Passion before dollars

USC's record setting quarterback, Matt Barkley, today told the college football world that finishing his Trojan career in 2012 was more important to him than the NFL's promise of instant wealth.

Barkely ended speculation by announcing that he would return to QB the Trojans next year. In so doing, he's following his childhood dream of quarterbacking SC.

The Trojans received their most lucrative and promising Xmas gift three days early, but who's counting?? Barkley's return immediately puts SC into at least the pre-season discussion for a BCS bowl bid, or higher.

With Barkley back, plus a young and talented team that came on rapidly at season's end, coach Lane Kiffin can now look forward to a potentially record setting year in 2012. The Trojans should be among the nation's best.

Barkley may or may not be the best football player in SC history...that's for the experts to decide sometime in the future.

One this is for sure...as a role model of excelling under pressure, very few can match his leadership. Originally recruited by Pete Carroll, Barkley started as a true frosh, won in dramatic fashion over Ohio State in their home stadium, proceded to lead SC through a troubled first year under Kiffin in 2010, and then as a junior, blossomed forth with signature victories over Notre Dame and Oregon in front of hostile crowds. Few college QBs have ever done it better.

Trojan fans everywhere can take pride in the fact that this young man belongs to USC. They simply don't come much finer than Matt Barkley. Fight On!!!

Women's volleyball team...grace under pressure

SC's ladies volleyball team showed why it is one of the country's very best over this weekend.

Friday, SC drew probably the toughest draw in the NCAA tournament, playing a very strong Hawaii team on its home court, and came back to win in 5 sets. Then, on Saturday, the Trojans were once again down 2-1 when they rallied to beat Pepperdine and advance to the final four next week in San Antonio.

SC will play Illinois on Thursday night. If successful, the Women of Troy will meet either UCLA or Florida State come Saturday. If they can manage two wins, SC will win its ninth women's national title and first since 2003.

This year's team has met every challenge during the season, but this past weekend may be the singular greatest achievement, thus far. Trojans everywhere can be very very proud of this team and its significant successes.. Fight On, WOT.

One classic cross-town victory

In one of the greatest offensive displays in recent Trojan history, Matt Barkley led a fired-up Trojan team to a smashing 50-0 win over outmanned (and outplayed emotionally) UCLA last night. The score was not even indicative of the total domination which dominated this game.

From the opening period long TD pass to Marqise Lee, to the concluding TD in the final quarter, this was one long and generally uninterrupted domination.

While every Trojan fan can rejoice in this victory, the real joy should come from the realization that this team is just beginning to tap into the young talented group that forms the backbone of the 2011 Trojans. Everywhere you look, there are skilled frosh, sophs and juniors with significant playing experience. That only bodes well for the next few seasons.

Coach Lane Kiffin and his staff have successfully navigated the 2011 season to produce one of the school's most exciting teams.Kudos should go to the staff for developing the numerous youngsters who will form the nucleus of the future Trojan program.

In summary, this was one great win. For the present, and most especially for the future, the Trojans appear to be "back." For the rest of the PAC-12, this game was a preview of what the conference might well look like now that SC is back. Fight On!!

A historic win for all Trojan hearts...

Sixty three seasons after my first SC football game, tonight they played a game which will live in my heart for many years to come.

The Trojans showed tonight that, despite the NCAA's best (and corrupt) effort to dismantle the program, some things are sure...

the sun comes up in the east...water is wet...cream rises to the top, and USC football is what most of the college football world tries to emulate.

I'm not too sure where you start in discussing tonight's win at Oregon, but maybe you should begin with the team's aggressive approach and unwillingness to give in.

Playing in front of a very hostile crowd, with the home team striving for a final BCS berth, SC literally took the fight to the Quacks from the get go. Only that ill-timed handoff with 2 minutes to go gave Oregon any chance to win.

Now we can safely put to bed all this premature (and parochial) talk about an UO dynasty, about their impervious coach, about the noise at Autzen and about their ridiculous uniform changes. Heart and desire matter most...just ask the guys who represent the school with more NCAA championships than anyone else.

I'm not too sure I can add more at this point. This elderly graduate is fatigued but very very happy.

Fight On!!

Sentimental 50th reunion...wow!

I just returned from a short trip to LA...took part in the class' 50th graduation anniversary. What a time in the old school. Really enjoyed the entire weekend...from greeting old time friends from 1961, to taking part in the tail gate festivities, to the game with the win over Washington.

It's very hard to realize, but I now qualify for a half century membership in the alumni assn.

The school looks great, it is now ranked in the top 25 among national universities, and the future is really bright.

On the football side...SC looked in command against UW.
The Trojans played well on "D' and limited UW to measely yards in running. Special teams were very good and the offense controlled the game.

Looking forward...SC will need some breaks to beat UO next Saturday. Oregon can be scored upon, but stopping the UO offense is another matter. The Trojans must play error-free football, run effectively, and not give up long yardage plays.

Last thought for tonight...who would have thought at season's start that this team might end up 9-3 with only a second OT loss to Stanford keeping us from 10 wins???
My hat is off to Lane Kiffin and staff for a job well done with a very inexperienced team. Things look very positive for 2012. Fight On!!!

Gut wrenching loss

This one will stand out for a long, long time. A terrible, gut wrenching loss in a game I truly thought we deserved to win. One thing is for sure: this team has many bright days ahead...just look at the volumes of lower classmen who will only improve with more game-time experience.

