Discuss The Game

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This started out like it was going to be an easy blowout of the Huskies. But for some reason Lane Kiffin crawled into his play chart and shut down shop. He took away Marqise Lee. He made Matt Barkley look like a true freshman. And he robbed USC’s of its offensive swagger.
This does not matter against the mediocres of the world like Utah and Washington.
But will this prevail against Oregon? Or a merely pretty good team?

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  • LovetheCapper

    This all goes back to Haden. Haden is KILLING this ahtletic department. Well, at least the boyz can go to a concert tomorrow.

  • DixieTrojan

    Apparently Sark is getting paid to make adjustments. I guess this is a brand new development in college football. I never knew that.

  • TrojanInMichigan

    Bad coaching on display today, and I’m a fan of Kiff. The penalties, the incredible amount of time it takes to run a play…Kiff does not make it easy for Barkley when the other team adjusts at half-time…it’s like he puts his head down and keeps trying to go with the same game plan. His predecessor was a master of half-time adjusts, even when the game appeared to be easily in hand. Kiffin has not proven that he can calm down when the stakes get tougher over the course of a game.

    Defense showed backbone though, lots of ball-hawk plays. Breslin continues to impress. Williams was getting a lot of push too. But that Sefarian-Jenkins touchdown was a busted play, very odd. Their best receiver and nobody within 10 yards.

    Also, something was wrong with Marqise Lee today. Some uncharacteristic drops, and I don’t think Truffant was the reason (even though he acted like it on every play). Barkley and the WRs were out of sync, and I think the playcalling had something to do with it.

    I do think, at the very least, it was good that Kiff showed confidence in his o-line, I did appreciate that he tried to maintain the running game…interior line played great…Walker and Graf were not good. The call to Grimble was perfect, but I’m still scratching my head as to why Kiff does not go that way more often. Especially when the opposing defenses start dialing up the pressure, and testing the OTs…the TE dump and quick countsand PLAY ACTION calls are begging to be called…Kiff is getting too caught up in his own play-calling….Still waiting for a complete game.

    Colorado probably won’t count if they do well, but I am looking forward to a mostly home schedule. At the end of the day, we’re one W away from bowl eligibility. That means a lot to me after the last 2 years. Fight on.

  • schammer47

    Scott Wolf calls it just like it is. We have a pussified WIMP for an offensive coordinator AND head coach. Did Kiffin ever play tackle football? If so, I would hesitate to put a hit on him because he has the demeanor of a woman.

    AD, get us a NEW HEAD COACH who will hire on a state of the art OC so that our immensely talented players can play up to their potential on offense. Promote Coach O.

    It is easy to visualize Kiffin’s tiny nubbins disappear when the second half clock begins to tic. Kiffin’s play calls become fanatically conservative when it is time to “put the opponent away” just like a women would do.

    I pity MB7, all of our great receivers, our entire offense that WILL LOSE HEART because of their head coaches timid, predictable, harmless play calling in the final two quarters of play.

    Grandpa Kiffin, your defense is hitting on all cylinders. They are a well oiled Machine of Destruction. Congratulations !!!!! Unfortunately, your son sucks. He is unable to PLAY TO WIN.

    Feeling very sorry for numerous gifted Trojan football athletes.

  • LovetheCapper

    47, are you kidding me? GET A NEW AD. He’s killing SC Athletics.

  • Goatboy Kiffin

    To call Goat Kiffin vs. Suckisian a cripple fight is an insult to cripples everywhere

    Goat’s offense is a complete pile of junk …again
    Suckisian offense is ever a bigger pile of junk , that is why Monte’s D survived

  • TrojanPete

    I think the posters above have it correct. The coach lacks a killer instinct. You can’t have one if you are conservative/scared. Up 24-7 on a so-so team and you just call plays that cry “don’t blow the lead” instead of “let’s put this one away”. When you have marquee players, you need to be aggressive. Take chances. And get the play in on time.

  • Trojan Conquest

    Agreed with above, but if there was no holding on the TD catch to Lee, and Lee stops dropping easy TDs, SC wins 38-14.

  • Trojanfan

    Crapper said:

    This all goes back to Haden. Haden is KILLING this ahtletic department. Well, at least the boyz can go to a concert tomorrow.

    Please explain yourself

  • steve49

    It just seems Kiffy does not play the game to win, more like not to lose. Big difference. Didn’t he say something about being in L.A. and having to win with style a while back? Still cannot run an offense. What does it take to cut them loose and play a complete game.

  • Trojanfan

    ^^^^You idiots all seem to forget he coached in the NFL(Raiders)…if you know anything about the NFL you would understand Kiff’s philosophy…enough said

  • 3rdandlong

    Pete (at SC) and Harbaugh (at Stanford and even still in the pros) got their teams to buy into a system and believe if they bought in completely they could not be beat. Lane is a an offensive co-ordinator who doesn’t even know how to teach the mental part of the game. I’ve never seen a team with a more fragile Psyche than this USC team. Tonight and most every night, they turn a rout into a thriller. Their like the closer with a 4 run lead who walks the first 3 batters in the bottom of the ninth, every game. This team is devoid of mental toughness. Lane please read “The Inner Game of Tennis” by Timothy Gallwey. Lane is a great recruiter but a below average PAC 12 coach.

