Barkley Says Offense Focused Too Much On Lee

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USC quarterback Matt Barkley said today on the Dan Patrick Show that USC’s offense focused so much on Marqise Lee it took away from other skill players.

“At times though we focused too much on him as a team and we took away from other great playmakers like Robert (Woods) and our tight ends who were phenomenal players to where defenses saw that and kind of overcrowded Marqise. He still managed to make plays. I think we could have done a better job of utilizing other players.”

Interview here

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ben-Doverz/1423558008 Ben Doverz

    Since Barkley doesn’t do anything but follow orders, this is all on Kiffin trying to get Lee a Heisman instead of winning games, sounds about right.

    • http://www.facebook.com/gil.marin.14 Gil Marin

      That’s the difference between great and outstanding. Matt, by his senior year should have demanded and use his veto power to do what he knew was best for the entire team. I hope he learned this going forward.

      • Independent_George

        Dream on. With an insecure egomanic like Lamey Boy, using a “veto” power would be tantmaount to Mutiny, and Lamey would go all Captain Queeg on the team.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dino-Marconi/571306734 Dino Marconi

          Kiffin is such a micro manager that he never allowed Matt to spike the ball.

          • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

            I’ve neverf seen Kiff under center. If Barkley had any balls, OR BRAINS, he’d have spiked the ball a couple of times this year. You think Luck, G III, Brady or even Terry Bradshaw would be looking for Kiff? Hell no. BAM! Ball on ground. 2nd down and 30 seconds to get ready.

    • Independent_George

      It’s all about recruiting.

      Gallippo might have tweeted some sour grapes, but he knows what is going on. It’s all about recruting.

      Giving Dawson #55 when he has done nothing to deserve it. Recruiting.

      Getting Lee the Heisman was all about recruiting. It’s also a Bush league tactic, beneath a USC level coach. You sell the school, the program, the team, and individual allocates last.

      But Kiffin knows he needs to recruit like an SOB to compete. Without an overhwelming talent advantage Lane is a Lame Duck.

      • gotroy22

        I though winning the Heisman was part of Matt Barkley’s unfinished business. Why would the focus turn to one receiver instead of spreading the ball to all our great receivers? Calling all the pass plays to one player, Marquis Lee, and creating eye-popping stats would work against Matt. I’m sure Dan Patrick is too dense to have asked Matt that question.

  • http://www.facebook.com/johnsonbryan Bryan Johnson

    Understatement of the year.

  • Ben Factor

    Dan Patrick posed as an aggressive provocateur, yet like so many interviewers, didn’t even ask the interesting follow-up questions (which, in fact, would have been even more provocative):

    Did MB speak to LK about the over-focus on Lee?

    Was MB given complete leeway to change the plays or the order of his reads?

    Are there other ways that MB was complicit in the over-focus?

    Who really cares how and where MB will propose marriage, whether he would wear his jersey when walking around town, if people recognize him on the street, or his reaction to Jim Mora’s not giving “a rat’s ass” about how USC players would fare in the NFL? So much for the Dan Patrick Show. Had heard of it, and now know that it’s mindless nonsense. OK, so I’m a tad judgmental…

    • steveg

      But you are correct.

      • JulioChurches

        steveg is gotroy?

    • gotroy22

      He must have promised not to ask about Inflategate either to get the interview.

  • http://twitter.com/cloudshaman Gene Rascon

    He is a college kid still and a stand up guy. This is all coaching. Kiffin was given an opportunity by USC to get head coaching experience during the sanctions. His realistic job with Oregon and Monte was to fill up the cupboards with the best players and give them playing time. With his track record the powers that be at USC knew he was expendable from the beginning.

  • steveg

    Scott, you keep going on like we have Kiffen on trial. Is MB your star expert witness that will get the school to take you seriously and fire him?

    • JulioChurches

      At least he’s actually calling Barkley out on this blog post. Barkley needs to be called out for his mistakes. He zoomed in only on Lee way too much this season.

