A Trojan's Guide to the Crosstown Rivalry

At seven o'clock on Saturday night, the entire city of Los Angeles, along with its surrounding suburbs, will have its eyes fixated on the annual USC vs. UCLA football game. Like previous seasons, the game will feature two teams that vehemently despise one another. However, tomorrow's game marks the first time in recent memory that the highly anticipated crosstown showdown will be each team's final game of the season. Even with a victory, UCLA will not have enough wins to qualify for a bowl game. As for USC, well, you know why…

Don't be fooled, though. The lack of postseason implications takes nothing away from tomorrow's game. In fact, it probably adds something. You've got to figure that each team would like nothing more than to end the other's misery and then spend the next twelve months bragging about it. That said, let me spell out exactly what is at stake tomorrow, explain how each team can win the game, and provide some random and entertaining tidbits about the rivalry that I have collected from around the web. Consider this the 2010 guide to the Battle for Los Angeles--through cardinal and gold lenses, of course.

The Prize

Because neither team has an opportunity to play in a bowl game (I know, I've beaten this horse to death), the Trojans and Bruins are essentially playing for pride and for bragging rights, two things that actually matter a lot in this city. For a Trojan, losing to UCLA is simply unacceptable. For a Bruin, losing to USC is what you sign up for, but there is always hope that you will win "next time." To prove how big the upcoming game is, just look at what past coaches in the rivalry have said:

Henry "Red" Sanders (Hall of Fame coach at UCLA):  "Beating 'SC is not a matter of life or death, it's more important than that."

Pete Carroll:  "…this is a big game for…everybody that lives in southern California. [The game is] for our fans and our school. [The game is] an opportunity to own something that's really precious here. You get to anticipate it all year long. Then you get to live with the results of it, too, which are a big deal."

So don't buy any of Lane Kiffin's attempts to minimize the importance of tomorrow's game. It's huge.

In terms of a tangible prize, the winner of the game gains possession of the Victory Bell. Because of USC's recent domination over UCLA, fans that are any bit unfamiliar with the symbol may simply think that the bell is just another piece of the Trojan tradition, like Traveler or lighting the Los Angeles Coliseum's torch. But alas, even though one school may lay claim to the bell for a particular time period, it is technically a piece of both USC and UCLA's tradition. USC looks to renew its ownership rights to the bell for a fourth straight season.

Keys to Victory - UCLA

For the Bruins, the game plan will depend on who plays quarterback for USC. According to a report early Friday, Matt Barkley is expected to make his return and start the game. If that is the case, UCLA will have to cross their fingers and hope to win a shootout. The UCLA defense is terrible. They have given up an average of 30.5 points per game, including allowing an eye-popping 55 points to the Arizona State Sun Devils last weekend. In that game, the Bruins made ASU backup quarterback Brock Osweiler look like Auburn's Cam Newton; the sophomore from Kalispell, Montana, threw for 380 yards, 4 touchdowns, and ran for another score. If a no-name like Osweiler can put on some cleats and dismantle the Bruins like he did, just imagine what a seasoned passer like Barkley could do.

If Barkley does not play, and Mitch Mustain takes the snaps for the Trojans, then UCLA can afford to employ a different strategy. In that case, the Bruins would be better suited to play a slower, grind-it-out type of game. Against Mustain, the key for the Bruins defense would be to put pressure on him and rattle him. Last week versus Notre Dame, USC showed that it was not comfortable giving Mustain too loose of a leash; the offensive play-calling was very predictable and static. The Bruins, if Mustain plays quarterback tomorrow, should note that and play aggressive defense to make Mustain beat them.

Offensively, regardless of whether the Bruins need a shootout or a low-scoring game, the Bruins will rely heavily on their talented running backs to carry the load. If there is anything that the Bruins do well, it is run the football; they currently rank 33rd in the nation in rushing yards per game with 179.9, with a bunch of those yards usually supplied by sophomore Johnathan Franklin. Last week, Notre Dame showed that the Trojans, despite being solid up the middle, were vulnerable to a ground attack; the Irish's two-headed monster of Cierre Wood and Robert Hughes rushed 26 times for 158 yards and one touchdown collectively. Once UCLA establishes the run, the Trojans will be forced to put more guys in the box and play more aggressively at the line of scrimmage, giving quarterback Richard Brehaut some chances to take shots downfield. And while Brehaut is no Matt Barkley, Brehaut is coming off the best game of his career last week when he threw for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns. If USC has learned anything this season, it's that they cannot underestimate people.

Keys to Victory - USC

For the Trojans, there are two keys to this game. First, quarterback play. While we expect Barkley to start the game and finish the game, sometimes things happen and we have to alter our plans and expectations. Regardless of who takes the majority of snaps, one thing is clear:  the quarterback needs to take care of the football. It all starts with establishing the run game with Marc Tyler. If Barkley starts, the coaches will run early to help ease Barkley back into the swing of things; if Mustain starts, the coaches will run early to help ease Mustain into the swing of things. See a pattern? In order for this to work effectively, the offensive line needs to show up, something that they did not do last week against the Irish. If the run game is able to get going, the quarterback will be able to utilize play fakes and misdirections to create big-play opportunities. Finally, when those opportunities arise, the receivers need to capitalize and make the catches. Last week, countless receivers dropped easy catches. The Trojans need to be in this game mentally as much as they need to be in it physically.

On defense, it's really all up to Monte Kiffin. Last week, the Trojans showed a lot of progress in limiting the Notre Dame passing attack. Sure, they had trouble on the ground, and sure, UCLA is a ground-oriented team. But because UCLA is more run-heavy than Notre Dame, they are more predictable in a sense. Monte should expect and have prepared for plenty of the "pistol" formation. The "pistol" formation is an odd look that only UCLA features in the Pac-10, so main key for the players is to have seen the formation and understand how it works. Beyond that, I think you have to make Brehaut beat you. Yeah, he passed for 321 yards last week, but can he do it again? The Trojans should try to put pressure on him, hit him hard, and hope to take the fight out of him early.

UCLA Jokes

I scanned the internet for the best UCLA jokes/jabs that I could find that were decently creative and not outrageously over the top (e.g. How many light Bruins does it take to…). Here are my top five:

5. A security guard at the Rose Bowl notices two UCLA fans climbing a fence. The guard grabs them by the collars and says "Now just get back in there and watch the game until it finishes."

4. What's the difference between a UCLA football player and a dollar? You can get four quarters out of a dollar.

3. What do medical marijuana and UCLA have in common? They both get smoked in bowls.

2. Do you know why UCLA's football team doesn't have a website? Because they can't string three "Ws" together.

1. What does a UCLA fan do when his team has won the BCS Championship? He turns off the XBox.

NFL Hall of Famers

UCLA (4) - Tom Fears, Jimmy Johnson, Bob Waterfield, Troy Aikman

USC (11*) - Morris Badgro, Frank Gifford, Ronnie Lott, Willie Wood, Ron Yary, Ron Mix, O.J. Simpson, Bruce Matthews, Anthony Munoz, Marcus Allen, Lynn Swann

*Most by any college

Interesting Facts

• Lane Kiffin (35) will be the youngest person to coach his first game in this rivalry.

• The longest winning streak in the series is eight by UCLA from 1991 to 1998; USC's longest win streak is seven from 1999 to 2005.

• The 1967 game is nicknamed the "Game of the Century." Number four USC led by O.J. Simpson defeated the top-ranked Bruins 21-20. USC would go on to win the national championship.

• Staff of the Daily Bruin and Daily Trojan, the schools' respective newspapers, compete yearly in a flag football contest titled the "Blood Bowl," a tradition since at least 1950.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Three Observations from Notre Dame vs. USC

Saturday night's loss to Notre Dame was an embarrassment for USC, down year or not. Upon further review, here's what I observed in the loss...

1.  Lack of Focus

The team as a whole deserves blame for a general lack of focus in Saturday night's debacle versus Notre Dame. I found three examples of a lack of focus and/or lack of execution.

First, the wide receivers dropped numerous passes that should have been caught. Obviously, the dropped pass that nobody will forget is Ronald Johnson's drop of a Mitch Mustain deep ball on USC's final drive that would have given the Trojans the lead, and maybe the victory. Johnson had beat his defender, Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith, who lost his footing in the muddy field, and had a clear path to the end zone. Mustain put the ball right on the numbers, but Johnson failed to haul it in. (Side note:  If you're an NFL fan, you may have noticed that another wide receiver with the last name Johnson--Steve Johnson of the Bills--dropped a game-winning pass, too. It's tough to say which was the more egregious drop, but I venture to say Steve Johnson's simply because it would have literally ended the game right then.) Two weeks ago, I talked about how Ronald Johnson has pretty much disappeared in the second half of the season, and just to prove my point, check out the following stat:  In the first six games of the season, RoJo recorded over 50 yards receiving in each game. However, in the six games since then, he had only gone over 50 yards once, and he has not recorded a touchdown in the past four games. Mr. Johnson? Paging Mr. Johnson.

Unfortunately, RoJo wasn't the only Trojan who dropped passes; Jordan Cameron, Stanley Havili, and Brandon Carswell whiffed on catches, too. In a game with so little offensive production, four (at least) drops did not help USC's cause.

The second example of a lack of focus is team penalties. USC was penalized eight times for a loss of 47 yards, which amounts to almost one-fifth of the total yards they gained all game. The penalties also came at very inopportune times--a couple of them wiped away what would have been first downs and almost all of them put the team in long-yardage situations that the passing game could not convert.

