The Ultimate USC Football Tailgate

Nothing Needs to be Said

2007-11-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some thoughts on the Bruins:

The Bruin offense has struggled most of the year (9th in the conference in scoring offense and total offense)
Injuries have really hurt UCLA this year and none more so than RB Khalil Bell. Since Bell was hurt in the 1st quarter of the WSU game, UCLA has averaged only 269 yds and 17.5 points (over 4 games)
The Bruins have been more successful when Pat Cowan has been healthy enough to play at quarterback, averaging 27 points and 366 yards per game (Washington, WSU, Cal, Arizona)
It will be very difficult for the Bruins to run consistently on the Trojans. Bruins will try and make some plays in the passing game and likely attempt at least 1 trick play. Bruins have been held under 3 yards a carry 4 times this year (BYU, Utah, Oregon St and ND) and under 4 yards a carry another 4 times (WSU, AZ, ASU and Oregon)
I expect Cowan to start this game and give the Bruins a bit of a spark. As mentioned above, UCLA just plays better with Cowan at the helm
Cowan or no Cowan, UCLA will struggle to run the ball and protect the passer. I like the match up of the USC DL vs UCLA OL
Last year the Trojans completely shut down the Bruins and still lost...the big question is what can the USC offense do this year?
The UCLA defense is very formidable again this year. They run a very aggressive scheme with tons of blitzing
It continues to work for the Bruins as they are ranked 3rd in the conference in run defense, 2nd in tackles for loss and 4th in scoring defense
The Bruins get to the quarterback very well and use blitzing linebackers to create negative plays in the running game. However, UCLA has given up its share of big plays this year...both on the ground and through the air
So why will this year be different for the Trojan offense? Here are the Top 10 reasons to be optimistic:

USC can game plan against what the Bruins did last year (which by the way is very similar to what Stanford did this year)
Bruins had 2 weeks to prepare last year, 1 week this year (Trojans have 9 days this year vs 1 week last year)
Last year the Trojans were coming off 3 huge back to back to back victories over Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame. 2 games in last 21 days this year
Healthy and productive fullback this year in Havilli vs no fullback last year. Big impact on the running (and short passing) game
Depleted running backs last year (only true frosh Gable healthy). This year the Trojans have CW, McKnight and Stafon
Fred Davis was not a part of the offense last year due to Jarrett and Smith...this year he is the leading receiver. A prominent TE makes it more difficult for safeties and linebackers to run blitz without penalty
Last year the Bruins had 2 dominant defensive ends (Hickman and Davis) and 2 outstanding defensive tackles (Brown and Harwell). This year Hickman is gone and Harwell is injured. Big difference
No game breaking speed last year for the Trojans. Rojo and McKnight have the ability to make aggressive defenses pay this year
Booty had a bad ankle last year which limited his mobility. This year he is healthy...expect some roll outs
Coliseum. Bruins are a much different team on the road, particularly defensively. At home they are allowing 19pts per game and on the road they are allowing 27 pts per game

I think USC will use the running backs, fullback and tight end in the passing game (or at least as decoys) to keep the UCLA linebackers and safeties honest. If USC is successful at this (thus slowing down the blitz)...the play book can open up
UCLA will counter by playing tight man to man (including putting SS Horton on Fred Davis). I like the match up of our OL run blocking against the Bruins...particularly running right at them. USC will also use a reverse to Rojo to slow down the pursuit
Tons of play action from Booty...much like ASU game. I am hopeful the Trojans can make some big plays
This is a huge game for Booty and Sark...if the offense clicks, the Trojans roll
Special teams can be a factor in this game...on both sides. UCLA has returned 3 kickoffs for TDs this year and Austin is a dangerous punt returner. USC will counter with Rojo and McKnight
Turnovers are always critical, particularly in rivalry games

Another huge game with the Bruins with the Rose Bowl hanging in the balance. Can't wait until Saturday. See you at the Coliseum.

Fight On!

Weekender

2007-11-09T09:55:00.000-08:00

Well the match up with the Cal Bears is finally here although it is not the matchup everyone was anticipating early in the season. As opposed to two highly ranked teams competing for a BCS Championship berth, there are two teams with 5 Pac 10 losses between them. The national media may no longer be interested in this game, but the Trojans have a ton to play for.

If USC can continue to win games, the Trojans could still tie for the Pac 10 championship and potentially receive an at large BCS bid. Cal is a very talented team that has hit a rough patch, but the Bears are a significantly better team at home.

Thoughts on USC this Week

The Trojan defense is playing as well as any time during the Pete Carroll era. Cal is very explosive, so a great defensive effort is critical
Cal has only given up 8 sacks this year. Part of that is due to a solid OL, but a larger part is due to opposing teams reluctance to blitz and leave the talented trio of Cal wide receivers in the secondary...I think USC will scheme to limit big play opportunities from the Cal WR
Cal has really struggled offensively since QB Nate Longshore injured his ankle late in the Oregon game. Longshore's mobility has really suffered and he appears hesitant to step into throws. Back up Kevin Riley could see the field and he is a mobile player with a lot of upside
Cal has scored 28, 21, 20 and 20 points in their last 4 games vs 45, 34, 42, 45 and 31 in their first 5 games
One of the reasons Cal has struggled is that the Bears have turned the ball over 12 times in their last 4 games vs only 4 times in their first 5 games
Another reason for the reduced output is a significant decline in the running game. In the first 5 games, Cal averaged 200 yds per game and 5.7 yds per carry. In the last 4 games, Cal averaged 125 yds per game and 3.7 yds per carry
Look for USC to come out and shut down the run and force Longshore to make the reads against zone coverage. Given Longshore's lack of mobility, Pete will definitely mix in some blitzes, but they will probably be of the zone blitz or MLB blitz variety
I expect USC to "bracket" Desean Jackson with a LB underneath and a safety over the top. Cal will likely counter with some plays to their talented tight end (wearing #19 in honor of Mario Danelo)
I would not be surprised to see USC put pressure on Longshore with the front 4. In obvious passing situations, the Trojans have 4 legitimate pass rushers in the game (Sed, Lojack, Kyle Moore and Everson Griffin). If the front four gets pressure, USC should be in good shape
On the other side of the ball, Cal has struggled to consistently stop the run and rush the passer
Cal is 5th in the conference against the run; 6th against the pass; 6th in scoring defense and last in sacks
I think the Trojans are really going to try and establish the running game this week. CW had his best game last week and I think the running game my break out. Stafon is getting healthy and the OL is in good shape with the exception of Baker. Maybe even a run out of the shotgun
Given Cal's lack of pass russ and Booty's historical issues with pressure, it would not be surprising to see Cal blitz often. We finally saw a very successful middle screen last week (TD to CW)...hopefully USC will be ready to counter the blitz
Patrick Turner has made some big catches the last few weeks...with his size, he is a difficult player to defend. This along with the emergence of Vidal really makes it difficult to bracket Fred Davis....maybe this is the week the offense gels

Berkeley is a tough place to win...the Trojans exercised some demons there in 2005, but the Bears will be ready tomorrow. With rain in the forecast, it will be critical to get off to a good start and take the crowd out of the game. The Trojans can build some real momentum with a win tomorrow...let's hope USC can make it happen. See you tomorrow in Berkeley.

Fight On!

Tough Loss in Eugene, Here come the Beavs

2007-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Tough and frustrating loss last week to the Ducks. Congrats to the Ducks for a great win. Penalties and turnovers continue to really hurt the Trojans. There is an old saying that I think holds true for USC football "you are never as good as you think when you win and never as bad as you think when you loose"

If you think back to 2003-2005 when USC was rolling, the Trojans were only a couple of key plays away from losing some games (2004 Stanford, 2004 Oregon St, 2005 ASU, 2005 ND) and only a few plays away from going 52-0 from 2003-2006. Well, in 2006 and 2007 those plays have not been going the Trojans' way and the Oregon game is a perfect example. If one were to change 2-3 plays in that game (convert 4th and 1, hold on McKnight TD and Havili fumble), SC could have won that game and been back in the national title hunt. I guess what I am saying is that the line between winning and losing is very thin and the Trojans are making enough mistakes to make it even thinner. I think the coaches and players (and fans) are learning some great lessons about what it takes to stay on top...it is not easy.

Rather than dwell on "shoulda, coulda, woulda" and the negatives in the Oregon game, I would like to highlight a few positives that stood out

The Trojan WRs played an outstanding game...their best game of the year by far. Turner appears to be finally healthy from his injury and showed he can be an impact player. For the second week in a row Vidal really stepped up. If USC continues to get good WR play, then the Trojan offense may begin to be dangerous again
McKnight proved again he is a big time play maker. When given enough opportunities, Joe seems to make at least one big play. This is something the struggling USC offense desperately needs. Joe is poised for huge finish to the season
The USC defense played outstanding against arguably the best offense in CFB. If you would have told me before the game that Oregon would score 24 points and gain 340 yards, I would have been quite confident SC would win the game. While the lack of turnovers forced is puzzling (and frustrating), the Trojan defense continues to shut teams down. With defense like this, USC gives itself an opportunity to win every game....no matter who they play
Sedrick Ellis is just a dominant force. The fact that officials do not call holding on almost every play is a joke. I encourage you to go back and watch games this year on your Tivo/DVR and just focus on #49 and see what he does. Totally off topic, but did you know that for 4 YEARS IN A ROW, USC opponents have been the LEAST PENALIZED team in the PAC 10. Hard to believe, but when you watch Sed Ellis get held, I can start to understand

On to the Beavers....

USC Offense vs OSU Defense

This is the key match up in this game. The Beavers come to the Coliseum with a highly touted defense, including the NATION'S LEADING RUSH DEFENSE...can the struggling Trojan offense have a break out week?
When you really analyze the rush defense of the Beavers, it becomes clear that the reason they rank #1 is because of lost yards on sacks, not because of actually stopping the ball carrier
With credit to TrojanHoya who did the work for this analysis, when you back out the sacks, ball carriers are averaging about 3.5yds per carry against the Beavers. This is is still stout run defense, but not quite the stiffling defense the numbers suggest
I suspect the Trojans will test this run defense, particularly between the tackles and see if they can do some damage. I also think USC will use a bit more misdirection with motion and formations (see Nebraska) to use the Beavers speed against themselves
The Beavers will definitely bracket cover Fred Davis in an attempt to take him out of the gameplan
The Beavers will leave the safeties in the middle of the field and force corners to cover one on one on the sidelines. This plays to the weakness of USC and should be a great test for the players and coaches. In order to be successful offensively in this game, USC will need to have success throwing the intermediate route to the WR, particularly on the sidelines
Oregon St rushes the passer extremely well. Avoiding sacks will be critical for the Trojans. Look for some designed roll outs for Booty in his first game back in 4 weeks
This Oregon St defense reminds me a lot of UCLA's defense last year...we all know how that turned out. Great opportunity for SC to show everyone they can defeat that type of scheme
Sounds like Stafon is much healthier this week....I hope so

USC Defense vs OSU Offense

The Beavs have improved significantly throughout the season offensively, primarily as a result of better QB play resulting in less turnovers.
OSU has had games of 7, 6 and 5 turnovers (all losses), but has only turned the ball over 3 times in the last 3 games (all wins)
The Beavs rely heavily on their running game. 3yr starter Yvenson Bernard is questionable for the game, but then again he missed the game last year when OSU upset the Trojans in Corvallis
I think the Trojans will control the run game and will look to apply more pressure than normal to the young OSU QB in order to force turnovers
The OSU receivers are solid, but star WR Sammy Stroughter is out for the year. I think the Trojans will play less soft zone tomorrow than any time this year and force the Beavs to win with the passing game

This is unfamiliar territory for the Trojans with 2 losses before November. The offense is struggling and mistakes have really hurt this team. USC HAS A TON TO PLAY FOR, including a share of the Pac 10 title and a potential BCS bowl berth. Huge game tomorrow and a chance to set the tone for a big finish to the season. Hope to see you at the Coliseum tomorrow.

Fight On!

Big Time Game in Eugene

2007-10-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Wow...what a trip to South Bend/Chicago. I know Notre Dame is struggling this year, but there is always something special about watching USC vs ND in Notre Dame Stadium. USC has only defeated the Irish 12 times in South Bend, so Trojan fans should take the wins when they get them. This is also the first time USC has defeated the Irish 6 straight times. Congrats to Pete Carroll, his staff and the players on a great accomplishment. This is the most storied rivalry in college football and each win in the series should be embraced...WE LOVED IT!

It was awesome to see tons of Trojans in Chicago and South Bend...we ran into many friends, starting with dinner Thursday night.

The Friday afternoon rally at the Navy Pier is one of the great Trojan events...if you have not experienced it, I highly recommend getting to Chicago on Thursday so you can attend the rally. Thousands of Trojans together in enemy territory with the Spirit of Troy.

We tried something different this year...after the rally, we left Chicago for South Bend, where we had rented a house half a mile from Notre Dame Stadium.

The house was great and was a perfect place to hang out Friday night and post game Saturday. The Watkins stayed in South Bend as well and we met them at Linebackers Friday evening (unfortunately no pics, but trust me it was classic!) Rob, Andy and Dr Bob also stopped by to celebrate Saturday evening.

Saturday was an epic day with absolutely perfect weather in South Bend. We arrived very early and set up our Trojan tents and flags right in the middle of the ND booster lot right next to the stadium. Absolutely great turnout of Trojans as the flags seemed to attract USC fans from everywhere.

We even got a visit from "USC SYCO" who has been to over 180 consecutive USC games (home and away). He is often shown on TV waving this license plate.

I know there are a lot of pictures in this post, but it was such a great trip and no better way to end it than celebrating with the band after the game.

On to the Ducks....

General Observations on the Oregon Game

First game EVER in Autzen stadium between two Top 10 teams...that is hard to believe
This is a statement game for the Trojans...first time USC has been a Pac 10 underdog since November 2001
One of the most intriguing match ups of the year with Oregon strength (offense) vs USC strength (defense) and Oregon weakness (defense) vs USC weakness (offense)....these type of games are decided by 1) Turnovers 2) Big Plays on Special Teams and 3) Penalties
Trojans have played well in Autzen of late...let's hope that continues

Oregon Offense vs USC Defense

There is no doubt the Oregon offense is legit...the Ducks are 3rd nationally in rushing (295 yds/game), 2nd nationally in scoring (46 pts/game) and 2nd nationally in total offense (551 yds/game)
RB Johnathan Steward leads the conference in rushing and yards per carry...he is the key to this Duck offense. Stewart rushed for over 250yds last week against Washington. Stewart also leads the conference (11th nationally) in kickoff returns
To top it off, QB Dennis Dixon is ranked 4th nationally in passing efficiency, runs for 60 yards a game and has thrown and ran for a touchdown in each game this year
This will be a big challenge for the Trojans...USC has struggled with mobile quarterbacks and Dixon is playing lights out right now
The Trojans counter with the nation's fourth best rush defense (64 yds/game), 10th best scoring defense (17 pts/game) and third best total defense (252 yds/game)...something has to give and that is why this game is so intriguing
I think the defensive game plan is simple on paper...shut down Stewart and force Dixon to beat the Trojans. Easier said than done
I do think the Trojan defense can control the Oregon running game. The defense is taking this game as a personal challenge and I think they want to make a statement
There will be 2 keys to stopping the Ducks running game. First, control the middle of the line. Sedrick Ellis and Fili Moala are outstanding run stoppers and I believe they will control the middle. Second, maintain discipline on the edges. USC has both speed and experience on the edges with Rivers, Cushing, Lojack and Moore. There will certainly be some blown assignments, but I like the matchup for the Trojans
Pete said it on Tuesday to the press..."We need to hit Dixon". The Duck QB better have his head on a swivel and be ready to slide because the Trojans are looking to hit him hard. Ask Jake Locker how that turned out
The Ducks will be without 2 of their top 3 WRs for this game. Oregon will still be dangerous through the air, but this is a break for the Trojans
Dixon will look to rack up yards with the short passing game, particularly to tight end Ed Dickson. The Ducks will get their yards on Saturday, but will they get points?
The USC defense has been playing outstanding and I just have the sense this will be a breakout game in classic Pete Carroll fashion

USC Offense vs Oregon Defense

This matchup will decide the game...if the Trojans can move the ball, control the clock and keep the explosive Duck offense on the sideline, it should work out well for USC. On the other hand, if USC has multiple 3 and outs and worse turnovers, it could get ugly for the Trojans
From everything I am hearing, Sam Baker and Chilo Rachal with both start. If they are healthy enough to contribute, this will be a MAJOR boost to the Trojan offensive line.
Mark Sanchez will start at QB again for the Trojans and it will be a big test for him on the road in Eugene. Notre Dame stadium was loud for about 1 quarter last week...Autzen will be rocking
I think Stafon will be available play...although not 100%. Look for about the same distribution of carries to CW, SJ, JM and SH as last week. I think it is a good mix
Oregon is a bit soft up front. The Ducks' 3 top tacklers are 2 safeties and a corner...not a good sign for a defense. The Ducks rank 7th in the conference in rush defense and 7th in total defense (400 yds/game). Oregon has done a nice job forcing turnovers and thus has kept opposing teams out of the endzone (allowing 23 pts/game)
The Ducks did allow Washington 34 points (421 yards), Stanford 31 points in the first half (402 yards), Houston 27 points (545 yds) and Cal 31 points (400 yds)
The Ducks will play to stop the run first, using LBs and safeties to crash the gaps. Oregon will look to test Sanchez's ability to throw the ball
I think SC will try and use the passing game to open the running game. With the safeties likely involved in stopping the run, I think Sanchez will be able to find some openings. I expect a big game from Patrick Turner...it is his time. The Ducks will focus on Davis and Havilli
If the Ducks try and play straight up against the Trojans, look for the USC OL to dominate. SC will break some nice runs in this game. It is critical that CW and JM minimize the negative plays. CW must go forward and not always look for the cutback lane
I just don't see the Ducks allowing USC to run against 7 in the box...they will bring up the safety and force Sanchez to make plays. I think Mark is up to the challenge...his confidence is growing everyday
It is critical that the Trojans do not make many mistakes in this game. Turnover and penalties that put the Trojans in 2nd/3rd in long may be too much to overcome

This is a huge opportunity for the Trojans and is the type of game where USC has excelled in the past. I have a feeling the Trojans will play their best game of the season...let's hope its enough for the victory.

Fight On!

Back to South Bend

2007-10-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for Chicago/South Bend tomorrow....short week=short blog.

Thoughts on UofA Game

I have never seen a college football team with so many injuries...losing Baker, Malualuga and Heberer was just unbelievable. T2 and Kyle Moore were also dinged on the last drive
The Trojans have Butch Lewis, a third string left tackle who did not practice during the week because he was in an ankle boot, protecting the blind side of a second string QB
Throw in Tiny Malu (3rd string) playing right guard with a hamstring issue and a second string center with torn triceps and you have a ridiculous MASH unit
Having said that, I was very impressed how the Trojans just fought and won the game. This game VERY EASILY could have gone the other way, but the Trojans handled the adversity and pulled through...this was a huge win for the program....something to be proud of!
Joe McKnight completely changed this game...not only by making big plays but by injecting big time enthusiasm into the crowd and the team. Joe showed he can change a game...I think Coach Carroll learned that it is time to let the playmakers play
Sanchez made a couple of great plays with his feet and really only made 1 big mistake (terrible interception...the other interception was a pretty good throw). With the OL issues the Trojans have, Sanchez adds a needed dimension of escapability
Turner and Vidal looked solid. I hope PT can get back on track
The defense played outstanding....very impressive. Shut down the run and really clamped down on the passing game in the 4th quarter. Trojans are playing less soft cover 2 and mixing up the coverages really made a difference in this game

Thoughts on the Irish

Obviously the Irish are 1-6 this year and have been struggling. However, ND has played much better the last 3 games
With Sharpley at QB, the Irish do have the ability to make plays in the passing game. Sharpley has played much better than Clausen, but he has shown a propensity to throw into coverage
The Irish have really struggled to run the ball....I think the Trojans will shut down the running game and force ND to win it through the air
The weakness for ND has been the OL...the question is whether SC will aggressively go after the QB. I think we will see a very similar defensive gameplan as last week....while the Trojans only registered one sack, Tuitama was under pressure often
It sounds like Booty has a decent chance to start...probably wont know until Thursday afternoon. This will have a big impact on the offensive plan
It appears that Stafon Johnson will be ready to play...he is a difference maker
The Trojans will likely play more aggressive on offense...I don't think they want to let ND hang around at home
This game will be decided by turnovers and special teams...if the Trojans win both of these, it should be a victory
I expect another close game, but hopefully the Trojans can pull it out. lets hope big #66 can play this week.

See you in South Bend and Chicago

Fight On!

Gut Check Time

2007-10-12T09:02:00.001-07:00

Losing to Stanford is completely and totally unacceptable. There is enough blame to go around for this loss and unfortunately I think many could see something like this coming. The team has shown inconsistent and sloppy play dating back to last year. A lot of this is on the coaches and I will discuss this below. All is not right with Trojan football program right now and I think (hope?) Pete Carroll agrees. Here is my (completely uninformed view) on what is wrong:

1) Complacency--Everyone in and around the program has become complacent...including the fans. Given the unbelievable run this program has been on, this is hard to avoid. The players and coaches are simply showing up and expecting to win...this is not what got the Trojans to where they are. I think we saw this big time at UCLA last year and again against Stanford. There is no sense of urgency, no "chip on the shoulder". The Trojans need to get this back. A big piece of this falls on the coaches. This complacency reared its ugly head on 3rd and 19 in the 4th quarter against Stanford. The Trojans clinging to a 6 point lead late in the 4th choose to throw it deep over the middle? USC would NEVER call this play if we were playing Cal, Oregon, etc...they got COMPLACENT. Result...ball is intercepted and returned into Trojan territory. I have no doubt the Trojan defense would have prevented a 80yd Stanford drive...instead the Cardinal only had to drive 40yds.

2) Turnovers--When the Trojans were rolling every team they played, they were absolutely dominating the turnover ratio. Last year this became a struggle and this year has been an absolute disaster with turnovers. There are a variety of reasons (in my opinion) why the Trojans are struggling with turnovers. The Offense--Couple of things here. First, in past years, the Trojan offense would jump out to big leads and force other teams to take chances, resulting in turnovers. Now the Trojan offense is less explosive and teams realize they can play it close to the vest...less turnovers. Also, the Trojan passing game this year has been inconsistent at best. A big reason for this has been the young wide receivers. JDB deserves to take some of the blame, but probably not the level of heat he is taking on USC message boards. USC has thrown a full season's worth of interception in only 5 games. The Defense--While the Trojans are putting more pressure on the QB this year than last (thanks to the great play of Sed Ellis, LJ and Kyle Moore), they inexplicably seem to play very timid on 3rd and long (or 4th and long). 3rd and long is the best opportunity to force turnovers (5 and 7 step drops allow for more sacks....sacks=fumbles and long passes=more interceptions), but for some reason the Trojans play very soft and conservative. Allowing Stanford to convert a 4th and 20 with the game in the balance is shocking....even more so given the Trojans chose not to apply pressure to the untested QB.

3) Special Teams--Special teams at USC have been very poor under Carroll, with the exception of the return teams with Reggie. Special teams are a big negative for the Trojans. The punt return for a TD last year at OSU cost USC the game. Against Stanford, the Trojans had a blocked extra point and allowed 23 yds per punt return. The combination of poor returns for the Trojans and big returns for the opposition has created a very significant field position disadvantage for USC. USC does not seem interested in using special teams to create an advantage despite having an unbelievable group of athletes.

4) Injuries--The Trojans have been absolutely decimated by injuries. Injuries of this magnitude to any other team in America would render those teams completely uncompetitive. When is the last time a team lost 2 starting OL on one play! As it stands today, the Trojans starting OL looks like this:

Sam Baker--playing with broken rib and strained hamstring
Jeff Byers--playing with injured thumb (cannot grip the ball)
Matt Spanos--playing with torn triceps and severely damaged finger
Zack Heberer--2nd string RS Frosh
Drew Radovich--Healthy! (knock on wood)

You add to this the Trojans are missing their 2 best running backs (Gable, Stafon), are playing a 5th string guy at corner (converted safety), missing their starting SLB (Cushing) and of course are playing the 2nd string QB! This is just bad luck for the Trojans and there is nothing to do about it except hope the kids get healthy and there are no more injuries!

Enough about Stanford...it was a disaster. The real question is how will the Trojans respond?

USC vs Arizona

This is the biggest game for USC in a long time....the 5th most important game of the Carroll era in my opinion

1. Oklahoma (2005 Orange Bowl)
2. Texas (2006 Rose Bowl)
3. ASU (2003--following the loss to Cal...this game got the Trojans rolling)
4. UCLA (2001--Pete makes it clear the Trojans are back)
5. Arizona (2007--Is the run over or are the Trojans going to rebound?)

This is the most nervous/anxious/excited/fired-up I have been for a SC game in some time. Not only is this a "crossroads" game for the program, but also the first start for Mark Sanchez. Interesting fact--this is the first time a QB has missed a game due to injury since Pete Carroll took over as head coach. There is just a different feeling about this game...I expect a fired up crowd early in the game...hopefully the Trojans can play well and maintain that momentum.

The Wildcats are one dimensional on offense...they rank 14th nationally in passing offense and 111th nationally in rushing offense
Defensively, Arizona is ranked 7th in the conference against the pass and 5th in the conference against the run...disappointing numbers for a team known for fielding a very good defense
Arizona hired Texas Tech offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes in the off season and he is responsible for the explosive passing attack led by QB Willie Tuitama
I expect the Trojans will shut down the Wildcats running game and force AZ to rely on the passing game. Given the injuries at corner for the Trojans, this may be a challenging match up. The Wildcats have a trio of talented WR led by Mike Thomas. Thomas had a nice game against SC in the Coliseum 2 years ago.
Given the injuries, I think the Trojans will play a soft cover 2 most of the game....keep the ball in front and tackles. The weakness of the AZ offense is the offensive line...I think the Trojans will try and get pressure with the front 4 (at least during the first half). Oregon St sacked Tuitama 8 yes 8 times last week
I think Tuitama will be able to move the ball down the field...will the Trojans be able to keep the Wildcats from scoring? I think Pete is going to rely on the defense to win this game
Offensively, I think the Trojans are going ULTRA ULTRA conservative. Pete cannot stand the turnovers and I think the offense will reflect this. This makes me very nervous as I think it plays into the strength of the AZ defense
AZ has 2 very good corners...expect them to play tight, take away the short passes and force Sanchez to make some throws to beat them. I am not sure that Pete will allow Sanchez to do this
I think you will see SC try and establish the running game...not a bad plan except for the health of our OL. Hopefully we will see a more diverse running game with some sweeps and draws...probably a few more carries for Havilli. Also, look for the Trojans to run left much more than right (assuming Byers is at LG and not center)
Almost guarantee a reverse for Rojo tomorrow. Also expect the Trojans to try and rely on Davis an Havilli in the passing game. AZ will be expecting this so it will be interesting to see what happens
UCLA and Stanford created the blueprint to beat SC...pressure the QB, crowd the line and see if the QB can beat you. Well one thing Sanchez can do to be very effective against this strategy is to tuck the ball and run it. I hope (and believe) Sanchez will make a couple of big, important plays with his feet tomorrow
I think you will see a couple of deep balls from Sanchez, but they will be deep enough that if they are intercepted it will be like a punt. I would be shocked to see the 20 yard crossing routes over the middle
Will we see a lot of Joe McKnight...who knows, but I doubt it. Pete is going conservative and JM has 2 fumbles already this year

I expect a very close low scoring game tomorrow. I can't wait! Lets hope the Trojans come out on top. Huge game for the program...I believe in this team and coaching staff. See you tomorrow.

