October 2011 Archives

On behalf of our players and coaches, I wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for making the Coliseum atmosphere electric again this past Saturday against Stanford.

We felt the energy that you brought, and it helped and inspired us all game long. It was great to feel the Coliseum home field advantage again. Our players appreciate your unwavering support and recognition of how hard they fought and played. 

• The Final Second.  Here's how Lane Kiffin described the final play of regulation and the official review:  The head coach's plan was to get 8 to 10 yards to set up a winning field goal, but Robert Woods broke the play in a different direction.  The referees on the field ruled that Woods was out of bounds with no time remaining.  According to Kiffin, a referee explained to him that if Woods was ruled down with one second to go, which is what happened, they would honor USC's timeout.  After the review, they decided not to grant the Trojans a timeout saying they would not have had enough time to call a timeout.  "I am really disappointed in the officials," said Kiffin.

• The Fumble.  Curtis McNeal led the second half charge.  After Marc Tyler aggravated his left shoulder injury on USC's first offensive play, McNeal (photo by LA Times/Wally Skalij) put the team on his back with 145 yards rushing and 2 TDs.  Of course, the junior running back coughed up the ball in triple overtime, which ended the game.  "No excuses," McNeal said.  "I just fumbled.  I feel like beating myself up.  I am going to face worse things in my life.  I just have to keep my head up."

• The Pick-Six.  With 3:08 to play in regulation, Nickell Robey pushed the Coliseum to maximum decibel levels with an interception of Andrew Luck and the go ahead touchdown.  Robey explained that the Stanford QB has a tendency to look off a receiver and then come back to him.  After running a similar play earlier in the game, Robey knew Luck was going to come back his way and, "I just jumped the route," he explained.

• The Penalty.  Yet again, USC played an exceptionally disciplined game drawing only three flags, but a targeting personal foul on T.J. McDonald nullified an incomplete pass that would have set up a 4th-and-6 on the Cardinal's game-tying drive at the end of regulation.  "I am not trying to be a dirty player," said McDonald.  "I am not trying to hit anybody in their head, which I feel like I didn't do, but they called what they called."

• The Crowd.  Lane Kiffin: "Our crowd was electric.  It really helped us out.  It was great to have that back."  Matt Barkley (photo by LA Times/Wally Skalij): "As a player, it was the most energy that I've felt in the Coliseum.  I loved the way the fans responded.  I'm bummed we couldn't give them a win." 
  

• The Future.  The last time USC lost an overtime game (triple OT at Cal in 2003), the Trojans ran off 34 straight wins.  While a repeat streak is unlikely, Kiffin's team can build on tonight's effort, which included huge contributions from the freshmen and sophomore classes.  "Once again, it's a young team," Kiffin put the game in perspective.  "A bunch of young guys making plays."  

• Kiffin's locker room speech was about moving forward.  He was extremely proud of tonight's effort and wants the team to refocus quickly with a short week coming up and an ESPN Friday primetime game at Colorado.

• Make some noise at ESPN College GameDay from 6-9 a.m.

• Make some noise at McDonald's Swim Stadium at 2:30 p.m. for #2 USC men's water polo vs. #3 Stanford

• Make some noise at the Coliseum at 5 p.m. for #20 USC to knock off undefeated #4 Stanford

• And if you cannot make it to campus, make some noise on the blog as we'll host a live chat starting at 4:30 p.m.

• Time to get pumped up with the Friday Night Video...

Earlier this season, Stanford proved to be a genuine thorn in the side of USC's pursuit of an historic fourth straight title. In the SoCal Tournament (which USC had won each of the eight previous years) semifinals on October 2, the Cardinal stunned the Trojans en route to a 6-4 victory.

"We felt we were just good enough to show up and we didn't really prepare the way we should have," senior driver Peter Kurzeka (pictured above by Daily Trojan) said on the loss. "We took it lightly and didn't put much in to how they would go about attacking us. Our offense didn't click, and we didn't know where to go from there."

The second-ranked Trojans have had some success this season against their MPSF rival, routing the Cardinal 12-5 on September 18. 

So, whether you are waking up early for College GameDay or are heading to campus to tailgate for Family Weekend, the Men of Troy would love nothing more than to play with a real home pool advantage for their all-important rubber match with The Farm.

"If you are out on campus having a good time, why not stop by and watch the nation's best battle it out in the pool," sophomore two-meter Jeremy Davie said. "We will definitely provide some good entertainment, and there will still be plenty of time to go watch football afterwards."

• Torin Harris (shoulder) and George Farmer did not practice.
• WR Robert Woods was limited.  "Obviously, he's critical to us," Lane Kiffin said about needing his star wideout.  "He barely did anything [at practice today]."
  
• PK Andre Heidari was limited and labeled a "game-time decision" by Lane Kiffin.  So, the coaches held open emergency kicking auditions for which DT DaJohn "Juicy" Harris was the first to volunteer, but the head coach decided not to go down that route.
• Stanford's offense poses some unique problems for opponents.  They favor power personnel so much that they will run goal line packages in their own end.  "This is just abnormal," said Kiffin about the Cardinal's system.  "I don't think anybody's ever done that at least in probably 50 years."
• Given all the tight ends, Stanford relies on play-action, so the Trojans are focused on stopping the run.  "They love that power.  That's what they are known for," said LB Dion Bailey.  "We have to try and make them one-dimensional. We don't want to give them the option to use their whole playbook."
  