Finally, USC did not cash in on multiple opportunities, a sign that the execution was just not there. The Trojans caused four turnovers, all of which occurred in Notre Dame territory. However, USC only scored 13 points off of those turnovers. It is rare to see a team lose a turnover battle so lopsidedly like Notre Dame did yet still win a game.

2.  A Shrunken Field

In trying to reason why the Trojans only managed 261 total yards of offense, I arrived at a conclusion that has two interrelated parts. First, it was clear that the coaches were not going to let Mustain throw the ball deep very often, or that Mustain did not have the ability to throw deep consistently, or both. Second, Notre Dame's defensive line dominated USC's offensive line, which prevented the run game from establishing itself. When you combine both of those factors, the field became significantly smaller, and as a result, Notre Dame's defense was able to dictate the action.

Because it was Mustain's first start in four years, it was understandable that the coaches would devise a a pretty conservative game plan--at least in the early stages of the game--to protect Mustain. But it might have been a bit too conservative, regardless of how little he has played in recent years. Mustain attempted 37 passes on the night and averaged only 4.8 yards per attempt; by comparison, Matt Barkley this season averages 7.39 yards per pass attempt--that's quite a difference. And not only was Mustain looking short distance most of the night (with the exception of two deep balls), but the play-calling lacked variety. Over 90% of the time, if Mustain was asked to throw the ball, Kiffin elected to either 1) roll Mustain out to his right, 2) throw a quick wide receiver hitch to the outside, or 3) throw a wide receiver screen pass. It's one thing to beat the opponent over the head with these plays if they are getting you 6, 9, and 15 yards a pop. But it's a completely different story when the plays get you only 3 or 4 yards each time.

As for the battle in the trenches, USC's offensive line was never able to get a consistent push to enable the running backs to run downfield. Ideally, the Trojans would have ran the ball to set up some nice play-action fakes for Mustain and get him some easy opportunities. Instead, the Trojans' 30 rush attempts only gained 80 yards (2.7 yards per carry). As a result, the dozen run fakes that Mustain carried out did little good. Why would Notre Dame's secondary bite on run fakes when the running backs couldn't even get past the line of scrimmage most of the night? I was very surprised to see the offensive line manhandled like they were.

3.  Bright Spots:  Defense and Kicking

The silver lining in this loss was the performance of the USC defense, which is usually the butt of jokes when it comes time to write game recaps.

The defense surrendered only 296 total yards to a team that normally averages over 370 total yards. It did so mainly by shutting down the passing attack; quarterback Tommy Rees passed for only 149 yards and was limited to only 4.7 yards per attempt. USC was also able to stop Notre Dame on third down, something that the defense has failed to do with other opponents; the Fighting Irish converted only five of their fifteen third-down opportunities.

But the biggest reason why their performance is laudable is because they forced four turnovers. And while the offense was unable to capitalize on those turnovers, it was nice to see the defense make game-changing plays once again. The defense picked three Rees passes off, all in enemy territory. Furthermore, it was the manner in which the interceptions were made that is also impressive; both Devon Kennard and Chris Galippo made their interceptions after they had dropped back in zone coverage, which shows their versatility as linebackers. Marshall Jones picked his ball off by making a play on the ball and cutting in front of a receiver, not parking under an overthrown ball. In general, the Trojans were very active in the passing lanes and managed to deflected a lot of passes. This performance was a nice sign that the players may finally be adjusting to Monte Kiffin's schemes.

And finally, every USC fan's favorite punching bag, kicker Joe Houston, redeemed himself in a nice way on Saturday night. Houston was the team's biggest source of offensive production, successfully kicking three field goals and an extra point. His first field goal was kicked from 45 yards away, which was his first successful kick from outside 40 yards all season long. Kudos to Joe Houston. At least for one week, he won't be the most hated kicker in a college town--that honor goes to Boise State's Kyle Brotzman, who had this forgettable sequence of events against Nevada.

Five Observations from USC vs. Oregon State

Bringing the House illustration

Entering Saturday night's game, the USC Trojans and the Oregon State Beavers could not have been going in more opposite of directions. In its prior two games, the men of Troy swept the Arizona schools and gave themselves great momentum heading into Corvallis, Oregon, where it had not won since 2004. Meanwhile, the Beavers had lost its past two contests--a 17-14 affair at UCLA and an embarrassing 31-14 defeat on its home turf against the lowly Washington State Cougars. When you combine those factors with the fact that Beavers star wideout James Rodgers is done for the season, it seemed as though the stars were aligned for USC to end its recent history of forgettable performances in Corvallis. Unfortunately for the Trojans, star alignment matters only in astrology, not in football.

Here is what we learned after watching the Beavers beat the Trojans 36-7…

1.  Lane Kiffin Still Finding His Way

In previous posts, I have addressed Lane Kiffin's emergence as a great play-caller. He has shown creativity, courage, and strong leadership during a tumultuous season at USC. Earlier this season, on numerous occasions, Kiffin mentioned the need for USC to establish an identity. He felt that it was important that the team create a brand of football, an approach so strong and unique that the team could rely upon it in every game. Last night, I saw a coach that went against the philosophies that he himself had set in previous performances. I saw a coach still tinkering with his own identity.

Kiffin decided to "go for it" on six different fourth-down situations. The Trojans converted a total of two of those attempts. While I generally advocate fourth-down attempts, the approach to these fourth-downs made me scratch my head. In several of those situations, the Trojans ran to the line of scrimmage in a hurry after they came up short on third-down and tried to run a play to catch the Beavers off guard or in the middle of a substitution. That strategy worked exactly zero times. The strategy itself is not bad if you are accustomed to an up-tempo style and have disciplined personnel (think Oregon Ducks). But USC has never been that type of team in past seasons, and it certainly has not been that type of team this season. And while the Trojans may work on that during practice here and there, I question whether the team should employ such a divergent approach in highly-crucial fourth-down situations.

Next, Kiffin continues to mismanage the running back corps. While he cannot really do anything to prevent in-game injuries like the one suffered by Marc Tyler last night, Kiffin basically puts each running back in his dog house at least once per game, and I highly doubt that this treatment helps build confidence for these young players. Look, there is no doubt that the USC running backs have talent; they were all four- and five-star recruits out of high school with incredible blends of athletic ability. But what separates great backs from mediocre backs, besides injuries, is opportunity, otherwise known as carries. Check out the number of carries per game that some of the other Pac-10 Conference running backs get compared to what USC running backs get:

Rush Attempts Per Game:

LaMichael James - 25.0
Jacquizz Rodgers - 21.7
Shane Vereen - 18.9
Chris Polk - 17.9
Stepfan Taylor - 17.8
Marc Tyler - 13.3
Allen Bradford - 8.2

The averages for Dillon Baxter, C.J. Gable, and Stanley Havili are so low that it is not even worth including on the list. So, how does Kiffin expect any of his running backs to establish a rhythm and perform at a high level each week? With so little reps and quality playing time, I just don't see that happening for any running back regardless of what his name may be.

2.  Matt Barkley Needs to Improve His Judgment

Everyone is going to blast Barkley for the pick-six that he threw to Beavers cornerback Jordan Poyer to start the second quarter. Barkley had a receiver running an out route, which is an easy route for corners to jump if the quarterback stares down the receiver and throws a lazy ball. And that is exactly what happened last night. But there were other instances of poor judgment by Barkley that you cannot see in the box score.

On USC's fourth drive of the game, Barkley was under pressure and eventually sacked for a loss of nine yards. During the play, while Barkley was being pulled down by the Oregon State defender, Barkley desperately tried to throw the ball away and ended up heaving the ball about five yards in front of him (the referee ruled that his knee had hit the ground before he had released the ball). While nothing disastrous came of this play (beyond the loss of yardage), Barkley's decision to try to throw the ball away while being dragged to the ground is one that the coaches need to correct. It is a bad habit of quarterbacks who cannot see the big picture; that is, it is a short-sighted decision to "make a play." Barkley did it last week and he did it again last night. In the best-case scenario, it saves a couple of yards. In the worst case, it leads to turnovers and points for the opposition. Ultimately, the bottom line is that winning quarterbacks eat the loss of yards and tuck the football.

3.  Jacquizz Rodgers Owns USC Defense

So far in his career, Rodgers has played USC three times. Each time, Rodgers dominated the USC defense. Here is his career line against the Trojans:

83 carries, 427 yards (5.14 yards/rush), 4 TDs
13 catches, 80 yards (6.15 yards/catch), 1 TD

That's pretty darn impressive considering 1) USC's athletic defense and 2) Rodgers' size (if you buy the idea that small running backs can't be successful). For whatever reason, the Trojans just can't stop that guy (or his brother, if he plays). The Trojans seem to have more trouble with small, quick running backs than they do with big, bruising backs. But why?

The Trojans have always been a very quick defense that flies to the ball quicker than most teams in the country. Last night, the Trojans looked quicker than they have looked all season long. Although they were burned a couple times on the edges, they, for the most part, were able to stuff runs to the outside and had three or four players involved in those stops. It baffles me how Rodgers has so much success against the defense, regardless of who is trying to tackle him. Years ago Rodgers ran all over one of the best linebacking corps in the history of college football (Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews). He has consistently run for big gains up the middle of the defense despite gap-pluggers like Jurrell Casey and Fili Moala.

Simply put, Rodgers is just a great running back who has USC's number. It is uncertain whether Rodgers will enter the upcoming NFL Draft, but if he does, USC will be very, very happy to see him go.

