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!

Trojans sweep Cal and Stanford

The USC Trojans defeated 7th ranked Stanford 77-64 earlier this afternoon and will enter the Pac-10 Tournament on fire after sweeping the bay area schools this weekend. The men closed out the regular season in style with a record of (20-10) overall and (11-7) in the Pac-10, finishing tied for 3rd in the conference with Washington State. USC played out of its mind on Saturday, and reaped the rewards of the incredible effort that they put into this game on both ends of the floor. O.J. Mayo led the Trojans in scoring yet again with 25 points, but it was a total team effort tonight. The Trojans out-rebounded the Cardinal 47-31, despite the presence of Stanford's 7-foot Lopez twins, thanks to the play of forwards Taj Gibson (20 pts, 11 rebs) and Keith Wilkinson (4 pts, 8 rebs) and some help from the guards (Mayo had 8 rebs). USC's defense was able to contain the twins for most of the game by using a lot of full-court pressure, speeding up the tempo of the game and taking them out of their comfort level. Offensively, Mayo continued his hot play and put on a show in front of a CBS national tv audience. Those who tuned in were not disappointed, as seen by plays like this...

[video courtesy of USChoops.com Message Board]

Lost in Mayo's current hot streak is the re-emergence of Taj Gibson, who got off to a slower than expected start this season. He's been our steadiest player since the Trojans got off to that dismal (0-3) start in Pac-10 play. USC is (11-4) since then, which is incredible when you consider the absence of starting point guard Daniel Hackett, but that would not have been possible without Gibson. He had that key blocked shot in the closing minutes of USC's win at ucla, and carried the team on his back when we hosted the bruins at the Galen Center. Gibson has been scoring at will, staying out of foul trouble, controlling the boards, blocking shots, and playing with emotion out there. USC seems to be peaking at just the right time. Coach Tim Floyd has found two very reliable players off the bench in Wilkinson and point guard Angelo Johnson, who has started some games and played some valuable minutes for Hackett both at the beginning of the season and during his recent back injury. With the regular season in the books, Coach Floyd can now start gearing his squad for the "Big Dance." Let's take a quick peak at next week's Pac-10 Tournament, hosted by the Staples Center, which gets underway Wednesday evening.

The Trojans have earned the #4 seed in the Pac-10 Tourney, having lost the tie-breaker since they were swept by Washington State, and will play 5th-seeded Arizona State in a quarterfinal match-up on Thursday at approximately 6pm (PST). USC is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but it can go a long way towards improving its seeding with an impressive showing at Staples. USC's two most recent losses came against the teams that they will likely face in the next two games. The prospects of facing Arizona State (quarterfinal opponent) and ucla (potential semifinal opponent) on consecutive nights makes for a very intriguing tournament. I expect every die hard Trojan, living in the L.A. area to come out and support our team. We made it to the final last year, let's go out and finish it this time. Below is the bracket (click on image to enlarge), courtesy of USChoops.com:Great season guys, but there's still work to do.

Fight On! Beat the Devils!

USC Ranked No. 10 in the new AP Poll

This is bullshit. How is USC, who has enough 5-star recruits to make other teams drool and one of the best coaches in the country, ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll after losing to Stanford? We should have DROPPED out of the Top 25 completely. I don't think the AP voters realize that we lost to Stanford (At home). With all the talent USC stockpiles, our alleged All-World players, and our great coach, there is no fucking reason we should have lost last night.

This is only the 5th loss by USC since I've been a student here. Cal in 2003 was pretty bad since it was a triple-overtime loss. Texas in the Rose Bowl in 2006 was the worst night of my life. Oregon St. and fUCLA in 2006 were also pretty disappointing, but Stanford in 2007? Are you fucking kidding me? Stanford? At home? WTF!? Who the fuck loses to Stanford?

I sincerely hope Carroll had to be restrained from going after players and coaches in the locker room. This loss shouldn't be taken lightly by the coaching staff. Sarkisian should realize that his play calling sucks dick. It's hard to imagine Lane Kiffin was drawing up better plays. Nick Holt doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. Every time the camera pans across him, he's looking at his play sheet with a look of "What the fuck should I do?"

USC usually bounces back from a loss and gets their shit straight. Players and coaches usually get their heads out of their asses, and realize that they fucked up and need to start playing/coaching better. I just hope that this loss awakens a sleeping giant that can salvage this season. I say salvage because with USC's recent 11+ win seasons, anything short of a National Championship or a BCS Bowl is unacceptable. We still have Oregon and Cal on the schedule and those games will definitely be a gut check. Whatever happens though, I just hope Pete Carroll gets his wish and gets to play in the Rose Bowl this season. That always "jacks" him up...

