Oregon at USC: College Football Zoom-In Game of the Week
Game Time: 8:00 PM ET
Channel: ABC
Location: LA Coliseum (Los Angeles, California)
The undefeated Oregon Ducks have been steamrolling opponents with their high-octane spread offense. But they've yet to face off against a quality opponent on the road this season.
That will change when the Ducks head to Los Angeles to take on Lane Kiffin's USC Trojans on Saturday night.
USC is 5-2 on the season, but they are just two last-second field goals away from being undefeated.
If the Trojans' defense can tighten-up and slow down the high-powered Oregon attack, this one has the makings of one that could go right down to the final minutes.
Let's take an inside look at a few key details for this matchup.
USC Spotlight Player: QB Matt Barkley
1 of 12
Quarterback Matt Barkley has already riled up a few folks in Eugene with some of his comments and tweeting leading up to the game. But Barkley is the type of player who can definitely back up his pregame jabbering.
Even though the sophomore had just one established receiving threat, Ronald Johnson, heading into the season, he’s still been able to show why many thought so highly of him after his freshman campaign.
Barkley has been nothing short of sensational through the first seven games of the season, completing 65 percent of his passes with an outstanding 20-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio.
Barkley is capable of putting this offense on his shoulders and carrying it when the time calls for it. And his leadership and intangibles will be valuable assets to USC in a pressure-packed matchup like this one.
Oregon Spotlight Player: RB LaMichael James
2 of 12
Oregon running back LaMichael James isn’t the type of player that’s going to intimidate many adversaries in pregame warm-ups. The redshirt sophomore’s 5’9'', 185 lb frame may not be very imposing, but it’s not James’ size that makes him the player he is. It’s his super quickness and agility.
With track-like speed, James has been able to run through-and-around opposing defenses since stepping in as the starter during the early part of last season.
After rushing for over 1,500 yards in 2009, James has come back this season and shown that he certainly hasn’t lost a step.
The speedster has been averaging nearly 200 yards rushing in the six games he’s played in and he’s already found the end zone 12 times.
James is the most valuable weapon on this Oregon offense and his performance in the first half of the year has already put him on many people's short lists for the Heisman.
Lane Kiffin Searching For Signature Win
3 of 12
There’s probably no real reason to criticize first-year head coach Lane Kiffin for his performance up to this point. The Trojan head man has had to get his team focused through a litany of off the field distractions and keep them playing hard even though there’s really no light at the end of the tunnel—considering USC is barred from postseason play this season.
Kiffin has been getting some young playmakers involved on offense and any time you throw some inexperienced players into the mix, you’re inevitably going to have a feeling-out period.
There’s no shame in being 5-2 with your two losses coming by a combined six points. But alas, this is a USC Trojan fan base that was spoiled by the Pete Carroll regime, with Pac-10 championships and Rose Bowl appearances on a yearly basis. So don’t expect them to be too patient.
It would be a big boost for Kiffin if he was able to get a statement, hang-your-hat type win this season and there’s no better opportunity than the one he’s got Saturday night—playing No.1 ranked Oregon in front of the home crowd.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Will USC’s Defense Step Up?
4 of 12
Lane Kiffin made sure to bring two people with him from Knoxville when he made the move back to the west coast to become USC head coach: his father Lane Kiffin and his confidant Ed Orgeron.
Kiffin and Orgeron have been in charge of the USC defense this season, but the performance of the Trojans hasn’t been very satisfying up to this point.
USC’s young secondary has struggled and teams have taken advantage, throwing the ball all over them.
The talented front seven, which was supposed to be the unit’s strong point, hasn’t been bad. But they just haven’t made enough big plays at crucial times.
There’s a lot of skill on that side of the ball for the Trojans. But there’s no doubt that they are going to have to play disciplined and play together if they want to slow down this Oregon offense.
History
5 of 12
You better believe that USC still remembers last year’s embarrassing 47-20 loss up in Eugene in which they let up over 600 yards of total offense to the Ducks.
Let’s remember though, that Oregon hasn’t fared all that well at the Coliseum recently. In their last two games playing USC in Los Angeles, the Ducks have been outscored 79-20.
Oregon Offense vs. USC Defense
6 of 12
The tempo of this Oregon offense is what separates them from the crowd. It makes them hard to adjust for and ultimately to stop.
