Dose of perspective for USC fans

My Internet access was about as inconsistent this weekend as USC's offense, so posting will ramp up in the next day. The Trojans have about five days to increase their own productivity. Anyway, it's been awhile and I've had few things on my mind ...

The USC-Arizona game was a sloppy affair that went late into the night. I've finally got an understanding for those on the East Coast (where I was) who miss a lot of the late Pac-10 games. Turns out that was a good things for the Trojans on Saturday. Or was it Sunday?

It's strange that a win could feel mildly disappointing for these guys, but expectations are very high. So "rah-rah" when it comes to a Pac-10 victory, but "uh-oh" considering USC also plays on the national stage. All this game showed is that the Trojans are still searching for an identity -- at least on one side of the ball. "Defensive grit" is an inadequate way to impress the BCS. We normally say that defense wins championships, but in the modern college football era it's critical to score style points. The offense must do that on the scoreboard.

USC managed just 17 points against a clearly less-talented opponent. Meanwhile, Georgia scored 52, Oklahoma 58, and both Florida and Texas Tech scored 63. TCU and Mizzou also had basketball-esque scores, each breaking 50. The only teams in the Top 25 who managed fewer points than USC were Penn State and Ohio State. They played each other in a slug fest that couldn't have turned out any worse for the Trojans.

But back to expectations at USC, where the offense was supposed to be defined this season by two electric players.

I've consistently tossed around terms like "fun" and "exciting" when talking about Mark Sanchez, but he needs to deliver a healthy dose of "consistent" and "fundamental." It wasn't just his risky (and errant) throws on Saturday, but also his desire to play smashmouth football that must have sent chills up the spines of his coaches. They probably prefer that he leave that to somebody like Stanley Havili.

Then there's Joe McKnight, who, after struggling to hang onto the ball all season, saw limited reps against the Wildcats. Although he's a "Reggie Bush type," let's not forget that Bush didn't win anything without LenDale White to add a legit between-the-tackles threat. We also can't forget that McKnight's reputation is still heavily built on what he did in high school.

Since these guys aren't defining the team's identity (at least to this observer), who can? Right now I like Stafon Johnson.

Something that always bugged me about the McKnight hype was that Johnson was almost as highly regarded the year before, but ultimately the more experienced tailback never seemed to get as much love. That started to change on Saturday, when Johnson got the majority of the handoffs for the first time this season. Finally. Beat writers, columnists and broadcasters have been buzzing about increasing his reps all season. USC legend Anthony Davis has been talking up Johnson for a while, and Davis should know something about playing tailback.

I like Johnson because he's fast and physical. He's a nice balance of guys like Bush and McKnight as well as White. He's not as jaw-dropping at any one thing, just very well rounded. He hits his holes and can break tackles. Blocking was considered his weakness back in the day, but he pretty much saved the game on Saturday when he got in the way of a likely sack.

Another guy who can emerge more is Damian Williams, who averages 15.8 yards per catch. Despite being the team's top receiver he hasn't been the clear go-to-guy in the last four games. No USC player is on pace for 1,000 yards this season. Heck, no Pac-10 receiver is on pace for that. If USC can get Williams the ball more he'll be that guy. He certainly wouldn't hurt a "fast and physical" identity.

To wrap on a positive note, the defense is rock-solid and we saw that again on Saturday. Had it not been for a turnover deep in USC territory, we'd be talking about the Trojans going 15 quarters without allowing a touchdown. Those offenses weren't all pushovers. The results haven't just been good, they've been freaky when you consider it takes only one big play to score. Can you remember the last time the Trojans allowed an 80-yard drive? Right.

-- Adam Rose
Photo: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[gerrrg]

The defense is one for the ages. No other team has had lower ppg (8.1) or ypg (215) through 1999 (the last season of stats available on NCAA's website).

Maybe the offense needs to return to the basic tenets of the West Coast Offense. 3 steps can be better than 5 and 7.

Left tackle is apparently up for grabs. One more blindside sack and fumble and those boys will have their meals rationed. Seriously...no more blindside sacks.

Return of the wheel route? Please?

Wildcat formation and Mustain are a match made in Arkansas...aka Hog Heaven. Again, please?

All I know is, without this stud defense, it's a fair bet that we'd already have three losses this season. The entire offense needs to take the defense out for steaks, as I see it.

[James]

I think SC is trying too hard to make big plays happen all the time, which puts a lot of pressure and stress on Sanchez. They can afford to run the ball more, and then GO FOR the big plays a bit less, but I bet their percentage of completed big plays would improve.

[Mike]

Well, USC has put up enough style points so that Sagarin's 'predicator' rating (which accounts for MOV and is considered by Sagarin to be the most accurate of his polls) has USC ranked #1. And check strength of schedule. USC is ranked 6th toughest by Sagarin, by far the toughest of any top 10 team.