USC 17 Arizona 21
by Paragon SC on Dec 5, 2009 4:07 PM PST
in USC Football
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PrintI feel horrible for our seniors...
But it is hard to be shocked about todays game against Arizona. You could tell early on that the team and the crowd just was not into it. Hard not to imagine why...either way USC was heading to San Diego.
Today's loss capped off a frustrating season. But for some reason I just can't get upset. Expectations were placed too high. USC experience level needs to grow and the coaching needs to improve. Its just hard to be upset when we have accomplished so much...it had to end sometime.
Anyway, where to begin...
The defense played great...they only gave up 7 points in the second half. You can't be upset with them.
On the other hand, the offense...
I have no idea where the play calling came from in the first half. SC came out throwing the ball...A LOT! I am not sure why they didn't balance their game plan with more of a running game.
But who am I?
I am officially off the Bates bandwagon...I am patient person when it comes to these sorts of things. Guys need to adjust and I can accept a few mistakes but this was an experiment that just didn't work. It would be best if Bates went back to the NFL where the play calling is stale and boring. He will thrive there...nothing personal.
As I said after the Stanford game Pete Carroll needs to rethink some things...hopefully he will use his time wisely.
I really can't be upset...I mean Pete Carroll has given us a great run. The run is over, I do not know if we will even do half of what we have accomplished going forward. Things need to change though I hate the thought of more adjustments to next years team in regards to coaching.
So, that is it for now I will have more later.
Feel free to take your shots...this is our post-game thread.
FIGHT ON!
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End of a great run...
but SC can get back on top. SC has a great foundation of youth to build off of. They might not win 7 PAC-10 Championships in a row any time soon but they can be a force to be reckoned with. A magical run has come to an end. A run that set the bar very high. Best of luck next season and in the Poinsetta Bowl. I still can not believe they finished 6th in the PAC-10. Unreal.
If Cal loses tonight...
what are the odds that the Trojans head to Vegas instead of San Diego?
California Golden Blogs posted a breakdown of such a result…and the Huskies are up 21-3 in Seattle…
Either way, USC will play BYU or Utah. Best of luck against the latter…;)
Vanquish the Foe, a BYU Cougars blog at SB Nation
Don't worry this team couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag.
28---7 2nd & 11 Barkley to Williams, so please Bru-Babes call time out again.
by so.cal.native1952 on Dec 5, 2009 4:55 PM PST up reply actions
Hey, Paragon, and trojan fans
Bummer finish to a rough season. That was quite an amazing run tho, and I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you to have faith in Pete. It sounds like you’re thinking along the right track: with your program’s talent and facilities, you’re probably just a few smart offseason hires away from starting a new run.
Good luck in your bowl game.
"For me the game wasn’t grounded in reality. It was about the uniform you put on that turned you into a warrior. It was about the mythology of the battle, the victory, the defeat, the struggle." - Mike Reid, PSU '69
2009
Very well stated Paragon, it was a great run! Now they need to retool and find an "Offensive Philosophy, I was there today it was tough to watch, the offense was all over the place.
The defense played very well except two big plays; the pass on 3rd and 13 down to the 3 yard line with T J Bryant covering and the last touchdown pass with Pinkard covering.
The Coliseum was kinda of quiet today with all the front running band wagoners staying home. I don’t know what else to say, it’s been a very strange year and now we wait until next year.
FIGHT ON!!!
It was pretty quiet there today, but that's not why we lost
I came away with a few thoughts:
Not ending the season with UCLA is lame, and I am not shocked that people stayed home for an opponent that is not a traditional rival.
Jeremy Bates is bad, that empty back, aka the FailGun, set needs to go back in the playbook and never come out again — MB7 needed a personal protector, and getting Carswell into the game wasn’t accomplishing much. Why so much shotgun? What it it accomplish other than telegraph a passing down or ensure a run for a loss?
