November 2011 Archives

• Practice participation report: DT DaJohn Harris (out), DT Christian Tupou (out), S Demetrius Wright (out), S Jawanza Starling (very limited), LT Matt Kalil (very limited), FB Simione Vehikite (very limited) and WR Robert Woods (limited).
• T.J. McDonald (photo by Pierson Clair) practiced fully after suffering a migraine after getting his "bell rung" on a kickoff against Washington.  "We thought it was a concussion, so we went to the hospital and I just had a migraine," McDonald explained that he is fine now.
• Kiffin has repeatedly called Oregon "the hottest team in the country."  To take it a step further, "I don't know that anybody could tell you that there is a better team right now when they play at home than the Oregon Ducks," he said.
• Oregon week brought the usual questions about tempo, tackling and touchdowns.
• McDonald on tempo: "They play real fast.  You are going to be tired.  We just have to go match their speed.  We're a well conditioned team and we'll be fine."
• McDonald on tackling: "They are real shifty guys.  The key with them is that you've got to aim to a point and attack that point."
• Matt Barkley on red zone efficiency: "You definitely can't [settle for field goals].  Red zone is going to be a big aspect...in terms of winning this game."  
• Oregon's offense has been called simple, but there is complexity within the limited number of plays.  "There are so many combinations off those plays," McDonald explained.  "They can line up in the same formation three plays in a row and run three different plays.  It's kind of confusing."
• Barkley changed his tune about the Ducks after watching Oregon demolish Stanford.  "They are well deserving of their ranking both on offense and defense," he clarified.  "After watching tape of them, they are probably one of the top defenses we'll be facing this year."
• Kiffin is embracing the Trojans role as underdogs this week.  "The pressure goes the other way to a team that has a chance to go to the national championship still and we just go up there and have some fun and see what happens."
• Maybe to better simulate the Autzen noise at practice, the Trojans doubled the number of speakers blasting music from one to two.
• Here is the rest from Kiffin including a deeper explanation into the recruitment of De'Anthony Thomas, which we'll have a post on later today...

• Maurice Jones needs to have a score first mentality.  The sophomore point guard is transitioning between a complementary facilitator and a starring alpha dog.  "Mo has got to take it on his shoulders," O'Neill had no problems with Jones taking 22 shots.  "I've got to turn back into high school mode and score more," said Jones, who hit what looked like a game-winning runner with seconds left in the first overtime before a questionable foul call on Alexis Moore gave Nebraska two free throws to force double OT.
  

• Dewayne Dedmon needs to be on the floor.  The uber-talented big man was saddled with first half foul trouble for the second consecutive game.  "He's not there yet," O'Neill said about his center's game.  "Everybody just has to be patient with the guy as he comes along."  Dedmon played only seven minutes in the first half and made just 1/6 shots for the game, but he anchored the defense down the stretch with 10 rebounds and two blocks.
  

• The Trojans will win games with their defense.  Thanks to the Brazil trip, O'Neill's young team has advanced knowledge of his hard-nosed system.  "I thought our defense was outstanding," said O'Neill, who was happy with holding the Huskers to 36.5% shooting and forcing 19 turnovers.  "We're going to grow up from this.  And I think we'll be a team that gets better because of this."  Freshmen are rarely counted on for defense this time of year, but Alexis Moore and Byron Wesley came up with huge stops down the stretch.
  

And 1...

• "We did everything, but win the game," O'Neill summed it up.  Dedmon missed a wide open free throw line jumper for the win in regulation.  Nebraska was then bailed out by a lucky bounce on a three in overtime and then a fortunate refereeing decision.  However, the Huskers were a clutch 17/23 (74%) from the free throw line, while USC made only 12/22 (54.5%).

• The Fake Punt... USC looked pretty flat midway through the 2nd quarter when punter Kyle Negrete galvanized the offense and the Coliseum faithful with a 35-yard perfectly executed fake punt.  Lane Kiffin advised his punter to slide earlier in the day if they called the play, but the former University of San Diego linebacker charged through his tackler.  "I told him there was no way I was going to slide," Negrete said with a smile.  "I have not seen green grass like that since I was playing back in high school."  The game-changing play was green-lighted by Kiffin, but actually entrusted to Ross Cumming, who made the call on the field to proceed with the fake based on the look of Washington's punt return team.

