USC vs. Oregon: 5 Halftime Adjustments the Trojans Must Make

This is a game of epic proportions for these two Pac-12 teams. USC has nothing to lose, and the Trojans are playing for pride right now, as the NCAA sanctions against them don't allow any postseason possibilities.

Oregon is coming off a huge win at Stanford last week that vaulted the team back into the national championship picture. With second-ranked Oklahoma State's upset loss yesterday, the Ducks may be playing for a berth in the title game and a rematch against LSU.

It remains to be seen if the Oregon defense can stop Matt Barkley and the Trojans, as they've already given up 21 points. It also remains to be seen if the USC scoring machine can keep up with the speedy Ducks attack. 

Either way, USC will have to make some adjustments at halftime to maintain its 21-7 lead and knock off the fourth-ranked Ducks on the road. Here are five of them:

1. Contain James

It's no secret that LaMichael James is a beast. Containing him might prove difficult for any defense, but it will be a key for USC to win. I don't mean contain as in completely shut down. I mean contain as in limit the damage. If they can avoid allowing the big play, they've done their jobs.

To get to James, they need to play a defense that will have linebackers spying and not allowing him to find space outside. That's his bread and butter. He gets in the open spots outside or behind the defensive line and just explodes. Once he's in front of you, the race is over.

2. It's All About the Thomases

QB Darron Thomas and WR/KR De'Anthony Thomas are absolutely explosive. They both have ability similar to James, where they can break a big play off at any second. The Oregon offense has a lot of weapons, but if the Thomas' are allowed to run free, they will score points in bunches.

USC has started hot on offense today, but there's no way the defense can become complacent and expect to hang on to the lead. They need to have a spy on Darron Thomas when he comes out of the backfield, and if possible, kick it to anyone but De'Anthony Thomas.

3. Fast Substitutions

I think we all know that Oregon plays at a ridiculously fast pace. It's killed opponents for two years and it completely ruined Stanford last week. USC has faced it before, so they should be prepared to have the right personnel on the field for every defensive snap.

You don't want to waste a timeout or get a penalty when Oregon is already gaining momentum on one of those fast drives. The Trojans need to make sure they have their defensive alignments and subs planned out and practiced coming into the second half.

4. Beat Them Deep

As we've already seen tonight, the Oregon secondary can be beat deep. Not having Cliff Harris hurts them, but it's been a slight hole all year. Usually the offense can more than make up for any shortcoming on defense, but tonight it may spell trouble for the Ducks.

Matt Barkley is having himself a game right now, and is making pinpoint throws over the secondary. They need to continue to take shots down field and mix it up with the running game to keep that defense honest. If USC is going to hang on for the upset, long passes are going to be key.

5. Steal the Momentum

Autzen Stadium in Eugene is one of the toughest environments in the entire conference to play in. The fans are loud, passionate and smart. So far, the Trojans have done a great job quieting them down and taking the momentum from this Oregon team. 

They need to keep applying the pressure, because even the slightest change in momentum will bring the crowd noise storming back. The offense is too dangerous to allow them to get on a roll. USC needs to keep their foot on the gas and keep this Autzen crowd low-key.