Discuss The Game

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I pin this one on the turgid playcalling. Why play not to lose? Especially on the road. Play to win. Clearly a game tossed away.

USC has now lost three games to teams it was more talented than. Does that mean coaching cost it three games?

159 thoughts on “Discuss The Game”

  1. Welp, get used to it boys. We’re in for a lot of these types of losses in the next 2-3 years

  2. Incorrect. On SC’s final drive, 3rd down – QB threw it into the ground. On 4th down, WR runs out of bounds. Simple as that. GREAT game by USC. Showed a lot of heart. Biffed it on the final two offensive plays. Sorry, Scottie, the Wolf Agenda is not in effect in this game.

      • Ambivalent, really. I pull for the program – want it and the coaching staff to be successful. So I’m pulling for him, sure.

    • Agree this wasn’t lost on offensive play calling. The Agholar run was a good call and we just didn’t execute – would have put the game away. Offensive play calling throughout wasn’t too bad although I could do with fewer predictable runs up the gut on first down. Defensively though, surely another coach could get more out of these guys and make some adjustments. The bend and break offense is such torture to watch. Not enough pressure on the QB which seems to be a theme this year. And just a side note, why the heck does Seymore look so happy and shake his head affirmatively every time he gets called for pass interference? That guys is constantly holding the receivers. Gotta find someone better.

      • Pendergrast got a lot more out of mostly the same players. The only thing that wilcox is doing right is sending Cravens off the edge.

      • Wrong. It was lost on terrible offensive play calling by Sark. Justin Davis couldn’t get 2 yards in 2 plays? We run the ball and we run the clock down on 3rd down or force them to use their last time out. Then if we don’t get it on 3rd and two we had the choice of kicking the field goal to put it at 7 points and at worst go to OT.

        • Utah had plenty of time if we didn’t make the first. The timeout was irrelevant during their drive. That wasn’t an issue for them. And absolutely, there was a very real chance that Justin Davis would not have gotten 2 yards in 2 carries. He continually got pushed back – 70 – 80% of the running plays were unsuccessful. Running twice up the gut would have been the predictable call, with bad odds for success, i.e. that would have been the bad play calling. The calls were good because they weren’t predictable and the players had the open field to make the first, but failed to execute. The simple fact is the plays worked, and everybody saw that, except that the players made dumb mistakes.

    • If you’re saying the calls on those two plays you mentioned were the right ones, I agree with you. I think what has the Trojan faithful upset is that the majority of play calls in the second half demonstrated, once again, that Sark has a tendency to freeze up in tight games. Here’s a simple way of testing my thesis — Try saying “Sark really knows how to finish” or “Sark sure has killer instinct” without laughing.

      (I agree with you, though, that the players showed heart. They always do. And they deserve better).

      • Why would you pass when you only need two yards and are trying to run the clock out? That third down call was a disaster…poorly executed and it gave Utah 35 more precious seconds that cost us that game.

        • Like you, I’m still thinking about those last two plays we ran. Maybe you’re right — maybe we should have run the Agholor sweep on 3rd down instead of 4th in order to run some more time off the clock if we didn’t get the first down. I know this —Utah was keying on Allen so that wasn’t the way to go on 3rd, and with the wind in our face and a still not completely healthy Heidari, a three point try on 4th was not without risks.

          The funny thing about all this, Goux, is that this team of ours, for all the mistakes and miscues and last minute screw ups, still has the stuff to beat UCLA and Notre Dame and end the season on a very high note.

    • Why would we run a play on 3rd and 2 that stops the clock? Idiotic! Utah doesn’t score if we ran off those 35 seconds.

    • Why would we run a play on 3rd and 2 that stops the clock? Idiotic! Utah doesn’t score if we ran off those 35 seconds.

  3. Sarkisian’s been that way in ASU, AZ and Utah games.
    He got away one time. Time to fire Sark. He doesn’t know how to manage games!!

  5. just bad coaching, that’s it. offensive and Defensive coordinators are morons. That game should of been won fairly easily. Utah is good but with the talent USC has, no problem. It’s really time for Haden to start putting a list together for coaching candidates. Sark isn’t going to be around much longer.