Fight On!

Back on Track?

2007-10-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

No reason to rehash the UW game. The Trojans were sloppy, got some bad calls and survived. The Trojans have an established history of struggling in Pac 10 road openers under Pete Carroll...that trend continues. A couple of bright spot from the game

Chauncey Washington is regaining form. CW looked physical and had several runs where he pushed the pile. A healthy CW will make a difference this year
Patrick Turner looked and played like an experienced player who can be counted on in the clutch. In difficult conditions, PT caught everything
Fred Davis continues to look outstanding
Despite suffering 2 OL injuries 0n 1 play in the 1st quarter, the Trojan OL plowed the way for over 200yds rushing while protecting Booty
The defense was very stout....the Trojans contained Locker better than any other team has this year
Rey Rey is playing SO MUCH better at MLB....this combined with the play of Rivers is very encouraging. Just wait until Cushing returns

Here is the highlight video prepared by the USC staff and shown to the team before the UW game. Somehow got posted on YouTube. Pretty cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qxu3icp6KI

Stanford Preview

Stanford is obviously struggling, but I will point out a couple of things to watch for
Stanford's defense is incredibly aggressive...they blitz on almost every play. This allows them to make big plays (averaging 3 sacks per game vs 1.75 for the Trojans, including 6 sacks last week vs ASU)
Stanford is 2nd in the conference in tackles for loss (big play defense), but ranks 9th in total defense and scoring defense (still giving up big plays)
This might be the game where USC breaks out the screen game. We have not seen the screen this year, but then again the Trojans have not been under much pressure
The Cardinal tend to leave the middle of the field wide open...this plays right into the hands of Fred Davis and Anthony McCoy
I expect a big game from Joe McKnight...if he can make the first guy miss it will be a big gain. Hopefully a couple of punt returns
Stanford has a much improved passing game (ranked 4th in the conference), but starting quarterback TC Ostrander will miss the game with the Trojans
Taking his place is a RS Soph who has thrown 3 career passes....a very tough venue for his first start
He is an athletic kid and will likely take off and run often as well as move the pocket to avoid pressure. He will likely look to dump the ball to running back Anthony Kimble as well
Stanford does have a very good group of wideouts. USC recruited Evan Moore and Mark Bradford, but Richard Sherman has done the most damage this year. Sherman is averaging an impressive 17 yds per catch...the question is will the Cardinal be able to get him the ball

This game is a total mismatch on paper....let's hope the Trojans come out focused and ready to play. See you Saturday!

Fight On!

Pac 10 Road Opener

2007-09-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Trojans have had several close games with the Cougs in Pullman, but it is a different story in the Coliseum. The Trojans delivered another beatdown to WSU with a dominating 47-14 victory. The Cougs made some plays, but the Trojans seemed in complete control throughout the game.

We had a great time at the tailgate and the game. Thanks to those who showed up early to set up (Dan, Michael, Kimberly, Andy), who brought and cooked the food (Kimberly, Jennifer) and who supplied the drinks (AT). Can't beat spending a day at the Coliseum with your friends and then watching the Trojans dominate at night. We were well prepared for the intermittent rain squalls and were able to enjoy some great games on the new tailgate TV.

A few of the players stopped by after the game....here is what we told them about their performance

"PT...way to rebound from the Nebraska game"

"Lojack...that is two games in a row with a sack on the first series!"

"Sam...sure is nice to watch JDB throw the ball with all that time"

USC Offense vs UW Defense

By way of background, the Huskies are ranked 2nd in pass defense, 9th in rushing defense, 6th in scoring defense and 7th in total defense in the conference

Ohio St and UCLA ran all over the Huskies for 263 and 333 yards respectively....over 6 yards per carry. The Buckeyes and Bruins also racked up 481 and 537 total yards and 33 and 44 points, respectively

I think Sark has done a terrific job with the offense this season. Against Nebraska the Trojans dominate with run and against WSU, the Trojans destroy the Cougs through the air. There seems to be much more method to the madness and the willingness to take what is there as opposed to trying to take what you want

Last week I wrote that Sark would have a new wrinkle against the Cougs....Fred Davis. He will have something else this week. Maybe a couple of packages for McKnight?

Given the performance of the Trojan offense the last 2 games it will be interesting to see how UW attacks the Trojan offense. Best bet is UW commits to stopping the run, but plays their corners much tighter the WSU did. Have to believe UW wants to take away the short pass to the WR

I think this plays into the Trojans' game plan. USC is last in the conference in yards per completion...I know that Sark wants to establish the deep ball. I expect USC to take some early shots deep

UW has a nice pair of defensive ends in Te'o Neshieim and Gunheim, but against Boise St, Ohio St and UCLA, the Husky D managed only 3 sacks...the Trojan OL should be able to give Booty some time. When Booty has time, he can be dangerous

If UW elects to blitz, look for the Trojans to turn to the screen game. The screen game has been a focus in practice, but has not been used much in games (no real pressure on Booty yet)

USC will use the running game to wear down the Husky D...expect the run game to open up in the second half after limited success in the first half

The Huskies will likely focus their attention on Fred Davis....that should really open up Havilli. Very hard to cover both the FB and the TE effectively

USC has 5 different ball carriers with runs over 20 yards...that is amazing

A key stat that I like to focus on as a predictor of success is 3rd down conversions. The Trojans enjoy a large statistical advantage here, converting 55% of their opportunities on offense (4th nationally) while the Huskies are allowing 41% conversions on defense

USC Defense vs UW Offense

By way of background, the Huskies are ranked 10th in pass offense, 5th in rushing offense, 9th in scoring offense and 10th in total offense in the conference
Don't be fooled, this will be a very good test for the USC defense. The one area the Trojans have struggled with under Pete Carroll is defending the mobile quarterback. Well, the Huskies have a really good mobile quarterback in Jake Locker
Locker leads the Huskies in rushing and is 5th in the conference in that category...pretty amazing for a RS freshman QB
Locker has struggled a bit throwing the ball. He is completing 53% of his passes and has thrown 6 interceptions
I think the Trojans will shut down the "traditional running game", but there is no doubt that Locker will make some plays with his feet
Containment will be critical....the Trojan DEs looked much better containing the edge against Nebraska and WSU, so I am optimistic
USC will be starting Thomas Williams at SLB. Cushing is hurt and Matthews is banged as well. The play of TWill is important. The Trojan LBs can't afford to get out of position and miss tackles on Locker
Locker does not slide much so there is the opportunity to put some big hits on the talented QB. Rey has looked MUCH better this year...this may be a break out game for him
I think the Trojan safeties and corners will play pretty conservative...with this I mean, they are not going to get sucked in by Locker's running threat and let a ball go over their head. Much better to give up 10 yards on the ground to Locker
It will be interesting to watch the Trojans take on this challenge

Other Notes

Huge game this week between Cal and Oregon. Should be a high scoring, exciting game. I think Cal has the better team, but Oregon seems to be really hot right now. I like Oregon in a close game scoring in the 30s or 40s
Bruins travel north to take on the Beavers. Big game for both squads. This could be a low scoring game unless turnovers get out of control. Both teams want to run the ball and both teams stop the run well. Big edge to UCLA at QB (Beavs have thrown 13 picks in 4 games!). If the Bruins can pull this out, they are set up for a nice year. I think they probably win
Cougs play the Wildcats. If Arizona loses this game, they may just tank the season. Stoops is desperate. Should be a good one
Irish take on Purdue. Purdue is explosive on offense and I just don't see how ND can keep pace. ND will run the ball well, but probably lose

I think this could be a close game at halftime...would not surpirse me. Road games in the Pac 10 are never easy...just think back to last year. Lets hope the Trojans can grind out another victory on the road.

Fight On!

Cougs visit the Coliseum

2007-09-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Before we talk about the Cougs, I just wanted to touch on the Nebraska game last week. We had an absolute blast in Lincoln...great college town with some of the best fans around. The Trojans played great in my opinion and really made a statement. It was so loud on the first play from scrimmage...then Havili breaks through for 50 yds. Big statement win for the Trojans. I will say this...I don't think Nebraska is as good as people think. Probably were better last year. I hope Nebraska wins out...those fans deserve a good team.

I don't want to dwell on the game. The Trojans flat out dominated. Here are a couple of tidbits and some sweet pics from the game and our trip. Thanks to Dan, Carolyn, Andy and Liz for the photography. Action pics courtesy of USC Football.com (thanks Ryan).

Nebraska Quick Takes

This is the best the Trojans have run the ball since the UCLA game in 2005. The holes were absolutely ridiculous...see below

O'Dowd did a great job at center, but Byers and Baker are the stars on the OL. Truth be told, I think the misdirection and motion caused the Huskers more problem than the OL did
I thought Sark called an awesome game...very optimistic about the offense this year with that style of play calling
Equally important, the Trojan DL played a great game. Sed Ellis is absolutely dominant. I think he played so well because he got to meet Liz and Carolyn at the Friday walk through.

Friday--Sed's dream come true

Saturday-Sed dominates to show off for his new lady friends
The Nebraska fans are loud and proud. GameDay was pretty amazing...13,500 people there. We were there, but far from the action. We had the Trojan colors flying high
Despite our preference for Cardinal & Gold over the Big Red, we did make some friends in Lincoln

Sam Keller's girlfriend

Enough about Nebraska...on to the Cougs

General Comments about the Game

This was a very close game last year in Pullman...28-22 Trojans. Cougs had the ball on the USC 39 with a chance to win
The Trojans played WSU last year without Dwayne Jarrett and Sedrick Ellis. In addition, Chris McFoy got hurt in the second quarter and did not return. USC played the second half with only 1 of its top 3 WRs
Obvioulsy Jarrett is gone, but Sedrick is back. He is a differnece maker (ask Nebraska). Someone should text Sed and tell him Liz and Carolyn will be there...should guarantee a big game from #49
The Cougs have a very good offense, particularly at QB and WR
The Trojans better not have a let down after the big win in Lincoln...hopefully the Coliseum crowd gets USC going early

USC Offense vs Coug Defense

Cougs have given up an average of 407 yds and 29 points in 3 games (Wisconsin, Idaho, San Diego St.)
Only 5 starters return from the Coug defense that faced the Trojans in Pullman...USC returns 8 offensive starters from that game. Key loses are Ryan Kalil and Steve Smith...the Radovich for Kyle Williams trade may be an upgrade
I like this match up for the Trojans. After watching tape of the Nebraska game, I am sure the Cougs will be geared up to stop the run....look for the Trojans to come out passing
I think the Trojans are going to try and get the passing game going in this game...the Cougs have been particularly weak against the pass
I expect a few new wrinkles from Sark...I just have the feeling he is going to introduce something new each week. I definitely expect Hazelton to re-emerge in the offense. The are going to force feed Turner as well...the Trojans need Patrick to be a go-to guy
The Coug's have really struggled on 3rd down defense, allowing opponents to convert 54.4% of time (ranked 114th nationally). The Trojans are ranked 22nd nationally in converting 3rd downs. If the Cougs can't get off the field on 3rd down, it will be a long night
Chauncey is starting at RB, but I think CW, Gable and Stafon will get a similar number of carries
USC put up 28 points and 418 yards in Pullman last year...lets hope the Trojans can exceed that tomorrow...I think they will

USC Defense vs Coug Offense

The Cougs have a very solid quarterback in Alex Brink. He is a fifth year senior and a very accurate passer. Brink is completing 74% of his passes with 10 TDs and 2 INTs
Brink is also a sneaky runner...he can escape the rush and do some damage
Brink is helped by a nice WR group. Bumpus (#5) is a former USC commit and a solid player. Also a dangerous punt returner. In addition to Bumpus the Cougs have Dillon (#2) and Gibson (#4)
I would describe the WR group as "crafty"..not super fast (but quick) and certainly not big. This group gets it done...including over the middle
Expect to see Brink focus on the short passing game...this is what USC gives and what WSU likes to take. Brink will use 3 step drops extensively, making it difficult for the Trojans to apply pressure
WSU will look to Dwight Tardy at RB. He had a nice game against the Trojans last year, rushing for 62 yards on 11 carries
Look for WSU to use some misdirection and screens to try and get Rey out of position. Worked for the Cougs last year. I think Rey is improving, but this will be a good test
I think USC will shut down the WSU run. The Cougs averaged 4.7 yds per carry last year, but Sedrick Ellis will have something to say about that this year. Also, this was Taylor Mays' second game as a true frosh starter last year...The Trojans played very conservatively with the safeties...not so much this year
SC returns 9 starters on defense from the game in Pullman last year. This year the Trojans have Sed Ellis vs Chris Barrett...nice upgrade. Also have Kyle Moore vs Dallas Sartz...could be a push. Cougs get back 6 starters, but loose 3 OL
Cougs will put up yards on the Trojans tomorrow, but I think points will be difficult. Cougs are averaging 37pts per game so far, but only scored 21 vs Wisconsin
If the Cougs try and make this a shootout, it could get ugly. However if WSU tries to dink and dunk down the field, avoids turnovers and penalties...this could be a close game in the 4th quarter

In other Pac 10 news, I think the UCLA game tomorrow is critical for the Bruins. They have some injuries (Harwell, Dragovic, Olsen, Tevaga) and are reeling from an inexcusable loss to Utah. If the Bruins lose this game at home to a good UW team, it may be tough to rebound

This is a good test for the Trojans....facing an experienced Pac 10 QB is never easy, particularly when that QB has talented WR. However, facing the Trojans in the Coliseum is no walk in the park. I expect another great game from the Trojans. Hope you can make it to the tailgate and the game.

Fight On!

Trojans in Lincoln

2007-09-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

USC Trojans vs Nebraska Cornhuskers ....an old school battle between two programs with too many National Championships and Heisman Trophies between them to count. What a great match up early in the college football season. Strangely enough, I have been to Lincoln twice this year on business and WOW are the people in Nebraska fired up for this game. Everywhere the Trojans go, "it is the biggest game since [fill in the blank]", but it is one thing to have that reaction in Pulman, Corvalis and Fayetteville...it is a whole new thing to have that in Lincoln. It is going to be an electric environment in Lincoln this weekend...I can't wait to see it.
General Thoughts on the Game

Nebraska is a very solid team that is capable of beating the Trojans...particularly in Lincoln
I think the Huskers pull out all the stops to win this game...like Notre Dame in 2005
Many (most) of the players on this USC team have ventured into hostile territory in their career...the trip to Arkansas last year was great experience to prepare for the environment the Trojans will face Saturday night
One big exception to this is Kris O'Dowd..the true frosh starting center for the Trojans. If #61 can play tough with limited mistakes it will go along way in this game
Lets hope Cushing, Turner and Washington are healthy for this game. I feel pretty good about Patrick right now, but have this bad feeling that Cushing will be less than 100%. I hope I am wrong about that...practice today (Wednesday) should be telling
I feel terrible for Josh Pinkard. The kid tears his right ACL first game last year and then tears his left ACL this year. One of the best players on this team...tough kid. Fight On Josh...we want to see you on the field next year!

USC Offense vs Nebraska Defense

USC had modest success last year against Nebraska on offense, racking up 400yds and 28 points. The Trojans averaged 4.6 yards per carry and gave up 1 sack. Booty was 25-36 for 257 yds and 3td
Nebraska had a great DL last year...all 4 are gone this year including NFL draft picks Adam Carriker and Jay Moore
I like the matchup of the Trojan OL vs the Husker DL. If USC can capitalize here and set up the run game, it will be a significant factor in the game
Given the situation, look for Drew Radovich to regain his starting spot at RT over Charles Brown. Radovich is a veteran and started all 13 games last year (at right guard)...he is more accustomed to this type of environment. Brown will play extensively, but I bet the coaches want Rado in there the first series or two
The play of Kris O'Dowd will be critical. If he can hold his own, I am optimistic about the OL in this game. Kris is a very tough, competitive kid...exactly the type of player Trojan fans want on the OL. I think Kris will do just fine
Nebraska gave up 236yds rushing to Wake Forrest last week (4.6yds/carry)...this is after Wake gained 2 yards rushing (not a typo) against BC the week before
Wake was very successful with the WR end around play. Look for SC to explore this with Ronald Johnson as well as with Joe McKnight. I think we will see swing passes to McKnight with him in motion as well
I think Chauncey, Gable and Stafon split the carries this week. Last year, Moody got the bulk of the carries and did some damage
Much of Nebraska's back 7 returns. They have a new JC corner that is starting. Last year, USC's WR seemed to have their way with Nebraska's corners. With Jarrett and Smith in the NFL, things won't be so easy this year
Our WR are inexperienced, but I don't think Nebraska has the personnel to play tough bump and run like Arkansas did last year. I am optimistic about WR play
Vidal Hazelton really took a step forward last week. I think the combination of Turner, Oz and Vidal is pretty solid
Turner caught a big TD pass against Arkansas last year when the game was still doubt. This kid can play and has stepped in the past
Watch Turner Touchdown
I think USC will try and establish the running game early and use the WR pass to the flats (Ausberry and Turner) to get Booty in rhythm
I expect USC to use Stanley Havili and Fred Davis extensively in this game to test the speed of the Nebraska LB as well as to loosen up the running game

USC Defense vs Nebraska Offense

Last year Nebraska played very conservatively on offense...garnering only 211 total yards and 10 points
At home Nebraska will be much more aggressive. This game means everything to the Huskers and their fans. I expect a few trick plays as well
The strength of Nebraska's offense is their OL. Talented and experienced group
Nebraska just ran wild on Nevada, but the running game was slowed down by Wake. The Huskers gained 115 yards on 34 carries. Wake is solid against the run this year, holding BC to 54 yds as well.
I think USC's run defense is closer to Wake's than Nevada's
USC has been vulnerable to misdirection and cut back runs...this is not a key part of Nebraska's attack, but they may unveil it this week
USC's DL is very experienced and I expect it to hold up OK against the run...SC will force Nebraska to beat the Trojans through the air
That brings us to the Nebraska QB...a familiar face in Sam Keller. Keller was the starting QB for ASU in 2005. He led the Sun Devils to a 21-3 lead against the Trojans, but threw 4 second half interceptions as the Trojans won 38-28
Keller is a talented player...very confident and aggressive. This leads to some big plays and sometimes big mistakes
Keller had 2 interceptions and a fumble against Wake...I would expect him to play much better this week. However, if Keller gets pressured and tries to do too much, USC may be able to capitalize
I think USC will open up in a soft cover 2, allowing the underneath pass. I would expect the Trojans to move into a more aggressive scheme in the second half. I think Pete wants to prevent the big play early and force Keller to be patient and accurate
With Cushing hurting, expect to see Clay Mathews a lot in this game
Lets hope the Trojan defensive ends will do a better job on containment this week...if not, look for a steady stream of roll outs and bootlegs
This is a big stage for this very hyped defense to prove itself...let's hope they step up. I think they will

Other Thoughts around the Pac 10

Injuries are taking their toll on the Bruins. They should cruise past Utah, but a big game with UW looms next week. Without Harwell (and Dragovic for now) this is a totally different defense. Olsen looks much better and Bell has been a nice surprise at RB
Speaking of UW, they look much better than I anticipated. Great for the Pac when the Huskies are good. Would be great to see them beat the Buckeyes this Saturday
Cal is scary good on offense, but their defense is soft...even softer than I thought
Overall, this is the most competitive the conference has been in several years. USC, UCLA, Oregon, Cal, ASU and Washington all look very solid. Oregon St is very talented, but lack of a playmaker at QB may hold them back

I am off to Lincoln to watch the Trojans. Hope to see you there! Let's hope the Trojans can grind out a tough win on the road.

Fight On!

It is finally here!

2007-08-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

College football is finally here...the Trojans take the field in less than 24 hours. Expectations could not be any higher for the 2007 USC Trojans and it should be a very entertaining season. Speaking of entertainment, the tailgate this year will feature a new 40" LCD flat screen...stop by and check it out. We will be set up all day for the Idaho game watching all the other games...ND/Gtech, UCLA/Stanford, Cal/Tenn and more. Hope we can see all our friends out at the Coliseum.

My Views on the 2007 Trojans

I will start with the defense which I think will be outstanding. Talented and deep. It all starts up front with what may be the best D-Line in the Pete Carroll era....yes even better than the Cody, Patterson & Udeze DL. Sedrick Ellis is a beast...probably the best DL in the Pac 10. He is a force that will require double teams. Pete has said that Sedrick may be better than Mike Patterson...very high praise. Fili Moala really stepped up his play last year...with Sedrick requiring a consistent double team, it really frees up Fili to make plays. Look for Moala to have a big year...by the way, his family often sets up their tailgate very close to us...make sure to give them some congrats after the game. Lawrence Jackson returns as a 3 year starter at defensive end. Lojack had an outstanding 2005, but got off to a slow start in 2006. He played great the back half of the year and I think he will pick up where he left off. The other defensive end position has been one of the most competitive battles in fall camp. Kyle Moore returns, but has been pushed by Everson Griffen...one of the most talented true freshman to step on the field at USC. Griffen (#93) will certainly be used in passing situations and is very difficult to handle on the edge. Moore and Griffen will split time. One thing to watch for is a DL unit of Moore and Griffen as the ends and LoJack and Ellis at tackle...look for this in obvious passing situations. Key reserves are senior Alex Morrow, redshirt soph Averell Spicer (#99) and redshirt frosh Derrick Simmons (#90). True frosh #44 is a high motor kid who may get some time.

On to the linebackers. Much has been said about the linebackers...I believe the DL unit is more consistent. Brian Cushing has looked very impressive in camp...I think the move back to LB this year will allow Cushing to be the playmaker. Keith Rivers is an experienced, solid player for the Trojans. His speed makes it very difficult for teams to run outside. Rey Malaluga is an unbelievable athlete (and a scary looking guy in person!), but he tends to play very aggressively and outside the system. If Rey sticks to his reads...this defense will be ridiculously good. If we see a lot of screens and cut back runs for big yardage, these are key signs the MLB is overpursuing. The second unit of LBs is outstanding. Maiva (#43) backs up Rivers and is an experienced hard nosed player with significant playing time under his belt. Clay Mathews (#47) is consitently one of the best players in practice....particularly rushing the passer. Clay will see the field this year and when he does, dont be surprised to see him blitz. At MLB, the backups are Thomas Williams, Luther Brown and true frosh Chris Gallipo. Williams is a very experienced player, having started numerous games for USC the last 4 years.

The secondary is flat out spectacular. Before the 2006 season, Pete Carroll called Josh Pinkard the best player on the team...offense or defense. In 2007, Pinkard has apparently lost his starting free safety spot to super soph Taylor Mays. Because Pinkard is such a fabulous athlete, he will now start at corner, opposite Terrell Thomas. Kevin Ellison returns as the strong safety. The Trojans are blessed to have 3 reserve corners capable of starting. Kevin Thomas (#15) and Cary Harris (#7) both started multiple games last year. In addition, Sharece Wright (#24) has proven to be a solid contributor. This is clearly the most talented and deepest secondary of the Pete Carroll era.

On to the offense. It all starts up front with the OL and the Trojans have already faced some adversity there this year. First, Drew Radovich (started 13 games last year) hurt his back and missed most of fall camp. As a result, RS Soph Charles Brown took his spot at RT and did not give it up when Drew returned to practice. Next, starting center Matt Spanos suffered a freak injury, tearing his tricep. The Trojans will turn to TRUE FRESHMAN Kris O'Dowd to start at center. Kris is the first true freshman to start at center at USC since WW II. O'Dowd is a fiesty, nasty player..it has to make all Trojan fans nervous to a true freshman at such an important position, but if anyone can handle the challenge, it is Kris. The left side of the line is very solid. I am thrilled to have Jeff Byers back and healthy. Jeff is a relentless run blocker, which is something the Trojans lacked last year. Keep an eye on #53 as he gets way down field on his blocks...opposing corners better keep their heads on swivels. Sam Baker, a 2 time All-American, returns to man the LT spot. Sam is simply among the best tackles in the nation...he is recovering from broken ribs, but is expected to play. Chilo Rachal returns as the starter at right guard. Chilo has huge updisde and is expected to perform better this year. If the OL can paly solid, particularly with the run blocking...the Trojans will be well positined on offense. Key reserves are Drew Radovich, Tiny Malu, Zach Herberer and Thomas Herring.

The WR crew is very talented, but unproven. Count me in as a believer...I think these kids will come through. Patrick Turner is the veteran of the group and a solid player. Turner has made some big plays in a limted roll...I expect him to be solid. Opposite Turner will be David Ausberry. Ausberry redshirted last year and was named scout team player of the year...he has parlayed that into a starting spot. Oz is a 6'5" 230lb receiver in the Mike Williams mold...he has been very tough to handle in practice...look for him (along with Fred Davis) in the red zone. Also seeing significant time at reciever will be sophomore Vidal Hazelton (#7), sophomore Travon Patterson (#17) and true frosh Ronald Johnson (#8). Rojo has been a real playmaker in practice and may see some time returning punts as well. Hazelton is a smooth, fearless receiver. He will be on the field often...one of the best blockers on the team. Garrett Green (former QB) has been moved to receiver as well...I have been very impressed with Green in practice and think he will see the field some this year. Look for freshman Joe McKnight to catch some balls out of the backfield and from the slot as well.

The tight ends will be led by Fred Davis. Fred is positioned to have a fabulous year, particularly given that Sark looks to the tight ends to catch the ball more than Kiffen did. Also in the rotation will be Dale Thompson (primarily a blocker) and Anthony McCoy. McCoy has shown flashes of spectacular play, but has struggled with the playbook and his blocking.

USC will likely continue to utilize the running back by committee strategy in 2007. Starter Chauncey Washington has a sprained (read separated) shoulder and will miss at least the Idaho game. CJ Gable will get the nod as the starter in the opener for the second consecutive year. CJ had a solid freshman campaign, but averaged under 4yds per carry. CJ catches the ball very well out of the backfield and is an excellent blocker. Look for soph Stafon Johnson (#13) to make a serious statement early in the season. Johnson is an extremely talented runner who was in the coaches' doghouse last year...he is now firmly in the rotation and competing for the starting job. Alan Bradford continues to make progress and will get significant carries. Joe McKnight will be used as a RB/Wr hybrid and it looks like he is healthy enough to contribute. McKnight really turned some heads in practice and has the potential to be a legitimate game breaker. It appears that Mark Tyler and Broderick Green will be both redshirt due to injuries. Desmond Reed and Herchel Dennis are the veterans of the group and are both recovering from knee injuries...it is unclear the role (if any) these two veterans will play in the running back rotation.

Last but not least we have the quarterbacks. JD Booty will lead the QBs this and I think he is poised for a great season. Booty played solid most of last year with some flashes of brillance (2nd half of Oregon St and 2nd half of UCLA). If the Trojan running game can improve, Booty should be even more dangerous. Backing up JDB is Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has a broken thumb and will miss the Idaho game, but should be back for Nebraska.

Net, net, this is a very talented Trojan team...but a team with a very tough path to the BCS Championship game. The Pac 10 will be much improved this year with Cal, Oregon, UCLA, ASU and Washington all being very formidable. All of those games except UCLA are on the road. Oregon St will be talented despite inexperience at the quarterback position. Out of conference games against Nebraska and ND (both on the road) will not be easy.