4.  For USC, Final Two Games Will Be a Test of Character

The Trojans entered Saturday night's game 7-3 and it looked as though they could win their remaining three games to finish the regular season 10-3, which would be quite an accomplishment for Kiffin and his staff given the circumstances. Instead, the Trojans return to Los Angeles battered (worst loss to Oregon State dating back to 1914), bruised (Barkley's high-ankle sprain leaves him questionable for the next game), and perhaps unmotivated (double-digit win total is now out of reach like their postseason). But USC's final two games are against the team's two biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA. While both the Fighting Irish and the Bruins have had their troubles this season, both teams would like nothing more than to kick the Trojans while they are down.

It will be very easy for USC to pack it in for the rest of the season. Barkley has had high ankle issues in the past, and from a big-picture perspective it might be best to sit him out and start the recovery process toward next season. Why risk a long-term injury for two seemingly meaningless games? Furthermore, your prized running back Marc Tyler is also banged up, and with Allen Bradford in his last season, it might be a reasonable move to let Tyler focus on next season and let Bradford get the bulk of the carries to up his draft stock and send him out on a high note.

Regardless of what personnel Kiffin decides to go with, one thing is clear:  Although the next two games carry no postseason implications, they mean a lot to the fans, the program, and USC tradition. How the coaches approach the final two games and how the players prepare and perform will go a long way in establishing that identity that Kiffin desires. Because of the sanctions, USC will not have an opportunity to be a champion, of anything, this season. But in the next two weeks, the Trojans will have the chance to play like champions and salvage what they can of this season.

5.  For Oregon State, Final Two Games Will Make or Break the Season

Before the season began, the Beavers were a trendy pick to contend for the Pac-10 title. From a scheduling standpoint, Oregon State set itself up well for BCS praise with out-of-conference tilts against TCU and Boise State to complement the grind of the Pac-10's round-robin format. But after it lost two of its first three games and another three of four during a stretch from mid-October to mid-November, the Beavers found themselves on the wrong side of bowl bubble. While Saturday night's victory over USC certainly helped, Oregon State must now win one of its two remaining games to become bowl eligible. Their two remaining opponents? Sixth-ranked Stanford on the road and #1 Oregon in the annual Civil War rivalry game. It's pretty tough to imagine the Beavers winning either of those games, but with a bowl game berth on the line, you cannot count out coach Mike Riley and the scrappy Beaver bunch. If they do happen to lose both games, Oregon State fans have to wonder whether scheduling such a tough set of games was worth the price.

Observations from the Desert: What We Learned from USC vs. Arizona

Image via Wikipedia

Lane Kiffin's Emergence as a Great Play-Caller

Kiffin's decision making and general game management has improved over the course of the season. First, Kiffin has shown the courage to dial up gutsy plays in big situations; this is not to be confused with recklessness. And second, Kiffin has learned how to develop smart game plans week after week.

USC fans were accustomed to the derring-do of "Big Balls" Pete. Carroll would routinely attempt fourth conversions in a variety of situations. While the bravado was loved by many, eventually it got to the point where smart football minds began to question the sanity of the man behind the calls. Under Kiffin, however, the approach to fourth downs has been tempered a bit. Last night against the Wildcats, Trojans fans saw a bit of the courage and creativity that Kiffin can bring to fourth down situations.

On USC's third drive of the game, Kiffin went for it on fourth down twice. The first opportunity was a 4th and 1 outside of field goal range. Kiffin called a run up the middle for Tyler, who easily bulldozed his way to move the chains. The second opportunity was a 4th and 3 in field goal range. Kiffin sent his field goal unit onto the field, giving the Wildcats the notion that they would simply kick the field goal and take the points. However, as we know from previous games, the Trojans have a lot of options out of their field goal package. With backup quarterback Mitch Mustain serving as the placeholder, the Trojans are able to audible to a traditional offensive set and run a designed play. And that's exactly what they did. Mustain took a shotgun snap, faked the handoff to kicker Joe Houston (hilarious), and delivered a short strike to the right side to tight end Jordan Cameron for the first down.

Kiffin's lone "mistake" came near the end of the game in Arizona territory. The Trojans were leading 24-14 with just over two minutes remaining. With the ball at the Arizona 15 on a 4th and 2, Kiffin decided to go for the first down and the chance to run out the clock if they could convert it. Barkley faked a handoff to Tyler going left and bootlegged back to his right. Fullback Stanley Havili was wide open in the flat, but Barkley's pass was batted down by Arizona's Jake Fischer. After the play, a friend of mine texted me and blasted Kiffin's decision. Certainly, the decision can be questioned. USC was up by ten points at that juncture and another three points would force Arizona to have to score two touchdowns instead of one touchdown and a field goal in order to tie/win the game. And while the play failed and Arizona then marched down the field and scored to make the game closer than it really should have been, I don't think you can condemn Kiffin's choice too harshly.

For one, kicker Joe Houston is a liability even from what would have been 32 yards. Remember, just last week against Arizona State, Houston missed 27 and 35-yard field goal attempts. Would you rather call on Houston in that situation or give Barkley the chance to drop a short pass to a sure-handed Havili? I'd probably take the latter more often than the former. Second, if Kiffin had sent Houston out to kick the field goal, and Houston had missed it, then what would the critics have said? "Kiffin should have known better than to trust Houston in that situation." What I am saying is that everyone loves to criticize decision-makers after the fact. But when I examine the decision and block out my knowledge of the result, I don't think it's a terrible choice. Now I'm not saying I would go for it ten times out of ten. But I I generally favor an aggressive play-calling approach and I think the decision and the play call were justified. The execution simply didn't happen, and you can't blame Kiffin for that.

Finally, Kiffin makes great calls in all situations, not just the universally-noticed fourth down. In the fourth quarter, on a 3rd and 7, Barkley rolled to his right and gave a delayed handoff to Havili who countered back up the middle for a huge gain. It was such a subtle call and a play that will never make a highlight reel, but it was truly a great chess move by Kiffin. Pay attention to little things like that throughout SC games!

Marc Tyler is The Man

Last week I was confused as to why Marc Tyler did not get the bulk of the carries against Arizona State despite the fact that he gashed them whenever he touched the ball. I also said that I was not a fan of the running-back-by-committee system if it employed more than two backs. Well, it seems like Kiffin may have read my critique and adjusted his game plan accordingly last night versus Arizona. After carrying the ball just 12 times last week, Tyler carried the rock a whopping 31 times last night en route to 160 yards and 1 touchdown. The guy was unstoppable. He consistently made the first guy miss at the line of scrimmage and usually carried another one or two Wildcats on his back for the tough extra yards. While his speed is not breathtaking, his quickness is deceptive, and that allowed him to outrun defenders on the edges and make some guys miss.

If Kiffin still wants to keep opposing coaches guessing, I suppose he can keep telling everyone that USC has a running-back-by-committee. But look at how the rushers have performed in the past two weeks; Tyler has run extremely hard and produced nearly 6.5 yards per carry; Baxter has gotten opportunities, but still does not hit the hole like a running back should; and Allen Bradford has seen limited action because of nagging injuries and ball-security issues. If there is, in fact, some sort of committee, Tyler is without a doubt the head chairman. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Ronald Johnson is The Invisible Man

The senior wide receiver started the season off with a bang at Hawaii by finding the end zone three times. Immediately after that game, people hopped on the Ronald Johnson bandwagon and I even heard some faint Heisman Trophy whispers. But after watching last night's game, Johnson's lack of production has me wondering if he's even the team's fourth-best receiving option.

Over the past three weeks, Johnson has averaged an unremarkable three (3) catches and 36 yards per game. Last night against the Wildcats, Johnson caught two passes for 25 yards. He also dropped two passes that I would expect any starting wide receiver, and especially a top-two receiving option, to catch; the first was a ball that Barkley threw into the corner of the end zone in the second quarter that forced Johnson to lay out. Johnson had both hands on the ball but could not haul it in. While a hypothetical catch would have been nullified by a holding penalty, Johnson should have completed the play. Diving catches are tough, but being a number one or two option demands that you cash in the tough ones. The second ball that Johnson should have caught was a wide-open slant over the middle that would have resulted in a runaway touchdown. To Johnson's credit, Barkley delivered the ball low (around Johnson's knees/shins). But again, Johnson got two hands on the ball, and should have brought it in. I bet if you ask RoJo he would agree.

With as much attention as freshman Robert Woods is receiving these days, RoJo's production should go up. While I acknowledge that coach Lane Kiffin wants to spread the ball around, it is inexcusable that Johnson has disappeared during the season's home stretch.

Third Down Defensive Woes

Coming into the game against Arizona, I felt like USC had trouble stopping teams on third down. Looking at the numbers, however, did not reveal a terrible third-down defense prior to last night; USC opponents had completed 44.6% of third downs (54-121). Maybe I just think the defense wilts on third down because third-down conversions are backbreakers and they tend to stick in memory longer.

That being said, the SC defense had a forgettable night against Arizona on third downs. The Wildcats converted 11 of 16 on the night, including a 7-for-8 line at the half. Third downs not only extend drives, but they keep the defense on the field, keep the offense on the sideline, and keep the momentum with the opponent. I expect Monte and company to address their deficiencies in this area during the coming week.

On a side note, was it me or was the play-by-play announcer on the ABC broadcast terrible? I felt like we got the C-team. Not only was he late/wrong on multiple calls throughout the night, but it was evident that he wasn't even paying attention to the game. During the third quarter, the Wildcats converted a big 3rd and 10 on a wide receiver screen pass to Juron Criner for 13 yards. At the end of the play, the commentator said, "Here is an example of Arizona doing what they did not do in the first half, and that's convert on a third and long." Um, check your stat sheet, big guy. As I said above, the Wildcats went 7-for-8 on third down in the first half, and several of those came on third and long. At the very least, a play-by-play guy should follow the game.

