USC Report Card
Here are the grades for the Oregon State game.
RESULT: Oregon State 36, USC 7
RECORD: 7-4, 4-4
WEEK 11 GRADE: D+
QUARTERBACK
Matt Barkley's injury did not excuse an awful first-half performance and some really bad decisions.
F
RUNNING BACKS
Only C.J. Gable ran with any sense of purpose while Marc Tyler and Allen Bradford battled injuries.
D+
WIDE RECEIVERS
With Robert Woods ailing, no receiver caught more than three passes.
C-
OFFENSIVE LINE
Other than assorted penalties and sacks, the line did a pretty good job.
F
DEFENSIVE LINE
Jurrell Casey, DaJohn Harris and Armond Armstead each made eight tackles.
B-
LINEBACKERS
Devon Kennard filled in gamely for Chris Galippo but deserves to go to back to the defensive lineh.
C
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Ironically, the secondary's best effort (154 yards passing) came in the Trojans' worst game of the season.
B-
SPECIAL TEAMS
Oregon State successfully faked punt. Just like Virginia.
C
COACHING
Lane Kiffin reassured no one that he was a better choice than Mike Riley. P.S. Here come the archrivals!
F
Wow, Scotty actually gave out better grades than I would have. There's a first time for everything I suppose. I would've given Fs across the board. God, I still feel like puking every time I think of that game.
In other news, unrelated to this post, here is a link to a story on ESPN where they go into more detail on the Baxter situation (with quotes from Mr. Egan) if anyone is interested:
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5836913
SC seemed to be controlling the game the first few possessions. I really think overturning the first down on the fourth down make was huge. If we get that, we have first and ten at the OSU 20 yard line with a good chance to score. Instead, the Beavs got the ball back and it deflated the team a bit. I've never seen a call get reversed without the benefit of an obvious line to make (i.e. if the first down marker was right on the 20). That they overturned the spot was baffling. That Marc Tyler was unable to bowl his way for a first down was even more baffling. It looked like a first down for sure until the linebacker came up and stuffed it. I think if Tyler spins a bit right there, it goes for a first down.
I liked what Kiffin was doing with the uptempo offense though. I know it didn't work most times, but I thought it was the right move to go no huddle and get quick to the line. Oregon does this very well and it works for them. Part of their success comes from everyone executing their assignment well and some of their success comes from having good players, but a lot of it comes because they have the defense off-balance. I think if SC works on this more over the next few years, it could become a nice complementary piece to the championship puzzle. They just need to make sure they execute at a high level; because getting the defense off balance is only part of it.
If we beat ND and ucla, I will consider this season a success. Anything short of that, however, and this season will be a flop.
A little tough to give a defensive line a B- when you can see gaping running lanes for Rodgers time and again.
The offensive line, that has been playing so well, really turned in a horrible performance. That was gawdawful AND they got their QB hurt. Not that it mattered. Barkley stunk too.
Kiffin? Where do I start. This guy is a flop. Oregon State in Corvallis is worth circling on the schedule two years in advance. The same thing that happened in '08 happened again. Coming off a big win (then it was a blowout of Ohio State) and heading up north, the team practices flat, plays flatter. There is absolutely no excuse for this to happen time and again.
Lane Kiffin should be given an "A" for his response to the team's performance, "I'm shocked"! Lane Kiffin, there for, should be given an "F" for believing he prepared this team to compete with a lesser talented and lesser 1st string players on the field team like OSU and get dominated. Have I made myself perfectly clear? By the way, does sunshine still expect to get paid in full for last week's work?
I just read BBPeps13's post.
I don't know the "letter of the (ncaa) law." but doesnt someone who is a registered agent driving around campus in a golf-cart with his agency's logo on the cart -- a "lack of institutional control."
sc is a private school -- does a student have a legal right to drive a golf cart around campus with his company's logo on it???
something doesn't make sense here.
How do you stop a student from attending classes? I'm sure the compliance office wishes they could expel the moron, but being a free country, I'm pretty sure they cannot.
Of course, I don't know why he's allowed to drive a golf cart around school. I've never seen students rolling around in golf carts, Van Wilder style - but maybe that's the norm now. If it's not, they ought to confiscate the darn thing and make it clear that his life will be eminently more unpleasant if he continues to "talk" to players.
Hey Scottie, it's a good thing you aren't graded.
UGLY coaching on both sides of the ball. I am not going to even comment on the OJT OC. But the DC is old enough to know better. He needs to get rid of the that "Cover Who" defense. Its a full time prevent defense that only prevents you from winning. In addition, he needs to get rid of those awful unbalanced defense alignments. WTF! They just begged OSU to go to the opposite side and they did. The defense, prior to the snap, at times looked like a 1932 Charlie Chan fire drill movie. I can't believe that its finally time for the Domers to light us up. WTF! Lets go with MM he looks like a "gamer". Plus he deserves a start before leaving USC. I can't think of a better tribute for a six year senior. If I have to travel to a losing game, I'd rather see something different than Barkleys lame ass passes in the flat.
Fight On!
The Donkey says the performance was unacceptable.
Scott Wolf = F
Amateur