October 2010 Archives

• Three plays determined the direction of this game.  With the lead and the ball near midfield, a "miscommunication" between Matt Barkley, Kris O'Dowd and Lane Kiffin led to an unexpected snap and an unforced error.  Down a dozen, Jurrell Casey's ricochet interception off a Wes Horton deflection gave the Trojans belief when their confidence was fading.  After a Coliseum shaking rally put USC up 32-29, the Ducks converted a 3rd and 13 for a 30-yard TD pass to the seemingly invisible Jeff Maehl.  Three plays, three dramatic momentum swings.

• Stat of the night: 3rd down conversions.  USC was 8/17 picking up 3rd downs, while the Ducks were 11 of 17.  It was even worse before the final meaningless drives.  "We did a terrible job on third down," Kiffin said about the offense.  The coach pinpointed that stat as the primary factor in the loss.

• As I said in my Friday keys, time of possession is a meaningless stat to the Ducks.  At the end of the day, USC controlled the ball for five more minutes than Oregon, but it was the Trojans who looked far more tired in the 4th quarter, particularly offensively.  The Trojans ran 85 offensive plays, which seemed to stretch them beyond their physical capacity against an Oregon defense in prime condition.  "He's done a phenomenal job of building his team for speed and conditioning," Kiffin said of Chip Kelly, whose team is famous for dominating the final quarter on both sides of the ball.

• The defense played well at times, but they still gave up 599 yards and 53 points.  "We have to play a complete game," said Shareece Wright, who was happy with the defense's performance in the 1st and 3rd quarters, but not the 2nd and 4th.  "We thought we were not tired and we tried to be tough guys and stay in the game, but we have to come out when we're tired.  I feel like they executed their plays to perfection."

• USC's offense did not live up to the standard that it had set in the last month.  "I thought our offense was terrible today and obviously, that starts with me," Kiffin said after the game.  While the head coach has been praised for his play-calling most of the season, he was questioned about the 3rd and 5 pitch play to Stanley Havili, which did not work in the 4th quarter or earlier in the game.  "Are you saying it wasn't a very good call?" Kiffin joked with the reporter.  "Kennedy Pola called that one."  (He was kidding.)

• Kiffin has not lost his sense of humor.  Penalties were once a forbidden topic this season around Heritage Hall, but the Trojans dominated the discipline battle tonight committing only three infractions to Oregon's eight.  "You found something positive!" Kiffin said to a young reporter who pointed it out.  "I appreciate you.  That's the only thing we did good."

• Ronald Johnson and Robert Woods are two dynamic playmakers, but the Trojans receiving corps lacks a physical presence, which became apparent tonight.  The Ducks gameplan in the secondary was clearly to punish RoJo and Woods, who gallantly took their beating in exchange for catches and yards.  Nevertheless, particularly on Barkley's two interceptions, it was obvious that USC does not have that "beast" like Mike Williams, who will wrestle the ball away from a defender or go up and get a jump ball.

• The lack of certainty at running back finally bit the Trojans tonight as well.  Marc Tyler is obviously the starter, but he disappointed the coaches with a hesitant run in a short yardage situation in the first half.  When he went in the doghouse, Stanley Havili became the primary option with Allen Bradford sidelined, Dillon Baxter out of the mix and C.J. Gable recuperating from a knee bruise.  Tyler got back in and found success, but every time the offense got one-dimensional, Oregon turned on the pass rush.

• Oregon is different under Chip Kelly.  While they have been explosive for awhile now, they are much tougher than previous versions.  Darron Thomas is an ordinary quarterback if you force him to be a pocket passer, but LaMichael James is the real deal.  He has a tremendous center of gravity, which allows him to bounce almost like a mosquito.  From the field level, he had the quickest feet that I have seen in person.  Like their entire offense, James waits for a defensive breakdown and exploits it in an instant.
  

• Statistically, Thomas was impressive as well, but the touchdown passes were all on complete coverage breakdowns.  "We did not read our keys and we got fooled on play-action," said Jawanza Starling, who is usually tasked with policing center field.  "We were well prepared.  There was not anything that we could not handle."  While everyone talks about Oregon's speed, WR Jeff Maehl would not be favored to win a footrace against any member of the Trojans secondary, but he happened to shake free for eight catches, 145 yards and three TDs.

• You can watch Lane Kiffin's press conference on USCTrojans.com plus media sessions with Shareece Wright and Matt Barkley, but I thought Ronald Johnson was a fitting player to wrap up the night.  Without hearing him say it, you can see how much effort he put into tonight.

• Undeniably, practice has been different this week.  The sidelines are filled with media, including national faces like Brent Musberger and Desmond Howard.  Lane Kiffin admitted that he has not had to ask for his players' attention.  They have been snapped in since last Tuesday.  After practice, the list of players doing extra work and extra conditioning has grown exponentially.  The #1 team in the country has everybody focused.
• Speaking of Desmond Howard, here's a little bonus trivia for the blog readers.  Howard is one of four players to win the Heisman Trophy and the Super Bowl MVP.  Name the other three.  Answer below...
  
• Using the marathon analogy, Lane Kiffin backed off the players the last two days to build their legs back up after breaking them down the last two weeks.  Practice was light for a typical Thursday and shorter than usual (1 hour 45 minutes).
• The injury list is blurry.  Kiffin rested some healthy players, but Nick Perry returned to the field.  You can watch the video below if you want to decipher who is in and who is out.  I will Tweet from the field (@USC_Athletics) on Saturday when I know for certain.
• Quarterback #1: Center Kris O'Dowd.  "It's my job to make the calls and study this defense up," said the senior about his responsibilities.  "They confuse offenses, but if we just keep it to the basics, we should not have a problem."
  
• O'Dowd went on with the scouting report from his angle.  "They are just a fast team.  They are not necessarily powerful upfront, but they are quick and they are good at what they do."
• We profiled Casey Matthews today in the scouting report.  The Oregon linebacker is Clay's brother, so the older Trojans are very familiar with him.  "He's my boy," said O'Dowd, who often talks to Matthews publicly on Twitter.  "It's just fun competition, especially when you go against people that you know.  I can't wait to play against him."
• O'Dowd does not talk trash on Twitter or in the media, but how about the field?  "I only talk when the time is right," he smiled.  "I'm a pretty humble guy, but I can't say that for the rest of the offensive linemen." 
  
• The forecast calls for rain at some point Saturday.  Kiffin said the timing of the rain will determine whether or not it is an advantage for the offense or defense.  "We'll love it because it will be cooler for the big guys," O'Dowd concluded.
• Two weeks of anticipation have the Trojans counting down the hours until kickoff.  "Every game thus far I have been treasuring in my heart," said the senior who only has six more to play at USC.  "It's going to be a great opportunity for myself, this offensive line and this team to play our best."
• "I can't wait!" said Devon Kennard, the quarterback of the defense.  "I got some big game experience last year, but I'm playing a bigger role, so I'm really excited for the opportunity."
• Kennard singled out tackling as a key to containing Oregon's dangerous skill players.  "It's something the coaches have emphasized," said Kennard about the live tackling drills this week.  "It's something we know that they want us to take more seriously, so we've emphasized that for the two weeks."
• The real quarterback gets the last word.  "The #1 team in the country coming in here and Homecoming, there's a lot of hype around it," Matt Barkley said about the build-up.  "It's going to be our preparation that will win it not the hype, not our fans, although they're great, not College Gameday."
• Trivia answer: Marcus Allen (1981 Heisman at USC, Super Bowl XVIII MVP), Jim Plunkett (1970 Heisman, Super Bowl XV MVP) and Roger Staubach (1963 Heisman, Super Bowl VI MVP).
• Here is the shortest Lane Kiffin post-practice presser of the season...

• Chip Kelly is counting stars, but Lane Kiffin won't play along.
• Gary Klein features Shareece Wright's leadership.
• Michael Lev profiles T.J. McDonald.
• Scott Wolf talks about USC's "bowl game."
• Sports Illustrated praises Matt Barkley's growth.
• Ted Miller ranks Barkley in the Pac-10 awards race.
• Here are some interesting USC stats via ESPN.
• The Oregon papers praise USC's offense.