• Bailey was moved to linebacker for games like this, so he can help cover tight ends and slot receivers.  "This will be a good game for me guarding the tight ends.  When they throw the ball, I feel like I have the advantage," said Bailey, who plans to use his agility against the bigger targets.
• While the Trojans are decided underdogs in Las Vegas for the second straight week, Bailey is not buying it.  "Everybody is expecting us to get beat by 50 points, but little do they know, we were right there last year and lost the game at the end by a field goal."
• Chris Galippo needs no reminders about how last year's game ended.  His personal foul set up the game-winning kick.  "That was a tough one to swallow," Galippo said.  "Our defense is now going on back-to-back games without a single penalty, so we've learned from it."
  
• The Coliseum will likely be sold out Saturday and the players expect to feed off the crowd.  "[Notre Dame] was the best game I ever played in my life," said Bailey about last week's atmosphere.  "Hopefully, the Coliseum is going to be electric Saturday."
• Here is Coach Kiffin on the final full day of practice...

Alanya, Turkey. I got to play beach volleyball against the best people in the world. It was right on the beach and located in a very historic area where there were castles right above our playing venue and we got to interact with a lot of great players.

You won high school championships in volleyball and surfing, which sport do you think is tougher to master?

• CB Torin Harris (shoulder) and RB George Farmer (walking boot) did not practice.  Robert Woods (undisclosed) and Andre Heidari (ankle/foot) were limited.
• Harris continues to suffer from nerve damage in his shoulder, which they test every day.  The doctors are waiting for the nerves to fire before Harris is cleared to play.
• The defense forced a pair of turnovers today with interceptions by LB Tre Madden (photo from Tuesday by John McGillen) and S Drew McAllister.
• Stanford has three tight ends (Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo) that have accounted for 47 catches for 867 yards and 13 touchdowns.  "I don't know how they have so many people," Lane Kiffin marveled at the Cardinal's depth.
• By comparison, USC tight ends Randall Telfer, Xavier Grimble and Rhett Ellison have combined for 33 catches for 267 yards and 6 TDs.
• Ellison has not put up big stats, but he is an integral part of the blocking scheme.  "Rhett's played great," Kiffin praised.  "Rhett makes a ton of plays that nobody knows about."
  
• Kiffin admires Stanford's power football identity and has tried to develop that at USC over the last two years.  Last week, the Trojans offensive line mauled Notre Dame's defensive front, but the head coach needs to see more.  "We're not there yet," he hesitated to call his offensive line a strength.  "As [Lee] Corso says, 'Not so fast.'"
• However, the running back rotation has finally taken shape with Marc Tyler and Curtis McNeal splitting carries.  "Marc played really well [against Notre Dame] even though he was banged up," Kiffin said.  "Curtis, obviously, two games in a row has played exceptionally well."
• Stanford's run offense is ranked 17th in the nation, while USC will counter with the country's 11th best rush defense. 
  
• The Trojans were known for great run stoppers like Mike Patterson, Shaun Cody and Sedrick Ellis in the last decade, but this group of defensive tackles has received little publicity.  "We don't have the production that those guys had, but we've got some journeymen guys who do a great job and they've proved it during the season," said defensive coordinator Ed Orgeron.
  
• DE Wes Horton has a pair of sacks this season, but he would like to add superstar QB Andrew Luck to his book.  "I had dreams right after the Notre Dame game of getting after Andrew Luck.  He's a possible Heisman candidate, a good offensive line, so it couldn't be a better stage to get after the quarterback and have a productive game."
• CB Isiah Wiley made a great play to break up a pass intended for Robert Woods today.  We'll have a feature on Wiley later today.
• The local firefighters from across Jefferson came to practice this morning as special guests.
• Here's Coach Kiffin...

• Injury report: CB Torin Harris (shoulder) and WR Robert Woods (various injuries) did not practice at all.  Every other player participated to some degree.
• RB George Farmer left practice early with an apparent left leg injury.  He was carted back to the locker room.
  
• Kicker Andre Heidari (ankle) expects to be back fully tomorrow.
• Lane Kiffin did not elaborate on the Dillon Baxter situation.  He cited the "no distractions" motto, which has been this team's mantra from day one.
• Matt Barkley, Wes Horton, Robert Woods, Brandon Carswell and Chris Galippo demoed new Nike practice uniforms (photo by John McGillen) this morning with a different material.  "Other teams have had this for 10 years now," Barkley said.  "We're finally coming to grips with [it]."
• Quote of the Day: "We feel that mojo, that swagger, that we need to have on both sides of the ball," said Barkley about the team's growing confidence.
• Woods is generating national buzz for the Biletnikoff Award (nation's top wide receiver).  "The thing that's special about him is that he's not as big as some of those other guys," said Kiffin who emphasized "his ability to line up at so many spots" as the key to his success.
  