I expect a much stronger running game this year and if the the young WR can mature, the offense should be very good. We have good experience at OL and QB and improved play at RB and FB. Havili and Fred Davis will be key parts of this offense. The defense will be stout...Pete will continue to play his version of the cover 2 which gives up yards not points...at some point he will be more aggressive, but that will be later in the year or at key points against Nebraska. This defense should kep the Trojans in games...particularly if they can force turnovers at the 2001-2005 levels...2006 was a big dropoff in turnovers forced.

This team has the talent to go undefeated...lets hope they can pull it off. Here is to an injury free season and some good times following the Trojans. Hope to see you all at the Coliseum (or Lincoln, Eugene, South Bend, Berkeley, Tempe).

Fight On!

Big Time Game with the Bruins

2006-11-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a great day/night at the Coliseum....beating the Irish for the 5th straight time is an unbelievable accomplishment. The Trojans have really progressed as a team and are playing their best football of the year. On to the Bruins!

Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make the ND tailgate work...it took a tremendous effort from several people including the Hoovers, Goyans, Dan Cherrie, Aaron Wooler and Brendan Grubbs. These folks had to get up ridiculously early to help secure the spot. This week we will be set up in Lot H at the Rose Bowl....same lot as previous years. Here is a map: http://www.rosebowlstadium.com/parking.htm

There will be breakfast for the early arrivers, and a taco bar for an early lunch pre-game. ACC Championship game will be on the TV. We will also set up post game and watch second half of SEC Championship (Go Hogs!) as well as the Big 12 Championship (Go Big Red!)

Bruin Preview

I think the Bruins are a tougher matchup for the Trojans than the Irish....particularly USC's offense vs UCLA's defense
UCLA has been outstanding this year at defending the run, ranked 1st in the conference and 14th nationally
In addition, the Bruins are ranked 1st in the conference in sacks (4th nationally)....teams that can stop the run and pressure the QB can be extremely effective on defense
Just to add an exclamation point, UCLA leads the nation is 3rd down conversion defense, allowing only 27%....all this adds up to the Bruins being 2nd in the conference (behind the Trojans) in scoring defense at 18.7 points per game
This brings me to key #1 for the game...protect Booty. If the Trojans can protect Booty, USC should be able to do some damage to the Bruin secondary. Bruins are ranked 6th in the conference in pass efficiency defense, having given up 17 TD passes (2nd worst in the conference). Bruins are also ranked 7th in the conference (75th nationally) in passing yards allowed
UCLA has done a nice job of forcing turnovers. Former USC assistant (under Pete Carroll), Dwayne Walker is the UCLA D-Coordinator so you can bet he is preaching about the ball the way Pete does. UCLA ranks 3rd in the conference in turnovers forced per game at 2.27
Key #2.....protect the ball. If USC minimizes turnovers, the Trojans will avoid giving the suspect Bruin offense a short field. In addition, the Trojans need to protect the ball to extend drives and tire out the UCLA defense which does lack depth
Justin Hickman (#17) and Bruce Davis (#44) are #2 and #3 in the country in sacks. USC has faced several dangerous sack masters this year with some success (WSU, Nebraska, Oregon St). The SC O-Line will be a good matchup to watch
Before you get the idea that the Bruins are absolutely dominant on defense, let me throw out a couple of interesting stats. The Bruins only got 5 sacks in the 4 games they played against teams in the top 20 nationally at protecting the quarterback....Trojans are ranked 18th nationally at protecting the QB
If you analyze only the 9 common opponents shared by USC and UCLA, UCLA is giving up 20pts per game and USC is giving up 16 (UCLA is scoring 22 and USC is scoring 31)...USC is ranked 2nd in the conference in scoring (32.3 pts/game) behind Cal (32.4) and ahead of Oregon (31.3)
UW, Ore, WSU and Cal all put up 29pts or more (Cal and Ore scored 37 and 38) and Oregon, WSU and Cal all put over 400yds (WSU over 500yds) . USC is ranked 3rd in the conference in total yards per game, behind Oregon and Cal, but ahead of WSU
I think the Trojans will continue to utilize the downfield passing game we have seen the last 3 weeks. Expect to see more screens to slow down Hickman and Davis....also expect to see more running right at the UCLA DEs and not at the tackles. Don't be surprised to see Moody with a few carries
If the Trojans can protect the ball and convert some 3rd downs...I like their chances
Offensively, the Bruins have struggled a bit. UCLA ranks 7th in the conference in total offense, scoring offense and rushing offense....they rank 6th in passing offense
Against the 9 common opponents, UCLA has scored 30 points only once (Stanford) and has been held under 20 points 3 times (UW, ND and WSU). Bruins have gained over 400 yards only once (Cal) and have been held under 300 yards 6 times (UW, AZ, Ore, ND, OSU and ASU)
Expect to see Pat Cowan as the starting QB...starter Drew Olson has been out since the 5th game with a strained knee. Olson could make an appearance
Cowan is completing 54% of his passes with 9TDs and 7 INTs in 5 starts. In those 5 starts the Bruins are averaging 21 points a game
Cowan is a gamer, has above average mobility (see Brady Quinn last week) and a strong arm. He has had success in recent weeks with the deep ball
RB Chis Markey is a nice back, averaging 4.9yds per carry, including a 70yd run against call. Markey may not be a game breaker, but he is solid....he is also leading the Bruins in receptions
UCLA has a good group of receives in Junior Taylor, Marcus Everett and Brandon Breazell. All are utilized about the same with 20-25 catches each. All 3 have decent speed and can beat the Trojans deep
The UCLA OL does a nice job of protecting the QB, allowing only 17 sacks (Trojans have allowed 14), but have not been able to open up the running game (124 yds game and 3.8yds carry)
I think we will see a very similar defensive gameplan this week as we did against the Irish. I don't think the UCLA running game will scare the Trojans....expect a continuing mix of man and zone coverage in the secondary. One thing the Trojans will look to eliminate is the scrambling ability of Cowan. Given that Cowan (and Olson) are less talented than Quinn, you may see some more blitzes this week
Key #4 UCLA's offense has lacked consistency all year...it has relied on the big play to score. If the Trojans can make the Bruins earn it in long drives, I think it will be a long day for UCLA

This is a huge game for the Trojans....significant in so many different ways. I hope the SC fans turn out in force and make the Rose Bowl a sea of Cardinal. Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough win on the road and next week we can talk about the Valley of the Sun!

Fight On!

Bears Looking for Revenge

2006-11-17T08:49:00.000-08:00

Work continues to keep me from blogging each week, but I skipped the Oregon blog and the Trojans won, so no harm done! Huge game this week against Cal....The Bears have made the Trojans their #1 rival and it is not even close. From the fans (go read the Cal message boards), to the players (see DeSean Jackson's comments in the press this week) all the way to the coaches, they view USC as THE GAME for Cal. Here are my thoughts for the game:

Cal is dynamic on offense...the Bears are ranked 1st in the conference in passing and scoring (35 pts/game), 2nd in total yards and 3rd in rushing offense
The Bears have 2 of the 5 best offensive players in the Pac 10 in DeSean Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. Jackson is a very dangerous receiver and the best punt returner in the nation (4 TDs on punt returns)
QB Nate Longshore has been very solid for the Bears...he leads the conference in passing efficiency and has proven he can connect on the deep ball
Cal's offensive line has allowed the least number of sacks in the Pac 10....an impressive fact given that Longshore is not very mobile
Longshore has been known to throw the ball to the other team (an interception per every 28 attempts vs per 49 attempts for Booty)
SC's defense has looked much better of late....the Trojans are playing more man to man defense and putting pressure on the QB. I like the way the defense looked against the Ducks...if the Trojans corners/safeties play that well again, I like USC's chances
Let hope Lojack continues his hot steak...if USC gets pressure with the front 4, it will be a long day for Cal
Of course, the Trojans cannot get too aggressive because Cal has feasted on big plays to Jackson as well as WRs Hawkins and Jordan. SC has excelled at taking away the deep ball with Pete at the helm...will Cal be satisfied to dink and dunk like they did in 2003?
I am most concerned with the playmaking of Jackson and Lynch catching the ball out of the backfield against our aggressive LBs (stay at home Rey!)
Cal has tended to get off to very fast starts, outscoring the opposition 108-33 in the first quarter and 118-67 in the second quarter vs 45-16 and 92-29 for the Trojans. The Trojans need to withstand the initial burst of Cal...ensuring no turnovers is critical here
One thing that will make a difference is the crowd. I think a raucous USC crowd will make it tough on Cal and inspire the Trojans...a fast start from Cal may take the crowd out of the game
DeSean Jackson has put a ton of pressure on himself to perform in this game....I would not be surprised if he made a mistake at the wrong time (personal foul, catching a punt inside the 10, etc)
Defensively Cal has been disappointing. Despite returning 8 starters from a good squad last year, Cal is ranked 10th in pass defense, 7th in run defense and 9th in total defense
However, the Bears do have some playmakers on the defensive side of the ball (CB Hughes, LB Bishop)...they lead the Pac 10 in turnovers forced and thus have been able to hold opponents to 20 pts per game (4th in the conference)
In addition, Cal is 2nd in the conference in 3rd down defense, allowing only a 30% conversion rate. This will be a key matchup as USC is ranked 1st in the conference in 3rd down conversion offense (48%)
Cal's defense has lived off of turnovers...interception in particular. Cal has 20 interceptions to lead the conference by a wide margin (14 is next). In addition, Cal DB Hughes leads the nation with 8 picks. If (big IF) Booty can avoid the interceptions....things will be looking up for the Trojans
Cal has put decent pressure on the QB this year (20 sacks in 10 games vs 21 sacks in 9 games for the Trojan D), but nothing spectacular
Cal's defense this year reminds me a bit of USC's defense last year...dangerous, but vulnerable
I think there is a real mismatch between the WRs of USC and the secondary of Cal. Hughes may be the best corner in the country, but he can only cover one guy. Cal also starts a RS frosh at the other corner and 2 inexperienced safeties
I think the Trojans come out throwing and may keep throwing....particularly given the sketchy health status of Chauncey Washington. Dont be surprised in 15 of the first 20 plays are passes. Expect a lot of 3 Wide, Single Back formations
I also fully expect Fred Davis to be heavily involved in the offense. I think the Trojans have kept him under wraps the last two weeks on purpose...he is a weapon that has not been on tape in a few weeks
Having said all that about the pass, Cal is vulnerable to the run giving up 3.9 yds per carry (vs 2.9 for USC)
I hope the Trojans do not punt the ball to Jackson....just kick it out of bounds. This is where the Trojans' offense is key...USC needs to move the ball so that when (if?) they punt, they can kick it through the endzone. If SC needs to punt from deep in their own territory, the USC defense will be in a tough spot

This is a huge game...winner clinches a birth in the Rose Bowl. Cal will play much better than they did against Oregon. Be loud and support the Trojans as they grind out another tough win.

Fight On!

Second Half is Winning Time

2006-10-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Short blog this week...just way too busy. The Trojans enter a critical stretch of games coming off a much needed bye week. Players got a bit healthier and coaches had time to re-evaluate the team....changes will be made. I am hopeful and optimistic for a nice stretch run.

It is always hard to win in Corvallis..period
In my opinion, the Beavs have only played one impressive game this year...2 weeks ago against UW. A solid 27-17 win in Seattle, racking up 488 yds
Excluding their performances over Eastern Washington and Idaho, the Beavs are averaging only 334yd and 15.2 pts per game
OSU turns the ball over (11 in 4 Pac 10 games)
The Trojans should be rested...but hopefully not rusty.
Look for a bigger contribution from Gable, Bradford, Turner, Kyle Moore and Jeff Schweiger
Booty will play better with Smith and Jarrett healthy
OL is poised for domination

I apologize for the lack of analysis and detail...let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough win on the road.

Fight On!

Trojans Look to Finish First Half Strong

2006-10-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

After completing the sweep of the state of Washington, the Trojans are now 5-0 with one more big game before their midseason bye.

There have been a lot of rumblings on message boards and in the press about the "problems" with this USC Trojan team and coaching staff. I would like to toss in my two cents on this....sure there are areas to improve and I am concerned about some issues I see, but the level of complaining from fans has become ridiculous. I think it is important to take a step back from "how can we call that play there" and look at the big picture...why has this program been so successful?

There are several factors which have contributed to USC's success over the last 4 years, but there is one characteristic that really stands out to me....this team and coaching staff plays to win without fear. When Pete Carroll has a chance to win the game on 3rd down from the 4 yard line, he wants to win...he is not afraid of leaving UW with a timeout because he is playing to win, not worrying about losing. He believes his players will make plays. This mentality allows the Trojan players to play fast (i.e. not thinking about mistakes) and playing fast allows you to make plays. I firmly believe that Pete's style and confidence has been instilled in the entire program....do you think Leinart would have the confidence to call an audible on 4th and 9 at Notre Dame with the entire season on the line, if Pete and the staff played it safe all the time.

This is the style that got the Trojans to 50-2 and 3 consecutive bowl games with national championship implications....sometimes it works and sometimes it backfires, but the mentality breeds aggressive play which is what you want from your football team. Enough ranting from me.

Tailgate Update
Nice seeing everyone last week and thanks to everyone who contributed food and beverage. Special thanks to Aaron Wooler who kindly supplied most of the beer and Curt and Jennifer who supplied all the post game food (and cooking!). We are serving ribs this week....should be a good experiment (hopefully a tasty one). We will have some old favorites as well. Weather may be a bit dicey, so we will bring an extra EZ up...get there early to reserve your seat under the tent and near the TV! UCLA/Oregon game will be featured at 12:30.

Sun Devil Preview

ASU is 3-2 and coming off two crushing defeats at the hands of Cal and Oregon. The Sun Devils looked pretty good in their first 3 games, but have looked terrible so far in Pac 10 play
There are 3 clear reasons why the Sun Devils have played so poorly the last few weeks

1) QB Rudy Carpenter regressed significantly from his form in 2005 and in the first 2 games of the year. In the last 2 games, Carpenter completed 22-55 passes for 210 yards

2) Sacks....ASU had recorded 18 sacks (vs 3 against the Sun Devils) in the first 3 games and recorded only 1 in against Cal and Oregon (vs 11 against the Sun Devils). They went from +15 on sacks to -10

3) Turnovers...ASU was -5 in turnovers against Cal and Oregon...very hard to win like that
Make no mistake this ASU team is very talented and dangerous...Carpenter was #2 in the nation in passing efficiency last year with unbelievable stats and the Sun Devils have the best running attack that Tempe has seen in a decade (#2 in the Pac 10; #29 nationally)

Reasons to be Nervous about the Game

ASU has given up 11 sacks the last two games and USC has recorded zero...you don't have to be a genius to figure out that SC is going to bring pressure. What the Trojans need to be wary of is the screen pass....ASU is going to know the Trojans are coming with pressure and can use the screen to do some real damage. Herring and Burgess are very dangerous on the screen as is Terry Richardson
ASU is absolutely desperate. The Sun Devils got rolled in their last 2 games, but this is a chance to salvage their season. Expect the very best the Sun Devils have to offer, which is a much different team than the team who showed up against Cal and Oregon. If Carpenter plays like he did last year, ASU is a legit top 15 team
ASU can run the ball this year. RB Ryan Torian is averaging 93 yds per game and over 6yds per carry. This kid runs hard and breaks tackles. The Trojans cannot pin back their ears and only focus on the QB this year
Terry Richardson may be the best kick/punt returner in the country. He took a punt to the house against the Trojans last year and has a KOR for a TD this year. Hopefully Van Blarcom will continue to boom KO's out of the endzone and the Trojans will not have to punt often
Zach Miller may be the best TE in the conference...the Trojans have struggled with talented pass catching tight ends in the past. Miller is ASU's leading receiver

Reasons to be Optimistic about the Game

ASU's offensive line is really struggling to protect the quarterback and have given up 14 sacks including 11 against the only 2 teams they played with a winning record. This combined with a healthy Sedrick Ellis leans in the Trojans favor
ASU has not performed well defensively this year. The Sun Devils are ranked 8th in the Pac 10 in rushing defense, 6th in passing defense, 9th in scoring defense and 8th in total defense. ASU has struggled against the run in particular which bodes well for the Trojans who are hitting their stride in the running game. Look for a big performance from the Trojan backs on Saturday...ASU does not tackle well in the secondary
The Sun Devils have struggled with turnovers (-4) and penalties (7.6 per game for #104 in the nation). Combine this with a 36% 3rd down conversion rate and you can see why ASU has averaged 18pts per game in their last 3 contests. Teams who turn the ball over and commit penalties are a nice fit for the Trojan defense
The Trojans are starting to get healthy....Ellis is back, DJ is back and Chilo is back. Lets hope Steve Smith can play as well. By the way Chauncey is starting to feel much better...you could see that little something extra last week
The Trojans have a chip on their shoulder...they want to make a statement at home to finish the first half of the season going into a bye. The Trojans are ranked 2nd in the conference in rush defense, total defense and scoring defense....USC has something to prove

I would like to see theTrojans win the turnover battle for the first time since Nebraska, get at least 2 QB sacks and continue the momentum with the running game. However, the key to this game is the first quarter. If USC can get up early on ASU, I think the Sun Devils may pack it in....however, if ASU gets some early momentum and builds some confidence, this game will be a battle. Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another conference win at the Coliseum.

Finally Back to the Coliseum

2006-10-02T11:53:00.000-07:00

It just seems like the Trojans have been on the road the entire season. Very tough for a young team to open with 3 of the first 4 games on the road, including back to back road games to open the Pac-10 conference schedule. The Trojans return home to the Coliseum sporting a 4-0 record, but with a lot of questions caused by youth and injuries....we will discuss below.

The tailgate returns this week as well. With the 12:30 start, the main meal will be breakfast with all the usual items. My guess is that we serve breakfast until about 9:30 and have a quick lunch shift from 11-11:30. Before the game, we will be watching the Arkansas-Auburn game (Woooooopigsooooooooie!)...we will be setting up the TV and grill after the game as well. Probably will watch the first quarter of Oregon-Cal game before heading home. Look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday.

Cougs Review

The Cougs played a great game...best effort I have seen from them this year. The Trojans continue to get every team's best shot....particularly on the road. I think the Cougs will have a letdown this week against Oregon St...not saying the Cougs lose, but I would bet they play very flat (everyone seems to play flat after SC game)
WSU showed great offensive balance against USC and really kept the Trojans on their heels. You have to give a lot of credit to the WSU coaching staff for developing a nice game plan and to QB Alex Brink and his 2 great WRs for almost flawless execution
The Cougs are ranked 18th nationally in total offense and they showed it against the Trojans
In my opinion, there are 2 areas of concern (defensively) through 4 games. The Trojans have not generated much pressure on the QB with the front 4. This is issue #1

We certainly did not see enough of this on Saturday evening
I think the lack of pressure is due to a combination of several factors. Most importantly, Sedrick Ellis has missed the last 3 games due to knee surgery. He is expected back this week and I think this will make an impact. Secondly, the Trojans are playing Brian Cushing at the defensive end position on most plays. Cushing is a great player, but in my opinion, his strength is playing in space (at linebacker) not taking on offensive tackles in pass rush
As a result of the above, opposing offenses have been able to focus on neutralizing Lawrence Jackson via double teams and roll outs away from his side. Let's hope that Sed's return makes a difference

The second concern is lack of turnovers forced....after getting 5 turnovers at Arkansas, the Trojans have only forced 4 turnovers in the last 3 games. This is a hallmark of the Pete Carroll defense...we need the defense to get the ball. This is how we turn 28-22 games into 35-15 games
I am not too worried about the secondary....the corners were not getting burned...they just need to find the ball and avoid penalties. The Trojans have good athletes in the secondary...I am hopeful
The play of John David Booty has been outstanding. This kid is making plays all over the field and has really taken a leadership position on this team. JDB has completed 68% of his passes with 10 TDs and 2 interceptions. More importantly, he is making the critical throws on 3rd (and 4th) down to move the chains
Steve Smith played his best game since the 2005 Orange Bowl....he stepped up when the Trojans needed him most. Huge props to SS!
It was great to see Chris McFoy catch his first TD pass as a Trojan. McFoy is a fifth year senior and has been a great Trojan. Unfortunately, on his next catch he suffered a shoulder injury which will sideline him 4-6 weeks
With the injury to McFoy and Rachal (ankle), the disabled list for the Trojans is getting very crowded. The Trojans are deep, but the injuries are taking its toll....the good news is that young players are getting a shot and this will payoff down the road
How about this factoid.....in the two deep roster (which includes the Trojans top 77 players), USC has 7 seniors. Wow!

Huskies Preview

The UW Huskies are 4-1 and playing some very good football. The players have bought in and believe...they will not be afraid of USC
UW is in the bottom half of the Pac 10 in most statistical categories
Pass Offense-9th (198 yds/game)
Rush Offense-6th (167 yds/game)
Total Offense-7th (365 yds/game)
Scoring Offense-8th (25 pts/game)

Pass Defense-10th (236 yds/game)
Rush Defense-3rd (105 yds/game)
Total Defense-6th (341 yds/game)
Scoring Defense-7th (23 pts/game)
Nothing special about the stats above, but the Huskies do a great job of getting their defense off the field on 3rd down. UW is holding opponents to 29% on 3rd down conversion which is 16th nationally. USC is converting 59% of its 3rd downs (3rd nationally)....if SC is converting on 3rd down, it could be a long day for the Huskies
The Huskies fortunes are completely in the hands of QB Isiah Stanback. Stanback is a 3 year starter and a very mobile QB (10.4 100m) with a strong arm. He is an outstanding athlete and has been making plays with both his arm and feet so far this year
Stanback has struggled with decision making in the past....particularly against SC. Look for Carroll to force Stanback to read coverages and make passes from the pocket. He is only completing 57% of his passes....let's hope the Trojans can control Stanback better than Vince Young!
The Huskies are solid in the skill positions, but not flashy. Shackelford is the leading receiver and Rankin is the leading rusher (with Stanback right behind him). UW has completed 3 passes over 50 yds (none for the Trojans), so the big play potential is there
The UW offensive line is young and has played better than expected so far. The OL is the key reason for the Husky success this year...Stanback has not been pressured much (sacked 7 times in 5 games) and has had time to make the right reads
Defensively, the Huskies have a solid DL and nice LBs. The defense is lead by DE Greyson Gunheim and LB Scott White. Combined those 2 account for 13 tackles for loss and 5 sacks
In the secondary, UW has solid safeties, but is relatively weak at corner. The Huskies are last in the Pac 10 in pass defense (97th nationally)
I expect the Huskies to focus on stopping the run and force the Trojans to beat them through the air...particularly if Jarrett does not play. I think the coaches have growing confidence in Booty and we will see him get the green light to throw the ball downfield
If the Trojans can establish the passing game early, the running game will follow. If the Trojans struggle through the air, expect to see Fred Davis involved in the short passing game. This may be the game the Trojans get the RB position involved in the passing game...Trojan RBs have caught only 6 passes in 4 games
Chauncey Washington continues to get healthy....expect a little more burst from him on Saturday. You may also see Staphon Johnson get his first carry of the season
Keep your eye out for Vidal Hazelton (#7 on offense) and Travon Patterson (#17)....these true frosh will be involved in the offense
Defensively, I expect a much better effort from the Trojans. I think SC will play with a chip on its shoulder and will get an added boost from the return of Sed Ellis. The Trojans need to contain Stanback...if he starts running wild and gaining confidence, it could be trouble for SC
I think the Trojans will be excited to be back in the Coliseum while the Huskies are making their second consecutive road trip....I hope the Trojan faithful make it difficult on UW and the Trojans grind out another Pac 10 victory.

See you Saturday

Fight On!

Cougars Look for Revenge

2006-09-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Another good win for the Trojans on the road. Arizona played tough and certainly made it difficult for USC...I think facing adversity on the road is a good thing for USC at this point in the season. Trojan fans are spoiled with memories of blowing everybody out of the game before halftime...not going to happen this year. This was a solid win on the road against a team that had been preparing for USC all summer. No pictures this week...several of my internet sources have blocked access and we did not take any pics on the trip...sorry!

It was great seeing everyone in Tucson...very good turnout by the Trojans. Kudos to Dennis, Curt, Andy and Liz, Jim Beaubien, Dan Cherrie, Michael and Kimberly (sorry if I missed some folks) for the solid effort. Here are some quick hits on the AZ game and other tidbits of interest:

USC held Arizona to 8 first downs, -16 yards rushing, 154 total yards and 3 points. The Wildcats never drove the ball inside the USC 25 yard line....that is playing defense!
I just cannot say enough about the play of Rey Maulauga...the guy played one of the best games I have seen from a college linebacker. He pressured the quarterback, outran blocks to make plays sideline to sideline and absolutely destroyed blockers in the hole. Sky is the limit for Rey
Fili Moala and Chris Barrett continue to impress. Not only are they holding the interior DL together, they are disruptive and playmakers. Nice to see kids step up when their number is called. This experience will be invaluable when Sedrick Ellis returns
I can go on and on about just about everyone on the defense...suffice it to say that this unit is playing some outstanding football and opposing coaches are starting to take notice. How about that hit from Kevin Ellison....do you think WRs watching tape on that are looking forward to running the post?
Emmanuel Moody has clearly separated himself from the other RBs and has earned the the bulk of the carries. He played great against the Wildcats and has nice numbers on the year (7.0 yds/carry). However, he does tend to swing the ball out from his body and I do worry about ball security with him...I know the coaches are all over this
I think Booty has played extremely well in the first 3 games. Much better than Leinart in his first 3. Booty makes good decisions and is very accurate. He does not have the touch on the deep ball (see my comment last week) and that hurts him with passes like the one to Fred Davis down the seam
The coaches know what they have and are playing conservative to get the W. It can be frustrating as fans, but the coaches knew that Nebraska and Arizona were not going to threaten without the help of turnovers. They played it safe and won both games...not as exciting as previous years, but just as effective. The Trojans will start to open it up...may or may not be this week
The OL has been a bit of disappointment so far. Not a big problem, but I expected this unit to be more dominant. I hope it continues to gel...this will be the key to improved play and consistency on offense
I am still stunned that the Bruins lost to Washington after going up 16-0. The Bruins will crush Stanford this week, but have a very big game against AZ next week. If the Bruins are 3-2 going into ND the week of 10/21, it could get ugly in Westwood
It will be interesting to see if Arizona can regroup from this loss. We have seen several teams completely sell out to beat the Trojans and then come out flat for several weeks after the loss (see Fresno St last year)
Arizona QB Willie Tuitama left the game with a sprained ankle in the 4th quarter...if he is healthy and Stoops can keep the Cats motivated, I like AZ in a very close game
Huge game between ASU and Oregon this week. If Oregon beats ASU in Tempe, the Sun Devils may go into a tailspin. Looking forward to seeing that game

Washington St. Preview

The Cougs are 3-1 with a loss at Auburn (40-14) and wins against Idaho (1-3), Baylor (1-3) and Stanford (0-4). The two wins by Idaho and Baylor were against 1-AA Idaho St. and Northwestern St.
WSU has some very good players including Mkristo Bruce (national leader in sacks), Jason Hill (one of the best WR in America) and Michael Bumpus (former SC recruit who is an outstanding WR and PR)
The Cougs are always tough up in Pullman so the Trojans cannot look past this game. It may be tough to avoid as the Trojans have just absolutely rolled the Cougs the last 3 years with a combined score of 140-41
WSU is ranked 18th nationally in total offense (428yds with nice balance between run/pass) and 31st in scoring offense (31 pts per game)
However, a more careful analysis shows that Idaho and Stanford have 2 of the 3 worst defenses in college football (literally!). Stanford is ranked 119 (last) in total defense and Idaho is ranked 116 (3rd from last). Against Auburn and Baylor, WSU averaged 305 yds and 15.5 pts
The Cougs are going to be without 2 starting OL against the Trojans. Given the play of the Trojan DL and LB in the first 3 games...this matchup could be trouble for WSU
However, Alex Brink is a somewhat mobile QB and will throw often on the run/roll out. Look for this by design as the Coug coaching staff tries to buy Brink time and diminish the pressure on their patchwork OL
Don't be surprised if/when Gary Rodgers enters the game at QB...he is a big strong-armed kid and the fan favorite...the Cougs have a bit of a QB controversey on their hands
WSU has a group of solid backs led by #35 DeMaundray Woolridge, #1 Derrell Hutsona and #31 Dwight Tardy. Woolridge is a power back between the tackles while Hutsona is a speed back with nice hands....watch him out of the backfield. Woolridge leads the team in yards, but is battling a thigh bruise...the Trojans will likely see all 3 on Saturday
I don't think WSU can run on USC consistently, so I expect them to turn to their passing game. Hill and Bumpus are outstanding WRs and Boyd is solid TE. The Cougs can do some damage in the passing game. I think we will see very similar defensive alignments from USC on defense this week as we did against the Cats....front 7 trying to handle the run with the 2 safeties playing back to protect against the big play
The Cougs have turned the ball over 9 times in 4 games, so this could be a factor in the game. Look for the Cougs to test the Trojan secondary down field...the big question is whether Carroll will send pressure or rush 4. When the Trojans sent pressure against Arizona the results were favorable...look for a few new blitz packages
Defensively, WSU is ranked 47th it total defense (#80 against the pass, #34 against the run) and 46th in scoring defense (19pts/game)
Auburn torched the Cougs for 40pts and 484 yds, but WSU pretty much shut down Baylor, Idaho and Stanford
The defense plays an aggressive style....taking risks to force turnovers and tackles for loss. Bruce has been dominant this year...it will be interesting to see how the Trojans handle Bruce and the WSU DL after doing a nice job against Nebraska's solid front 4
The LBs are fine...solid, but nothing special. Same with the corners....Frampton is a very good safety.
Given the Trojans performance in the passing game and the injury to Jarrett (I think he plays), I think the Cougs will stack the line and dare Booty to beat them. This could get very interesting....I think Booty and the WR (and FRED DAVIS) will be up to the challenge. It could also set the scenario for some big runs, if the RBs can get into the secondary
It is easy to look at this game and say "Well the Cougs got rolled by Auburn and then beat up some patsies", but Pullman is tough and the Trojans are still a relatively inexperienced group. I like the Trojan advantage against the WSU offensive line...hard to get into a rhythm without protection, but I do think the Cougs will throw it deep and test the USC secondary
I think we will see Brittingham at fullback primarily, but would not be surprised to see some more H-back formations with Dale Thompson and Fred Davis. Such a bummer that Havilli got hurt...he looked great when he was in there
I look forward to watching the USC offense respond. I fully expect a huge game from Chauncey Washington...he has a lot to prove and does not want the starting position to slip away from him. I think the coaches use an injured Jarrett primarily as a decoy and I think the OL steps up to the challenge against the leading sack team in the nation

Its never easy to win conference road games (see last week) so let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough win on the road.