• Off the field, freshman WR Markeith Ambles was suspended from football activities, but will continue to benefit from tutoring and academic resources.  "If you're not going to come here and be a student-athlete, you should go somewhere else," Lane Kiffin explained his reason for suspending Ambles.  "Your hope is that it serves as a wake-up call and they understand that something as special as a scholarship to USC can be taken away."
• Earlier this season, DB Patrick Hall was suspended, but he earned his way back on to the team.  LB Simione Vehikite is also out for academic reasons.
• On the injury front, Nick Perry was not at practice today.  As I mentioned yesterday, he hobbled off the field, but Kiffin did not disclose any information about the injury, although he did say his absence was related to the health issue.
• OT Tyron Smith has not practiced a whole lot this month, but he has not missed any game time, so he is supposed to be available for Saturday. 
  
• Dillon Baxter returned to live duty today and Kiffin said "he looked fine."
• On the field, Nickell Robey made a great play on a red zone interception.  The Trojans' defense has struggled on third down this season, so it is hard to believe that they can win this game without forcing two or three turnovers.
• Overall, the defense dominated.  "Coming into this game, we feel real good," Robey said about the gameplan.  "We believe in [Monte Kiffin] and what he is doing."
• T.J. McDonald will be in the center of things.  Against a typical option team, McDonald would play as an extra linebacker, but Oregon gives you a few more things to worry about.  "They don't have that many route concepts.  It's just that they throw them at you like this," McDonald gestured to explain the speed of the Ducks passing game.
• While coaches are loathe to give away any aspect of the gameplan, the defense continues to use the word "simplify" as an answer to the tempo and confusion that Oregon will try to create. 
  
• Even if the Trojans are in the right position, they have to make the play against the Ducks speedy backs and receivers.  "They like to throw a lot of short routes, the stuff that picks you apart, so we have to make sure we tackle," McDonald said.  "We have to be able to eliminate one part of their game, so we can slow the game down for ourselves."
• While the spread-option is gaining in popularity, NFL teams do not run it because the franchise quarterback is vulnerable to too much punishment.  If McDonald gets a chance, he'll act as USC's enforcer against Darren Thomas.  "If I get a shot in the hole, I'm going to take it," said the physical young safety.  "I'm not going to have good intentions.  That's all I'm going to say on that."
  
• With two weeks of anticipation, McDonald is itching to hit somebody.  "It doesn't get much better than this.  I've been waiting for this for a long time."
• Blake Ayles missed some opportunities to make big plays in last year's Oregon game.  Coming off his first catch of the season, is he thinking redemption?  "The thought is always in the back of my mind," the junior tight end said. 
  
• Last year, Ayles was given an opportunity after starter Anthony McCoy got hurt.  This year, he has had to fight for everything.  "It's definitely the competition," Ayles explained.  "We're all fighting for that job, so you can't take a play off out here."
• Lane Kiffin in his own words...

• Dillon Baxter, C.J. Gable and Malcolm Smith are still on the sideline.  Marc Tyler and Nick Perry hobbled off the field during practice.  You can hear the full injury report at the top of Lane Kiffin's presser below.
• "I had a bruise from last game and I fell on it again," Tyler said. 
  
• "Everyday I'm feeling better and I expect to be feeling good by Saturday," Smith said.  "I doubt I'll feel 100%."
• The Trojans need all hands on deck, especially in the linebacking corps, which will bear much of the responsibility for plugging the correct gaps in Monte Kiffin's assignment defense.  "We just have to be in our gaps," senior LB Michael Morgan said.  "They do not run a lot of plays, but the plays that they do run, they are very successful with them."
• So, while Oregon's mesh point exchanges may seem like a magic act, the Ducks offense is relatively simple, but extremely fast.  It's basically the option.  Last year, Pete Carroll regretted overcomplicating his scheme, which slowed his players down.  "I feel really comfortable with the scheme that we've got going on," said Morgan about this year's plan.  "It's really simple, so we can play fast."
• Oregon's offense can also affect an opponent's offense by taking away their natural aggression to score.  "I feel like teams that go against Oregon and try to change everything and they get scared and they try new stuff," answered Tyler about trying to work the clock.  "We just need to go out there and play like we've been playing."
  
• Lane Kiffin set a fast tempo last week in practice and the players have bought in.  Michael Morgan and Shane Horton did extra sprints after practice on their own.
• USC's defense is preparing to play on the fly.  "Basically, we're going to be doing a lot of no-huddle because they're going to be doing a lot of no-huddle," Morgan explained.  "Everybody has to be looking to the sidelines to get the play from the coach."
• Morgan and Smith know what it feels like to be on the wrong end of the Oregon snowball effect.  "I remember us being very undisciplined in the second half," Smith said looking back.  "We were not able to keep our composure when they turned the speed up a little bit."
• If the momentum is against them, Smith wants to see his teammates battle back this time.  "Their goal is to get you off-guard, get you on your heels and then bust big plays," said Smith.  "Our goal is to be competitive on every play." 
• Kiffin mentioned that Chip Kelly's system is so good that they can plug and play at every position.  So, is LaMichael James a system running back?  "It's a little bit of both," said Morgan, who will be tasked with tackling the nation's leading running back.  "He is a great back.  He does not let the first guy tackle him."  Morgan did mention that James is from Texas, "my home state," which is where they breed real football players, according to the Dallas native.
• One big difference from last year, the Trojans will have a Homecoming Cardinal Red Out behind them.  "Most definitely, we're going to have the crowd on our side this week," Morgan smiled.  "It's going to be exciting.  After they beat us down last year, we are ready to come back with a little execution."
• Here is Lane Kiffin with some interesting bites about how difficult life is at #1 when every opponent is aiming to knock you off...

• ESPN's Ted Miller gives a shout to the "Cardinal Out the Coli" crew in his Halloween themed preview.
• Matt Barkley's Tweet inspired Gary Klein's column.
• Chris Dufresne casts USC in a spoiler role.
• Michael Lev searched for a gameplan to stop the "Spread O."
• Scott Wolf breaks down the lessons learned by the Washington loss.
• Baxter Holmes profiled USC men's basketball defensive stopper Marcus Simmons.
• KTLA is holding a sportscaster casting call for all you future Pete Arbogasts.
• Brian Cushing has moved to middle linebacker for the Texans and he's now sacking quarterbacks for a cause.  "Now it's not just me wishing for a lot of sacks," Cushing joked.
  
• Clay Matthews was featured before Sunday night's win over the Vikings.
• Matt Barkley is getting no love in the Davey O'Brien fan vote.  Help the QB out!

• USC's sideline is starting to look healthier, but Dillon Baxter, Malcolm Smith and C.J. Gable are still out.  Gable is encouraged that he can bend his knee the whole way.  Wes Horton returned to full practice, which was great news for a thin defensive line.  "Our defensive line is ready to go for the first time this year," Lane Kiffin said after practice.
  
• Actually, the sidelines were pretty barren.  Since the Trojans usually have Monday off, many players had classes this evening and missed all or part of practice.
• The defense has done some live tackling in the last couple of practices.  "If we could tackle at all in the secondary, we're 7-0 right now," Kiffin acknowledged.  Although, the head coach said there is still plenty of work to do in that department.  "It's rusty."
  
