Game #2 Analysis: USC 49 Nebraska 31

USC went into Lincoln on Pete Carroll's 56th birthday and silenced what was initially, a very raucous and eager crowd of 85,000 Husker fans. The Trojans made a statement with an impressive 49-31 victory over the Cornhuskers, using their dominant running game to quickly turn the "sea of red" from this...

to nothing more than roasted corn as the score reached 42-10 and USC began calling off the dogs.

USC has rediscovered the physical, smash-mouth type of football that it had been sorely lacking since the departures of Reggie Bush and LenDale White a couple of years ago. In 2005, when games were competitive or the Trojan offense was struggling, USC would simply turn to the running game and just pound teams into submission. An over-matched Nebraska squad was reintroduced to that hard-nosed style the hard way Saturday night. Tailback Stafon Johnson led the way, following up his impressive performance in the opener, with 144 yards and a TD on only 11 rush attempts. True freshman center Kris O'Dowd, making his second career start and facing his first road test, teamed with left guard Jeff Byers and the rest of the offensive line to pave the way for 313 rushing yards and no sacks of QB John David Booty. The big nasties up front were mauling people all night and earn my game ball for their impressive performance.

Three things that 'SC did very well:

(1) Offensive line play -- Just like the opener vs. Idaho, the Trojan offensive line was dominant once again. The freshman O'Dowd is holding his own out there and the beauty is that he's only going to get better as the season progresses. And what more can I say about Byers? The guy is, without question, the best offensive lineman in the country.

(2) Running Game -- Stafon Johnson, Stanley Havili, C.J. Gable, and Chauncey Washington completely wore down the Huskers' defense. Although "The Prince" is probably our best ball carrier right now, the offense doesn't seem to miss a beat when the backs are being rotated. Chauncey looked a little bit rusty, but he'll get healthy and will strengthen the group, giving USC 3 fresh and very capable running backs.

(3) Run Defense -- Nebraska tailback Marlon Lucky came in to the game with 54 carries for 323 yards and 4 TD's in his first two games. Pete Carroll and his defense would have no part of that. Lucky's stat line against the Trojans, 33 yards on 17 carries. As a team, Nebraska put up only 31 yards on 28 carries. That's domination at its finest.

Three things that 'SC can improve:

(1) Passing Game -- The Trojans looked very average when they put the ball in the air. I know they gained 313 on the ground and didn't even need to throw the ball, but Booty only managed 144 yards passing. Patrick Turner (3 catches, 24 yards) had trouble holding on to the ball, Ausberry (3 catches, 35 yards) and Hazelton (1 catch, 2 yards) are not getting enough looks, and true freshmen Ronald Johnson and Joe McKnight are still adjusting to big-time college football. It's still early in the season, but the offense needs to develop some kind vertical passing game. More down the field throws will only open things up for TE Fred Davis and FB Stanley Havili underneath. Booty had a very efficient game though, he did not force things and didn't turn the ball over, always a plus.

(2) Special Teams -- The Trojans still lack a gamebreaker in the return game. I'm not asking for a Devin Hester, Reggie Bush, or Ted Ginn, but are there any players that can replace Desmond Reed on punt returns? Had he lost that fumble early in the game, off his muffed punt, then we would have seen an entirely different ball game. Kickoff returns have been unspectacular as well, hold on to the ball Vincent Joseph! David Buehler needs to boot his kickoffs into the end zone more consistently.

(3) Secondary -- A disruptive defensive line, one that constantly pressures the QB, can hide any deficiencies a team might have in the secondary. Though the Trojans played very well defensively, I am very concerned about USC's pass defense. The Trojans benefited from two great plays from defensive end Kyle Moore that led to 2 INT's, but what happens when the opposing teams pick up USC's pass rush? The loss of Josh Pinkard, USC's best cover man, was a very huge blow to the secondary. Terrell Thomas is not nearly as good as he thinks he is, and Cary Harris, although a hard worker and solid tackler, often plays too soft in coverage. Safeties Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison, who have been virtually non-existent in the first two games, need to become ball-hawking defenders and play with the mentality that every ball in the air is theirs.