Fight On!

On the Road Again....

2006-09-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

The USC Trojans head back on the road this week with a trip to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats. Given how delayed the blog is this week, I am not going to spend a bunch of time talking about Nebraska, but here are a few of my observations:

The defense continues to be outstanding (although Nebraska looked like they were not even trying to score on offense). 10 first downs, 68 yds rushing (1.9/carry), 211 total yds and 10 pts is getting it done of defense
Keith Rivers is playing at a totally different level than last year...he has been spectacular in both games
Booty is very impressive...he made a couple of loose throws the first series of the second half, but his accuracy is among the best I have seen. As Curt and I have discussed, JDB does not put much air under the ball on deep throws...makes it more difficult for the receiver to react to the ball in the air and make a play. In a sub par effort, USC still gained 400yds and put up 28pts
If the Trojan receivers play this well all year, USC will be in good shape
Lawrence Jackson is seeing a ton of double teams....may not put up the big numbers he did last year (12 sacks). Very impressed with Fili Moala (75) and Chris Barrett (91) as they filled in for the injured Sedrick Ellis. How about Averell Spicer (99) just stuffing Nebraska on the goal line stand
The sack by Thomas Williams DID cause a fumble that should have resulted in a TD for Barrett.
Overall I thought the Trojans played well, but a bit sloppy. The game was never in doubt...remember Nebraska is a top 20 team and the likely winner of the Big 12 North. The Huskers may have the best front 7 USC faces this year

On to Arizona

Here is where the Wildcats have good/great talent: WR (Steptoe and Thomas), QB (Tuitama), Corner (Cason and Fontenot), Safety (Johnson) and DL (Holmes)
However, Arizona is weak at OL, LB and RB. Offensive line play has caused Arizona a lot of problems this year. They have not been able to run the ball effectively (less than 2 yds per carry against D-1 teams) and have not protected Tuitama
I think the Trojans DL and LBs match up very well here and can do some real damage
Last year, the Trojans struggled a bit with the UofA WRs...they are both short quick guys who have a knack for getting open deep. The play of Ellison and Mays will be critical in this game. Fortunately, I think the USC front 7 can control the running game without safety support
Tuitama is a strong armed, mobile qb...a great leader. He got banged up pretty good against LSU. He is completing just over 50% of his passes and has 3 ints vs 2 tds.
I think the Trojans' defense matches up pretty well against UofA. Expect the corners and safeties to play soft to avoid the big play....the Trojans front 7 will look to control the run and force Tuitama into some mistakes
Offensively, I think you will see USC try to establish the running game. I know the coaches were disappointed with the OL and RB effort against Nebraska so I expect them to come out with something to prove. Moody and Washington will get the bulk of the carries
Last year, Arizona played to keep everything in front of them. Not so sure they will do that this year...if they watched tape of the Arkansas game, it would not surprise me to see the Wildcat corners try and jam Jarrett and Smith at the line. Will be interesting to see if Booty can make them pay
I expect and hope to see Fred Davis more involved this week...good bet that Stanley Havili (new starting FB and true frosh) catches at least 1 pass
In closing, thanks to everyone who helped with the tailgate last week. We appreciate everyone's effort and look forward to seeing you in 2 weeks against UW.

I know that several of you are going to the game this week in Tucson...hope to see you there. Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another victory on the road

Fight On!

Fresh Start

2006-09-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

Football season has finally arrived and the USC Trojans are looking for a fresh start. The Trojans lost several key players from the teams that went an amazing 37-2 the last three years. There are several question marks for the 2006 Trojans, but based on what I saw in Arkansas, the Trojans are talented, deep and hungry. Reloaded and ready to go.

Couple of quick house keeping items before we discuss the Arkansas and Nebraska games:

GameDay will be making its 4th appearance at the Coliseum for the huge game against Nebraska. GameDay starts 30 minutes earlier this year, with the live broadcast beginning at 7am. This will be 6th time the tailgate crew has been at the GameDay set (4 at home plus 2003 Rose Bowl and 2005 Notre Dame) and so far the Trojans are undefeated.
We will be arriving very early to have the full tailgate set up before GameDay starts. We hope to see you on the set, but you are of course welcome to watch it on TV at the tailgate.

As we embark on another season of Trojan football and tailgating, please feel free to send Andy or I any suggestions or comments...always looking to improve
Our plan is to set up in the same spot (Menlo & Leighton) and serve breakfast (probably until 10am) and lunch around 1pm. Full menu for breakfast including eggs, pancakes, breakfast burittos and bagels. Lunch will be the Hoover specialty---fried Turkey. We will have some burgers as well.
Please email me if you are planning on attending...include total number in your group.

Arkansas Review

Several of us (Flynn, Hoovers, Dan & Carolyn, Matt & Eva, Marcus and AT) made the trip to Fayetteville. While in Arkansas, we ran into the Watkins and Phil Navarro and Dave McCleod as well.
It was one of the great trips I have taken. I can't say enough about how nice and welcoming the Hog fans were. They let us park at their business, gave us (and our Trojan gear) a ride to the tailgate spot and invited us to set up amongst the Hogs...they even interviewed us on TV! (see below)

This is where we parked...classic name!

Andy and Marcus getting a ride from a guy named "Hogapooloza"

Liz showing off our tailgate spot in the middle of Hogville...notice the SC flags right in the middle!

Channel 5 in Fayetteville

I was very impressed with the Trojans' effort in Arkansas...there were a lot of questions coming into this game and Pete had the kids focused and ready to play
The offensive line looks outstanding and will be the key to the Trojans' success on offense all year
Booty was composed, accurate and a leader on the field. I was very pleased to see the ball get spread around more so than last year.
Fred Davis looked like an All-American and it is so nice to see the quarterback looking for the TE again...it just seemed that we got away from that last year
The frosh RBs were extremely impressive in my opinion....they ran hard, had no fumbles and did a decent job picking up the blitz (Booty only sacked once). I thought Chauncey was a bit more impressive than the frosh, but with his hammy, I think it may be a while before he is 100%
Jarrett had an off day (and got ripped by Kiffen in the press), but Steve Smith played like he had something to prove...with these 2 guys and Turner we have a great set of WRs. Nice to see Turner involved in the offense
Ryan Powdrell looks like a real weapon at FB....very tough to tackle in short yardage and a very capable receiver out of the backfield. I love that defenses need to worry about Powdrell and Davis....just going to make DJ and SS look that much better
The defense was solid and did what Pete asks them to do....GET THE BALL! Five turnovers is outstanding
LJ looked a bit slow coming off his injury, but I was impressed with Ellis and Moala. Barrett looked pretty good as well
Cushing looks like a different player than last year...he is going to have a huge year. I think Rivers made a big leap as well....this may be the year we see #55 play like the #55's of the past
Corners were outstanding...I think we have 3 real good ones in Cary Harris, Kevin Thomas (Quito) and Terrell Thomas....lets hope Quito's ankle does not hold him out for Nebraska
Losing Josh Pinkard is devastating for the Trojans...Pete had called him "the best player on the team" several times in fall camp. True frosh Taylor Mays (#29) will take over as the starter
This was a great win for the Trojans and it felt great to be in the stands for another Trojan victory. By the way, in the third quarter during a time out, the Trojan faithful had one of the loudest "WE ARE.....SC" cheers I have ever heard on the road. The players took notice and joined it. Congrats to the fans who made this trip...the Trojans deserve our support

On to Nebraska

Nebraska is an improved football team with the ability to do some damage to the Trojans. It is a bit hard to tell where the Huskers stand because they have played 2 complete patsies so far this year
Offensively, the feature an experienced QB (Zac Taylor #12) who likes to throw underneath to both the WRs and the TE....think Cal game in 2004. The Trojans have struggled with this type of approach in the past
I don't think the Husker OL is dominant...it is solid and serviceable, but not the Husker OL of the 90s. The WRs are solid, but not spectacular...TE is the leading receiver. The big play receiver is Maurice Purify (#16)
At RB, the Huskers look a lot like USC...they have 4 RBs who will carry the ball, lead by former USC recruit Marlon Lucky (#20)
Defensively, Nebraska has an outstanding front 4 led by Jay Moore (#44) and Adam Carriker(#90). These guys are legit defense ends that can wreak havoc in the backfield. The Nebraska LBs are very solid and fast...much like the Trojans
In the secondary Nebraska has some issues. They have lost both starting corners to injury and are extremely inexperienced and thin at this spot. The corners are small as well
I think Nebraska will try and follow the Cal 2004 game plan...dink and dunk the ball down the field using the TE extensively. If Sed Ellis is unable to go for the Trojans (hurt his knee in practice on Monday), look for Nebraska to test the middle of the USC DL with some power running. Nebraska will probably run some no huddle offense as well
You might see Nebraska test the inexperienced Trojan safeties with some deep balls to Purify and some seam routes to the TE
The Trojans will counter by punishing receivers who catch the ball underneath and trying to force turnovers. I expect a big game from Lawrence Jackson on Saturday...I think we will get some pressure on the QB
Offensively, I think the Trojans will open it up a bit early. Nebraska is vulnerable in the secondary and the coaches are confident in JDB. We will still have good run/pass balance, but you may see some more down the field passes
We may see the return of the WR bubble screen...particularly if the young Husker corners try and give the Trojan WR some cushion. If the Husker DBs try and bump at the line...look for some big plays from DJ, SS and Turner

The Coliseum is going to be electric for the home opener with GameDay. The Huskers will likely bring 15k-20k fans as well....can't wait! Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another victory at home.

Fight On!

Trojans Look to Reload

2006-01-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

The Trojans lose to Texas in a game I believe USC had every opportunity to win. I won't rehash the game and the calls, but I will give Texas credit, they won and the Trojans lost. It was certainly extremely disappointing and it has taken several days to rid myself of that empty/sick feeling in my stomach, but I left the Rose Bowl with a smile. This is simply one of the greatest runs in the history of college football and I am thrilled to have experienced it first hand. Sometimes we forget how amazing the last 4 years have been.....here is a quick recap:

48-4 (30-2 Pac 10)
34 Consecutive Wins
8-0 vs UCLA and Notre Dame
4 Consecutive Pac 10 Championships (3 outright, 1 shared)
4 Consecutive BCS Bowls (3 with national championship implications)
3 Heisman Trophies
2 National Championships

The list excludes ongoing streaks for Pac 10 wins and home wins. I was fortunate enough to attend 36 games in person during this stretch including all 4 BCS games.....experiences and memories that will last a lifetime. USC had won 35 straight games in which I was in attendance, dating back to the loss in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl. It would have been great to beat Texas, but it is hard for me to be too disappointed given the last 4 years. The Trojans will be back and I discuss my thoughts for next year below. 2006 will be a much different Trojan team, but it will be talented, experienced and well-coached...I expect another outstanding season.

Before talking about next year, it is time to name the 2005 All Tailgate Team. Thanks to everybody who contributed and helped make 2005 such a fun year to attend USC football games. Special thanks go to The Hoovers and Clare Flynn who really make the tailgate happen every week.....without them, there would be no tailgate. I would also like to recognize the Watkins Family (Dr. Bob, Robert and Andy) for their great contributions. The above mentioned are not eligible for All Tailgate consideration.

The selection process is rigorous, disciplined and based on several factors including attendance (pre and post game...bonus points for away games), effort (including time of arrival and departure), enthusiasm, new ideas and whatever else the Selection Committee wants to consider. There are 15 selections, 5 each on the First, Second and Honorable Mention teams (listed in alphabetical order by team).

First Team

Dan Cherrie/Carolyn-Dan attended 11 games (missed only ASU and Washington), which we believe is a record for the tailgate crew. Dan has always been the first person to arrive at the tailgate to set up and last to leave. Dan made it to both GameDay broadcasts this year (@ND & vs UCLA) and was part of the overnight crew at the Rose Bowl. Carolyn completed her first year of tailgate attendance with some great efforts including a great showing in Chicago with her parents! Repeat first team selection.
Matt Cherrie-Matt repeats as a first team selection by taking the redeye to Chicago for the Notre Dame game and making the trip to Cal as well. Despite missing the UCLA game, Matt gets extra credit for driving to home games from Ventura.
Michael/Kimberly Goyan-The only new selection on the first team, Michael & Kimberly took arriving early to new levels and helped us secure prime tailgate locations on several occasions. Among the most die-hard USC fans I know...a great addition for the tailgate.
Curt Himebauch/Jennifer Ignacio-Curt and Jennifer did an outstanding job with food at the tailgates this year...we could not feed everyone with such great food without their help. On top of great efforts at all the home games, Curt and/or Jennifer made road trips to South Bend and Eugene as well. Repeat first team selection.
Aaron Wooler/Melanie Kimball-AT and Melanie were new selections for the first team last year and held onto their spot with great contributions. They are responsible for the keg(s) at the tailgates and also are credited with the RV plan at the Rose Bowl. Rumor is they are planning their wedding to avoid conflict with a USC home game...that is dedication!

Second Team

Jim Beaubien/Susan Welsh-Jim and Susan made limited appearances at the Coliseum, but when they showed, they did so with fixings for home made Bloody Mary's. Jim made road trips to Eugene, South Bend and the Rose Bowl.
Jeff Hermann-Jeff is a repeat second team selection and made it to all the home tailgates except UCLA...he missed that for his wedding!
Phil Navarro- Phil is responsible for the unbelievable lobster and yellowtail feast at the Fresno St. game...this is the 3rd year in a row he has provided the tailgate with this special meal.
Lawrence Snapp- Lawrence makes second team based on two outstanding early morning efforts. First team potential with a more appearances.
Eric Tis- A repeat second team selection, Eric made several home games and the trip to ND. ET also provides a steady dose of Patron to the tailgate.

Honorable Mention
Jan & Bing Cherrie-Great to see Jan & Bing at the tailgate often this year. Thanks to Bing for setting up the Cal trip which was spectacular!
Kris Galashan- 3 appearances this year...late arriver, but better late than never
Mark Stegemoeller-Making the team almost exclusively on his effort in Eugene
Dan Withers- First time selection...he made a strong run at second team. Dan set us up with a great tailgate in Eugene and made appearances at most home games. Arrival time needs some work...first team potential
Marcus Wooler-Former first team selection whose job has impacted his performance each of the last two years. He will be back!

Congratulations to everyone who made the team this year and for those who didn't, now you know what it takes. Please send me any suggestions for future tailgates or comments on the team and selection process. Any grievances will be brought to the Selection Committee for review.

Thoughts on the 2006 Trojans

The Trojans are losing some of the greatest players in the history of the program, including 2 Heisman Trophy winners. Leinart, Bush, White, Latui and Bing are among the All Americans the Trojans will miss in 2006. Throw in Matua, Justice, Ware, Wyatt, Byrd, Ramsey, Malone and there are some big holes to fill. Make no mistake, the 2006 Trojans will be much different than the 2005 version. However, USC will be extremely talented in 2006 with depth and experience at many positions (WR, FB, DE, LB, OL). Dan Cherrie and I attended the USC Recruiting Dinner/Celebration and there is an amazing amount of talented athletes coming to USC next year. Some of these freshman may make an immediate impact.

I believe John David Booty will be the starter next year, but he will be pushed by RS Frosh Mark Sanchez. This will be JDB's 4th year in the program and I am confident he will excel. JDB is more like Carson Palmer (but smaller) than Leinart...he has a very strong arm, throws well on the run and has decent mobility. JDB is much farther ahead than Leinart was before his first start in 2003. He is a bit of gun-slinger and tends to rely on his cannon arm to squeeze throws into dangerous situations. If JDB can minimize his interceptions, I think he will be the next great Trojan QB. If JDB stumbles early in the year, I would not be surprised to see Sanchez get his shot. Garrett Green will be a true freshman this year and is a valuable addition to the team.

The Trojans have a plethora of highly talented backs, however, several are returning from injury and others have limited or no game experience. There are many questions as to who will be healthy in 2006 (Dennis, Reed, Coleman) or eligible (Washington). In addition to these returning players the Trojans signed an unbelievable RB class including Stafon Johnson, CJ Gable, Emanuel Moody and Allen Bradford. Gable and Bradford will likely play defense, but they were both outstanding high school running backs. I believe Herschel Dennis will be given every opportunity to start at RB...he knows the system and is an everydown back with outstanding blocking and pass catching ability. If Reed and Coleman are healthy, they will get a number of carries as well. Look out for Chauncey Washington if he is eligible and don't be surprised if Stafon Johnson gets some carries early in the year. With the talent and depth that USC has at RB, I feel confident the Trojans will be productive at this position.

Brandon Hancock (starter in 2004) will regain his spot following the graduation of David Kirtman. Hancock is a fabulous athlete with great speed and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Ryan Powdrell will be moved from LB to play the role of punishing blocker. True frosh Stanley Havili could see some time here, but he may also play RB.

The Trojans return the entire WR corps from last year including Jarrett, Smith, Turner and McFoy. In addition, the Trojans signed several top WRs including David Ausberry (big WR in Mike Williams mold), Jamere Holland (a true speed receiver that USC has been missing...the fastest football player in America), Travon Patterson (small, shifty slot receiver) and likely Vidal Hazelton (a very polished receiver who just makes plays). The Trojans continue to have an embarrassment of riches at the WR position and have successfully added some speed and shake to the group, which has been missing in the past.

Fred Davis proved he is a powerful blocker and a dangerous receiver in 2005....look for him to have a breakout year in 2006. Dale Thompson has significant experience and has been used often in two tight end sets. Jimmy Miller caught two TD passes this year and is an athletic tight end who is difficult to cover. USC also signed a very talented TE out of Fresno, Anthony McCoy....he reminds many of a leaner Dominique Byrd. Again, I think the Trojans have both talent and experience at this position. Note---I hope that the USC offensive coordinators use this talent more so than in 2005.

I have heard many people express significant concern about the offensive line, particularly since USC only signed one OL this year. I actually think USC is in great shape on the offensive line. The Trojans return two starters from an OL that was the best in the nation last year. Sam Baker is among the best offensive tackles in the country and Ryan Kalil is among the best centers in the country. The Trojans lose Winston Justice, who in my opinion played better 2 years ago than in 2005. He will be replaced by Kyle Williams, who has played in every game the last 2 years. Kyle is a good player who has been in the program for 5 years...USC may take a small step back at OT, but not much. There is not much experienced depth at tackle however. Drew Radovich is a great player who can man either the tackle or guard position...it is unclear where he will play in 2006. The Trojans lose both starting guards in Deuce Latui and Fred Matua, but there are some outstanding players filing their spots. Jeff Byers started 6 games in 2004 as a true frosh and missed last year with a hip injury. Byers is 100% healthy and will be starting at guard in 2006. Chilo ("Chai-lo") Rachal will likely take over at the other guard position. Chilo is simply a monster and I expect him to be an improvement over Fred Matua next year. Tiny Malu will be the main reserve at guard, depending where Radovich plays. USC has 6 outstanding OL, but there is a concern about depth.

USC is loaded at defensive end. Lawrence Jackson, a 1st team All Pac 10 selection last year, returns as a starter at one DE and there will be substantial competition for the other spot vacated by Frostee Rucker. Kyle Moore has the inside track on securing that position, but he will be pushed by Jeff Schweiger, Rashad Goodrum and maybe true frosh Mike Morgan. Morgan is undersized and will likely be used only in passing situations. There is a chance that Keith Rivers is moved from LB to DE as well. At nose tackle, the Trojans return starter Sedrick Ellis. I thought Ellis had an outstanding year and I expect a breakout season from him. He will be backed up by red shirt frosh Avrell Spicer. Fili Moala will try and lock down his spot at the 3 technique DL position. He will be pushed by Travis Tofi and true freshman Butch Lewis and Walker Ashley. Chris Barrett is a physical specimen and can play either DE or DT...I like him more at DT and hope he can make some noise there in the spring. Also, look for true frosh Derrick Simmons, he reminds me a bit of Shaun Cody, probably quick enough to play end, but will likely play DT.

The Trojans have a ridiculous number of quality LBs. I think sophomore Rey Maluagua will take over the starting MLB position. He will be backed up by Oscar Lua and Luther Brown. Brown is an explosive player and could also compete for playing at WLB or DE. Dallas Sartz (3 year starter) and Brian Cushing will compete for the SLB spot. I believe Cushing is the better player, but I suspect that Coach Carroll will want his most experienced LB (Sartz) on the field. I think there is a real possibility that Sartz and Cushing both start (SLB and WLB) and that Keith Rivers plays DE. If Rivers keeps his spot at WLB, it will be a battle for that SLB position. Other players in the mix will be Thomas Williams, Maiva and true frosh Josh Tatum. SC is literally stacked 3 deep at each LB position. Ryan Powdrell will be moved to FB.

Corner

After sustaining the loss of Eric Wright in the preseason and Terell Thomas in the second game, the CB spot was an area of concern all season. In 2006, it will be an area of strength in my opinion. I believe Josh Pinkard will stay at corner after being converted from safety in 2005. He developed into a very solid corner and is positioned to have a huge year in 2006. The other corner spot will be a battle between 2005 starter Terell Thomas (returning from ACL surgery), sophomore Kevin Thomas, JC transfer Mozique McCurtis and true frosh Shareece Wright. Wright has all the skills to be an unbelievable corner, but both of the Thomas' have experience. Cary Harris and Will Harris will be in the mix as well. CJ Gable may see some time corner as well.

Safety

USC loses both starting safeties to graduation. If Kevin Ellison can recover from ACL surgery, I would expect him to lock down the FS spot. There are several extremely talented true frosh competing for playing time as well. Antwine Perez is a hard hitting SS, who enrolled in January and will participate in spring practice. Taylor Mays is a 6'4" 225lbs safety who is the 2-time Washington State Champion in BOTH the 100 and 200 meters. The kid is just sick and could play safety, WR or maybe even CB. Allen Bradford, the #1 high school player in CA, will compete at the SS spot, but may also play LB or RB. The Ting brothers also return for their senior year. This is the most talent USC has ever had in the secondary.

Special Teams

Look for CJ Gable, Taylor Mays, David Ausberry and Cary Harris to return kickoffs (maybe Desmond Reed if he is healthy). Travon Patterson will be given an early opportunity to return punts. Mario Danelo returns to kick field goals. As it stands today, USC will be looking to a walk-on punter.

The more I think about the 2006 Trojans, I think USC will be very good. The schedule is difficult and the team will be young in spots, so there may be some early bumps in the road. Look for this team to be playing great football in November. I can't wait for spring practice...see you there!

Fight On!

Trojans Take Route 66 to Pasadena

2005-12-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a happy and safe holidays.

Listen very carefully.....do you hear that? That my friends is the beautiful sound of silence. After 2 weeks of chirping from the media and fans about how close the game was last year, the 42 points given up against Fresno St and the outstanding UCLA special teams, we now have absolute silence....the kind of silence that can only be generated by complete and total domination.

What a way to end the regular season and to send out the seniors (and some juniors) in their last game in the Coliseum. It was an absolutely perfect celebration of everything that makes up USC Trojan football. The Rose Bowl is an awesome reward for the players, coaches, families and fans....it is going to be an unbelievable environment!

Congratulations to Reggie Bush on his Heisman Trophy...what a spectacular accomplishment.

Rose Bowl Tailgate
We are trying something different for the tailgate this week.....we have parked 2 RVs at the Rose Bowl. Our RVs are located in Brookside Park which is south of the stadium (across the street (south) from Lot H). We are just east of the northern most portion of Lot I and a little north of the baseball fields (see this link http://www.tournamentofroses.com/rosebowlgame/photos/game_parking_map.gif and hand drawn map attached). Our RVs are backed up against the fence so there may be a row or 2 of RVs in front of us.

Easiest way to find us is to go to the northern most driveway entrance of Lot I (on Arroyo Blvd just south of Seco). Walk east on that driveway/path. You will see some white tents and several parked RVs on your left on your left and will begin to see normal cars parked on grass on your right. The park begins to open up on your left (almost like a cul de sac)...our RVs are in the back portion of that section against the fence. We plan on having our normal set up of tents, chairs, etc.

We will be serving food and drink all day Wednesday. Hope to see you there.

Bruins and ESPN GameDay Visit the Coliseum

2005-11-29T09:35:00.000-08:00

We hope that everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. The Trojans certainly needed a break after playing 10 consecutive weeks. USC survived a close game against a solid Fresno St team. I was impressed with the Bulldogs, particularly in how they took USC's best shot in the third quarter and came back to actually lead the Trojans in the 4th quarter. What can you say about Reggie Bush? He just makes big plays in important situations that make a real difference in the outcome of the game. He is truly a special player.