• Marqise Lee... On a day when Robert Woods was held to two catches for five yards, freshman WR Marqise Lee led the way with nine receptions for 74 yards and a TD plus an 88-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the first play of the second half.  Lee needed several IVs this week to ward off the flu, but nothing can slow down his rocketing stardom.  "Marqise arguably looked like the best player on the field today," Kiffin praised.  Lee sees Kiffin's compliment as a challenge: "Now he says that, now you have to live up to it."

• Curtis McNeal... The 5'7" running back is easy to overlook, but McNeal is developing into a homerun threat out of the backfield.  He has rushed for over a 100 yards in three of his last four games and averaged better than 7 yards per carry in each of the last three contests.  The 79-yard victory sealing TD against the Huskies was his longest run of the season.  "The monkey jumped on my back," McNeal joked about getting tired during the long sprint.  "I just kept my feet moving and shook [the tackler] off me and just kept going."

• The Pass Rush... The defense dominated the line of scrimmage led by DE Nick Perry, who recorded 2.5 sacks.  In all, Washington QBs were sacked seven times and never given a chance to complete a vertical pass down the field.  "The pass rush came alive," Kiffin complimented the defensive coaching staff's blitz scheme.  The defense got sacks from all three levels with Perry, Devon Kennard and George Uko up front, and LB Lamar Dawson and CB Isiah Wiley contributing from the back seven. 

• A New Year... "We've come a long way as a defense," said Kiffin.  In the 2010 game, the Huskies racked up 536 total yards to just 244 today.  UW ran for 6.6 yards per carry against last year's Trojans, but only 1.9 yards per rush versus the 2011 version.  Monte Kiffin's current group forced a change in quarterbacks and did not allow a third-down conversion until late in the game.  What is the difference?  "Everybody is being more competitive," Nick Perry said.
  

• Rivalry Game... "This has become a very big rivalry," Kiffin admitted after the game.  The Sark vs. Kiff standings read 1-1 after today.  The familiarity between coaching staffs brings extra drama to the match-up.  Steve Sarkisian is always trying to recruit Southern California.  And just for fun, while the Trojans might be "easier to prepare for" than Oregon, USC hung 40 on Nick Holt's defense, while the Ducks settled for 34.
  

• CB Nickell Robey's late mother would have celebrated her birthday Saturday.  To that end, Lane Kiffin presented his "favorite player" with the game ball in the post-game locker room.  Robey responded: "I'm proud to be a Trojan."

• Down 54-50 in the closing minutes, Maurice Jones sparked a 9-0 run and eventually closed the show at the free throw line.  Jones only made 2 of 13 shots, but he converted 12 of 15 free throws.  "He gets kind of in chill mode some times," O'Neill described Jones' slow start.  "He's going to have to jump his game up going forward.  The good thing was he didn't get discouraged and in the last four minutes, [he] made a couple of big time plays."  Jones admitted to the head coach that he was tired, but O'Neill reminded his only point guard that he will have to play through it all season.

• Dewayne Dedmon's much anticipated debut lived up to the hype.  With Taj Gibson sitting courtside, the next Trojan big man made 7 of 8 shots for 16 points plus 8 rebounds and 3 blocks in only 25 minutes due to foul trouble and a leg cramp.  "I had a blast," said Dedmon, who was thrilled to be playing major college basketball for the first time. "I really like how the crowd was hyped."  Dedmon played to the Galen faithful with a Veterans Day salute after his three blocks. 
  

• The sloppy performance was typical of a college basketball opener, especially with an inexperienced team.  USC had 20 turnovers, made zero three-pointers (0/15) and committed 22 fouls.  "Our guys think this a kung fu match," O'Neill said about his team's tendency to chop down on the opponent.  "Tough means doing the right thing all the time.  We're not going to be brilliant basketball wise right now." 
  

