Predictions: Washington

    As USC (4-0) and Washington (1-2) square off this Saturday, payback will be in the mind of the Trojans, who lost a very close game last year without QB Matt Barkley and Safety Taylor Mays. The game marks the second home game for the Trojans this year, and the crowd will surely be excited, loud, and looking for their revenge. This game should be a win for the Trojans, as Washington is very mediocre in many areas, and lost 56-21 to a strong Nebraska team. Look for USC to open the playbook a bit more as we start getting into the heavier Pac-10 teams, and see some stuff that we have not yet seen in the Kiffin era. If USC can contain Jake Locker then it could be big win, as it seems he is their only weapon. Chris Polk, former USC commit, could also do some damage, so it will be key to contain him as well. Now, time for some predictions...

• Matt Barkley 3TD
• Baxter has a big game
• RoJo gets 2 TD grabs
• Woods gets the other
• Bradford leads team in rushing and has a TD
• Marc Tyler TD
• An INT in the game by Locker
• Houston makes a 35yd+ field goal

Score Prediction-
 USC-38
Wash-17

Updates on top 2011/2012 prospects..

Amir Carlisle-RB(Sunnyvale,CA)-2011
    Amir states that he is still committed to Stanford, but USC is "a very close 2nd." With Coach Helton recruiting him hard to try and lure him away from Stanford, it seems to be slowly working. He is contemplating on coming back to the Coliseum for an unofficial visit, and will take some other visits, stating "ill take other visits but those are primary." Amir is a VERY smart kid, and very polite, calling me sir..even though I am the same age as him!

DeVante Wilson-DE/LB(Corona, CA)-2011
    DeVante stated that USC is on top, "They are my number 1 right now, and they are getting really involved...they want me to play end most likely and im going to the game this Saturday and talking to coach O and cregg afterwards." DeVante says the Trojans are close to offering, but he will wait through the process before pulling the trigger to a school.

Shaq Powell-RB(Las Vegas, NV)-2012
    Shaq Powell is starting to hit the scene big. He hails from the same school as current Trojan Xavier Grimble, and current USC commit Jalen Grimble. USC is trying to start a pipeline to Bishop Gorman it seems, having offers out to several bishop players. Is Shaq Powell next in line? Shaq says recruiting is going a bit slow for him, but expect that to heat up very soon. He mostly gets mail from Oregon, Colorado, and Nebraska. He says the Trojans are always in mind and that "It would be awesome!" to have the possibility for playing for the Trojans.

Andrus Peat-OT(Tempe, AZ)-2012
    The big man has offers from tons of schools all over the United States, and the Trojans are one of them. "Recruiting is going pretty well. USC is a school I'm definitely looking at. I wanna try to get out to the campus sometime, I've never been there." But it seems as if USC has some stiff competition to say the least. "I'm strongly looking at Stanford, ASU, UofA, Clemson, Nebraska, and Oregon State, Ive been to all except Nebraska." Coach O, and Coach Barry are pushing hard to land the 2012 stud. Lineman is a key position of need for the Trojans in the next few years, so Andrus could expect plenty of action on the field.

Stay tuned for more updates....

Stay Tuned...

Bunch of updates coming from top 2012 prospects, and some 2011 targets. Should be up by tomorrow night!!

Recruiting Update:

• Antonio Richardson (Nashville, TN) is still wide open, but plans on visiting USC
• OLB and current Florida commit Ryan Shazier is solid to Florida and will not take visits.
• Tim Jernigan (Lake City, FL) will visit for the Oregon game, not the Notre Dame game as stated earlier.
• Kent Turene (Ft. Lauderdale,FL) is still considering a few other schools, but is still solid to USC.
• Ronnie Stanley (2012 OL Bishop Gorman, NV) Has a Trojan offer, maybe he will follow the Grimbles to USC!
• JUCO lineman David Garness (San Francisco (California) City College Of San Francisco.) will be visiting for the ND game per sources.
• DeAnthony Arnett (Saginaw, Michigan) will also visit for the Oregon game.
• Cyrus Kouandjio, who is considered one of the must gets for USC, has USC in his top 5. "I've been talking to the coaches a lot.,coach mortan, cregg...they are top 5 on my list."

Post Game Thoughts...