Tailgate Update

We had another great tailgate for the Fresno St game....thanks to everyone for helping out
Special thanks to Phil Navarro for providing and cooking the wonderful lobster, albacore and yellowtail....Phil has now spoiled us two years in a row with this tasty feast! Of course, he is now morally obligated to provide for us every year :)
It was fun to set up next to Fred Matua's family....we were able to trade lobster for bbq'd pork as well engage in some interesting dialogue. Congrats to Fred and his family for making 2nd Team All Pac 10! John Walker's parents were there as well
I am not a big fan of the night games, but it is clear to me that the crowd is much louder and enthusiastic for the 7pm games vs the 12:30 games
This is the last Coliseum tailgate of the year and with the Bruins coming to town and GameDay making an appearance it should be an electric day!
This will be the fifth time that the tailgate crew has been in attendance for GameDay and it is an awesome experience. The Trojans have won four huge games with GameDay in attendance (Rose Bowl 2003, Cal 2004 and Notre Dame 2004 and 2005) and we are hoping to go 5 for 5.

Obviously this game will be sold out and with GameDay here, I would expect another early arriving crowd
We will be serving our regular breakfast menu as well as a light lunch pre-game. We will be serving food post game as well
Pre-game we will be watching Texas and Colorado play in the Big XII Championship Game and post game we will watch the second half of the SEC Championship Game (LSU vs Georgia)

Quick Fresno St Review

This week is all about the Bruins so I will not spend much time on the Bulldogs
I thought USC played well against Fresno St with the exception of special teams which were terrible
I have heard many complaints about the defense, but I think most of the blame goes to special teams. Both Fresno TDs in the 4th quarter were on drives less than 20yds thanks to a long punt return (and penalty) and a fumbled kickoff....hard to blame the defense for 20yds drives
I was disappointed to see the Fresno OL getting into the USC linebackers and creating running lanes up the middle....despite that, Fresno still only rushed for 110 yards on 32 carries...very respectable run defense
Oscar Lua looked like his knee was bothering him quite a bit....I was surprised that Rey did not see more time at MLB....I hope Oscar can get healthy for the Bruins
Dwayne Jarrett did not have his best game as a Trojan...he did not seem comfortable with the press coverage....I expect DJ to play much better this week
The defense continued to force turnovers...5 vs the Bulldogs, including 2 interceptions by Darnell Bing. The Trojans lead the nation in turnover margin
Reggie was just outstanding....one of the greatest to wear Cardinal & Gold. His performance was one for the ages
Mario Danelo has quietly made 9 of 10 field goals this year, including 3 field goals against the Bulldogs
Fresno did not have anything left in the tank after playing the Trojans, suffering a terrible loss at Nevada on Saturday night

UCLA Preview

The Bruins are clearly a better team than last year, due primarily to the improved play of QB Drew Olsen
The Bruins have an explosive and dynamic offensive attack. Both of UCLA's outstanding RBs (Maurice Drew and Chris Markey) are threats as runners and receivers
The Bruins have relied heavily on RBs catching short passes (screens, slants) and turning them into large gains....Markey and Drew lead the Bruins in yards per catch. The Trojans must be able to keep the passes to the Bruin RBs to short gains
In addition to the backs, the Bruins have a very effective and dangerous tight end in Marcedes Lewis. Lewis leads the team in catches, yards and touchdowns....he is the clear "go to" receiver for Olsen
QB Drew Olsen leads the nation in passing efficiency and has 30TD passes vs only 3 interceptions. He is making great decisions right now and throwing the ball with outstanding accuracy
UCLA's OL is serviceable, but probably not as good as last year. The Bruins have allowed 20 sacks this year (vs 14 last year and 14 for USC this year) and are averaging 4.2 yds per carry (vs 6.3 for USC)
It will be interesting to see if the Bruins try and run at the middle of the USC defense, as Fresno St did with some success in the 2nd half...Fresno has an outstanding center that allowed them to make it work
Maurice Drew is very dangerous in space, but tends to get caught up in the pile...let's hope USC can keep him contained
Overall, UCLA is ranked 4th in the conference in rushing offense, 5th in passing offense and 5th in total offense...however, due to outstanding special teams and a positive turnover ratio, the Bruins are ranked 2nd in scoring at 40pts per game (5th nationally)
The Bruins will move the ball and score points, but I am hopeful that USC can slow down the UCLA running game, put some pressure on Olsen and not allow the backs or TE to make big plays
Maurice Drew leads the nation in punt returns and has 3 TDs returning punts...he has not returned kickoffs this year, but don't be surprised to see him back there on Saturday
I doubt that USC will punt to Drew, instead choosing to kick it out of bounds or out of the endzone. If USC can control the ball and field position with the running game, it will make it much easier for Malone to punt the ball out of the back of the endzone
Defensively, the Bruins have struggled this year and are ranked last in the conference in rushing defense (115th nationally). I am sure the Trojans plan to run the ball often in this game
Don't be surprised to see the Trojans throw early to the fullback or throw the quick hitch to Jarrett early to set up the run...I can't think of a single game in the last 5 years when USC committed to running the ball early in a game
The Bruin DL is undersized, but have recorded 24 sacks this year
Assuming LenDale is healthy, I expect him to have a big game...the Bruins struggle to tackle and White is a load to bring down
The Bruin corners are solid and the safeties are very good....however the Bruins only have 5 interceptions this year (vs 22 for the Trojans)
Leinart struggled a bit last year vs UCLA (due partially to getting his bell rung)....I expect Matt to be sharp in his last game in the Coliseum
The main reason the game was close last year was that USC was 1 for 13 on 3rd down conversions and 0 for 7 for TDs in the redzone (5 field goals). USC is #1 in the country in 3rd down conversions this year
USC should have an advantage on the OL (vs Bruin DL) and this could be the biggest difference in the game...last year an injured Jeff Byers struggled to block Kevin Brown
Reggie Bush was named Pac 10 Player of the Year for the second consecutive year and 9 Trojans made first team and 4 made second team...congrats to those who earned these honors

UCLA is talented and this is a rivalry game. Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough victory at the Coliseum. See you there!

Fight On!

Successful Road Trip....Home Stretch Ahead

2005-11-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

For the first time during the overlapping Jeff Tedford and Pete Carroll eras, USC and Cal did not play a close game as the Trojans won 35-10 in a very convincing manner. Due to shaky Cal quarterback play and the improving USC defense, the Bears were never able to mount a charge. Matt Leinart looked sharp both throwing the ball and running it, while the defense continued to play tough and force turnovers, despite continued injuries.

Tailgate Update
Another night game this week with kickoff at 7:15. The game is sold out and has been sold out since August...I expect about 20,000 Bulldog fans to be in attendance. The excitement is building as the Trojans play their last two regular season games at home...The crowd is going to be a full 92,000 and will be very loud. Given the excitement and the large Fresno contingent, I expect this to be an early arriving crowd. Phil Navarro will be setting up his traditional lobster and fish feast for this game....it was awesome last year!

Please let me know if you plan on attending (and how many) so we can plan accordingly.

This is the traditional rivalry week in college football so there are some great games to watch during the tailgate. Virgina Tech vs Virgina, Michigan vs Ohio St., Alabama vs Auburn, Oregon vs Oregon St. and Cal vs Stanford are some of the games we plan on viewing.
Cal Review

Leinart had an outstanding game and his numbers would have been much better, but for a few dropped passes
Matt's two TD runs add a new dimension to our offense in the red zone...one more thing for opposing LBs and defensive coordinators to think about
I was impressed with Cal's defense, particularly the secondary. The Bears did a good job of holding Reggie in check, but Lendale had an outstanding day
Cal's CB Hughes (#13) had nice coverage most of the day on Jarrett and also had some solid tackles in the open field
It was good to see Dom Byrd getting some balls thrown his way...hopefully he knocked off some of the rust last week and will make some plays this week
Fred Davis continues to be an outstanding blocker...Davis and Byrd is a difficult two tight end set to deal with
Interesting to see the reverse to McFoy....I wonder if that is his payback for blocking so well on the running plays
How about those USC freshman LBs! Maluagua and Cushing were the two leading tacklers and Rey also had an interception and a fumble recovery...amazing to see the talented depth the Trojans have on this team
I was shocked at how poorly Joe Ayoob, Cal's QB, played...however, the Trojan defense does deserve some credit for making him look that bad
The defense forced 6 turnovers (4 pics, 2 fumbles) after forcing 5 turnovers last week. The Trojans are now +17 for the year in turnovers, ranked 1st in the conference and third nationally
I know I have said this the last few weeks, but the Trojan defense is really starting to gel. The secondary seems stronger with Pinkard at corner and the DL is becoming a force to reckon with. With John Walker getting healthy and Oscar Lua possibly returning to the line-up, USC's defense may be peaking at the right time
USC held Cal to under 300 total yards and kept both RBs (Lynch and Forsett) under 100 yds rushing
The Cal wide receivers caught 5 passes for 28 yards...that is an amazing stat!
USC fans had a very impressive showing at Cal...I would estimate 18k-22k in attendance. The Trojan crowd was loud when Cal had the ball and the Spirit of Troy just took over the stadium....It was a great experience!

Fresno St. Preview

The Bulldogs are 9-1 and ranked 16th in the polls...their only loss was a close 37-34 defeat to Oregon in Eugene
Fresno St comes in with some lofty statistical rankings....#5 in scoring offense (40 pts per game) and #8 in scoring defense (15 pts per game)
It is hard to evaluate the Bulldog's statistical rankings because the quality of their competition is so low...opponents are 37-48 and when they played 7-2 Toledo, the Rockets were without their star QB
Fresno has a veteran QB (Paul Pinegar), two backs who have rushed for 1,000 yards (Mathis and Sumlin), a legit NFL receiver (Paul Williams) and a quick shifty WR/Return guy in Adam Jennings
Fresno is a run first team (178 yds per game) and the Bulldogs keep it on the ground 57.4% of the time (vs 47.8% for USC). However, the Bulldogs do like to throw the ball downfield to Paul Williams who is averaging over 19 yds per catch (higher average than any Trojan)
Williams is 6'2 and fast...also a dangerous runner on the reverse or end around
The Bulldogs have a good balanced offensive attack that will challenge the Trojans. Pinegar is a mobile guy and he may give the USC defense a bit of trouble outside the pocket
I expect the Bulldogs to try and run the ball and use the short passing game to try and control the clock and move the chains....Fresno is ranked 3rd nationally in 3rd down conversion percentage at 53.7%. I also expect the Bulldogs to utilize Pinegar in their running game...both planned QB runs and scrambles
While Fresno has been successful running the ball this year, they did struggle to run the ball against Oregon (their one quality opponent) ....Mathis had 70 yards on 18 carries, less than 4 yards per carry...I think the Trojans will be ready and well prepared to face the Fresno rushing attack
Fresno has had success throwing the deep fade down the sidelines to Paul Williams, I fully expect the Trojans to keep a safety over the top of Williams all/most of the game and force the Bulldogs to beat them with running and short passes
Defensively, the Bulldogs play a hard aggressive style. I am impressed with their DL, but feel that USC will find ways to use that style against Fresno (middle screen after play action, mis direction runs, etc)
Fresno has very good special teams, particularly punt return and kickoff return...it is important that the Trojans do not let the Bulldogs make big plays in the return game
The Bulldogs have struggled with penalties this year, particularly false starts....let's hope the Coliseum crowd is loud and makes a difference!

Fresno is a talented team and one that will be a challenge to the Trojans. Lets hope that the Trojans can earn another home victory. See you Saturday.

Fight On!

Into the Bears' Lair

2005-11-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

Don't look now, but the Trojans seem to be hitting their stride. USC just hammered the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday night 51-21, taking a 37-0 lead in the second quarter. In my view, the Trojans have played very well the last 3 games (much better than games vs Oregon, ASU and ND) and the offense appears to have found its rhythm....I know this makes Coach Carroll and Matt Leinart very happy.

The tailgate on Saturday was outstanding, thanks to everyone for helping make the tailgate a great game day experience for everyone. In particular I would like to thank Curt and Jennifer for generously supplying the wonderful food (great tri-tip!) and Aaron and Melanie for bringing the keg. Next week brings another special meal, as Phil Navarro will be bringing lobster and yellowtail for the group. Those of you who attended the Notre Dame tailgate last year can attest that Phil brings some great fish!
Stanford Review

The Trojans stormed out of the tunnel and just dominated the Cardinal in the first half, building a 37-0 lead
Reggie was on fire in the first quarter, including an awesome TD run where he simply outran the Stanford safety, despite the fact the safety had the angle
The Trojans were able to successfully complete a few screen passes, something USC has struggled with the last 4 games
The offensive line was outstanding...again. USC averaged 6.5yds per carry and allowed zero QB sacks
Jarrett continues to amaze....#8 made another unbelievable TD grab while racking up 101 yds on 8 catches
The Trojans finally let the TE position out of the bag....7 catches for the tight ends, including 2 TDs. It was great to see Fred Davis get in the endzone...this kid has worked real hard and has a bright future at USC
Who could of predicted that Fred Davis (1) and Jimmy Miller (2) would each have more TD catches than Dom Byrd (0) through 9 games this year
I hope Dom is healthy enough to play against Cal....he is a dangerous weapon
Stanford came into the Coliseum having zero turnovers in the last 4 games....they left with 5 turnover against the Trojans....it is amazing how Pete focuses on turnover margin (USC is leading the conference and 6th in the nation)
The Trojan corners are struggling with the deep ball....this is something we have not seen in USC teams under Pete...I know this is a focus of the coaching staff and I believe USC will improve in this area
While the Trojans only recorded one official sack against Stanford, USC put several hits on the Cardinal QB and pressured him often. I am quite sure he was sore on Sunday!
Lawrence Jackson was outstanding....during one series, he hit the QB 3 plays in a row
I think that Pete's friendship with Stanford head coach Walt Harris had a major influence on the game plan in the second half. Pete really called off the dogs in this one

Thoughts on the Cal Game

Cal may be 6-3, but the Bears are a quality team with very talented skill players and an established history of playing the Trojans tough
One factor that is different this (other than the players of course) is that USC played Cal early in the season from 2002-2004 (6th game, 4th game, 5th game) and this year the Trojans are seeing Cal in the 10th game
The reason I mention this is that it certainly seems that the Trojans have played better football later in the year under Pete Carroll (including this year!)
I expect about 20k Trojans to attend the game and I look forward to seeing many of you there
Cal has an outstanding rushing game (2nd in the conference behind USC and 8th nationally), averaging 243 yds per game. The Bears have two very dangerous backs in Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett, both who average over 100 yds per game
Many will claim that Cal has just feasted on weak OOC foes, but the Bears are averaging 229 yds rushing per game in the Pac 10. Oregon State somehow managed to hold the Bears to 75 yds rushing (at Cal), but all other Pac 10 teams have given up big time yards on the ground to Cal
The Bears' offensive line is very good, although they did lose their starting tackle to a knee injury several weeks back
It appears that Cal's offensive line is more adept at run blocking than pass blocking....the Cal OL has given up 19 sacks (vs 10 for USC), including 18 sacks in 6 Pac 10 games (vs 6 for USC)...lets hope the Trojan DL can put some pressure on the QB
Cal has struggled with the passing game this year (last in the conference), averaging 201 yds per game and completing 49.6% of passes. The Bears have also thrown 12 interceptions, tied for 2nd worst in the conference
The Bear's QB, Joe Ayoob, is a very athletic, mobile quarterback who has struggled with accuracy and decision making...I expect the Trojans to try and confuse the first year starter
Cal has 3 outstanding wide receivers with Desean Jackson, Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins. All 3 are talented, but inexperienced...Jackson is a real playmaker with legit speed and the ability to make people miss in the open field
I expect Cal to work hard to establish the run and mix in the short pass (screens to Lynch, bubble screen to Jackson). I also fully expect the Bears to try and beat the Trojans with the deep pass a few times
Cal will likely try and replicate their game plan from last year (same as ND this year)....the question will be can the Bears convert consistently on 3rd down. The Irish did (48% on the year and ranked 10th nationally), but the Bears are converting 35.9% of 3rd down conversions (ranked 78th)
Lock of the week-Cal will attempt a pass from either a WR or RB in this game
The Trojans have historically played well against one dimensional running teams...I expect the Trojans to try and force Ayoob to make the throws necessary to win
The health of Oscar Lua (bruised bone in knee) and availability of Rey Maualuga (visiting his severely ill father) will impact the Trojans ability to stop the run. Oscar is going to try and practice on Thursday and Rey has much more important issues to tend to than football right now
If the game were today, USC would start Rivers, Ashton and Williams at LB, with Cushing and Maiava getting major playing time as well.
Cal has struggled against the better defenses in the Pac 10, averaging 315 yds per game against Arizona (#4 in Pac total D), Oregon St (#5) and Oregon (#2). The Bears racked up on average 550 yards per game against Washington (#6), UCLA (#7) and Washington St (#10).....The Trojans are ranked #1 in total defense
There is no doubt in my mind that Cal will break some long runs and probably complete a long pass. I just hope that USC can minimize the damage and the Cal points on the scoreboard
Defensively, Cal is ranked 3rd in the conference in total defense, rushing defense and passing defense
One could make the argument that Cal's defensive statistics are overrated because they have not played the #1 (USC) or #2 (ASU) offenses in the conference.....#3 (WSU) lit up the Bears for 601 yds and 38pts. To be fair, Cal also has not played the #10 offense either
The front 7 for the Bears is talented, but lacks experience. The secondary is full of talented veterans. McCleskey and Hughes are the two best players in Cal's secondary
I expect the Trojans to continue and execute the same game plan we have seen the last 3 weeks....I hope the Trojans can establish a great offensive rhythm early in the game
The Trojans are leading the nation in yards per carry....we might see the Trojans try and pound the ball more in the second half
It would be great to see a Trojan tight end make a big play while matched up with an inexperienced Cal LB
I would like to see the bubble screen to Jarrett used early and often...he has a nasty straight arm and usually gets 5-8 yds. This play also seems to draw in the corners, leaving more room for the big play down the field

The bottom line is this...Cal has talent, lots of talent, but has struggled to put a complete game together at times due to inexperience at key positions. The Bears are dangerous and have played the Trojans tougher than anyone during the last 3 years (84-79 cumulative score). It is likely this will be a very tough game in a hostile road environment. Lets hope the Trojans can grind out another tough victory on the road.

Fight On

Goodbye Washington, Hello Nor Cal

2005-11-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

The Trojans completed the Washington Sweep for the second straight year by completely dominating the Washington State Cougars 55-13. USC beat the Washington schools by a combined score of 106-37 (80-12 last year) and now the Trojans take on the the two Nor Cal schools in back to back weeks. This week the Stanford Cardinal comes to to visit the Coliseum and next week the Trojans travel North to take on the Cal Bears. As a side note, the Trojans struggled last year vs the Nor Cal schools, winning both games by a combined 54-45 margin.

Tailgate Update

We have been fortunate to enjoy a great season of tailgating so far this year. Thanks to everyone for contributing food, drink, cooking skills and most importantly your presence!
Thanks to everyone's help, we have been able to create a mellow, family environment at the tailgate...the goal is to make it like your family room (with a few more people), just at the Coliseum
The Stanford tailgate should be outstanding. Curt & Jennifer are leading the charge to take the food to the next level....tri-tip, shrimp/chicken kabobs and more on the menu this week
In addition, Saturday features some of the best pre-game football viewing of the year including Notre Dame/Tennessee (11:30), Cal/Oregon (12:30), UCLA/Arizona (3:30) and Miami/Virginia Tech (4:45)
Please let me know if you have any suggestions, comments or complaints

Notes & Tidbits on the Washington State Game

This game was dominated by the Trojans from start to finish...the offense was outstanding, but I am starting to get excited about the defense (remember what I said last week!)
745 total yds for the Trojans vs 284 for the Cougars (more on this below)
40 USC first downs vs 13 for the Cougs
This is the 3rd time this year that USC has scored 28 points in one quarter
Dwayne Jarrett had career highs in catches (11) and yards (200) and continues to lead the nation in TD receptions (13)
It was great to see Steve Smith return to the endzone with 2 TD catches...this was only his second game with more than 1 TD catch (2005 Orange Bowl-3 TD catches)
The Trojans had 13 rushes of 10yds or more and 7 passes of 20yds are more....amazing stuff
The Trojans converted 10 out of 14 3rd down conversions and only punted twice
USC's offense has looked much better the last two games...very controlled and efficient. The return on the bubble screen (a Mike Williams favorite in 2002 & 2003) to Dwayne Jarrett and Patrick Turner is a welcome sight
Leinart seems to have regained his 2003 & 2004 form with another terrific outing. I know Matt is upset about the interception, but he has really picked up his play the last two weeks
I know the coaches are frustrated that the Trojans put the ball on the ground 3 times (Reggie, Jarrett, Booty/Matua) and that White juggled a ball while running. I expect ball security to be much improved this week
The Trojans are still struggling to execute the screen pass, a play which has been very successful in the past. I am sure the coaches are on top of this and will get it right
How about that Trojan defense! The Cougars came into this game averaging 40pts and 520 yards and USC held them to 13pts and 284yds.
The Cougs' previous lows were 21pts and 407 yds...the Trojans became the first team to hold WSU under 400yds and put the exclamation point on the performance by holding the Cougs under 300yds as well
The Cougars were only able to convert 2 out of 13 third down conversions....getting the defense off the field on 3rd down has been a problem this year for the Trojans so it was nice to see USC execute better on 3rd down
How is this for a home field advantage? USC is holding opponents to a 27.5% 3rd down conversion ratio at the Coliseum (11-40), but allowing a 46.7% conversion ratio on the road (35-75). Obviously the stat is impacted by a more difficult road schedule to date, but it is interesting nonetheless
It was disappointing to see Cougar RB Jerome Harrison break a couple of big runs, but he is a talented back and the Trojans did a nice job of minimizing the damage. I have full confidence in USC's ability to stop the run on a consistent basis
Harrison is only the 3rd RB in USC's last 42 games to rush for over 100yds
The Cougar's success at running came at the expense of their passing game. The Cougs only threw for 89 yards and the much maligned Trojan secondary held superstar WR Jason Hill to 6 catches for 49yds
Josh Pinkard is making huge strides a corner...he is a physical player with speed and great instincts. The Trojan secondary is starting to gel and should be much improved for the remainder of the season
Speaking of the seconday, how about the jarring hits from Justin Wyatt and Scott Ware! Nice to see the Trojans playing physical football in the secondary
Lawrence Jackson made a great play to strip Jerome Harrison and recover the fumble which led to a USC touchdown
Other than Jackson's play, the Trojan DL did not make many plays....recording zero sacks and only 2 tackles for loss....look for the DL to be more aggressive against the Cardinal
I would still like to see Reggie turn the ball more upfield on returns
Rey Maualaga bent his facemask during a vicious hit on a Cougar kickoff returner...Rey is a fast aggressive player that has a bright future for USC

Stanford Preview

Stanford is coming off a devastating loss to the Bruins....Stanford was up 24-3 with 8 minutes remaining and found a way to lose the game in overtime
Prior to the loss to UCLA, Stanford had posted 3 consecutive Pac 10 wins against WSU, Arizona and ASU
The Cardinal are a well-coached team that does not make many mistakes, having not committed a turnover in 4 games and leading the conference in turnover margin
Stanford's offense has been efficient this year, but not explosive. The Cardinal are ranked last in the conference in Passing Offense and Total Offense and 9th in rushing offense
It's hard to believe, but the Trojans average almost double the yards per game that Stanford produces (601 vs 310)
However, due to a lack of turnovers and good production in the redzone, Stanford is still averaging almost 28pts per game
Stanford's QB Trent Edwards is completing 64% of his passes for 12 TDs and only 2 interceptions
Stanford's leading receiver, Mark Bradford, was injured during the first quarter of the Bruin game and may not be able to go against the Trojans
The Cardinal also played UCLA with their leading rusher, Anthony Kimble...it is unclear if he is going to play on Saturday. Former nose guard (yes nose guard) Nick Frank, led Stanford's rushing attack last week against the Bruins with 13 carries for 61 yards
Stanford likes to execute the short passing game and will likely try to replicate Notre Dame's offensive strategy
Defensively, Stanford is ranked in the bottom third of the conference (#8 in pass D, #6 in rush D, #7 in scoring D and #6 in total D)
Stanford's defense is lead by nose tackle Babatunde Oshinowo...he will likely require a double team from the USC offensive line
USC really struggled against this Stanford team last year, falling behind by 11pts at halftime before rallying for a win in the second half....I expect the Trojans to play with urgency early in the game to set the tone
Offensively, I think the Trojans will continue with the same game plan we have seen against UW and WSU....short drops and bubble screens to set up the the down field throws
Reggie needs a big game to get back in the Heisman race...I hope he lets the game come to him and does not try and force the issue
Later in the game, I expect the Trojans to pound the running game
I hope the Trojans can get back on track in stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback. I expect the DL to play much better this week after getting an earful from Coaches Carroll and Franklin
Keith Rivers will likely sit this game out so look for increased reps for Colin Ashton and Brian Cushing
Dom Byrd is banged up (hip) and may not play.... I am still waiting for Fred Davis to have a breakout game. Fred did have a nice catch in run against the Cougs

I look forward to seeing everyone on Friday. Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another Pac 10 victory at the Coliseum.

Fight On!

That's What I'm Talking About!

2005-10-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Trojans returned to their dominating form with a convincing 51-24 win over the Washington Huskies. More importantly, the Trojans have finally finished a grueling stretch of 5 road games out of the first seven contests, including 2 sets of back to back road games. USC now plays its last 5 games in California, including 4 games at the Coliseum. This long stretch at (or near) home will make the USC players happy enough to dance.