The D still has an inability to get teams off the field on 3rd down. From where I was sitting it looked like they got bailed out by errant passing more than any of us are likely to admit. Malcolm Smith plays hard, but the linebackers are a liability.
Criticizing Barkley is pointless, its like arguing with the tide, no matter what any of us say, he will be the QB. Lord knows Corp is no improvement, and Mustain is like sasquatch, more a legend than a fact. I just hope that Pete finds someone who can really help him progress, because he’s really not getting any better, and that puts way too much pressure on the rest of the squad.
Really the season ended when Sanchez went pro, I can’t blame him. For years I have been skeptical when Pete stressed years in the system as a rationale for QB choice — boy was I wrong.
We should hope for the Emerald Beer Nuts bowl, we have a good shot against BC, Utah and BYU are just flat out better teams.
A good loss
The Coliseum was the place I remember, easy in easy out, no parking hassles, the Trojan Family in attendance cheering politely at the right moments. It was a proper ending for a tumultuous season, proof that only your family sticks with you till the end.
The next run will almost certainly start the same way as the one that just ended, on a cold and miserable night in Las Vegas. The Emerald bowl will choose The Furd, a far better team with a Heisman quality running back powering an offense that can really move the ball.
This skull crushing to come at the hands of the Mormons will be good for the program, like a hefty dose of Castor Oil they will purge the system, and in time, the hunger will return. All semblance of invincibility and entitlement will be smashed, resoundingly. Pete Carroll will finally get it through his thick skull that internally promoting video assistants and NFL retreads as coordinators just ain’t working.
Nineteen Seniors were honored today. They should hold their heads high, for they did the best they could with the miserable coaching they were given. Those guys deserved better than yesmen, latte boys and schleppers. In the next few weeks the nutty professors SHOULD be replaced with quality, experienced college assistants.
The kids trust Pete Carroll like a father, and twenty more will sign up early next year; will PC honor and respect their confidence by hiring the personnel THEY need? If you don’t “MAKE IT BETTER” or you won’t “WIN FOREVER”
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
Great Post
I agree. The best outcome was a deep injection of a potent dose of reality this season. Only then may PC shake off the cobwebs of the gods and learn that he can’t do this by himself.
PC is out to save the youth of Los Angeles and the World
He’s not just about football and that’s OK, the problem is that the CEO of Pete Carroll Inc. is sucking at picking his Vice-Presidents. Like you say Tex, he can’t do this by himself.
BTW… TEXAS. IS. A. FRAUD!!! What an unbelievable farce by those refs. Sucks to be TCU, it should be them in the NC.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
It's a travesty
borderline criminal. http://www.playoffpac.com/
remember how bad the Mountain West champ, Utah, beat Bama in last year’s Sugar Bowl. I’m telling you, TCU could have pulled this off.
Not the season any Trojan fan wanted
I feel real bad for our Seniors, more so on the defensive side. The offense didn’t click, bad play calling by Bates. McCoy was invisible in the game, Bradford should have gotten more carries, Barkley over throwing… It was a terrible game offensively.
After bowl game, whichever it is, it’s recruiting time. Certainly excited for next year’s class, Barkley will learn, we’ll reload and learn from ’09.
I’m inclined to agree with Loco. Much as I have been frustrated this season, it’s been along the lines of “why is the team doing X, Y, and Z” from a play-calling standpoint. Not with the players, as such.
When you read more than once that Pete Carroll is trying to get the defense back to basics, you have to wonder why they were trying something esoteric in the first place. I remember, during Booty’s first season as starter, thinking that he was suffering from being asked to be Matt Leinart, and similarly for Chauncey Washington as a replacement for White and Bush. It was an unfair expectation, and it smacked of play calls for the system you want, not the players that you have.
I watched only the 4th quarter today, because I was playing in the snow with my kids. It sure looked like the rest of the season – stretches of competence followed by flashes of inexperience and inexplicable play calls. The stats I pulled together to talk about the subject of whether running back by committee affected overall net yards suggested that experience was important just as talent is, and experience is something that time provides.