• The offensive line is the central focus of the Trojans' growth.  USC's weakness is becoming a strength.  Kiffin praised guards Marcus Martin and John Martinez for playing their best games of the season.
  
• After a mess of penalties, QB hits and sacks at Arizona State, the young Trojans' offensive line never flinched in South Bend as part of a sack-less performance without a single procedure flag.  "It just goes to show the maturity of our team," said LT Matt Kalil. 
  
• The national stories will focus on Matt Barkley versus Andrew Luck as junior quarterbacks who could declare for the 2012 NFL Draft, but Kalil's top competition if he goes pro will be Stanford LT Jonathan Martin.  "I have seen him," Kalil admitted to checking out Martin, who is a Los Angeles native.  "He's a great player.  They have only given up two sacks, so obviously he's great at protecting Luck."
• And of course, Barkley answered several questions about going against Luck.  "Our level of respect makes the game kind of special," he said.  "But, there's nothing he's going to do to stop me and I can't stop him."
  
• As a sophomore, Barkley played maybe his best game of the season in Palo Alto and took the loss extremely hard.  "I loved that game last year.  It was sad to see us lose in the last seconds like that, but even more reason to try and go out and win this year." 
  
• Barkley's key to the game: "I think it's going to come down to who is going to control the ball better."  Turnovers and time of possession.
• In the big picture, USC is sitting at 6-1 with a showcase game at home this weekend despite only playing 45 scholarship players against Notre Dame.  "Everybody's concern is what's coming with the reductions, but we're already getting practice at it," Kiffin said.  "It's good for our fans that have read so many things over the years about how bad it's going to get.  To play like that with so few players, it's really good to see."
• Here is an extended session with Coach Kiffin who had his game face on today...

• The football team moved to 6-1 with a 31-17 win at Notre Dame.  The Trojans are now ranked No. 20 as they head into a home showdown against No. 4 Stanford with ESPN College Gameday coming to the Coliseum.

• The No. 4 women's volleyball squad has now won 12 consecutive matches after a sweep of Utah and Colorado.  The Women of Troy did not drop a single set in the two wins and have lost just two sets during the winning streak.

• Women's soccer capped the home schedule with back-to-back one goal wins to extend a season's best winning streak to three games.

• Swimming and diving season is underway.  The women's team sunk Washington State in back-to-back dual meets with superstar Katinka Hosszu leading the way.

• Men's swimming and diving picked up a season opening victory over Cal State Bakersfield behind speedy sprinter Vladimir Morozov.

• In a battle of USC women's tennis freshmen teammates, Sabrina Santamaria knocked off Zoe Scandalis (6-2, 6-1) to win the ITA Women's Southwest Regional Championship.

• On the men's side, sophomore Ray Sarmiento defeated Fresno State's Francis Alcantara (6-4, 6-3) in today's final. 
  

• Here's a look at women's volley's sweep of Utah courtesy of Pierson Clair...

• Guts - Coming out of the Cal game, the Trojans' roster appeared decimated by injuries, but senior RB Marc Tyler and freshman WR Marqise Lee overcame shoulder injuries to contribute.  "Our doctors did not think those guys would play," Lane Kiffin said.  "It says a lot about those guys to will themselves to play."  With Tyler and Lee pushing the envelope, the rest of the team followed suit, including PK Andre Heidari, who "couldn't even move his foot" at halftime, said Kiffin, but converted two second half PATs.

• Wisdom - Matt Barkley had a solid night passing (24/35 for 224 yards and 3 TDs), but his decision-making was exceptional.  The junior quarterback guided the offense to a turnover-free game for the first time this season.  Plus, he did not take a single sack and picked up 19 yards scrambling.  He even threw a block when called upon.  "You got to do what you got to do," Barkley described the play.  "I was there and I was like, 'Oh boy, here we go!"  

• Athleticism - Nickell Robey made a statement tonight.  Giving up seven inches and about 50 pounds to talented Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd, the sophomore corner viewed the challenge as an opportunity.  "I had it in my mind that I was going to come out here and shut him down," said Robey.  "I wanted to show the world that even though I'm a 5'8" corner, I can still shut down the biggest receivers."  Floyd finished with four catches for just 28 yards.

• Skill - Robert Woods was the best receiver on the field yet again.  Despite constant double-teams, the sophomore reeled in 12 receptions for 119 yards and 2 TDs.   "They can try to do whatever they want to him, but it's just crazy, he still had 12 catches for over 100 yards," said an amazed Barkley.  The QB recognized single coverage on Woods to seal the game with a hitch-and-go for a 14-yard diving score (pictured above by John McGillen).

• Power - USC ran the ball 30 more times than Notre Dame (44 to 14) and set a physical tone from the opening drive.  "The only way to win this game was to try to run the ball. They played very physical in all aspects of the game," Kiffin praised his team.  Curtis McNeal (video interview below) led the powerful attack with 118 yards on 24 carries.  The Trojans' offense held the ball for two-thirds of the contest (39:41).