• Last week, Lane Kiffin mentioned that he is considering switching to the spread offense next season when Stanley Havili departs for the NFL because the Trojans do not have a natural fullback on the roster.  To be clear, the spread offense is different than the spread option, which Oregon runs.  USC's new look would probably be more like the Colts with three wide receivers and a tight end in their standard formation.
• Either way, Havili is not buying it.  "I know Coach Kiffin loves using fullbacks, so I'll believe it when I see it," the 5th-year senior said.
• During his tenure as Trojan plough horse, Havili has seen running back talents like Allen Bradford and D.J. Shoemate spurn the opportunity to carry the torch.  "The guys they asked to play it were not originally fullbacks," Havili explained.  "They've been a star the whole time with the ball in their hands, so they see it as a big step down."
• Havili was offered the opportunity to play right away as a fullback at USC, which he called "perfect timing."
• USC's current pro-style system, which includes Havili at fullback, is completely different than Oregon's up-tempo fast-break "Spread O."  "It's definitely fun to watch," Havili conceded.  "But we're going to be ready to play against them."
• During today's Q&A, Lane Kiffin said that "Everyone is a middle linebacker this week because everyone has to see it because it happens so fast."  Oregon can do so many things and fake so many options from the "mesh point" between the quarterback and running back.  "In one play, they have three or four options," Havili said about the tape he has watched on them.  "If the coach does not like it, he can change the play right there.  It's just dynamic because they have so many options."
• Whether it's matching Oregon score for score or grinding out the clock, Havili is sure of one thing.  "I feel like we can win," the senior said plainly.
• Oregon defensive back and return specialist Cliff Harris is high school teammates with USC DB T.J. McDonald.  The two friends have talked a little trash this week.  "I let him do all the talking," McDonald said.  "He can talk.  He can talk a little bit."
• McDonald has plenty of respect for what his former teammate can do when he gets his hands on the football.  "He did some stuff in high school that makes you say 'Wow,'" McDonald said.  "He has some natural ability to him and we better be ready."
• YouTube is giving us problems today, so you'll have to watch Lane Kiffin's media session on a Facebook video player. 
  
  
  
  
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By USCTrojans.com Blog Contributor Stephanie Graves

 The Women of Troy beat crosstown rival UCLA tonight 1-0 on a lone goal by freshman Autumn Altamirano underneath the Coliseum lights. In addition, the Trojans broke the NCAA attendance record for a women's soccer game with 8,527 fans in attendance. For more on the exciting victory here are Coach K and Autumn in their own words.... 

• For football only, the conference will split into two divisions of six.  USC will join UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah in the South.  The Washington schools, Oregon schools and Bay Area schools make up the North.
• USC is guaranteed to play Stanford and Cal every year.  They will split their remaining two conference games among the Northwest schools.  For example, they will play Oregon every other year in the regular season.
  
• The conference will now have a championship game between the top two teams in each division.  The game will be played at the home site of the school with the best conference record.  In the event of a tie, head-to-head will be the first tiebreaker.  Revenue will be split for the championship game.
• Speaking of revenue, all 12 universities will share equally in the media contract.  Until the conference meets a certain revenue threshold, USC and UCLA will get $2 million payouts since they are making the concession from the old model to the new one.
• Under the current sanctions, the Trojans would not be eligible to play in the conference title game next year even if they win their division.  However, the NCAA penalties are under appeal.
• As for basketball, USC will play an 18-game conference schedule always featuring a home-and-home with UCLA.  The Trojans will play six other teams home-and-home and the remaining four in single games.  Besides UCLA, the schedule will be on a rotational basis.
• A Pac-12 network is still in the commissioner's plans, but nothing has been locked down.
• Pat Haden met casually with the media inside Heritage Hall to answer their questions.  Here is the video:

• Arash Markazi wrote an in-depth profile on Mike Williams' odyssey from USC star to NFL bust to the Seahawks top receiver.
• Mark Saxon published his midseason report on the football team.
  
• The LA Times discusses the Pac-12's TV network blueprint.
• Scott Wolf talked to Pat Haden about Pac-12 realignment.
• Marcia Smith features the USC women's soccer team's quest for the record.
• The Daily Trojan profiled coach's son water polo player Nikola Vavic.
  
• Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott will announce the future plans of the conference today at 11:30 a.m. pacific and you can watch it live on their website.
• Petros Papadakis talked up the big Coliseum clash between the USC women's soccer team and UCLA.  Click the file to listen...
  101019 Local Knowledge.mp3
• TRAFFIC NOTICE:  Do not worry about street closures causing traffic congestion on your route to the Coliseum tomorrow.  President Obama is speaking at 1:30 p.m. at Alumni Park and the streets will be reopened by 2:50 p.m., so well before the 7:00 p.m. kickoff. 
  
• If you are coming to see President Obama speak, get here early.  Streets will be closed around campus at 9:30 a.m..
  
• The Trojan fans have spoken and they want to Cardinal Out the Coliseum against Oregon on Homecoming.  With the big games coming up, we are offering fans a mini-pack deal for the final three home contests.  Details below...

• The "Muscle Beach" crowd (aka the rehab area) is getting bigger, but the injured players are looking better.  Dillon Baxter is walking without a noticeable limp, while Malcolm Smith really pushed himself today working with trainer Chris Grosskopf.  Smith was standing on one leg catching wayward football tosses during practice as part of his rehab.
• Keary Colbert's playlist skewed a little older today.  Some Michael Jackson, some James Brown and even some songs that had USC staff members breaking out their air guitars.
• Robert Woods is the guy to watch now at practice.  He takes every rep at full speed.  He makes balletic catches on the sideline and samba moves on the outside.  The Trojans have a lot of good players, but Woods is the one who makes you stop and stare.
• Woods has not practiced at defense all week, but he was ready last Saturday.  "The coaches did not make the call to put me in, but on third down I was standing right by them," Woods said.  He is not sure if the experiment is over or not, but he's happy to play any role. 
  
• As Lane Kiffin said today, there are only about 10-15 examples of freshman contributing at Woods' level around the country this season, but the rookie phenom is not surprised by his instant impact.  "Not really, I am just working hard and the coaches put you in situations and they train you to make it easy, so it is not a problem," said the Serra product.
• When you rocket to stardom at USC, the nation pays attention, so get ready for a slew of stories on the next great Trojan receiver.  "When you play hard, that is what happens.  As long as I keep working and stay humble, it won't turn into anything," Woods said.
• In our live chat yesterday, T.J. McDonald talked about how cool it was to see his name in a video game for the first time.  Woods was happy to make SportsCenter.  "I noticed that I made 'Top 10' plays and I had friends texting, 'I see you making the catch,' so it's pretty exciting, especially being on ESPN." 
  
• As we mentioned earlier this week, some coaches have been on the recruiting trail nationally all week.  Others, including Lane Kiffin, will pepper California schools this weekend.  "Competition" won Woods' signature.  "This is SC, you've got to come here and compete.  Every position is not locked up and if you come work hard, you can get that spot.  If you really want it, you can come in and play."
• Lane Kiffin is focusing on replenishing the ranks on the offensive line and at linebacker.  "Unless they start letting us enter 7-on-7 tournaments, we better find some linemen," answered Kiffin about his focus for this class.  "You start looking at our spring, we could have trouble even lining up and running a play."
  
• Kiffin tried Christian Thomas at fullback today.  The freshman has been moved from tight end to defensive end back to tight end and now into the backfield because of his athleticism.  However at 6'3", he is a little tall to play fullback, but the Trojans do not have a scholarship fullback after Stanley Havili. 
  
• Unless Kiffin can find a solution at the fullback spot for next season, he is considering adopting the spread offense to fit his personnel.  "Look at what we have, we've got a bunch of really good receivers and backs and tight ends," Kiffin explained.  "We'll have to make the best of whatever we are dealt."
• Hear Kiffin discuss recruiting and the spread offense below...

• NOTE: We are LIVE CHATTING with T.J. McDonald at 11 a.m. today, so be there or post your questions in the comments section.
  
