Round Up:
The Trojans opened the 2010 home campaign by defeating the Virginia Cavaliers 17-14 in a defensive battle punctuated by penalties and mistakes.
USC quarterback Matt Barkley had 202 yards and two touchdowns passing. His Cavalier counterpart Marc Verica threw for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
True freshman wide out Robert Woods caught three passes for 64 yards and senior Ronald Johnson caught five for 58 yards. But it was Jordon Cameron and Brandon Carswell who came down with touchdown catches.
On the ground the Trojans were led by Marc Tyler with 67 yards while true freshman Dillon Baxter had 49 yards on nine carries in his debut. Virginia's Perry Jones ran for 77 yards; Keith Payne added 57 yards and a touchdown.
WHEN was the game decided:
Matt Barkley evaded pressure and sneaked a pass through the Virginia secondary to Brandon Carswell for a touchdown with one second left in the first half.
The defenses buckled down and despite a late (late) score for Virginia, USC controlled the game in the second half keeping the Cavaliers from seriously challenging for the game after halftime.
WHO stood out:
The refs. It was raining yellow flags at the Coliseum. Virginia had nine for 101 yards. USC was hit with 13 for 140 yards. To put that in perspective, USC had more penalty yards than they did rushing yards. Together there were 22 flags for 241 total yards. Putting that into perspective, neither team surpassed that number in rushing or passing.
There are two issues here. The first will be addressed a little further down. The second is how the dismal display of inconsistency from the refs affected the flow of the game for both teams. Big play after big play was called back for holding penalties that could have been called on every play. Personal fouls were assessed on one tackle then not assessed on another tackle of the same type. And I have yet to hear an explanation for the call of "targeting" which took the wind out of the sails of a USC defense that was seemingly finding its groove.
The defense. Not that they looked particularly great, but with a performance so significantly better than the drubbing they received at the hands of Hawaii, the defense deserves recognition. In the secondary, Nickell Robey specifically looked more prepared to play at the college level and Shareece Wright seemed much more like the senior he is. TJ McDonald also came away with an important interception in the end zone. The defensive line looked porous at times, but they came up big in short yardage situations.
Dillon Baxter. On a night when the running game never really got going, Dillon Baxter nevertheless showcased his skill and the reason the coaches are so keen on the true freshman running back.
Stanley Havilli. Nothing new, the guy is money.
WHERE do we need to improve:
Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. Blame the refs all you want for being inconsistent and irritatingly involved in the game, but the penalties that were deserved weren't just inconvenient; they were devastating. If even a third of the penalties were wiped out, the questions about offensive troubles would be non-existent and a decent performance by the defense would have been judged even better.
Offense. Most of the articles about USC after the game said that this game proved that the defense is not as bad as suspected and the offense not as good. I disagree. This offense is far better than they showed against the Cavaliers and they will have to play with the crispness and poise that they displayed at Hawaii if the team is going to be successful. The difference between the Hawaii and Virginia games was not all about facing a stronger defense (which Virginia has). It was the penalties and the dropped passes and the overthrown balls.
Where Barkley looked like a fifth year senior against Hawaii, he looked like a freshman against Virginia. Gone was the accuracy and touch. Where Ronald Johnson looked like an all-world receiver against the Warriors, he looked unreliable against the Cavaliers. The Virginia defense presented more of a challenge certainly, but they did not make Barkley incapable of hitting a receiver accurately or his receivers from holding onto open catches.
The defense. As improved as they looked, they still looked vulnerable in some of the same places. Often it was Virginia miscues (dropped or missed passes) that stalled drives. The corners and safeties are still not playing the ball. And most importantly, the defense as a whole still looked slower that the offense they faced.
WHAT did we learn:
Dillon Baxter, who had 11 touches, will be a featured member of the offense.
WHY this game will be remembered:
It was Lane Kiffin's first home game as head coach.
It was the first time Reggie Bush's number five jersey was not featured among the other Heisman winners in front of the peristyle.
Things that made you go HUH:
I said it before but..."targeting"?
The student section seemed more crowded than at any point last season...but much less loud.