• Fortune - The Irish were on the brink of tying the game at USC's one-yard line late in the third quarter when backup QB Dayne Crist coughed up a snap and DB Jawanza Starling took advantage with an 80-yard scoop and score (photo by John McGillen).  "I was running for days it felt like," said Starling, who attributed the clean pick-up to his baseball background.  "There was so much adrenaline rushing.  I was running towards our fans."

• In an emotional moment in the post-game locker room, Kiffin gave a game ball to Ed Orgeron, who buried his father  this week, but came back to motivate the team with his inimitable fire.

• Lane Kiffin became the first coach in USC history to win his first road game at Notre Dame Stadium.  He gets the final word: "It was our team's biggest win since we've been here."

• Chicago is on central time (+2 hours ahead), but South Bend is on eastern time (+3 hours ahead). 
  

• The biannual pep rally at Navy Pier is at Noon on Friday.  All are welcome.  No tickets needed.

• The USC Alumni Association also hosts an event at the Sheraton Hotel on Friday night at 6 p.m. local time and a pregame tailgate.  Click here for more information.

• Former USC baseball player and assistant coach Robert Leach wrote a new book about legendary coach Rod Dedeaux and his unique teachings and wisdom.
  
• ESPN Radio recorded an Olympic spotlight with gold medalist John Naber. Listen here:
  KSPN 101411 60 USC OLYMPIC ATHLETE-JOHN NABER.mp3
• WR Brice Butler continues to lead "Fresh Faith," a prayer group that you can follow on Twitter.
• Budding journalist Nick Garner interviewed all the USC stars and head coach Lane Kiffin for his website SportsTalk4Kids.com.
• USC baseball player turned secret service agent Bill Bordley is now MLB's head of security.
• As a Lott Award finalist, T.J. McDonald did a national radio interview.  Listen here:
  Lott Trophy- 10_6.mp3
• The USC game at Colorado on Friday, November 4, will now air on ESPN not ESPN2.
• The LA Times' David Wharton looks at how the later start will effect the USC/Notre Dame game.
• Gary Klein features Irish WR Michael Floyd and LB Manti Te'o as two players who got away from USC in recruiting.
• Michael Lev sees this weekend as an opportunity for the Trojans to get some national respect.
• Scott Wolf takes a final look at the weekend storylines.
• ESPN's Shelley Smith sat down with Mark Sanchez and Keyshawn Johnson to talk about the importance of the Notre Dame rivalry.
• ESPNLA's Mark Saxon spoke with Pat Haden about the generational perspective on the rivalry.
• Pedro Moura views kicker Andre Heidari as an example of the great play the Trojans are getting from freshmen.
• Nickell Robey is ready for his latest challenge against Michael Floyd, writes Dan Greenspan.

• Again, CB Torin Harris is the only player not practicing at all that has not been ruled out for the week already.
• RB Marc Tyler (shoulder) will be a game-time decision.  WR Marqise Lee (shoulder) is likely to play, but he'll be closely monitored.
  
• Quote of the Day: "The majority of our really good players and the best prospects in the long term for the next level are in their first and second years here," said head coach Lane Kiffin on the USC youth movement.
  
• Yesterday, Kiffin called Notre Dame a team without a discernible weakness.  The Irish are especially balanced offensively as the 29th best pass offense in the nation and 31st ranked rushing attack.
• 6'3", 224-pound Michael Floyd (photo by Jon SooHoo) is the key aerial threat.  "He likes to manhandle [corners]," said CB Nickell Robey, who is only 5'8" and 165 lbs.  "I just can't get into that.  I've got to use my quickness and my speed."
• Local product (Oxnard) Cierre Wood splits running duties with senior Jonas Gray, who averages 8.4 yards per carry.  "Both their backs have [come on this year]," LB coach Joe Barry said.  "They do a good job of spreading you out and if it's the right look, they will run the ball."
  
• LB Chris Galippo looked like a much fresher player last week coming off a bye and getting 15 plays off from Will Andrew.  "Chris would be the first person to tell you that he probably played the worst game he's ever played against Arizona," said Barry, who was forced to use the senior for all 91 snaps against the Wildcats.  He should benefit from a return to fitness by freshman LB Lamar Dawson (ankle).
• Galippo's linebacking crew played their best all-around game of the season against Cal, Barry rated.  Dion Bailey has injected his playmaking ability into a unit that had a need for speed.  "Dion's got great football awareness and instincts," Barry praised. 
  
• Given the dearth of healthy cornerbacks, Bailey's versatility switching from linebacker to nickel back on 3rd downs has saved the Trojans.  "I'm thankful we made that decision because now he's our full-time nickel corner," Barry compared him to Ronde Barber, who he coached with the Tampa Bay Bucs.
  
• USC is down to three healthy scholarship corners, who are not redshirting.  After that, it's "'Big Game' James Harbin," Kiffin told the media.  "You might not know James.  He would come right from the graveyard shift of working his security job [during spring practice] and... walk right into practice.  That says a lot about his dedication."
• Notre Dame star LB Manti Te'o was nearly a Trojan as this Chicago Tribune story details.  Joe Barry would have loved to coach him.  "It breaks my heart," said Barry, who heard that the previous USC regime almost secured the signature.  "He's a special player."
• Here is Lane Kiffin on today's practice...