• At the end of Lane Kiffin's media session, he listed the injury report, which was so long that he might have saved time by listing the healthy players.  However, he made it clear that the primary purpose of this week is to get everyone back to 100%, so they are being extremely cautious with banged up players.
• Thanks to all the injured runners, freshman D.J. Morgan found his way to the top of the depth chart.  Morgan is making great progress rehabbing from knee surgery and he is starting to regain the spark that made him such a prized recruit.  "He has shown some explosions and some quickness," said Kiffin about Morgan.  "Here's Dillon Baxter that we think has all the potential in the world, but here's another running back in the same class."
• I saw a lot of Morgan last year at Taft High School.  While Baxter has more natural shake, Morgan is a true breakaway back.  If you're in a foot race with him, you're coming in second.
• A blog commenter recently asked about why we do not talk about young players in practice reports.  Honestly, there is not a whole lot to say.  Without tackling, young defensive players like George Uko, Demetrius Wright, Hayes Pullard and Dion Bailey are not given the chance to make eye-popping plays.  Kyle Prater, Xavier Grimble and Morgan have been mostly injured.  As I have mentioned before, TE Randall Telfer has distinguished himself with his work ethic after practice, but the reps line is long at tight end. 
  
• "I would love to have that problem...having a lot of really good young players to look at right now," Kiffin said.  Without that, the Trojans have instead focused on Oregon a week earlier than usual.  They continued the Mach 10 practice speed today complete with an extended sprinting session to close out the morning.
• Matt Barkley is second in the nation in TD passes, so his name has been mentioned in Heisman talk this week.  "You can be good two weeks and then plummet the next week," Barkley said.  "I do my best when I just focus on myself rather than living up to certain expectations."
• Dillon Baxter has never been hurt before.  He is still hobbling around the practice field, but everyone seems optimistic that he will be a part of next week's gameplan.
• While the Trojans were nearly perfect against Cal, Allen Bradford struggled, including two fumbles.  "I did not feel like myself when I was running," said the senior, who is playing through an injured toe.  "I really was not into the game, but it's still not an excuse for fumbling the rock."
• Bradford was a superstar strong safety at Colton High School, so he is a little envious of Robert Woods potentially playing two positions.  "I would.  I'm open to it," Bradford said.  "I'll play linebacker a little bit.  Safety...whatever."
• He has talked his way onto the punt block team ("The Sharks").  "I'm trying to block a kick, scoop and score, so I can get more touchdowns," AB joked.
• Helmet-to-helmet hits (or as college football calls them "targeting") have been the story of the week in the NFL.  Bradford has seen all the controversial hits from the weekend.  "You really cannot stop your momentum when you are in the air.  If you see a guy leading with his head, if he is spearing, he should be fined, but if it's in the act then I don't think they should."
• Lane Kiffin talks about "targeting" with his defensive backs, but he said it is a challenge to police instinct.  "There are some plays that it is hard to coach out of cause it happens so quick."
  
• Here's the wet and weary coach after practice...
  
  
  
  
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• The fourth practice of camp, which followed the first off-day of the preseason, was just as intense, energetic and lengthy (right around three hours) as the first. The 3:15 start time was preceded by a lifting session and shootaround, so it was an exhausting day for players.
• Head Coach Kevin O'Neill introduced and walked the team through its full-court press break before running it at full speed.  The team then moved on to a full-court scrimmage to hone the offensive and defensive sets.
  
• With the amount of youth on this team, not to mention quickness, there's a strong urge to sometimes attack the basket instead of working through the offense. In recognition, O'Neill referenced the New York Jets' "grind it out" method of offense as something his own team should take note of. He wasn't encouraging a stagnant attack, but rather a patient and consistent one.
  
• Throughout practice, Nikola Vucevic's outside set shot looked much more consistent. The junior forward reluctantly attempted a few long jumpers last year, but seemed a lot more confident (and accurate) taking the open looks in practice.
• If O'Neill is planning on sticking with the intrasquad teams that he had going today at practice, the Cardinal and Gold game might be a blowout Saturday. The Gold squad of Jio Fontan, Donte Smith, Marcus Simmons, Vucevic and Alex Stepheson outscored the opposing Cardinal crew of Maurice Jones, Bryce Jones, Evan Smith, Garrett Jackson and Aaron Fuller by 20-plus points.
• Maurice Jones continues to defy gravity and the outstretched arms of defenders who have as much as a foot height advantage on the 5'7" freshman point guard. His ability to finish around the basket is as perplexing as it is awesome. And it truly is awesome.
• The freshmen Joneses (no blood relation between Maurice and Bryce) connected for a pretty fast break alley-oop towards the end of practice. It's going to be a treat watching these young talented guys develop their chemistry over the next couple of years, but with their level of talent, we may not have to wait very long.
• Here's Kevin O'Neill on practice...
  
  
  
  
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• Lane Kiffin has called 6 a.m. practice for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this bye week, so his assistant coaches can hit the recruiting trail hard. 
  
• As is, Joe Barry, James Cregg and Willie Mack Garza were not at practice because they are traveling to see recruits.  Bye weeks are an opportunity for young coaches like Keary Colbert and Sammy Knight to impress as well. 
  
• Everything the Trojans did today was up-tempo to simulate the speed at which Oregon plays and practices.  The drills were all fast-paced and practice ended with an extended sprint session, which gave Coach O a chance to exercise his vocal cords.
• C.J. Gable must have nine lives.  Written off for the season Saturday, the fifth-year running back hopes to return for the Oregon game.  "Just a bruised knee, I'll be back next week," a relieved Gable said.  "I thought it was worse, but luckily it's not."
• As an old man now, Gable enjoys the early morning practices.  "It's better!  We get done and I can go home," said Gable, who spent the end of practice doing sit-ups.  "I'm used to it now.  I've been going to workouts early, so it's the same thing."
• On a personal note, I'm consistently amazed and impressed by these kids pushing themselves out of bed to bust it in the gym or on the practice field at the crack of dawn.  I went to college.  Trust me, college students are more likely to be coming home at 6 a.m. than waking up.
• Gable was on the trainer's table when David Ausberry took his spot in the 4th quarter, but he's had a good laugh now going back and watching the tape.  "I came in yesterday and I watched the film and I was like 'Look at this big old guy looking like Brandon Jacobs!  Dang, where'd he get those skills from?!'"
  
• Bye weeks are traditionally a chance for young players to move up the depth chart.  "It's a good opportunity because usually they don't have enough time to show what they got because all the starting players are preparing for the game," said Gable, who has spent a few bye weeks trying to open up some eyes.  "This is a time where they can show what they are capable of doing, so they got to go hard, so they can see them out there today."
• However, the Trojans don't have many young players, who are not either redshirting or contributing already.  WR Markeith Ambles probably stands to benefit the most.  "I'm just going to come out, work hard and try to do everything perfect.  Let the coaches decide from there," Ambles said of his bye week plans.
• The highly-recruited freshman got the most significant playing time of his young career last Saturday.  "I'm definitely happy about getting a little PT because everything counts around here," said Ambles about the Cal game.  "I was very excited about the couple of plays that I got in."
• Ambles adjustment to the college game has been a struggle at times, but he is beginning to figure it out.  "I guess I'm just starting to do everything right and the coaches are starting to see that now."
• As for the 6 a.m. sprinting, Ambles is just happy to have survived.  "I didn't like it, but I'm not dead, so I'm good!" he said with a smile.
• One final shout out to my fellow media members.  Eleven scribes turned out bright and early to cover practice.  Daily Trojan writer Duke Ho took first place, shortly followed by Gary Klein of the LA Times.  And, OC Register writer Marcia Smith left San Diego County at 3:30 a.m., so she deserves a special prize.  Needless to say, the coffee is flowing at Heritage Hall...
• Here's Lane Kiffin on the practice...

• Robert Woods is a popular guy.  Bill Plaschke calls him "the bright spot."
• Marcia Smith quotes Lane Kiffin as calling him "The next great one."
• Arash Markazi profiles Woods' unselfishness.
• Gary Klein digs into Lane Kiffin's regrets.
• Michael Lev tosses Matt Barkley into the Heisman race.
• Mark Whicker gives the Trojans defense some credit.
• Ted Miller looks into the business side of the Pac-12.
• Scott Wolf talked to Shareece Wright about the defense's motivation.
• Check out this cool article and video by USC News breaking down the break in a curveball.
• USC golf legends Dave Stockton and Al Geiberger are being inducted into the SCGA Hall of Fame today. 
  
