I'm sticking up for the O-Line, all 204 pounds of me damnit. Jeff Byers moved over to start the game at center, they had a perfect first drive and basically perfect every drive the first three quarters except for the last one of the first half. They pass blocked most of the game, which is way more demanding than rolling over the defense. Booty was sacked once for 4 yards on 35 tries with 1 hurry the whole game. They get an A.

Also, special teams. Grade is about right, but David Buehler is a stud for chasing that guy down and tackling him. They should make him a special pot leaf to stick on his helmet for that play.

Booty's best game of the season? I was thinking more best game of his career. The only other game in the running is last year's Rosebowl and then that was only the second half. Do wish he had completed a couple of longer passes but you have to take what they will give you.

After 3 games Booty has thrown for 629 yards, 9 TDs and 2 ints (70.1% completion rate) and been sacked once.

At that rate he's looking at 2516 yards, 36 TDs and 8 ints in the regular season (with only 4 sacks!). That's more TDs than Matt Leinart's Heisman season!

I'll take it - batted down passes and all. The way I see it if losing a game comes down to one batted down JDB pass USC didn't deserve to win the game to begin with.

BTW, is it just me or have a lot of journalists (ahem Scott) failed to mention Booty's newfound mobility. The guy made some Brett Favre like scrambles on Sat. to stay alive. On one particular play it seemed like he ran backwards, forwards and sidestepped 3 defensive linemen just to stay alive, all the while scanning the field and eventually finding BFD on the sideline for a 13 yard gain and a 1st down.

I'm liking what I'm seeing from him this year a lot.

My only remaining concern is the deep ball but with the way USC is running the ball lately Booty may not need to throw a pass longer than 30 yards all season.

And Scott,

I'm not sure how you can give the running backs a barely passing grade when they ran for 200+ yards combined and only one back (with more than one touch) ran for under 5 ypc.

C. Washington - 7.6 ypc
S. Johnson - 5.3 ypc
J. McKnight - 6.9 ypc
H. Dennis - 3.5 ypc

Anytime you have 3 backs that can carry the ball twice and pick up a first down the other team is in trouble.

Booty Booty Booty Booty!
Solid game, surprising mobility

Fred Davis;
NFL 1st or 2nd rounder?

Sedrick "Bowling Ball" Ellis;
NFL 1st rounder. NO ONE can stop him.

Great game. Great team. And a coach that makes good Roman Meal bread.

How about a "D" for ABC's coverage? That Roger Goodell interview must've gone on for 10-15 minutes. Maybe next week they can interview David Stern which has as much to do with USC ... "0".

The D for the Goodell interview was just the half of it (I couldn't believe how long that went on!. I live in Texas and they cut to the other game halfway through the 3rd quarter. ARRRRGGGG!!

No explanation, no going back and forth for updates, just a switch and all of a sudden Brent Musberger is on.

D-

The D for the Goodell interview was just the half of it (I couldn't believe how long that went on!. I live in Texas and they cut to the other game halfway through the 3rd quarter. ARRRRGGGG!!

No explanation, no going back and forth for updates, just a switch and all of a sudden Brent Musberger is on.

D-

I can't stand Musberger. He needs to go back to figure skating. And Booty does look surprisingly nimble.

I noticed in one of the plays where Booty showed mobility that he had to because Stafon didn't block for him.

I'm just saying.

I agree with the ABC coverage grade! Tim Brant was horribly unprepared, citing incorrect statistics and repeatedly using the wrong names on replays. I've always been a Fouts fan but his high-pitched voice should be doing the color commentary. I'm no Musberger fan but I think even the medicated Musberger from last week was better than Fouts.

They've taken to try and find lots of filler material to keep average viewers interested in the second half of USC blowouts. I get that, but I agree the Goodell interview was a yawner.

I wish Mike Tirico and Kirk Hebstreit would do all our games.

And one more thing, has Lou Holtz ever NOT picked a team he used to coach? He started at William and Mary and he'd probably pick them against USC.

Tyler: Good point concerning the running backs' YPC success on Saturday. Remember, even Dennis would have had over 5 YPC (and a TD) had a penalty not been called.