I’ll be curious to see where things go from a recruiting and coaching standpoint. It’s no crime to have a crap year if you learn from it. Hell, it’s no crime not to learn from it – just a shame. Here’s hoping that these kids are able to put their disappointments behind them and work to a better start next year.
Lucky DC
You did the right thing spending the day with your little ones. Today’s debacle was only slightly more perplexing than the fucla mess, definitely not worth sacrificing family time.
The most important part of rebuilding is already accomplished. USC has the talent, the cupboard is full and will be restocked with yet another top 10 class. The key to success will be to break with the past and adapt the system to the strengths of the guys we have. We need an infusion of energy and creativity, but above all have to get back to fundamentals and discipline.
Losing to Washington and Arizona made revealed the inadequacy of our coaching, but getting dismantled by Oregon and Stanford showed complete disarray.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
by Locoweed 1.1 on Dec 5, 2009 10:55 PM PST up reply actions
I like MB7
but he proved too young to play this season. And, no one should be surprised. There’s a reason that true frosh don’t see the field at QB.
Give me ANY OTHER QB in the PAc-10 other than the ASU QBs, and USC beats Arizona today. Any one of them? Even the Wazzu QB. Even Kevin Prince.
Is it possible that Mustain, a 5 star Parade All-American Junior is worse than 8 of the other PAc-X QBs???? I simply don’t believe that. PC wasted a season on a frosh QB training camp. PC should return $2 mil of his $4 mil salary this season.
Yep
We talked about it in August. This was Pete’s big gamble, he threw away the season thinking Corp and Mustaing couldn’t get us anywhere and hoping all the playing time would get MB7 ready for a 2010 run. It was capricious and foolish, the bet was lost, and it has nothing to do with the losses on the scoreboard, I could care less about those. The problem is that The Kid didn’t improve through the season, if anything, his fundamentals have deteriorated and screwed up his accuracy, badly. Plain and simple, BATES SUCKS!!!!! Hopefully Steve Clarkson will be able to fix the mess Bates created.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
PC is an old dog can he learn new tricks?
Tampa 2 doesn’t work. Elements of spread offense need to be instituted. Experienced proven DC and OC must be hired. Bates and Seto must go.
Will PC do this? The program’s future turns on it.
Hear hear!
Bate will surely head back to the NFL, and hopefully he’ll take Morton with him. Rocky needs to go somewhere else if he wants to get better, Above all PC has to stop meddling with the offense and stick to what he knows.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
by Locoweed 1.1 on Dec 5, 2009 10:59 PM PST up reply actions
True!
Will PC learn? Is he adaptable? Or, is he the most brain-washed disciple of his own philosophies?
Lane Kiffin said (by the way, I am a big Kiff and and wish he was still a Trojan) that Florida had better players, but Bama had better coaches.
Exhibit A – A great coaching STAFF, not head coach solely, gives you the best chance to make the BCS.
This is a young team
Our previous run is officially over for me at this point. We are starting completely fresh. Remember the dynasty started back in 2002 with a promising Carson Palmer under center for his senior season. Its time to put all the streaks, hardware, and records behind us and look to the future. We certainly will have the talent to compete with anyone in the league next season. I’m looking forward to see what happens.
Dude!
Was that you in Section 23, Row 50 with the SLR?
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
Can't Blame Bates
Isn’t Morton actually the OC? But, could anyone teach MB7 to hit a wide open Damian 35 yards downfield on the final 3rd down? Don’t you think that a good 90% of the coaches in D-1 ball would have benched Barkely with two more experienced 5-star QBs on the field in the middle of the 3rd just to see if a new QB might generate a spark?
