The USC Trojans turned in what Lane Kiffin called another “extremely disappointing” performance to hang on for a 17-14 win against the visiting Virginia Cavaliers.
Quarterback Matt Barkley showed off a newfound mobility in the pocket, throwing two touchdown passes to lead the penalty-plagued Trojans to a narrow win.
Neither team scored until late in the second half, when the Trojans found the end zone with fewer than five minutes remaining. The USC defense, embarrassing against Hawaii last week, stopped the Cavaliers from getting a first down twice in a row, on 3rd and 1 and then on 4th and 1.
It seemed to be the spark the Trojans needed to snap out of their sluggish first-half performance.
Barkley made a great throw on the run to true freshman Robert Woods, who managed to hang on to the ball despite a tough hit from UVA’s Chase Minnifield. On the next play, Barkley found Woods for a seemingly effortless 40-yard pass, then connected with Jordan Cameron for the touchdown. The 3-play drive took under a minute but the offense made it easy.
Virginia responded immediately with its own scoring drive, going 69 yards in 6 plays for a touchdown.
The Trojans marched right back down the field on its next possession, stringing together a 12-play drive with 1:14 on the clock. Barkley took off running on 2nd & 10; a late hit out of bounds gave the Trojans an additional 15 yards. With 1st & 10 on Virginia’s 11-yard line, Barkley first tried to hit his favorite target, Ronald Johnson, then hoped for better luck with newcomer Woods, but the third time was the charm after Barkley evaded sacks and managed to throw a perfect pass to Brandon Carswell in a crowded endzone.
Looking like a well-oiled offensive machine against Hawaii, the offense stalled a bit against Virginia. Barkley continued to favor junior receiver Ronald Johnson, but someone else needs to step up as another reliable receiver. During the second quarter, Barkley and Johnson, who’d displayed impeccable timing and efficiency last weekend, were unable to connect on several passes that would’ve led to big things for the Trojans.
Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter, when a Virginia punt gave the Trojans good field position and kicker Joe Houston made a 34-yard field goal to put the Trojans up, 17-7.
In Hawaii last week, the USC defense was abysmal, surrendering 588 total yards to the Warriors. After another tackle-free week of practice, the defense again struggled improved slightly, giving up 340 yards of total offense rather than 588.
True freshman cornerback Nickell Robey seemed to get a better feel for the coverage as the game went on, making several key score-saving stops. Safety T.J. McDonald had the game’s only interception – in the end zone early in the first quarter.
The defense began to show its fatigue late in the game, allowing the Cavaliers to compete much longer than expected. Virginia’s offense, in contrast, kept ratcheting up the pressure and fighting for extra yards and extra respect, scoring a touchdown with only 4 seconds left in the game.
USC middle linebacker Devon Kennard said after the game he thought the team’s tackling was improved this year. The defense had an easier time against UVA’s pro-style offense, but missed tackles continue to be a serious concern.
Both sides of the ball were plagued by penalties again this week – racking up thirteen for 125 yards (5 more yards than the Trojans gained on the ground). After Coach Kiffin stressed improved discipline and fewer penalties, the team moved in the wrong direction, giving up yards for holding, personal fouls, and late hits out of bounds.
The Cavaliers also had a big night with the penalty flags, with late hits and roughing the punter calls that allowed the Trojans to extend drives and add points to the board.
The penalties, more than the hit-or-miss defense and anemic offense, will cause major problems if the Trojans can’t get them under control. USC will already face a tough Pac-10 conference schedule; it won’t be able to win those games if it continues to give up more than 100 yards a game in penalties.
The Trojans play at Minnesota (1-1) on Saturday (3:30 EST on ESPN).
