A thriller in Tucson. But also a nearly blown victory. Some things nearly came back to haunt USC but maybe it gets glossed over with a win. Or maybe it doesn’t. Bottom line: USC beats top 10 teams but loses to teams it is favored over by double digits.
Inside USC with Scott Wolf
USC football, Trojans basketball and other sports news
I’ve seen teams blow leads late in the game. But to blow 2 score leads in consecutive weeks? It happened last week and should have happened this week. This team doesn’t know how to finish and it begins with coaching. You can’t get scared late in the game, Sark.
maybe sark likes blow? #everthinkaboutthat? #blowisfun #themoviewascenteredinsouthbay
I’d like to see Arizona’s penalties vs USC’s. There were a few plays where Leonard Williams was being blatantly held but never any calls.
Apparently batting the ball forwards out of bounds is actually batting it backwards.
Apparently if you call a fair catch but then run up and block somebody, you will get a flag thrown on the opposing team for interfering with the catch.
If the ball is thrown five yards over the head of the receiver, you will get a pass interference call.
Apparently penalties can be removed and added simultaneously through instant replay.
And apparently the list goes on and on.
total hack job by anti sc crew. we still win! #wecantstop #wewontstop
Right. All the P12 refs have a secret weekly phone call about how they can scr@w pUSC each week in penalties. Whaaa! Typical entitlement comment. Get a backbone.
Every significant bs call came from the same black official. He was gunning for SC. Little doubt of that.
Anthony Browns uncle? …hmmmm
Excellent display of racism there, buddy. Way to represent your university.
How is what I said racism?! He is black…i don’t know his name…and fyi: I am black!
I can’t see your skin color on a sport’s blog. Nor can the moderator, who obviously agreed with me and deleted your comment.
All flagged comments are deleted. Nice work. If you can’t win a game or have a discussion without putting your foot in your mouth, just change the subject or pretend it didn’t happen.
I’m ready to move on, but if you must know, here is what I had a problem with: It wasn’t that you used the word “black”; it’s the fact that you singled out that one ref and went out of your way to call his behavior into question. What does his skin color have anything to do with it, anyway? (That’s why I posted above.)
As I said, I didn’t know his name…he was the only official who I noticed on the crew who was black and he was at the center of almost every questionable call or non call in the game. He even over ruled another ref incorrectly. The fact he is black had nothing to do with his ability, it is in fact a description of him. He is a lousy ref and would be if he were green. Hope that makes you and the moderator feel better.
PROVE IT window licker…..Who’s your daddy?
fit Un!
And excellent display of lousy football by your team yesterday. Crawl back in your hole, ruin.
If I could double or triple like your post FIGHTON I would, hehe. Very good and spot on!
I wonder what the reaction will be Monday by the new Pac-12 head of officials – welcome to the new job.
You’re right to focus on the officiating crew— after all, their screw ups have the potential to change the outcomes of games. But, did anyone else notice that the anti- USC bias extended to the broadcasting booth? Virtually every time a penalty was called the guys in the booth commenced explaining what the Trojans did wrong. Given the number of penalty yards being assessed to the Trojans this wasn’t a bad working assumption (as Lou Holtz used to say, the officiating crew only deserved half a paycheck since they were only watching one team)—- but it was more than a little odd when the commentators went on insisting USC was in the wrong, and SHOULD have been flagged, on those rare occasions when the call actually WENT THE OTHER WAY.
Good grief, we won thanks to their field goal kicker choking so let’s enjoy getting a break for once instead of whining.
Had the refs called a professional, fair game, USC would not have needed a blown FG to win it.
It’s not whining, buddy.
It is a serious issue that has plagued the Pac12 for as long as I can remember.
And it has only gotten worse. Larry Scott needs to put up real money for real officials, otherwise we will continue to see games decided by the officiating.
Luckily, USC overcame the officials in this one and I am very happy about the win.
I’m eating crow. Pick Wildcats. Congrats to the Trojans. Did anyone see Mora and Ulbrich going at it on the sidelines after Oregon scored on the screen play.
eat it eat it eat it. u and petros!
Also saw Vanderdoesnt throwing punches. #dirtybruins
That not good. No discipline from the player or the DC.
Vanderliar must be connected high up. He gets free transfer, out of jail nods and can punch at will when the play is over. Nice gig if you can get it. Thug city.