• Everyone practiced to some degree with the exception of CB Torin Harris and WR Kyle Prater (illness). 
  
• RB Marc Tyler (shoulder) and WR Marqise Lee (shoulder) wore yellow no-contact jerseys, but they both expect to play Saturday.  "It might hurt when I take a hit, but I want to play in this game so bad, it doesn't matter," said Tyler, who has suited up, but never played in South Bend.
• If Tyler cannot go, Curtis McNeal would likely get the start.  Matt Barkley has faith in the diminutive running back, but he joked, "You just have to make sure your trajectory is low on some of those check downs."
  
• (Photo of Victor Blackwell wearing Michael Floyd's #3 this week by John McGillen)
  
• This is the first time Notre Dame has hosted USC in a night game and the first night game in South Bend in 21 years.  The Trojans arrive late Thursday, so they will have plenty of time to kill before kickoff.  "We'll just have to figure out something to do in Michigan City," joked Lane Kiffin.
  
• Given the primetime showcase and rumors of green jerseys, Notre Dame Stadium will likely be at max decibel levels.  "I don't think they should be too wigged out," said Orange County product Matt Barkley about his teammates handling the atmosphere.  "I just remember it being electric.  It gets me fired up."
  
• Athletic director Pat Haden has decades of experience with this rivalry as a player, broadcaster and now AD.  He even has his own set of traditions when he is on campus at Notre Dame.  "I'll see the ticket taker John, who has been there for 40 years.  I always ask him where the golden dome is," said Haden, who always lights a candle for his mom at the grotto.
  
• Fun fact: Haden and J.K. McKay were 2-1 against the Irish as Trojans, but in all three years, the winner of the USC/Notre Dame game went on to win the national championship.
  
• Michigan native Nick Perry grew up watching Notre Dame.  "They were the team to beat," he remembered.  "They are a great team.  We are looking forward to this from last year.  This is a big game for us and we're going to step it up."
• Notre Dame has only given up five sacks (13th in the nation), so Perry and company have a tough task getting to Tommy Rees.  "They have a great line.  We just have to work harder than them and get after it better than they do."  Perry leads USC with four sacks.
  
• The weather forecast for Saturday projects no rain, but a low of 39 degrees.  "I miss the cold a little bit," said Perry, who will have family at the game.  "Luckily, I get to play in Notre Dame Stadium in the cold weather.  I love it!"
• This is an important week for Lane Kiffin, who continues to feel the sting of losing to the Irish last year.  "I don't think it will ever leave really," he said.  "It's worse because it's Notre Dame because of the streak.  It was really tough."
• Here is Coach Kiffin who had some funny lines about Jim Harbaugh and the handshake confrontation...

• Defensive stats: 5 turnovers, 3 sacks and 6 tackles for loss.  The last two weeks the USC defense has been under fire for not being able to force turnovers and yielding too many points.  On national television, they fought back.  "It was much more important for our team to win like that and have a game like that for confidence after all the defense has been hearing about them," Lane Kiffin said after the game.
  

• Dion Bailey: A Star is Born.  While several defensive players had big nights, the redshirt freshman linebacker continues to be the "most consistent player" and on his way to a Freshman All-American season, praised Kiffin.  Bailey recorded two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a team-leading 8 tackles.  The safety-turned-linebacker is even surprising himself.  "Coming in with the big position change, I was only hoping to play 20-30 snaps a game," Bailey admitted.  "I end up starting...and I've been at the right place at the right time game in and game out and I'm just hoping that I can continue my success." (Photo by AP/Marcia Joe Sanchez/LA Times)
  

• Robert Woods: Season low 5 catches for 36 yards.  The Matt Barkley to Robert Woods connection, which has been the story of the season so far, missed by small margins on several big play attempts.  The QB criticized his own performance saying that "just little things were off" and that he was "not good enough to win big games" tonight.  "We're a couple inches away from a big passing day," said Kiffin, who was encouraged that the Trojans won without getting much from the star duo.

• Hello George Farmer!  "It felt great.  I had the jitters at first, but that's normal for an athlete," said Farmer about his debut.  The true freshman flashed his athleticism coming out of the backfield, but he was most impressive sprinting down the field to cover kickoffs.  He also went through some growing pains with a late fumble.  "I take full blame for it.  I have got to secure the ball before I run."

• Mash Unit.  The Trojans paid a heavy cost for Thursday night's victory.  WR Marqise Lee (shoulder), RB Marc Tyler (shoulder), CB Anthony Brown (ankle), DB Demetrius Wright (leg) and OL Martin Coleman (shoulder) could not finish the game.  USC has nine days before the big game in South Bend and they will need every one of them to rest up and get healthy.  Brown's injury appears to be the most serious with an initial diagnosis of a broken ankle.  (Photo of Lee by US Presswire/Jason O. Watson/LA Times)
  

• 5-1.  At the midway point, Lane Kiffin is proud of his team's record.  "It is the first time we've been 5-1 since we've been here," he said.  "It's a good feeling."  The Trojans were 4-2 at this point last year.  "We are 5-1, which is huge," Barkley said.  "When you play football, you play to win."  The schedule will get tougher in the second half, but USC is buoyed by the first road victory of the season.

