USC Beats Notre Dame 34-27

The USC Trojans beat the irish 34-27 in a game that was a little too close for comfort. The lessons we learned:

USC owns Notre Dame.
Charlie Weis is still fat.
Jimmy Clausen is still a piece of shit.

Fight On!

It's time...

U-Dub?

We fucking lost to Washington. WTF??? How the f*ck does Petey let us lose to U-Dub? This is absolutely unacceptable. There is no way that we should ever lose to inferior teams.

A/C showed us nothing. I was excited to see him get an opportunity. But he fuckin sucked dickhole. Major dickhole. I don't think I've ever seen a QB suit up for USC that played as bad as A/C.

I know we had a slew of injuries. Our offensive and defensive leaders were out of the game. (As well as our best offensive weapon in Rojo) But that's not a good enough excuse. We were out coached. By Sark! The guy that calls end arounds on 4th down against Oregon. This is just completely unacceptable. Stafon Fumbles. Joe Fumbles. And Stanley fumbles. WTF!

Pete gives AB 1 series. 1 fuckin series. And he dominated that series. And then he doesn't get another carry the rest of the game. God damnit! Go to your horses Pete. Give him 25 carries and we win that fuckin game.



I'm a Matt Barkley believer. I don't even want to think about how A/C would have done against Ohio St. I hope Matt's healthy next week. So he can practice airing it out for the Cal game. Fuck Cal by the way. Best is going to get blasted.

Mays better be really fuckin hurt by the way. He better be seriously injured to be able to sit on the bench and watch his team get beat by Washington. If he was being held out for precautionary reasons, and didn't mount up in the 4th quarter he's a fuckin pussy. A pussy on the level of Dallas Sartz. (Insert RG3 obscenity) If this game doesn't provide motivation for the rest of the season.......

Oh... and enough with David Ausberry. He's had his opportunity. He has the size and the speed. He just can't fuckin catch. Its time to roll with D. Williams and De'Von Flournoy (until Rojo gets healthy).

We better see some major improvement next week. Jeremy Bates hasn't showed us anything yet. Man up. Nick Holt just reverse cowboy'd you.

Fight On!

USC - Ohio St.

Saturday, the USC Trojans travel to Columbus, Ohio against the 8th ranked Ohio St. Buckeyes. The Trojans look to continue their win streak against the Big Eleven schools. After the fisting USC administered last year at the Coliseum, the Trojans are favored by more than a touchdown in the upcoming game. Hopefully the Trojans can make a statement this Saturday and position themselves to compete for the National Championship throughout the season.



Fight On!

Countdown to 2009 Kickoff: 67 Days

We're 67 days away from the start of the 2009 college football season. Cheers to that.

Countdown to 2009 Kickoff: 80 Days

We're 80 days away from the start of the college football season and who better to represent this day than the man, the legend, The Juice...

Fifteen years ago, on this date, OJ Simpson led police on a low speed chase down I-405 South in the infamous White Bronco. Sadly, OJ is headed to jail for allegedly stealing sports memorabilia in Las Vegas that rightfully belonged to him.

You think you can steal my shit!

Countdown to 2009 Kickoff: 89 Days

We're 89 days away from the 2009 kickoff. Who better to represent the countdown than sophomore Blake Ayles. He proved that USC can beat you in so many ways... as seen in the Ohio St. game where Ayles, a freshman back-up tight end scored one of the Trojans' many touchdowns.

Countdown to 2009 Kickoff: 98 Days

We're 98 days from the 2009 season...

Countdown to 2009 Kickoff: 99 Days

We're 99 days away from the 2009 season and here's hoping that Avrell Spicer can lay the smackdown on Terrell Pryor again on September 12th...

Countdown to 2009 Kickoff: 100 Days

In 100 days... life has meaning again.

USC Football.

No Games, Just Sport...

Michael Vick Set to be Released from Jail

Michael Vick had it all. He was one of the NFL's brightest stars and most marketable players. He had just signed a multi-year contract worth about $130 million and was at the peak of what seemed to be a limitless career. Vick was supposed to end his career with the team that drafted him #1 overall in 2001 and go down as the greatest player in the history of the Atlanta Falcons franchise. Everything was bright indeed. But then came the dog-fighting scandal. Vick misled federal investigators and was sentenced to 23 months in prison. Vick and the Falcons were devastated by this incident and both of their futures were in limbo. Oh, and Vick just happened to be my favorite player on my favorite team. So my NFL fandom was also in limbo. But I digress...back to the story.