• Matt "Money" Smith was impressed by the win over Cal.
• Watch an all-new episode of Lane Kiffin USC Football Weekly tonight at 10:30 p.m. on PRIME TICKET HD.  Here's Joe Barry mic'd up...

• What was the worst play of the first half?  A couple penalties maybe.  The Trojans played as well for 30 minutes as they have played in years.  For a team that has struggled finishing the last two weeks, they got it over with quickly today.

• Robert Woods did not play defense, but he sure played offense.  He is the top freshman receiver in the nation and he's starting to make a Mike Williams-type impact on the USC offense.  Although as Lane Kiffin pointed out, Williams went through growing pains during a seven-drop performance at Kansas State.  Woods' learning curve has been exceptionally fast with a zero catch day against UW as the only hint of struggle.  "He's done great every time we have given him the ball," Lane Kiffin blamed himself for Woods not making this kind of impact sooner.

• With Kiffin's blessing, Shareece Wright spoke to the defense in a players-only meeting earlier this week.  Obviously, the message got through.  "I feel like it made a difference," the senior captain said.  "This is how good we are.  We've got to know it.  We've got to believe it.  Every week it should feel like this."

• In his first start at "Will" linebacker, Chris Galippo led the team in tackles.  While the team defensive success is the story of the week, Galippo's personal growth is worth acknowledging.  He broke down mentally in the face of adversity last season, but he handled last week's mishap like a pro.  "It's the maturity level of our defense being able to step up and rebound after the last two weeks and really make a statement," Galippo deflected attention away from his accomplishments.  "Finally, we played as one unit and got the job done."

• DaJohn "Juicy" Harris made the defensive play of the day.  I'll let him handle the play-by-play.  "I saw the quarterback's eyes and I jumped it and then I tried to score," Harris broke it down.  "I saw like a two- or three-foot gap between the quarterback and the sideline and I tried to squeeze through.  I tried to tippy-toe it, but my balance took me out of bounds."  While he won't be moved to DB anytime soon, "Juicy" showed some pretty good hands for a big fella.

• As we talked about leading up to the game, Cal's offense was a good matchup for a Trojan defense that needed a boost.  Kevin Riley sat back in the pocket waiting for the USC defensive ends to greet him.  Jeff Tedford's scheme was vanilla at best, trying to overpower the Trojans to no avail.  Comparing this performance to last week's, Kiffin said, "We did run into the first pick of the draft [Andrew Luck].  That's part of it too."

• And now the bad news, C.J. Gable "blew his knee out," according to Kiffin.  "I think he's done unfortunately."  He'll have tests done this week to evaluate the extent of the injury.  Kiffin praised Gable as "a great kid," who will earn his degree this year.  On the field, he had his best game of the season with 72 yards rushing.  With Dillon Baxter out as well, the running back pool is extremely shallow.  Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford are it for the moment.

• Unless you count David Ausberry.  The big senior had his best day since the Hawaii opener.  If you sculpted a target receiver, he would look like Ausberry.  When he uses his physicality, he provides a missing ingredient to the Trojan offense, which relies on the speed of Ronald Johnson and Woods.  As for his late game Brandon Jacobs impression, "If the coaches put me somewhere, I'll do what they tell me to do," Ausberry said of his two carries for 14 yards.

• The "Trojan Horse" works.  USC's version of the Wildcat was successful yet again with Marc Tyler taking direct snaps and mostly running power plays off tackle.  "It's a simple play, but it gives me a chance to see where everybody is going and find the hole.  You have to have good vision," Tyler explained.  "It's fun!"

• Matt Barkley tied the single-game touchdown pass record in the first half.  The sophomore had a chance to stand alone, but he had his wristband with all the plays on it ripped off on the drive that was marred by delay of game penalties.  "That series looked horrible, which it was," Kiffin said.  The coach admitted that he wanted #7 to get TD #6.  Here's Barkley on his superb afternoon...

Compiled by USCTrojans.com Blog Contributor Stephanie Graves

A very optimistic Kevin O'Neill gives the press the 411 about his new freshman phenoms, his returning post players and the teams new conditioning strategy: yoga (yes, you read that correctly). For everything the second year head coach had to say take a look at this post practice presser....

• In terms of practice participation, the injury situation did not change a whole lot.  Malcolm Smith, Wes Horton and Dillon Baxter still look doubtful, but Kiffin will not rule anyone out. 
  
• Robert Woods will have a simple defensive role on Saturday.  "They want me to lock down my man, so that's my job," Robert Woods said of his defensive responsibilities.  "Hopefully, I can get an interception."  The coaches told him that they will expand his defensive role in the bye week if he plays well.
  
• As I said yesterday, Woods was a free safety at Serra not a corner.  "I was a free safety, but we played a lot of man coverage, so I was down covering a receiver in space, so it's kind of the same thing," Woods said.
• Woods is not worried about tiring out from the extra workload.  "I rarely get tired on the field," the phenom said.  He said the TV timeouts give him ample opportunity to catch his breath.
• Senior captain Shareece Wright addressed the defense without the coaches present earlier this week with Kiffin's blessing.  "It was my calling to do that," Wright said.  "I feel we needed it.  We have not been playing well as a defense and something had to change.  They needed to hear from a player's perspective what the truth is about our defense."
• Wright is happy with the team's response and their attention to detail this week.  "I want them to focus on being the best individually and being more focused at practice," said the veteran corner.
• Wright's focus better be sharp this week since he'll be manned up with Marvin Jones, Cal's leading receiver.  "He's not a big receiver," Wright scouted.  "It's always harder to play speedy receivers, who are elusive."
• Linebackers coach Joe Barry has looked at plenty of tape himself and he's impressed by Bears RB Shane Vereen.  "I think he is by far the best back that we have played," Barry lauded. 
  
• Vereen's versatility could cause problems for USC's defense.  "That's what makes him so special," Barry said.  "What puts him in a different class of the guys that we've played is that he can catch the ball out of the backfield."  Barry expects Jeff Tedford to move Vereen all over the field to create mismatches.
• Tedford made his name by running quarterback factories at Fresno State, Oregon and early on at Cal.  Now, he rolls out a new NFL back every year.  "When he has a good back like Marshawn Lynch, like Jahvid Best, he knows how to feature him," Barry said about Tedford.  "They put Vereen right in the same role.  He's special, no doubt."
• Chris Galippo has spent most of the week working at weak side linebacker in place of Malcolm Smith and Shane Horton instead of battling Devon Kennard for the starting "Mike" spot.  Barry is worried more about consistency than competition.  "We still have great players.  We just have great players that have not played consistent.  As a defense, we have not played consistent yet."
• Barry is in his ninth year working under Monte Kiffin and both men are encouraged that they were finally able to force fumbles (three) against Stanford.  "Great defenses cause turnovers just with their physicality and style of play," Barry said.
• TE Blake Ayles and DE James Boyd are too little used players that could get more playing time Saturday with all the banged up players in front of them.
• Lane Kiffin spoke briefly to the media...
  
  
  
  
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• The OC Register has had a big week.  First, Michael Lev sat down with Pat Haden for an extended Q&A. 
  
• Also, the Register previews the USC men's basketball team.
• By the way, basketball practice officially starts tomorrow.  I will run a week of previews next week since the football team is on a bye.
• Finally, it's Kiffin vs. Tedford.
• The LA Times is all over Friday's Inauguration of C.L. Max Nikias.
• Scott Wolf is talking linebackers and Robert Woods.
• The Daily Trojan is all over Woods' two-way challenge.
• The DT also broke down the Pac-12 configurations.
• Baxter Holmes previews the basketball team.
• Gary Klein profiles Allen Bradford.

