The USC Trojans travel to Minnesota this weekend to face a Golden Gophers team still reeling from a loss to FCS South Dakota. The Trojans are hoping to improve to 3-0, while the Gophers are struggling not to fall apart just days after wide receiver Connor Cosgrove, son of defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove, was diagnosed with Leukemia.
The big question in the game is which teams will show up? Will USC bring the powerful offense but shaky defense it took to Hawaii, or last week’s team that was mediocre on both sides of the ball? Will the Golden Gophers pull together as a team and come in fired up and ready to bounce back after last week’s embarrassing loss, or will they let the Trojans kick them while they’re down?
Both squads come into the game with something to prove. Minnesota will attempt to redeem itself after squeaking by Middle Tennessee State only to be shocked at home the next weekend by South Dakota in a 41-38 loss. USC brings a shaky 2-0 record to the Twin Cities, looking to combine its offensive production from week one in Hawaii with the more solid defense that showed up against Virginia.
At Hawaii, USC’s offense exploded for more than 500 yards, including a record-setting 5 touchdown performance from QB Matt Barkley, but the defenders looked like they’d never tackled anyone in their entire lives (they hadn’t, at least not in preseason practices) as they gave up 488 yards.
Last week against Virginia, the defense seemed to finally hit its stride. The 340 yards the Cavaliers gained would’ve been unacceptable just a few years ago, but it was a big step in the right direction for the young Trojans defense. Too bad the offense couldn’t seem to find a rhythm. Matt Barkley threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns, but he and receiver Ronald Johnson just weren’t “on” like they were in Hawaii.
USC Quarterback Matt Barkley
Like USC, Minnesota has a young secondary. It will get a boost this week with the return of safety Kyle Theret after he served a two-game suspension for a drunk driving offense, but with so many new starters on a Gophers defense that has just one sack in two games, Barkley should have plenty of time to find his receivers downfield.
Johnson will continue to be the go-to guy for Barkley, but talented true freshman Robert Woods is emerging as another solid option. Opposing defenses won’t be able to focus solely on Johnson, as they did with Damian Williams, Barkley’s main target last year. And if Barkley and RoJo are out of sync again like they were against Virginia, the Trojans can try to go to Woods instead.
It will be important for the Trojans to establish the running game early, to help alleviate some of the pressure on the defense, which will hopefully cut down on both the penalties and the fourth-quarter fatigue that plagued the D in the first two games.
Minnesota’s defense also struggled in its first two games, but the offense has been efficient, bolstered by a solid O-line and a quarterback, Adam Weber, who is the second-most experienced quarterback in the nation this season. Weber leads the Gophers in career records for completions and attempts and will take sole possession of the record for touchdowns with his next TD pass.
Just as Barkley will try to go after Minnesota’s secondary, look for Weber to pit his experienced arm against the Trojans’ D. The difference is that Barkley has had excellent ball control this season, while Weber has lost two fumbles and, in addition to his other school records, also holds the record for interceptions. The Trojans defense has been disappointed by the lack of turnovers it caused thus far in 2010; it’ll have a good chance to change that this weekend against Weber and the Gophers.
The other thing that absolutely must change for the Trojans? Lane Kiffin won’t say it anymore, but everyone knows penalties have been an enormous problem this season. Frustration and fatigue are factors when it comes to heavily-penalized teams, but USC can’t afford to give away extra yards.The players want to go 13-0 this season; it’s a tall order, but it’ll be nearly impossible if they don’t clean up their act. Kiffin fumed about his team’s lack of discipline after the first game, but USC racked up even more penalties against Virginia. It’ll be interesting to see if Kiffin’s silent treatment when it came to penalties this week will do the trick. Third time’s the charm, right?