Game #5 Stanford, Key Matchups / Predictions

Five Key Matchups to watch out for tomorrow:

USC CB Mozique McCurtis gets the start tomorrow in place of the injured Shareece Wright

USC CB Mozique McCurtis vs. Stanford's WR Corps
McCurtis has been battling injuries and replaces Shareece Wright, who's replacing Cary Harris and Josh Pinkard, in the starting lineup. I don't think Stanford will go after Terrell Thomas much, but expect them to test McCurtis early and often with the 6-7 Evan Moore on fade patterns, and with short passes to the speedy Mark Bradford and Richard Sherman. USC plays a lot of soft zone coverages, so it's important to tackle and prevent yards after the catch (YAC). McCurtis played well against Washington last week and has always been a tough, reliable defender so I expect him to rise to the occasion tomorrow.

USC DE Kyle Moore vs. Stanford LT Ben Muth
Moore has been a pleasant surprise this season. If he can continue to pressure the QB off the edge, it'll free up Sedrick Ellis up the middle and LoJack on the opposite side. Moore needs to get to Stanford's young QB early and rattle him, setting the tone for the rest of the game. Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh will probably call a bunch of roll outs and bootlegs to get Pritchard on the move giving him a pass-run option. Pritchard is said to be very athletic, so it will also be important for Moore and Jackson to play with discipline and keep the QB in the pocket.

USC Running Backs vs. Stanford MLB Nick Macaluso
Macaluso has registered only 5 tackles in the 3 games that he's played in. When Chauncey Washington, Joe McKnight, Desmond Reed, Allen Bradford, Hershel Dennis or whoever it is that gets meaningful carries is in the game, they need to punish Macaluso. USC's offensive line is almost certain to open up holes like this against Stanford's porous defensive line, so Macaluso better buckle up his chin strap and get ready to make some tackles.

USC TE Fred Davis vs. Stanford SS Austin Yancy
Davis, a blue-chip WR in high school, has become QB John David Booty's favorite and most reliable target. Davis is making the most of his catches, whether it be picking key first downs, stiff-arming would-be tacklers, or hurdling defenders after a long catch and run. Yancy (6-4, 215) definitely has the size to match up with Davis, but like Davis, is also a former WR. Does he have the experience and toughness to contain a player like Davis?

USC FB Stanley Havili vs. Stanford SLB Pat Maynor
Booty has struggled to get the ball to his WR's this season, but Havili and Davis have been great outlets. USC likes to roll out Booty on play-action and dump it to Havili in the flats. Stanford's defense will have to choose whether to honor the run or prevent Havili and Davis from having a big day in the passing game. Booty tends to lock on to his targets, so if Maynor can anticipate a route he might be able to jump on it and make a big play.

Saturday's Expectations:
Offensively, the Trojans can run the ball at will against Stanford, but with C.J. Gable out for the season and Stafon Johnson being banged up, I think they'll monitor Chauncey's carries and let Booty air it out early on. It will be nice to see offensive coordinator open up the playbook and get the WR's involved. Once they establish a big lead, it'll be time to control the clock and see what McKnight, Bradford, and Dennis can do. Expect another big day from Davis and Havili.

Defensively, USC will probably try to confuse QB Tavita Pritchard, who will be making his first career start on Saturday. Look for Carroll to show blitz before the snap by creeping up the linebackers and disguise the coverages, only the switch to a totally different look at the snap of the ball. The crowd noise, coupled with Pritchard's inexperience will make it difficult for Stanford to change plays at the line of scrimmage. It won't take long for USC's front four to pressure Pritchard and force an early turnover, opening up the flood gates. USC has been hit hard by the injury bug this season so I'm sure Carroll's #1 objective for tomorrow will be to end this game quickly and to emerge from it relatively unscathed and as healthy as possible. USC is losing respect in the polls though, so style points definitely count...Prediction: USC 45, Stanford 6

Other Predictions:
Joey -- USC uses Stanford as a "healing" game, just like they did last year. Beware of more sloppy play from Booty with all the injuries. The defense rolls as usual. USC 42 Stanford 13

RG3 -- USC's stagnant offense wakes up and will send chills down the spines of all the haters out there. Booty regains some lost ground in the Heisman race and Chauncey Washington rushes for 200 yards... at the half... USC 49 Stanford 3.

PCBestever -- Allen Bradford destroys at least three people blocking, rushing, and on special teams on his way to a three touchdown performance. 'SC needs only one half to make a statement and then we'll get to see the Dirty Sanchez in the game...USC 52, Stanford 14

Fight On! Beat the Farm!!