Loco said it best. PC has been an exalted idol for so long that he now believes his own bullshit. I hate to even acknowledge this trash, but it’s relevant:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=rivals-342192
“Q: Is it frustrating to you Pete Carroll, for example, portrayed in one way…”
PC believed he was god. It is time for him to come back to reality. I just hope that he hasn’t killed MB7s psyche during his trip.
I will forever believe that we could have won this game, the Holiday, and had 10 wins behind a well-supported Mitch Mustain.
I BLAME BATES FOR SCREWING UP MB7
HE LOOKS WORSE NOW THAN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON. IT’S ALL ON THE QUARTERBACKS COACH.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
And another thing
The Pop Philosophy behind all this is the same that is driving that nutball ruler of ours. Remember, PC (along with pal Will Ferrell et.al.) has been one of Dear Leader’s biggest supporters, you can see the parallels, both of them are out to remake the World (this is where DC starts yelling at me!) which is laudable, except that’s not what they were hired to do.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
I’m not going to start yelling at you.
If you want to see people yelling, go look at HuffingtonPost.com and other more liberal sites where they’ve started calling Obama “O’Bomber” because of the short term increase in troops in Afghanistan. Those were the ones who weren’t paying attention to significant continuations of Bush Administration policies on rendition, surveillance, and so on.
They’ve finally realized that just because they were hoping he was one of them, doesn’t make it so.
Equally, there are more conservative folks who are starting to notice that there aren’t any labor camps yet.
I’m not going to say there won’t be any debacles, but they probably won’t be the debacles that people are afraid of.
The Huffington Post is the BruinsNaiton clad in pink.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
I hate to dump cold water on this but We need to stop with these gratuitous shots at BN
WE know what they are about but it is time to move on.
I anyone has questions please email me and we will discuss…don’t want to do it in an open forum…thanks
Win one for Jake Olson
After today’s result I wasn’t peeved that we had been eliminated from a possible Holiday Bowl invitation, or that we had lost on senior day or that we had dropped to a possible 2nd to a 6th in the Pac-10. What really got me was this loss in light of Jake Olson’s story and the football team. For those of you who don’t know Jake is a 12 year old boy from Huntington Beach who lost his eye sight to cancer and is a HUGE USC football fan, here is the link to the ESPN segment http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4695418.
After I saw the video on Jake I just couldn’t stop thinking about him and his infectious positive attitude and what an inspiration it was to have him around. This kid has gone through more through his 12 years than I probably ever will in my entire life. And I know that you can’t possibly compare a football game to the horrors of cancer or other serious health issues (especially for a child). But you just can’t deny what USC football means to him and how it has kept him upbeat and positive.
I know it has been a rough season and it hasn’t turned out as well as we had all hoped but be thankful for what you have. I just hope that we can make this up to Jake and win our bowl game for this great kid, it would really mean the world for him, after all it is the LEAST that we could do for him.
I know this for a fact: Next year the defense, Matt Barkley and the coordinators will finish "rebuilding" get their act together and compete for a BCS national championship and dedicate it to Jake!
Win One For Jake and FIGHT ON!!
If they couldn’t win one for him yesterday, let’s not build the poor kid’s hopes up again for the Emerald Bowl. Better to stay quiet and dedicate a win rather than make a fuss and fall upon the collective ass.
The little guy was featured yesterday, he led the band for the lighting of the torch and was generally treated like the little hero that he is. He was extremely happy. Of course that doesn’t have any effect on Barkley’s ability to not overthrow his receivers.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
I saw that he was there. This may sound like an odd thing, but I like that his twin sister gets included in everything and you don’t see much of the parents. It’s a good way to keep the focus healthy on a variety of levels.
Was Ausberry the key?
Was listening to the wrap up show on 710 and was wondering when the offense started to sputter. We could easily point to the string of injuries starting with Rojo, Havili, McCoy, etc.
But one thing that glared out at me was Ausberry. I did some research and something really stuck out. With Ausberry in the line-up we averaged about 30 points a game. After he was out (starting with Oregon State), the offense only cleared 30 points 1 time and averaged only 23 points a game.