• Freshman wing Byron Wesley shined on the defensive end during his first college game.  He pulled down six defensive rebounds and played lock down man-to-man in the final minute.  "He's going to have to be our Marcus Simmons as time goes on," O'Neill praised Wesley's defensive ceiling.

(CM): Yes. I think my motivation comes from wanting to earn myself a career after college. I really aspire to be a sports broadcaster. I think that would be fun because I've always been involved with sports. It's been one of my passions. I don't want to slip during college and miss out on an opportunity that can get me ahead and prepare me to get a job. I've definitely been a lot more motivated in school and just working towards my goals like everyone else.

Have you felt any pressure as a college athlete since you became a McDonald's All-American in high school?

(CM): Yes, you're always going to have that title of being a McDonald's All-American. There's always some pressure to do well and rise above the others, but at the same time, that was high school. Everybody is good in college. It's just a different type of play at a different level. I felt the pressure freshman year coming into it, but now it just goes away. There are people who are going to do well whether they were a McDonald's All-American or not. It's about the work you put into it. As for me, I don't feel the pressure anymore.

• USC's starting lineup for the opener: PG Maurice Jones, SG Eric Strangis, SF Byron Wesley, PF Aaron Fuller and C Dewayne Dedmon.  Strangis is a walk-on, but Kevin O'Neill wants a "heady" player in the game.  "He's solid," O'Neill explained.  "He knows everything.  He knows all the coverages.  He knows all the plays.  That's something that's going to be important to us."  The head coach is happy with the firepower off the bench in G Alexis Moore, G Greg Allen, F Garrett Jackson and C James Blasczyk.

• Byron Wesley will start from day one as a true freshman.  "I'm really not nervous.  I'm just excited," said Wesley, an Etiwanda High School product who will have family and friends at the game.  "We finally get a chance to show what we can do."  Wesley steps into the wing role vacated by Marcus Simmons, so he will likely be asked to defend the other team's best perimeter scorer.  "Defense is one of my best attributes and I just want to try and shut down their best player."

• Cal State Northridge upset USC in the 2005 opener, which was Tim Floyd's first game as coach.  Bobby Braswell is still the Matadors head man, so the Trojans can expect a steady diet of 1-3-1 and other zone defenses, which will test a young team still learning its own system.  "Every game is going to be tricky for us because we don't have any players with any experience except Mo," O'Neill expects a close game.  "We've got a bunch of guys who are starting brand new, so we're going to face challenges every step of the way."

And 1...

• All four tunnels at Galen Center have been painted cardinal and gold (pictured).

Dewayne Dedmon had the cast removed on his right hand, so he is mostly full strength for the opener.  Here he is on the hand, Sports Illustrated and making his USC debut...

• Injury report: DT DaJohn Harris (ankle) and OL Martin Coleman (shoulder) did not practice.  S Jawanza Starling, LB Dion Bailey (concussion), LB Hayes Pullard (neck), RB George Farmer (ankle), RB Marc Tyler (shoulder), WR Marqise Lee (shoulder) and WR Robert Woods (ankle) were all limited.
• With all the limited guys, the practice field was covered in yellow no-contact jerseys (Tyler photo by John McGillen).
• As the gamesmanship continues, Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian puffed up Matt Barkley by saying he would take the USC QB over Stanford's Andrew Luck.  "Obviously, he's already played Andrew Luck or else he wouldn't have made that statement," Lane Kiffin said. 
  
• Sarkisian also called the Trojans the most talented team in the conference.  "Well that's good," Kiffin responded.  "He lost by 50 to Stanford, so if we have more talent than them, we should be in good shape."
• Sarkisian also backed up Nick Holt's statement about preferring to face USC's offense than Oregon's.  Matt Barkley knows a thing or too about having a quote turn into bulletin board material.  "I don't think anything should be blown up out of proportion," Barkley said.  "I'm not using it as motivation.  I know what he means."
  