In two seasons without Vick, the Falcons saw themselves hit rock bottom, finishing 3-13 in 2007. That off-season Atlanta brought in a new GM in Thomas Dimitroff, a new head coach in Mike Smith, signed free agent RB Michael Turner and drafted QB Matt Ryan. These moves allowed the Falcons to start over and move towards putting their franchise back together. The result was a very successful 2008 season as Atlanta finished 11-5 and earned a playoff berth. The Falcons appear to have picked themselves up from this mess and have their future in place under this new regime. But what about Michael Vick? That will ultimately be determined by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The first question is: Will Goodell even allow Vick to be re-instated to the league? The commissioner has stated before that he felt "betrayed" by Michael Vick, who had always denied the dog-fighting allegations and insisted to everyone that he was innocent of such charges. Recently, Goodell said that Vick would have to show that he was "truly remorseful" for his actions before deciding on his NFL future. You know Goodell is tired of all the negative publicity that surrounds players with legal troubles. In the end though, I believe that Mr. Goodell will arrive at the conclusion that all players deserve a second chance. I expect him to be hard on Michael Vick and institute some kind of "zero tolerance" policy with him.

Once that is settled, the only question remaining is: Which team will give Vick his second chance? Falcons owner Arthur Blank has said that he will support Vick's efforts for re-instatement, but made it clear that his future will have to be somewhere besides Atlanta. Any team that signs Vick will face PR backlash, but the bottom line is winning games. Vick is a proven winner and will receive several phone calls from teams that are at the very least interested, if not serious, about signing him. The 49ers are rumored to have been interested, you know the Cowboys and Raiders are always candidates to land a controversial figure, and teams like the Vikings and Rams could use a serviceable QB (or two).

We'll see what happens. I wish you well Michael, I hope you haven't given up. I know you are truly sorry for what happened and will get your life back in order. I'm as big a Matt Ryan fan as anyone, but the Michael Vick experience will always have a special place in Falcons lore. Good luck to you man.

Around NFL Mini-Camps

This year's draft sent 11 more Trojans into the NFL. Here's a look at some of our guys (past and present) in their new colors as mini-camps get underway around the league. (Note: Photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports)

Mark Sanchez, NY Jets


More pictures after the jump...




Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers


Fili Moala, Indianapolis Colts


David Buehler, Dallas Cowboys


Cary Harris, Buffalo Bills


Chauncey Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars


Matt Spanos, Dallas Cowboys


More pictures to come as other teams conduct their mini-camps.

Fight On!

The Prince of LA

The Prince is ready to lead his army. Check out this interview from USCfootball.com with Stafon Johnson. Johnson discusses his role as a senior leader on the offense and what he an his fellow offensive teammates will need to do in order to ease the transition for the new starter at quarterback.

Stafon Johnson ready for a big spring @ Rivals Video

We here at USC Sports Talk love Stafon Johnson and hope he has an amazing senior season. Fight On!

Future Trojan looking good

Ryan Boatright made a huge splash in the summer of 2007 when he accepted a scholarship offer from Tim Floyd and verbally committed to the Trojans before deciding on which local high school he would attend. At the time I searched the internet looking for highlights of Boatright, but apparently Rivals.com hadn't tapped into the Middle School basketball market yet.

Its been nearly two years since making his pledge to play for the Trojans and Boatright has just finished up his sophomore season at East Aurora High School in Illinois. Today I came across this YouTube video with highlights from an East Aurora basketball game in January.

You'll need to fast-forward to the second half to see highlights of Boatright #22...


He looks like he has a smooth jump shot and definitely knows how to get to the basket. Obviously one cannot evaluate a player based on 5 highlights from one game, but I liked what I saw. This spring/summer will be big for Boatright as many high school juniors-to-be look to make a name for themselves on the AAU circuit. Best of luck to Boatright and his continued development.

Fight On!

Beat the Ducks!

