USC-Arizona Report Card

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Here are the grades for the upset in Tucson

RESULT: Arizona 39, No. 10 USC 36

RECORD: 6-2, 4-2

WEEK 8 GPA: C

 

QUARTERBACK

 

Almost 500 yards passing but many key misses in critical situations.

 

C+

 

RUNNING BACKS

 

Two fumbles and not much to remember against below-average defense.

 

C

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

 

Marqise Lee makes everything better. Except the playcalling.

 

A+

 

OFFENSIVE LINE

 

Early personal foul by Max Tuerk showed things did not change much.

 

C+

 

DEFENSIVE LINE

 

Backup QB handed off seven straight times to tailback to gobble nearly 4 minutes.

 

C-

 

LINEBACKERS

 

See defensive line comment above.

 

D+

 

DEFENSIVE BACKS

 

There really is no answer at the second cornerback position.

 

D-

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

 

USC did not invent special teams. It only acts like it did. And few like it.

 

B-

 

COACHING

 

Lane Kiffin might spike ball if he ever looked away from his play chart.

 

F

 

 

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  • Golden Trojan

    No half time adjustments on either side of the ball. Most penalties in
    college football. Fumbles and Interceptions. Inability to line up properly on offense or special
    teams. This is an inability to recruit talent that also have a brain
    and a coaching staff that can’t instill discipline. Kiffin may be a decent Offensive Coordinator but not Head Coach material. We will suffer a
    lot of games like this one before Kiffin is fired, including the next one. 2012 will look like the 2010 season, maybe worse.

  • sculptor

    When Tedford gets fired do you think Lane would “trust” him as offensive co.

    • Ben Factor

      Tedford is an interesting idea for SOME position. Good thinking. He mentored Kiffin before. I think Kiffin needs help with the breadth of the HC job. Tedford has a lot of experience.

  • QueenKiff

    QB grade should be an F. A Capitol, Flying F. The credit to Barkley’s passing yards should all go to Lee. Anything more is like the kid that gets an A on his science project even though his partner did all the work.

    • Ben Factor

      I think you’re too harsh. Barkley did a lot right. Scott has it correct–”key misses in critical situations”, leading to the second interception and two missed TDs.

      As solid a guy as Matt is, and as many talents as he has, he has not proven to be a clutch player or truly elite player in close games, especially in what Magic Johnson refers to as “winning time.” Never mind Joe Montana or John Elway. Leinart had a material edge there. Yes, there are exceptions on MB’s resume, but sadly, exceptions prove the rule. More often than not, MB doesn’t show that quality. I think Kiffin knows it, too. That’s really why he would rather rely on the defense at the end, if he can

      Certainly, Matt is not above average if rushed hard. But even when given time, he misses a little too much, which accounts for too many incompletions, about half of his interceptions, and reduced YAC on some completions. It’s not just us USC fans; pro scouts question his accuracy.

      And his consistency does seem to have regressed this year from the 2nd half of last year. I’m not sure what happened. It’s counter-intuitive, but it sure looks to have occurred.

      Being a business person, I feel bad for the guy. He should have taken the money. As did so many fans and pundits, Matt mistook his hot run for a general uptick in his skills. That uptick just wasn’t sustained.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Ilovethecapper John Johns

    Athletic Director F