Trojans Return to the Coliseum

Conquest. Cardinal and Gold. Fan Fare. Tribute to Troy. The raising of a second straight National Championship banner. I just can't wait to get to the game and experience all the sights and sounds of USC football at the Coliseum!


Before we talk about the game, please email Tim if you are attending the tailgate this week.

Arkansas will be a good test for the Trojans. Don't be lured in by the 31 point spread and the loss to Vanderbilt last week. The Hogs have athletes and lead the nation in rushing with a 383 yd/game average. Last year, the USC defense would have just stuffed this Arkansas team, but without Mike Patterson, Shaun Cody, Lofa Taputu and Matt Grootegood.....USC will be challenged at the point of attack. It will be very interesting to see how Sedrick Ellis and LaJuan Ramsey play this game. Expect to see Fili Moala and Travis Tofi in the game a fair amount at DT as well.

The Hogs will likely use 4 RBs who mix in size, speed and jukes. Peyton Hills is their big back (very similar to Brandon Hancock) while Felix Jones and De'Arrius Howard are speed guys. To complement their running game, Arkansas has a 6'6 receiver (Marcus Monk) who is very athletic and can play. They are inexperienced at the QB position, but have a very solid OL. I am concerned that Arkansas will use the QB draw and option extensively against USC....this could be a problem.

The Hogs have turned the ball over 6 times in 2 games and have been called for 15 penalties. I think Arkansas will be able to run the ball on USC (particularly in the 1st quarter), but hopefully Pete will use his magic to adjust and maybe force some turnovers.


The Hogs seem to have struggled a bit defensively...this is where I hope the Trojans can do some damage. As we all know, the USC offense is extremely dangerous and it should be exciting to see them in the Coliseum again. We might see some more of Lendale this week and I would expect to see Dominique Byrd get some looks on the seam pass.

Tailgate this Week

• I am guessing that attendance will be 89,000....not quite a sell-out, but certainly tons of people
• We expect to be set up in the same spot on the corner of Menlo & Leighton (see attached map). We will arrive around noon and be fully set up by 12:30 to watch UCLA/OU
• There are tons of good games on Saturday (ND/Mich St, UF/Tenn, Oregon/Fresno St, Miami/Clemson....we are looking forward to a mellow day watching football
• We will be serving burgers and sausages with plenty of beverages

Looking forward to seeing everyone again. Dan Cherrie has the early lead on the All Tailgate Team as he flew to Hawaii to see the Trojans. Lets hope the Trojans can grind out a win against a tough SEC opponent.

Fight On!