USC Pass Defense Continues to Struggle

I know I am starting to sound like a broken record here. After every Trojans game, I gripe about the poor play of the USC secondary. Well, surprise surprise, this week is no different.

Arizona quarterback Nick Foles shredded the USC secondary, which had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. Foles connected on 32 of 48 passes for an eye-popping 353 yards and 3 touchdowns. He did not throw a pick, either. Not only did the USC defense make Foles look like Joe Montana, but they made Arizona's wide receivers look like twins of Jerry Rice. Coming into tonight, Arizona's Terrence Miller had less than 50 receiving yards on the entire season; tonight, Williams recorded 116 receiving yards. Prior to tonight, Arizona senior Travis Cobb had never caught a touchdown pass in his career; tonight, Cobb caught 4 passes for 50 yards and his first touchdown. Arizona's standout wide receiver, Criner, nursed a leg injury but still managed to record 6 catches for 98 yards.

The only thing that can change at this point is Monte Kiffin's play-calling. The talent cannot be fixed; Shareece Wright is in his last season and will not get any better; Torin Harris is terrible, but lucky for him he is a freshman so it is "understandable." Nickell Robey has been somewhat of a surprise and T.J. McDonald is emerging as a playmaker at the safety position. Kiffin needs to either put these guys in better positions to not get burned and make plays or dial up more pressure on opposing quarterbacks to limit the amount of time passers have to pick apart our defense. Fortunately, the Trojans do not face any dangerous passing attacks in the next three weeks.

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• Tyler Leads Trojans Past Fading No. 18 Wildcats (nytimes.com)

Five Observations from Arizona State vs. USC

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The Sometimes Special, Sometimes Not-So-Special Teams

Let me preface this applause/criticism by saying that prior to Kiffin's arrival, USC placed absolutely zero emphasis on special team. Pete Carroll seldom, if ever, used scholarships for kickers and punters and I do not even think Carroll staffed a special teams coach. As a result, Kiffin is using walk-ons for kicker (Joe Houston) and punter (Jacob Harfman).

As we see with the Oregon Ducks week after week, special teams can be a difference maker. It can not only swing points on the scoreboard, but it can swing momentum, which sometimes is even more critical. Well, USC special teams had both positive and negative contributions last night.

By now, everyone in the world (yes, even in places like Namibia and Syria) knows about Joe Houston's issues at kicker. Houston missed another two field goals last night, one from only 27 yards out and the other from 35 yards. Then, in the fourth quarter, in what seemed like a storybook moment, Houston kicked the eventual game-winner. From zero to hero in less than two hours. Well, sort of.

T.J. McDonald also joined the special teams party by blocking one punt and just missing another. The McDonald block gave USC some great momentum and field position that Barkley immediately gave right back to the Sun Devils by throwing a pick on the next play from scrimmage.

Later, offensive lineman Tyron Smith, lined up on defense, blocked an ASU extra point attempt with his face mask. The block led to a Torin Harris return for touchdown for two points. At the end of the run Harris flipped into the end zone, causing a collective groan from   most USC fans. Discipline, discipline, discipline. C'mon, Torin.

Finally, the kickoff unit allowed a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to LeQuan Lewis. Lewis basically started his return up the middle and then bounced it outside. Several Trojans had an opportunity to stop him, including Shareece Wright, who whiffed down low. Lewis was then off to the races and nobody caught him.

As you can see, there was some good and some bad. It was nice to see special teams having an effect on the game. Now the coaches need to work on limiting the special teams mistakes and making sure that the special teams units perform consistently each week.

Running Back Issues

Earlier in the season, we were a run-first team. Now, it's clear that we are a pass-first team that runs the ball to remain balanced. Part of that, to me, results from the emergence of Matt Barkley and Robert Woods. Another part of that is just the inconsistent play of our running backs. Their on-and-off play stems from various things, such as injuries, fumbling issues, and not enough carries. But regardless of the source of the problem, USC needs to figure it out. Marc Tyler had a great game last night, running 12 times for 119 yards. Yet despite the fact that he was running hard and gashing the ASU defense, he didn't get the bulk of the carries; that honor was bestowed on freshman Dillon Baxter.

I understand Baxter's appeal. He's a guy in the same mold of Reggie Bush and Joe McKnight (for the record, I hope he's Bush-like on the field, not off the field, and never McKnight-like). But Baxter is falling victim to the same habit that plagued each of his predecessors at various points during their careers:  dancing through the hole. Baxter seemed very hesitant last night. He just wasn't very explosive. And for a guy who ran like that to get 17 carries (only 52 yards) is kind of puzzling.

Obviously, there isn't much the coaches can do about the injuries. Allen Bradford is a tough, grind-it-out runner who inevitably will get banged up a bit in the trenches. But when these guys are healthy, you have to give them carries on a consistent basis to keep their confidence up and their timing on point. I am not a huge fan of the running-back-by-committee approach, especially when you have more than two backs. I'm okay with a two-headed monster like Alabama's Mark Ingraham and Trent Richardson, but three might be too much.

By the way, after eight games in which head coach Lane Kiffin injected a steady dose of the Wildcat formation, he did not call one single play from that formation last night. I thought the Wildcat gave us a nice look to throw at opposing defenses, and Tyler actually ran well out of that formation. I wonder what gave.

Defense Shows Improvement, Work Left to Do

Although Arizona State ended the game with 33 points on the scoreboard, that number is not an accurate measure of how the defense played. Seven of those points came from an Omar Bodden 66-yard interception return for a touchdown and another seven of those points came from a LeQuan Lewis 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Thus, if we subtract the 14 points that the defense did not actually surrender, they only gave up 17 points to a potent Arizona State offense (ranked 16th in the nation in passing yards per game and 36th in total points per game).

That being said, I am still not satisfied with the defense, despite an improved performances. While I applaud them for their effort and victory last night, I still see room for improvement in two areas. First, they need to get back to fundamental football and wrap up when making tackles. Players at each level of the defense--in the trenches, at linebacker, and in the secondary--missed tackles. And that is simply inexcusable. I saw Chris Galippo whiff on a tackle that led to key first down; Shareece Wright, not surprisingly, whiffed on multiple tackles, including one that enabled LeQuan Lewis to break free on his kick-return touchdown. I could go on for hours. The players leftover from the Pete Carroll era have bad habits that result from Carroll and his staff emphasizing big hits more than form tackles. If you are consistently causing turnovers with those big hits, then that's one thing. But if you consistently try to lay guys out, but don't cause turnovers and let the guy bounce off of you and continue on for another 10-15 yards, then that's a problem. The coaching staff needs to fix it.

Second, was Monte Kiffin sleeping in the coaches box? If he wasn't, he sure as hell wasn't paying attention to the game on the field. If he was paying attention, he would have noticed that Arizona State ran two different plays about a dozen times each. The Sun Devils abused the halfback swing/sweep pass and the wide receiver quick hitch. The swing pass is the play where quarterback Steven Threet would sometimes fake the handoff to one back and then another back would run straight out to the sideline and catch a ball with momentum going forward. The hitch pass is where a receiver out wide would simply plant when the ball is snapped and catch the ball where he started, in essence getting a one-on-one chance against the defensive back. The Sun Devils repeatedly ran both plays and gained 5 or 6 yards each time. I expect(ed) Monte to make the proper adjustments on the fly, but if not at the very least at halftime.

Malcolm, X-Factor

Could the improved defensive play be somehow tied to senior linebacker Malcolm Smith's return to the field? Remember, Smith is one of our stronger and more athletic linebackers and had been sidelined with a knee injury. He missed the games against Cal and against Oregon, and was limited in the game against Stanford. Prior to going down, Smith was third on the team in tackles.

Smith had a nice welcome back party last night against the Sun Devils. He recorded 7 tackles, 5 of them solo, and included 1 sack. Most importantly, however, Smith recorded a big interception and ran the pick back 74 yards for a touchdown. The play gave USC some points and momentum and gave the defense some much-needed confidence.

Fox Sports Prime Ticket Completely Botched the Telecast

Can we figure out a way to boycott Fox Sports Prime Ticket and their horrendous coverage of USC games? First, we missed the pregame show, opening kickoff, and few Arizona State plays--one of which included a halfback pass for over 50 yards--because FS Prime Ticket insisted on showing Southern California fans the last five minutes of an irrelevant, two-score Oklahoma versus Texas A&M game. By the time Prime Ticket began its telecast of the USC game, the Sun Devils had 2nd and 8 from the 16-yard line. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that USC elected to have ASU start from inside the red zone so that USC's offense could get the ball back sooner.

Second, I have never seen a station pan to the crowd for shots of unimportant screaming fans as much as Prime Ticket did last night. It's one thing to get an aerial shot of the stadium to set the stage or show a couple rabid fans during a timeout, but Prime Ticket cut to the fans between virtually every single snap. I was so appalled that I actually re-watched the game and took a tally of what I have dubbed Prime Ticket's "Fan Obsession." About a quarter of the way through the fourth quarter, I had counted 35 times that the camera showed a close-up of the crowd; this does NOT include shots of the cheerleaders or aerial shots from the blimp above. To the production crew at FS Prime Ticket:  focus on the action on the football field. We don't care about the guy in the second row who probably can't even name five guys on our starting defense. Your job is to bring us the game with enough bits of the atmosphere so we can feel our team's advantage, not so we can count the number of blemishes on some girl's face.