The common denominator was that Ausberry was out. Now I know many of you will say Ausberry hasn’t lived up to expectations – I totally agree. But, as you all know, we’ve always utilized that big receiver (a la BMW). We seemed to miss that big receiver ever since Ausberry was injured. Perhaps his contributions couldn’t be measured in catches, yards or touchdowns but rather in creating mismatches and defenses had to line up against us. Any thoughts guys?
Aus is a bust
No football smarts. Bad blocker, route runner, and hands. Should move him to Def End. Seriously, have him bulk up and put him on Def. He does have great speed.
I’d leave him at his current weight and put him in at Free Safety, he’s got size and speed and should be smart enough to learn the position. He won’t sniff the league as a receiver.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
by Locoweed 1.1 on Dec 6, 2009 11:39 AM PST up reply actions
He was a monster DB in High School, so why not? At his size he’d also make a right weakside linebacker, a great addition where we are very thin, especially with all of spring practice to make the change.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
by Locoweed 1.1 on Dec 6, 2009 11:55 AM PST up reply actions
Yah I was just checking that out about if he played DEE, outside LB we could use and has sub 4.5 speed.
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by so.cal.native1952 on Dec 6, 2009 11:58 AM PST up reply actions
EARTH TO KEN NORTON JR. ARE YOU THERE KENNY?!!!!!
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
by Locoweed 1.1 on Dec 6, 2009 12:50 PM PST up reply actions
crowd
i agree that the crowd wasn’t in to the game but neither were the players. the sidelines were dead and every unit of usc was outplayed, except maybe special teams. usc has been out coached just about every week. i hope pete feels a bit of heat and they start doing a better job developing the talent. the cupboards are full and will likely get even more more with top athletes (heck, if i were a high school player i would be more motivated to play at usc than at any other time because i’d know i had a great job at starting or significant playing time) and i think they’ll have a great chance to be back on top next year (of the conference, not overall) but PC needs to get his head back in the game and make painful changes to the coaching staff, maybe go back to defensive coordinator as well. i’m just glad it’s over for now.
There's always a silver lining.....
This year is a little different from the past but fellas, I still think we can rise to the top of the PAC-10 once again. Like last year, we had a couple close games and if we made a couple critical 3rd down stops, we would be 10-2.
Yes our offense returned 10 starters but it certainly did not looked that way. I think Damien needs to stay an extra year especially since this draft is loaded with WR’s. Also, make me no mistake about it, this is the BEST I’ve seen the Pac-10 been since the Pete Carroll era and it looks to be even better next time.
But there is always a silver lining. I am ABSOLUTELY loving the fact that we won’t probably be the top PAC-10 team in the preseason next year. It’s GREAT to be the underdogs b/c you play with the will of nothing to lose. That’s how it started in 2002 and yes, when you go 7 straight years in the Top 4, we do feel a little invincible at times which has hurt us in the past.
But not anymore. People will be doubting us. They will certainly bring up the fact that we got destroyed by Oregon and Stanford. But that will fuel us even more. We still have one of the best coaches in Division I and I still believe in Pete. I have a feeling that we will return to greatness once again and with our toughest games at home, I know we can compete once again for the PAC-10 championship and the MNC. Just have faith.
The Pac-10 will be even stronger next year
I agree that the spotlight will be off but the press will manufacture some incredible expectations for Barkley. You just watch, some of those clowns will pick us to win the whole enchilada cuz that’s what gets you hits on your website and sells your magazine.
¡Fusílenlo, después veriguamos! - Pancho Villa
PacX is Not Stronger
I know this is the perception. And, the PacX has a lot of great players. But, the PacX always has a lot of great players. Look at how many non-USC PacX players are in the NFL.