Missed Opportunity: USC loses to UW 60-51

(photo: Yahoo! Sports)

The Trojans appeared to be on their way to a big time victory over Pac-10 leading Washington after jumping out to an early 22-11 lead. Coach Tim Floyd did an excellent job of getting his team ready for this game. USC was the aggressor early on--looking dominant, focused, and well-prepared--but twice failed to put the Huskies away. Washington is a very good basketball team, but they should not have been able to walk out of the Galen Center with a victory. USC gave this game away during two critical stretches. The first came in the final 12 minutes of the first half, when the Huskies outscored the Trojans 20-6 and went into the lockerroom with a 31-28 lead. Nevertheless, the Trojans recovered and regained the lead in the second half. With 5:30 remaining in the game, USC led 50-46. Unfortunately, they only managed to score one point the rest of the way, compared to 14 for Washington. As a result, the Trojans fell to (16-10 overall, 7-7 Pac-10) and are now in serious jeopardy of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. Is the season over? Well, I'd say no, but that is entirely up to the players.

More after the jump!

(photo: Yahoo! Sports)

To say that USC's hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA's are slim would be an understatement, but this season is far from over. Guard Daniel Hackett has been criticized for his struggles at the point guard position, but you can't question his effort and toughness that he brings to the court every game. A win against the Huskies would have quieted some of those critics, but more importantly, it would have been enough to save the Trojans' season. Perhaps sensing that, Hackett and other players vented their frustrations following the loss to Washington. Many would say that the team is falling apart, and that may be the case, but I think it shows that the players care enough about the game and simply hate losing. If the Trojans are going to make a final push for the NCAA Tournament, Hackett's leadership will be the catalyst. As is stands right now, USC remains in sixth place with four games left to play. The team hits the road this week for the final time this season to play Cal (Thu) and Stanford (Sat) before returning home to close out the regular season against the Oregon schools. Those all are very winnable games. Tim Floyd's teams have not quit on him before, so I expect them to come out with the same kind of heart and desire as they have all season. Plus, getting Marcus Johnson back from injury would not hurt either. Let's not worry about winning out and all these scenarios, let's just take them one at a time.

Fight On! Beat the Bears!

USC Basketball returns to Galen Center

(photo: SCPlaybook.com)

At the midpoint of the Pac-10 schedule, Coach Tim Floyd and his Trojans were feeling pretty good about their NCAA Tournament prospects. USC was in 3rd place in the Pac-10 at (6-3, 15-6 overall) and just one game behind conference leading Washington and fucla. Then came a brutal 3-game road trip against fucla (lost 60-76), Arizona (lost 76-83), and Arizona State (lost 53-65). The Trojans have fallen to sixth place in the conference and are in danger of being left out of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to that aforementioned road trip, the Trojans learned that forward Marcus Johnson had injured his rotator cuff in the victory of Cal and would be out indefinitely. Guard Daniel Hackett and the other starters have logged heavy minutes due to the myriad of injuries this team has faced. Nonetheless, this is just another hurdle for a team that has faced adversity all season. But now is time for the guys to regroup and make their final push for the Big Dance. USC has a big home stand this week against the Washington schools. Considering the circumstances, this home stand could not have come at a better time.

More after the jump!



Though many teams in the country would have been swept by those same 3 teams, many fans are getting restless or have given up on this season completely. Don't forget that Marcus Johnson, who was starting to emerge as a big-time player, did not play in all 3 of those losses. Also, the Pac-10 now appears to be much deeper and more talented than it was earlier in the season. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Trojans, as the increased strength of the conference will help USC build its NCAA Tournament profile. USC has a chance to earn quality wins at home (Saturday vs. UW) and on the road (next week at Cal), as well as in the Pac-10 Tournament. Furthermore, the Trojans are hitting the softest part of their conference schedule with 4 of their remaining 6 games at home. However, every game is crucial as teams make their final push for the Tournament. USC's Road to the Final Four continues this Thursday against Washington State, a hard-nosed team that will be very tough to beat. There are only 4 home games left, so let's get behind our team and see them close this thing out.

Fight On! Beat the Cougars!

Bruin Cameo

UCLA forward Nikola Dragovic took some time away from basketball last summer to work as a stunt coordinator in the newly released sci-fi action film Push, starring Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning. Dragovic earned critical acclaim for his roll in a November 7th incident last year, that instantly put him in the spotlight. "Push. One Push Can Change Everything."




Fuck the Bruins!

Santa Delivers

Today has been a great day for Trojan fans. Santa delivered the goods in a big way today, handing the coaches every player on their wish list. Well almost every player. Their was one Christmas Day disappointment. Coach Carroll walked outside and to his dismay the Lexus with the red ribbon wasn't there. Apparently there was a mix-up with the address and the Lexus was sent to South Bend. Oh well. I highly doubt Carroll and Co. will shed any tears, for Santa's delivery featured enough luxury and horsepower to put the Detroit Auto Show to shame.