• The special teams units had another sparkling performance led by Matt "The Hammer" Kalil's fourth blocked kick; Kyle Negrete pinning Cal inside its 20 three times; and Andre Heidari making all three field goal attempts.  Of course, the botched faked field goal was a noticeable blemish.  "You're on ESPN.  You've got to do something fun," Kiffin quipped when badgered by the media.

• USC has played in AT&T park, the baseball home of the San Francisco Giants, once before in the 2009 Emerald Bowl.  The Trojans defeated Boston College 24-13 behind freshman QB Matt Barkley who passed for two touchdowns and ran for another.
  

• Cal has played five games at five different stadiums this season.  They defeated Presbyterian 63-12 in the only game at AT&T Park.

• The Bears broke a streak of 88 consecutive seasons playing every home game at Memorial Stadium.  They will be back in Berkeley next year after the $321 million renovation is complete.

• AT&T Park will hold approximately 37,000 fans tonight.  By comparison, Memorial Stadium will house 63,000 people post-renovation.

• In the Kraft Hunger Bowl (formerly the Emerald Bowl), both teams shared the same sideline.  Tonight, the benches will face each other on opposite sidelines like a typical football set-up.

• The football field fits snugly within the baseball walls, so in the past, both offenses drove in the same direction towards the more open and thus safer end zone.  As far as we know tonight, we will play by traditional football rules and the offenses will drive in both directions. 
  

• The infield dirt is expected to be covered by turf as well.

• Follow us on Twitter for photos and updates of the strange confines tonight.
  

• CB Torin Harris (shoulder), LB Lamar Dawson (ankle) and RB Amir Carlisle are all game time decisions.
• QB Jesse Scroggins (thumb) returned to practice.  He called himself 80%, but he believes that he'll be back to full strength next week.  While Cody Kessler is the backup quarterback, the coaches have stuck with Matt Barkley late in blowout games because they do not want to burn Kessler's redshirt on meaningless snaps.  At the very least, a healthy Scroggins (photo by John McGillen from fall camp) could spell Barkley late in games.
• DT Armond Armstead, who is redshirting with an undisclosed health condition, participated in some practice drills.  "His number one focus right now is getting his degree," said Lane Kiffin.  "He's got a big decision to make in December or January, whether he comes back and helps us win a championship or whether he goes to the NFL."
  
• Lane Kiffin on playing against his Fresno State mentor Jeff Tedford: "It's only fun if you win.  It was fun last year."
• With basketball season right around the corner (USC opens the season on 11/11/11), Kiffin credited Lee's aerial ability to his basketball background.  "Usually, the really good receivers are really good basketball players, especially the guys that play the ball in the air," the head coach compared Lee to Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett.  "The only thing he's different than those two is he's shorter."
• Lee has Kiffin's blessing if he wants to walk on to Kevin O'Neill's basketball team.
• RB George Farmer is ready to make his debut if his number is called.  "If they need me to be a homerun threat, I'll be that homerun threat," Farmer said.  "Whatever they need me to do, I'll do it."
  
• Cal's offense features three explosive weapons in wide receivers Keenan Allen and Marvin Jones and running back Isi Sofele.
• Kiffin on Sofele:  "He really showed up in that Oregon game.  He made people miss, was jumping over them and was playing really well.
• CB Nickell Robey on Jones: "He's the fastest guy out of their receivers.  He plays physical."
  
• Robey on Allen: "He's a big target.  He's the total package."
• Robey said Cal QB Zach Maynard is always looking for his half brother Keenan Allen.  "They have a great relationship and some chemistry with each other, so I've been watching a lot of that on film.  He likes to get it to him a lot, so we're going to have to shut that down."
• Who has the better wide receiver duo?  Robert Woods and Marqise Lee have combined for 76 catches, 1070 yards and 9 TDs, while Allen and Jones have made 68 catches for 1109 yards and 7 TDs.
• Here is Lane Kiffin on the team's final preparations...

• On the injury front, LB Lamar Dawson, RB Amir Carlisle and CB Torin Harris will go through a "good workout" tomorrow to see if they will be available for Thursday night's game, according to Lane Kiffin.
• Several players left practice early to attend classes because they typically do not have Monday morning sessions. 
  
• With limited bodies, former walk-on WR Robbie Boyer made the most of his added reps, which included a one-handed sideline catch.
• Freshman WR Marqise Lee (photo by Jon SooHoo) had a huge media crowd after practice.  He entertained them with stories about his athletic ability.  He admitted that he has enough vertical leap to dunk on an 11-foot hoop, but basketball really has helped him time his jumps better.  "If someone is going up to dunk on you, you have to time your jump," Lee said.
• On Thursday, the Serra trio of Robert Woods, George Farmer and Lee could all line up on the field together at the same time.  "I room with [Farmer].  We're always talking about it.  He's ready," Lee said about the newly converted running back.
• The USC coaches were originally recruiting Lee to play in the secondary, but he wanted to play receiver.  "He'd be lining up at Oregon probably if we had told him he was going to DB," Kiffin explained the recruiting process.  "Obviously, it worked out.  You could notice right away how special he was."
  