Whaah. The Bruins are mean. They hit really hard. And like your #56 wasn’t being a thug last night against AZ? Please. (And no, I don’t agree with what Vanderdoes did–and he should be suspended for one game.)
#bruintears #bruintears #bruintears #bruintears
One common opponent, ASU, nuff said.
One more thing should be said. Who’s currently leading the Pac 12 South? …
Boo Hoo. Another Mora boot licker drinking his Kool Aid.
f ucla is going down to the cellar. You won’t even qualify for a bowl game.
Wow, really??? Dang, so what you’re saying is, we will be no better than 1-5 the rest of the year eh?? FML!!!
2-4
Well that sucks, who will UCLA lose to?
Cal, AZ, USC and Stanford
Not Cal. Cal’s gosh-awful. UCLA will beat Cal. The others are 50-50 propositions
Looking at f ucla’s schedule I see 4 more loses coming their way: Cal, AZ, USC and Stanford
Interesting
No wonder u spend so much time over here; you must get tired of choking every year; you want to be around a real team.
I see this team 10 pts from being undefeated, they play like they are thin but will be a lot more confident as the numbers fill in – I am impressed overall since this is the height of a sanction depleted roster. Anybody who says this team would not be better with 30 more scholarship players is dumb.
It will only get better.
FIGHT ON
I see a lucky team that should be 2-4 if not for s*****y kickers who couldn’t make an easy field goal of their life depended on it.
If anyone would know about lousy kickers, it would be UCLA fans. …
If anyone knows lousy period.
This is one of the few comments on this board that I fully agree with.
Hahahahahaha. Loser. Hahahahahaha
Huh. Cuz I see pUSC being one kicker’s choke away from 3-3. Oh, and let’s not forget the terrible “chop block call” against Stanford that cost them their game against you. One terrible kicker and one terrible Pac-12 ref away from being 2-4. Make sure you keep whistling as you saunter past the graveyard…
Or conversely, a single defensive effort vs an unlikely Hail Mary and one quarter’s worth of defense against the run from being undefeated.
30 more scholly players will cure all ills – time is on the side of SC
As for Ruins, well they had their chance – it’s gone, the train left the station – Quack! Quack!
SC is an average FBS team with a patchwork line, leaky D, and depth issues. You are fortunate to be 4-2. If Siete wins 8 regular season games it will be a great accomplishment: You will lose 1 of 2 of the following games: Utah on their home turf, or a much better ND team; you will also lose 2 of the 4 following games: your terrible secondary is going to get scorched by the nation’s #1 passer in the Pallouse in rainy, cold November, and by Cal (with the third best passing O nationally), you have to play a deeper UCLA team (away), with a QB you’ve never beaten; or a surging Washington team. 7-5 most likely, 8-4 if your luck continues (i.e., opposing kickers choke and terrible chop-block calls are made against opponents). The only sure win on your schedule is the Snuffaloes this weekend. But then again, you did manage to lose to BC…
I’m thinking Win out, Own the Rose Bowl.
#AnythingCanHappen
Okay, Homer. The bottom line is that neither the Bruins or Trojans are great teams. Both will finish 7-5 or 8-4. Hey, at least you don’t have to get spanked by Oregon and Washington–those two losses will come next year for you.
Listen, please don’t try and pull me into the depths of your misery as a bRuin fan – we are nothing alike – Trojans are great.
I’m seeing 12-2
So Scottie. …none of your typical whining that USC couldn’t cover the spread?….you took Arizona and the points, didn’t you? …I thought so. ..
nice to wake up and see the boys won one…I live east coast time now after 61 yrs born and raised in So.Cal so I fell to sleep …like last week,they deserved to win ,and this time did, to the last second….
Deserve to win ? Uh no, they won bit didn’t deserve it, watch the replay. The refs were bad, what do you expect from the Pac 12, but Arizona shot themselves in the foot time after time, it could have been ugly.
It’s called the “record” button on your remote control. Yale, you didn’t actually go to Yale–did you?
the DVR button was used…yes I will watch it ,I was commenting not watching it live and finding out they played well enough to win…but I thank you for reminding me…
Hahahahahaha. The ucla trolls whine on! No Heisman. No Div. No Pac 12 Champ. No playoff. No NC. Hahahahahaha
No bowl period. They’ll lose at Cal next week.
What’s a “bowl period”? And I’m glad the odds-makers don’t agree with you: Opening line has UCLA favored by 7.5. Homer on!