I don't take stock in Scott's "grading" system. Thank God he's not one of my professors.

BTW, Congrats to Lane Kiffin for his first NFL win (using a timeout strategy he learned the hard way against the Broncos last week)

Tyler quote:

"After 3 games Booty has thrown for 629 yards, 9 TDs and 2 ints (70.1% completion rate) and been sacked once.

At that rate he's looking at 2516 yards, 36 TDs and 8 ints in the regular season (with only 4 sacks!). That's more TDs than Matt Leinart's Heisman season!

I'll take it - batted down passes and all. The way I see it if losing a game comes down to one batted down JDB pass USC didn't deserve to win the game to begin with.

BTW, is it just me or have a lot of journalists (ahem Scott) failed to mention Booty's newfound mobility. The guy made some Brett Favre like scrambles on Sat. to stay alive."

Tyler, I'd say you're partially right. Tarkenton or Steve Young would've been better if you want to talk mobility - Favre just has a couple moves then a gun for an arm. I agree with Booty's newfound ability to extend the play, but for a different reason.

The O-line's protection + running game + maturation of the young WRs + his own increased awareness and have all combined to = a big increase in his overall confidence & calmness. With that increased calmness, the INTs and batted balls will continue to decrease. He's only been sacked once in 3 games, and its the O-line more than his legs - that helps a lot.

And if he regresses a bit under a better rush, perhaps v.s ORE or CAL, the run game is there to pick him up. Leinart had a few games like that too, even in his 2nd and 3rd years.

The rest of the Pac10 better be afraid, very afraid....

The Goodell interview was great. Dan Fouts couldn't have made it flow better if they trained him on how to call a game. And I love the way it worked seamlessly with all the plays going on while it ran. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought Goodell was in the booth. And props to Dan the Duck for finally telling us why it was relevant... because PC and RG are good friends and there will be HGH testing at the PeeWee level next season. Oh, and Kris O'Dowd gets the message that he can't be late for meetings. Seriously, the only part of the game coverage worse than that dumb interview was having Keith Jackson do his live ("taped") lineups. Keith, this is why, this is why, this is why you're retired buddy.

During the Goodell interview I was asking my Father-in-law the purpose for even airing it. I even thought they were implying USC was a troubled program.
It's like that was ABC's only venue to showcase it.

I think the elongated wordage and graphics intro-ing the starting lineups in both ABC telecasts was cumbersome and interfered with the live plays. Why can't they do that in the pre-game or when there is a pause in play?

I believe Tim Brant incorrectly said that Stafon Johnson scored instead of Chauncey and even said something like the PAC 10 Offensive Player of the Week scores. Really lame!

Keith Jackson is still awesome and sorely missed. "Anyone caught wondering around in USC's secondary is going to come out with some free tattoos." Simply brilliant.

BoscoH:
Personally I loved the Keith Jackson lineups. For Coug alum, he was very highly complementary of SC's players. I miss him and Dan Fouts together. For Dan being a Duck, he has really pushed SC. I still remember his comment at the end of the 2004 Rose Bowl when Keith was talking about all the cheering fans and he added, "and not a computer among them." mocking the BCS. Give Keith and Dan a break.

Hey BoscoH, funny except for the digs at Keith Jackson. He was always prepared and a pleasure to listen to every Saturday.

PH55:
No sarcasm intended but I agree with you. I like KJ. I can't stand Brent hamburger. He reminds of Tim McCarver. Speaking of booth and line reporters I also miss Lynn Sawnn which I believe KJ called him Swanny.
changing the subject a bit how many of you agree with the polls? Rutgers better than Oregon, come-on? You can't argue with the east coast gods...

OK, apologies to the Keith Jackson fans. I enjoyed him too, when he was a good broadcaster. Kind of (but not quite) like I revered O.J. Simpson before he carved up two people. I didn't need Fouts telling us how he visited Keith Jackson at the nursing home, spoon fed him applesauce, and helped change his diaper before bed while watching Jeopardy.

All kidding aside though, we all know that Keith Jackson is going to go Roger Clemens and sign up for the second half of the season. Get him back in the booth for real already! Fouts is lost in his Matt Leinart beard, and that other guy is pathetic.