as far as his current players and future recruits are concerned.

The Huskies are only 66th in total offense nationally, 67th in points scored and 71st in passing yards.  Locker is 68th in passing efficiency, which doesn’t say much for the quarterback that many had predicted would be the top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Sarkisian desperately needs to improve upon those stats at the expense of the Trojan’s bend and often break defense. 

The key will be to spread out the Trojan defense with Locker either running or passing to Jermaine Kerse, who has 16 receptions in three games, and Devin Aguilar with 13 receptions.

The Huskies' rushing attack is ranked 60th with running backs Chris Polk and Jesse Callier sharing the load with Locker.

The other key for Washington is the return of defensive coordinator Nick Holt. 

Like Sarkisian, Holt was an assistant at USC under Pete Carroll.  He left the Trojans last year to join Sarkisian in Washington because he wanted to design and operate his own defense.

He did it to perfection against the Trojans in 2009, upsetting them in Washington.  But that was against an Aaron Corp-led Trojan team that blew numerous scoring opportunities with turnovers.  Matt Barkley sat that one out with a shoulder injury.

But Barkley will be at the helm this time with a 166.65 efficiency rating, 14th in the nation.  He leads the nation with 12 TD passes.  Locker only has half that many, but he also has half as many interceptions, two.

Overall, the Trojans are 21st in rushing with 218.5 yards per game, 23rd in scoring, averaging 37 points per game, and 38th in passing yards with 250 per game.

But mind you, those statistics have come against four teams with a combined 6-9 record and only two wins against FBS opponents while Washington’s stats are skewed by the beat down from No. 8 Nebraska. 

Perhaps the greatest factor of all is this.  Sarkisian, Holt and the entire Husky team have had two weeks to think about that Cornhusker beat down and two weeks to prepare for the Trojans.

Yes, indeed, Trojan fans, expect to see one very dangerous wounded animal battling for its Pac-10 life.  Take the points and the over.