USC 49 Hawaii 36 - Some Thoughts on the Morning After
by Paragon SC on Sep 3, 2010 8:00 AM PDT
in USC Football
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PrintSo, after a couple of hours of sleep, a chance to think things over and reading the local rags take, I am not really disappointed in last nights game. While it is easy to get frustrated at the defensive performance from last night I think there are mitigating factors to last nights poor defensive performance.
First, Hawaii will be the best passing offense this team will see all season. Hawaii was #3 in passing offense last year and #14 in total offense. They run both the "run and shoot" and "pistol" offense, some would call it gimmicky or pass happy, but it is effective. In a post game interview on WeAreSC, Kiffin and staff found out the night before that Hawaii was going to run the pistol and spent the whole morning going over it with the defense.
The Hawaii offense has never been well defended by Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 schemes. We saw it during Pete Carroll's time here so it really shouldn't be a surprise for anyone. In the Tampa 2 the linebackers are ineffective. Hawaii did a great job of isolating their slot receivers on the LB's and they ripped off chunks of yards making us chase them all over the field.
The defensive line will fast and furious though they still need to work on discipline. Casey's roughing the passer penalty was inexcusable, he knows better.
Last night USC defensive inexperience showed. Conditioning and depth looked to be an issue (not surprising) as well and Hawaii's coach Greg McMackin plan to exploit it.
"We planned on playing a lot of guys because as you 'SC was gassed. When we started running those running backs at them, we were running them because we knew they couldn't tackle them because they were gassed.''
And boy, did they.
But as Kiffin also noted in his post game interview he started pulling some guys early to rest/protect or because of bonehead plays.
This game actually taught us a lot.
We won't see a better passing offense this season. Hawaii's offense literally threw everything they had against the defense and we still won. This will only make the secondary stronger and more experienced. Hawaii showed us "the pistol" so we will have some film of it when we play UCLA later in the year.
We have an inexperienced defense and it showed, why some are surprised by this is mind boggling. Guys are still getting comfortable with new positions (Kennard) and the increased level of competition (Robey) so it will take some time for things to shake out. You usually have a pretty good idea of what you have by the third or forth game of the season, so let it play out.
The tackling must improve. 'SC was in a number of plays last night that could have been contained but poor tackling, for whatever reason, made those plays big gainers.
Another thing, we couldn't hang in a shootout type of game last year. I think the defense will only get better.
This offense has the potential to be very special. The running game looked pretty good and Barkley for the most part looked pretty good. We have some great receivers and surprisingly, with what we lead to believe, the O line played pretty well. I think Barkley was sacked once last night.
Special teams looked pretty good. The three 2-point conversions in a row was intriguing but Kiffin explained that as well.
So, I am looking at this with a glass half full mentality. It sure wasn't pretty, but it is hard to be upset when you win. I expect Monte to work things out. This defense will look very different as the season moves forward. The next two games will be a good indicator of what they learned from yesterday.
We'll have more later...
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I agree
The defense obviously has work to do, but the schedule gives them a chance to get it done.
For example, the DL needs more discipline. Is there a better man for that particular task anywhere than coach O?
Also you just can’t read too much into the first game of the season. Every year top teams play close early games that are supposed to be blowouts. Sometimes those early games are warnings of bad things to come, but usually they are not.
I suspect that the offense won’t be as good as they looked last night and the defense won’t be as bad as they looked last night over the course of the season.
Los Angeles is like Manchester. There is a red team that wins championships and a blue team that doesn't.
Yah it was an OK game and I was surprised by the non-coverage on defense.
I feel the same problems existed last year in LBs and Secondary coverage on fast receivers, for some reason the system fails on gimmick offenses. But thats FB and the defense will need to get better or they will not win against a great defense this season. Now does anyone in the Pac-10 have a great defense and a good offense, maybe OSU and ASU thats about it. Lets hope by the time we get to those teams that the LBs and Secondary have things sorted out.
Talking about the Hit that knocked out their QB, well the guy was trying to sit down and not get hit. As our guy was going by they ran into each other and the hawaii guy is shorter by 6" and happen to run into our guys upper body. He will live to play another FB game (they do hit one another in FB don’t they) and hopefully he will learn not to challenge to more larger guys the rest of the season, or he will have a short one.
So Fight On USC followers and Don’t worry WE Will Still Play on Saturdays and Bowls will come later, for WE ARE SC not That other Softball University. Oh and don’t say you now have a baseball team, it’s not Real Baseball unless you use Wooden Bats
by so.cal.native1952 on Sep 3, 2010 8:54 AM PDT reply actions
Classic USC offense is back
The poisonous debacle that was Jeremy Bates has been excreted. Barkley and RoJo will live up to their billing and attract Heisman attention.
Defensive backfield will have to grow up in a hurry but they’re fast and athletic. Virginia and Minnesota will be a more realistic challenge.
So a WAC game broke out last night. It was a heckuva lot of fun!
Football season is here
U feeling Loco?
Completely agree regarding the play calling. In the waning years of Sark and the Bates experiment, I found myself second-guessing play calls the entire time. Not so last night. In fact, I’m not sure there was even one play that seemed really out of place.
