#4 Oregon Vs. USC : Preview

LaMichael James ran wild against USC last year. Can he do it again?
(Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian)

USC comes into Eugene in what promises to be a wild one. The Trojans look to avenge the losses the last couple years at the hands of the Ducks. Last season, in the Coliseum the Ducks came in and got out to a 29-17 half time lead. However, after the Ducks received the second half kick and Darron Thomas threw an interception, USC got out to a quick 15 point flurry to put them on top. It would be the last time the Trojans would score.

Despite the interception, Thomas threw for 4 scores and  288 yards. LaMichael James added 239 on the ground and three rushing touch downs of their own. The win was monumental for the Ducks as they had not won in the LA Coliseum since 2001 and put them one step closer to an eventual national championship berth.

In a losing effort, Matt Barkley threw for 264 yards but was intercepted twice and pressured all night as Oregon forced Barkley to throw, limiting the Trojans to 3.1 yards a carry and Marc Tyler to a total of 69 yards despite his getting into the end zone twice from short yardage.

USC boasts one of the deepest wide receiving corps in the Pac-12. They are going to need that depth as the latest out of the Trojan camp is that Robert Woods is facing nagging ankle and shoulder injuries and according to coach Lane Kiffin there is an "increasing possibility" that Woods will miss the game on Saturday. While SC will miss his productivity if he doesn't play the cupboard is far from bare. Marquise Lee, the Freshman out of Inglewood, CA has accounted for 52 receptions and 732 yards. Lee will have to provide the vertical threat for the Trojans against the Duck secondary which clamped down on Andrew Luck only a week ago.

As for the USC quarter back, Matt Barkley he has already nearly surpassed his output from last season totalling 2782 yards passing on the season. He will have to be a major factor this week if the Trojans are to upset Oregon. Barkley has performed well, his best game of the season coming against Arizona where he completed 82% of his passes and threw for a USC record 468 yards and 4 touch downs.

On defense, the Trojans are faced with the unenviable task of slowing down the Oregon offense which seems to be hitting it's groove. Last week against Stanford, Oregon got off to a slow start but eventually rattled off 387 yards and 53 points against a vaunted defense. LaMichael James rushed for 146 yards and 3 scores on a defense that is the only defense ahead of USC in the matter of rushing defense in the conference.

On the passing side of the ball, it seemed that Darron Thomas has started to hit his stride. Last week he threw for 3 scores against Stanford as well as 155 yards to keep them guessing as to what facet of this dynamic offense was going to strike next. USC will have to be on the lookout for Oregon's own Freshman weapon, De'Anthony Thomas. Thomas has got into the end zone 9 times  already this season and has done so in a variety of ways, ranging from rushing to receiving. None though, bigger to this point than his reception against Stanford. On 4th and 7, Darron Thomas connected with De'Anthony who turned the ball up field for a 41 yard score to continue giving the Ducks separation against a talented squad. He is just another weapon at Coach Kelly's disposal as they look to attack a gifted and talented USC defense.

USC Forces 5 Turnovers, Rout California

Dion Bailey returns his second interception on the night.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Coming into last night's game, USC had only forced 5 turnovers on the season. You wouldn't have been able to tell as the turnovers kept pouring in, starting with a Keenan Allen fumble which set up USC in Cal territory early in the first. By the end of the game, the Trojans had doubled that yearly total forcing 5 turnovers for Zach Maynard and the Golden Bears. USC opened up the offense with a deep pass from Matt Barkley to Marqise Lee to put the Trojans in business at the 6 yard line. After three plays though, USC was unable to punch it in for a touch down and on 4th down lined up in a swinging gate like formation. With an errant direct snap to tight end Rhett Ellison, California escaped the opening drive not allowing any points.

USC and Cal traded punts through most of the rest of the first quarter until Nick Perry broke through the line and forced a fumble from Zach Maynard. USC was once again starting with the ball deep in Cal territory, but the Golden Bear defense stood strong and forced a Trojan field goal. That seemed to open up the flood gates as USC scored another 17 points in the second quarter highlighted by two Barkley touch down passes, one to Marqise Lee and the other to Brandon Carswell.

With time winding down in the first half, California got some offensive momentum and got the ball down into the Trojan red zone. With under a minute to play, Cal's most promising drive was thwarted by Dion Bailey's first of two interceptions in the end zone and the Trojans would go into the break holding a commanding 20-0 lead. After a USC field goal to open the second half scoring, Cal had their chance to move the ball down the field and broke their scoring drought, getting into the red zone and converting on a field goal. The reeling Cal defense made a stop and the Bears looked to get back into the game. Maynard connected on 4 consecutive passes and then ran it in himself from 3 yards out to bring the Bears within 23-9 after the extra point attempt was blocked.

Cal had the opportunity to really put some pressure on USC, forcing successive punts but were unable to do anything with the ball, giving it back on a punt and then Dion Bailey again intercepted Zach Maynard and returned it inside the 10 yard line. Curtis McNeal punched it in from 2 yards out to render the final margain of 30-9.

Keenan Allen continues to impress, last night he reeled in 13 receptions for 160 yards. It is clear that Allen is Maynard's favorite target as more than half of Maynard's completed passes went to Allen. As good as Allen is and has been, you have to wonder if defenses are going to focus on shutting down the talented sophomore and force Zach Maynard to look elsewhere to get his yardage. You can't stop Allen from getting the ball but you can minimize his impact.

For USC, injuries are a concern as they lost starting running back Marc Tyler and Marqise Lee to shoulder injuries. The Trojans need those guys as they move into the heart of the Pac-12 schedule as well as their yearly showdown with Notre Dame. Also, Barkley looked shaky in the early going and missed on some passes that he would normally make. It could be just a blip on the radar for the Junior signal caller and it must be if the Trojans are going to be successful this season.