• Barkley agreed with Kiffin's assessment that they have missed some deep balls on offense this season.  "It's just timing with our wideouts," said Barkley.  Lee and Woods have been consistently banged up this season, so they rarely go full speed in practice. 
  
• FB Ross Cumming is turning into an offensive weapon.  The converted linebacker made a one-handed left-handed catch in practice this morning after making a tackler miss at Colorado.  "I was trying to do my best Stanley [Havili] impression," said Cumming, who texted Havili after the Boulder game.  "Everyone was hyped.  Everyone was excited for me."
• Cumming's experiment could turn into a future.  He was never an NFL prospect at linebacker, but both Kennedy Polamalu and Monte Kiffin have encouraged him to think about fullback at the next level.  "The more I grow as a player, the more it becomes an opportunity that is available to me," he said.
  
• He has always been a naturally physical and tough person, but Cumming has worked hard to master the mental side of the fullback position.  "A lot of it has to do with the physical aspect and having a willingness to go in there full speed with your head low and ready for a collision," he said.  "Surprisingly, a lot of it is mental.  I'd give it 50-50."
• The weather forecast calls for rain Friday and Saturday, so it could be a mud bowl. 
  
• Here is Coach Kiffin who had some retorts for his pal Sarkisian...

• The injury list remains long, but the outlook is improving.  DT DaJohn Harris (ankle), S Jawanza Starling, LB Hayes Pullard (neck), LB Dion Bailey (concussion), RB Marc Tyler (shoulder), WR Marqise Lee and WR Robert Woods were all out or limited.
• Bailey has not been cleared for contact yet.
• Lee and Woods practiced, but wore yellow no-contact jerseys. 
  
• RB George Farmer (ankle) participated on a limited basis for the first time in a couple weeks, but he is still not full speed.
• Monday is usually an off day, so the ranks were even more depleted by players leaving early for class.  In order to keep going, quarterbacks Jesse Scroggins and Cody Kessler played some wide receiver.
• Walk-on RB Nic Curry used his moment at wideout as a chance to shine.  He made the play of the day on a diving catch that looked a lot like Julio Jones spectacular grab for the Atlanta Falcons yesterday.
• Former USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt, who now runs Washington's defense, provided some bulletin board material for the Trojans.  "We'll be OK against these guys," he said.  "I'd rather play USC than Oregon quite honestly."  The quote is posted all over Heritage Hall (photo by Dan Greenspan).
• Lane Kiffin on Holt's words: "They can say whatever they want.  They beat us two years in a row."
• Kiffin on his relationship with Steve Sarkisian: "It's brought us even closer, both becoming head coaches and understanding what the other person has to go through."
• Sarkisian is 2-0 vs. USC since taking the UW job, but Kiffin would not bite on the storyline.  He has alluded to a personal competition in the past, but "this isn't about Sarkisian or Kiffin," he said.
  
• Freshman Lamar Dawson will start at middle linebacker again this Saturday.  "Lamar is a great student," Kiffin explained how quickly he has adjusted to the college game.  "His approach to the game is really sharp.  He would have played a lot more by now if he hadn't had the setback."
• Of course, more Dawson means less playing time for senior Chris Galippo.  "Just another something else that I kind of have to deal with in my career now," said Galippo, who played well off the bench at Boulder.  "I'm not going to feel sorry for myself.  I'm going to come out here everyday and prove what type of linebacker I am."
• Dawson and Galippo bring different strengths to a defense.  "I've done what I'm good at, the mental side of the game, getting guys lined up [and] being a leader out there," Galippo described his play. 
  
• Dawson is still adjusting to "a different level" of speed and thinking in the college game, but he is a dynamic athlete.  "I played decent," Dawson said about his first start.  "I missed a couple of assignments.  I still have to work and get better for this week."  
• Here is more from Lane Kiffin...

• #7 Gets 6... Matt Barkley separated from the herd tonight by etching his name in the USC record books as the first Trojan quarterback to throw six touchdown passes in a game.  "It means a lot," said Barkley, who was one of four USC QBs to throw five TDs in a game.  "To finally get six is a pretty cool feeling knowing that you are up there with some of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of college football." The junior led the band after the game (photo by Getty Images/Justin Edmonds) and then the crowd showered him with "one more year" chants.