Three comments, then I'm retiring for the evening:

First...three really questionable calls went against us...beginning with the obvious pass interference on Woods which wasn't called n the end zone. Ultimately, it cost us a shot at 7...we settled for 3.
Second, on the play with Woods going out out bounds, it appeared there was one second left...time for a long FG to win it. The refs took the easy way, and signalled end of regulation.
Third, the personal foul on McDonald on third and six provided Luck with all he needed to tie the game.

SC will survive, but this one should have been ours.
No more tonight.

A truly great win against ND...

While tonight's 31-17 win over Notre Dame will never equal the all-time 1931, 1974 and 2005 victories, it will certainly do, and then some!

SC's composed and well executed win over the favored Irish will do wonders for this team's confidence. No one gave SC much of a chance...indeed the betting line at kickoff was ND by 9.5 points. So much for the expert opinions.

There are many positives to take from the victory. In no specific order, I would like to cite these:

Great team composure...no turnovers, very few penalties, and excellent overall execution. All items are a credit to the coaching staff fielding a very young team in a very hostile road environment.

Matt Barkley was superb. Poised, effective and error free. The defense, overall, performed well, particularly in stopping ND's run game. SC's often inconsistent running game showed major improvement...especially the hard running of smallish Curtis McNeal. SC ran for over 200 yards on the ground.

Takeaways are always crucial and tonight was no different. Three really major turnovers by the Irish while SC was error-free. A major significant improvement.

All in all, a great win. Short of a Rose Bowl or national championship win, very little means more than beating ND, particularly in South Bend.

Crucial three weeks coming up...

We're going to know a great deal more about the 2011 Trojans during the next three weeks.

First up...Cal on Thursday night. The Bears are up and down, but can be trouble at home. This is a must win for Lane Kiffin.

Next is ND at South Bend. The Irish are improving, but hardly the world beaters that some of the pundits are prounouncing. SC can score on anyone, but needs more of a consistent running game. This is an ancient, storied, and hard fought rivalry...SC must atone for last year's poor effort in the Coliseum. Expect a war.

Lastly, here comes Stanford to the Coliseum. Andrew Luck and Co. are playing very well...certainly in the nation's top ten at this time. The Trojans' defense will need to play at its absolute best. A win over the Trees will be an upset, but it is possible.

All in all, three weeks from now we should have a definitive idea about the strength and viability of SC in 2011. Fight On!!

A win is a win, but ....

Some thoughts after watching the Trojans outlast Arizona in an old fashioned, offensive shootout:

Barkley was sharp, Woods and Lee were outstanding, and SC needed all of the 48 points to put away Nick Foles and Arizona. Offensively, SC played very well, limited its mistakes, and didn't turn the ball over.

Defensively...well, something needs to be done and QUICK! The pass "D" is ineffective and can't seem to stop anyone. Foles is a fine QB, but SC's pass defense is poor, plain and simple. Coverage seems to be a major problem. I'm more than worried about what Stanford, Oregon and Washington might do to this defense, if it does not improve significantly.

Two other thoughts...the special teams continue to improve, something that was a major weakness last year.
Secondly, it seems that stupid penalties and other mistakes appear to be on the decline. I pray this continues.

Andre Heidari is providing a big boost with his field goal kicking and deep kickoffs into the end zone. SC needs major upgrades in pass coverage. This continues to be a significant weak spot.

The week off should allow for some serious work on the team's shortcomings, particularly with road trips to Cal and ND coming up.

A singular achievement...

Over the weekend, and pretty much hidden from public view, the USC women's volleyball team accomplished a virtually unmatched achievement...SC defeated three of the nation's four top rated teams within seven days and never dropped a single set in doing so.

The Trojans swept No. 4 Washington 3-0 last weekend in Seattle, then swept both No. 1 Cal and No. 2 Stanford at the Galen Center this weekend. Both wins were shutouts...3-0.

The PAC-10 is loaded in volleyball, as usual, so there is no room for relaxation. However, from my experience in watching this game for over 20 years, this 8-day performance is certainly historic.

SC looks to be a major threat for post-season honors.

In 62 years of following SC football, it is difficult to recall more frustrating, inept play by the SC team than tonight. This is a team that literally finds new ways to self destruct. Pathetic.

I'm expecting a long season. There's virtually nothing that can be said except: no similarity between this team and the Trojans under Pete Carroll. They should be hanging their heads...this is embarrassing!

Tonight's 38-17 win over Syracuse was the best offensive show of the season. The question remains: can SC do something similar to one of the better teams on the schedule...Stanford, Oregon, ND etc.??

Barkley and the wide receivers were outstanding. The frosh tight ends seem to be improving...a major plus if it continues. The "D" played better, but, again, against Syracuse means??? In all honesty, the Orangemen are probably an average team, at best.

The two big remaining questions remain substantially unanswered...how good will the OL be? and how consistent can the defense be, especially v. the better passers on the schedule.

A couple of impressions: the "D" is much better than 2010, but it has to improve big time to stop Stanford, Oregon, etc. Secondly, our running game needs more production, particularly to help balance the passing game. We should know considerably more next week v. ASU. I'm optomistic, but cautious. Fight On!!!

I've been gone for too long. My bad, sorry.

Now that we're two games into 2011, this much seems clear: SC will go just about as far as the quality of our inexperienced offensive line can take us. SC has plenty of skilled position players with real talent, but no QB can operate without adequate protection...hence the OL is of major importance. Defensively, we are fine in the front four, questionable at LB (due to lack of game experience) and reasonable improved at DB.

Special teams are much, much better...thanks to coach Baxter who made his units at Fresno State very very good. This is one area where SC has significantly upgraded its performance.

Syracuse will provide us with one more big of the 2011 puzzle before starting the conf. schedule. Fight On!!!