Although it may not be the USC vs. Notre Dame super match up of the glory days, it should still be a good game overall. For the past 10 years it has not been much of a rivalry, with the Trojans dominating in the win column. The Irish did come close in the “Bush Push” game when we had our hearts broken in the closing seconds of that matchup. Of course, last year Notre Dame began to right the ship with a victory.
USC is weathering the storm of NCAA sanctions and like the Irish, are not ranked. However, this is still a good team. The offense, which is averaging 30 points per game this season and averaging nearly 450 yards in its last four contests, is a big reason why the Trojans are 5-1.
It all starts with golden boy quarterback, junior Matt Barkley. With 2½ years of collegiate experience, Barkley is completing over 68% of his passes and has thrown for 16 touchdowns, while only throwing 4 interceptions and picking up 1782 yards in the process. Matt is a very good quarterback and his strong arm will carry him into the NFL down the road. Barkley continues to improve his accuracy but needs to be more mobile. This is where the Irish defensive ends could really be the difference between a win and a loss on Saturday. Barkley’s offensive line is suspect and inconsistent with the exception of 6’7” 295 lb. junior left tackle Matt Kalil.
Barkley’s main targets are young but good. 6’1” 180 lb. sophomore Robert Woods and 6’1” 190 lb. freshman Marqise Lee have combined for 1,187 yards and 10 touchdowns through six games. Although Lee is only a freshman, he is averaging 16.2 yards a catch and is big and strong, making him dangerous after the catch. He did leave last week’s game against Cal with a shoulder injury but should be fine for this Saturday. Woods is an overall offensive weapon - he lines up at wide receiver, in the slot and even in the backfield.
On the defensive side of the ball, USC is classified as athletic, quick and undersized. The Trojans are giving up points and yards in the air (271.7 per games, which ranks them 105th nationally in pass defense). The other concern is their depth on the defensive side of the ball. However, there are several players that can be the difference in the game and if they have good games, and it could spell trouble for the Irish.
Starting up front, 6’4” 310 lb. senior defensive tackle Dajohn Harris has 16 tackles on the year, six of them were for a loss along with 1½ sacks and four pass breakups. Not super numbers, but he has changed the way offenses attack them, mostly running away from him, and pressuring the linebackers to do their jobs well. Down the line from Harris is junior defensive end Zack Martin, who at 6’3” 250 lbs. is not the biggest end the Irish will face, but he is quick and athletic. With 30 tackles, six for a loss, four sacks and two forced fumbles, Zack Martin will have his hands full.
After 6’3” 205 lb. junior safety T.J. McDonald, the Trojans get young and small for pass protection. USC will look to a couple of underclassman for help in the defensive backfield. At 5’8” 165 lbs. sophomore cornerback Nickell Robey will have a tough time covering the likes of Michael Floyd and Tyler Eifert. One of their better, if not best linebacker is 6’0” 200 lb. redshirt freshman Dion Bailey who has 48 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions on the season.
The Irish don’t need a fancy game plan to beat USC this year. The offensive line needs to control the line of scrimmage, limit turnovers, and get the ball to Floyd and Eifert. Defensively, they need to put pressure on Barkley and keep the offense in check.
No comments:
Post a Comment