USC came back in impressive fashion to defeat Ohio State in the Horseshoe Saturday night. The late-game drive was defining for the team. It showed their toughness and resolve to get together and get a win.
Unfortunately, it showed their weakness as well.
That late-game drive against a questionable Ohio State defense required that Joe McKnight put the team on his back and carry the Trojans to the 1-yard line, where Stefan Johnson could polish it off.
Where was Matt Barkley? He contributed- on 3rd and long on their own side of the field, he threw a gimme flare route to McKnight to pick up 21 yards. The next time he threw, he floated a strike to his tight end Anthony McCoy in the seam for a large chunk of 26 yards- really the only tough throw he had to make in the drive. He hit one more pass- a slant for 8 yards. Finally, he hit Joe McKnight on a bubble screen to go ahead by 3. Not bad- 4 for 6 and 55 yards passing on the final drive.
I’m not so optimistic. Joe McKnight accounted for 72 yards of the scoring drive, receiving and rushing. What’s wrong with that? The rushing yards came to hard all day for the Trojans:
3.0 yards per carry over the course of the game.
The passing yards came too difficult as well:
15 of 32 for 6.1 yards per completion.
Conclusion: The offense is broke. Well, maybe not the offense, but the new offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates, has a ways to go to fill recent shoes. And I leave Lane Kiffin out of the list of shoes to fill.
That last drive had some imaginative play calling, and specific calls to exploit the defense. That didn’t happen all game. It was like watching an SEC matchup where each coach is simply trying to prove how hard their offensive line can push the other.
The playcalling was generally so entirely predictable and bland for a USC team that it was hard to imagine this team competing for a National Title. They looked like an SEC team- Great defense, inability to consistently move the ball. This is glaringly different from years of yore at USC.
Too many zone running plays on first down- not enough play action, screens, quick shots to get WR one-on-one on the sideline.
Too much running at an 8-9 man box- not enough play action.
Too little QB movement- an obviously athletic QB did not get moved around much and felt the heat because of it, not to mention tweaked his shoulder.
Too few quick passes.
No examples of exploiting a defense- not until the 4th quarter, 3rd and 8 on their own 19 yard line and Joe McKnight easily gets past the linebacker coming up to cover him. A gimme pass.
Too much defense- the defense was out on the field for way too long. Ohio State actually began to formulate a way to get down the field after a while there. No defense can play that much and survive unbeaten.
In the end, Pete Carroll was on camera all over the offensive play calling. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates was predictable and unimaginative with the talent he has control of.
So, on to the point of this article:
3 Games the Trojans have a good chance of losing:
September 19, at WASHINGTON
Watch for previous OC Steve Sarkisian to wear the USC defense down and put up points. Also, former USC Defensive Coordinator Nick Holt knows the USC D inside and out. It could be a barn burner.
October 3, at CALIFORNIA
Cal looks silly good so far. But they are doing damage mostly on the ground. That could play to USC’s strength. But if USC’s Defense can’t get off the field and the offense can’t score, look for Cal to wear down USC and run away with it.
Either October 17 at NOTRE DAME, November 28th vs. UCLA, or December 5 vs. ARIZONA
Notre Dame is obviously much improved and just might come out to win
UCLA could come in and surprise the Trojans in the battle of the L.A. basin, though QB woes make that less likely.
Arizona should be good this year and could ambush USC at the end of the year.
Why could USC drop these games?
1. Offensive production is suspect for the reasons listed above: The coordiantor and his strategy are suspect.
2. Expect the defense to play more snaps, take more hits, and give up more points.
3. The opposition is up this year. Competition is greater.
4. Matt Barkley will, and I mean WILL disappoint. It’s not his fault, he’s simply made some very, very stupid mistakes already and I think he’ll make a few more before USC switches to Aaron Corp mid-season.
5. Finally, like I mentioned before, USC looks like an SEC team- strong defense, bland offensive play-calling. They are predictable and ripe for the picking.
Being a life-long USC fan, I think this year will be infuriating, like I felt 2007 was with John David Booty starting for Lane Kiffin and Mark Sanchez waiting in the wings. USC is like any other school, though. Coaches have their politics- they have their favorites. No matter what you read about USC this year, and especially this week- do not believe the hype.
All Football 
USC Down Season
leave a comment »
USC came back in impressive fashion to defeat Ohio State in the Horseshoe Saturday night. The late-game drive was defining for the team. It showed their toughness and resolve to get together and get a win.
