Second Guessing
It's a bit of an esoteric point, but after the game, USC coach Pete Carroll regretted going for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 10-yard line trailing 33-10.
``If I kick a field goal, it’s a different game. I screwed that up,’’ Carroll said. ``That’s something I’ve got to correct. As I look back, I was impatient. But it was 33-10 at the time.’’
USC failed to score but it didn't really matter because Oregon State botched the punt and allowed the Trojans to score a touchdown a few minutes later.
Enough of the excuses. You're paid...what? $3,000,000 a year and you vapor lock in the moment? Out-coached again.
Its amazing to go on all of the SC message boards and see people calling for PC's Head. Hey, they turned the ball over 4 times. It happens, just has not happened all that much over the last 4 years at SC.
People- Deal with it! This team is a 10-3 team. I can remember not too long ago when we would be throwing parties for a 10-3 team and possible Holiday Berth.
Lastly, to all of those, including Mr. Wolf- "A Coach only gets one guess; all other's get two."
Fight On and Beat the Tree!
To John Redcorn:
Once again, if we finish third we don't go to the Vegas Bowl. 1st Place = Rose; 2nd = Holiday; 3rd = Sun Bowl.
So you were at the 2002 Vegas Bowl and saw a lot of hot girls from Utah? Quite amazing since that year saw UCLA beat New Mexico 27-13.
I'm glad Coach was quick to admit that he made a major mistake to eschew the field goal in that situation. SC caught a break with the muffed punt but the defense was holding the Beavers and we would have all loved to have those 3 points at the end. Nevertheless, it was a great rally to come within 2 of an OT. I'm not giving up on this team. The punt coverage was still a major weakness, though, and where were Van Blarcom's deep kick-offs?
The ghosts of seasons past are laid to rest. The past no longer haunts. The class of 2006 is free to find their own identity. Starting Monday! Fight On!
"Thank you for visiting LA Daily News. We are sorry the article that you requested is no longer available. Please search for this article in our archive search."
HOW DO YOU DO! Scott what's with your paper doing the above starting today? "No longer available?" The articles are NOT available at all. WHO NEEDS THIS? Not even LA Times does this.
You had better look into this. I guess your blogs will be next.
The worst coaching mistake was defensive going to the 3-4 defense. We were told before the season started that the strength of this team's defense was at linebacker. Physically they are very imposing. But other than Maualuga the play of the USC linebackers has been average at best.
well hind sight is 20/20
but at the time, I was thinking get a TD too, screw the FG.. I think most people if not all were thinking the same thing at that juncture in the game
I agree that it is nice to have the Ghosts of Bush Leinart White Palmer off our backs.
However, that could of been done by opening up the playbook and throwing downfield or trying S.Johnson or about 100 different ways besides losing a football game. Totally the coaching staffs fault. They played not to lose all year and did not establish an identity for the team.
Yes, they have an identity now...a team full of RB's who fumble 4 times a game and a poor defense and a bonehead coaching staff.
The really bad thing is that nothing serious will be done. Unfortunately we have the head in the clouds people who say they are the "real fans" and not "bandwagon jumpers" who are going to insist that everything is perfect in Trojanville and hey, why is everyone complaining? Everyday.
At this point drastic changes need to be made. Coker fired 3/4 of his staff last year after a year like this. PC should take more control of the defense. Chauncey is a great guy but he is also a fumbling machine. No one even touched him, he just let the ball fall out of his hands. Get him out of there. Try some of the younger DB's. The ones we have now sit in zone coverage and wait for the WR to catch it in front of them. Put sark/Kiffin on the hot seat.
But nope. Everything is just perfect and they are the greatest team I don't know why I am complaining. I wonder how much sun bowl tickets cost?
if you had taken the fieldgoal try - there would not have been a botched punt - a maybe 3 instead of 7 - bad choice...that's why we pay pete and not you !!
Opening up the playbook -- and where has Allen Bradford gone since his touchdown catch against Arizona State? -- is a great idea. Taking a page from Larry Coker's -- which bought him another year, but made Miami's offense even worse -- is not.
Hey, Patrick-
Several rebuttal points for you:
Serious, long term Trojan fans have been surprised by this team's record to date, with an extremely young team battling injuries at several key positions. Most thought that next year is the year that this team really contends. Things are not "perfect in Trojanville", but are at the moment okay. If you don't think so, ask any fan or player from the school across town. The bar has been set incredibly high from the past few years!!
Drastic changes?? I am surprised that you used Coker as an example. Great athletes abound at Miami, and yet they are worse than ever after firing most of their staff.
Don't put the blame entirely on the young DB's. They are told and coached to play in the particular coverages. If you put in new db's, guess what, they will still be in whatever coverages the coaches put them in. If I am not mistaken, about the only healthy DB's we have left are untested true freshmen.
As far as "everything is just great, and they are the greatest team": I have been a Trojan fan for all of my 42 years, in fact, my grandmother attended USC in the thirties, and being a true fan has been passed on from my grandparents, to my Dad, and to my brother and me. My two kids are USC fans. We have always groaned and agonized when they lost, and cheered ourselves silly when they won. I went to UCLA Dental School, but never even considered changing allegiances.
Gee, I guess that makes me a "Homer".........