USC's offense has been on a bit of a slide over the past couple of games.
After really breaking out against Cal the offense has looked stagnant/conservative against Oregon and ASU. Part of that was some admitted conservative play calling by Lane Kiffin, some of it is the QB play and the rest was due to injury.
Obviously, no team plays perfectly, no coaching staff makes the right the call 100% of the time.
Last week it was the injury to Robert Woods that took some of the punch of USC's offense...but Woods looks to be back to full form this week...
USC's offense didn't have quite the same sizzle with Robert Woods ailing last week, so Coach Lane Kiffin was glad to see the freshman receiver running routes and catching passes Wednesday.
Woods was listed as "limited" on the injury report for the second consecutive practice, but he did a lot more work, including first-team reps against the scout team. Woods was hospitalized last Thursday because of a back injury and an illness, and he had a limited role in USC's victory over Arizona State.
"This is the best Robert's looked this week," said Kiffin, whose team visits Arizona on Saturday. "He couldn't do everything, but he did do a bunch of stuff. It's imperative to have him in our offense, to have the two speed guys out there."
It is good to hear that Woods is on the mend...
Having two speed guys out there is imperative for USC's offense to be fully effective. Butler and Ausberry aren't quite on the same level for consistent duty.
Of course the other half of the equation is Matt Barkley. Is he progressing? Has he hit a wall?
We all know what he is capable of but he really made us scratch our head with his play last weekend. Barkley acknowledges as much himself...
USC quarterback Matt Barkley called it "a stupid play," the second-quarter red-zone interception he threw on first down Saturday against Arizona State.
A window to freshman receiver Robert Woods was there, Barkley said, but "those situations where you're rolling [out] on the run, you've just got to throw it out."
USC Coach Lane Kiffin called it "the most disappointing play of the game," adding that it typifies Barkley's struggles with consistency.
I realize that Barkley is a true sophomore but at what point does that become immaterial?
Many would agree that he should not have started last year. A year of "carrying the clipboard" does a quarterback good. But we are where are and we need Matt Barkley to get out of this funk.
The anxiety that he reportedly goes through is a bit perplexing. I can understand some pregame jitters but how does he not calm down during the game?
The news isn't all bad when it comes to Barkley. The kid is a gamer, we have seen him buckle down and produce.
This has been a great year for Barkley when you look at his whole body of work...
USC quarterback Matt Barkley is in the midst of a breakout season. He's tied for fourth in the nation in touchdown passes (24) and ranks 23rd in efficiency (151.7).
He just needs to get consistent...
With a running game that has been hit and miss Barkley and the passing offense have given us some exciting plays throughout the season.
I think we would all like to see that return on Saturday...