Three Observations from Oregon vs. USC

In the biggest game of the Lane Kiffin Era thus far, the Trojans fell in a shootout Saturday night to the Ducks. Oregon's quick-strike offense overwhelmed the Trojans defense and quarterback Matt Barkley just could not muster enough points to keep up. Looking beyond the box score, we learned the following:

USC's Defensive Problems Result from Subpar Personnel

The defense has been criticized all season long here at Bringing the House and by most media outlets. While it has delivered some nice performances (Virginia and California), it has also laid down some duds (Hawaii, Washington, and Stanford). Throughout the season, different parts of the defense have taken the blame; first, we thought new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin's schemes were too new for the players and that the adjustment period would inevitably be filled with hiccups; and second, we hypothesized that a slew of unfortunate injuries prevented the defense from fielding its best possible lineup.

Well, this weekend, the Trojans put those theories to the test. The defense has had seven weeks of playing under the elder Kiffin and showed, in last week's game against California, that it had finally caught on to the scheme. The Trojans came off a bye week, which would allow Kiffin to extra time to prepare the defense for Oregon's offensive attack. And finally, the extra week would also allow the Trojans to rest up and enter the important showdown fully healthy.

So much for all of that. While the Trojans forced several three-and-outs, I would attribute their brief moments of success to luck and adrenaline, not preparation and skill (the Ducks dropped multiple passes that could have gave them first downs). The fact is that the Trojans' defense played awful. Not only did they surrender 311 yards on the ground and another 288 through the air, but they played undisciplined football that made you wonder what Kiffin and his staff were doing for the past two weeks. And while I think it would be easy to blame the coaches for this performance, I think I have finally discovered the root of the problem:  the players.

While the players are not terrible, they just aren't good enough. And they certainly don't live up to the defenses of the past at USC. It's not that they gave up all of those yards to this juggernaut--everyone does. But it's the manner in which they gave up those yards:  players were constantly out of position, bit on play-action fake after play-action fake, and missed countless tackles. Shareece Wright led the team in my new statistic, "plays caught out of position." On Oregon's first drive, Wright blew his coverage on wide receiver Jeff Maehl's comeback route that resulted in a key third-down conversion for Oregon; in the second quarter, Maehl burned Wright for a 45-yard touchdown catch (Wright was trailing him by about 10 yards); and in the third quarter, Wright inexplicably peeled off Maehl as Maehl broke his route inside on a 3rd and 13 and caught the ball for a 30-yard touchdown.

The bottom line is this:  we have a lot of defensive players who were highly recruited but have not yet lived up to their billing. At the same time, these defensive players were brought in by Pete Carroll for a particular style of defense, which is completely different than Monte Kiffin's approach. I still have faith that Kiffin can build a dominant defense, but he will need to bring in the right players to do so. Until then, Trojans fans should expect let downs similar to this one for the rest of the season. Which brings me to my next topic…

Will the Run Defense Hold Up Against Oregon State and UCLA?

Never mind the insane amount of yards that the defense allowed on the ground in the first three quarters of Saturday night's game. Instead, look at how many yards the team allowed in the fourth quarter. The key to winning football games, at any level, is stopping the run. If you cannot stop the run, you cannot win games; if you trail in a game, good running teams will use the run to drain the clock and prevent your offense from having enough time to mount a comeback. And that is exactly what happened to the Trojans.

With 12:20 left in the game and USC down 43-32, Oregon started a drive with the ball on their own 36-yard line. Here is the play-by-play for that drive:

• LaMichael James rushed for 8 yards.
• Darron Thomas rushed for 3 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 2 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 15 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 5 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 4 yards.
• Darron Thomas rushed for 5 yards.
• Darron Thomas completed pass to Lavasier Tuinei for 4 yards.
• Remene Alston, Jr., rushed for loss of 1 yard.
• Darron Thomas completed pass to Remene Alston, Jr., for 2 yards.
• Rob Beard kicked 34-yard field goal.

The positive is that USC's defense held the Ducks to only three points; a touchdown at that juncture of the game would have been devastating. However, Oregon ate up 5 minutes and 2 seconds on that drive, leaving USC only 7 minutes to score a touchdown, make a defensive stop, and score another touchdown. USC failed to score on the ensuing drive after Barkley threw an interception, and with 5:25 left in the game, up two scores, Oregon took the ball and did this:

• Darron Thomas rushed for 3 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 10 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 45 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 2 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 5 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 7 yards.
• LaMichael James rushed for 8 yards for a touchdown. 53-32, game effectively over.

If it wasn't for James' 45-yard burst, this drive would have taken longer than 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Either way, SC's defense could not stop the run, precious seconds left the clock, and Oregon put the nail in the coffin.

It does not matter how many points Barkley and this offense can put up. If the defense cannot play well and protect a lead, this team will play from behind in every game and not be able to catch up. USC has two remaining games against teams that are run-oriented, and while I hate to admit this, I see the defense having trouble against both teams.

First, on November 20th, the Trojans will travel to Corvallis to the play the Beavers. The Trojans have lost 3 of their past 4 games against Oregon State, including both games in Corvallis. In the past two showdowns, the defense had trouble tracking down the small and elusive Jacquizz Rodgers. In 2008, Rodgers gashed the Trojans 37 times for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. Then last season, while the Trojans won the game, they surrendered 113 yards to Rodgers plus an additional 42 yards to his brother, James Rodgers, who is out for the rest of this season. Quizz has four games with over 100 yards rushing already this season, and he also scored a combined seven touchdowns in his past two games. If the Trojans want to beat Oregon State, they need to stop that little giant.

The same goes for their game against UCLA and its running backs Jonathan Franklin and Derrick Coleman. While most everything about the Bruins is laughable, their running game is far from it. In fact, it's probably the only thing Westwood Junior College UCLA has going for it; they currently rank 117th in Division-I in passing yards per game, 96th in points per game, and 92nd in points allowed per game. However, the run game ranks a surprising 26th in the nation by producing 192.5 yards per game. The UCLA ground attack turned in its most notable performance of the season in a 34-12 thrashing of Texas in Austin earlier this season. During that game, the Bruins rushed 56 times for 264 yards and 3 touchdowns. If the Trojans plan on beating their crosstown foe, the defense will need to stop the run and get the ball back into Barkley's hands. Look, I am not saying that the Trojans will lose these two games. But these won't be gimmes either. If the Trojans don't make an emphasis to stop the run, these will be dangerous games that I could see going down to the wire.

The Oregon Ducks:  Your Future National Champs?

They sure look like a champion out there, don't they? On the road, they went for and converted a two-point conversion on the first possession of the game; they relentlessly attacked a rival deep into the fourth quarter; and they answered each USC score with a resounding score of their own. The offense, aka the blur, is so unique, entertaining, and dominant that you have to wonder if there is any team in the country that can handle it. What defense can maintain that insane pace, the stamina, and the discipline necessary to even contain the Ducks? Alabama, maybe? This Ducks team is better than the Ducks team of last season because Darron Thomas is a better passing quarterback than Jeremiah Masoli. So, in essence, this is an attack with even higher potential because there is a better passing element to it--Thomas went 19-for-32 for 288 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Trojans.

The most interesting part of this team is that you cannot focus on any one player. Sure, LaMichael James is a stud at running back, but if he misses a game then the Ducks will just plug another running back, like Kenjon Barner, in and the well-oiled machine will not miss a beat. Just look at the transition the team made from Masoli to Thomas. This isn't a star or player-driven team--it's a scheme and system-driven team. And that might be harder to stop than the Cam Newton's of the world.

As a USC fan, I am torn whether I want Oregon to play in the BCS National Championship Game. Although Oregon would represent the Pac-10 well, an Oregon appearance and possible victory would elevate that program and increase its ability to recruit high-profile players that USC also targets. As a college football fan, however, I cannot hide my desire:  I want to see Oregon play  and dominate an SEC team like Auburn or Alabama in the big game.

A Glimpse of Greatness: How Matt Barkley is Scratching the Surface of Expectations

After two straight games in which USC lost as time expired, the Trojans knew that Saturday's game was important. First, a victory would ensure that the team avoided its first three-game losing streak since 2001, Pete Carroll's first season. And second, a victory would send a clear statement to the nation that USC is still the same proud program--despite the sanctions--that won seven straight conference championships and multiple national championships. Well, in case you missed it, the Trojans accomplished both goals on Saturday night by delivering a 48-14 thumping on the California Golden Bears. While there were several things we can take away from that victory, one stood out from the rest:  Matt Barkley is as advertised and perhaps better. And when his college career is said and done, I would be shocked if he did not have a Heisman Trophy to his name.

The hype surrounding Barkley was enormous before he even set foot onto campus. People said it was only a matter of time before he would follow in the footsteps of Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart to become the next Heisman-winning quarterback at USC. Although he posted respectable numbers during his freshman campaign, plenty of people, including myself, doubted whether Barkley was the right guy for the program. For one, other quarterbacks within the conference, like Stanford's Andrew Luck, Arizona's Nick Foles, Oregon's then-starter Jeremiah Masoli, and Washington's Jake Locker, overshadowed Barkley; some had stronger arms, some had more agility, and others were more dependable.

Second, Barkley did not have any one performance that you could stamp as his "coming-out party." Although some would argue that his gritty performance at Ohio State in the biggest showdown of the year constitutes a "coming-out party," if you look at his individual numbers on that day, they do not exactly scream "Look at me, I have arrived!":  15-for-31 (48.4%) for 195 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. In the other eleven games he started, he only threw more touchdowns than he did interceptions in four of them:  at home against a pathetic San Jose State team, at home against an equally pathetic Washington State team,  on the road against an underachieving Notre Dame squad, and on the road in a blowout loss to Oregon. On the season, Barkley threw rougly one interception for every touchdown he notched (14 picks, 15 TDs). I would find it hard to believe anyone who could look me straight in the eye and say, with a straight face, that they thought Barkley, after his freshman season, was "the real deal." There was nothing in any of his performances that would lead a seasoned college football fan to draw that conclusion.