Next week:
The Trojans travel to Minneapolis for a 12:30 p.m. game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Minnesota is 1-1 and lost to South Dakota on Saturday.
Showing posts with label Shareece Wright. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shareece Wright. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Hawaii Game Impressions: 5 Ws and an H
ROUND UP:
USC beat Hawaii 49-36 in a game that showcased both offenses and left both defenses exposed.
Trojan quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 257 yards and five touchdowns, tying a school record. Wide receiver Ronald Johnson caught three touchdown passes, also tying a school record, and returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown, while running back Mark Tyler amassed 154 yards on the ground and scored a touchdown.
Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz passed for 269 yards and one touchdown, but left the game with an apparent concussion late in the third quarter. Shane Austin, the Warrior's third string quarterback, finished the game with 141 yards through the air and two touchdowns, both long bombs behind the secondary.
The Warriors had two potential touchdowns affected instant replay. The first was called down at the one yard line and upheld. The second was ruled a touchdown by the officials on the field, but overturned in the booth.
WHEN was the game decided:
Ronald Johnson's punt return for a touchdown.
While Hawaii hung around, just within striking distance until the very end, RoJo's return put USC back into a comfortable lead. All threats by Hawaii after this point were quickly and easily quelled by the hot Trojan offense.
WHO stood out:
Matt Barkley looked good. Really good. The numbers say a lot, but even they don't tell the whole story. He was confident. His throws were, for the most part, crisp and he hit his targets accurately. Unlike last year, when he forced throws into dangerous places fairly often, there were practically no near interceptions or blatant throws into double or triple coverage.
Barkley's favorite target on the night, Ronald Johnson, was a man among boys. From the ease with which he tore apart the Warrior secondary to the gutsy (some might say ill-advised) way he fielded a punt in traffic and took it to the house with ease, he shined in every possible way. He is very clearly the go-to receiver this season and will be a force to be reckoned with...if he can stay healthy.
Speaking of staying healthy, Marc Tyler showed exactly why the coaches elected to give him the start over senior Allen Bradford. Running with power, speed, and instinct, Tyler cut through the Hawaii offense like butter. The best way to describe number 26 between the tackles: slippery.
Lost in all the praise of the skill players was the performance of the offensive line. Barkley had plenty of protection for most of the night and they opened up plenty of holes for the running backs.
WHERE do we need to improve:
Defense. Defense. Defense.
And did I mention defense?
Specifically, the secondary got torched. In fact, they got torched, then fire department came and put out the blaze and then they got torched again.
Hawaii had touchdown passes down the middle for 30, 56 and 65 yards. And that's just the ones they completed. On a handful of other occasions Warrior receivers beat the coverage deep and only failed to score because of bad throws or an inability to make the catch.
On top of that, receivers were open going across the middle all night and there was a general lack of good coverage. Freshman corner back Nikell Robey seemed particularly unable to keep up with the quick Hawaii offense, but even veteran Shareece Wright didn't do enough to slow the aerial attack.
Needless penalties also plagued the defense as the inexperienced players failed to make plays for the ball and instead gifted Hawaii pass interference and other calls at important moments.
WHAT did we learn:
Very little that we can be sure of.
The offense clearly has a ton of potential. The play-makers like Barkley, Johnson and Tyler showcased what makes each of them special, but it will remain to be seen how they will perform against a quality defense.
The defense clearly has a ton of question marks. But lucky for them (and us fans), they won't be facing a spread offense like Hawaii's every week. Improvement is a must no matter what. However, this one dismal performance is not necessarily indicative of what we might see from the defense on a regular basis.
WHY this game will be remembered:
It was the first game of the Kiffin era. More importantly it was a reprieve from a difficult off-season and fans finally got some sense of what this team might do or not do this season.
Things that made you go HUH:
Two point conversions - Did Kiffin and company just decide to have some fun and take chances on the conversions? Were they testing out different strategies? Were they getting extra reps in for red zone plays? Was it all part of a giant Kiffin conspiracy to be a jerk? Did Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin ask, "what's your deal?"
Kiffin never smiles - Most coaches look pleased after a touchdown. Pete Carroll often looked jubilant. Lane Kiffin looked downright angry.