Tailgate Update

Tailgate will be in its usual spot and will be there plenty early
Breakfast served in the morning with a TV schedule of GameDay at 7:30am and either Oklahoma vs Nebraska or Clemson vs Georgia Tech at 9:00am
Menu is breakfast burittos, bagels, pancakes and donuts
Late lunch/early dinner after the game with UCLA/Stanford game on TV. Good chance to watch 2 future USC opponents
Game is a sellout...92,000fans and homecoming

Notes & Tidbits on UW Game

USC had it's lowest offensive output of the season (in terms of yards), but that was due more to field position than Washington's defense...USC only punted once
The Trojans broke a string of games with a 100yd rusher as both Bush and White were under the century mark
The offense seemed to be in a much better rhythm and went back to shorter drops and shorter passes....it was nice to see Dom Byrd catch some balls in this game
Speaking of tight ends, Fred Davis is turning into a punishing run blocker. I think Fred has a very bright future at USC and he will continue to make larger contributions as the season progresses
Brian Cushing made his return to the field and seemed to be in on every play...including the first blocked punt of the year by the Trojans. Cushing seems to have a nose for the ball, much like Matt Grootegood did, but Cushing weighs in at 6'4" 230lbs vs Groots at 5'11" 210
Leinart looked much more relaxed and seemed to let the game flow to him...much fewer forced throws down the field
Jarrett continues to amaze with 3 TD catches, including a ridiculous one hand grab in the back corner of the endzone. Jarrett will likely break all of Mike Williams TD records before he is done at USC
It was nice to see Reggie get a punt return for a TD.....now I would like to see #5 turn it up field a bit more on kickoff returns
How about that kickoff return by Darnell Bing...that was very impressive for a 6'3" 220lb safety!
It was a shame to see John Walker get hurt. Walker has been beaten a few times this year, but the kid is a warrior and a true Trojan. I hope we see #18 back on the field soon. More on the cornerback situation below
The Trojan defense recorded 5 sacks and only allowed 59yds rushing. The Trojans have stuffed the run all year and are starting to put pressure on the quarterback...believe it or not, I am really starting to like what I see on this defense. More on this below

Notes & Tidbits for the WSU Game

Make no mistake, this is a very, very dangerous Washington State Cougar football team. The Cougs had Cal down 10 with 5 minutes to go and had the Bruins down 17 in the 4th quarter, but found a way to lose both these games
The Cougs are very explosive on offense and are averaging almost 520yds in total offense per game (#3 in Pac 10 and 6th nationally)
Jerome Harrison leads the way for the Cougs' rushing attack (he is ranked #1 in Pac 10 and 2nd nationally at 166yds/game) while Jason Hill is one of the best receivers in the conference and nation (ranked #1 in Pac 10 in yds/catch and #2 in TDs, catches/game and yds/game)
The Cougs are averaging almost 40pts a game, good enough for 3rd in the conference and and 9th nationally
WSU's QB play has been a bit shakey with Alex Brink throwing 10 interceptions (3rd worst in Pac 10) and completing only 55% of his passes
The Cougs depend on the big play to score, resulting in low completion percentage, stalled drives and low time of possession
Look for the Trojans to stuff the run and force Brink to throw underneath...something the Cougs do not like to do. I am sure the Trojans focused all week on not letting Jason Hill catch deep balls behind the secondary
I've been told that coach Carroll is very pleased with his "new" secondary. Pinkard is playing better and better at the corner position and true frosh #15 Kevin Thomas (Keto) really impressed coaches with his play against UW
True frosh #7 Cary Harris and #26 Will Harris will start to see time as well
If the front 7 can continue its solid play, I am starting believe that the Trojan secondary can be much better as the season goes on...if this happens, the Trojans will be even tougher to beat
The Cougs have tendency to turn the ball over (16 turnovers in 7 games, vs 9 for the Trojans) including 11 turnovers in 4 Pac 10 games
WSU plays an aggressive blitzing style of defense, which has allowed them to total 26 sacks (6th nationally). However, with that aggressive defense comes opportunities. I would expect to see USC have the opportunity to make some big plays on the Cougs (preferably on slants and screens!)
The Cougs are ranked in the middle of the Pac 10 defensively (#7 in scoring D, #5 in rushing D, #6 in passing D and #5 in total D)
All Pac 10 LB Will Derting and outstanding WR/PR Michael Bumpus are out for the Cougs this week

Should be a great game and an electric environment in the Coliseum. Look forward to seeing everyone there. Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another victory over a tough Pac 10 opponent.

Fight On!

WOW!

2005-10-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

USC vs ND. Trojans vs Irish. Tailback U vs The Four Horsemen. EPSN GameDay. You name it and it was talked about....this game had all the hype in the world....and the game exceeded the hype. I know all of you watched/attended the game so I am not going to discuss it ad nauseum, but I will say that it was quite an experience to be there in person. One of the most exciting games I have ever attended. It was also fun to have the CBS affiliate in South Bend film 2 live segments from the tailgate at the stadium. Andy & Liz are trying to track down the tape of the segments....it was classic! Yes the picture below is Jarrett's catch on 4th and 9.

I was very pleased with how the defense played, particularly the front 7 who allowed the Irish only 2.9yds per carry. It was disappointing to see the defense unable to get off the field on third down, but Trojans made plays including a great forced fumble by Darnell Bing in a critical situation and a jarring hit by Scott Ware

Obviously Reggie carried the day with 3 outstanding TD runs, Leinart was not his typically sharp self, but made some huge plays down the stretch. The Trojans continue to grind out very difficult wins in hostile road environments. I know the Trojans can play better and I continue to bedisappointed in the penalties, dropped passes and lack of "crispness" displayed by USC....these are not characteristics of USC football under Pete Carroll. More importantly, THIS TEAM PLAYS WITH HEART! ...the heart of a champion and this should make us all proud.

Notes & Tidbits

I expect to see some subtle changes in the offense this week vs Washington...changes designed to help Leinart regain some rhythm and confidence
I think we will see the return of the slant, the bubble screen, the 3 step drop and the tight end over the middle...less fades, less sideline routes, more middle routes
UW is very thin in the secondary right now (ranked #111 in Passing D)....don't be surprised to see UW put 8 in the box to stop the run and play the corners/safety deep to prevent the big play....USC (this season) has not wanted to take the underneath routes
UW is a much improved team vs last year...particularly offensively. QB Isiah Stanback is a great athlete...very mobile with a strong arm (ranked #49 in Passing O). UW threw for more yards against the Irish than USC did
UW played UCLA very tough, losing the game on a Bruin TD in the last 2 minutes
Reggie is nursing a bad hip, but is expected to play
This is the second string of back to back road games for the Trojans and ends a streak of 5 of the first 7 games on the road
The Trojans are ranked in the top4 in rushing o, passing o, total o and scoring o....not bad!
Thanks to everyone who helped out at the tailgate in South Bend....tons of fun and memories for a lifetime

Lets hope the Trojans can grind out another tough win on the road and come back to the friendly confines of the Coliseum next week for the Cougars.

Fight On!

USC and ESPN GameDay visit South Bend

2005-10-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

For some reason the media (both local and national) think the Trojans did not play well on Saturday vs the Arizona Wildcats. Well, other than about 6 plays, the Trojans played outstanding in my opinion. Here are some quick stats to back this up:

USC gained 724 yds and only allowed 245 yds for the Wildcats, 500 yds difference in total yards is getting it done
USC had 39 first downs vs 12 for Arizona
The Trojans rushed for 337 yds vs 64 for the Wildcats
USC had 2 players each rush for over 100yd for the 3rd consecutive week
USC was 10-14 on 3rd down conversions vs 1-9 for Arizona
USC held the ball for 37 minutes vs 23 for Arizona
USC had touchdown drives of 96,95,88,83,80 and 80 yards

Those numbers do not indicate that the Trojans struggled. The Wildcats had absolutely outstanding special teams, were +2 on turnovers, completed two long passes....and still lost by 21. If USC does not turn the ball over (2 plays) and allow 2 long pass plays (2 plays), it would have been a much larger margin of victory. The kickoff coverage needs a ton of work, but the Trojans are still playing pretty good football right now.

VS

Notre Dame Preview and Other Tidbits

This game holds a unique place in college football lore and is without a doubt the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. This game is always special and this year will be no different with the ESPN GameDay crew, a sold out stadium and national television audience. This is quite simply USC vs Notre Dame and there is nothing better. This is likely the most hyped USC vs Notre Dame game since 1988 and Irish fans are claiming it is the biggest game in South Bend since Florida State in 1993.

This will be the fourth time that the tailgate crew has been in attendance for GameDay and it is an awesome experience. The Trojans have won three huge games with GameDay in attendance (Rose Bowl 2003 and Cal and Notre Dame games last year) and we are hoping to go 4 for 4. Come join us in Joyce South (look for USC EZ-Up and flags) both before and after the game Click here for Map

The Irish are ranked 8th in passing offense, 35th in rushing offense, 9th in total offense and 17th in scoring offense (37pts per game)
With Charlie Weiss at the helm, you can count on the Irish being well prepared and running an outstanding scheme
The Irish are averaging 3.81 yds/carry vs 6.97 for the Trojans
Notre Dame's defensive statistics are not as impressive, #31 in rushing D, #114 in passing D, #94 in total D and #54 in scoring D (24pts/game).
The Irish are allowing 4.11 yds/ carry vs 2.89 for the Trojans
Notre Dame has done an outstanding job of forcing turnovers in the redzone (even the endzone) particularly against Michigan and Washington
The Irish likely have the best OL that USC has faced to date....should be a challenge for the Trojan DL
LaJuan Ramsey will return to the line-up for the Trojans this week which should give the defense a boost. It is unlikely that Cushing or Sartz will play....let's all hope that Reggie is close to 100%
The Irish will move the ball on the Trojans....USC will focus on keeping the ball in front of them (unlike against UofA) and avoiding long kickoff/punt returns that can flip field position
Turnovers will be critical (more so than ever) in the outcome of this game, particularly given the explosive offenses
USC has faced 2 high powered passing attacks so far (Oregon and ASU) and faired pretty well. The Irish faced Michigan St (#2 in total offense behind the Trojans, albeit by 75yds!) and gave up 44pts and 488yds in an overtime loss
Talk about a tale of 2 cities, the Irish passed for 227yds and 140yds against Pitt (#11 pass defense) and Michigan (#20 pass defense), respectively, but pased for 487, 327 and 468 against Mich St (#106), Washington (#94) and Purdue (#116). Either the Irish are getting better with time or they encountered some weak resistance against the pass....we will find out Saturday!

Look forward to seeing everyone in Chicago and South Bend...let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough win on the road.

Fight On!

Home Sweet Home!

2005-10-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

The Trojans pulled out another hard fought comeback victory on the road. It is never easy to beat good teams on the road and that is what USC has done the last 2 weeks. The Trojans have a huge target on their back and the road games will not get any easier. Everywhere USC goes on the road, it is the biggest game since (fill in the blank). ASU fans said it was the biggest game since Nebraska 1996, Irish fans are proclaiming this the biggest game since Florida State 1993...so on and so forth. The Trojans are happy to be home for 1 brief game before heading out on the road again for 2 more road games.

Please email Tim if you are planning on attending the tailgate this week.

Notes & Tidbits from ASU Game

One thing that does not change from game to game is that the Trojans play with heart!
The Trojans have been highly penalized in 3 of the first 4 games...something we have never seen in the Pete Carroll era
There is so much talk about the offense, but the defense has played outstanding the last two weeks
The Trojan D held ASU 200yds and 19pts below their season average (and held ASU to 150yds less than LSU did)
ASU QB Sam Keller had thrown only 2 interceptions in 4 games, but threw 5 interceptions against the Trojan D. Leave it to Pete Carroll to confuse a young QB
Oscar Lua has really developed into an outstanding MLB and looks like he has regained some of the speed he had prior to 2 (yes 2!) ACL surgeries....Lua is quite a bit heavier than Taputu and made a great play to stuff the run on 4th and 1
Speaking of improvements, how about John Walker! (Dan Cherrie and Marcus Wooler have to eat some serious crow) Walker had 2 interceptions and made a great play to break up a pass to the ASU tight end on third and short
Justin Wyatt had a battle with talented ASU wideout Derek Hagan. Hagan had 160yds receiving, but Wyatt made a critical interception to get the Trojans the ball just one play after fumbling it away
After 4 games, this is starting to look like a Pete Carroll defense. The Trojans are holding opponents under 100yds rushing, putting pressure on the quarterback (4 sacks this week and 5 sacks last week) and forcing turnovers.
Injuries on defense are a huge concern and talented true freshman Kevin Ellison is likely done for the season with a torn ACL. Lets hope that Sedrick Ellis (hip) and LaJuan Ramsey (ankle) can get well in a hurry
Looks like Kevin Thomas and Will Harris (both true frosh corners) will be healthy for ND
There has been a lot of criticism about the offense this week, particularly the play calling. Well, the Trojans ran Bush & White 16 times for 88yds in the first half and 20 times for 267yds in the second half. Not much difference in the number of runs, but a huge difference in the execution
By the way, Leinart called the audible into that bootleg run on 3rd down
I can't remember the last time USC ran for 373 yards. Bush and White both go over 100yds for the second consecutive game
The offensive line is simply dominant right now....just knocking people off the ball and giving Leinart good protection. I have said since before the season started that this may be the best USC offensive line in 25 years
The late hit on Leinart was a blatant cheap shot intended to knock him out of the game/season...complete bush league and unacceptable

Arizona Wildcats coming to the Coliseum

The Wildcats come to the Coliseum at 1-3 with their only win against 1-AA Northern Arizona
Don't take the Wildcats lightly as a 2-2 UofA team came to the Coliseum in 1981 and beat the #1 ranked Trojans despite over 200yds from Marcus Allen
Expect a crowd of 90,000....USC is on track to break the school's (and the conference's) attendance record for the second consecutive year
The Cats play hard (particularly on defense), but are ranked 105th nationally in rushing offense and 103rd in rushing defense
UofA also ranked 111th in turnover margin
Mike Bell is a solid running back, but the Wildcat OL is below average. Bell may get some nice runs, but he will also be stuffed for no gain several times. I also expect the USC DE's to put substantial pressure on the QB
UofA has some playmakers at WR in Jefferson and Steptoe....Steptoe is also a very accomplished kick returner and had an 80yd return called back by penalty last week against Cal
Brad Wood is a threat at TE...I expect to see him catching balls in the middle of the field against the USC 2-Deep zone
Arizona has an outstanding kicking game, with the leading punter in the nation and an great FG kicker in Nick Folk
USC #3 nationally in rushing offense, #1 in yard per carry by a wide margin
USC #1 in total offense and #2 in scoring offense
Patrick Turner and Dwayne Jarrett will split time this week....a big opportunity for the freshman
I think we will see USC run some play action early, as the Cats will no doubt be expecting the run
Maybe this is the week Dom Byrd and Brandon Hancock get involved in the offense or maybe the staff is holding this back for ND

Let's hope some good 'ol Coliseum home cooking can get the Trojans on track for another victroy. See you Saturday morning.

Fight On!

USC Takes Control in the Second Half

2005-09-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

During Pete Carroll's tenure, the Trojans have struggled in conference openers on the road (1-3 coming into the game against Oregon with the lone win at Stanford last year) and Saturday at Autzen was no exception...at least for a half. During the first half, everything went wrong for the Trojans including penalties, turnovers and bad luck. However, with some help from Reggie and Lendale, USC battled back in to the game in the second quarter and flat out dominated in the second half to win 45-13.

Several of us made the trip to Autzen and can attest that it is a very tough place to play. The Trojans faced adversity in a hostile environment and by the end silenced the Ducks. Thanks to Curt and Dennis for getting the group together for the game...definitely worth the trip. Also thanks to Dan Withers for hooking us up at a nice Duck tailgate...always nice to get the local treatment.

Thoughts on the Oregon Game

It was clear that Duck fans had been gearing up for the Trojans for months.....largest crowd ever to see a game at Autzen Stadium
The Duck crowd was incredibly fired up and loud in the first half, but many Duck fans were too busy celebrating their first haf "victory" and missed the beginning of the third quarter....allowing the Trojans to drive down the field without much noise
USC scored 45 straight points in this game (including 35 in the second half), similar to the last game against Oregon (2002 at Autzen) where the Trojans scored 30 straight points in the second half to blow out the Ducks
The defense made a statement in this game (in my opinion). SC held the Ducks to 262 total yards (vs 491 average) and really controlled the game from the middle of the second quarter
USC only gave up only 1 pass over 20yds...a good sign for next week as ASU likes to throw deep
It was nice to see SC put pressure on Clemens (Duck QB)....the Trojans really put some hits on him in the second half....knocking him out for a few series at one point. The defensive line is starting to gel and Frostee Rucker is playing great
Keith Rivers made some big plays....showcasing his speed to shut down the option on a few occasions
Bing and Ware may have each played their best games as Trojans....at one point Darnell knocked down three passes in a row
USC ran the "big nickel" almost exclusively against the Ducks with Josh Pinkard as the 5th DB and Thomas Williams (SLB) coming off the field...Pinkard is a fast rising player who is really impressing the coaches
Kevin Ellison (#4 true freshman) made his debut in the big nickel (almost like a dime package) as well...he moved from his safety spot to play a blitzing SLB position
Just another day for the USC offense, 593 total yds and 45 pts.....the big difference was 278 yds rushing (6.6yds carry)
USC had 10 rushes over 10 yards...that is getting it done!
The offensive line is just dominant right now....Leinart has time to throw and Bush and White have holes through which to run. This is the strength of the team
Both Bush and White had over 100yds rushing (only second time this has happened) and Reggie finished with 267yds in total offense. Reggie also had a career high 30 touches
USC converted 71% of its third downs including a 3rd&20 and a 3rd&18
USC was penalized 11 times for 86yds continuing a disturbing trend. Under Pete Carroll the Trojans have been one the least penalized teams in the conference, but this year the penalty bug is certainly creaping in

ASU Preview

ESPN College Football GameDay will be in Tempe for the game, only the 4th PAC 10 game that ESPN has visited (USC twice and Oregon once)
This will be the 4th time in 13 games that GameDay is at a USC game (Cal, Notre Dame, Orange Bowl are the other 3)
ASU is ranked 14th in the current polls and is a very good team...probably better than Oregon
ASU is ranked #2 nationally in passing offense, #26 in rushing offense, #6 in scoring offense (47pts per game) and #4 in total offense (592yds game)
With this explosive offense, ASU is one of the few teams that could keep up with USC's scoring barrage
Unlike Oregon, ASU will throw the ball down field often going for the big play. Keller can run, but prefers to stay in the pocket....no spread option this week
Sam Keller is an outstanding QB and has very good WRs led by Derek Hagan and one of the best TEs in the country in Zach Miller
The big question mark for ASU is their running game. The Sun Devils ran effectively against Temple (300yds) and Northwestern (290yds), but struggled against LSU (99yds) and Oregon St (95 yds). I think USC will be able to contain the ASU running game, but would not be surprised to see a WR reverse be effective against the fast pursuing Trojans
Look for USC to run the "big nickel" package extensively again this week. Pinkard, Ellison and Colin Ashton (#59) should see the field often
Defensively, the Sun Devils have struggled a bit, giving up over 400yds in each of their last 3 games and 525yds to Oregon St last week
Given USC's success last week, I would look for USC to use the short/mid passing game to set up the run. I think USC will try and control clock to keep the explosive Sun Devil offense off the field
USC is ranked 5th nationally in passing offense, 13th in rushing offense, 2nd in scoring offense (59pts/game) and second in total offense (616yds/game)
With all the concern about the USC defense, the Trojans are ranked 25th in scoring defense...allowing less than 16pts per game
The Trojans are lagging behind previous years in terms of turnovers and turnover margin, lets hope that USC can get back on track in this department vs ASU

While Sun Devil Stadium is not Autzen, make no mistake, this will be a very tough game. Just like every team the Trojans play, the Sun Devils' have had this game circled on the calendar and are are looking for revenge from last year's 45-7 defeat at the Coliseum. Let hope the Trojans can grind out another tough road win before returning to the friendly confines of the Coliseum next week.

Fight On!

Trojans Heading up to Autzen

2005-09-20T12:59:00.000-07:00

Now that was a dominant offensive performance. 4 touchdowns in 8 plays, 28 points in less than 2 minutes of possession....those are video game numbers and the Hogs from Arkansas wish it was just a video game. I am not going to spend a lot of time reviewing the 70-17 victory over the Razorbacks, but here are some tidbits.

This is the first time USC has scored 70 points since 1970 at Washington St (I think)
736 total yards for the Trojans is unbelievable, but how about 11yds/play, 9 yds/rush and 19 yds/pass...wow!
USC averaged over 11yds on first down
I was impressed with the interior run defense, particularly Ramsey and Ellis. USC shut down the Arkansas running attack through 3 quarters, allowing only 113 yards and less than 4yds/ carry
The injuries to Sartz and Terrell Thomas further deplete a thin defensive unit. Thomas is likely out for the year (have to feel for the kid after fighting back from shoulder surgery) and Sartz is probably out 3 weeks
Leinart has led 16 drives this year resulting in 13 touchdowns, 1 interception (should have been PI), 1 missed field goal (due to Dom Byrd's 15 yd penalty) and time expiring at the half....not bad!
Arkansas players told the media before the game that USC was "just an average SEC team"....I bet the Hogs are happy to be out of LA and playing Alabama this week
I think Arkansas is nowhere near as bad as the USC made them look....they have a solid run game and athletes on defense. I think they win 5 games this year and pull one upset in the SEC (Alabama or Auburn)

Brief Tailgate Review

Very solid effort for the first game of the year...nice turnout, including several Arkansas fans. Looking forward to the trip to Fayettville next year. Watching the Domers and Bruins was great. Thanks to everyone who brought supplies and helped out with cooking and clean-up. We will try and be a bit more organized with regard to food setup and cooking next time. We hope everyone had fun and look forward to seeing people at the next tailgate on Oct 8 vs Arizona (time TBD).

Moving on to the Ducks......

USC is 1-4 in their last 5 meeting with the Ducks, but did beat Oregon in Autzen in 2002
Hard to believe, but Oregon has never faced Leinart, Bush, White, Smith or Jarrett. This is not your 1998-2001 USC Trojans that the Ducks remember fondly
After watching the Fresno St./Oregon game on Tivo, I am very impressed with the Ducks' offense. I think they will move the ball well against the Trojan defense
Oregon QB Kellen Clemens runs well out of the spread offense....expect him to carry the ball at least 10 times against USC
Clemens also throws very well over the middle of the field with a quick release...somewhat similar to Hawaii
Demetrius Williams is the real deal at WR and can cause some problems for the Trojans
Basically, the Ducks are loaded at the skill positions on offense and run a real nice scheme. I am not very impressed with their O-line and think USC can pressure the QB in a traditional 5 step drop
Defensively, the Ducks look a bit weak...giving up over 500yds to Fresno St
I think USC should be able to move the ball well and score points against the Ducks
USC may even try to control the ball a bit more to keep Oregon's offense off the field...how is that for contrarian thinking?
Haloti Ngata is a monster a DT and has a tendency to blow up screen plays...the Trojans will double team him often and try to avoid him on screens
I really like the way the USC offense matches up with Oregon's defense, but I don't feel great about how the Trojan D matches up with the Ducks O
Autzen is a very tough place to play so lets hope the Trojans get out of the blocks quick and silence the crowd
Several members of the tailgate will be in attendance at Autzen

Let hope the Trojans can grind out another tough road win against a solid in-conference opponent.

Fight On!

Trojans Return to the Coliseum

2005-09-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

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!

USC Rolls the Rainbows

2005-09-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

After a long wait (seemed like forever), Trojan football is back on the field. The Trojans made the long trip to Hawaii and came away with a dominating 63-17 victory. Winning in the Islands is never easy (just ask Alabama and Michigan St.), but USC took care of business and played solid football. The Trojan offense lived up to the hype and looked explosive, versatile and dominant.

I've heard several people (Trojans, Bruins, Domers, media) saying the USC defense is soft because it gave up 377yds passing (and over 400yds total) to Hawaii. Here are my thoughts (not sure anyone cares, but I will give them anyway)

Pete Carroll's philosophy is to keep the ball in front of you, avoid the big play and cause turnovers. He will give up yards, but as field gets smaller (opponent in the redzone) it becomes easier to stop the short passing game (see Cal game last year). USC caused 3 turnovers, 2 of which led to touchdowns for the Trojans. Points matter, yards do not. 17 points is a solid effort against the run and shoot
Hawaii ran an offense that USC had not seen on film and one for which the Trojans did not gameplan. Hawaii has not run the quarterback draw and qb option in the past....this was a new wrinkle that caught USC by surprise. It took the Trojans a quarter to adjust
In 2003, USC played Hawaii at home and gave up more yards passing, more total yards and almost double the points. That USC team went 12-1 and won the national championship. It is tough to judge the USC defense based on the Hawaii game....Arkansas game should be a good test

Notes and Tidbits

While the USC offense looked great, it was still very vanilla. The Trojans used little of the playbook and did not show future opponents much of the arsenal. They may even be setting up Bush as more of a decoy for future games. Look for more of Hancock, Kirtman, Byrd and White against Arkansas
I expect to see Fred Davis, Patrick Turner and William Buchanon make some big plays this year even though they barely played vs Hawaii
The USC offensive line looked awesome...may be the best Trojan offensive line in 25 years. There is good depth behind the starters as Radovich (guard), Rachal (guard) and Williams (tackle) are good enough to start right now

LaJuan Ramsey looked fast and active at DT....if Sedrick Ellis can hold his ground at NT, I think the defensive line will be OK
The corners looked real solid....very happy to see John Walker on the field and playing well. Rumor is that true frosh Kevin Thomas has the lead to lock down the the 4th corner spot (frosh Will Harris had the inside track prior to an ankle injury)
The Hawaii offensive scheme makes it difficult to evaluate the linebacker play....the smashmouth style of Arkansas will be a good test
Darnell Bing is likely hurt worse than has been reported. May be out up to 6 weeks. The coaches love Josh Pinkard and have confidence in his ability to step right in. Scott Ware needs to play better
Notre Dame looked very impressive vs Pitt. The Irish have a very good OL and a solid offensive scheme. Their defense is still a question mark, but I think the Irish have a chance to beat Michigan and will certainly give the Trojans a challenge in South Bend
I am still not completely sold on UCLA....Maurice Drew and Marcedes Lewis are very impressive and the Bruin OL is good. However, their WRs do not appear to be threats and the defense is a major question mark. They will beat Rice this week, but the Owls may run for 200yds on the Bruins
I will spend more time on Arkansas next week, but the Hogs will bring a smashmouth running game to the Coliseum, including a mobile quarterback. The passing game is a question mark, but the Hogs do have some good wideouts. It will be a challenging game for the USC defense

Tailgate Update

Full details on the tailgate in the next blog, but we will be set up in the regular spot at 12:30. There are some great games on, so we are looking forward to a relaxing afternnon watching football. ND/Mich St starts at 11:30, UCLA/Oklahoma at 12:30, Fresno St/Oregon at 4pm, Tennessee/Florida at 5pm. We have a new grill and will be cooking up some great food....a variety of adult (and non-adult) beverages will be available. Hope to see you there.

More next week

Fight On!

It's been a long wait.....

2005-08-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

College football is finally back! I know all of you are fired up to see the Trojans take the field against Hawaii. Click here for a great highlight video. This should be a great season and if the Trojans stay healthy and get some breaks, it could be a historic season.....one for the ages. I think every game this year will be a sell-out (both home and away) as people will come far and wide to see this Trojan offense. Leinart, Bush, White, Smith, Jarrett, Byrd, McFoy, Turner, Hancock, Reed, Davis....the skill positions are just stacked. More importantly, this may be the best Trojan offensive line in 20 years. I may be in the minority, but I think Kiffin and Sarkisian will not miss a beat.....it is going to be very exciting when the Trojans have the ball.

On defense, the Trojans have some major holes to fill as Patterson, Cody, Taputu, Grootegood and Leach are all in the NFL. Patterson and Cody will be impossible to replace.....they were that good. However, Sedrick Ellis and Lajuan Ramsey had a great camp and are playing with confidence. USC is stacked at defensive end with Lojack and Frostee as returning starters with Chris Barrett (finally healthy), Schweiger (out 3-5 weeks with broken foot) and true frosh Kyle Moore backing them up. At LB, Sartz returns and Keith Rivers (wearing the special #55) takes over a starting role. Oscar Lua, who has battled back from two torn ACL's, has secured the starting MLB spot. I feel pretty good about the linebackers....very athletic group, but I do worry that we will miss the experience of Taputu in the middle. The secondary is very solid and USC may have the most intimidating pair of safeties in the country with Scott Ware and Darnell Bing. These guys are big, fast and can tackle. I think overall the defense will be down from 2003 and 2004, but will still be formidable.

