Home Opener vs Colorado State

USC Football at the Coliseum.....it's finally here!!!!!!! Our USC Trojans continue their quest for the 2005 Rose Bowl by taking on the Colorado State Rams on Saturday 9/11 at 5pm at the Coliseum. This is the first time since 1981 that the Trojans have been ranked #1 and playing in the Coliseum.

The LA newspapers are expecting "a near sell-out" at the game on Saturday and with the temperature expected to drop back into the mid-80s, I will take the over on 83,000. The CSU Rams have a solid team and should provide a real challenge to the Trojans . Before we preview the Rams...lets talk tailgate logistics. Most importantly, please email us by Thursday 5pm at flynn@leonardgreen.com and let us know if you are coming so we can plan accordingly.

Location: We are hoping to set-up in the same spot as last year (grass lot on Southwest side of Coliseum on Menlo, South of 39th Street, just outside tunnel 13, adjacent to cement bus/rv lot). There is a possibility this lot will no longer be used for parking and if so, we will likely set up on the lawn on the North side of the Coliseum outside tunnel 18. Please call Tim at 310 508 5858 or Andy at 310 480 7798 on gameday to confirm location. As usual, you can always look for the USC flags flying high, the 2 EZ Up canopies (one blue, one cardinal) and the cardinal Volvo SUV.

Time: The tailgate should be set up just after 11:30am (game is at 5pm) and we should be serving lunch at 12:30 or so. There are several pre-game activities scheduled including a jet flyover and raising of the National Championship banner, so the tailgate will probably shutdown a bit earlier than normal...probably 4:15. We will definitely shut down the tailgate when the Trojan Marching Band goes by. Click to hear the Band (requires Real Media Player). I know you have heard it before, but given the large crowd, we would encourage you to show up early, grab some lunch, hang with friends and watch some football on DirectTV. We will also set up the spread post game for about 90 minutes.

Menu: For the first game, we are going to keep it to tailgate basics...Burgers (meat and turkey), chicken sausages, salad and appetizers. Keg of Coors Light and margaritas (on the rocks and blended). There will also be a full bar including the house chardonnay, Kettle One, Captain Morgan's, Cuervo 1800 and other favorites. There will be all the mixers, plus plenty of water and soda.

Entertainment: As usual, we will have the DirectTV set up watching college football. Click here to see a list of all the games on TV , but the highlights include UCLA vs Illinois (9am), Notre Dame vs Michigan (11:30pm), Georgia vs South Carolina (2:30pm) and BYU vs Stanford (7pm). The Trojan Marching Band should pass by at about 4:15 or so.


CSU Game Preview

• Quarterback Justin Holland has a very strong and accurate arm. The passing game is the key to CSU's offense. Holland is not very mobile, so look for the Trojans to apply substantial pressure. The Rams will have success passing the ball, but will struggle to run.
• WR David Anderson, a 1st team All Mountain West performer last year, had a huge game last week with over 150 yds receiving. He will be Holland's primary target.
• Also look for the Rams to utilize their All Conference Tight End/H-back in the passing game, particularly on third down and in the red zone.
• USC will counter the strong CSU QB and WRs with a ferocious pass rush. I expect several sacks and turnovers from the Trojan defense.
• CSU is very young and inexperienced on defense. Look for USC to apply a heavy dose of Lendale White and Reggie Bush while working in the passing game.
  
  
  
• This is the week the USC offense busts out....watch for Fred Davis (#83) and explosive offensive production from the Trojans.

That is it for now. We hope to see you all out at the game.

Fight On!