USC has become shell of what it once was
Inexperience at quarterback, youth and injuries have ruined title hopes
Elaine Thompson / APUnder Pete Carroll, USC once scored at least 20 points in 63 consecutive games, an NCAA record. The Trojans now have failed to score 20 in back-to-back games, a first under Carroll.
OPINION
By Jeff Miller
The Orange County Register
updated 12:43 a.m. ET Sept. 20, 2009
Their two longest plays were runs.
Their longest pass play went to the fullback.
Of their 16 first downs, only three came through the air.
"It's obvious it bogged down," Coach Pete Carroll said. "We haven't been in that situation very often."
No, no they haven't. The USC Trojans haven't been this one-dimensional often, this stagnant often, this unthreatening often.
Of course, they haven't been this young and inexperienced at quarterback often, either. That's hardly a coincidence.
So the Trojans lost, 16-13, to Washington — a 19-point underdog, a program that went 0-12 last season and an opponent they beat a year ago, 56-0.
They lost first because of eight brutal penalties and three crushing turnovers but, at the end, because the other team had a veteran quarterback who right now is developed enough make plays their kid quarterbacks can't.
That's where USC football is today. Fight On, for the time being, has been replaced by two other words:
Not Yet.
Some day, in all likelihood, yes, but Not Yet.
History and the recruiting services tell us Matt Barkley or Aaron Corp or both eventually will arrive at USC. All their predecessors under Carroll have and with notable measures of achievement.
| Heisman special sectionIn-depth look at Mark Ingram's victory for college football's top individual prize in the closest vote ever NBCSports.com |
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Until then, things can unfold like they did Saturday, when the Trojans faced 10 third downs and just one of them turned into a first down. And that happened only because a penalty was called on one of Washington's assistant coaches.
"Any time you have turnovers, it kills your momentum," Corp said. "You know, I wish I had some stuff back. I didn't play well."
By halftime Saturday, he already was being hammered on the message boards, being flogged and blogged to death. But, please remember, Corp is a sophomore whose most recent start had come in 2006. In high school.
He was intercepted once when he threw unwisely into a pair of Washington defenders, linebacker Donald Butler picking off the pass before fellow linebacker Mason Foster could.
Corp nearly had a couple other interceptions, too, and more than once missed receivers who were available, if not wide open. Known for his mobility, he barely scrambled.
Right now, given their quarterbacking youth, the Trojans are more about not losing than they ever have been since Carroll's arrival. They are asking Corp and Barkley to "manage" not "win" these games.
Corp — much like Barkley at Ohio State — threw mostly short Saturday. USC's lone touchdown drive featured two passes, which netted 9 yards.
USC's second possession died when, facing third-and-13, quarterback coach Jeremy Bates called a running play. To the fullback. The result was a 2-yard gain and subsequent field-goal attempt.
No, the Trojans haven't been in this situation often. Right or wrong, they are wildly conservative, a former passing team now a passive team.
"We just gotta get better," Bates said. "That's two weeks in a row that we've stalled."
Still, the Trojans should have won Saturday and, without fumbles in mid-scoring drive by Stanley Havili and Stafon Johnson, probably would have won. But, honestly, did you envision this team going undefeated in the Pac-10?
We've all seen the Trojans at their strongest, and this team doesn't look like those teams did. Everyone knew it and 16-13 Washington confirmed it.
"We didn't get any better from last week, and that's on me," Carroll said. "We're not real good right now."
Beyond their quarterbacks having to learn amid the chaos, the Trojans face issues with their special teams and still lack injured receiver Ronald Johnson, their most serious deep threat.
TERRIFIC TROJANS Since 2002, USC has finished in the top 4 in every final AP poll. No other school has finished in the top 12 every year. In fact, USC, Ohio St., Oklahoma and Texas are the only schools to end each of the last seven seasons in the Top 25. |
| Season | AP | Coaches | | 2008 | 3 | 2 | | 2007 | 3 | 2 | | 2006 | 4 | 4 | | 2005 | 2 | 2 | | 2004 | 1 | 1 | | 2003 | 1 | 2 | | 2002 | 4 | 4 |
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They are an offensively challenged team at the moment, and the only way to change that is to grow through it.
Under Carroll, USC once scored at least 20 points in 63 consecutive games, an NCAA record. The Trojans now have failed to score 20 in back-to-back games, a first under Carroll.
In other words, the offense hasn't been this unproductive since Paul Hackett was in charge.
"We underachieved today, under-performed, whatever," Carroll said. "We gotta play better football or we're going to be struggling all year."
Through three games, there has been a rout against an overmatched opponent, a stirring victory outside the Pac-10 and a staggering defeat in conference.
A little inconsistent, huh? Erratic? Unreliable? Sounds like what can happen when turning to youth.
They came here Saturday to find out more about themselves, their direction and their destiny this season. Their lessons were plenty.
The next nine games will provide more answers, but there's no doubt what they learned — what we all learned — on this day about the status of this USC football team:
Not Yet.
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