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By Dave Consolazio and Sam Saig, September 30, 2009 6:53 am

USC Trojans (3-1) vs. Cal Bears (3-1)
Saturday, October 3, 5:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: USC -5.0
*AllPac10 Game of the Week*

Continue reading 'Week 5 Game Matchup: USC Trojans VS. Cal Bears'»

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By Dave Consolazio,

USC Trojans 3-1 Overall (1-1 Conference)

This Week’s Score: USC 27 – Washington State 6

Next Week’s Opponent: @Cal


Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 4 Notes and Observations: USC Trojans'»

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By Dave Consolazio, September 15, 2009 10:14 am

USC Trojans 2-0 Overall (0-0 Conference)

This Week’s Score: USC 18 – Ohio State 15

Next Week’s Opponent: @Washington


Continue reading 'Pac-10 Week 2 Notes and Observations: USC Trojans'»

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By Dave Consolazio, September 12, 2009 9:50 pm

Saturday night was no practice field

All week, there has been one question that almost every sports media outlet has been asking in some variation.

“If the game comes down to the wire and USC is down, can a true freshman in Matt Barkley lead this team down the field for a game winning drive in such a hostile environment?”

The answer is an emphatic yes.

I wasn’t expecting this one to come down to the last drive. My hat goes off to Ohio State for a fantastic performance on defense through the first three and a half quarters.

But three and a half quarters just isn’t enough, and a star was born in Matt Barkley tonight. Ask any Trojan fan about their favorite Matt Leinart moment, and a whole lot of them will fondly reminisce on the amazing late comeback drive on Notre Dame with the infamous “Bush Push”.

Just two games into his USC career, Matt Barkley already has his incredible comeback drive.
Continue reading 'Matt Barkley becomes a hero overnight as USC Trojans beat Ohio State Buckeyes 18-15'»

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By Dave Consolazio and Sam Saig, September 8, 2009 3:15 pm

USC Trojans (1-0) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0)
Saturday, September 12, 5:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: USC -7.0
*AllPac10 Game of the Week*

Continue reading 'Week 2 Game Matchup: USC Trojans VS. Ohio State Buckeyes'»

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By Sam Saig, July 14, 2009 10:03 am

Based on pre-season attention, USC may not have one of the top four running backs in the Pac-10 heading into 2009. After all, other conference headliners like Best, Rodgers, Gerhart, and Blount have garnered most of the accolades from last season, and deservedly so. But a strong case could be made that the Trojans feature up to five of the top 10 tailbacks in the conference; the talent in the SC backfield is that good. In fact, this may be the deepest group of runners in the country.

Last season, the Trojans did not produce a 1,000-yard rusher and still managed to finish with the 3rd most rushing yards in the Pac-10. The unit has everything a coach could ask for – speed, power, quickness, experience, youthfulness, explosion and perhaps most importantly; confidence. So how will Pete Carroll and Co. manage all of the talent? It won’t be easy, but most coaching staffs would love to have the same problem.

The closest thing the Trojans have to a feature back is senior Stafon Johnson. Johnson led the Trojans in rushing last season with 705 yards and nine touchdowns on 138 carries (5.1 YPC). For his career, he has amassed 1,395 yards and 14 touchdowns. Johnson also led SC’s punt return unit, fielding 33 punts for 305 yards (9.2 yards per return).

At 5-11 210 pounds, Johnson runs with a balanced mix of speed and power, but it is his vision that separates him from the rest of the crowded SC backfield. He is an intuitive runner who has an exceptional feel for the game. Johnson enters his final year having never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, but likely would have done so at almost any other program in the country where the carries were easier to come by.

Stafon Johnson refuses to go down

Continue reading 'Pac-10 Position Breakdown: Running Back – USC Trojans'»