All in all, a great win for the Trojans. We found out some things about this team against Nebraska: USC has a dominant running game, Stafon is ready to be the featured back, Clay Matthews is a heck of a linebacker, and the defensive line is probably the best in the nation. Now it's time to get ready for conference play. The Trojans open up their Pac-10 schedule this coming Saturday against the Washington State Cougars. We'll introduce you to Wazzu on Tuesday...

Fight On!

Nebraska: Key Matchups / Predictions

I've singled out 5 Key Matchups to watch for tomorrow night, and in no particular order, they are:

(1) USC WR's David Ausberry (X) and Patrick Turner (Z) vs. Nebraska CB's Cortney Grixby, Armando Murillo, Zachary Bowman, and Andre Jones

Nebraska rotates their defensive backs regularly so Booty won't be able to lock in on a particular mismatch. Ausberry (6-4) and Turner (6-5) should have no problem though, given their definite size and strength advantage over Nebraska's cornerbacks. Bowman (6-2, 200) is probably the only Husker CB physical enough to play press coverage against these guys, but he has battled leg injuries the past two seasons and may not be quick enough to stay with them all night. Grixby, the starter on the weakside stands at only 5-9 and is guaranteed to be matched up against a taller, more physical USC WR all night. Murillo (6-0) and Jones (6-0) will be facing a similar mismatch on the other side. Expect the Huskers to play a lot of zone coverage underneath where they can keep things in front and possibly use their speed and quickness to jump on some routes. If the Huskers play a lot soft coverage, then USC will eat them alive with the quick hitch pass that Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett executed so effectively in recent years.

(2) USC C Kris O'Dowd vs. Nebraska NT Ndamukong Suh

O'Dowd, a true freshman, started against Idaho and played very admirably in his first collegiate game. There weren't any bad snaps and the run game looked solid. He'll have his hands full in Lincoln though, not only with the crowd noise and the snap count, but with blocking the disruptive nose tackle Suh. O'Dowd will need help from his guards Jeff Byers and Chilo Rachal in order to keep Suh out of USC's backfield. This is the matchup that most intrigues me and will be following the most.

(3) USC OT's Sam Baker and Charles Brown vs. Nebraska DE Zach Potter

Potter stands at an astounding 6-7 and is listed as the Base DE, which means he'll probably be lined up to USC's strong side in between the tackle and tight end. It will be very important for TE Fred Davis or FB Stanley Havili to chip Potter at the line of scrimmage, which will help Baker and Brown engage Potter and keep him from batting down Booty's passes.

(4) USC WLB Keith Rivers vs. Nebraska TB Marlon Lucky

Lucky looks pretty comfortable catching passes out of the backfield, and I expect Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan to test Rivers' coverage skills early and often. Lucky will have a big role in the passing game tomorrow, whether it be on play-action, screens, wheel routes, short crossing routes, or even as a decoy. Rivers and the rest of the LB's and secondary will need to know where Lucky is at all times. I'm not to worried about him running the football, Rey, big Sed, and the rest of the D-Line can take care of that.

(5) USC DE's Lawrence Jackson, Kyle Moore, and Everson Griffen vs. Nebraska OT's Lydon Murtha and Carl Nicks

Sam Keller hasn't really mastered Bill Callahan's offense in his first two games as starter, but, like most Division I QB's, he can tear defenses apart if given time to throw. More importantly, Keller is turnover prone and will fold under pressure if USC's pass rush rattles him early. Nebraska's OT's haven't been tested yet, so this will be a golden opportunity for LoJack, K. Moore, and E. Griffen to awaken USC's pass rush.