      • TrojanFan

        You stupid idiot, it was the defense that cost us 4 of the 5 losses….did you even watch any of the games…..Talk to me Butthead

        • gotroy22

          Not Butthead, but agree that the defense definitely lost the Oregon game. But Kiffin lost the Arizona and ND games with his horrible clock management. We made too many mistakes on offense and finally the defense collapsed at the end of the fucla game. Our defense played good enough to win in the Stanford game but the makeshift OL doomed us.

          • TrojanFan

            The Stanford game was on the Offense, but the other 4, in my opinion could have been won with key defensive stops down the stretch…..Just way too many big plays between the 20 and 20 yard line. All season long the defense struggled to get off the field, you win games with great defensive play, the SEC is a prime example of that

          • gotroy22

            I agree that the defense was not up to our standards but even then we could have won the Arizona and ND games with a more competent coach managing the clock. The defensive collapse at the end of the fucla game was a bitter pill to swallow because we were only 3 down and could have tied or won the game after stopping the ruins. You are right that the defense lost that one even though numerous offensive errors led to the loss. When things are going badly everything contributes to the losing culture.

        • Golden Trojan

          Did you forget about all of Barkley’s turnovers?

          • TrojanFan

            How could i forget….lol….Outside of the Standford, and the end of the ND game(rookie QB) this Offense kept us in games and wasn’t down

  • dtksr1 @dslextreme.com

    Kiffin focused too much on Lee, giving Barley the calls. He focused on Barkleypassing too turning what should have been a balanced offense into a pass first & run second offense that lost 5 games. This playcalling issue is trying to be soft-soaped and it doesn’t wash.

  • Golden Trojan

    So Lee was the primary receiver every time and Matt threw it to him cause he was always open. A four year starter, !st round pick, doesn’t check the D and see a better match up?! If Lee is double or triple teamed, other guys have to be wide open. If he can’t read the coverage or audible by now he’s toast in the NFL. Something is screwy here Wolfman.

  • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

    REALITY: F Barkley. He’s gone. He F’d up by not going pro last year. Thought he’d be the second coming. He was AWFUL. F him. Hope GT puts a hit on him and Matt comes in and gets more experience. Barkley had his chance. He F’d up, not Kiffin. BTW, I’m not sticking up for Kiff on play calling and clock mgt, but I wouldn’t draft a loser like Barkley for anything.

    • http://twitter.com/FatBooster Joe Blow

      Oh, and SW needs to move on. He’s never going to get Kiff fired.

    • JulioChurches

      It’s about time you make a decent comment, BJ.

      • TrojanFan

        Hey Hulio, like yours are something special

        BJ is code word, wouldn’t be surprised if bucket followed up real soon

    • TrojanFan

      All the INTs were a real deal breaker….Barkley deserves this game, let him go out in a blaze of glory

  • UCLA Owns the Rose Bowl

    ND unranked in preseason, ends season #1.
    USC #1 in preseason, ends season unranked.

    Ironic, isn’t it?

  • http://www.facebook.com/charles.bucket.3 Charles Bucket

    HAWR-HAWR!!

    so the trOXans finally turned on the Pious Passer!!!

    just wait till he blows the game against G. Tech!!!

    oh, MERCY NURSE!!!

    what’s next, Kiff apologizing to the wolfman???

  • calexrose

    The whole promblem with usc offense its just to complicated . when you look around the country the best offense are simple there plug and play offenses like oregon ,wsu , ksu oklahoma state it doesnt take 3 years to learn the offense you dont need to be a first round pick to catch a football. look usc got beat 3 redshirt freshman qbs 1 sophmore 1 senior qb.

    • Lyle Raveling

      Been saying this for years. USC does a great job preparing players for the NFL at the cost of short term college inefficiency. However, I would not want it any other way. Where are Darron Thomas and LaMichael James playing today? James finally may play his first game Sunday. because he didn’t know how to pass block when he got to the league. USC is a better educational opportunity for future NFL players than anywhere…and lest we forget that is the mission of an university.

      • TrojanFan

        Last time i checked, USC had the most active players on a current NFL roster