The regular season will end with 4 ranked top 25 teams and only 1 top 10 team. Oregon top 10, Furd, Zona, and OSU somewhere in the #16-25 slots, I think. This season, Oregon lost to Boise St, Oregon St lost to Cinci, Zona lost to Iowa, Cal ’Furd lost to Wake, UW lost to LSU.
The PacX is NOT BETTER. USC is just much worse.
Yah that is probably true in sense, even if one of our teams goes undefeated there would have been no NC bowl.
the pac-10 team would have been on the outside looking in at #4 then 3 they don’t like us period. If we are not #1 or 2 it’s no go and the only way it’s with 2 teams undefeated, even if there was a good Big-12 or Sec 1 loss team they might get in.
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by so.cal.native1952 on Dec 6, 2009 11:50 AM PST up reply actions
I dunno...
I know that the PAC-10 has always fielded really good NFL players but it seems like the coaching if anything has improved a whole lot. It seems like a lot of coaches are playing to the players’ strengths. Again, I still have hope that maybe PC will clean house and maybe change some of the play calling up (especially the god awful Tampa 2)
Also DFWTrojan, all those losses you named looked like they should of been one sided regardless except for Oregon and Cal. And if you look at them, Cincy played closed to OSU as did Zona with Iowa and LSU barely got a win against UW not to mention if Oregon was to have a rematch against Boise State on a neutral field, I think they could beat them. I think we should do pretty good in our bowl games when we have some even opponents. So yes, I think the PAC-10 has improved but it has been improving very nicely the past couple years.
by FozzyTheGamer on Dec 6, 2009 12:42 PM PST up reply actions
question for anyone who was at the game yesterday. Is CJ Gable a senior if so I didn’t see him get announced during the senior walk
by Dodgermanramon on Dec 6, 2009 9:29 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Without looking it up
I want to say he’s a RS Junior, but you’re right that he wasn’t honored at Senior day, so I suppose he’s not a Senior…
I was thinking he was going to walk out and I was disappointed. I always like to see any 818 kid get some love
by Dodgermanramon on Dec 6, 2009 9:47 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
RS Junior
CJ, please transfer. It is simply too painful to watch such a talented offensive player waste away on the sidelines with our offense sputtering.
He can't sit out again DFW he is a redshirt JR. unless he wants to play for a 1aa or D2 school.
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by so.cal.native1952 on Dec 6, 2009 11:52 AM PST up reply actions
Oh, didn't know that
Really? After you burn your redshirt, then you can’t transfer at all because you don’t have a redshirt year to sit out as a transfer? Thanks Paul.
I think if you use up the red shirt year
You can still transfer, but you burn a year of eligibility sitting out, so it’s really disadvantageous to do so.
CJ Gable
I hope he gets a chance to play next year because he’s an all around type of back. Anyone have an idea why he’s in the dog house ? ( I know it has to be more than the fumble issue)
by Dodgermanramon on Dec 6, 2009 12:08 PM PST via mobile reply actions
270
i am not going to drink the cool-aid PC is handing out,
but win or lose- i will stick with my team.
next year, shit every season from now on when we play oregon and stanford i say we stick the ball up their freaken ass!
leave in the starters- keep throwing deep no matter what the score
go for 2 after every TD.
270 days till we play Hawaii.
thank god i can watch the Lakers, which will get me to mid june or i would have to
go into hibernation.
Cardinal and Gold Baby, Cardinal and Gold!
I fully approve xgenx's message!
Fight On, xgenx! Fight On!
"As for being a Raiders fan, I wouldn't wish that fucking shit on anybody." [the venerable OTS at Roll Bama Roll}
by BixBeiderbecke on Dec 6, 2009 2:39 PM PST up reply actions
thank god i can watch the Lakers, which will get me to mid june or i would have to go into hibernation.
But wa….wait, how about America’s Favorite Pastime, Baseball??? Haha but yes, I cannot wait for the days where WE blow people out once again.
by FozzyTheGamer on Dec 6, 2009 3:21 PM PST up reply actions
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