But what you could draw, however, was that Barkley was motivated by his freshman year struggles. The guy entered this season in better physical shape having lost some weight and better mental shape by staying focused amidst earth-shattering sanctions and a coaching staff overhaul. But being svelt and saying the right things do not mean anything unless you can put it all together and perform on the football field.

Barkley started the season on fire, throwing a combined seven touchdowns in his first two games. Granted, the competition was not exactly fierce (Hawaii and Virginia). Barkley's next two games were shaky, but showed glimpses of what he achieved in the prior two:  a mediocre effort over Minnesota and a tremendous first half but disappointing second half against Washington State. Then, just when it seemed like the quarterback was on his way to a great season, Barkley laid a goose egg at home against the Huskies:  14-for-20 for 186 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions. The performance was so pitiful (I saw it in person) that I thought we had seen a quarterback who completely regressed back to his freshman form. But just when most people hopped off the Matt Barkley Heisman Trophy Bandwagon, the sophomore signal-caller bounced back with the two most impressive performances of his young career.

Against a poweful and favored Stanford team, Barkley went threw for a career high 390 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions; had the Trojans' porous defense  stopped Stanford on its eventual game-winning drive, it could have secured Barkley's first signature victory. Then, for an encore this past Saturday afternoon, Barkley carved up the other Bay Area squad. He threw for a school record 5 touchdown passes...in the first half (the record is both a first-half record and a single-game record). And if it weren't for some penalties down near Cal's goal line, Barkley would have had six scores.

As always, the box score does not tell the whole story. Against the Bears, Barkley coupled his strong decision-making with great passing. For the first of his five touchdown passes, Barkley scrambled to his right to evade a pass rush and then fired a bullet toward the front pylon of the end zone where Robert Woods made a magnificent grab with a defender draped on his back. For his next touchdown pass, Barkley again ran to avoid pressure and this time aired a ball out for David Ausberry down the right sideline. Barkley threw the ball knowing that Ausberry had a clear size advantage over the defensive back, and he threw the ball where only Ausberry could catch it--high and to Ausberry's back shoulder. Passes like these from Barkley were a dime a dozen in the first half, and if it were not for Kiffin taking his foot off of the pedal in a 42-0 game, Barkley certainly would have had a monstrous second half. Also, keep in mind that Cal's defense had been very solid against the pass. Here is what Cal's defense did against opposing quarterbacks in its previous five games:

• 57 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT
• 166 yds, 0 TD, 3 INT
• 181 yds, 2 TD, 0 INT
• 212 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
• 99 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

If you ask me, that is some pretty impressive pass defense. But apparently Barkley didn't care and made Cal's secondary look as bad as his own (although for what it's worth, USC's secondary played better that day; I even saw T.J. McDonald defend a pass with his head turned toward the ball! Miraculously, it resulted in a pick! Who would've thought?).

As it sits now, Barkley has thrown 20 touchdowns to only 4 interceptions. He has completed nearly 60% of his passes (59.9% to be exact). He is averaging 8.9 yards per pass attempt, which is a clear indication that he is looking downfield instead of underneath. He also is developing a great relationship with emerging star Robert Woods. The two have connected 19 times for 340 yards and 5 touchdowns in the past two games. Woods will be here at least for another season, if not two, and if other young receivers like Kyle Prater and Markeith Ambles can provide some help, Barkley would suddenly have a ridiculous wide receiving corps.

But maybe the biggest reason why Barkley will win a Heisman is because of the learning ability and growth he has demonstrated thus far under Kiffin. It is obvious that the defense needs help and the special teams has its own issues. USC's running game has always been a strength and at times it looked like USC would be a run-first, grind it out type team. But over the course of this season we have seen Barkley grow in front of our eyes. When I watch the offense play, I feel like they are unstoppable. Sure, they may punt once or twice per game, but I am very confident that when we need to score, Barkley will march us down the field and get us the points. No doubt. And eventually, barring any critical injuries, Barkley and his receiving corps will become a well-oiled machine that will remind SC fans of the days when Leinart spread the ball around to receivers like Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett, and Steve Smith. And on that day, Barkley will have lived up to the hype.

What We Learned from USC vs. Stanford: Silver Lining in a Tough Loss

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

USC and Stanford each suffered its first loss of the season last week. The Trojans looked outmatched against a Jake Locker-led UW team that rallied in the fourth quarter to down USC, yet again, with a field goal as time expired. The Cardinal jumped out to a 21-3 first quarter lead in its highly anticipated showdown against Oregon, but the Ducks responded by outscoring Stanford 49-10 over the next three quarters en route to a 52-31 thumping. Although its powerful offense played well, Stanford's defense allowed 626 total yards to Oregon and left coach Jim Harbaugh scratching his head.

Stanford entered the game as 10-point favorite at home. I thought the line was pretty conservative because I didn't think the USC defense would make a single stop. Stanford needed to win if it hoped to remain in the Pac-10 championship hunt and in the overall BCS picture. On the other hand, USC, despite what coaches and players said all week, probably did not expect to win the game; a solid overall performance in a close loss was more likely. And that's exactly what happened as Stanford nailed a field goal as time expired to send the Trojans home with a 35-37 loss.

Here are five takeaways from tonight's hard-fought game:

1. Matt Barkley's Improvement

Last week I criticized Barkley for his inability to make clutch routine plays. In that game, he failed to make simple throws in crucial situations. Tonight, however, was a different story. Barkley not only made the simple passes, but he made the tough ones, too. He showed great patience in the pocket, consistently made the right read, and maintained composure throughout the night. He showed that he could adjust the amount of velocity on his passes by zipping them into tight windows and floating ones over the defense, depending on what the situation warranted. Minus one ball late in the game in which he left Ronald Johnson exposed to a big hit by an oncoming safety, Barkley placed the football in the right spots for his receivers. The second-year quarterback ended the game 28-for-45 for 390 yards and 3 touchdowns. Most importantly, he did not throw an interception. Additionally, Barkley tied Allen Bradford for the team high in rushing tonight with 33 yards (although the team should not be proud of this).

2. Robert Woods' Emergence

Before tonight, most USC fans thought of Woods as two things:  a highly-touted, athletic freshman wide receiver and the special teamer who ran a kickoff back for 97 yards and touchdown against Minnesota earlier this season. While Woods showed flashes of brilliance throughout USC's first five games, he had not yet had his official "coming out" party. That all changed tonight.

The speedy game-changer had the performance of a lifetime. Woods caught 12 balls for a whopping 224 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also added 3 kick returns for 86 yards. Woods did everything that a team could expect from a go-to wide receiver; he caught tough passes over the middle in traffic; he made acrobatic catches in the air; he caught short passes in open space and made defenders miss en route to a huge yards-after-catch stat line; and he made catches on key downs/situations. He showed a lot of courage on a big stage tonight, and the USC coaching staff and USC fans should be ecstatic. The other wide receivers don't seem to want to, or be able to, step up and make big plays when the offense needs them. Fortunately, Woods looks like he is of a different mold. If Woods can stay healthy and remain motivated, he will do big things before he leaves USC for the next level.

3. USC Defensive Backs Have Eyes in the Back of Their Heads

…that is the only explanation for why every member of the USC secondary plays with his back to the football. I mention this every week, regardless of whether we win or lose. It happens at least once per game, usually more:  the opposing quarterback throws a pass, medium to deep in range, and a USC defensive back flails his arms in the air while watching the wide receiver catch the ball in front of him. No attempt is made to locate or catch the ball.

As expected, this happened multiple times tonight. On two different occasions, play-by-play commentator Mike Patrick said, "The defender…never..saw…the ball." Once it was safety Jawanza Starling and another time it was cornerback Torin Harris. Surprisingly, I don't think Shareece Wright was guilty of any no-look defending today, although he did blow a couple tackles. I'm still waiting for the day that a USC defensive coordinator teaches the players in our secondary to play the ball, not the wide receiver. Until then, our secondary will not be able to reverse the following statistic:  through six weeks, USC, out of all the teams in the country, has given up the most pass completions of 15 or more yards.

4. USC Defense Cannot Keep Containment

While I am tempted to say that the USC defense cannot stop the run, period, that may be a slight exaggeration. They have shown the ability to stop the inside run at times. However, it is the outside run that gives them trouble. Why? Because USC defensive linemen and linebackers cannot keep containment. We saw it plenty of times throughout the first five games and some more tonight. Stanford running back Stepfan Taylor carried the ball 23 times for 104 yards and 1 touchdown, and most of his success came on the edges. His long run of 31 yards was the result of him bouncing the carry outside and picking up yards on the perimeter.

But perhaps most telling of USC's inability to contain runs to the outside is the amount of yards that opposing quarterbacks pick up with their legs. Tonight, Luck ran 6 times for 40 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and had a long of 19 yards that came on an important 3rd and 9 in the second quarter. Last week, USC gave up 110 yards to Locker. Trust me, these quarterbacks are not putting their heads down and running through Jurrell Casey in the middle; they are swinging wide around our defensive ends and around our outside linebackers that consistently over-pursue, get pinched down inside by a tackle or tight end, or find themselves out of position for whatever reason. Our defensive woes against the run will stop only if Monte Kiffin gets this straightened out. And beware:  our inability to contain on the edges will absolutely kill us against Oregon.

5. USC Has Heart

Look, obviously the Trojans lost. And they lost, for the second week in a row, in heartbreaking fashion. But in every defeat you can, and must, takeaway some good and parlay that into next week. And I saw plenty of good stuff tonight. Beyond the numbers and statistics, I saw courage and I saw heart. I saw players fighting for redemption. That kind of character will go a long way in determining how this team finishes the season and how some of these players finish their careers.