Unfortunately, it showed their weakness as well.
That late-game drive against a questionable Ohio State defense required that Joe McKnight put the team on his back and carry the Trojans to the 1-yard line, where Stefan Johnson could polish it off.
Where was Matt Barkley? He contributed- on 3rd and long on their own side of the field, he threw a gimme flare route to McKnight to pick up 21 yards. The next time he threw, he floated a strike to his tight end Anthony McCoy in the seam for a large chunk of 26 yards- really the only tough throw he had to make in the drive. He hit one more pass- a slant for 8 yards. Finally, he hit Joe McKnight on a bubble screen to go ahead by 3. Not bad- 4 for 6 and 55 yards passing on the final drive.
I’m not so optimistic. Joe McKnight accounted for 72 yards of the scoring drive, receiving and rushing. What’s wrong with that? The rushing yards came to hard all day for the Trojans:
3.0 yards per carry over the course of the game.
The passing yards came too difficult as well:
15 of 32 for 6.1 yards per completion.
Conclusion: The offense is broke. Well, maybe not the offense, but the new offensive coordinator, Jeremy Bates, has a ways to go to fill recent shoes. And I leave Lane Kiffin out of the list of shoes to fill.
That last drive had some imaginative play calling, and specific calls to exploit the defense. That didn’t happen all game. It was like watching an SEC matchup where each coach is simply trying to prove how hard their offensive line can push the other.
The playcalling was generally so entirely predictable and bland for a USC team that it was hard to imagine this team competing for a National Title. They looked like an SEC team- Great defense, inability to consistently move the ball. This is glaringly different from years of yore at USC.
Too many zone running plays on first down- not enough play action, screens, quick shots to get WR one-on-one on the sideline.
Too much running at an 8-9 man box- not enough play action.
Too little QB movement- an obviously athletic QB did not get moved around much and felt the heat because of it, not to mention tweaked his shoulder.
Too few quick passes.
No examples of exploiting a defense- not until the 4th quarter, 3rd and 8 on their own 19 yard line and Joe McKnight easily gets past the linebacker coming up to cover him. A gimme pass.
Too much defense- the defense was out on the field for way too long. Ohio State actually began to formulate a way to get down the field after a while there. No defense can play that much and survive unbeaten.
In the end, Pete Carroll was on camera all over the offensive play calling. Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates was predictable and unimaginative with the talent he has control of.
So, on to the point of this article:
3 Games the Trojans have a good chance of losing:
September 19, at WASHINGTON
Watch for previous OC Steve Sarkisian to wear the USC defense down and put up points. Also, former USC Defensive Coordinator Nick Holt knows the USC D inside and out. It could be a barn burner.
October 3, at CALIFORNIA
Cal looks silly good so far. But they are doing damage mostly on the ground. That could play to USC’s strength. But if USC’s Defense can’t get off the field and the offense can’t score, look for Cal to wear down USC and run away with it.
Either October 17 at NOTRE DAME, November 28th vs. UCLA, or December 5 vs. ARIZONA
Notre Dame is obviously much improved and just might come out to win
UCLA could come in and surprise the Trojans in the battle of the L.A. basin, though QB woes make that less likely.
Arizona should be good this year and could ambush USC at the end of the year.
Why could USC drop these games?
1. Offensive production is suspect for the reasons listed above: The coordiantor and his strategy are suspect.
2. Expect the defense to play more snaps, take more hits, and give up more points.
3. The opposition is up this year. Competition is greater.
4. Matt Barkley will, and I mean WILL disappoint. It’s not his fault, he’s simply made some very, very stupid mistakes already and I think he’ll make a few more before USC switches to Aaron Corp mid-season.
5. Finally, like I mentioned before, USC looks like an SEC team- strong defense, bland offensive play-calling. They are predictable and ripe for the picking.
Being a life-long USC fan, I think this year will be infuriating, like I felt 2007 was with John David Booty starting for Lane Kiffin and Mark Sanchez waiting in the wings. USC is like any other school, though. Coaches have their politics- they have their favorites. No matter what you read about USC this year, and especially this week- do not believe the hype.
Written by Jon Ellsworth
September 13, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Posted in Commentary
Tagged with football, Jeremy Bates, Joe McKnight, Matt Barkley, Nick Holt, Pete Carroll, prediction, recap, Steve Sarkisian, USC