Jawanza Starling
Safety || 6'2" 195lb
Tallahassee, FL (Lincoln)

All of our verbals that were expected to sign, lived up to their verbal commitment. Ashlon Jeffrey and Vontaze Burfict, both of whom were expect to sign elsewhere did in fact sign elsewhere. Ashlon will stay home in SEC country to play at the University of South Carolina, and Vontaze will stay in the Pac-10 to play for the Sun Devils. There were 4 very pleasant signing day surprises. Byron Moore reaffirmed his commitment to the Trojans after having decommitted to take official visits to ND and Colorado. Carroll was also very successful in the South, hauling in 3 defensive studs on signing day, S Janawnza Starling, LB Jarvis Jones, and OLB Frankie Telfort. I've been watching highlights of these 3 guys all morning and I can't wait to see these guys in Cardinal & Gold during fall camp. We'll have a thorough wrap up of signing day later, introducing all the new Trojans.

There are still a couple players left on the Trojans big board that have yet to announce their college decision. Orson Charles, a "big body" TE from Flordia, plans to visit USC in the coming weeks. Here's hoping that Carroll and Co. can pull another coup in the south and scoop up Charles from Tampa.

Fight On!

And Kill the bRuins!

Christmas in February

With less than 8 hours until National Signing Day commences, Carroll and his troops are prepping themselves for an all-nighter. We here at USC Sports Talk are just as excited for the big day. Tomorrow is the first day that Trojan fans can embrace the future generation of new Trojans, a new legion of Trojan Warriors. I will wish the best of luck to most of the prospects considering USC whom decide to attend school elsewhere (I cannot speak for RG3), however their are some that will forever draw the disdain of Trojans fans should they turn their backs on the Trojan Family. I can only hope that said athletes decide to attend a university outside of the Pac-10 as to avoid a similar fate as MeSean Jackson....



Fight On!

Game Preview: USC at UCLA

(photo: USCTrojans.com)
USC (15-6, 6-3) at UCLA (17-4, 7-2)-- Wednesday 2/4, 7:30pm on FSN

In the first meeting, the bRuins defeated the Trojans 64-60 at the Galen Center, improving to (3-0) in the Pac-10 and delivering another heartbreaking defeat to USC fans. Adding insult to injury, the Trojans are now 0-for-3 at Galen against fucla. USC, coming off a disappointing loss at Oregon State, fell to (1-2) in the Pac-10 after that loss and faced an uphill climb in the conference standings. The fucla game was a hard fought battle between two bitter rivals. It looked as though it would be a long night for the Trojans as USC fell behind early 19-8, but they fought their way back. The Trojans finished the first half strong and cut the bRuins lead to 33-31 at the half. USC came out strong in the second half, using a 12-0 run to take a 43-37 lead with 15:19 minutes left in the game. However, playing without forward Leonard Washington, the Trojans appeared to run out of gas at the end. Guard Dwight Lewis had a night to forget, finishing 2-for-11 from the field and getting beat numerous times defensively. Nonetheless, USC played hard all game and showed just how good it can be, despite Lewis' struggles and a short bench. Since then, Coach Tim Floyd has guided the Trojans to wins in 5 out of the last 6, including a sweep of the Arizona and Bay Area schools at home. The only loss during that stretch was to Washington, who is tied with fucla for 1st in the Pac-10. Both the bRuins and the Trojans have been playing well lately, so it will be interesting to see how the return game at pauley pavilion unfolds.

More after the jump!

Lack of depth was a problem for the Trojans in the first match up. As mentioned above, Washington was out with an ankle injury, but at the time USC did not have the bench play that it has gotten recently out of players like Marcus Johnson and Nikola Vucevic. Taj Gibson got into foul trouble early in the first half, but the Trojans played through it thanks to Demar Derozan and his 11 first half points. The Trojans bench is much better now, but as you've probably read by now, Johnson's status for Wednesday is questionable with a right shoulder injury. Ben Howland usually goes 9-10 players deep in his rotation, so hopefully Marcus will be ready to go. Assuming Johnson is close to 100%, the Trojans will be healthy, something that it was not in the first game. The bench will be key in this game, but the following is what I believe will determine to game.