I don’t think the inexperience in the secondary was nearly as problematic as the conditioning. THAT is going to kill us if it doesn’t improve. And the DBs were covering them pretty tight on a number of the long bombs, but failed to look up for the ball, come back for the ball, etc. So more a lapse of fundamentals then being wildly out of position, biting too hard on play actions (not that they saw any), etc.
Good news is that we have more than a week to practice before the VA game
http://twitter.com/matthewverygood
http://lobsterstuffedwithtacos.tumblr.com
by matthewverygood on Sep 3, 2010 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Accomplished Two of Three Objectives
1) won – check
2) no key injuries…HUGE! – check
3) made a statement to Hater Nation – incomplete
OCP is right. The offense is not that good, and the defense is not that bad, and everyone has funny games in week 1. Remember Oregon’s offense, or lack thereof, in game 1 against BSU last season.
As Kiff said, it was a bad matchup for us. We are a big defense. They spread us out and used a new formation. Plus, MAYBE HAWAII IS BETTER THAN PREDICTED. Moniz looks ready to have a huge season, if he can remember his name after meeting Mike Morgan. Maybe Hawaii is a ranked, 9 or 10 win team at year end. The Rainbows looked dangerous.
We’ll improve quickly. No one will matchup up with us to our disadvantage as much as Hawaii. Maybe Hawaii deserves some credit too. But, youth and thin depth will lead to a few losses this season. 11-2 is my new prediction for this squad.
You can't put sanctions on the fkn endzone! Death to the NCAA!
The Oregon-Boise St comparison isn’t quite USC-Hawaii. But I get your point.
The reason why I bashed USC’s secondary is because they lost the fundamental skill of tackling. I don’t believe it will take one week of practice to make SIGNIFICANT adjustments, plus we have to prepare against Minny, Virginia, et al, who we thought are going to be a piece of cake. I don’t think anyone is a piece of cake at this point.
I need to see more, and quick.
by Julio Nievas on Sep 3, 2010 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions
I hear you, fair concern
At least, as Kiff stated, it was a bad matchup because we are a big defense. ‘Furd plays big on offense. As does UW. Oregon has a scary spread, but it’s a run first spread option that will test the front 7.
Honestly, I’m most concerned about Mike Riley and the Beavs and Jake Locker and Sark picking on that secondary.
You can't put sanctions on the fkn endzone! Death to the NCAA!
A lot of people are dumping on USC this morning (and I love to do that as much as the next guy). But I agree that this was not exactly the best game to start crowing about for us members of the Hatter Nation.
1. Hawaii’s pass offense is that good.
2. Last year, after one game, everybody thought Oregon was going to suck.
3. Cal faces USC like 2 months from now, more than enough time for things to change.
CGB's Jimmy Carter
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Just look at Barkley's line
Look at it!
18/23 for 257 yards and 5 TDs
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by matthewverygood on Sep 3, 2010 10:26 AM PDT reply actions
According to...
This site, they say it’s an NCAA rating of 339 and an NFL rating of 158
I found another site that said it’s 153
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by matthewverygood on Sep 3, 2010 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions
Either way, it's really good
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by matthewverygood on Sep 3, 2010 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions
The very good news, and some bad news- at least for me
The very good news: We NOW know what “The Pistol” offense looks like. The Hawaiian-spread from last year looked nothing like the The Hawaiian-Pistol from last night. And that, my friends is good news for us as it applies to Slick Dick and the Blue Pistolas!
The bad news? Robey doesn’t look very good as the Nickel-back. If Monte believes in this guy, maybe he should move him to the corner, and put Shareece in the Nickel. Shareece is man-child at that position AND he should have covered Salas last night. They would’ve matched up physically and besides- in the Nickel, all the NB has to do is move his man towards a LB. We already know Shareece can hit, cover, bat-down, and blitz. I’m unconvinced that Robey is better at that position than Shareece is. With Robey, he has ‘potential’ on his side. With Shareece, he has experience there.
"Fun fact: My grandma actually had 7 carries for 79 yards and one TD last year against Stanford. The (Oregon Ducks) spread option just works like that, but it helped that she’s pretty scrappy" (JShufelt- Addicted to Quack)
This!
Plus tacking fundamentals and they’ll be able to keep us in the game.
Football season is here
U feeling Loco?
That will change...full pads from here on out...
"What have they figured out?" "NOTHING." Lane Kiffin
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
3/4's of the secondary are first time starters
so there is some confidence that needs to be built. Robey is now getting a taste of the competition at the next level. It will be fine, just give it some time. RObey was also on Salas most of the game…that is a lot of responsibility.
Wright for the senior guy back there clearly looked like out of playing form on some of those plays…
Of all the road teams playing yesterday SC was the only one who one…in a very hostile environment against a team know for putting up lots of yards and points.
we’ll get the kinks worked out…
"What have they figured out?" "NOTHING." Lane Kiffin
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
Question:
Why is Kennard ask to drop back into cover? During recruiting, he originally looked at Cal because he was intrigued by Cal’s usage of Zack Follet as the rushing LB, but then chose ‘SC as he said he would rather play a DE. But now he’s doing neither. Of course as a Cal fan I’d rather he plays at the worst spot possible :p, but I’m curious to know why it seems like he’s playing out of position.