• The Tandem... Wide receivers Robert Woods (9 catches for 130 yards and 2 TDs) and Marqise Lee (9 catches for 124 yards and 2 TDs) had nearly identical outings.  "We really had kept challenging him to have a multiple touchdown game and go to the next level," Kiffin said about Lee.  "Obviously he's coming of age and keeps making play after play out there.  It's a great tandem." The coaches told Lee that he would be known as #9 until his first two score game.  After his second TD, he handed Kiffin the ball and said, "My name is Marqise."

• Beat the Trap... The elements were conspiring against the Trojans this week.  Coming off two emotional games, they were dealt a short week, a list of injuries and a frigid road game, but they handled it like veterans.  "We knew that this could have been a dangerous week," said Barkley.  "I'm proud of our guys on how we showed up today.  We played Trojan football and didn't let it become something that we regretted."

• Regulators...Mount Up!  The score would have been a little tighter if not for John Baxter's field goal block team (known as The Regulators), which swatted away two more tries to bring the season total to six.  Matt "The Hammer" Kalil had accounted for all four blocks (2 FGs and 2 PATs) to this point, but tight ends Rhett Ellison and Randall Telfer rejected the three-pointers against Colorado.

• Next Man Up... T.J. McDonald was the inspiration tonight.  Slapped with a first half suspension, the defensive captain watched Drew McAllister do a pretty solid impression (three tackles including one for loss).  McAllister was the latest model of the team's "next man up" philosophy.  "Coach Kiffin has always harped on if someone goes down, the next guy is going to have to step up and pick up the slack," said McAllister, who started alongside Marshall Jones who played in place of the injured Jawanza Starling.

• The Kiddie Corps... USC started three freshmen linebackers for possibly the first time ever (we're looking it up).  Redshirt frosh Hayes Pullard is a mainstay now, but true freshmen Lamar Dawson and Tre Madden lined up as ones for the first time.  "He'd been playing well and we wanted to see what he looked like," Kiffin explained Dawson getting the nod over Chris Galippo.  "Almost everybody making plays is young.  The future is very bright."
  

• With the game out of hand, several players made career debuts late in the 4th quarter, but none was more special than Eric Childs.  Six years ago this week, he broke his leg and was told he would never play football again.  Against Colorado, he celebrated that anniversary by earning a varsity letter and making a tackle.

• As Lane Kiffin jogged off the field at halftime, he spotted old friend LenDale White in the crowd and embraced the all-time Trojan career touchdown leader (57).  White (pictured) is a Colorado native and was nice enough to take a photo with seemingly every USC fan in attendance.

• Injury report: S Jawanza Starling (did not practice), LB Dion Bailey (very limited), RB George Farmer (did not practice), TE Rhett Ellison (limited) and RB Marc Tyler (did not practice).
  
• The Trojans practiced in jerseys and shorts today without any pads, which is typical for Thursday of a normal week.
• While several players are questionable to play Friday, Drew McAllister knows he is the man for the first half in place of the suspended T.J. McDonald.  "This is an opportunity for me to go out there and show what I can do," said the redshirt junior.  "T.J. has been great since he's been out there and it's going to be some hard shoes to fill."
  
• McAllister is a different type of safety than McDonald.  He's more of a ball hawk, who will read the quarterback looking for interceptions.  "We've been getting turnovers...and hopefully that's something that I can bring to the table," he said.
  
• McAllister is excited about his opportunity, but he feels for McDonald.  "T.J. was playing full-speed and made a full-speed decision," McAllister said.  "There's really nothing else you can do in that situation."
• If Starling misses the game, Marshall Jones would start alongside McAllister.  Kiffin listed the potential new defensive starters, which could also include LB Tre Madden, as his biggest concern heading into the game. 
  