• Robert Woods spent some time working with the defense tonight at corner.  Woods was a free safety at Serra High School.  Last year, I saw him in person one time and he intercepted two passes.  He looked far more polished as a defensive back than a receiver.  Now that we know what kind of receiver he can be, that's really saying something.  It's likely the reason that he's getting a two-way look.
• Besides his talent, Woods' unusual maturity makes him a candidate for such an advanced role.  "Robert Woods, I don't see him as being a young kid anymore," Kris O'Dowd said.  "I see him as being a young man that knows how to prepare."
  
• The injury list was long again, but Lane Kiffin insinuated that many of the players will be back tomorrow or by Saturday.  Malcolm Smith (knee) looks like a serious doubt.  I would not count on Wes Horton or Dillon Baxter either, but it's all speculation.
• While the defense has been the story lately, the offense deserves credit for keeping the Trojans in the last two games.  Other than the sloppy Virginia performance, USC has scored 30+ points in the five remaining games.  The offensive diversity is keyed by the offensive line's consistency.  "I have felt this offensive line unit really come together," said O'Dowd, the leader of the group.  "I am really proud to be a part of this offensive line.  They are a great group of guys and they play like veterans."
• As long as the line does their job, the offense can shift their focus to counteract opposing gameplans.  Washington wanted to take away Matt Barkley, so Allen Bradford ran for 200+ yards.  Stanford reacted by taking away Bradford, so Barkley passed for almost 400.  Lane Kiffin's strength as a play-caller is feeling the momentum of what's working.  "The thing with Coach Kiffin is when we start running things really well, he'll keep it going," O'Dowd said about the adjustment from run to pass against last week.
• Remember, Kiffin famously called 28 consecutive pass plays against Michigan in the 2007 Rose Bowl win.  While he values balance as an offense, he does not necessarily stress it within each game.
• With USC's offense rolling as well as it has in years, the players are starting to recognize limitless potential.  "This offense can be as good as we want it to be," Allen Bradford said.  "As long as we are not killing ourselves, we'll be a great offense."
• USC is 13th in the nation in total offense, while Cal's defense is 7th, so Saturday is viewed as strength versus strength.  "They've got a real good defense and we've got a real good offense," Bradford said.  "It's going to be a battle of the titans and we have to go out there and clash with them."
• The Bears run a 3-4 scheme, which was part of the reason Bradford struggled against Stanford.  "It was a 3-4 and I could not get the feel right," he said.  "I have to make sure I explode through the hole, whichever one I choose."
• Bradford and Shareece Wright were high school teammates at Colton, so you know he had something to say to his old friend after Wright got jacked up by Cardinal QB Andrew Luck.  "Oh, I said something.  I have played with Shareece since we were in 7th grade and I have never seen him get hit like that," Bradford smirked. 
  
• During the bye week, Bradford and Wright plan to return to Colton to take in a game on Friday night and hang out with all their old coaches and friends.
• Lane Kiffin heard back from the Pac-10 on Saturday's refereeing decision, but he is keeping it a secret.  See for yourself...

• The injury list reads like the starting lineup.  Malcolm Smith is dragging his right leg around in a heavy knee brace.  Wes Horton is still out.  Dillon Baxter is on crutches. 
  
• While injuries happen to every team, the biggest problem is how many players are banged up and "limited."  With all the defensive issues, it's hard to solve them with so many players sitting out the competitive portions of practice.
• The other problem is that necessity trumps competition.  Instead of Devon Kennard and Chris Galippo battling it out for the middle linebacker spot, Galippo spent practice working at Smith's vacated position.  Now, Smith is helping Galippo prepare for Saturday.  "Absolutely, he really is," said Galippo about Smith.  "All three linebacker spots are different in their own ways."
• Galippo identified "the little things" as USC's big problem defensively.  Lane Kiffin pointed to "tackling."  Monte Kiffin only knows one way to solve all the problems...work.  "You have to go right back to work and keep working your tail off," Monte Kiffin said.  "Each player has to line up and play every play and be accountable for each other."
• Speaking of the elder Kiffin, he has been heavily criticized by the fans.  When Pete Carroll arrived, he brought a "guru" or "genius" coordinator with him in Norm Chow, who struggled to ignite the Trojan offense in his first season.  What's my point?  I don't think Monte Kiffin forgot how to coach after all these years. 
  
• Galippo could be at the center of the revival.  He committed a bonehead penalty on Saturday after an otherwise great performance.  But unlike last year, when he let his mistakes overcome his emotions, he is handling adversity with a calm, matured demeanor.  "Mentally, I understand the ups and downs of a long season," the redshirt junior said.  "A lot of younger guys, we recruit the best guys in the country, don't lose a whole lot in high school and it's tough to experience that."
• Lane Kiffin was pleased with three forced turnovers against Stanford.  Of course, if it had not been for Kiffin's challenge, the last fumble would have been overlooked.  Galippo had no idea that he had made the biggest defensive play of the game.  "It was odd," he recounted.  "I think we got back in the huddle and Torin [Harris] was like 'Man, I thought that was a fumble.'  I had no idea.  I thought I was just making the tackle."
  
• When the replay overturned the call on the field, the defense got on Harris, "I mean freakin' celebrate or something.  Let someone know you got the ball," Galippo joked.
• Joe Houston was accurate in practice today and looks steadied after an ugly week of practice leading up to Stanford.  "I know I'm capable," Houston said.  "I just had such a hard week last week and no one's harder on me than me."
  
• His confidence seems buoyed by the clutch extra point that he put through to give the Trojans a 35-34 lead.  "This team is going to count on me and I have to be a senior and step up," said the former walk-on kicker.  "I have not gotten the results I wanted and I'm not ok with it, but you have to learn from it."
• I have a great picture of Houston and Jordan Cameron sharing a moment after that PAT.  "The guys on my team understand that what I have been putting out there wasn't me," Houston said of the great support he has gotten.  "[Cameron] just said, 'I'm so proud of you.  You deserve it.'  It meant a lot."
• Christian Thomas has moved back to tight end, where he played during Fall camp, from defensive end.  Kiffin said that he has been performing well on the service squad at tight end, so they want to take another look.
• Here is the coach and his lengthy injury list...

• Widened tunnels and added aisles for easier entrance and exiting (MUCH NEEDED)
• A return to the oval-shaped field by removing the first 10 rows (CAN'T SEE ANYTHING FROM THOSE SEATS ANYWAY)
• Replacing the southern scoreboard with a 1940's replica (AND I THOUGHT SCOREBOARD TECHNOLOGY WAS IMPROVING...)
• A high definition video board on the north end (THAT'S BETTER)
• More luxury suites and premium seating (FOR THE ROSE PRINCESSES)
  

• ESPNLA.com's Mark Saxon mentioned me in his lead, so you must read his Monday Rewind.
• Bill Plaschke felt deja vu watching USC's loss.
• Arash Markazi sees improvement.
• Scott Wolf breaks down the new Pac-10 alignment possibilities.
• Matt Barkley got a helmet sticker for his Saturday performance.
• Dillon Baxter is finding his role.
• Gary Klein looks into the kicking problem.
• Michael Lev campaigns for Chris Galippo as the starting middle linebacker.
• Scott Wolf goes through the week's headlines at Troy.
• The Daily Trojan lauds Robert Woods' performance.

• Last things first, the Trojans played their best game of the season tonight.  Yes, the defense continues to struggle, but the effort and intensity level reached new 2010 heights.  In Pete Carroll's first year (2001), USC lost back-to-back heartbreakers on last second field goals to Oregon and Washington.  At 2-5, those Trojans streaked through the end of the season and notched a bowl berth.  Without the carrot of postseason play, this squad still needs to build from disappointment and reach its potential.

• A star was born tonight.  Robert Woods' 12 catches were not a USC freshman record (Mike Williams had 13 in a game).  His 224 yards receiving fall short of R. Jay Soward's single-game record (260 receiving yards).  But, he did tie the freshman record with his hat trick of TD catches.  From day one, Woods seemed special.  Tonight, he proved it.  "I just did what I could," Woods said in the locker room.  "I had a great performance.  Matt Barkley threw some great balls and we had some great connections."