Barkley had a terrible game last week against the Huskies. Statistically, it was his weakest game of the season in terms of completions, yards, and touchdowns. And he made some costly mistakes that probably prevented us from winning. But Barkley responded tonight by having the best game of his season thus far. He had a season-high in completions and yards, and played mistake-free football. He bounced back and made a loud statement about what kind of player he is. And you have to respect and love that as a USC fan.

Next, take tailback Allen Bradford. Last week, the bruiser ran up and down Washington's defense and posted a career day with 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. This week? He was shut down by a much tougher Stanford defense. In fact, up until just over one minute left in the game, Bradford recorded 11 carries for only 20 yards. But how does he respond to three and one half quarters of getting knocked down and stuffed at the line? By carrying the ball twice, for 13 yards and 1 touchdown, in the red zone on USC's final drive. He didn't let the rest of the game and his performance affect him. Scouts will notice that.

Finally, senior fullback and captain Stanley Havili also redeemed himself tonight. During the fourth quarter, on a critical third down, Kiffin dialed up the most brilliant call of his young career by letting Marc Tyler throw a pass out of the wildcat formation. Tyler lobbed the football to a wide open Havili, but Havili, normally sure-handed, bobbled the ball and blew an opportunity to give the Trojans the lead. At that point, Havili could have ran to the sideline, took his helmet off, and mailed in the rest of the game. Instead, Kiffin sent him back onto the field, and on 4th and 2, Barkley went right back to Havili, who, this time, caught the ball, turned up field and converted the key first down. Only big time players overcome mistakes like Havili did.

Five Takeaways from Washington's Upset Over USC

Last night's upset loss to Washington was frustrating not because it was the second straight season USC lost to the Huskies on a last-second field goal, but because of the way USC dropped the game. The contest was poorly coached by Lane Kiffin and his staff, the defense was undisciplined and outmatched, and our starting quarterback disappeared when it counted most. Here are five takeaways I made from 8th row on the 35-yard line:

1. Kiffin's Decision-Making is Suspect

Two weeks ago, after the Trojans escaped Minnesota with a victory, I wrote about how Lane Kiffin's antics were not only confusing me, but also bothering me. More specifically, I cited his now ubiquitous two-point conversion charade that he introduced against Hawaii and his use of timeouts at the end of the first half against the Gophers. Since then, I have come around a bit on the first issue; I think the two-point conversion charade is a nice twist to a part of the game that opposing defensive coordinators may take for granted. However, I am still not sold on Kiffin's laughable use of timeouts versus Minnesota. Although many in the media quickly justified his tactics by saying the coach simply did not want to "leave any timeouts in his pocket," I thought that was a lame excuse for his pathetic behavior. Luckily, that abomination occurred at the end of the first half--not at the end of the game--and did not significantly come back to bite the Trojans.

Well, let's jump to the end of last night's game. At a point when clock management was more important than anything else, Kiffin again butchered an opportunity to use timeouts to put his team in a position to score and salvage a victory. As I sat in the Coliseum watching precious seconds run off the clock, I was completely baffled. In fact, I don't remember ever feeling so confused during a sporting event.

After kicker Joe Houston missed a critical field goal (more on this later) with 2:34 left in the game, Jake Locker and the UW offense took over at their own 23-yard line. The stage was set for a game-winning drive and another UW upset over USC. With the crowd on its side, USC managed to get UW to 4th and 10 before Locker converted for 18 yards to wide receiver D'Andre Goodwin over the left hashmark. Running back Chris Polk then gashed USC on a run for 26 yards and another for 6 yards. With the ball on USC's 33-yard line, it was clear that UW planned on running the ball to get in better field position for a field goal. UW ran three straight times, one of which gained a first down. But after each attempt, Kiffin did not use any of his three timeouts (where have we seen this before?). Why wouldn't Kiffin use his timeouts and force UW to give the ball back to USC with a chance for Barkley to lead his own game-winning drive? Seemed like simple football strategy to me. Instead, Kiffin let UW run the clock down to three seconds, at which point Kiffin tried to ice Husky kicker Erik Folk. Not once. But twice. He tried to ice Folk twice with back-to-back timeouts! I seriously thought I was at the theater watching a comedy. Well, as expected, Folk hit the game-winning field goal, and the joke was on Kiffin and the Trojans.

Kiffin's clock mismanagement bothered me for a couple of reasons. First, the approach went against common football sense. During the game, I had the feeling that the winner would be whoever had the ball last. In such a tight, back-and-forth contest, you have to give yourself a chance to win. And by not saving the clock for Barkley and the USC offense, he left the destiny of the team in hands, or foot, of Erik Folk.

Second, his attempt to instead use the timeouts to ice the kicker was something I would never in a million years see from a coach on a championship-level team. Would Nick Saban, Jim Tressel, or Urban Meyer ever do something like that? Never. Does Kiffin think we're all stupid? Is he even taking his job seriously? I seriously want to ask him those questions. He needs to cut the crap and play football. I am tired of his tough guy act to the media, undisciplined players, and gimmicky offensive strategies. Prepare the boys to play disciplined and motivated football. Do your job.

Finally, from what I learned after the game, Kiffin did not operate with the mindset of a leader and a coach. When asked about Washington's final game-winning drive, Kiffin said, "We weren't going to stop them. We were dead." I'm sorry, what? To be honest, I completely agree with that statement. I knew the defense was not good enough to make a stop in that situation. But for the head coach to think that in the heat of battle is unforgivable. These first five games have raised serious concerns for me regarding Kiffin's ability to coach a big-time program, especially one in which I have lots of pride. He disappointed in the NFL with Oakland, he disappointed with Tenneseee, and I don't have any faith he will be successful at SC.

2. Barkley Progressing Slower than Expected

The second-year quarterback did not have to do too much last night. Allen Bradford ran like a man possessed (more on this later) and Kiffin seemed comfortable with keeping the ball on the ground and controlling the tempo of the game. But in most games, you eventually need to throw the football. Whether you have to throw to convert on the occasional third-and-long or you have to throw just to keep the defense off balance, you have to put the ball in the hands of your quarterback and make a play or two. While Barkley's final numbers look sufficient (14-for-20, 186 yards), he did not step up in the few instances that the team needed him. Shortly into the fourth quarter, USC had the ball on 3rd and 8 at the Washington 10-yard line. The Huskies led 29-28 and the Trojans had a chance to cap off a nice drive with a touchdown. Wide receiver David Ausberry broke loose in the back of the end zone, but Barkley fired a bullet that sailed too high for the 6'4" senior.

Later, on USC's most important drive of the game, Barkley failed again. On 3rd and 5 at the Washington 24-yard line, USC desperately needed a first down. Moving the chains would allow USC to run the clock out and win the game. Barkley dropped back and saw a wide open Jordan Cameron over the right hashmark. And again, Barkley fired a bullet that sailed too high for his wide receiver. The incomplete pass left USC in a dicey predicament. They chose to attempt the field goal, which was evidently shanked by Joe Houston.

I am not saying Barkley should lose his job. But I just want to put forth the idea that maybe Barkley is not going to be what USC fans expect. I know he is only a sophomore and has plenty of time to learn and progress, but to this point in his career, he has not learned much. For someone who until this performance had received minor Heisman consideration, he has been vastly overrated. And when you examine the other quarterbacks in his class in the Pac-10, Stanford's Andrew Luck and Arizona's Nick Foles have developed considerably faster than Barkley.

3. Running-Back-by-Committee? Try Running-Back-by-Bradford

When Kiffin decided to name Marc Tyler as the number one running back on the depth chart instead of Allen Bradford, I questioned his decision. On numerous occasions, I lobbied for Bradford because of his experience, proven track record, and running style. Through the team's first four games, Bradford did not disappoint. But last night the senior tailback put together the most impressive performance of his career and may finally have cemented himself back at the top of the totem pole. The bruising running back carried the ball 21 times en route to 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. He consistently ran for four, six, or eight yards, and had a long of 37 yards. He probably should have had 4 touchdowns on the day because two of those were taken away from him by Tyler in the red zone. That being said, it is clear who USC needs to give the ball to if they want to be a running team.

On a side note, Kiffin fascinated me by his implementation of the wildcat formation into our offense last night. Tyler took the snaps and Barkley lined up wide. I think the wildcat is a nice formation to add to the playbook because it gives the defense another look to worry about. That being said, I hope the short term success of the new formation does not convince Kiffin to lower Bradford's carries out of the regular set.

4. USC Secondary Auditioning for Surprise Season of 'Lost'

I talked about the perpetual overrating of Shareece Wright last week. If he is our best corner, which he is, things in the secondary are not going to be pretty. And we saw that firsthand last night. The USC secondary gave up 310 passing yards to Locker and did not force one interception. By comparison, last week Locker went 4-for-20 for 71 yards and 2 interceptions, at home, against Nebraska. USC's cornerbacks were consistently beat off the line of scrimmage and their safeties were always out of position. Perhaps the most comical example of their poor play was at the start of fourth quarter after Locker exited the game with his apparent injury. UW backup quarterback Keith Price, a true freshman with only one career pass attempt, came in and lobbed a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Chris Izbicki. The pass was thrown softly over USC safety T.J. McDonald, who had his head and back turned away from the ball. McDonald, in an effort to look like he was defending the pass, jumped into the air and waved his arms. It looked like he was doing jumping jacks in the back of the end zone. USC defensive backs, for years now, have been defending passes with their backs to the ball, yet we think of these guys are legitimate corners and safeties. It astounds me.