• Woods is on pace to shatter the school's single season receiving records.  "Once we find a guy, we're going to give him the ball," Kiffin compared Woods to a star tailback, who gets 25 carries per game.  "If you have a great receiver, the last thing we want to do is to come out of a game and the guy touches the ball four or five times."
• While Cal is forced to game plan against USC's dynamic outside talents, the Trojans offensive line will get a new look from the Bears' 3-4 defense.  "They always have little different nuances with their 3-4 defense," center Khaled Holmes said.  "It's always a fun challenge."
• Holmes will have a defender consistently line up on his nose, which changes his technique.  "You've got to be a little quicker," he explained. 
  
• 14-year-old Nick Garner (pictured) raised the level of media talent at practice.  He has interviewed countless sports stars for his website SportsTalk4Kids.com.
• The Trojans will practice again tomorrow morning and then leave for the Bay Area on Wednesday.  Here's Coach Kiffin...

• The official Jim Conroy obituary from his hometown paper the Ottawa Citizen.
• USC men's water polo is back in the pool after the first bad day of the season last Sunday (losses to Stanford and UCLA).  This week, they host Long Beach State (Thursday at 5 p.m.) and Loyola Marymount (Saturday at 1 p.m.).  Both matches are at McDonald's Swim Stadium.
• Women's soccer has had much more success on the road this season, but they'll face a stiff test in the Bay Area against #1 Stanford and a solid Cal team.
• #5 USC women's volleyball is looking to stay hot in the desert this weekend with road contests at Arizona and Arizona State.
  
• Offensive lineman Abe Markowitz is speaking at an event welcoming Pacific Islanders to USC.
• Here is your invitation to the "Legends of USC Football" event which benefits the West Coast Sports Medicine Foundation. 
  View image
• USC continues to reach out to the local community as part of the "Good Neighbors" campaign.  Click here to learn more and donate.
• Former USC All-American DT Shaun Cody has a web show on the Houston Texans team site, which is pretty funny.  In this episode, he interviews his teammate Antonio Smith, who is a ninja.
• Former USC QB Brad Otton has a new restaurant in Pasadena. 
  
• Gary Klein talks to LB Chris Galippo about the much needed bye week.
• Scott Wolf has the latest Heisman update, which places Matt Barkley 17th and Robert Woods 20th.
• Los Angeles Lakers beat writer Kevin Ding has been covering USC practice for the OC Register this week.  He wonders why Dillon Baxter does not play more.
• Pedro Moura has a fun video series each week where fans ask Lane Kiffin questions.
• Dan Greenspan profiles Matt Barkley who is his own biggest critic.
• Our latest UNFILTERED has video of Kiffin's no-look reaction to Robert Woods' opening TD last week, but here is a cool photo of it by Long Photography.
  

• No new injuries.
• George Farmer impressed his head coach by bouncing back from yesterday's sprained ankle and jumping right back into the mix.  "The third Serra guy that is like that," Lane Kiffin compared Farmer's toughness to Marqise Lee and Robert Woods.  "They get hurt and they just come out and practice."
• Robert Woods (photo from Tuesday by John McGillen) is also nursing an ankle injury, which has obviously slowed his production this year (kidding!).  "We just thought it was too important, especially as a message to our team that here's arguably our best player and he's out here going through everything," Kiffin and Woods chose not to sit him out this week.
• The rain was the story of the day.  The players seemed energized by the weather and the receivers turned the red zone period into a touchdown celebration competition.  "We're just really inventive," Brandon Carswell boasted.  "We're just out here having fun."
• The TD dances included a reenactment of the "Boyz n the Hood" ending, the dogwalker, the grenade and a rain angel.  "It kind of lifted our spirits," said Carswell.  "It's raining and it's like we're little kids again."
  
• While it may not have been held up after replay, Marqise Lee made a juggling TD catch that he secured between his ankles without the use of his hands.
• Bye week practices are usually about young players, but the Trojans already play most of their young players that are not scheduled to redshirt.  Farmer's conversion to tailback continues to be the headline news.  "If we could ever get to where he actually was a real running back with that size and that speed, we know what he can do outside," Kiffin said.  "There aren't many people like that ever."
• Kiffin was asked if FB Ross Cumming was the designed receiver on the 4th down conversion last week.  "He is the fourth option there.  Not way up there on the ladder," he joked.
• As if the receiving corps needed more weapons, Brice Butler has come into his own of late with five catches in the last two weeks.  "Last game, they had a couple deep shots they threw at me and I was open," said Butler, who almost transferred in the spring.  "Those balls are going to get there in the next few games coming up, so I am really happy about what is going on."
• Butler is also extremely active in his religious faith off the field.  He has started up a bible study at the Galen Center Kennedy Founders' Room, which begins tonight.  Flyer:
  New_Fresh_Faith_Flyer.pdf
• Here is Coach Kiffin who was kind enough to provide shelter for the post-practice scrum...

The Ole "P" Suits Up! from foxsports west on Vimeo.