We are looking forward to another great year of tailgaiting at the Coliseum. The formula seems to be working, but if anyone has any suggestions please let the Hoovers or Flynns know. We hope to keep our same location (about 10 cars in from the corner of Leighton & Menlo) in the grass lot. We will have food (new grill this year!), DirecTV and some adult beverages (the keg seemed to work well last year). The tailgate will be traveling to South Bend (and hopefully at least one other away game). Dust of your pom-poms, take that USC hat out of the closet.....the season is finally here. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Arkansas game on 9/17. 7:15 game. Tailgate will be set up by 12:30.

For those of you making it to Hawaii (nice job Dan Cherrie!), you have an early leg up on the competition for the All Tailgate Team (please see previous blog post for last year's team(

Notes & Tidbits

Kirk Herbstreit named USC one of the 5 best locations for EPSN College Football GameDay...thanks in part to the efforts of the tailgate! Here is the list Expect to see ESPN back on campus this year
Fred Davis will make some plays this year at tight end....at his size and speed, he is an impossible match up for a linebacker
True frosh Patrick Turner will be a contributor this year....look for big #1 to make some plays
UCLA may struggle with San Diego St. The Aztecs have an experienced offensive line and a great RB in Lynell Hamilton. With Kevin Brown out 6-8 weeks, the UCLA DL is a weakness. I think the Bruins win, but it may not be comfortable for UCLA fans
Arizona and Washington will be improved.....4-6 wins for each of them this year

That's it for now....expect another blog the week of 9/17.

Fight On!

Trojans Dominate to Win National Championship!

2005-01-09T19:28:00.000-08:00

What a fantastic way to end an outstanding season! It is difficult to describe how it felt to sit in Pro Player stadium and watch the Trojans dominate the Sooners. It was euphoric, electric, exhilarating (nice alliteration!)....a celebration of everything that is Trojan football.

Needless to say the Trojans played near-perfect football and left no doubt as to who was the best team in college football. It was particularly satisfying after listening to all the experts (Craig James in particular) chirp about the mighty Sooners all month.
Almost everyone picked OU in this game...give props to Lee Corso who consistently picked the Trojans all year.

I don't want to rehash the entire game, but would like to highlight some outstanding performances:

The Trojan offensive line played its best game of the year by far. The Trojans rushed for 193yds (6.9yds/carry) and Leinart was sacked only once. Reggie and LenDale combined for 21 carries fans 207yds....an astounding 10yds per carry. I guess the Pac 10 can play smashmouth football
The young USC wide receivers really stepped up. Both Dwayne Jarrett (1 TD) and Steve Smith (3 TDs) had over 100yds receiving and Dominique Byrd made one of the best catches I have ever seen

The Trojan defense just stuffed Adrian Peterson and the vaunted OU rushing attack, holding Peterson to a very pedestrian 3.3yds per carry and 85 yds (both about half his season average). Shaun Cody, Mike Patterson and Matt Grootegood played outstanding in their final games as USC Trojans. Lofa Taputu continued his solid play, leading the Trojans in tackles with 12. USC finished the season with the nation's #1 ranked rush defense for the second consecutive year
Not only did the Trojans stop the run, USC forced 5 turnovers including 3 interceptions. USC finished the season ranked #1 nationally in turnover margin after finishing #2 last year. This is Pete Carroll football....stop the run, don't get beat deep and get the ball. If you ever attend practice you will hear "IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BALL!" constantly and it shows up in the games
What can you say about Matt Leinart? This guy just has "it"...poise, confidence, talent and leadership. In two years, Matt is 25-1, has won back-to-back National Championships, won a Heisman Trophy, beat ND and UCLA both years and has thrown 71TD passes vs only 15 interceptions. It is safe to say that Matt is the best quarterback to have worn Cardinal & Gold
The Trojans had a great fan turnout in Miami. Thanks to all the fans who made the trip....many of those at the game will agree that it was an experience that will not be forgotten

Notes & tidbits--Looking Back and Looking Ahead

This is the first 13 win football team in the history of USC football
2004 marked the first time in Trojan history that USC beat both Notre Dame and UCLA in 3 consecutive seasons
USC beat 8 opponents by 30pts or more
LenDale White and Reggie Bush were ranked #1 and #2 in the Pac 10 in touchdowns
Dwayne Jarrett led the Pac 10 in receiving touchdowns....not bad for a true frosh

For all the hype about Aaron Rodgers, Matt Leinart lead the Pac 10 in passing efficiency
Reggie Bush led the Pac 10 in all purpose yards
And the most unbelievable stat of them all......Matt Grootegood led the Pac 10 in return yards following an interception
USC loses more than just great players on defense, the Trojans lose their heart and soul with Shaun Cody, Mike Patterson, Matt Grootegood and Jason Leach

There are able replacements, but I think you will see a dropoff in the front 7 next year. If Lofa Taputu leaves for the NFL, the dropoff could be significant
The Trojans will rely heavily on Manny Wright to bring his dominating play to the defensive tackle position every game (just ask OU)
The secondary should be better next year with Wyatt and Wright back at corner and Bing returning at safety
Leinart will likely declare for the NFL draft and Taputu and Malone may do so as well
Even with the departure of Matt Leinart, the Trojans will be stacked on offense. The Trojans graduate Alex Holmes, Lee Webb and John Drake, but welcome back former starters Winston Justice, Brandon Hancock and Whitney Lewis. Add Chauncey Washington and a top 5 recruiting class and USC is loaded with offensive talent
The Trojan offensive line should be very good and deep next year

Tailgate Review and All Tailgate Team

We had a great year with the tailgate. The Hoovers & Flynns thank everyone for taking part and give special thanks to those who chipped in with food, drink and supplies. I would like to recognize Liz & Andy Hoover and Clare Flynn, as that trio makes the tailgate happen. Now on to the awards...The selection committee is comprised of the Hoovers and Flynns. The selection process is rigorous, disciplined and based on several factors including attendance (pre and post game), effort (including time of arrival and departure), enthusiasm, new ideas and whatever else the Selection Committee wants to consider. There are 15 selections, 5 each on the First, Second and Honorable Mention teams.

First Team

Dan Cherrie-Dan attended 10 games (including both East Coast games) and was consistently the first person to arrive at the tailgate to set up. Dan made it to both GameDay broadcasts at the Coliseum and was often the last to leave post-game. Repeat first team selection
Matt Cherrie-Matt finished strong with a redeye to Miami for the Orange Bowl. Despite missing the UW tailgate, Matt attended 8 games including VT and OU. Repeat first team selection
Curt Himebauch/Jennifer Ignacio-Curt and Jennifer did an outstanding job with food at the tailgates this year and we were thrilled to see them in Miami. The gumbo at ND was tasty!
Phil Navarro-For the second consecutive year, Phil slides into the first team. Phil was at every home tailgate and at the Orange Bowl. His claim to fame is the lobster barbecue at the Notre Dame game
Aaron Wooler/Melanie Kimball-AT and Melanie rocketed up to first team by attending numerous games (AT was at 10!) this year and bringing a keg to most home tailgates. AT and Melanie are the only people new to the first team....congrats!

Second Team

Brendan Grubbs-Brendan is making his first appearance on the All Tailgate Team and he did it while living in New Jersey. Brendan made early appearances at several home games (including an ESPN GameDay appearance vs ND) and took it to another level in Washington,DC against VT
Jeff Hermann-Jeff is another first time selection. Jeff attended most home games (including GameDay vs Cal) and spent a week in South Beach for the Orange Bowl. Based on what we saw in Miami, we expect big things from Jeff next year
Alton Shader-Yet another first appearance on the team. Alton made several tailgate appearances at the Coliseum, but really distinguished himself in Miami. Alton came out of nowhere this year and could compete for first team next year
Dan Sullivan-Dan was an honorable mention performer last year and made the jump to second team. While we would still like to see more consistent attendance, a solid showing in South Beach propelled him to second team
Eric Tis-Another promotion from Honorable Mention last year. Spotty attendance, but a commitment to provide interesting drinks (Bailey's and Jaeger @UCLA) is enough to earn second team

Honorable Mention

Jim Beaubien/Susan Welsh-Jim and Susan made limited appearances, but when they showed, they did so with fixings for home made Bloody Mary's. Work commitments kept Jim from Miami, but I bet we see him in South Bend
Larry & Kathryn Haggquist-The Haggquist's were fantastic hosts as the tailgate caravan stopped in Monterey in route to Palo Alto. In addition, Larry and Kath attended the ND tailgate. A repeat HM selection, we hope the Haggquist's can make a few games next year from Monterey
Scott Hodgkins & Family-Scott missed a few games due to soccer game commitments, but did bring some very nice margaritas to the Cal and ND games. More importantly, Scott got me a seat next to Reggie Bush at the USC Awards Banquet in December. We hope to see more of Scott and Ruth next year
Denise & Brian Holmes-Denise made appearances at 2 tailgates while Brian made a lone appearance, but they know how to party. Their presence helped provide some enthusiasm to the tailgate and Brian even marched with the band.
Derek Patao & Family-Derek missed some tailgates due to soccer commitments, but the Patao's helped make the Stanford roadtrip a huge success. The Patao's are a great addition to the tailgate and we hope to see them more next year.

Congratulations to everyone who made the team this year and for those who didn't, now you know what it takes. Please send me any suggestions for future tailgates or comments on the team and selection process. Any grievances will be brought to the Selection Committee for review. There are a couple of people waiting to break through next year and make the team

Marcus Wooler (former 2nd team selection who was travelling for business most of this season...did attend 2 games in the Pacific Northwest)
Jennifer Flynn (former 2nd team selection)
Kris Galashan (Kris could have been a HM selection this year based on attending 3 games including a road game. However, Kris shows up a bit late to the tailgate and has not made an appearance post game. Next year is his year!)
Lawrence and Kristi Snapp (almost a lock for next year)
Cordell Sweeney (as long as he is not sprayed with Champagne!)
Mark Stegemoeller (former HM selection)

Here is the USC football schedule for next year....circle October 15th in South Bend. This is just a fantastic trip for Trojans. Click here for details about the trip....make your flight and hotel reservations early. Flynns and Hoovers already have theirs! Other away games we are considering attending are Oregon, Cal and ASU. That is it for now.....

Fight On!

It All Comes Down to the Bruins

2004-11-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

We hope that everyone had an enjoyable and relaxing Thanksgiving holiday with their friends and family. Unfortunately for Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans, their happy holiday weekend became somewhat unpleasant at about 6:30pm on Saturday as the Trojans turned up the heat in second half to beat the Irish 41-10. In what has become typical for Trojan football, USC got off to a slow start but completely dominated the Irish in the second half.

Tailgate Review and UCLA Logistics

This was a long day of tailgaiting in the cold and rain, but there was still a great turnout
Some of the younger Trojan fans stayed home to watch the game on TV, but still had the spirit

There are a lot of "thank yous" to hand out this week so here we go. Thanks to Phil Navarro for bringing and cooking the tasty lobster and albacore
Thanks to Aaron Wooler for the keg...AT has taken care of us well this year!
Huge thanks to Andy Hoover, Matt & Dan Cherrie, Marcus & Aaron Wooler, Phil Navarro and Brendan Grubbs for showing up early (real early!), securing our location and helping set up...we are counting on you again this week!
Thank you to Jennifer Ignacio and Curt Himebauch for the nice warm gumbo
We have fond memories of tailgating at the Rose Bowl (UCLA game 2002 and Michigan game last year) and we are going all out again this year
This is the last tailgate of the year and needless to say this is a huge game for the Trojans
We will be set up in Lot H (Click here for Rose Bowl Maps), which opens at 6:30am. We will be there when the lot opens and be set up by 7am to watch GameDay. Kickoff is at 1:30pm
Lot H is a large grass lot on the South side of the Rose Bowl (South of the golf course, but North of swim stadium)
Exact location in the lot will depend on parking attendants, but look for our 3 USC flags and satellite dish
Breakfast will be served (eggs, pancakes, bagels, coffee) and we will likely have a light lunch(burgers, etc)
We are fortunate to have some great football games to watch while tailgaiting. Virginia Tech plays Miami at 10am with the winner advancing to a BCS bowl. This should take us right up to kickoff.
We plan on having an extended tailgate post-game as Rose Bowl traffic is just unbearable and we can watch the second half of the SEC Championship game and the first half of the Big 12 Championship game
Please let Tim know if you plan on attending the tailgate this week

Looking Back at the Irish and Ahead to the Bruins

The Irish are an improved team and had a nice scheme against the Trojans in the first half
USC made some adjustment in the second quarter and dominated the game from that point forward
It was great to see Steve Smith and Chris McFoy back on the field and healthy...their presence was a huge boost to the Trojan offense
Leinart threw for a career high 400yds and a career tying 5TD passes....ND had never given up 5TD passes in one game and has now done so two games in a row (Pitt, USC)
Alex Holmes played his best game of the year....Alex and Dominique Byrd make it difficult for defenses to cover the middle of the field
UCLA is clearly a better team this year than last year....though different. The strength of this team is their running game led by Maurice Drew, Manuel White and Chris Markey
The Bruin OL is solid and has propelled the Bruins to a the Pac 10's second leading rushing team while allowing a Pac 10 low 14 sacks
The Bruin have talented pass catchers with Craig Bragg, Junior Taylor, Tab Perry and TE Marcedes Lewis....make no mistake, this is a very talented and dangerous Bruin offense
The UCLA defense has really struggled and is currently ranked 5th in the conference in pass defense, 10th in run defense (109th nationally) 7th in scoring defense and 10th in total defense
Look for the Trojans to come out passing to set up the run....probably some early throws to the tight ends and backs to loosen up the Bruin LBs
Expect the crowd to be about 40,000 Trojans and 55,000 Bruins
Congratulations to Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush who were named Pac-10 Co-Offensive Players of the Year. Shaun Cody was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year as well
7 Trojans made first team all conference including Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush (at RB and Kick Returner), Shaun Cody, Mike Patterson, Lofa Taputu, Matt Grootegood and Tom Malone
This is a heated rivalry game on the road which is never easy. Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another hard fought victory over the Bruins

Fight On!

Here Come the Irish and ESPN GameDay

2004-11-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

After a week off, the Trojans welcome the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the Coliseum. This game holds a unique place in college football lore and is without a doubt the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. This game is always special and this year will be no different with the ESPN GameDay crew, a sold out stadium and national television audience. In addition, to honor the 30 year anniversary of the Trojan comeback victory over the Irish in 1974, USC has named the game "Anthony Davis Day". AD sparked that fantastic comback with a kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half. This is quite simply USC vs Notre Dame and there is nothing better.
VS

Tailgate Update
ESPN GameDay will be returning to USC and we will be there. GameDay films a tape delayed segment for Sports Center at 7am and goes live at 7:30am. Get up early, show the nation that the Trojan fans support their team and get on TV...IT IS WORTH THE EFFORT! Click here to hear Kirk Herbstreit ask Hoover/Flynn tailgaters to show up at GameDay!This will be the third time that the tailgate crew has been in attendance for GameDay and it is an awesome experience. The Trojans have won two huge games with GameDay in attendance (Rose Bowl last year and Cal game this year) and we are hoping to go 3 for 3.

After a brief hiatus, the tailgate will back for the Notre Dame game...and will be back in force. Tailgate was cancelled for the Arizona game due to the birth of Trevor Flynn. Trevor and Clare are doing great and Trevor has been watching lots of football. Thanks to all of you who have called, stopped by, or sent gifts. Trevor will probably not be making an appearance this week, but as you can see from the photo below, he is ready for football!

A big game calls for special food. Phil Navarro has spent the entire season catching lobster and will be serving lobster this week at the tailgate. Word is that he has 30lbs!

In addition, Jennifer Ignacio will be make some gumbo and we will have all the regular fixings (burgers, etc). For those early arrivers, we will have breakfast.

Marcus Wooler will be making a rare appearance at the tailgate and he may even don his dancing outfit

We will be watching some great games on TV before the game, the best of which is Virginia vs Virginia Tech which starts at 10am. Other games include Georgia/GTech (12:30) and Oklahoma St/Texas Tech. This is the last tailgate at the Coliseum, but we will be at the Rose Bowl next week as well.

Tidbits on the ND Game, and All things USC Football

It is Thanksgiving this week, so let's take a moment and be thankful for our USC Trojans. USC is 10-0 and is guaranteed a third straight BCS bowl bid. The program has come a long way and this should be enjoyed, not taken for granted
The Notre Dame game is sold out and USC will average a record 85,000 in attendance this year. This shatters the previous record (set last year) of 78,000
Notre Dame is 6-4, coming off a painful 41-38 loss to Pitt in South Bend. The Irish are bowl eligible and may actually play the UCLA Bruins in the Insight Bowl
Notre Dame struggles to defend the pass (ranked 107th nationally in pass defense)...in fact all 4 losses have come to teams ranked in the top 30 in passing offense (USC ranked #24)
In their 4 losses, the Irish have given up on average 348yds passing, including 383 yds to Pitt in their most recent game
Notre Dame has played very well against "run first" teams so look for the Trojans to pass early to set up the run...this is what Norm likes to do anyway
Dominique Byrd did not play last year vs the Irish...look for him to be a big focus in this game against the big, but slow ND linebackers
We hope that Steve Smith and Chris McFoy can return to lineup this week after missing games due to leg injuries....John Drake may be back at guard as well
On offense, Notre Dame is ranked 87th in rushing (128yds per game), 47th in passing (230yds/gm) and 54th is scoring (26pts/gm)
Irish freshman RB Darius Walker (#3) is a good player, however, the Irish rarely pass when he is in the game due to his weakness in blocking
WR Matt Shelton is a deep threat for the Irish and QB Brady Quinn is improved over last year
The Irish have beaten highly ranked Michigan and Tennessee, but have lost to Pitt and BYU
USC is ranked 2nd in rushing defense, 2nd in scoring defense, 4th in total defense, 5th in turnover margin, 5th in pass efficiency defense and 7th in scoring offense
Beating the Irish is never easy, but a raucous Coliseum crowd will certainly help. Come out and support the Trojans as they fight it out with the Irish.

See you there!

The Home Stretch

2004-11-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

The Trojans pulled out a tough win in foggy Corvalis and now return home for two home games (Arizona, Notre Dame) and a trip to Pasadena to face UCLA.

Due to the birth of Trevor Flynn on Tuesday afternoon, there will be no tailgate this week. We will be back in full force for Notre Dame on November 27th and UCLA on December 4th.

Bring on the Beavers!

2004-11-02T14:18:00.000-08:00

Despite the rain, sleet and hail, the Trojans dominated the Cougars in the Palouse, winning the game by a score of 42-12. Thanks to a botched onside kick by the Cougs and a fantastic play by Desmond Reed to recover the ball on the ensuing kickoff, WSU fell behind 14-0 before even taking an offensive snap! A spectacular Reggie Bush punt return put the Trojans up 21-0 and USC then just cruised to victory.

Notes on the Game, USC Football and the Pac 10

Matt Leinart had one of his best games of the year, completing 23 of 28 passes for 235 yds and two TDs
Dwayne Jarrett now leads the Trojans in receptions (31), receiving yards (423) and receiving TDs (8)
Reggie Bush has thrown a TD pass and scored TDs rushing, receiving and returning a punt this year. He also scored a TD on a kickoff return last year

After 3 straight 10 win seasons, the Cougs are 3-5 this year and 0-4 in October
The USC defense continues to be outstanding, and is now ranked 3rd nationally in scoring defense, 1st nationally in turnovers caused and 4th nationally in total defense and rushing defense
USC held WSU to -9 yds rushing, the second consecutive year the Cougs have had negative rushing yds against the Trojans
For the third time in 4 weeks, UCLA will face a team defeated by USC the previous week
UCLA made a statement by beating Stanford 21-0, setting up a big game with Oregon (at Autzen) on November 13th
Speaking of Oregon, the Ducks are looking to upset Cal this weekend in a game that could be very close
USC is the only school in the country to defeat 3 teams currently ranked in the Top 25 (Cal, ASU and VaTech)

Oregon St. Preview

The Trojans hit the road one last time to take on the Oregon St. Beavers in Corvallis. With the exception of a possible bowl game, this is the last time USC will leave LA to play a game this year
USC has not traveled to Corvallis since 2000, when the Beavers beat USC in route to 12-1 season. That loss snapped a 26 game winning streak by USC over the Beavers
After a challenging 1-4 start, Oregon St. has rebounded by winning their next three games all by 14pts or more
The Beavers are really struggling with their running game (RB Steven Jackson was a 1st round pick in the NFL draft), ranking 115th nationally (out of 117 Division 1 teams)
Oregon St. is explosive with the passing game with QB Derek Anderson, WR Mike Hass and TE Joe Newton. Anderson, however, is prone to mistakes including 4 interceptions vs the Trojans last year
The Beavers are talented on defense, including 2 of the best corners in the Pac 10 (Brandon Browner and Aric Williams). OSU ranks 4th or 5th in most defensive categories, but due to penalties and turnovers, the Beavers are 8th in the conference in scoring defense
On paper this is a good match-up for the Trojans. OSU has a weak running game, an immobile QB who throws picks and a young offensive line. Expect a game plan similar to the one executed by the Trojans against ASU
USC has been successful against one dimensional teams, but traveling to the Pacific Northwest on consecutive weekends is not easy

Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough win on the road in an injury free game.

One Washington Down, One to Go

2004-10-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Before we discuss the game last week and the upcoming game, I strongly encourage everyone to read this story about how the USC football program "adopted" a young boy with cancer and helped make his dreams of attending a USC game come true Click here for this MUST READ story .

The Trojans defeated the Huskies 38-0 in a game dominated by USC. The Trojans looked very sluggish and uninterested on offense, but really cranked it up on defense.

Tidbits about the Game, USC and the Pac 10

USC ended Washington's streak of 271 games without a shutout, the longest such streak in the nation
With an attendance of 72,855 last week, USC is averaging over 84,000 and is almost certain to break last year's attendance record of approximately 78,000
UW had only 113 yards of total offense, 63 passing yards and 6 first downs
This was the 6th shutout of the Pete Carroll era and the 4th shutout of a Pac 10 team
USC is now ranked 3rd nationally in scoring defense, 6th nationally in rushing defense and 10th nationally in total defense
Reggie Bush had another strong game with an electric 30yd punt return, a beautiful TD catch (see below) and several strong runs between the tackles Click here for Reggie Bush highlight video

Redshirt freshman and Temple City product, Desmond Reed, had a fantastic game with a 22yd TD run (his first TD as a Trojan), a huge block to spring Bush's punt return and a big tackle on a Husky kickoff return
Other "firsts" included Jason Mitchell's first TD reception, Jody Adewale's first reception, Keith Rivers' first interception and John Walker's first reception
For those of you who don't like Pete Carroll's "bend, but don't break defense", USC has not given up a pass completion longer than 26yds in 17 quarters
Matt Grootegood made a huge hit on the first play of the second half, forcing a fumble and setting up an easy Trojan TD
Eric Wright continues to play outstanding at corner back and had a forced fumble and the deflection that led to Rivers' interception
Reggie Bush and LenDale White have each scored 9 touchdowns this season....the same number scored by all USC opponents combined
Husky defensive tackle Manase Hopoi had six tackles for loss (ties a UW record) and now leads the nation in that category with 19
For the second consecutive week, UCLA lost to the team defeated by the Trojans the previous week. UCLA gave up 93 points to Cal and ASU, while USC gave up only 24 points
Cal and USC are both ranked among the top 15 nationally in scoring offense, scoring defense and total defense
Cal is ranked first nationally in total offense while USC is ranked 2nd in turnover margin
There are some big games in the PAC 10 this week with UCLA taking on Stanford and ASU traveling to Cal...the PAC 10 race will look much clearer come Sunday

Tailgate Review
We had another great tailgate this week as we were fortunate to have perfect weather and some great footballs games to watch while we relaxed and enjoyed some food and drink. It was tough to watch Florida lose to MSU and very painful to see the Fighting Irish choke against BC, but most of us did enjoy watching the Bruins collapse against ASU!

Marcus Wooler made his long-awaited return to California (and the tailgate)....it was great to see him! Thanks again to everyone who brought food and drink...it has been a long 3 weeks for everyone involved and it is time for a well-deserved break. Get your rest now because the final stretch includes huge games (and early arrivals for tailgaters) against Notre Dame and UCLA. Next home game is against Arizona (homecoming) on November 13th at 7:15pm.

Washington State Preview

The Cougars are 3-4 and are coming off a loss to Oregon St. last week in Corvallis
USC is 3-3 vs the Cougars in their last 6 meetings, including a big USC win at the Coliseum last year (#3 USC defeated #6 WSU 43-16) and a hearbreaking loss in Pullman in 2002
WSU is without starting QB, Josh Swogger, and back-up Alex Brink will be getting his second consecutive start
The Cougars are ranked 7th or 8th in the conference in most key statistical categories, but they do have some talent and are always dangerous in the Palouse (click here for Pac 10 stats)
Cougar WR Jason Hill leads the Pac 10 in TD receptions with 9...he is a legitimate deep threat, similar to Todd Watkins from BYU
WSU linebacker Will Derting was first team all conference last year and anchors the Cougar defense
Forecast is for wind, rain and temperatures in the high 30s
Look for USC to play a similar defensive scheme as we have seen the last few weeks....stuff the run, no deep passes, sure tackling on underneath routes
Given the weather, one would expect to see USC run the ball more, but Chow always seems to do the opposite of what would be expected
With LenDale White nursing a bruised thigh and a nagging ankle sprain, we may finally see more of Herschel Dennis
Cougar punt returner/WR (and former USC recruit), Michael Bumpus has been very explosive on punt returns
The Cougars will likely try and press the USC wide receivers and try and force Leinart to beat the Cougars deep
Kickoff is 4pm and game will be televised on ABC regionally

Road games in Pullman are never easy and the Cougars always play tough....let's hope the Trojans can grind out another road win.

Fight On!

Trojans Dominate Sun Devils....Huskies Coming to LA

2004-10-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

After the Cal game, the USC doubters (and haters) came out of the woodwork. The media chirped "Cal this, Cal that" and the Arizona State Sun Devils became the popular pick (LA Times, Kirk Herbstreit, Mark May and Trev Alberts to name a few) to beat the #1 ranked USC Trojans.

Well the Trojans took notice and simply dominated the Sun Devils from the opening kickoff in a performance reminiscent of the 2002 and 2003 teams. Punishing defense combined with an explosive and imaginative offense propelled USC to a 42-7 halftime lead. The Trojans cruised in the second half, finishing with a 45-7 victory.

