I have no idea what to make of this game. I could not be happier at the win but it wouldn't be a great SC win if I didn't have some questions.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS WIN WAS A CHARACTER BUILDER!
Here is the Box Score and the Recap...
There is no question that the USC offense has really come together. Barkley once again went into a very hostile stadium and came away with the win. I can probably count 3-5 plays that Barkley made that I could see where he was still a freshman but he managed the game nicely.
Thank God for Damian Williams and Anthony McCoy!
Without their great days out there I don't know where we would have been.
We should absolutely tip our caps to Notre Dame. They came to play and they did not give up. They made some plays and they got some gifts but they made the game close and that is the way that a USC - Notre Dame game should be.
USC is still the better team and the USC defense made life tough for Jimmy Clausen all day but he played with some grit and he did not quit. For as much as he has been hammered by USC fans over the years he certainly earns my respect for hanging in there today...a double tip of the cap to him.
I cannot get mad at Matt Barkley over that INT. Not after a 370+ yard passing performance with 2 TD's. The O line did a great job for most of the game in giving him pass protection but my concern is the running game...SC had a very difficult time establishing the run. The red zone offense was also a concern. Even though we did get some TD's in the red zone it just did not look crisp. You can tell we miss Stafon...
The USC defense on the other hand showed me some things today that do cause me some concern. I get it, PC wants to play the bend don't break defense but Kevin Thomas had a very average game and he was giving way too much cushion to ND WR Golden Tate. Taylor Mays went after the hit and not the ball on the long TD throw and Mays had another, albeit questionable, late hit call that kept an ND drive alive.
I can't complain too much about the D line. They made it tough on Clausen throughout the day. They had a few late hit calls that were troublesome but I think once again the officiating was poor and the ball spots were poor as well. There were some penalties that were not called on ND so to me it all evens out.
I saw a few questionable play calls but like I always say...play calling is over rated.
So that is it in a nutshell. I am already seeing the whiners on the boards because it was not a dominant win. ND came to play. SC played them tough, we won, it wasn't pretty but all that matters is the score board.
Fire away...This our post game thread!