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Sept. 5, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format 
The No. 14-ranked USC football team hosts Virginia in its home opener, only the second meeting between these schools from opposite sides of the country. Lane Kiffin leads the Trojans into the Coliseum for the first time as USC's head coach. Troy has captured its last 12 home openers. USC also is undefeated in its last 31 home night games and boasts additional winning streaks in its past 17 non-conference games and 13 non-conference home games. It's USC's only home contest in September and this one comes on the very memorable date of Sept. 11. Every game counts for the Trojans this year, as NCAA sanctions will keep USC out of a bowl game. USC hopes to ride the offensive momentum of its high-scoring season-opening win last week at Hawaii, when QB Matt Barkley's 5 TD passes and WR Ronald Johnson's 3 TD catches tied school single game records (Johnson also had an 89-yard scoring punt return). TB Marc Tyler also had a huge game (154 yards rushing) in his first career start, as the Trojan offensive line was dominant (USC had 524 yards of offense). But Troy's defense needs to shore up in a hurry, as it surrendered 588 total yards and 31 first downs (3 Warriors receivers each had 100-yard games). Virginia, out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, is playing its first-ever game in California and just its third game against a Pac-10 foe since starting its football program in 1888. The Cavaliers, coming off a big home win over Richmond, are led by first-year head coach Mike London, who takes over a program that went 3-9 last fall and dropped its final 6 outings. Key offensive players for UVa are QB Marc Verica, who has 12 career starts, RB Keith Payne (he ran for 4 TDs against Richmond) and WRs Kris Burd and Dontrelle Inman. The Cavs' defense, which has switched to a 4-3 formation this year, fielded a national Top 25 pass defense last fall. The game will be shown live nationally on FSN, as USC enters Saturday with 400 live game telecasts to its name. The schools face off in women's volleyball in the Galen Center the night before the football game.
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