Aw, come on Trojan 3.0. Did you get banned again and have to open your twelfth email account?
I am very glad we won and the team played well. I am also glad the Arizona kicker missed an easy field goal and bailed Wilcox out.
It appears that Sark does not coach to win at the end of the game. Its always the same. Run the ball two and sometimes three times. Or throw the ball side ways or behind the line. The Trojans have very good receivers, why not use them. And what about our tight end. Do we have one. If not just put in another lineman. Use the tight end.
Why isn’t Farmer getting the ball more? I like Juju but Farmer dusted DAT in 100m in high school.
Why does Sark insist on throwing to the side when he has the best downfield passer in college football. Kessler is deadly when he throws the medium distance downfield pass, he has the line to protect him, yet Sark wants to go Kiffen style and not use Kessler to the best of his ability. Wake up Sark.
“The best downfield passer in college football.” Please just stop; now you are thoroughly embarrassing yourself. I think a few guys–such as Petty, Halliday, Goff, and about a dozen other guys–might have something to say about that. Cody Kessler isn’t the “best” QB in any category. Hilarious!
Strange, crazy fun year in college football. The entire state of Mississippi must be drunk.
Very fun watching Saban look at Kiffin in disgust while the Kiffer has that horrible whiny look on his face.
USC is right where it belongs. Glad Arizona choked a victory over to them. Buck Allen and USC’s DL really came to play.
PAC-12 refs are a disgrace. I’m very surprised the Arizona kicker didn’t get another chance to beat the Trojans with a fake touching call. These refs are literally capable of anything. Amazing that they make so many bad calls – yet completely miss so many others. I didn’t know it became legal to hold Trojan DLs!
Given his love of soccer, the Wolfman must have enjoyed the Arizona kicker’s absurd flop at the end of the game. The kid really tried to sell it.
Yup, the officiating reminds me of old time TV wrestling matches or “Roller Derby”.
Here’s another possible observation for vetting: In last two or more games Kessler tries to finesse all his passes instead of zinging some of them when needed. So his passes arrive a split second late and that throws the receivers off who are already turning to go upfield and then drop the pass. Nelson Agholor often expects the ball a split second sooner as does Darreus Rogers. Kessler is a very good game manager but appears to need to learn when to zing the ball to the receiver and when not to. His one interception last night also appeared to be another subtly slower ball thrown into tight coverage. During the Stanford game last year Kessler was slinging the ball which is why he was successful in tight coverage. Am I wrong in this perception?
A couple of thoughts…
This is not a great football team. There are some great players–Su’a Cravens, Hayes Pullard, definitely Leonard Williams. On the offensive side, Cody Kessler is so much better this year and the accuracy of his throws is impressive. Agholor is a great complimentary receiver but the team suffers from a lack of a legit deep threat. Juju will get there but his route running is just not sharp. Buck is a heck of a runner but needs to O line to create holes…and it’s just too inconsistent.
The play calling had its moments–both of Buck’s long TD runs were great counter plays. But Sark gets so damned conservative in key moments (and thought the 4th quarter) that if he keeps it up, I’ll have to finish each game stinking drunk to get through it.
The Pac -12 (especially the South) is just better too. This is not the conference from a decade ago. Parity is here.
USC could be 6-0 and could easily be 2-4. It’s not a great team. They escaped a game they desparately tried to give away. Sark is not up to the task right now. I’m not ready to dump him because good programs pick their guy and go with it. But unless he grows into the role, we will be talking about the next coach around 2016 or 2017. Sark is wasting all that talent. So as a fan, I have no choice but make sure the bar is fully stocked.
Other than that choke job by the AZ kicker, you guys would be 3-3. And other than the choke job by UCLA’s kicker vs UT, the Bruins would be 5-1. Actually, it’s better for UCLA that pUSC beat the Mildcats: gives them one P12 loss, which means when we beat AZ, and then beat pUSC on 11/22, we will, once again, win the P12S. Thanks, troggies, from the (still) superior program crosstown!
This is nonsense. How can a kicker vs UT have anything to do with losses to Utah and Oregon?
I know you are just trolling, but it would be nice if you tried.
UT as in University of Utah (i.e., UT state abbreviation, not University of Texas). Our kicker missed not one, but TWO last-second field goals that would have won the Utah game for UCLA. Make that FG vs Utah (had the distance, but was a foot to the right), and the Bruins would be 5-1 instead of 4-2.