Matt Barkley and Jake Locker both attended ESPN's Pac-10 Media Days this summer. They'll face off on the field on Saturday.
When the Washington Huskies visit the USC Trojans in L.A. this weekend, both teams will be playing to redeem themselves for past losses.
Washington’s last game was a painful 56-21 loss to Nebraska which featured senior QB Jake Locker at his career-worst (4-of-20 for just 71 yards). USC’s last game against Washington was a shocking upset loss, courtesy of three turnovers inside the 35 yard line and a last second Huskies field goal for the win.
Washington has had two weeks to stew after its meltdown against the Cornhuskers, led by their freshman quarterback. Taylor Martinez, in just his third college start, outplayed Locker, who’d been projected as next year’s top draft pick before bombing in front of a national TV audience. USC has had an entire offseason to think about its loss to the Huskies, when starting quarterback Matt Barkley sat out due to a sore shoulder.
This week’s game will pit two top quarterbacks – both future NFL draft picks – and their two young, offensively-minded head coaches in a rematch that could once again have an impact on the remainder of the season.
Last year’s Washington team was bolstered by a signature win against the Trojans, while USC began its downward slide with that loss. The Huskies hope a win on Saturday will get them back on track after a disappointing 1-2 start, but the Trojans, playing with a chip on their shoulders from last season’s game, want to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
It won’t be easy.
Locker, despite his unusually lousy showing against Nebraska, is the heart and soul of this Huskies team, and he’ll try to win single-handedly if he has to. He has the tools to do it, too, especially against a Trojans’ defense that traditionally struggles with mobile quarterbacks. Locker has a rocket arm, but he also has 100 yards on the ground and 2 rushing touchdowns.
The Trojans’ defensive line will really need to lock in on Locker – easier said than done, especially with defensive end Wes Horton, the team’s sacks leader, out with a sore back and Armond Armstead and Nick Perry both limited with injuries. The D-line is more talented overall than the Huskies’ unit, and while it’s been tough against the run game, the guys haven’t been able to stay healthy enough to play consistently.
Locker would be a challenge even without a stable of weapons around him, but he won’t have to do everything because running back Chris Polk and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse have been doing more than their share. Polk has 53 carries for 264 yards, while Kearse leads the Pac-10 in receiving yards per game, averaging 112. Of the six touchdown passes Locker has thrown this season, Kearse caught five. The USC secondary surrendered 256 yards last weekend at Washington State; Locker and his receivers should prove an even bigger challenge.
USC expects Matt Barkley, who has never faced the Huskies, to keep pace. Barkley has said it was difficult to sit on the sidelines last year, so he’ll want to come out firing now that he has the chance. He has 12 touchdowns – countered by four well-publicized interceptions – and is averaging 235.2 yards per game. If Locker has an easy day, Barkley should as well; the Washington defense has been giving up an average of 33 points per game. The Trojans should be able to exploit the defense, particularly the pass defense, which should help USC convert more first downs and sustain drives (in the 2009 loss, USC tried ten times but was unable to convert on third down yards).
This game is an important measuring stick for both teams. The Huskies will find out if they can bounce back from a bad loss, or if they’re just that bad, and the Trojans will get a little closer to determining if their struggles so far are areas for concern heading into a brutal stretch in Pac-10 play. They’ll try to prove that last year’s last second loss was a fluke and the questions about this year’s team are unwarranted, while the Huskies try to stay on the road to national respectability. And Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, friends and former co-offensive coordinators at USC under Pete Carroll, will be coaching for bragging rights until next year.