USC Game Plan

(1) Avoid Turnovers. First and foremost, USC must handle fucla's defensive pressure and limit the turnovers. In their last game versus Stanford, fucla forced 19 turnovers that resulted in 25 points and a 97-63 blow out victory of the Cardinal. USC's guards have been shaky all season in the turnover department, but they have been doing a better job of taking care of the ball. In the first match up against the bRuins, USC did a pretty good job protecting the ball, turning it over only 8 times. The players must be strong with the ball and not make any lazy passes. Protecting the ball will also limit fucla's transition opportunities and fastbreak points, something there offense relies upon. Coach Floyd needs to really stress this in practice and tell his players to help the ballhandler when Howland decides to pressure the ball.
(photo: SCPlaybook.com)

(2) Don't Let Collison Beat You. This might be equally important to #1. The Trojans must contain bRuins point guard Darren Collison, who carved USC's defense for 18 points and 6 assists in the last meeting. He is not only their leader, but he is the facillitator of that offense. How Collison goes, usually the bRuins go. I don't care how USC defends him, as long as Floyd does not put Lewis on him again. Lewis struggles mightily against smaller, quicker players and had lots of trouble staying in front of Collison during the first meeting at Galen. Collison is one of the best point guards in the country, but I believe Floyd and his staff will have a sound defensive game plan for him.
(photo: LATimes.com)

(3) Defend the 3. Next, USC must defend the perimeter with the same intensity that they did against Cal. This is not easy to accomplish. It requires toughness and determination. Perimeter defense means fighting through screens, communicating defensively, and rotating when the ball is passed around. If the Trojans can contain the 3 point shooting, then they will negate another important part of fucla's offense. Nikola Dragovich, who made 3 from beyond the arc in the first match up, has been deadly from outside in the past few games. If the Trojans surrender open looks from 3 against a team who thrives at home, then it will be a long night.
(photo: ESPN.com)

(4) One more thing...BELIEVE! The Trojans have gone toe-to-toe with fucla the last several meetings. The bRuins are not invincible (right Florida?). Remember last season? Davon Jefferson and company marched into pauley pavilion last year and stomped the bRuins 72-63. It's time for Trojans and bRuins again. Let's hoop it up!


Fight On! Beat the bRuins!

USC's Marcus Johnson Questionable vs bRuins

(photo: SCPlaybook.com)

Just when the Trojan basketball team appears to be getting healthy and playing its best basketball, news came Monday that senior guard/forward Marcus Johnson's status is questionable for Wednesday's big showdown in Westwood. The former UConn transfer has seen his minutes increase with each game since becoming eligible in December and has been a key contributor for a USC team that has won 5 of its last 6 games and 10 of its last 13. Johnson is being treated for a right shoulder injury, so hopefully it is not serious and he can get back as soon as possible. The Trojans currently sit in third place in the Pac-10, just one game behind conference leading Washington and fucla, but need a full squad to be able to pull of the upset. More after the jump!

After a handful of games, Marcus has become my favorite player on the team. The former Westchester High star brings some of the same toughness that his old high school teammates like USC's own Gabe Pruitt and the Lakers' Trevor Ariza provide. Like Pruitt and Ariza, Johnson is an outstanding defender and electrifying in the open court. We've all seen his amazing dunks by now (check the previous post), so maybe his shoulder is sore from dunking on people. Or maybe he injured himself on this play, where he blocked a dunk attempt by Cal's Jordan Wilkes...

(photo: LATimes.com)

He also has a quiet, but confident demeanor that I like about him. Check out this short interview with Marcus following the Cal game last Saturday.



Get healthy soon Marcus.

Fight On! Beat the bRuins!

USC Jumps Over Cal 73-62

(photo: Yahoo! Sports)

What a game! A healthier, re-energized USC team won its 3rd straight game. The Trojans clamped down defensively on one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, holding the Cal Golden Bears to just 2-16 (12.5%) from beyond the arc. With the win, the Trojans improved their record to (15-6) overall and (6-3) in the Pac-10 moved into sole possession of third place. The Trojans are just one game behind conference leaders Washington and fucla, but have a chance to even the score by beating the bRuins at pauley pavilion this Wednesday.

More after the jump!

Freshman Demar Derozan led the way for the Trojans with 19 points, but he deserves praise for his outstanding defensive play. Marcus Johnson, who finished with 6 points, set the tone early with yet another thunderous dunk. The senior transfer from UConn took a fastbreak pass from Daniel Hackett and then skied over Cal defender Jorge Gutierrez, who would hear it from the student section the rest of the night, and electrified the crowd with the amazing dunk. Despite Derozan's team-high 19 points, the Trojans featured a balanced scoring attack offensively. Hackett had another solid game at the point with 14 points, big man Taj Gibson posted his 11th double-double this season with 12 points and 13 rebounds, and junior guard Dwight Lewis added 12 points. You can watch the highlights from Fox Sports here.