Chip Kelly has his offense running at a pace that never slows down, as the Ducks seems to run a play every 10-15 seconds.
That could be different in the environment of the LA Coliseum, where Oregon will have to deal with trying to communicate its calls in a more hostile environment than usually accustomed to.
It’s easy to see who the two key players for this Oregon offense are. Quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James are the two players that make the machine go, so slowing down one, if not both, will be a key priority for the USC defense.
The Trojans will be looking to limit James’ impact on the ground and try to force Thomas to beat them with his arm.
It seems odd to say, but USC’s defense actually matches up fairly well with the Ducks offense. The strength of the Trojans is in their front seven, especially their defensive line, led by stout middle-man Jurrell Casey.
The real key for USC though will be the play of its linebacker unit, which hasn’t been overly impressive thus far this season. If Michael Morgan, Devon Kennard and Malcolm Smith can make their presence known and fly around and make a lot of plays, they can change the rhythm of this game.
Oregon Offensive Lineup
7 of 12
Quarterback: Darron Thomas (1)
Running back: LaMichael James (21)
Wide receiver: D.J. Davis (10)
Wide receiver: Jeff Maehl (23)
Wide receiver: Lavasier Tuinei (80)
Tight end: David Paulson (42)
Left tackle: Bo Thran (69)
Left guard: Carson York (77)
Center: Jordan Holmes (54)
Right guard: Mark Asper (79)
Right tackle: C.E. Keiser (68)
USC Defensive Lineup
8 of 12
Defensive tackle: Jurrell Casey (91)
Defensive tackle: DaJohn Harris (98)
Defensive end: Armond Armstead (94)
Defensive end: Wes Horton (96)
Linebacker: Michael Morgan (17)
Linebacker: Devon Kennard (42)
Linebacker: Malcolm Smith (6)
Cornerback: Shareece Wright (24)
Cornerback: Nikell Robey (37)
Safety: T.J. McDonald (7)
Safety: Jawanza Starling (29)
USC Offense vs. Oregon Defense
9 of 12
The USC offense has been steadily getting better every week and right now they rank right behind Oregon in the Pac-10 conference, averaging almost 500 yards a game.
Quarterback Matt Barkley has been the catalyst for that success, throwing for over 1,800 yards.
Barkley has two valuable, potent receiving threats in steady senior Ronald Johnson and explosive freshman Robert Woods. And the Oregon secondary could have some trouble trying to shut both of them down.
In the backfield, big senior Allen Bradford has played the Lendale White role for the offense, bulling his way through opposing defenses, while Marc Tyler has come in and finally developed into a nice change of pace back. Tyler is capable of making big impacts at opportune times.
USC will be looking to control the ball and keep it out of the hands of Oregon’s offense. So look for them to keep it on the ground and keep the clock moving.
USC has a smart-and-seasoned offensive line, led by tackles Matt Kalil and Tyron Smith, that has the ability to wear down the Ducks front seven over the course of the game.
USC Offensive Lineup
10 of 12
Quarterback: Matt Barkley (7)
Running back: Allen Bradford (21)
Fullback: Stanley Havili (31)
Wide receiver: Ronald Johnson (8)
Wide receiver: Robert Woods (13)
Tight end: Rhett Ellison (40)
Left tackle: Matt Kalil (75)
Left guard: Butch Lewis (68)
Center: Kristofer O’Dowd (61)
Right guard:Khaled Holmes (78)
Right tackle: Tyron Smith (70)
Oregon Defensive Lineup
11 of 12
Defensive tackle: Brandon Bair (88)
Defensive tackle: Zac Clark (99)
Defensive end: Kenny Rowe (58)
Defensive end: Terrell Turner (45)
Linebacker: Casey Matthews (55)
Linebacker: Spencer Paysinger (35)
Linebacker: Josh Kaddu (56)
Cornerback: Anthony Gildon (18)
Cornerback: Talmadge Jackson (37)
Safety: Eddie Pleasant (11)
Safety: John Boyett (20)
Prediction: USC 27 Oregon 24
12 of 12
Coach Lane Kiffin finally gets a close game to go in his favor.
If USC can play ball-control offense and keep things steady, they've got a great shot at bringing down No. 1 Oregon.
Break out your Zappers. It's time to go on a duck hunt.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