  • schammer47

    OC Kiffin, try this…Spread Formation….Left side WR Robert Woods, left side slot George Farmer/Nelson Agholor, right side slot De’Von Flournoy, right side WR Marqise Lee….MB7 in shot gun flanked by Redd/McNeal. No long snap counts, especially in hostile arenas, MB7 releases the pass in 3 to 5 seconds or hands off to Redd/McNeal for good yardage.

    Result: 4 defensive backs not able to double team Woods and Lee down field on every pass play. Kiff, this is easy for most coaches: make FULL USE of your QB and exceptional receiver talent while they are on the roster; make the Spread a Large Part of the mix and you will put PANIC in the minds of your competitors, who have been and are now OUT COACHING your dumb A$$.

    FIGHT ON !!!

  • schammer47

    OC Kiffin, try this…Spread Formation….Left side WR Robert Woods, left side slot George Farmer/Nelson Agholor, right side slot De’Von Flournoy, right side WR Marqise Lee….MB7 in shot gun flanked by Redd/McNeal. No long snap counts, especially in hostile arenas, MB7 releases the pass in 3 to 5 seconds or hands off to Redd/McNeal for good yardage.

    Result: 4 defensive backs not able to double team Woods and Lee down field on every pass play. Kiff, this is easy for most coaches: make FULL USE of your QB and exceptional receiver talent while they are on the roster; make the Spread a Large Part of the mix and you will put PANIC in the minds of your competitors, who have been and are now OUT COACHING your dumb A$$.

    FIGHT ON !!!

  • Trojanfan

    ^^^^^LOL!!!…dude, have you ever played the game of football above the Pop Warner level?

  • Trojanfan

    Hey 3rdandlong….your new handle should be “fourth and a mile”

    The cadre is in dire need of some new soldiers….plus they offer free ramen on Monday nights

    one more thing….Bucket is offering tips on how to whiten your teeth

  • ELTROJ

    USC “smashmouth football” mentality will be handy in the BCS game against Alabama. Pretty sure USC whipped Oregon on their home field last year and they aren’t the team they were last year. Looking forward to shut up a lot of naysayers when the Trojans roll the Ducks.
    HATE ON and FIGHT ON!

  • BoscoH

    My word folks. You all want bubble screens but can’t bring yourselves to say it. I’m gonna say that the ground and ball were slippery. Kiffin had a good approach in proving we could run for four quarters, on the road, in a ridiculously loud stadium. Sark has a work in progress, especially with his QB. They will be a formidable opponent next year, no doubt.

  • SECTION 12 ROW 52

    Kiffin realizes that a one dimesional offense will not beat Oregon, Notre Dame or a BCS Bowl opponent (or perhaps even ASU) and has turned these last two games into USC Tailback U Training Camp. Painful to watch now, but will serve USC well in November and beyond. Not only will make the O-Line more aggressive, but it will run some clock but will keep the D fresher into the 4th quarter by having fewer snaps to defend.

  • LovetheCapper

    TF, everybody is buying into the PR machince put out by Haden and The Greek. Student Athletes! Athletics, Scholastic achievement and the Arts are all equal. HOG WASH. Sure, Garrett was a crank, unfriendly (to people he didn’t like), not as smart as Haden and whatever else you want to say about him. BUT, he wouldn’t put up with the crap that is happening to SC Athletics. WE ARE AVERAGE! I know, MG hired Kiff. But if you think for one second MG wouldn’t have call Kiff in and chewed his @$$ off, you’re crazy. Haden came in with a full deck. (except for the baseball coach) SC Athletics are going DOWN.

  • Jay#42

    LovetheCapper…nuff said. Except Haden came in with a full deck (except for the baseball coach and football OC)

  • Trojanfan

    ^^^^^Thank you for the reply

  • Trojanfan

    Hey SECTION 12 ROW 52…I totally agree with your thoughts…Kiff is getting the pieces to the puzzle in place, but injuries to key players, like the one to Holmes, could set us back….The talent is there, we need to win-out and make this a special season

    Fight On!

  • LovetheCapper

    Thought: If you were an employee, and you were doing an average or below average job, who would you rather have to answer to?

    Pat Haden, Donald Trump, Mr. Rodgers or Mike Garrett?

  • gotroy22

    tom_floyd knows his football, he predicted this snoozer with three points. I expected a 48-7 blowout but it didn’t happen. Never has SC squandered such offensive firepower…but if we can unleash it against Mr Quackers all will be forgiven.

  • oregon111

    that game was fumble and missed extra pt from being tied…

    but kiffen is clearly just scraping by until the big game – he doesn’t want Lee or Woods to get hurt – or Barkley to get hurt from a pass rush

    but of course, the danger of that is USC could come out flat at the start of the Oregon game – and then be using snaps to try to “find a rythym” on offense

    also, all coaches just want to run out the second half clock when they have a big lead