Stanford Defense Preview

Probable Starters vs. USC:

DE 91 Pannel Egboh (6-6, 275, Jr.*)
DT 99 Levirt Griffin (6-4, 270, So.)
NT 95 Chris Horn (6-5, 273, Sr.)
DE 80 Erik Lorig (6-4, 260, So.*)
SLB 44 Pat Maynor (6-2, 217, Jr.*)
MLB 50 Nick Macaluso (6-3, 235, RFr.*)
WLB 20 Clinton Snyder (6-4, 230, So.*)
CB 2 Nick Sanchez (6-0, 190, Sr.*)
FS 22 Bo McNally (6-0, 208, So.*)
SS 23 Austin Yancy (6-4, 215, So.)
CB 6 Wopamo Osaisai (5-11, 200, Jr.*)

Best Defensive Player: LB Clinton Snyder (23 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF)

Defensive Line -- The weakness of Stanford's defense clearly lies with their front four. They are switching from the 3-4 front to a more attacking 4-3 base defense, but thus far the results have been the same. The Cardinal are surrendering 189.8 rushing yards per game, and 454 yards of total offense per game. They are undersized, which means that their LB's won't be able to roam free with both of their defensive tackles weighing in at around 270 lbs. DE Pannel Egboh, the team's 5th leading tackler with 19, can be disruptive off the edge at 6-6, 275 lbs.

Linebackers -- Stanford's LB unit is pretty good, considering they have to shed blockers all night as opposing teams pound it against their porous defensive line. They are still struggling to replace their all-league middle linebacker Michael Okwo, last year's senior captain, but their outside linebackers Pat Maynor (31 tackles) and Clinton Snyder (23 tackles) are very active. Maynor and Snyder each have 4.5 tackles for loss, while trying to pick up the slack for redshirt freshman MLB Nick Macaluso (5 tackles in 2 career starts) who has yet to make an impact.

Defensive Backs -- The Cardinal secondary has had a rough start as well, allowing 264.2 passing yards per game and intercepting the ball only twice this season, but games against Oregon and Arizona State will help skew any team's defensive stats. The safeties are big question marks. SS Austin Yancy was playing WR for Stanford last season and FS Bo McNally is a former linebacker. You have to wonder about their instincts and lack of experience at the positions. The Cardinal have a very solid trio of CB's in starters Nick Sanchez and Wopamo Osaisai, and a reliable veteran backup in Tim Sims. Osaisai leads the team with 6 pass breakups, while McNally and Sims account for the 2 INT's Stanford has produced.

Look out tomorrow night for the key matchups and predictions, I know we didn't get to that last week, but we will this time around.

Fight On!

Stanford Offense Preview

Probable Starters vs. USC:

WR 4 Mark Bradford (6-2, 215, Sr.)
9 Richard Sherman (6-3, 195, So.), key contributor, leads team in receiving
LT 76 Ben Muth (6-6, 301, Jr.*)
LG 72 Mikal Brewer (6-3, 297, Sr.*)
C 62 Tim Mattran (6-5, 298, Sr.*)
RG 60 Alex Fletcher (6-3, 295, Jr.*)
RT 63 Chris Marinelli (6-7, 304, So.*)
TE 83 Jim Dray (6-5, 255, So.*)
45 Ben Ladner (6-3, 250, So.*), key backup
QB 14 Tavita Pritchard (6-4, 200, So.*), starting for injured Ostrander
RB 5 Anthony Kimble (6-1, 210, Jr.*)
FB 48 Owen Marecic (6-1, 235, Fr.)
WR 8 Evan Moore (6-7, 236, Sr.*)

Best Offensive Player: WR Richard Sherman

Quarterback -- As we mentioned yesterday in our first look at Stanford, sophomore Tavita Pritchard (pictured below) will make his first career start this Saturday in place of senior starting QB T.C. Ostrander, who suffered a seizure this past Sunday and will not be suiting up against the Trojans. This is really unfortunate for the Cardinal on two fronts. First, they will be tossing young and untested QB into the fire that is the otherwise known as the L.A. Coliseum. The Trojans have won 35 consecutive home games, and 24 straight conference games at the historic arena, both streaks are Pac-10 records and currently stand as the longest in the nation. Pritchard has played in only one game this season and nothing can be said from his stat line that includes only 2 pass attempts for 10 yards and 1 rush attempt for 18 yards. Scout.com's 2007 Stanford Preview said that Pritchard won the backup QB job after showcasing his arm strength and quick feet in the spring. Secondly, Ostrander is a fifth year senior who has certainly paid his dues, serving as a backup to Trent Edwards for four years, and has enjoyed a solid season so far. His physical well-being has to be the team's number one priority at this point because they probably won't be playing in a bowl game this winter. I can't say that Ostrander would have engineered an upset over the top ranked Trojans, but he's not likely to make the mistakes that the young Pritchard will undoubtedly commit this weekend. All we can say is, "Get well soon T.C. Ostrander."