In other words, Go Bears!
We're extremely deep at the DE spot
For Devon to get on the field, his best asset is his strength and speed. Coach O sacrificed this badass to Coach Joe Barry’s LB’s. As well, Devon is a baller, going to the LB position was a challenge and he gets his kicks out of nailing the crap of the someone so. . . . . .
Truth be told, I seriously thought we’d lose DKennard to you guys during his recruitment. I saw photo of him during the recruitment process with a blue “Cal” cap on and thought. . . .?
Can you imagine him as a LB in Pendergast’s system. Shit.
PS: I’m rooting for Will Kapp to see more time on the offense and less time on special teams this year. We went to the same high school. (I’m way older than that badass-whippersnapper though.
"Fun fact: My grandma actually had 7 carries for 79 yards and one TD last year against Stanford. The (Oregon Ducks) spread option just works like that, but it helped that she’s pretty scrappy" (JShufelt- Addicted to Quack)
by BixBeiderbecke on Sep 3, 2010 11:54 AM PDT up reply actions
That what the Tampa 2 does
use the LB’s in pass coverage
"What have they figured out?" "NOTHING." Lane Kiffin
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
Yes this I understand. From my somewhat naive viewpoint it looks like he wasn’t comfortable in coverage. It just feels like he’d be better as a DE or rushing the QB somehow
In other words, Go Bears!
That is also because of the "run and shoot"
it diminishes the effectiveness of the LB’s as well couple the two and you see the result.
Plus he is covering a slot receiver as well…
"What have they figured out?" "NOTHING." Lane Kiffin
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
Hawaii did a great job
The receivers read the coverage and could make adjustments to their routes, I believe. That’s why Devon seemed all over the field. Not sure any LBs are comfortable 40 yards off the line.
You can't put sanctions on the fkn endzone! Death to the NCAA!
To be more specific, the Tampa 2 uses the MLB in deep pass coverage.
He releases deep so that you are running a cover three (with the MLB as the center fielder) from a cover two look (i.e. two safeties high). Invented by Monte to counter a tight end running a seam route off a play action.
As I understand it, Tampa 2 is more a play than an entire defense, so the terminology can get a little slippery.
Full disclosure: this was cleared up for me recently (and quite succinctly) when Chris Brown of Smart Football appeared on the Solid Verbal podcast a few weeks ago.
I dunno, last year's Oregon State game seemed like a quasi-shootout
At least it looked that way from the stands. It even had nearly the same score.
Another silver lining: Extra practice days because the Thursday game to brush up on tackling. It’s almost a semi-byeweek.
Last year was a more experienced defense, at home, with a true freshman QB
flip flop all of that…
Not totally unhappy with this outcome…this was a great learning experience for the whole team and staff…
"What have they figured out?" "NOTHING." Lane Kiffin
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
My 2 cents on USC first game
I was impressed with the offense I think MB7 is going to have a great year because of all the weapons he has Johnson, Woods, Havili, Ellison, Tyler, Bradford etc. I expected the D to struggle a tad because they always do against spread Off. but not to the level that they did. I know a lot of people are worried about the secondary I feel like it was a good learning experience for they young group. I was more upset with the way the D-Line played especially all the off-side penalties. Over all I was happy and excited to get the Lane era under way and expect him to continue to make this team better can’t wait till next weekend
Loco no te preocupes estoy tomandome un Mai Tai cada dia por ti. 2013 tenemos que venir
by Dodgermanramon on Sep 3, 2010 12:56 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
RAMON!!!!!!!!!! Jajaja!
Como te trataron en el estadio? Se veian medio mamones los pinches gueyes!
Football season is here
U feeling Loco?
We didn’t have any problems @ the stadium everyone was nice and friendly before during and after the game. I did see acouple of fights near our section but for the mist part everything was cool. I was able to take some pictures of the team during and after the game I’ll email them to you when I get back.
by Dodgermanramon on Sep 3, 2010 1:48 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Heh, if you read Plaschke you’d think the natives were ready to make Luau Meat out of anyone wearing Cardinal and Gold. You should upload your pictures so you can put them on CC!
Football season is here
U feeling Loco?
They sure would have a lot of meat because there are a bunch of USC fans here. The plane I came in on Tuesday morning was about 70% filled with USC fans. The best part was meeting a man that graduated from USC in 1957 so he had a lot of cool and interesting stories
by Dodgermanramon on Sep 3, 2010 2:32 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
LOL of the night
Mushroom:
Guess some of you will be staying up to watch Southern Cal. Not yours truly
Yet at nearly 3am Eastern, someone was still up in DC and obsessing ;)
heh...
"What have they figured out?" "NOTHING." Lane Kiffin
"Mention USC to a Bruin and they get angry; mention UCLA to a Trojan and they laugh."
I'll tell you one thing........
it was an entertaining game to watch……….thats for sure.
Chan Gailey's #1 Fan!
by norcaliangelsfan on Sep 3, 2010 10:58 PM PDT reply actions
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