    • I think it’s more like time to get rid of haden. Most of USC’s athletics are performing worse during his tenure.

      • Even if we get rid of Haden I doubt we rise again. The program is mired in mediocrity. It is like a cloud hanging over the campus. That is not smog, it is mediocrity.

        • Wrong. We put out $10 million to take a top SEC or ex-NFL coach with this talent and another big recruiting class and we are a Top 4 playoff team next year.

  6. “You could really tell the scholarship reductions took a toll on the team tonight.”
    – Pete Arbogast
    Ha!! What a moron.

    • exactly. the sanctions crutch excuse whatever is long past it’s day. We have enough talent to beat a team like Utah..it has nothing to do with that. kessler was doing fine passing, and sark decided to force the run which wasn’t working and cost us the game. and also Wilcox’s awesome defense. haha..the entire staff needs to go they are doing an injustice to the kids

      • While the defense wasn’t perfect, they did enough to win the game. The problem was the offensive mistakes and playcalling.

      • They re gassed by the fourth quarter. It is a legit reason/excuse. Feel bad for Agholor. This SUCKS.

        • Gassed? We had the game won when it was 3rd and 2 and we came up with 2 dumb calls by Sark the Great OC and gave Utah another chance to win the game.

          • Come on Goux, K whiffed on the third and two; remember after K’s short, dead quail pass, K looked at his hand like it was the hand’s fault.

          • Sark’s the OC. Hey, UCLA’s has its own ugly OC – Mazzone the offensive.

  8. It seems, for this game at least that the freshmen play harder and with a sense of purpose.

    First Half : Everything you want to see from both sides.

    Second Half: Scrap what you did in the first half, call the same running play multiple times to the short side of the field and call cute plays that backfires 100% of the time.

    BTW…Two great TE’s…NEVER USE THEM!!

  9. I guess El Siete can now say the team is a Hail Mary and a dude stepping out of bounds away from being in the Top 5!

  11. if i was AD, I would be in the locker room now laying down the law to sark and idiot wilcox. either get your crap together, or work somewhere else

  12. I’m so tired of these last minute nail bitting games with USC. Really with as much talent as USC has most of these other teams players would have a hard time being the on the second team of USC, yet we still can’t beat them. If we had a better coach most of these games would be over with the start of the 4th quarter. Sark is terrible and needs to be fired. Might as well get ride of Haden as well. He’s letting the whole athletic department down and has made USC soft. Please get an Elite coach.

    • They have 30 less players than everybody else. It’s amazing that they really should be undefeated today.

      • Seriously? “Should” be undefeated? Get real Sandy boy…both LA teams suck this year. I do like those helmets though.

        • The gleam of the helmets made it hard for our guys to catch the ball. Too much bling not enough team.

        • They should have won last night. They lost on a hail mary to ASU, the very definition of “hail mary” is a game they should have won. And BC stinks. So yeah, they should be undefeated, it’s really not crazy at all.

          • And they should have lost to Arizona, but they missed a short FG, so Arizona games cancel each other out. BC stinks but ran all over you, so NO, you shouldn’t have won. And NO, you shouldn’t have won last night because you didn’t play for 60 minutes. You got outplayed and out coached and you lost. Accept it.

            Bruins got outplayed and out coached but at least finished the game. Could’ve, would’ve and should’ve are weak excuses Sandy boy.

    • Sark will always come up short if he continues as HC and OC. This team’s shortcoming on offense is that it’s not nimble, opportunistic, and flexible. It’s not singularly focused on exploiting what the defense chooses to defend least, and it doesn’t adapt quickly to an unexpected defense or a defensive change. Among other things, what’s missing are “series” variations that are practiced and ready to go, and astute in-game analysis and adjustment.

      There is no one to blame but Sark, who insists on being the OC. In the first place, he’s no great genius. In the second, to be HC and OC is a big challenge in 2014. Sark suffers from hubris. Not content with his good fortune to be over-employed as head coach at USC (no one wept or was angry at UW when he left), Sark thinks he can excel at being HC, and still have energy and time to be a great OC. Yet, amazingly, he’s self-proclaimed non-workaholic.

      And do you think he perceives these inconsistencies? Doubtful—he’s not well educated (grammar, diction), and if he’s bright, it certainly does not show in anything he says. His observations are pedestrian.

