An otherwise upbeat bye-week for USC limped to a close Friday morning.
Joe McKnight fumbled a punt. Cornerback Josh Pinkard channeled Stanford’s Richard Sherman and ran back an interception of a Matt Barkley pass for a touchdown.
There are still a few pot holes on the Trojans’ road to recovery. Read the rest of this entry »
Damian Williams is still a question mark for the UCLA game because of his high ankle sprain. David Ausberry is out indefinitely. Brice Butler has fluid buildup in his back that shouldn’t keep him out but could hinder him. Freshman De’Von Flournoy isn’t ready.
So who’s going to step up at wide receiver for USC besides Ronald Johnson?
The candidates include Brandon Carswell and Travon Patterson. But by far the most intriguing prospect is Jordan Cameron.
Jeff Byers could sense a difference.
In the most physical of football drills — the full-contact running drill known as the “nine-on-seven” — the USC defense was bringing it. Even though Byers is an offensive lineman by trade, it felt like the good old days.
“This is the first time I’ve really seen our defense consistently pound guys,” Byers said Thursday. “Nine-on-seven a couple days ago kind of felt like nine-on-seven with Rey and Cush. Which is good.”
“Rey” and “Cush,” of course, are Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing, the big and big-time linebackers who spearheaded the Trojans’ second-ranked defense last season.
They’re playing in the NFL now, along with several of their 2008 defensive teammates. The young front seven left in their wake has struggled mightily of late, surrendering 716 rushing yards in a pair of blowout losses that shook the foundation of the USC program. To put that figure in perspective, it’s 76 more yards than the defense has allowed in the other eight games combined.
Quick hitters from USC’s Thursday practice:
** Tailback Joe McKnight returned to action after sitting out Wednesday because of migraines.
** Defensive end Everson Griffen and linebacker Chris Galippo were among several banged-up veterans receiving extra rest.
** Freshman Devon Kennard is in line to start for the second consecutive game at strong-side linebacker. Michael Morgan is limited because of a broken wrist and sore shoulder.
USC quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates‘ name appeared on a list of possible candidates to take over the coaching job at Colorado. Pure rumor, basically, but we asked Bates about it anyway. (That’s our job, after all.)
Here’s what the former Denver Broncos assistant said (or didn’t say):
(on whether he’s interested in the Colorado job)
“I’m working day by day. We’re trying to get better offensively and keep grinding.” Read the rest of this entry »
Not for USC, obviously; that ship has sunk, er, sailed.
I’m referring to the advocates of the BCS seeing the light — which hopefully would lead to its eventual destruction and the creation of a playoff.
Why am I suddenly optimistic about this? Because the BCS launched a Facebook page, and on its wall, BCS executive director Bill Hancock wrote something shockingly open-minded.
Full text after the jump:
Click here for this week’s Pac-10 power poll and predictions on the top college football games.
More from the USC blog:
Hey, look at the bright side: At least USC won’t be getting screwed out of the BCS title game this year.
Other than that game (i.e., Rose Bowl II) and an at-large BCS berth, the postseason possibilities are endless for the Trojans now that they have three losses (and counting?).
With two games to go, they aren’t mathematically eliminated from the Rose Bowl yet — or assured of earning one of the Pac-10 Conference’s six automatic bowl bids. Crazy, huh?
Here’s your chance to predict USC’s uncertain future:
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More from the USC blog:
Cutting down on turnovers isn’t the only way USC quarterback Matt Barkley can get better.
Position coach Jeremy Bates pointed to two other areas — one pretty basic, the other pretty subtle.
We’ll start with the basic one:
“He still has to find checkdowns,” Bates said. “He’s so used to hitting the big plays in high school, hitting the seams. He still has to find (the) No. 3 (receiver). He’s still young. He’s still a process.”
While emphatically reiterating his support for Matt Barkley, USC quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates revealed some of the areas in which the touted freshman can improve.
The biggest one is turnovers, which were as significant a problem as run defense in last week’s 55-21 loss to Stanford. Barkley lost a fumble and threw an interception on the Trojans’ first two possessions, leading to a 14-0 deficit. Barkley threw three interceptions in all, giving him seven in the past four games.
“We’ve just got to take what they give us,” Bates said Wednesday. “We can’t try to win the (game) on one play, we can’t try to make a play when it’s not there. We’ve got to throw it away. We’ve got to take care of the football and live to see the next down. We can’t make plays that aren’t there, and that’s the biggest issue we’ve got going right now.”