Tidbits about the Game, the Pac 10 and USC Football

The Trojans are 10-0 in their last ten games vs ranked opponents with an average margin of victory of 38-16
USC is the only team in the country this year to defeat 3 teams currently ranked in the Top 25
This was the 2nd consecutive sell-out at the Coliseum, the first time this has happened since 1947. USC is ranked 7th nationally in attendance, averaging over 88,000 per game
The crowd has become a real factor at the Coliseum, with ASU suffering 2 false start penalites on their first drive....the noise level during opponents' 3rd downs is impressive
USC scored 4 touchdowns in the second quarter despite having the ball for under 5 minutes. Sometimes Time of Poss. stats can be misleading
USC had 8 sacks of the ASU QBs....by 8 different players. USC has 29 sacks this year vs 22 sacks through 6 games last year
The Trojans stuffed the ASU run game, allowing only 24yds (zero yds in first half)
The Trojans held ASU 27 points below their scoring average....this after holding Cal to 32 points below their average last week. USC leads the conference and is 7th nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 12.5 points per game
The USC defense has held opponents scoreless in 14 of the 24 quarters this year and has only allowed 3pts in the 4th quarter
The USC offense was clicking on all cylinders for the first time since last season...there are lots of reasons for the improvement, but none bigger than the return of TE Dominique Byrd
Reggie Bush had 115yds of all-purpose yards and now leads the conference and is second nationally in that category (does not include his 52yd TD pass to Dwayne Jarrett)
True freshman Dwayne Jarrett had 3 TD catches, giving him 6 on the year....one less than Mike Williams had through 6 games last year
For the second consecutive week, the USC special teams made big plays. Justin Tolliver got the game started with a big hit at the 14yd line on the opening kickoff and Shaun Cody blocked a FG attempt. Ryan Killeen made his only FG attempt and continued to put his kickoffs deep into the endzone
What was ASU coach Dirk Koetter thinking when he called timeout when ASU had the ball deep in its own territory with just over a minute left in the first half?......a Reggie Bush punt return and a pass to DJ and the Trojans added 7 more points to the pounding
ASU will take on UCLA this week, making it the second consecutive week the Bruins have had to play the team defeated by the Trojans the previous week
ASU freshman tight end Zack Miller showed why he was heavily recruited by the Trojans, making 8 catches for 102yds in the loss
Don't look now, but the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are ranked in the Top 25

Tailgate Review

This was the best tailgate of the season by far. We had a great turnout and a very mellow, manageable environment. The move off the corner was very successful and that will be a permanent change. We also benefited from some great football games both before (Oklahoma/Kansas St.) and after (Purdue/Wisconsin and UCLA/Cal) the USC game.

Thanks to everyone who attended and special thanks to those who contributed food, beverages and cooking (Hoovers, Curt & Jennifer, Aaron & Melanie, Denise & Brian, Alton...sorry if we forgot anyone).

We will be back again this week and should be set up by 10:15am or so. Kickoff is at 3:30pm, but there are some great games to watch in the morning and early afternoon (ND/Boston College, Michigan/Purdue) so we are looking forward to another great day of college football.

If you are planning on attending this week, please email Tim with the number in your party by Thursday at noon.

Washington Preview

The Huskies are not a good football team this year and have been decimated by injuries
At 1-5 (only win vs San Jose St), it is not surprising that UW is 9th in the conference in total offense, total defense, scoring defense and scoring offense
However, the Huskies are a proud program and do have some talent. Look for UW to start Isiah Stanback at QB (he took over for Cory Paus in the second quarter last week)
Stanback is a fantastic athlete with a strong arm and very capable of running the option and scrambling. He will be looking to throw to Charles Frederick, who is an outstanding receiver
UW has been awful against the run this year and that does not bode well for the Huskies
After playing and beating 3 straight unbeaten opponents, a game vs a 5 loss Washington team has letdown written all over it
The coaches know this and will be all over the players this week...look for the Trojans to get off to a fast start and crush the spirit of UW
Spread is USC by 34, which is way too much
Let's hope the Trojans can stay focused and win another game at the Coliseum with no injuries to either team

See you Saturday!

Huge Win vs Cal....Another Tough Game this Week

2004-10-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Rarely does a "big" game live up to the hype, but under the bright national spotlight of ESPN GameDay and 90,000 screaming fans, the Trojans and Bears did not disappoint. The Coliseum was electric....from the beginning of GameDay at 7am to the cheers as Cal's last pass hit the ground, this was the best USC crowd I have ever seen/heard Click to hear the USC radio broadcast of the last play.

The Trojans have another big test this week at the Coliseum as the 5-0 and #15 ranked Arizona St. Sun Devils come to town. Game time is 12:30 again.

Before we review last week, if you are planning on attending or have invited friends to attend this week, PLEASE LET TIM KNOW BY THURSDAY AT NOON. It is important that we get an accurate count for planning purposes.

ESPN GameDay
There was a very impressive crowd at the GameDay set and Chris Fowler made it clear that he was shocked at the size and zeal of the group at 7am. On Fowler's Monday radio show, he called it one of 2 or 3 best GameDay environments they have seen. The crowd went crazy as Lee Corso picked the Trojans by donning his Trojan helmet and proceeding to stab a bear with his Trojan sword (look at the big screen in the background of this picture)

The tailgate crew was well represented with Cordell Sweeney, Andy Hoover, Dan Cherrie and Jeff Herman all taking turns waving the USC flags for the camera. GameDay is great fun to attend and brings some much needed national media attention to the Pac 10. I have no doubt that ESPN will be back to USC for GameDay in the future.

The Tailgate
With over 90,000 expected at the game and GameDay starting at 7am, the tailgate set-up team arrived well before sunrise

This was by far the biggest tailgate we have ever had and there are several people who made outstanding contributions.

Aaron and Melanie graciously provided the keg and despite having to drive from Pasadena to El Segundo to the game (AT forgot the tix!), they arrived well before dawn to help set up
Jennifer and Curt supplied tons of burgers with all the fixings for pre and post game
Phil Navarro brought the sausages
Pete and Erin provided the bottled water and Pete made a heroic effort to restore the satellite connection after it mysteriously disappeared around 10:45am

Derek brought some great food and his grill was certainly a welcome addition
Dan Sullivan brought all the soda and made sure there was some extra beer when the keg went dry
Scott and Ruth provided the tasty margaritas
The Beaubien's brought their top secret spicy bloody mary mix
It was great to see Lawrence and Cordell at the tailgate as family and work matters have limited their ability to get to games and the tailgate

Of course, Clare, Andy and Liz did most of the "heavy lifting" and deserve all of our thanks for continuing to manage an ever growing event. The size and scope of the tailgate has grown such that it is starting to get a bit rough around the edges. We are going to look at some changes for next week to ensure that the tailgate is a nice enjoyable time for everyone and not quite as raucous. One change that is likely to occur is to move the tailgate about 5 or 6 cars west from the current spot to cut down on random traffic from the corner. We will also begin shutting down the tailgate a bit earlier before the game to ensure that we can see kickoff.

Game Tidbits

Cal proved to be every bit of a top 10 team and chances are that they will finish the regular season in the top 5. Cal deserves credit and respect....the Bears are real good this year
Lies, damn lies and statistics. Cal dominated this game statistically (yds, first downs, time of possession). USC's total yds, first downs and time of possession were lower due to outstanding fied position as a result of superior special teams play
USC's 9 drives started on average from the 50yd line (includes the muff punt as a new drive), while Cal's 8 drives started on average at their own 22. Cal simply had much longer to drive for each score
USC scored on 5 of their first 6 possessions and 5 out of 9 total possessions. Cal scored on 3 of their first 5 possessions, but were held scoreless in the final 3 possessions (3 of 8 total)
QB Aaron Rodgers completed 29 of 34 passes (including a NCAA record tying 23 consecutive), but the longest pass was 20yds
USC held Cal to 17 points which is 32 points below the Bears' average
In USC's last 32 games, only 2 running backs have rushed for over 100yds....both from Cal
Cal is not only talented, but experienced. Cal started 12 seniors vs USC (not including WRs Toller and Makonnen who both played substantially) and Rodgers is likely to leave for the NFL draft. Cal will lose its QB, top 5 WR, 4 of top 5 LB, 5 of top 6 DL and both safeties
USC started 8 seniors, but will return its QB, all WRs, 8 of top 10 OL (4 of 5 starters) 6 of top 8 DL and 5 of top 6 LB
In the game, USC played 14 underclassmen vs 5 underclassmen for Cal
LenDale White averaged 5yds per carry, but only was given 11 chances to rush
Steve Smith had two catches, each for over 40yds, but left the game early in the 3rd quarter with a broken leg. Fight On Steve!

Dwayne Jarrett had his best game as a Trojan and will be in the starting line-up vs ASU
USC has not allowed a 4th quarter TD this year

ASU Preview

ASU is 5-0 (2-0 in the Pac 10) and has solid victories over Iowa, Oregon, Northwestern and Oregon St. Ranked #15 in the country
Click here for some good info on ASU
ASU has an outstanding QB in Andrew Walter, but he is much different than Aaron Rodgers from Cal
Walter likes to throw it deep and is very immobile (think Drew Bledsoe). Walter is not as patient nor accurate as Rodgers
Look for USC to play a very similar defense this week. ASU prefers to stretch the field and is not happy to dink and dunk like Cal
ASU has very good WR (Hagan and Richardson) and true frosh TE Zach Miller is outstanding
ASU's running game is OK, but not as good as Cal's. They are very thin at RB due to injury and suspension issues
I would expect USC to put similar pressure on Walter as the Trojans did to Rodgers, but with better results (i.e. Walter can't scramble like Rodgers)
ASU's defense is much improved and they have a great set of LBs. Weakness is on the DL. I would hope we see much more of LenDale this week
I think we match up better with ASU than Cal, but ASU is a very dangerous team and is coming off a bye week while the Trojans are coming off a very tough game
I expect this game to be a battle, but hope the Trojans can grind out another tough victory

Cal and ESPN GameDay Visit the Coliseum

2004-10-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

vs

This is the game that people have had circled on their calendar for quite a while. Way back in July, we predicted that this game would feature the #1 USC Trojans vs #6 Cal Golden Bears in front of 90,000. Well, you have to give us some credit as the preseason ranked #21 Cal Bears have risen up to #7 and the game is sold out meaning there will be over 92,000 in attendance.

Adding to the big game atmosphere, ESPN College Football GameDay will be broadcasting live from the Coliseum. This is the official GameDay website. This is simply a huge game for the Trojans, the Bears and the PAC 10 Conference. On Saturday, the PAC 10 will be in quite possibly the brightest national spotlight that the conference has ever seen. Here are a couple of tidbits about the magnitude of this game:

This is the first Coliseum sellout (other than UCLA or Notre Dame) since 1952
This is only the 3rd time that GameDay has visited a PAC 10 stadium and the first time since 2000
The is the first time GameDay has visited USC
GameDay is skipping the Oklahoma/Texas (#2 vs #5) matchup to broadcast from the USC vs Cal (#1 vs #7) game

If you play on attending the tailgate, please email Tim with how many are in your party by Thursday at 5pm so we can plan accordingly.

Tailgate Logistics
Needless to say, this is a game to get fired up for. We have fond memories of tailgaiting on site with GameDay as we did at the Rose Bowl earlier this year.

Time: GameDay comes on the air at 7:30am (7:30-9:00am) and the tailgate will be set up by 7am at the latest. Most of the tailgate crew will be at the GameDay set, but Clare and others will watch over the tailgate during the show. When GameDay is finished at 9am, we will be back at the tailgate. Game starts at 12:30pm.

We encourage people to come early and go the GameDay set...this is a great opportunity to show a national audience that USC has great fans that support their team as much as any fans in the country. On top of that, with 92,000 at the game, traffic and parking will be a nightmare.

Location: We will be set-up in the same spot (grass lot on Southwest side of Coliseum on corner of Leighton & Menlo, just outside tunnel 13, adjacent to cement bus/rv lot). Please call Tim at 310 508 5858 or Andy at 310 480 7798 with questions. 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.

While not confirmed, we believe that GameDay will be set up near the Peristyle entrance to the Coliseum (opposite side of stadium from the tailgate). GameDay will be easy to find....see you there!

Menu: We will be serving breakfast before the game. Eggs, breakfast burritos, pancakes, turkey bacon, bagels, cream cheese etc. There will be breakfast juices and Bloody Mary's to help everyone wake up. The keg and jockey box will be making a repeat appearance and we will also have the full bar set up. There may be a special tailgate drink as well. After the game we will be serving the regular burgers and sausage and hopefully enjoying another USC victory.

Entertainment: We will be flipping between Oklahoma vs Texas and Michigan vs Minnesota (both at 9am) before the game and will be watching LSU vs Florida after the game. Click here to see a list of all the games on TV. The Trojan Marching Band should pass by at about 12:20pm or so. Click to hear the Band (requires Real Media Player).

Cal Preview

Cal is a very good team and USC will have to bring its A game for 60 minutes to win. The "revenge factor" alone will not be enough....USC must be ready to play
Cal is extremely talented on offense with a star QB in Aaron Rodgers and an outstanding RB (Arrington). Their OL is solid and they have a nice group of receivers (Macarthur, Makonnen, Lyman) and a solid TE (Cross)
Cal's defense is an unknown, having played two option teams (Air Force and New Mexico) and a reeling Oregon St. team. They certainly have not seen an offense like USC this year
Cal's defense has only forced 4 turnovers (and that includes a game against Oregon St which is a turnover machine!) vs 12 for the USC defense. If USC can win the turnover battle, the Trojans will be in good shape
The Trojans have played very vanilla this year on offense and defense...look for some new wrinkles
The Trojans must put pressure on Rodgers....we will see much more blitzing in this game and it will come from lots of places. Arbet, Leach, Taputu and Groots will be sent on blitzes
Speaking of pressure, #55 will see more time at DE to put pressure on the QB in third down situations. Jeff Schweiger is likely out for the Trojans
On offense, I think we will see LenDale and Reggie in the game at the same time. Also, I expect to see Kirtman and Fred Davis involved in the passing game. Dom Byrd makes a return and if he is healthy, he will expose the middle of the field. We might see Herschel Dennis play a bigger role since it would be difficult to game plan against him
The Trojans could be in trouble if LenDale is not 100%...he simply did not have the burst against Stanford

BOTTOM LINE

This is a better Cal team than the team that beat USC last year, BUT while this USC team is not as talented as the team in the Rose Bowl last year, it is probably better than the team that played Cal last year.
Remember, LenDale White and Reggie Bush barely played against Cal and had not yet exploded onto the scene. Leinart threw 3 interceptions vs Cal, but has only thrown 4 more pics since Cal (13 games).
Cal has not played with the pressure of a top 10 ranking...USC is battle tested and Cal is not.
The Trojans are simply awesome at home and this will be a huge advantage
Turnovers and penalties will be critical in this game and I think the advantage goes to the Trojans
Both offenses are good and both will score...I think USC has the better defense and the better defensive coaching. This will be the difference
Let's hope the Trojans can grind out another tough victory in an injury free game

A Win is a Win is a Win...

2004-09-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

Well, the Trojans did about everything they could to lose the game to Stanford. In an effort strangely reminiscent of the Cal game last year, USC looked very flat on defense in the first half and made several critical blunders to allow the Cardinal to jump out to a 28-17 lead at halftime. Give Stanford credit, they had an extra week to prepare and they had a nice scheme for a half, but USC simply played dominant football in the second half and pulled out a tough 31-28 win at the Farm. It is games like this where an outstanding coaching staff led by Pete Carroll makes all the difference. Click here to hear what Pete Carroll has to say about the tailgate (make sure your volume is on!)

The tailgate at Stanford was a huge success. We had a great crowd with about 25 people in attendance.

The food was spectacular (special thanks to Derek Patao for manning the grill for about 8 hours!!!) and the drinks were flowing. Stanford is a great place for tailgating and the weather was perfect. Dan Cherrie and Aaron "AT" Wooler were all star performers and there were no logistical issues thanks to the tireless efforts of the Hoovers and Clare Flynn

We had a lively crowd after the game and we enjoyed some well-deserved cocktails while watching the Oregon St./ASU game....the best way to savor another road victory. We added a taste of local (well almost local) flavor to the tailgate when the Haggquists drove up from Monterey for the game. Thanks to Larry and Kath for making the trip, picking up some critical last minute supplies and of course for providing room and board to the tailgate caravan on Friday night

The tailgate is in mid season form and will be hitting on all cylinders for the Cal game. Speaking of the Cal game, game time is set for 12:30 and that means breakfast will be served for the first time this year. Needless to say, for a game of this magnitude, the tailgate will be set up early and rumor has it that ESPN Gameday will be setting up at the Coliseum (if Cal wins on Sat)...yet another reason to come down early.

As the tailgate veterans know, our tailgate has fond memories of ESPN Gameday at the Rose Bowl last year. We are trying to develop a themed drink for the Cal game...if you have any ideas let us know (remember it will be a morning tailgate)

Before we break down the game in detail, we would like to congratulate Derek Patao for winning the trivia contest last week. He correctly answered that USC did not cover the spread against Vtech (2004), Cal (2003) and BYU (2003). Derek will receive his award at the Cal game. Of course, the Trojans did not cover the spread this week, which gives us significant pause as we are now concerned that the trivia question has jinxed the Trojans. This weeks question is less susceptible to jinx: Before Keith Rivers, who was the last Trojan to wear #55? Award to be given at Cal game to first person to email Tim with the answer.

Some thoughts on the game:

There are more positives than negatives coming out of the Stanford game
Since Pete Carroll arrived, the Trojans have always played with tremendous heart and this game was exhibit A....The team did not fold, but rather met the challenge head on and overcame adversity....a sign of a championship team
The WRs played great with Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett and Chris McFoy all making big plays. Smith is developing into a go-to receiver while McFoy made the play of the night by battling for a key first down in the 4th quarter
Leinart may have had his best game throwing the ball this year...his throws were on time and on target. However, taking a sack to push the Trojans beyond FG range was a blemish on Matt's report card. Matt's streak of 15 straight games with at least 2 TD passes was broken (Alex Holmes dropped a pass in the end zone on the first drive)
Fred Davis finally got in the act with a 15yd reception. He will be used more vs Cal.
Reggie Bush showed some tough inside running in the 4th quarter picking up critical 1st downs. With LenDale hurt, Reggie really stepped up....How about that punt return!!!

The Trojans were very close to blowing the game wide open in the first quarter....up 10-0, USC forced a fumble deep in Stanford territory. Somehow the ball eluded 4 Trojans and found the lone Cardinal player. If USC gets that ball and goes up 17-0 (as opposed to Stanford scoring on that drive to make it 10-7) it was lights out.
The Trojan defense gave up zero points, 37 yards and 2 first downs in the second half. The Trojans have only given up 10 points in the second half this year (2.5 pt average)
True freshman Keith Rivers awoke the tradition of #55 and wreaked havoc from both his LB and DE spot
Darnell Bing is really starting to play well....he will be a difference maker on defense this year
USC has played it very close to the vest on both offense and defense this year...expect them to show several new wrinkles against Cal
Stanford's TD run at the end of the first half was the worst play in the Pete Carroll era, closely followed by the fake punt at ND in Pete's first year
Ryan Kileen will make a big kick this year...mark it down!

Details for the Cal tailgate to be posted next week.

Fight On!

Cougars were Crushed....Road Trip to the Farm

2004-09-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

USC rolled to another lopsided victory, beating BYU 42-10. The Trojans have now won 12 straight games and are an amazing 13-3 against the spread the last 2 years (despite several 20+ point spreads). I am not sure anyone reads this, but we will give a special reward to to the first person who emails Tim with the 3 games USC has not covered in the last 2 years. Award will be presented at the Cal tailgate on October 9th.

Couple notes on the BYU game:

Trojans got hosed on several calls in the first half including a bogus holding call on Alex Holmes (which negated a pass from Bush to Steve Smith on the BYU 1yd line), a "dead ball" foul on Reggie Bush while the play was developing and a phantom PI call on Jason Leach (notice how he shows the official that he is not using his hands)

USC dominated the ground game with 290yds rushing and is averaging over 300yds rushing in its last two games. Both Reggie and Lendale went over 100yds, the first time 2 Trojans rushed for over 100yds in the same game since 1998.

The OL and WR groups continued to improve. OL seems to be pretty darn good right now, but the WRs still have a way to go
Ronald Nunn was burned deep for a TD and will likely lose his starting CB spot to freshman Eric Wright

Road Trip to Stanford
As promised in the preseason tailgate release, we will be road tripping to Palo Alto for the game. We will be bringing a "slimmed down" version of the tailgate including TV/Satellite, grill, USC EZ Up, USC flags and a few chairs. No keg, no bar and no second tent. Among the 20,000+ Trojans expected to make the trip will be tailgate veterans Flynns, Hoovers, Pataos, Haggquists, Dan Cherrie and Aaron Wooler.

We will be set up in Lot 10 (on Galvez outside tunnel 6) at about 11:30 Click here to find Lot 10. Due to travel/space constraints we will not be able to provide the same amount of food and drink as we are accustomed to. To make sure you get your fill, you may want to bring your own food/drink to the tailgate...sorry for the hassle, but we simply do not have the space as we are only bringing one cooler. Feel free to call Tim's cell (310 508 5858) or Andy's cell (310 480 7798) if you have trouble finding us or have questions.

We will be watching ND/Washington, Florida St/Clemson and WSU/Arizona pregame and likely will watch the Oregon St/Arizona St game post game. This is a key Pac 10 match-up. Hope to see you at the tailgate and the game!

Stanford Preview

Stanford is better than last year and is 2-0 with blowout wins over San Jose St. and BYU.
The Cardinal will likely rely on their talented wide receiver duo of Evan Moore (6-7) and Mark Bradford, both of whom were recruited by USC
Stanford's OL and RBs are OK, but not great. I would expect USC to play a basic defense early, shut down the run and bring blitzes later in the game if needed....very similar to the way the Trojans defended BYU.
On offense, the Trojans will likely take advantage of a mediocre Stanford DL and really punish the Cardinal with the run. For the first time since Pete and Norm arrived, we may actually run to set up the pass as opposed to vice versa.
I also expect to see Leinart throw the ball deep out of play action. Look for William Buchanon (#31) to get involved in the offense. Buch looked great in camp, but suffered a hyperextended knee the week before VaTech. Norm will put him in rotation to give Cal something else to think about on Oct 9.
There may be more USC fans than Stanford fans at this game...lets hope the Trojans can grind out another win on the road. With next week off, the Trojans they face off against Cal on October 9th.

Fight On! and Beat the Farm!

CSU Review/BYU Preview

2004-09-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Now that is how the Trojans play football! In front of the second largest opening day crowd in USC history (85,000+) and the largest opening day crowd since 1981, the USC Trojans simply dominated the CSU Rams 49-0. The Trojans were clicking on all cylinders, particularly the running game with USC garnering over 320 yards rushing. Leading the way was Lendale White, who rushed for over 120 yards and three touchdowns, including this one in the first quarter.

The tailgate got off to a great start as well, also setting an opening day attendance record We had about 30-35 people show up, with a good mix of old school tailgate veterans and some fresh new faces. Thanks to everyone for attending! Tailgate tidbits:

The best news from the tailgate is that we will be setting up in our traditional spot on the corner of Menlo and Leighton for the rest of the year. To get that corner spot, the tailgate will need to be set up at least 5.5 hours before kick off.
Andy and Clare fought through numerous technical difficulties to successfully set up the DirectTV using a mixture of advanced geometry (Clare) and exceptional alcohol-aided creativity (Andy). The satellite can be very fickle so make sure to thank Andy when you see that TV working! It was worth the hassle to watch the Irish "wake the echoes" in the second half to beat Michigan.
Liz took charge of early cooking duties, standing over a hot grill in 92 degree heat to make those tasty turkey burgers and sausages while the rest of us watched TV in the shade with a cocktail. Thanks Liz! We will give some thought to a different menu for the next game...suggestions welcome.
The group finished a keg before kickoff and the keg will make another appearance for the Cal tailgate on October 9th. The technical issues with the jockey box have been solved. We will ensure that beer will be available post game in the future. Thanks to Aaron Wooler for providing the keg and jockey box.
The new and expanded bar set up was a success and will continue to be enhanced. Look for some themed drinks at the Cal game.
A very successful start to the tailgate season....next home tailgate on October 9th vs Cal. Game time is TBD, but our sources tell us it is likely a 12:30 kickoff, which means breakfast will be served.

Game Notes/BYU Preview

Several freshman made significant plays in the CSU game including Dwayne Jarrett with this TD catch, Eric Wright with an interception and Jeff Schweiger with a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Jeff Byers, a freshman center, played extensively in the second half and will likely get some work at guard this week in an attempt to move into the starting OL.
Manuel Wright simply dominated the 4th quarter from his defensive tackle position, recording a sack, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery for a TD all in the 4th quarter.
RB Herschel Dennis has been reinstated for the BYU game and should help a very strong USC RB unit.
BYU played the Trojans tough at the Coliseum last year and will present a very stiff challenge to the Trojans this week in Provo.
BYU plays an unconventional 3-3-5 defense which is based on confusing blitz packages to stuff running lanes and put pressure on the QB. Matt Leinart threw 3 interceptions against the Cougars last year.
BYU beat Notre Dame and Notre Dame beat a #7 ranked Michigan team, so BYU has proven they can play....particularly at home.
BYU TE Daniel Coats is a big time player and really hurt the Trojans last year. QB John Beck is a scrambler and running QB's have given the Trojans trouble in the past (see Va Tech)
The Cougars have not shown much consistency on offense, with a limited running game and a passing game dependent on the deep ball. If the Trojans can limit big plays, USC will likely limit the Cougars scoring, but the real test will be if USC can move the ball against BYU, something the Trojans struggled to do last year.

Thanks again for everyone who made it to the tailgate, we hope to see everyone again on October 9th at the Coliseum. Detailed info to come later.

Fight On!

Home Opener vs Colorado State

2004-09-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

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!

Road Trip to FedEx Field

2004-08-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Back from the trip to Washington D.C. where our Trojans won a hard fought battle against a physical Virginia Tech team. Reggie Bush had an unbelievable game scoring all 3 Trojan touchdowns including this one in the fourth quarter where he pointed to the Trojan Band.

Listen to Reggie score his 3rd TD!

It was quite a game and we should all be very pleased with the victory. The offensive line and wide receiver play was a bit shaky and it is clear that we really miss Mike Williams, Winston Justice, Herschel Dennis, Dominique Byrd and Whitney Lewis.

A few interesting observations from the game:

The Right Tackle position on the OL really struggled with both Deuce Latui and Kyle Williams having their trouble
Matt Leinart shook off a shaky start and played awesome in the second half
Watch for a big game from Chris McFoy against CSU...he looked real solid vs VT
Shaun Cody played both DE and DT during the game...I wonder if the coaches will continue to rotate him
Kevin Arbet looked sub par out there and I would not be suprised if we see Justin Wyatt and Ronnie Nunn as the starting DBs with "Easy E' Eric Wright playing nickel.
The Trojans gave up less than 100yds and only 3 pts in the second half. Our coaches continue to make outstanding adjustments
USC forced 2 turnovers and did not turn the ball over themselves, continuing a trend under Pete Carroll where USC has led the nation in turnover margin. As Pete says..."It's all about the ball!"

The Trojans made us proud by playing a great second half in a very hostile enviroment. FedEx Field was rocking with over 91,000 people, including about 15,000 hard core Trojans. As a side note, Matt Cherrie, Dan Cherrie, Dennis Towle and Aaron Wooler made early statements for First Team All Tailgate by attending the game. The environment was electric and should have the Trojan faithful ready for the home opener on September 11th. We are expecting about 80,000 people at the Coliseum against Colorado St. and hope we can make it hostile for our visitors from Fort Collins.

We are very excited for the first tailgate and will be posting more info soon. In the meantime, check out this link to a preview of CSU . In addition, you can watch CSU play Colorado at 5pm this Saturday (9/4) on Fox Sports Net. We hope to kick off the tailgate with a big crowd and a few points of interest will include:

Raising the 2003 National Championship Flag at the tailgate
Watching the Notre Dame vs Michigan game
Unveiling of the new EZ up
Testing out the new full bar set up

The game is a 5pm start and the tailgate should be set up for kickoff of Notre Dame/ Michigan at 11am. Get there early, have some food, talk some football and enjoy the wonderful environment that is gameday at the Coliseum.

That's it for now, but we will posting tailgate logistics shortly.

Fight On!

Almost Here

2004-08-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

Well, USC Trojan football is almost here. This will be the new home base for all info regarding USC football and the Flynn/Hoover tailgate. Stay tuned for more info...first tailgate is 9/11.

Fight On!