Saturday's Expectations:
So what can we expect tomorrow? Offensively, I think the Trojans should be able to at least equal the 200 plus yards that Wake Forest rushed for against Nebraska, which will then open things up in the passing game. The Trojans will score first, and with a healthy Chauncey, USC will have 3 fresh RB's (C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson) wearing down the Huskers' defense. Defensively, I expect the Trojans to shut down Nebraska's running game early and force the Huskers into a lot of 3rd and long situations. Callahan will then try to spread the USC defense out and let Keller win the game with his arm. However, once the Huskers abandon the running game, it will be lights out. Unless Nebraska gets some cheap touchdowns from its defense or special teams, I don't expect this game to be as close as some people think. USC has some doubters out there, and it's time to make a statement...Prediction: USC 38, Nebraska 13

Other Predictions
Joey: I think this game is close for a half, but no one makes better halftime adjustments than our man Pete Carroll.... Prediction: USC 38 Nebraska 17

RG3: Pain... plain and simple. Like Clubber Lang said in Rocky 3, USC is going to take it to the Cornhuskers and overpower them. After losing some first place votes, Pete Carroll is going to make a statement. He's going to tell Rey to silence all the doubters out there... hard... USC 38, Nebraska 10

PCBestever: You know what happens when you miss a meal? You get hungry. The boys are hungry and its time to Feed the Beast! Big Balls Pete and the Trojans are going to decimate Nebraska. Prediction: USC 52, Nebraska 13

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Nebraska Defense Preview

Projected Starters vs. USC (full depth chart here)
Players in ALL CAPS are returning starters (5)

OPEN DE: 99 Barry Turner, 6-3, 265, Jr., Antioch, Tenn.

DT: 43 Ty Steinkuhler, 6-3, 280, So., Lincoln, Neb.

NT: 93 Ndamukong Suh, 6-4, 305, Jr., Portland, Ore.

BASE DE: 98 Zach Potter, 6-7, 285, Jr., Omaha, Neb.

SAM: 51 BO RUUD, 6-3, 235, Sr., Lincoln, Neb. -AND- 40 Lance Brandenburgh, 6-1, 230, Sr., Overland Park, Kan.

MIKE: 13 COREY McKEON, 6-1, 225, Sr., Naperville, Ill.

WILL: 15 Steve Octavien, 6-0, 240, Sr., Naples, Fla. - AND -

LEFT CB: 5 Armando Murillo, 6-0, 195, Jr., Tampa, Fla.
25 ANDRE JONES, 6-0, 195, Sr., Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

SS: 4 Larry Asante, 6-1, 210, So., Alexandria, Va.

FS: 30 TIERRE GREEN, 6-1, 200, Sr., Omaha, Neb.

WEAK CB: 2 CORTNEY GRIXBY, 5-9, 170, Sr., Omaha, Neb.
1 Zack Bowman, 6-2, 200, Sr., Anchorage, Alaska

I didn't get to see Nebraska against Wake Forest last Saturday, and I was at USC tailgating for the Idaho game when they played Nevada in the opener, so I've only been able to see a few highlights. I obtained some fairly decent videos for both games (here's the Nevada game, and here's the Wake game) and have made a few observations. Nebraska hasn't been able to recapture the spirit of the once mighty BLACKSHIRTS that preyed on opposing offenses for so many years, but this is still a pretty solid group. The strength of the Husker D lies with the linebackers and an athletic group of defensive backs. Let's get to know the guys that John David Booty's unit will face on Saturday...

Secondary: The secondary welcomes back CB Zachary Bowman, who was a top NFL prospect entering last season before tearing his ACL early in camp. He had himself a nice offseaon, but then tore his patellar tendon and his status for the season was in question. Bowman got himself ready for the season and helped seal the victory over Wake Forest last week with a 4th Quarter interception in the back of the end zone. If he is healthy, then the rest of the speedy secondary will be better equipped to face USC's big WR's. Last year's starters Cortney Grixby and Andre Jones got torched by Booty, who connected with Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith 17 times for 189 yards and 3 TD's. Free Safety Tierre Green was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection at SS last season, but he can utilize his speed more effectively at FS. The move of Green has opened the door at SS for JUCO transfer Larry Asante, who is a big-time hitter.