• The main practice field is being resodded, so the team practiced on the turf inside the track stadium (Cromwell Field) and the auxiliary field inside Howard Jones and Brian Kennedy.
  
• WR Kyle Prater is in a walking boot and RB George Farmer left practice early with ice on his ankle. 
  
• Otherwise, Lane Kiffin is hoping LB Lamar Dawson and CB Torin Harris return to health after this week off to create competition and depth at their respective positions.
• The bye week seems to be coming at the right time.  "It's great timing for a lot of players to get healthy and get rested up," Matt Barkley said.
• Kiffin is going to take a training camp approach to this week.  "You have two choices in a bye," he explained.  "You can sit around, take it easy and work on a few things...or you can get better and really work hard."  
  
• The bye week also gives the coaches time to work on solving the defensive issues that cropped up the last two weeks.  "We spent all the 7-on-7 and team down in the red zone today," the head coach has harped on forcing more field goals in that area. 
  
• However, Kiffin is putting the defensive struggles in perspective of the opponent faced.  "We've got to be careful that we're not overreacting to a game or two.  It wasn't too many weeks ago that the defense was winning games for us and the offense wasn't doing their part."
  
• The evolution of Pac-12 offenses has forced USC to up the aerobic conditioning program and use more players defensively.  "Now that everybody is spread out...you've got to play more defensive linemen because the ball gets thrown all over the place and they're turning and running all the time," Kiffin said that the defensive linemen used to play nearly every snap 10 years ago.
• On special teams, the Trojans are vastly improved in the kicking game from last season.  Andre Heidari (photo by John McGillen) has made his last five field goals.  "Coach Kiffin has a little faith in me now," Heidari said.  "We're just building that bond together and it's going to be good in four years."
• Heidari has been working with special teams coach John Baxter on his kickoffs.  He did not have a touchback in the first three games, but he has four touchbacks in the last two games.
• Kevin Graf's starting role was under siege last week, but he and his mates pitched a sack free shutout against Arizona.  "Just because there's no sacks doesn't mean my technique was perfect," Graf said.  "You're always competing."
• Marqise Lee made another eye-popping TD catch today, which brought a sideline explosion.  He's so athletically gifted that even his teammates seem stunned by the things he can do.
• Bye weeks are good for young players to make an impression.  Kiffin noted that QB Max Wittek stood out today.
• Here is Kiffin in his entirety...

• Matt Barkley sets the USC single-game passing yards record.  The junior captain finished 32 for 39 with 468 yards passing and 4 TDs to 1 INT.  "It's definitely an honor," Barkley said about breaking Carson Palmer's record.  "It's a real tribute to Coach Kiffin's play-calling for one and then receivers just making plays.  It's crazy to think about because I grew up looking up to Carson Palmer and he's one of my heroes.  To be on that list is pretty cool."
  

• Robert Woods came up just five yards shy of the school record for receiving yards in a game (R. Jay Soward had 260 yards receiving vs. UCLA in 1996).  "Matt is putting the ball right on the money," Woods complimented his quarterback.  Barkley volleyed the praise back at Woods for all the yards after the catch.  "Two for two for 90 yards or whatever it was.  That's a nice way to start out the game," Barkley laughed about Woods breaking the opening TD after a short pass.
  

• The offensive line did not allow a single sack.  While Barkley, Woods and now Marqise Lee get all the plaudits, the offensive line bounced back from a rough night in Tempe to pitch a shutout against Arizona.  "Our line was a huge component of getting all those yards today," Barkley pointed out.  The head coach made sure to call out the entire line in his post-game locker room speech.
  

• The defense allowed 554 yards of total offense.  "That's a great quarterback with some great receivers," Kiffin praised Arizona.  "We bent a little bit more than we'd like in the second half.  It's just not coming together exactly."  How do they get it fixed in the next 10 days?  "Preparation and not being scared to make plays," said defensive captain T.J. McDonald.

• Anthony Brown relied on his instincts to force the only stop of the second half for the Trojans.  The redshirt freshman made his debut as a starter and jumped the route on back-to-back plays.  The first gamble led to a tackle for loss and the second forced a coverage sack by Nick Perry.  "They put me in a position to make that play the first time and they came back with the same look the second time, but I could see the quarterback was faking it, so I bailed out," Brown explained.  "'SC is all about making big plays."
  

• The Trojans won the turnover margin (+1) behind two McDonald picks.  "The big thing was that we've been emphasizing turnovers," said McDonald, who handed his head coach the ball after each one.  "If we win the turnover margin, we get ice cream.  I made sure to give him the ball, so he can keep count of the turnovers."  Arizona QB Nick Foles had not throw an interception coming into the game.   
  

• Both teams scored six touchdowns.  Andre Heidari made the difference with two field goals, including a 46-yarder, which rewarded his coach's faith to go for three on 4th and short. 

• The Trojans head into the bye week with RB Marc Tyler and WR Marqise Lee banged up plus CB Torin Harris, RB Amir Carlisle and LB Lamar Dawson on the mend.  "It's a good chance for us to find some other guys, move around some rotations and get guys healthy too," Kiffin said about the 10-day break.