The Trojans appear to be hitting their stride as we turn the basketball calendar to February. The team is getting healthy, and as a result, their play has been steadily improving. This month is crucial for the Trojans' post-season aspirations. Five of the next seven games are on the road, beginning with fucla this Wednesday. The Trojans know they can play with the bRuins after winning at pauley last season and losing a close one 64-60 at Galen Center on January 11. We'll have a preview of the game by Tuesday night.

Fight On! Beat the Bruins!

USC Holds off Stanford 70-69

(Photo: LA Times)

Some of us in the Galen Center Student Section could not bear to watch the last 14.6 seconds of last night's game. On USC's final possession, USC guard Daniel Hackett went to the foul line with a chance to stretch USC's 70-69 lead, but he missed the front end of a one and one, giving Standford a chance for a game-winning shot. You could here a pin drop as Taj Gibson contested Stanford forward Lawrence Hill's turnaround jumper from the baseline. The ball rimmed out as the final buzzer sounded and the crowd let out a collective sigh. Through sheer will and determination, the Trojans found a way to win this game and improved their record to (14-6) overall and (5-3) in the Pac-10. More after the jump!

The Trojans were not even close to being full strength for this game earlier in the week. Following their Washington road trip, Gibson learned that he had pneumonia, Hackett came down with the flu, and Dwight Lewis and Leonard Washington were still finding their way back from ankle injuries. Coach Tim Floyd received great news on Thursday morning went it all four players were cleared and ready to play. The Trojans got some great energy from Washington, who started the game and scored 12 points, including 8 points in the first few minutes of the 2nd half. However, it was Marcus Johnson who may have provided the spark that led to the Trojans' victory. In the first half, Marcus got the crowd excited with a ankle-breaking fast-break dunk and then followed up a high-flying Demar Derozan dunk with his own version of the same dunk, only more electrifying. See photos below (courtesy of SCPlaybook.com).





You can see some of the highlights here, courtesy of Fox Sports.

A lesser team would have let this game slip away. However, this team continues to show toughness, heart, and resiliency. The Trojans wrap up the first half of the conference schedule against Cal this Saturday and 8:30pm. A win would put the Trojans at (6-3) in the Pac-10 as it enters the remaining 9 games of the regular season beginning with fucla next Wednesday at pauley pavilion. So let's get out there and fill the Galen Center.

Fight On! Beat the Bears!

Brian Cushing, Chasing the dream

Here's an all-access look at Trojan linebacker Brian Cushing and his preparation for the Senior Bowl. By all accounts Cushing has had an outstanding showing down in Alabama and has solidified himself as one of the best linebackers in the country. USC Sports Talk wishes Brian "Juice Williams is gonna DIE!" Cushing the best of luck as he prepares for the NFL Draft.

Chasing the dream
Saturday, January 24, 2009 | 12:58 PM

Get an all-access look at USC LB Brian Cushing as he preps for the Under Armour Senior Bowl.

I love this shot of Rey, Fili, Cush, and Clay

Derozan takes Flight

Derozan takes flight on an alley-oop from Daniel Hackett in this highlight from last nights game against the Huskies. The Trojans lost a very winnable game last night. Even without their leading scorer, Dwight Lewis, who sat out with an ankle injury the Trojans were in a position to win late. Three Trojans fouled out as the Huskies shot 40 free throws to USC's 17. Marcus Johnson played well, and should see additional minutes down the stretch. More on the game later...

Hackett lead the team in scoring with 24 pts

**Update** 1/24/09: I've been searching for highlights from the Washington game, hoping that they would include Marcus Johnson's two thunderous dunks. Here's one of his dunks in these highlights from Fox Sports.

*Linebacker U* Update

Here's another video on the Trojan linebacking trio at the Senior Bowl, provided by NFL.com. In my earlier post I failed to mention another USC linebacker at the Senior Bowl, the South team's head oach, Jacksonville Jaguar's head coach Jack del Rio.

Wow, now that I think about it, both head coaches at the Senior Bowl drafted USC linebackers in last year's NFL draft. Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals selected Keith Rivers with their first round pick and the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Thomas Williams.

Best of luck to the Trojan seniors.

Fight On!