• Bailey got his bell rung in the second quarter and then a hit in the second overtime "knocked me out," he said.  "Concussions are a part of football," the redshirt freshman has no plans to slow down.  
  
• Robert Woods is tied for second in the nation in receptions with 81 catches, but he has never been fully healthy this season.  "That ankle just won't get right," said Lane Kiffin.
• Kyle Prater made the first catch of his career last week (photo by Jon SooHoo), so he's hoping the dam will now break open.  "When your name is called on, you have to step up and make the play," he said.  "Hopefully, there's more to come."
• RB D.J. Morgan is another potential weapon that has been kept in the holster for weeks now.  Without a knee brace, the redshirt freshman has been flying around the practice field lately.  "I feel faster," Morgan said, but he also said it feels stiff at times.
• After fumbling issues cost him his starting spot, Morgan was sent to the back of the line, but the seas are starting to part and he could get back in the rotation this week.  "The fumbles in the beginning of the season taught me a lesson," Morgan reflected.  "I just used it as fuel to push me and go harder and hold onto the ball."
• Morgan is part of the two Lane Kiffin recruiting classes, which have paid immediate dividends for a team lacking depth.  "The young guys are stepping up and making plays and being accountable," said Morgan, who sees his fellow classmates progressing.  "There comes a point when we're all not going to be young and that's where we're headed right now."
• Here is Kiffin on the subject's above plus Jesse Scroggins, Matt Kalil and more...

• CB Torin Harris and RB George Farmer were the only two players on last week's injury report.
• This week's injury report: DE Wes Horton (limited), CB Harris (out), S Jawanza Starling (very limited), LB Dion Bailey (out), RB Farmer (out), RB Marc Tyler (out) and Rhett Ellison (very limited).
• Kiffin elaborated on Tyler's injury saying, "It's not looking good."
• If Tyler cannot play, the burden will fall on Curtis McNeal to bounce back quickly from his game-ending fumble.  "He's our best running back right now," said Barkley, who is close with McNeal and spoke with him in the post-game locker room.
  
• With T.J. McDonald suspended for the first half, S Drew McAllister will get the start.  "[Drew's] made more interceptions than anybody else in our practices, so it'll be a great opportunity for him to step up."
  
• LB coach Joe Barry expects Dion Bailey (concussion) to play, but if he cannot go, freshman Tre Madden will start in his place.  "He's going to be a great player," Kiffin praised Madden, who was baptized by fire in the third overtime against Stanford.
  
• Kiffin on the potential loss of man power for Friday night's game: "We've got to pick up the flag and go."
  
• As for the fines, reprimands and suspensions that broke last night, Kiffin put a period on that storyline.  "I am sorry that all this happened and I have learned from it," Kiffin told the media.  "I can't answer anything that has to do with a call during a game or any conversation that an official has with me."
• To all other questions on the subject, Kiffin said, "I'm moving on."
• "We're sticking up for our family," Barkley described the team's reaction.  "I love T.J. and I love coach and I'll support them."
  
• As for McDonald, he reiterated his statement of apology from last night and his head coach again defended the defensive captain.  "He was down after the game right away because of the impact that it had on the game," Kiffin praised McDonald's character.
  
• The defense has improved in the last month behind rising star CB Nickell Robey, who Monte Kiffin is deploying to shadow the other team's best receiver.  "His heart," Kiffin described Robey's best attribute.  "He plays so hard.  He's just a great kid."
• The game-time weather forecast is pleasant with a low of 34 degrees in Boulder.  The snow is not expected to fall until Saturday, which was the originally scheduled date for this game. 
  
• Matt Barkley will not wear a glove on his throwing hand despite the cold.  He has worn a glove in practice before and described the feeling as "not natural."
• Barkley regaled the media with stories of his childhood playing in the snow at his grandparents' house in the Berkshires (New England), so he is "trained" for tough conditions.
  
• USC has only one more full day of practice this week before departing for Denver.  With all the injuries and a short week, Kiffin explained that the game plan will be "basic" for the Buffaloes.
• Here is the complete post-practice media session with Kiffin...