5. Joe Houston, You Are the Problem

Ah, I saved the most upsetting observation--at least on the surface--for last. Everyone's out for Joe Houston at this point. The kicker, who up until last night's game was 1-for-4 on field goal attempts, missed what was probably the biggest kick of his life. For the record, I agree with Kiffin's decision to "take the points" at the juncture in the game. A lot of people thought that Kiffin should have gone for it on fourth down, and although I know the defense is an embarrassment, I thought they could have prevented Locker and UW from reaching the end zone. But hindsight is 20/20, and now that I know Houston is incapable of hitting a 40-yard field goal, I would have gone for it on fourth down (Houston is now 0-for-3 on attempts over 40 yards).

Houston's missed field goal is a testament not only to his abilities, but the Trojans special teams as a whole. Our kicking game--field goals, punting, and kickoffs--is a non-factor. Kicker Jacob Harfman did not send a single kickoff past Washington's 5-yard line, which enabled UW to return every kick and give themselves strong starting field position.

Special teams was never a priority under Pete Carroll. At least Kiffin has shown a commitment to special teams by appointing a specific coach for the unit. But until we begin recruiting kickers, USC will never feel confident in close games. And now that the talent disparity in the Pac-10 has shrunk, confidence in close games and a kicker that can convert big kicks are two things that USC will need in order to achieve success.

Trojan Postgame Report: Recap and Breakdown of Washington State at USC

Today marked the beginning of Pac-10 play for the 3-0 USC Trojans. While the opponent, Washington State, does not intimidate USC, it is important for the Trojans to begin conference play with a solid performance. The opponents from here on will only get tougher, so the Trojans need some momentum going into future games.

First Quarter

• Trojans defense looked pitiful on the game's opening drive. The Cougars ran 9 plays for 80 yards and scored in an efficient 3 minutes and 27 seconds. WSU quarterback Jeff Tuel made plays with his arm going 3-for-5 for 19 yards. But, perhaps more concerning, Tuel made plays with his legs. Tuel ran twice for 27 yards, the second run of which went 23 yards on a third down. The touchdown came on a wide receiver reverse pass from Jeffrey Solomon to Jared Karstetter. Although Trojan fans should hope that the defense would be discipline enough to not get fooled on trick plays like that, the play prior to that was a little more alarming in my opinion. On that particular play, Tuel dropped back and threw a deep ball intended for wide receiver Marquess Wilson, who beat Shareece Wright off the line and got behind safety T.J. McDonald. Luckily, Wilson was unable to hall in the pass, but USC should not allow receivers to get behind the secondary so easily.

• The Trojans response was quick and straightforward:  a 59-yard rush by Stanley Havili. The senior fullback took a stretch handoff left and cutback right. He then made several moves to shake Cougar defenders downfield, and just like that, the game was tied.

• The defense rebounded from the Cougars first drive nicely by scoring its first defensive touchdown of the season. After a quick three step drop, Tuel fired the ball to the left sideline, but cornerback Nickell Robey jumped in front of the pass, picked it off, and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Last week, I talked about how Robey was maturing as a player (he's only a freshman), and he followed up that performance with a nice start in this game. It was good to see the defense score, something that has been lacking in recent seasons.

• USC's second drive started with another big play by, yet again, Stanley Havili. Matt Barkley, who had what seemed like hours in the pocket, fired a bullet to Havili on the run who broke into the open field and ran for a 58-yard gain. USC's speed has overwhelmed the Cougars; receivers are getting great separation and simply outrunning the defense; backs are sprinting through holes and open space and making defenders miss.  Barkley completed the drive by throwing an 11-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods. Midway through the first quarter, the Trojans have ran four (4) plays for 135 yards and have scored more points (21) than they did in four quarters at home versus Virginia (17). This is the kind of quick start that I have longed for the Trojans to show.

• WSU, who seemed like it had great momentum after its initial drive, has since sputtered and returned to its usual anemic state. Tuel cannot seem to throw an accurate pass; he overthrows receivers deep, bounces passes to receivers in the flat, and makes receivers over the middle stretch/reach for passes. When Tuel has been on target, receivers struggle hauling in the catches cleanly.

• USC special teams does its best Beamer Ball impersonation by blocking WSU's punt attempt on the Cougars' third drive. However, on the ensuing play, Barkley returns the favor by throwing an interception in the end zone. The pass, intended for Ronald Johnson in the back of the end zone, was severely under-thrown.

• I think, and have always thought, Shareece Wright is extremely overrated. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career, yet during spring ball every season, the media and fans jump all over him with praise. He might be USC's best corner, but if he is, the Trojans have major problems in the secondary. Wright has yet to prove himself as a legitimate corner at the college level. During the first quarter, Tuel completed numerous passes to receivers being "covered" by Wright. The senior corner was also beat several times over the top, but luckily for him, Tuel did not deliver catchable passes to those receivers. Despite all this, the Fox Sports announcers have stuck to their initial claim that Wright is a shutdown corner on an island. Am I missing something? Did Wright lead the NCAA in interceptions or pass deflections one season that I simply am not aware of? Do offensive coordinators game plan around him? If I were calling plays, I would attack Wright and make him step up before I looked elsewhere.

Second Quarter

• Trojans looked to establish the run with Marc Tyler, who gained a first down after two carries. Barkley then through a duck to Ausberry that should have been picked off. Two plays later, Barkley through a ball over the middle that was begging to be picked off, and, in fact, was picked off. Barkley has looked terrible thus far. If you take out the 58-yard pass to Havili, who gained most of those yards after the catch, Barkley is 1-of-4 for 11 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs. In other words, he has completed one pass to USC players and two passes to WSU players.

• WSU took advantage of Barkley's second pick and pulled to within one score after Tuel threw a floater to Karstetter in the corner of the end zone. It was Karstetter's second touchdown catch of the game. USC blocked the point-after attempt to keep its lead at eight points, 21-13. Regardless, the first half has been an inconsistent showing for the Trojans. The first seven minutes were somewhat impressive, while the rest of the time has been extremely disappointing.

• The two teams traded turnovers midway through the second quarter. USC tried to run the ball more to take pressure off Barkley. Allen Bradford ran the ball up the middle for a decent gain before coughing up the football. A couple of plays later, Tuel threw a deep pass right into the lap of Robey, who already had a pick six earlier in the half.

• USC closed out the first half with a touchdown scoring drive, a T.J. McDonald interception, and a Joe Houston missed field goal. Although they would have loved to cash in on that field goal (we need a new kicker), that series of events gives the Trojans some momentum heading into the break.

Third Quarter

• USC executed very nicely on its first drive of the second half. Barkley completed passes to Ronald Johnson and Brandon Carswell, both of whom gained considerable yards after the catches. Barkley then completed a short pass to Brice Butler over the middle after a nice pump fake to give the Trojans an early score. Mitch Mustain ran the ball in for a successful two point conversion, and the Trojans are now 2-for-7 on those attempts so far this season.

• At the 10:30 mark in the third quarter, Wright, again out of position while defending a pass, got away with a ridiculous pass interference no-call. 

• USC's second drive resulted in another touchdown to make the score 43-13. Ronald Johnson finally got on the board by catching a 7-yard pass from Barkley, who increased his passing touchdown count to three on the day. In the third quarter the Trojans scored on one drive that spanned 4 plays for 93 yards and another drive that went 12 plays for 98 yards. Very encouraging.

• Mustain entered the game with 40 seconds left in the 3rd quarter. At this point I changed the channel because there were plenty of other great games in progress, including UCLA's surprising performance against Texas, Arkansas' upset bid over top-ranked Alabama, and another installment of the Stanford-Notre Dame rivalry.

Fourth Quarter

• It was a relatively uneventful final quarter, from what I could tell by looking at the box score. Mustain threw his first touchdown pass of the season to Havili. And the defense allowed a sympathy field goal that brought the Cougars with 34 points. Final score:  USC 50, WSU 16.

Final Breakdown

While it might be tempting to take a pessimistic view of the defense because it allowed 16 points to a sad Cougars offense, I will look to remain positive. I thought the defense played really fairly well today. The rush defense has been solid all season and it continued against WSU by only allowing 69 yards on 26 rushes (2.7 yards per carry). If anything, the pass defense needs a bit of help. I think the USC secondary is overrated (especially Shareece Wright) and I think they need to send more blitz packages to get some pressure on the quarterback in order to take pressure off of the corners and safeties. That being said, the secondary intercepted three passes today and returned one for a score, which is always great.

The offense got off a very fast start and then halted to a stop just as quickly. In the first half, Barkley looked downright awful. His final numbers (16-of-25, 290 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) were padded a bit after Lane Kiffin decided to keep it simple for the second-year quarterback by calling short passes that gave receivers/backs the ball in open space.

Today's player of the game was Stanley Havili. The star fullback burned the Cougars defense as a rusher and as a receiver. He ran 4 times for 80 yards and 1 touchdown, and caught 5 passes for 107 yards and 1 touchdown. A great all-around performance by Havili, who is one of the team's most dangerous and versatile weapons.

The running back corps looked very nice, as well. Along with Havili's 80 yards, Bradford rushed 7 times for 84 yards, Baxter ran 15 times for 76 yards, and Marc Tyler added 6 carries for 31 yards. As a team, the Trojans ran 39 times for 283 yards, which comes out to 7.3 yards per carry. Very impressive. The running game is clearly USC's strength through its first four games.

Ultimately, it was a good tuneup for the Trojans. The team played well in every facet of the game for most of the game (remember special teams even added a blocked punt). Hopefully this performance will carry into the tougher part of Pac-10 play, which begins next week at home against the Huskies. I will watch the game live from the Coliseum, so my weekly breakdown will be a bit delayed.