      On the other hand, what is Pat Haden’s excuse? He IS educated and bright. He knew he was a trainee, but surrounded himself with lesser men. He took a
      hands-off approach to Kiffin’s incompetence, and then fired Kiffin unprofessionally. He conducted a non-exhaustive coaching search, and avoided strong personalities (although most big winners have strong personalities). When he couldn’t make a super-hire, he reached for Sark (who had not done more with less, and had lost almost all the big games), even though Haden could have bought another search year on the cheap with Orgeron (plus had an option on Orgeron succeeding beyond Haden’s expectation). Along the way, Haden alienated Orgeron by not even having him make his case in a full presentation. And now, Haden takes a hands-off approach to managing Sark, who is shooting himself in the foot by thinking he’s more than he is.

      Haden helped USC with the NCAA, but at this time, he needs to do the right thing and exit stage left. First, he should lean heavily on Sark to stop the OC role and focus on being the best HC he can be. Second, Haden needs to face the fact that he’s just not cut out for the management part of the AD job. Too many missteps. Plus, it’s even hurting his health. He should hire a veteran AD, go back to being a trustee, raise money, give a seminar here and there, and so on. Enough already.

      • “In the first place, he’s no great genius” . In this sentence lies the reason for the current state of SC football.

        Hey Ben, if you could hire a new AD and a new HC who would it be?

        How about Marcus Allen for AD? And i think this name might surprise many for HC. But how about Rex Ryan. He’s losing his job at NY with Geno as his QB. He’s still a terrific defensive coach.He has a personality that will resonate with the kids. He can recruit a QB at SC. And kids will want to play for a high profile coach like Rex. I think he is a good QB away from being a successful coach. And he has a certain presence about him. SC needs that.

        • A tough ex-NFL defensive minded head coach would be the best choice. No more pass happy OC types like Hackett, Kiffin and Sark. Every year there are at least 7 ex-NFL coaches available as well as retired ESPN types like Gruden or Cowher.

          • Rex Ryan, Todd Bowles, Vic Fangio. I’d rather take a shot at someone who might have high ceiling compared to a Pete Carroll ex employee

          • Please, no more hires from the Pete Carroll tree. Pete was great but he tended to surround himself with yes men like Sark and Kiffin and made nepotism hires like Spaulding.

          • Those 7 ex-NFL coaches don’t want to deal with NCAA rules and beg 17 & 18 teenagers to play FB for dear old SUCC.

      • Thank you Ben, but you are a little late. The Cadre knew from the get go what you getting into by hiring Sarkiffian. Sunshine Pumping RAH RAH’s thought they knew better. Even the departed NUBSIE knew the hire was a mistake, though he had difficulty expressing himself without being disgustingly offensive.
        Here’s the problem….Business man O’Haden knows he can’t fire SARKIFFIAN right now because it will come across as knee-jerk and reflect poorly on O’Haden. You are stuck at the Clown School with the Armenian Comedian! Look on the BRIGHT SIDE. Your SIX wins are probably still more than the Basketball team will get!
        Fit Un!

    • So true. On Trojan Brunch they just compared the lose from ahead play calling to the 2006 Texas game in the Rose Bowl

  14. What’s truly pathetic, a USC loss is the only thing that gets bucket off the toilet seat

    • Be careful, ugly are world beaters after that stellar performance against the pac12 doormat.

      • Parading around in the pretty little dresses, while bucket wears his stale baby blue sweater with white stains all over the front

      • UCLA won, SUCC lost. It’s pretty straight forward fotv. What’s your beef, man up, SUCC lost to a better team, of course, with some help from Sark the Magnificent.

        • You’re a broken record and USC owns you. See you in November, in what should be called the toilet bowl.

          • It would be if the game was at the crumbling Mausoleum. Don’t worry fotv, be happy.

          • Still rocking bench seating over in that stadium where USC has more victories in than it’s full-time inhabitants?

          • It all boils down to this – UCLA won really ugly and SUCC lost even uglier. Now be truthful fotv: would you rather win ugly or lose really ugly? Cheers.