Linebackers: SLB Bo Ruud was a First Team All-Big 12 selection a year ago playing on the weak side, but he now moves over to his more natural role on the strong side. He and MLB Corey McKeon are both seniors and provide a lot of experience, smarts, and toughness to the entire defense. The wild card might be senior WLB Steve Octavien, who is a very good athlete, but might be a bit undersized. He's listed and 6-0, 240 but he moves really well and is probably closer to 215 lbs. He will gobble everything up if USC attempts to bounce run plays to the outside.

Defensive Line: When we first introduced Nebraska on Tuesday, I mentioned that the Huskers enter this season with an entirely new starting defensive line. Ends Adam Carriker (1st Round) and Jay Moore (4th Round) were selected in April's NFL Draft and as a result, the Huskers have struggled to generate a pass rush this season. Nebraska sacked the QB only once in each of their first two games, but they have been pretty solid against the run. The star of the line seems to be nose tackle Ndamukong Suh, who penetrated the Wake Forest offensive line and making 3 tackles (2 for loss). End Zach Potter is coming off a nice game against Wake and, at a height of 6-7, is a threat to deflect a couple of Booty's passes.

Still to Come Friday:
(1) What to Expect
(2) Match-ups to Watch
(3) Predictions

Thanks to College Football News for providing some of the background info.

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Nebraska Offense Preview

Projected Lineup vs. USC (click here for full depth chart)
Players in Bold, ALL CAPS are returning starters

WR(X): #87 NATE SWIFT, Jr. - and - #16 Maurice Purify, Sr.
LT: #77 Carl Nicks, Sr.
LG: #62 Andy Christensen, Jr.
C: #59 BRETT BYFORD, Sr.
RG: #70 MATT SLAUSON, Jr. - and - #61 MIKE HUFF, Jr.
RT: #76 Lydon Murtha, Jr.
H-Back: #85 J.B. PHILLIPS, Sr.
WR(Z): #83 TERRENCE NUNN, Sr.
FB: #48 Andy Sand, Sr.
IB: #5 MARLON LUCKY, Jr.
QB: #9 Sam Keller, Sr.

The first thing that jumps out at me when analyzing Nebraska's depth chart is the experience returning across the board offensively, but especially at the skill positions. QB Sam Keller and FB Andy Sand, although new to the starting lineup, are seniors and should be very capable starters. Keller, who transfered from Arizona State last year, does have big-time game experience against the Trojans under his belt, so you can count him as a returning starter too. Keller engineered a near upset of #1 USC in 2005, as he threw for 347 yards and 2 TD's in the desert that day, but he also threw 5 INT's and helped the Sun Devils squander an 18 point halftime lead and eventually lose 38-28. Keller will be looking for redemption though, and he'll once again have some very talented playmakers to get the ball to on Saturday, led by tailback Marlon Lucky (54 carries, 323 yards, 4 TDs) who has shown some explosiveness in the first two games. The key for the Trojans will definitely be to stop #5 and minimize Nebraska's play action passing game. The WR's are big (Purify 6'4", Swift 6'2", Nunn 6'0") and can make some plays if the defense starts to creep up against the run. Expect the Trojans to try and rattle the mistake prone Keller with multiple looks and different coverages. Keller has completed only 57.6 % of his passes and has thrown 3 INT's compared to just 2 TD's. The key for Nebraska will be to get out to early lead, and not put pressure on Keller to win the game from behind. They want to keep the game in the hands of their gamebreaking RB Marlon Lucky...

The offensive line, which has new starters at left guard and both tackle spots, is an area that I think Coach Carroll can exploit. The Trojans have a veteran defensive line that should be fresh and ready to go following the bye week. The Nebraska offensive line is still relatively unproven, but seems to have held up nicely in first two games. The Huskers' line has yet to allow a sack on Keller's 66 pass attempts and have paved the way for 528 yards on 104 carries (5.1 avg) in the running game. This is not good news for the Trojans who have had all sorts of trouble sacking the quarterback and creating turnovers lately, but the Huskers won't be blocking the Nevada Wolfpack this weekend. Wake Forest was able to slow down the Huskers ground game a bit, holding them to 115 yards rushing after Nevada gave up 413 on the ground in the opener. Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan has really emphasized the run the last couple of years, so I expect them to try and be physical with the Trojans and set the tone early with the running game. The Huskers ran the ball 36 times for a total of 68 yards against USC last season, and ran the ball 104 times in the first two games, so for them to come out and spread us out and throw it 60 times like Hawaii would be a pretty drastic change in game plan for Callahan. Whatever the case, Big Rey have will have his unit ready.