Passing Game -- The strength of the Cardinal offense lies with the WR's. Stanford's wide-outs are big (Bradford is 6-2, Sherman is 6-3, and Moore is an astounding 6-7), experienced, and have big-play potential on any given snap. Sherman has been the most productive WR and leads the way in receptions (20), yards (339), and TD catches (2). The only question about the passing game is pass protection. The Cardinal allowed 50 sacks a season ago, and have allowed 15 sacks in 4 games this year. Complicating matters is the loss of starting LT Allen Smith. Junior Ben Muth started his first game last week against ASU, and now is expected to block Trojans DE Kyle Moore, who is having an outstanding season so far. Ostrander did a decent job holding on to the football, throwing 3 INT's in 166 attempts, we'll see how the young QB Pritchard does in the turnover department.

Running Game -- Anthony Kimble is the primary ball-carrier. He has carried the ball 59 times for 288 yards and 3 TD's this season. He has good size at 6-1, 210 lbs. and has the speed to take it the distance, as seen by his season long run of 60 yards this season. As a team, the Cardinal have had trouble running the ball. They only managed 52 yards in the opener vs. fucla, and finished with negative 2 yards last week against ASU. It's been said that Pritchard is a good athlete and can make plays with his feet from the QB position, so that might add another dimension to Stanford's running game. The Trojans did a great job bottling up Jake Locker last week, but they'll again have to be cognitive of their rushing lanes and then punish Pritchard if decides to leave the pocket.

Tomorrow night: Preview of Stanford's Defense

Thanks to College Football News and the Stanford Athletics website for
providing some of the background in this preview...

Fight On!

Stanford Cardinal: First Look

First and foremost, let's all hope that Stanford's starting QB T.C. Ostrander is healthy and well. The senior signal-caller will not play vs. USC after suffering a seizure Sunday afternoon at a downtown Palo Alto restaurant where he was watching his former teammate Trent Edwards quarterback the Buffalo Bills. He was taken to Stanford Hospital, underwent some tests, and was then discharged later that day. Coach Jim Harbaugh said Ostrander, who undergo futher testing next Monday, "will not suit up this weekend as a precautionary matter." This is clearly the right decision, anything dealing with the brain should not be taken lightly. USC Sports Talk would like to wish Ostrander a full and speedy recovery.

The Cardinal have a player dealing with a scary medical situation, but they still have a game to play this Saturday. Stanford comes in to this game at (0-3) in the Pac-10 and (1-3) overall, and Saturday's visit to the Coliseum will be Stanford's first road game of the season. That doesn't bode well, for a team struggling as much as the Cardinal, to play the #1 team in the country in your road opener. They opened up the season with a 45-17 loss to fucla, and then after a bye, got their lone win in a 37-0 rout of San Jose State. Then, they lost back to back games against Oregon (55-31)and Arizona State (41-3). All three of those losses came against teams who were ranked in the Top 25 at the time, and who are all still currently in the polls. The USA Today Coaches Poll has Oregon at #13, Arizona State #19, and fucla at #25. As Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins would say, "It's Division I Football," not the University of San Diego, where Harbaugh began his head coaching career 3 seasons ago.

It's certainly been a rough 1st year for Coach Harbaugh, who may be better known for his mouth than his wins at this point in his career. Harbaugh stirred some off-season controvery when he lashed out at his alma-mater, the University of Michigan, for devaluing academics and encouraging student-athletes not to choose majors that may be too rigorous. There was also the matter involving USC, spefically Coach Pete Carroll. Harbaugh claimed that Carroll has only one more year at USC, according to a source inside Carroll's coaching staff. Maybe Harbaugh should be more worried about watching film on last year's game in Palo Alto that ended in a 42-0 rout by the Trojans.

On the home front, Carroll just needs to make sure his guys do not overlook the Cardinal. The 35 game home winning streak is by no means in jeopardy, USC is a 38 point favorite, but the Trojans continue to deal with injuries. Center Kris O'Dowd and right guard Chilo Rachal will both be out for a while with knee injuries, while CB's Shareece Wright and Cary Harris could both be out this weekend. WR Travon Patterson is out for the season, and maybe even C.J. Gable too, according to Scott Wolf. Still no word on Brian Cushing, who is still out, but Thomas Williams has been outstanding in his absence. Carroll has a lot on his table right now, but Stanford might be what the doctor ordered. It will be interesting to see how the two coaches greet each other on the field.

Look out for Stanford's offensive and defensive previews coming in the next couple of days...

Fight On! Beat the Farm!!