• Chris Galippo was at the center of the highest and lowest defensive moments of the night.  Down six points and in desperate need of a play, he forced a fumble, which set up the go-ahead score.  In fact, he played so well for 59 minutes that he earned the middle backer spot for the final defensive stand.  And then, he committed the personal foul penalty that used up the Trojans final drops of resolve.  The junior played hard until the whistle, which (according to him) never came.  "I swear there was no whistle," Galippo said after the game.  "Shane [Horton] held him up and I went to finish him off.  I knew it was going to be an inches game." 

• As for the striped shirts, you might have a better idea than me (no replays of controversial plays at Stanford Stadium) about the fairness of the proceedings.  Lane Kiffin felt most aggrieved by the non pass interference call on Robert Woods near the end of the first half, but the Trojans battled the 12th man for most of the night, including having to challenge to earn the Galippo fumble.  "There were some questionable calls and penalties, but that's out of our control," Matt Barkley said.

• We focused on 3rd down defense in our keys to the game Friday and it proved to be a telling story.  The Cardinal converted on 6/8 3rd down chances.  Considering all the depth issues, USC has got to find a way to get off the field when they have opportunities.  "We need to get better on 3rd downs," Shane Horton said of the defense's most pressing issue.  "That's kind of been the theme all year."

• Stanford's physicality was the theme of the week, but the Trojans answered them blow for blow.  However, unlike the first five games, the Cardinal took a toll on USC's reserves.  Malcolm Smith sprained his knee.  Dillon Baxter left on crutches.  Nick Perry continues to limp around.  Considering the strength of the conference, Monte Kiffin's defense will need big performances from back-up players like Shane Horton (team leading 9 tackles) to survive.

• Andrew Luck is the real deal.  He showed the entire arsenal tonight.  He was accurate (20/24), mobile (48 rush yards gained) and athletic (clocked Shareece Wright after a fumble recovery).  The Trojan defense was unable to take anything away from the Cardinal tonight thanks to Luck's poise and versatility.  Stanford rushed for 193 yards and passed for 285.  While they are not devoid of talent, Luck turns average into exceptional. 

• On the other side, Stanford was able to limit USC's power running attack, which put the onus squarely on #7.  Barkley answered with his best game as a Trojan.  He completed 28 of 45 passes for 390 yards plus 3 TDs and no INTs.  He was sacked just once, while scrambling for two long gains.  For 60 minutes, neither quarterback blinked.  Luck just had the ball last.

• Are the Trojans coming down from a great era or are they building towards another one?  "We're not on our way down, it's just inches away from being great," Barkley answered.  A smiling Woods responded even more succinctly, "The Trojans, we're back.  We are coming back."
  

• Lane Kiffin's post-game message was positive.  The coaching staff was proud of the enormous effort put forth by a depleted and banged up roster.  However, the locker room mood was somber.  Barkley took it especially hard, but he delivered a great leadership message to sum up the night...
  

• As you will hear below in Lane Kiffin's media session, the injury list is lengthy.  However, the coach sounds confident that most of the names on the list will be ready come Saturday.  DE Wes Horton (back) looks like the biggest concern. 
  
• Coach Ed Orgeron was not listed on the injury report, but he missed practice with an infection in his surgically repaired foot.  His status for Saturday is uncertain. 
  
• Allen Bradford has been named the starter at tailback for the Stanford game.  It's hard not to feel good for Bradford, who has spent most of his USC career swimming upstream on the depth chart.  Obviously, he earned the spot with his monster performance against Washington and a strong week of practice.
• And your daily kicking update... Joe Houston went 5/6 and Jacob Harfman went 3/4.  The misses were from 33 and 27 yards, respectively.  They did not attempt a field goal from longer than 33 yards, which could be a tip off as to the kicking plan for Saturday.  "Hopefully, they'll let us not wear pads and kick the ball with the wind at our back," Kiffin quipped.  He felt better about today, but the quote leads one to believe that he was hardly bowled over.
• On the first day of the competition, the team crowded around the kickers to distract them.  Yesterday, they were nothing but supportive.  Today, they were quiet.  But each day, the kicking competition has attracted the attention of all in attendance, which is not normal for a USC practice.
• After last week, the Trojans seem to have an inner anger brewing that they are looking to unleash Saturday.  "We're hungry," DB T.J. McDonald said.  "We have a bad taste in our mouth from last game.  We'll do anything we can to change that."
• Stanford beat the Trojans last year with power running, but Toby Gerhart is no longer a Cardinal.  So while the talk this week has been about physicality, it's possible Jim Harbaugh is cooking up an aerial gameplan after watching USC's first five games.  "They are a heck of a football team.  They have a great running game and a good quarterback," McDonald said.  "Whatever they throw at us, we'll be ready."
• Gerhart was a unique beast, so the Stanford attack is obviously different without him.  "They are more traditional," Kiffin said of the Cardinal's runners.  "Toby was so different than what you see.  But it goes back to their offensive line and tight ends, they do such a good job and play so hard.  You can't let up at any time because they are so physical."
• McDonald seconds that sentiment.  "They definitely don't have a Toby Gerhart.  No disrespect to any of their other backs, but he's one of a kind."
• Andrew Luck has similar talents to Jake Locker, but Luck "scrambles to throw," according to McDonald.  However, Luck's mobility is a key reason why Stanford is one of the best 3rd down offenses in the nation ("#2 in the country," said Kiffin).
• Robert Woods is coming off a zero catch game, but he made another big play on special teams.  He busted a long kickoff return, including hurdling a defender, to ignite the Trojans rally down 17-7.  "I have to make plays," Woods said of stepping up when his team needed him.  "Freshman or not a freshman, you're on the field, you've got to make plays for the team."
• Woods is dealing with his first loss since his junior year at Serra High School.  "I haven't lost a lot," the freshman confessed.
  
• Here's Lane Kiffin's post-practice presser featuring a seemingly endless injury report:

• Lonnie White recounts the football greatness of O.J. Simpson.
• Ted Miller looks at the changing perception of USC on the field.
• Sports Illustrated featured Lane Kiffin's "This is not your old SC" quote as well.
  
• Chris Erskine loves his Fall football fix at the Coliseum.
• Matt Barkley's favorite stat is wins.
• USC fans are staying loyal to the Trojans according to the StubHub numbers.
  
• Joe Houston has shown strength of character amid his struggles.
• The Daily Trojan plays up the revenge angle this weekend.
• Former USC volleyball player Kellie Tennant blogs about Olympic sports.
  
• The Arizona Daily Star checks in on the Pac-10 A.D. meetings.
  
  
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• Joe Houston and Jacob Harfman combined to go 0 for 6 in this evening's live kicking competition.  The field goal attempts were between 35 and 40 yards.  I'm not sure Lane Kiffin is kidding anymore when he says that he's contemplating not kicking in games.
• Stanley Havili wore a gold no-contact jersey, which is against his nature.  "I want to play Saturday, so if I have to wear this out here during the week to play Saturdays than I'm going to wear it to play Saturdays," Havili said.
• Havili's shoulder has become a chronic problem and according to Kiffin, it led to a missed block on the final offensive drive against Washington.  Havili won't make that excuse, "That was my fault.  I honestly could not feel my shoulder, but that was more so about who I had to block at that time."
• Havili acknowledges that Stanford is a physical team, but he is not conceding that matchup.  "Our defense is not going to be taking any blows," the captain said.  "They are going to be giving them out just like we are too.  We are ready to play physical with them."
• "The style that they are playing is exactly the style that we hope to play," Kiffin said of Jim Harbaugh's team.  "They don't make many mistakes and they are very physical."  To that end, the head coach amped up the hitting in what he called "the most physical practice since the Spring."
• Last year, Stanford's gameplan was no secret.  They ran "Power" 38 times by one unofficial count, which actually made Malcolm Smith laugh when he heard the stat.  "That's sobering," Smith said.  "When they run a play 38 times, you are obviously doing something wrong.  I think we got that fixed and we're ready to go."
• "I feel like it's a big challenge for me," DT Jurrell Casey said of Stanford's plan to run it right at him.  "I just have to be stout and play a big, physical game."
• How many times has the word physical been used this week?  Obviously, the Trojans are preparing for a battle, but can this depleted roster absorb punishment?  "After that game last year, we were all sore and bruised," Casey said.  "You just have to go to rehab and ice and make sure your body is healthy."
• The defense won "Turnover Wednesday."  Torin Harris picked off Matt Barkley and David Ausberry coughed up a fumble.
• However, one of the biggest hits of practice came from freshman RB Dillon Baxter.  He got rough with LB Chris Galippo on a blitz pick-up, which is a positive sign that the rookie has the chops to get tough with a veteran.
• Due to the wet weather, practice was moved to Cromwell Field, which is a turf surface.  Scroll down to the post below to see some pictures.
• Here is Lane Kiffin answering questions about how PHYSICAL Stanford is...