USC- "Linebacker U"

That is what the Worldwide Leader in Sports has coined the USC program which has 3 senior linebackers dominating the Senior Bowl practices. Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, and Clay Matthews are attempting to cap off their amazing senior seasons with strong performances in this year's Senior Bowl in front of hundreds of NFL scouts, coaches and GMs. Todd McShay says that the Trojans could see its 3 linebackers taken in the top 40 picks of this year's NFL draft. Excluded from the Linebacker U talk is USC's other senior linebacker, and this year's Rose Bowl defensive MVP, Kaluka Maiava. With QB Mark Sanchez expected to be taken at the top of the draft as well I think the phrase NFL-U may be more appropriate.



Fight on!

USC Basketball Coming Together??

Expectations remained high at USC this season, despite the early departures of last year's talented freshmen duo of O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson. Not only were the Trojans coming off back to back NCAA Tournament appearances, but they returned 3 veteran starters in Daniel Hackett, Dwight Lewis, and Taj Gibson, and added another highly touted freshman in Demar Derozan. However, there have been some disappointing moments for the Trojans during the first couple months of the college basketball season.

The refusal of UNC transfer Alex Stephenson's waiver to play this season, coupled with injuries to players such as Kasey Cunningham (out for season) and freshman Leonard Washington (missed first 4 conference games) have really tested USC's meddle so far this season. This has hurt the bench's depth, and as a result, the offense has been inconsistent. Coach Floyd's team has shown that it can compete with the best in the country, but they seem to lose focus at times. The Trojans have looked great in tough losses to highly ranked Oklahoma on the road, and at home against fucla. But only a week ago, the Trojans were in a mid-season crisis after back to back losses to lowly Oregon State and fucla. Tim Floyd and some of his veteran players had become the brunt of criticism and doubt from fans and media.

The team might have done some soul-searching since then because they appear to be re-energized as we head into the crucial month of February. USC swept the Pac-10's Arizona schools this past week, improving to (12-5) overall and (3-2) in the Pac-10. They showed heart and toughness in picking up those two gritty wins. Gibson and Hackett have emerged as team leaders, but they need to continue to keep this team together and make them believe in one another. Derozan is getting better with each game and is beginning to believe that he can take over games. Lewis was benched for the ASU game last Thursday, but responded with two clutch performances against the Sun Devils and Arizona. Role players Keith Wilkinson, Marcus Johnson, and the now healthy Leonard Washington are finding their groove as well.

USC's record currently stands at 12-5 overall and (3-2) in the Pac-10. They have played themselves back into the Pac-10 race and now must build on these two big wins so that they can finish strong. Up next is another tough Pac-10 road trip against the Washington schools. USC plays at Washington on FSN Thurday at 8pm PST.

Fight On! Beat the Huskies!!

Hackett leads team to victory

I was already drafting the post I was going to write as Daniel Hackett missed two free throws that would have put the Trojans up by one late in last night's game.

"Hackett chokes again."

"Daniel Hackett is the antonym of clutch."

Nightmarish flashbacks from last season's Memphis game cluttered my head. Hackett missing yet another potential game winning free throw. Thankfully I wont have to write that post.

After missing two crucial free throws, Hackett put the team on his shoulders, determined not to lose the game. Hackett nailed a clutch jumper with 15 seconds left on the clock to tie the game at 64. The Men of Troy forced an Arizona turnover with less than 4 seconds left on the clock. Hackett received the ball on the inbound play and drove the ball down the sideline before being fouled with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. With thousands of hearts pounding and fingers crossed, Hackett nailed the first free throw putting the Trojans up by one. Hackett intentionally missed the second and Jordan Hills last second heave fell short, giving the Trojans the 65-64 win.

Dwight Lewis and Keith Wilkinson played extremely well. Leonard Washington made his return, after sitting 4 games with a high ankle sprain. He played well despite getting posterized by Jordan Hill. The Trojans are now 12-5 overall and 3-2 in conference. They head up to Washington next week to face the Washington schools and will be at the Galen Center the following week against the Bay Area schools.

Fight On!

Beat the Huskies!

Westchester @ Fairfax

Yesterday, mel kiper fan and I were apart of the sold out crowd at Fairfax High School to watch the Fairfax Lions take on the Westchester Comets. We arrived at Fairfax around 2:30pm hoping to purchase the few remaining tickets to the game. School officials informed us that there were 60 tickets left and that over 700 tickets had been sold. It was an amazing atmosphere for a high school basketball game. I'm ashamed to say that the crowd at Fairfax would have put the Galen Center crowds during the winter break to shame.