  15. yeah we got some tough talk from fans whose team struggled to beat colorado in 2 OT hahahahaa

  16. After watching the game, is there anyone that actually thinks Utah is the better team? Seriously. One bonehead lateral is what put Utah over. And the fans of loser teams are still rushing the field when they beat USC. That says all anyone needs to say about beating USC.

    • Seriously?! Utah turned the ball over on SC’s 2 yard line not once, but twice! It could have been 38-21 if they hadn’t piddled away those two fumbles… Yes, Utah is the better team–not only better than SC, but better than UCLA.

      • So turnovers arent credited to the defense?

        And USC was screwed out of a fumble return for a touchdown because the Pac12 referees are terrible. Also, USC gave up a fumble return for a touchdown on the 2nd play because everyone on offense thought it was an incomplete pass.

        But I digress, Utah won the game. Sarkj showed once again that without a miracle missed field-goal, he can’t win the close ones.

        • Excuses, excuses, excuses, and more excuses. The trolls told you SUCCster’s Sark was a worthless HC throughout the summer.

          • No, what im saying is that using his logic of the utah fumbles, the same could be said for USC.

            USC owns you and the rose bowl.

          • You just refuse to admit SUCC’s HC blew another game and you can’t stand it. SUCC lost – no excuses offered is less painful.

          • I have blamed Sark in almost each comment tonight. You’re a pathetic empty troll who crawls to a USC blog to try and aggravate people because all you know in life is anger and disappointment.

          • I’m not angry or disappointed. You on the other hand sound extremely agitated – fueled by anger and disappointment over a SUCC loss snatched from the jaws of victory. Uncle Albert is very sorry for you but says “get over it.”

          • Owns, what did you have for dinner??? Wheaties with Tapatio instead of milk???

            cause you/re on FIRE, brother!!! you’re BRINGING it!!!!

            #DevastatingCrotchKicks

          • Yes I am disappointed in the loss. But I was referring to your life and the reason you spend so much time here.

          • You are having a tantrum because you didn’t get your way. Your school is located in a DUMP, your football team will win SIX games this year…and you are a FAIR WEATHER FAN who swore “SIETE” was the answer. You also LOVED GOAT BOY in the beginning…but other than that…you are a sniveling CLOWN.
            fit Un…have a nice Sunday!

        • Sark needs to teach the players to not assume anything until they hear a whistle like most Pop Warner players seem to know.

    • Mediocre U OR clown college U. Pick one. I for one am embarrassed to call myself a Trojan.

  17. Terrible play calling. Horrible quarterback play awful defensive coordinator. Losing against a 2nd string quarterback who didn’t start before. NO more excuses. Fire Haden Sarkisian and his staff
    The other great programs have great couches kelly, fisher, miles, saban, urban Meyers and what do we have. Sarkisian. Fire Haden

    • I agree that Haden needs to go before anything else. Bring in an AD that wants to win and will do what is needed to bring in a good coach, not just kiss the NCAA’s butt.

      • It starts with Haden. Terrible coaching move. USC is all about football and he picks Sark??? Knew it was a terrible pick. USC have become a team that doesn’t play fundamentally sound football. Horrible linebackers too. NEVER make a play always out of position. A absolutely terribly couched team. It’s so disappointing to see how USC has regressed.the country needs USC to be viable. It’s a travesty what they have become

        • “the country needs USC to be viable…”
          What have you been smoking? Why are you putting the country’s problems on USC?

  19. Horrible play calling. Playing not to lose. Poor kids, they dont have a chance here…… Wont even bring up BC game…Sark gave away two games…just handed them over…..

    • USC doesn’t make adjustments. Pete Carolls strength was thinking in game and half time adjustments he made. I can coach against this loser. I called 6 straight plays the we’re going to run. Too fricken predictable. It’s time fans stop showing up to games. Maybe the USC president will take notice if football starts to lose money

  20. Wait a minute. I think we’d be happy with more turgid play calling. It’s not bombastic enough when we need it to be!

    Also Scott, a friend brought this up on Twitter. Shouldn’t the automatic review of scoring plays catch the illegal screen? Can someone ask Larry Scott about that?

