Each week, USC head coach Lane Kiffin will dial up the media for a conference call to look back at the previous game and ahead at the next opponent.

Click the link below to listen in!

98278190.mp3

With their first win in the books, USC let loose in the lagoon.




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Matt Barkley pulled off an amazing feat last night.  Somehow, someway, he managed to stay under the radar, while tossing a school record tying 5 touchdown passes.

Statistically, he was at his very best in a Trojan uniform going 18/23 for 257 yards.

Here's what he had to say after the game...



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Compiled by USCTrojans.com blog contributor Stephanie Graves

Aloha! Here are some of top stories surrounding the Trojans' island victory last night:

• Gary Klein of the LA Times lauds the offensive's stellar performance (including Barkley's 5 TDs to tie the school record for most in a game), but notes that the defense might need to go back to the drawing board.
• Despite mixed reviews, another LA Times writer, Bill Plaschke, compliments the effort of the young Men of Troy.
• The OC Register notes that one of Lane Kiffin's favorite phrases still applies: They still have a long way to go.
• USC QB Matt Barkley shows his on-the-field maturity is only matched by his off-the-field poise in his first 2010 post game interview. And no, he isn't sure why the Trojans went for all those 2-point conversions...
• USC's own Daily Trojan gives an overview of last night's potent offense brought to you by Barkley, Ronald Johnson and Marc Tyler.
• Lastly, Hawaii's own Star Advertiser wonders about the fate of Warrior QB Bryant Moniz who now has a slight concussion after he "ran into a streetcar named linebacker Michael Morgan."

 

 

 

The Ihilani internet matches the pace of life on the islands...SLOW!  So, I could only load a sampling of pictures (28) into the photo gallery.

For all the pics from start to finish (119 in all), click here. 

Otherwise, enjoy a look through a lens at USC vs. Hawaii...




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Lane Kiffin met with the media to discuss the good, the bad and the big uglies from his first win as the Trojans head coach.

Click anywhere that's gold for the full video from USCTrojans.com.

10 observations and an interview with our player of the game...

• Lane Kiffin is 1-0 as USC's head coach.  However, he's neither happy nor satisfied.  Discipline was Kiffin's first priority upon arrival at Troy, so he was particularly disappointed with 11 penalties for 100 yards, including two personal fouls.
• Marc Tyler is the tailback.  True to his word, Kiffin gave Tyler the opportunity to get into a rhythm and it paid dividends late.  With Hawaii pushing back, Tyler ripped off a 44-yard TD run to cap the scoring.  He finished with 17 carries for 154 yards.  Allen Bradford and C.J. Gable each had eight.
• The Trojans have tricks up their sleeve.  With their unorthodox alignment, they saw two opportunities to go for two out of an extra point formation.  Mitch Mustain had a little too much adrenaline on the first ball, but he made up for it with a run.  "I'm glad I got in and finished the night off well," Mustain said.  "Redeem myself for that first two-point."
• I won't be surprised if USC does some tackling in practice this week.  They made it through the game without any major injuries, but they struggled bringing players down in the open field.  With the amount of offensive talent left on the schedule, they'll need to get that fixed.  "Wrapping up, I think we need to do a better job of wrapping up," Shareece Wright said after the game.
  
• The offense had the ball for 10 drives and scored seven touchdowns.  They were perfect in the red zone, which was a problem last season.  "We had them from the start," OL Kris O'Dowd said.  "We have a lot of improvement to do, but at the same time, I'm really happy with our preparation and how we played as an offensive line and an offensive unit."
• Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron are two of the best defensive football coaches in America.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that USC gave up 588 yards, 36 points and allowed three different Hawaii receivers to get over 100 yards for the game. 
  
• Without much pressure on the quarterback or tight coverage in the secondary, the Trojans were unable to force a turnover.  With Brandon Carswell's fumble, they were -1 for the game.  The best Trojan teams from the last decade were notoriously opportunistic, so I'm sure turnovers will be a talking point next week.
• The offense struggled on 3rd down last year, but they were fantastic tonight.  While matching a school record five touchdowns, Barkley's efficiency was even more impressive.  He finished 18/23 for 257 yards, no interceptions and just one sack.  Plus, the offense was 9 of 12 converting 3rd downs.
• Being game one, the coaching staff had no good tape on Hawaii, so the newly installed pistol offense caught them off guard.  They were working off last year's offensive scheme, which was different.
• Ronald Johnson has been consistently dominant since the new staff's arrival.  He was so good in Spring ball and Fall camp that we almost took it for granted.  Tonight, he could not be ignored.  He caught three touchdowns, returned one and grabbed a two-pointer, so he accounted for 26 points.  Let's here from the star of the game...
  