We were both excited to see Solomon Hill(09') and Dwayne Polee(10'), two furture Trojans, battle it out head-to-head. We also wanted to get a first hand look at the 6'10 Fairfax center Renardo Sidney(09').

Dwayne Polee goes up for the block against future teammate Solmon Hill

The game went back and forth during the first two quarters. Renardo Sidney showed great shooting touch, knocking down a barrage of three pointers in the first half. He finished the game with 34 points. Solomon Hill impressed me with his handle and quick passes. He's a very quick and athletic 6'6" 200 pounder. However he wasn't very aggressive. More often then not he deferred to Sidney, who demanded the ball, instead of looking to create off the dribble. Fairfax played pretty lazy on defense, as the Westchester guards had there way with them.

Dwayne Polee is an athletic freak. He has some serious springs. He gets off the ground higher and faster than... anyone I've ever seen. He had a few amazing blocked shots and some great putbacks. He definitely needs to work on his jumpshot and strengthen his hands.

Westchester took a large lead in the fourth quarter. Fairfax tried to stage a comeback but the Westchester guards were too quick and were shooting lights out from all over the court. The Comets closed out the Lions 78-73.

Westchester junior guard Jordin Mayes

The one lasting impression the game had on me was not Polee's athleticism. Not Sidney's massive frame and long range shooting touch. Not Solomon's ball handling. But the play of Westchester junior guard Jordin Mayes. This kid can shoot. He was draining threes left and right in the first half of the game. Mayes finished the game with 17 points. Tourney Tim definitely needs to go after this kid hard. I'm hoping his teammate Polee is doing his fair share of recruiting as well. He's going to be a great basketball player at the next level.

Fight On!

Beat the Wildcats!

Scumdevil Highlights

Here are a few highlights from last nights ASU game including some clips from the press conference. Hackett receives some well deserved praise from Coach Floyd, with Floyd stating that "(Daniel) played as well as any player that I've had play here at SC."



Beat the Wildcats!

Still Talkin...

Its been a while since our last post, I apologize for that. The founding members here at USC Sports Talk have been quite busy the last few months. Some have been busy breaking in new careers, while the rest have been "hitting the books," working hard to obtain the prestigious status of USC Alumni. Congratulations to those USC Sports Talk members who have graduated. It was a looong journey. A battle that I'm am happy to say, no soldiers were left behind. Fight On!

Now just because we haven't made a post in over a month doesn't mean we are not abreast of all things USC. Joey and myself were fortunate enough to take in the Rose Bowl Game live and witness Mark Sanchez pick apart the Cowardly Lions' defense. Mel kiper fan and I have had the pleasure of attending all of the Men of Troy's home basketball games. And we have all been keeping a very close eye on the football recruiting scene. We will have numerous posts in the coming weeks as we approach National Signing Day on the colossal recruiting class BIG Balls Pete is putting together.

The Men of Troy

Earlier tonight I had the pleasure of watching the Trojans defeat the No. 15 ranked ASU Scumdevils 61-49. All the talk prior to the game was circled around ASU's super sophomore James Harden. The national media has been jerking off to Harden and how he is the poster child for why college basketball players should stay in college. Apparently there is much to be learned by staying in school an extra year and I think its safe to say that Daniel Hackett gave Mr. Harden his first lesson of the semester. Hackett LOCKED DOWN Harden the ENTIRE game. Harden finished with ZERO field goals and mustered a measly 4 points (4-7 from the free throw line). Hackett's gritty defensive performance was Kevin Durantesque, frustrating Harden from the tip-off.

There's a reason he's not a one-and-done

Demar Derozan helped seal the deal putting in a career high 22pts on 8-13 shooting. Derozan has progressed nicely over the course of the season. Every game he keeps getting better and better. Most impressive is his ability to have such a large impact on the game without having the ball in his hands.

This is a great win for the Trojans, however there is a lot of work to be done if the Trojans are to compete for the Pac-10 title. The Trojans have got to reduce their turnovers and find someone who can dribble the basketball (The fundamentals, dribbling and passing). We'll have a post game update following the Arizona game with some basketball recruiting updates as well. (I know Joey's hurting that Zona's recruiting class was gutted by the rest of the Pac-10)

Fight On!

Beat the Wildcats!

Oh yea I almost forgot, Josh Shipp's a pussy.