USC-California Football: Keys to Game Nine

The big question this weekend is which Cal Bears team will show up at USC Saturday. Will it be the Cal Bears that embarrassed themselves at Maryland and Arizona? Or will it be the Cal Bears that upset Oregon last week in Berkeley?

A bigger question might be who will quarterback the Bears at the Coliseum on Saturday. Will it be Nate Longshore or Kevin Riley?

The answers to those questions may also determine whether USC goes to a BCS bowl or the Holiday Bowl.

If the Bears that beat Oregon last week show up and head coach Jeff Tedford picks the right quarterback, Cal might be able to hand USC its second loss, which would just about knock them out of a BCS bowl, unless Oregon State or Cal lose two more games.

Right now, all three teams have one loss in the Pac-10 while Oregon State also has two OOC loses and Cal has one.

But Tedford has suffered through the same kind of dilemma at quarterback as Pete Carroll has at tailback. Namely, who should start and get the most playing time?

Tedford has started both quarterbacks this season. Kevin Riley has started the last two games but suffered a concussion against Cal, which may limit his availability on Saturday.

Overall, Longshore has a better completion percentage, 56.8 percent to Riley’s 53.7 percent. However, Riley has compiled more yardage, 1,065 to 767, along with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions to Longshore’s eight touchdowns and four picks.

In addition, Longshore is strictly a pocket passer, whereas Riley has somewhat more mobility and can move around to give his receivers time to get open.

USC coach Pete Carroll, on the other hand, is set at quarterback with Mark Sanchez. Going into Saturday’s game, Sanchez is completing 65.2 percent of his passes for 1,884 yards and 22 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

But at running back, where Carroll has some decisions to make, Tedford is set. Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen are the one-two running back punch for the Bears. Both hit the seams fast and are capable of breaking long runs.

Best has run for 736 yards on a 108 carries with four 100-yard rushing games and six touchdowns. Vereen has rushed for 555 yards with three scores. Each has caught 21 passes out of the backfield.

One reason for the up-and-down performances at quarterback could be on the receiving end. Two of the best receivers in the Pac-10 last season, Cal’s DeSean Jackson and LaVelle Hawkins, are playing on Sundays this year.

So far, none of the current crop of receivers has stepped up to fill their shoes. Nyan Boateng has 19 receptions for 324 yards. LaReylle Cunningham and Sean Young have 16 catches each for 231 yards and 175 yards, respectively.

Both Verran Tucker and Jeremy Ross have come on as of late. Tucker has 13 catches on the year (11 in the last three games) for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Ross has nine catches (eight in the last three games) for 152 yards and three touchdowns.

Overall, the Cal offense is 34th in nation with 402 yards per game. It ranks 40th in rushing with 171.8 yards and 46th in passing with 230.2 yards. Although the stats tell a fairly mediocre story, there is one category in which the Bears rank in the top 20—points per game. They are 19th, posting 36.4 points per game.

They have their defense to thank for that.

While the Cal defense ranks 39th in points allowed compared to USC’s No. 1-ranked defense, Cal is tied for with North Carolina for first in interceptions with 17.

That has given the offense a short field, allowing it to put up over 36 points per game even though the passing game is less than spectacular.

It is also the key to the Bears upsetting the Trojans.

In the three games USC has lost over the last two seasons, interceptions played a key role.

John David Booty threw four picks in the loss to Stanford. His replacement, Mark Sanchez, threw a key interception last year against Oregon and this season against Oregon State, each ending last-minute comebacks.

The keys to Cal’s defense and its outstanding number of interceptions are its two cornerbacks, Syd’Quan Thompson and Darian Hagan.

Thompson is tied with safety Sean Cattouse for the team lead in interceptions with three, which he has returned for 108 yards. He also has 44 tackles, fourth on the team, and 22 punt returns for 248 yards, an 11.3 average.

His counterpart, Hagan, from Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, has only one interception but leads the team in deflections with 12 and has made 37 tackles.

In certain situations, the Bears will work Chris Conte, who is also credited with an interception, and Bryant Nnabuife into the rotation at cornerback.

Backing up the corners are safeties, Brett Johnson and Marcus Ezeff. Both have two interceptions and a touchdown return. Ezeff is credited with 35 tackles while Johnson has 26. Their backup, Cattouse, is a redshirt freshman with four tackles to go with his three interceptions that have him tied with Thompson for the team lead.

The linebackers—Zack Follett, Worrell Williams, Anthony Felder, and Mike Mohamed—are the heart of Cal’s 3-4 defense. Outside linebackers Follett and Mohamed have had the most impact. The last two games they've produced a sack, an interception, and touchdown return against UCLA and 14 tackles against Oregon.

Inside backers Williams and Felder each have an interception. Williams returned his 50 yards. Felder is second behind Mohamed with 50 tackles, while Williams has 43.

Of course, it is equally important which Trojan offense will show up. Will it be the one one we saw against Virginia, Ohio State, and Oregon? Or will it be the one we saw against Oregon State and Arizona?

The often over-promising but sometimes under-achieving Trojans have had experience against the 3-4 defense, namely in the Virginia game, which they won, 52-7. But against a rival like the Cal Bears and Jeff Tedford, the going might not be so easy.

Of course, the main key for the Trojans will be Sanchez. Aside from making the right reads and check-offs, he must be able to move around in order to avoid the blitz.

Part of keeping Cal’s linebackers honest is the Trojan running game, Carroll’s greatest dilemma. One would think it wouldn’t be a dilemma with all the four- and five-star running backs USC has recruited. But keeping all of them or, at least, a good portion of them happy has prevented USC from developing an overpowering running game.

Unlike Cal with only two running backs, Best and Vereen, there are no fewer than six Trojans who need to get their touches. If they don’t, there is always that fear one or more might transfer.

The same problem exists in the receiving corps, where there are eight regulars who would like to get their hands on the ball in every game. However, unlike the running backs, none of the receivers that I know of have gone to the media or openly expressed their discontent—yet.

Regardless of which running back gets the call this week, the other important key for the Trojans will be Stanley Havili, the fullback. Whether it’s keeping the blitzing linebackers away from the Sanchez or leading the Trojans "tailback of the week" through Cal’s 3-4 defense, the job falls squarely on Havili’s shoulders, and so does the Trojans' eighth victory of the season.