  21. Has Haden caused more harm to USC football this year than the NCAA sanctions? Not a rhetorical question.

  22. Wolf, is Lendale still wrong for what he wrote on twitter? I think his written sentiments are felt the same way not only by him but by may SC fans. Also, Do you think that If SC loses to Notre Dame and UCLA this season many former SC football players will voice their opinion on social media?

  23. So many mental mistakes by the players. So many play calling mistakes by the coaches. We gave this win to Utah as much as Stanford gave us their win.

    Just terrible and embarrassing football.

  24. Time to turn the page. Season over. Look to the future and give Max Browne the ball. Kessler never makes a play and his talent minimalizes the play book.

  25. I can’t take it!!! Kessler is NOT the guy!!! He’s Tom Brady one game then goes back to average joe QB. He clearly has the weapons but is too slow or overzealous on the trigger

      • you bring up a good point….why not let Maxie play after Cody tossed FIVE TD’s against CO???

        same mistake Kiff made with the Pious Passer….leaving him in to pad stats, but at the cost of valuable playing time for backup.

        #DogAndTheBone

  26. this team is lucky it is not 1-5 right now. We 2 more loses at least coming from ucla and Notre Dame, this staff just needs to be shown the door at t end of the season.

      • Grant had the numbers but Lee had the better generals–just ran out of resources (outmanned, outgunned). In your Civil War analogy, SC could be compared to Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia: talent is there, but leadership and thinner rosters are hurting you.

  30. Predictably Pathetic Coaching! Is there anyone who does not believe that Coach O and his staff would not have done better? More succinct thoughts fall into the “Expletive Deleted” category..

  31. Sark is the reason we fail. He is too busy hiding shady business to work on fundamentals with the team. New recruits should look elsewhere. Don’t come to SC and miss out on a good football career.

  32. See recruits. Look elsewhere!! We really really really stink. No hope for a program mired in mediocrity.

  34. The biggest problem I have with the Steve Sarkisian hire is, the Pac 12 has at least 8 Head Football Coaches that can out coach Sarkisian with their eyes closed. So you do the math when it comes to the future of USC Football. And if it were not for the fact that USC will always have more Talent then anybody else in the conference , I’m not sure if Sarkisian would ever have game success.

    • Fred, UCLA basketball and USC football are often compared (#1 sport at each school, an identical 11 national championships, etc). But here’s the thing: How long does the lustre of “elite” last so that the program “always” gets the Talent? Though UCLA basketball is still a top-10 program (in recruiting, three final fours in the last 10 years, etc), it’s not a top 5 program (right now). And though UCLA keeps landing big BB recruits, I’ve seen a bit of that lustre fade over the past 20 years (i.e. 19 years since last NC). So, with SC football: It’s been nearly a decade since SC won an NC–how long before the “Talent” equation starts to shiift?

  35. Hey Up Chuck, Mai Tai Mix, Ugly rents the rose bowl, just an update, ugly blows chunks on the football field. They sucked yesterday, their entire history, and in the future. You will always be the step child to USC football. Even when USC is down, you guys still suck, and just like belng a clown, you lose again. I am laughing at you guys, ucla, and all the ruin fans. You guys had to go into double overtime to beat colorado. You were ahead by 17 and they came back and tied it. Joke is on you. You guys lost to utah as well. Right now in the standings, just like in life, you are looking up to USC.

    Ucla and ruin fans = moron’s on estrogen

    FIGHTON!!!!!

    • Your lone remaining victory will come in about three weeks against the Mighty Cal Bears. Loses against Wazzu, UCLA, and Notre Dame result in a SIX WIN SEASON. Go eat tree bark.
      There’s a reason it’s called LIMBO U!
      fit Un!

  36. Maybe the most out of the box selection for head coach would have been Coach Orgeron. This despite the two losses to UCLA and Notre Dame. He brought spirit and drive to this team like none other. He would have brought us through the scholarship issues with flying colors. Is it too late?

  37. Why is it so difficult for these Pete Carroll disciples to hire coordinators and actually let them do their job? Remember when Steve Sarkisian said he was going to hire the best college football coaching staff in america ? Then all of his first and second choices for most of the position all turned him down ? Well there is a reason for that, and that’s because coaches want stability,and the top assistants were not going to uproot their family’s for somebody like Sarkisian.

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