• The "limited" injury list was long today, which included Stanley Havili (shoulder), Wes Horton (back), Robert Woods and others.  Lane Kiffin called last Saturday the "most physical" game so far, so we'll keep an eye on the injuries to see if they are long term or just the lasting effects of a brutal fight.
• As for the kicking competition between Joe Houston and Jake Harfman, it did not go well.  In the first round of live kicks, Houston missed all three of his tries (37, 42 and 47).  Harfman made from 37 and 47, but missed from 42.
• At the end of practice with the entire team surrounding the kickers forming a cocoon of pressure, Houston made from 29, missed badly from 39, but rebounded to make his last kick from 39.  Harfman went make, miss, make as well.
• Harfman on his return to kicking: "It felt different.  I have not kicked field goals in practice at all in the last two and a half, three months, since camp, but it felt good first day back."
• Remember, Harfman is not a kid.  He's already a senior, who likely wrapped his head around being a punter or kickoff specialist going forward.  Now the kicking door has been reopened, "I originally came here thinking I was going to kick field goals, but I ended up focusing more on punt and kickoff, which suited me well.  I try to do whatever I can to get the team Ws."
• For the second straight week, USC's defense is facing a mobile quarterback, but Ed Orgeron was pleased with how his front four handled Locker's ability to break contain.  "I thought we rushed the passer pretty good," Orgeron said.  "There were a couple of times when we couldn't contain him, but he's a good quarterback.  We're going to have to do the same thing this week."
• Three of the four starting defensive linemen (Jurrell Casey, Armond Armstead and Nick Perry) played 71 of the 80 snaps Saturday.  With Wes Horton out, depth is a growing concern.  "We got some guys that are injured, so we are just going to have to suck it up," Coach O explained.  "Maybe a couple of guys can come along this week."
• Monte Kiffin wants to focus on getting better at what they do instead of changing the system.  "You look at different things, but if you jump around too much...because this is a new system for our players right now," Kiffin said.  "The biggest thing is to get the reps at what we're doing and do it better."
• As we talked about in our keys to the game last Friday, the linebackers are not making enough plays.  "We have not gotten significant plays from that group," Lane Kiffin said after practice.  "They are playing ok, but there's been no significant plays."
  
• Many of your comments from Saturday focused on the 3rd and 4 incompletion to Jordan Cameron instead of sticking with Allen Bradford and the run.  Bradford was surprised by the play call, "We all thought it was going to be a run, but it was a pass," the senior said.  "We can't live in the past.  We just have to move forward."
• I surmised that Bradford was worn out on the last two drives.  On both possessions, he started by busting a run, 34 and 22 yards respectively.  Then, he slowed down.  On the second to last possession, Bradford followed his long run with gains of 1 and -1.  On the last drive, he rushed for 9, 2, 4 and 2.  So, did he get tired?
• "It wasn't my legs," Bradford said.  "It was more in my back than anything.  Tightness came back in my back from Thursday and that was it."
• On a chilly, but mostly dry evening, here's a bundled up Lane Kiffin...

• Bill Plaschke's column on the Washington loss.
• Arash Markazi breaks down how far the Trojans have to go.
• Allen Bradford's career night won't go unnoticed next April.
• ESPNLA.com profiles Matt Barkley.
• Gary Klein profiles Barkley's opposing QB this weekend.
• Jim Harbaugh is "the real deal" apparently.
• Scott Wolf says Lane Kiffin agrees.
• "We are S-C!"  Just ask the Supreme Court...
  
  
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• Deja vu all over again...  Erik Folk booted the game-winner in Seattle last year.  Now, he's crushed the Trojan faithful in the Coliseum as well.  Folk is a local product from Notre Dame Sherman Oaks High School, which has really become a prep cradle of kickers.  As for USC's kicking situation, is it an open competition this week?  "Definitely," Lane Kiffin responded.
• As Lane Kiffin said to the team and the media after the game, USC did not finish the Huskies off.  They had chances to bury UW with 4th quarter touchdowns and settled for back-to-back field goal attempts.  Matt Barkley took responsibility for the missed conversions to David Ausberry and Jordan Cameron.  "There has to be a time when you step up and convert that," the sophomore QB said.  While he did not throw any interceptions, Barkley attributed some of his "clutch drive" struggles to fear of making a mistake.
  
• Allen Bradford was the obvious star of the show.  He carried it 21 times for 223 yards (10.6 avg).  "It was mostly cause of my offensive line," Bradford deferred credit.  "Stanley opened up some big holes for me."  Kennedy Pola has made such a difference for Bradford, who spent most of his USC career lost in the running back shuffle.  I cannot help but wonder how much better the recent Trojan backs would have been under his tutelage.
• How do you fix tackling without tackling?  "I really don't know what we can do to improve on that," Shareece Wright admitted.  "I really don't."  Defensively, the Trojans failed to wrap up on too many occasions.  While the Huskies punished USC for 536 total yards, Oregon and others will do far worse if the problem persists.
• Two freshmen headed in two different directions.  Down 17-7, Robert Woods ignited USC's comeback with a kickoff return, reminiscent of his TD at Minnesota.  While Dillon Baxter was expected to provide a spark tonight, he tiptoed on his one and only run.  Hopefully, he learned something watching Bradford from the sidelines.  In a bloody battle like tonight, running backs need to get their shoulders going downhill, pick a hole and hit it.
• Like a Quentin Tarantino film, Steve Sarkisian's offense was derivative tonight.  He has seen the Trojans struggle against zone read (Oregon) and fly sweeps (Oregon St.), so he incorporated both.  Hawaii used the pistol effectively, so he sprinkled in some of that too.  In summary, Lane Kiffin's worst fears of Sark having two weeks to prepare were realized.
• As I stressed in my game keys, USC's defense had to make Jake Locker one-dimensional and keep him in the pocket.   They accomplished neither.  The future NFL QB bounced back from his disastrous effort against Nebraska to throw for 310 yards and run for 110 more.  "It all starts up front," DE Nick Perry said of containing Locker in the pocket.  "Things fell apart."  USC gets a crack at another mobile quarterback next week in Andrew Luck. 
  
• "We weren't going to stop 'em.  We were dead," Kiffin explained why he did not use his timeouts on Washington's final drive.  Without Wes Horton, the Trojans depth was pushed past its limits tonight and they ran out of gas on the final drive.
  
• The Coliseum is an old building and the home and visiting locker rooms are adjacent to one another.  USC's locker room was somber and silent after the game.  The air filled with regret.  But just next door, the Huskies were singing and celebrating a famous victory.  With all those former Trojans in the other room, I'm sure they knew that their cheers were heard loud and clear.  To the victor, go the spoils...
• While the defense forced only one punt the entire night, Shareece Wright put together an emphatic performance.  He forced the first defensive fumble of the season by chasing down Locker and punching the ball out from behind.  While the linebackers failed to deliver many physical blows, Wright punished multiple Huskies for daring to enter his air space.  Here he is after the game...