Look for the Huskers' Defense preview Thursday evening.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers: First Look

In what should be one of the most interesting games of the weekend, the top-ranked USC Trojans return to action on Saturday as they travel to Lincoln, NE to take on the #14 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. The match will be featured on ABC Prime Time's nationally televised Game of the Week, in what will be a very hostile environment. The Trojans beat the Huskers at the Coliseum last year 28-10, but this year's game figures to be a lot more challenging. Nebraska will be at home, Memorial Stadium, where they hold the current record for most consecutive sell outs at 283 games. That streak dates back all the way to 1962, so expect to see over 85,000 loud, screaming fans. The sea of red that is the Nebraska crowd will be further inspired by ESPN's College Game Day, who will be on location, broadcasting live from Lincoln. The Huskers have not played host to a #1 ranked team since 1978, when they beat Oklahoma 17-14. This is the type of game that can vault Nebraska's program back to where it belongs -- among college football's best. Even Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan can feel the electricity in the air:

"I think the game against SC is pretty well established, pretty well talked about in our part of the country," Callahan said. "We're going to have to have our best effort on Saturday night."

Big time college football returns to Lincoln on Saturday, I can't wait! Let's take an early look at the match-up:

Nebraska enters the game with a record of (2-0) after winning at Wake Forest 20-17 on Saturday and beating Nevada 52-10 in the opener. USC (1-0) had a much needed bye this past weekend, which should have provided some valuable rest and treatment for a banged up Trojans squad. Hopefully the Trojans were able to heal up, not only for this game, but for the rest of the season, as they continue their march towards another national championship. I am certain that we will see a different USC team than the one that took the field against Idaho in the opener. USC started the game fast, jumping out to a 21-0 lead and, though unspectacular, managed to come away with a solid 38-10 victory. The Trojans usually show up for big games, so expect Pete Carroll to fire up his troops for this one. The Trojans emerged the Idaho game relatively healthy, with LB Brian Cushing being the only starter to suffer an injury, but he should be back this week. As far as this game goes, junior CB/S Josh Pinkard is definitely out (possibly for the season), so Cary Harris and Shareece Wright need to step up once again. The status of other players, such as Chauncey Washington is still uncertain, but we'll keep monitoring the injury report as the week progresses.

The different faces that will be lining up for both teams will also give the game a different feel than last year. Nebraska lost QB Zac Taylor to graduation, but returns a familiar foe in former Arizona State QB Sam Keller. Two of the Huskers' leading rushers, Kenny Wilson and Brandon Jackson are also gone. The defense must replace last year's entire starting defensive line. USC returns QB John David Booty, who completed 25 out of 36 passes for 257 yards and 3 TDs in last year's game, but his two main targets (Jarrett, Smith) are gone. Jarrett and Smith combined for 17 catches, 189 yards, and 3 TDs last season. We have yet to see the Trojans #1 WR Patrick Turner, who sat out the opener with a neck injury, and the younger wide outs David Ausberry, Vidal Hazelton, Travon Patterson, and Ronald Johnson are all still trying to find their role in the offense. It will be interesting to see how the passing game performs in the loud Memorial Stadium. Gone to for the Trojans is RB Emmanuel Moody, who led the Trojans in rushing yards (70), but has transferred to Florida. Chauncey Washington finished with 12 carries for 52 yards and a TD against the Huskers last year, but is questionable with a shoulder injury. We'll see how everything shakes out.

Wednesday: Nebraska Offense preview
Thursday: Nebraska Defense preview
Friday: What to expect/predictions

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