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Jordan Moore's tweets compiled by USCTrojans.com blog contributors Stephanie Graves and Ben Weiss on the mainland.

The view from outside Aloha Stadium, with obligatory rainbow

Pre-game view from the field level of Aloha Stadium

3 hours, 30 minutes before kickoff: I'll be providing periodic updates from the USC sideline. It's about that time...

2 hours, 30 minutes before kickoff: Trojans en route to Aloha Stadium. 

"Police Escort" would be a good nickname for a fullback. They sure know how to a clear a path.

2 hours before kickoff: Pullin into the stadium. Trojans fans are representing. 

1 hour, 45 minutes before kickoff: Trojans getting taped, dressed and focused inside the locker room. Alotta headphones...

45 minutes before kickoff: USC's captains have a "C" on their jersey to signify their leadership role. That's new to Kiffin era.

20 minutes before kickoff: The horn sounds a final Trojan retreat before the return from the locker room with bad intentions

10 minutes before kickoff: Former American Idol contestant singing American and Hawaiian anthems

2 minutes before kickoff: Game on. Now, the tip of the spear...

1st Quarter 

Baxter's Strikeforce

13:07: On 3rd down, "Sharks up." Team in unison, "Sharks." And the fins go up...

10:07: Can't manufacture adrenaline. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen them execute that 2 point play to perfection.

6:33: Check out 6'7" Matt Kalil on the field goal block team. He'll swat one away eventually.

1:38: Two drives, two Matt Barkley TD passes. Also, true to his word, Kiffin has stuck with one primary ball carrier, Marc Tyler. 

2nd Quarter

7:27: Bend but don't break defensively so far. Expect more pass rush in the 2nd half when O-line wears down.

1:06: Joe Houston has to be the happiest person in the stadium. Finally, an extra point! Great answer drive with J. Cameron showing up as a weapon

Halftime

• Just guessing, but pass defense particularly the pass rush will be a topic A at halftime.

Final: USC 49, Hawaii 36

Thanks to all who followed tonight. Glad to go home with a win, and happy to see the Lane Kiffin era of USC offense back in full-force! Fight On!

 

The Trojans are in their final closed door meetings on campus before they fuel up with a pre-game meal and get taped and treated. 

We'll have a ton of pics for you after the game as I'll shoot from start to finish, but here's a look at some final preparations.

Plus, I'll be keeping you updated from the sidelines on the blog and Twitter and hopefully a few iPhone photos.




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If the Trojans execute their gameplan, they will walk away comfortable winners, so let's focus on USC's keys instead of breaking down the match-ups.

1.) Win the Physical Battle

It's not a fair fight for the line of scrimmage.  With Butch Lewis and Khaled Holmes now healthy inside Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil surrounding Kris O'Dowd, USC can bully the Warriors up and down Aloha Stadium.  The current crop of Trojan runners are not dancers.  Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford will hit the whole paved for them and finish runs by lowering their shoulders.  If the Trojans stay with it, they can sap the Warriors will before the clock hits zeroes.

2.) No More Gold Jerseys

DE Armond Armstead and DT Jurrell Casey have spent most of camp bursting past blockers, but pulling up short of driving the quarterback into the turf because of course, no one gets to hit the golden boys.  Hawaii QB Bryant Moniz does not have that same luxury.  He'll likely drop back to pass between 30-50 times, so the Trojans will have ample opportunities to introduce themselves to his ribcage.

3.) Nickell's Nickel

Freshman CB Nickell Robey has opened eyes on Howard Jones/Brian Kennedy Fields, but as we know, there are not that many eyeballs watching practice anymore.  Robey will likely be locked up with senior WR Greg Salas, Hawaii's best weapon, throughout the game.  If the rookie can tame the veteran on ESPN, he won't be anonymous for long.

4.) Barkley-to-Woods

If you are looking for the identity of Lane Kiffin as an offensive play-caller, think back to his days as a USC wide receivers coach.  He takes great pride in the rapid development of Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, etc..  The Trojans have not had an impact freshman receiver since Kiffin left the program.  By listing him as a starter, Kiffin has shown the confidence that the Matt Barkley-Robert Woods combo will bear fruit for years to come.

5.) Sharks in the Water

Before the home opener, I'll give you a full list of John Baxterisms, so you're prepared to support the special teams properly.  Even on TV, you might notice the punt block team use their hand to make a fin on top of their helmet.  They are known as the "sharks" and the band will queue them with the Jaws theme song.  After all the preparation, a shark attack feels imminent.



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