NEXT WEEK
USC faces the Virginia Cavaliers at the LA Memorial Coliseum on September 11th.
USC beat Hawaii 49-36 in a game that showcased both offenses and left both defenses exposed.
Trojan quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 257 yards and five touchdowns, tying a school record. Wide receiver Ronald Johnson caught three touchdown passes, also tying a school record, and returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown, while running back Mark Tyler amassed 154 yards on the ground and scored a touchdown.
Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz passed for 269 yards and one touchdown, but left the game with an apparent concussion late in the third quarter. Shane Austin, the Warrior's third string quarterback, finished the game with 141 yards through the air and two touchdowns, both long bombs behind the secondary.
The Warriors had two potential touchdowns affected instant replay. The first was called down at the one yard line and upheld. The second was ruled a touchdown by the officials on the field, but overturned in the booth.
WHEN was the game decided:
Ronald Johnson's punt return for a touchdown.
While Hawaii hung around, just within striking distance until the very end, RoJo's return put USC back into a comfortable lead. All threats by Hawaii after this point were quickly and easily quelled by the hot Trojan offense.
WHO stood out:
Matt Barkley looked good. Really good. The numbers say a lot, but even they don't tell the whole story. He was confident. His throws were, for the most part, crisp and he hit his targets accurately. Unlike last year, when he forced throws into dangerous places fairly often, there were practically no near interceptions or blatant throws into double or triple coverage.
Barkley's favorite target on the night, Ronald Johnson, was a man among boys. From the ease with which he tore apart the Warrior secondary to the gutsy (some might say ill-advised) way he fielded a punt in traffic and took it to the house with ease, he shined in every possible way. He is very clearly the go-to receiver this season and will be a force to be reckoned with...if he can stay healthy.
Speaking of staying healthy, Marc Tyler showed exactly why the coaches elected to give him the start over senior Allen Bradford. Running with power, speed, and instinct, Tyler cut through the Hawaii offense like butter. The best way to describe number 26 between the tackles: slippery.
Lost in all the praise of the skill players was the performance of the offensive line. Barkley had plenty of protection for most of the night and they opened up plenty of holes for the running backs.
WHERE do we need to improve:
Defense. Defense. Defense.
And did I mention defense?
Specifically, the secondary got torched. In fact, they got torched, then fire department came and put out the blaze and then they got torched again.
Hawaii had touchdown passes down the middle for 30, 56 and 65 yards. And that's just the ones they completed. On a handful of other occasions Warrior receivers beat the coverage deep and only failed to score because of bad throws or an inability to make the catch.
On top of that, receivers were open going across the middle all night and there was a general lack of good coverage. Freshman corner back Nikell Robey seemed particularly unable to keep up with the quick Hawaii offense, but even veteran Shareece Wright didn't do enough to slow the aerial attack.
Needless penalties also plagued the defense as the inexperienced players failed to make plays for the ball and instead gifted Hawaii pass interference and other calls at important moments.
WHAT did we learn:
Very little that we can be sure of.
The offense clearly has a ton of potential. The play-makers like Barkley, Johnson and Tyler showcased what makes each of them special, but it will remain to be seen how they will perform against a quality defense.
The defense clearly has a ton of question marks. But lucky for them (and us fans), they won't be facing a spread offense like Hawaii's every week. Improvement is a must no matter what. However, this one dismal performance is not necessarily indicative of what we might see from the defense on a regular basis.
WHY this game will be remembered:
It was the first game of the Kiffin era. More importantly it was a reprieve from a difficult off-season and fans finally got some sense of what this team might do or not do this season.
Things that made you go HUH:
Two point conversions - Did Kiffin and company just decide to have some fun and take chances on the conversions? Were they testing out different strategies? Were they getting extra reps in for red zone plays? Was it all part of a giant Kiffin conspiracy to be a jerk? Did Hawaii head coach Greg McMackin ask, "what's your deal?"
Kiffin never smiles - Most coaches look pleased after a touchdown. Pete Carroll often looked jubilant. Lane Kiffin looked downright angry.
NEXT WEEK
USC faces the Virginia Cavaliers at the LA Memorial Coliseum on September 11th.
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