Monte Kiffin "Takes Responsibility"

Monte Kiffin took responsibility for the poor performance of the USC defense in the last two games.

What does that mean...took the responsibility? Is he giving his pay back? Is he suspending himself? He obviously won't fire himself.

Monte's "taking responsibility" are hollow words.

Lane said there have to be changes...what changes would those be? Certainly none that we will see this season.

Monte's words mean absolutely nothing.

If we were to look back overall at Monte's three years here at USC could anyone say that the defense is better? These are Lane's and Monte's players. The old excuse of blaming Pete Carroll no longer fits here.

What have they done to improve the play of the defense?

The story today is not that USC lost to Oregon.

The story is that this USC team allowed more points and more yardage in one game than any other in USC history.

That is embarrassing.

Kiffin's past antics make him an easy target. But now the program is taking the hit.

Here are some observations from around the web....

From CFN:

Richard Cirminiello

The Trojans scored, even pulling to within three points twice in the third quarter. However, you just could feel that the Ducks had an answer whenever one was needed. Most of those answers were provided by RB Kenjon Barner, who likely thrust himself deep into the Heisman mix by rushing for five touchdowns and well over 300 yards on the ground. USC was defenseless—again—another poor effort from Monte Kiffin’s kids, who’ll be saddled with the indignity of having allowed more points than any other Trojans D in school history.

Matt Zemek

The University of Southern California Trojans have played collegiate football for 124 years. They had never allowed as many as 62 points in that period of time.

124 years. That's one century and almost one quarter of another century.

That's a span of twelve decades and almost one half of another decade.

124 years. That's longer than the Chicago Cubs have gone without winning a World Series.

It's longer than the history of college football's bowl games, which began in 1902 with the first Rose Bowl

Bart Doan

If USC’s defense has the old version of Nintendo on hand, I suggest they avoid Duck Hunt. Nothing is getting hit.

It took about four hours and 1,300 yards of offense later, but Oregon welcomed the world to just how strong they really are. Look, if we’re going to fall all over ourselves with language about how sexy low scoring SEC

You get the point there.

From Plaschke:

Once again, for a second consecutive week, that work must start with the coaches, with the seats growing warm under a defensive staff led by Kiffin's father, Monte. Remember last week's mess in Arizona? When is the last time the Trojans have allowed 1,318 yards in consecutive games? Try, never?

Personally, I didn't think that Monte would last after the first season. There was a story I was told that Lane and Monte got into it after one game in the parking lot. There was another that is a little more embarrassing that I won't go into that shows how out of touch Monte is.

If USC doesn't have solid performances in the last three games the war drums for somebodies head is going to get louder and louder.

Last night's performance was embarrassing. I can handle a loss, it is part of the game, but you don't score 51-points and allow 62 and over 700-yards...not in this program. That is not what the USC tradition is about. This after giving up over 600-yards last week. Remember that 3rd & 22 at Arizona last week? What kind of play call was that? USC was a laughingstock after that play.

Oregon's WR's were walling off USC's DB's all game. Barner and Mariota would get chunks of yards before being touched and once contact was made they would get more yards. Is this because of the lack of tackling in practice? We had horrible tackling angles, Oregon got to the outside without any effort and they exploited the middle on two their scores like there was no one there. There times when the defense looked confused and not sure where they should be especially when Oregon went hurry-up.

Here is a bigger question, are the players that Lane and Monte recruited on defense progressing? Part of the selling point of coming to USC was that you be trained by one of the godfathers of defense...is Monte living up to that billing. If you were a defensive recruit would USC be on your list. Do you think that Monte is developing players for the next level? That is one their selling points but is working?

It would appear that Monte refuses to adjust during the game let alone his whole scheme.

We have spent a lot of time criticizing Lane for his issues while hardly discussing Monte. That is going to change if the team doesn't play better. I still think Lane is blind in his saying that the offense could have done better. That's why you have a defense so it doesn't all fall on the offense.

Barkley's body language during the presser said it all last night....like what more do you want the offense to do? Sure Barkley has his issues but the ref missing the holding on the Lee in the end zone that led to an INT isn't all on Barkley.

Here is something to chew on...UCLA is ranked higher than USC this week in the AP poll for the first time since 2001.

If that isn't a sense of urgency then I don't know what is......