USC has 99 problems, and kicker Joe Houston is only one.
The Trojans’ defense, ranked 99th in the nation, is just as much, if not more, of a concern.
And this week’s opponent, a surprisingly tough Stanford team, is looking to add injury to the insult of last year’s win over the Trojans at the Coliseum. The Cardinal beat the Trojans, 55-21, last season, and Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh poured salt in USC’s wound by deciding to go for two when the score was already 48-21 in their favor. Pete Carroll was not amused, “What’s your deals?” were exchanged at midfield, and the stage was set for the 2010 rematch in Palo Alto.
Both teams are 4-1, but the numbers are deceiving. USC hasn’t dominated any opponent except Washington State, while Stanford dominated everyone except Oregon. The Trojans won four games in spite of their defense, which is ranked 99th overall but 116th against the pass and has given up an average of 418 yards per game. Like USC, Stanford’s strength lies in the offense, not the defense, but at least the Cardinal shut out UCLA the week before the Bruins beat Texas in Austin.
Both teams are also coming off stinging losses. Stanford gave up a 28-point lead to lose to Pac-10 front runner Oregon, 52-31. USC couldn’t hold off former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian and the Washington Huskies, losing 32-31 on a last second field goal.
Had USC’s defense ma
naged to tackle Huskies QB Jake Locker at any point, or had the offense capitalized on just more possession, Trojans kicker Joe Houston might not have been in position to win or lose the game (and had UW’s Erik Folk not made his kick as time expired – for the second year in a row) and his miss would’ve been less important. But it wasn’t his first miss – he’s just 2 for 6 on the season – nor was it his last, as Houston and punter Jake Harfman combined to kick exactly ZERO field goals in Wednesday’s practice. USC has to hope this game doesn’t come down to the kicking game; Stanford’s kicker has made all nine of his field goals this season.
USC’s kicking must improve, but the offense and defense can make it less of a factor. The Trojans’ offense is captained by sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley, who leads the Pac-10 in pass efficiency, hitting 65.9% of his passes, but their run game is even stronger. The Trojans are averaging 234.4 yards per game, and 6.4 yards per carry, on the ground, despite a tailback competition that stretched into week 6. Marc Tyler started the first three games, while fifth-year senior Allen Bradford waited for his chance to do what he does best: barrel through the other team’s defense. Bradford, who had a career day last weekend at Washington and is averaging 100 yards per game, locked down the starting job once again (at least for this week). Freshman phenom Dillon Baxter had one of his best weeks of practice and will be a valuable, speedy tool for the Trojans’ offense against a stronger but slower Stanford O-line.
The Cardinal offense is also led by a stellar sophomore quarterback, Andrew Luck. Luck is second only to Barkley in pass efficiency among the quarterbacks of the Pac-10 – and they’re an impressive group. Luck has gotten lucky with a solid offensive line that gives him plenty of time and protection, and with USC missing at least one starter from a defensive line that has underachieved thus far, he should have no problem adding to the 13 touchdowns he’s already thrown. The USC defense might get some help in the form of injuries to key starters; Stanford’s leading wide receivers, Chris Owusu and Ryan Whalen, are questionable for the game.
Even without his biggest targets, Luck is still the most dangerous type of quarterback the Trojans could face: one who can make plays with his arm and with his feet. In last year’s game, Luck ran for 61 yards in the Coliseum. He’s no Jake Locker, but he’s mobile, and mobile quarterbacks almost always spell trouble for the Trojans.
So has Stanford in recent years, shocking USC at home in 2007 and crushing them last season. Harbaugh’s team has had better results playing the Trojans at the Coliseum, and Lane Kiffin and Co. hope the same holds true this weekend in Palo Alto.
A Trojans’ win would, weirdly, be an upset of the variety the Cardinal usually pulls over USC. Playing such an aggressive, hard-nosed team in their home stadium, coming off a game they coulda-shoulda won, this game is big for USC, even without the slightly painful recent history. If they beat Stanford, it would be a signature win for the new look Trojans half-way through the first season of the Lane Kiffin era. And if it’s close, it might actually make sense for Kiffin to go for two.