      There were certainly some bright spots this game as the Trojans hung 50 on the Cougs beating them 50-16. It was the first game that felt like Trojan football again. Barkley made a lot of mistakes however, throwing two picks, where one should have been an easy touchdown after a nice blocked punt. It was 1st down and inside the 15, when Barkley threw a pass over the middle right to a defender. The first half was rough, with a fumble and two INTs, but it also showed us many signs of life. The running game is just amazing, we have 5 backs we can use that can all do damage. Havili was an absolute beast in all aspects of the football game, and he will be a huge factor come Pac-10 play. Robert Woods is also going to be a factor, he is really stepping up, and is making some great grabs. It seems to be that freshman will really help this team out. Robey, Woods, and Baxter are all going to be great Trojans in the future!
       The offensive line was much improved, cutting down the penalties drastically. They also allowed 4 running backs to have big days, which is very rare for that kind of success; It is a very good problem to have though! Nice to see Mitch Mustain get a TD pass in there as well, I was pulling for us to pass a bit more with him in there to show what hes got. Though Washington State is a bad team, winning 50-16 gives this team confidence, and I believe they will show that against Washington. Coach Baxter has me excited about the special teams after Saturday, blocking an extra point, and blocking a punt. The 2-point conversions I can pass on but hey, we may need them one day so practice them while we can.
        Overall, it was a much better showing from the Trojans, and I'm really looking forward to next Saturdays match up with Washington and seeing Coach Sark, and Coach Holt back in the Coliseum. If the Trojan defense can contain Jake Locker running and passing I believe USC can win this one pretty easily. Also I just want to say, it was shocking to see UCLA beat Texas like they did, and Oregon showing that they can be challenged. I was glad to see Bama' win because, personally I do not want Boise or TCU in the national championship game. Also here are the updates from my final predictions....not to shabby...
Red-Wrong
Green-Correct
Predictions:

• Barkley throws 3TD's with no picks. (3TD, 2INT)
• Ronald Johnson catches two of the TD's the other goes to Rhett Ellison (RoJo had one TD)
• Robert Woods has a big day (Ill keep this as right since he had a nice TD catch, 2 for 32 TD)
• Bradford leads the team in rushing (7car 84yds)
• Baxter scores a touchdown  (Did look good though)
• Tyler Scores a touchdown (scored in 1st half)
• One Interception by one of the safeties. (TJ McDonald had a pick)

Score Prediction:       USC- 41
                          Wash St.-  6       (I'll probably never get this right)

Halftime Report:

Trojans lead it 28-13 in an up and down frist half. USC should be up much bigger, 35-7 to be exact. Barkley needs to get his head screwed on tight, and ball control is key for the second half. Havili...What a beast! Havili is looking like a heisman candidate in this game! Catching, Running, Blocking everything! Also, Nickell Robey is doing an amazing job.Congrats to Robert Woods on his first receiving touchdown.
Here are my predictions I made earlier this week..which ones were wrong? Which ones are correct so far?....
Red-Wrong
Blue-Pending
Green-Correct
Predictions:

• Barkley throws 3TD's with no picks.
• Ronald Johnson catches two of the TD's the other goes to Rhett Ellison
• Robert Woods has a big day
• Bradford leads the team in rushing
• Baxter scores a touchdown
• Tyler Scores a touchdown
• One Interception by one of the safeties.

Score Prediction:       USC- 41
                          Wash St.-  6

One More Day...

     As we near this Saturdays game against Washington State, I'm more excited for this game than any other. A great week in practice as stated by our leader Lane Kiffin really has me excited to see just how much we have improved since the Minnesota game. I was happy with the Minnesota game, as it showed that not only is TJ McDonald ready to be a leader as a sophomore, but even Jawanza Starling who had a nice INT is attempting to step up. There were a good amount of INT's this week in practice, so it should be interesting to see that if its the secondary that has improved, or Matt Barkley who is struggling. Either way, the secondary has seen a confidence boost the past few days.

        I'm starting to get the nerves I get before every game, no matter who it may be against. Those nerves last through the game, and even if we are up 35-0 with 1 minutes left to play, my nerves stay until I hear the announcers say "Final score here in Los Angeles, USC-35, Washington-0," its the way its always been for me. Trojan football is more then a game for me, it's the thing I love the most. Everyone has that one thing they are passionate for, and mine just happens to be watching USC in a room filled with Trojan memorabilia, a cold Mountain Dew, and some Salt and Vinegar chips. I breathe USC, the University is just one of the greatest in the U.S.A. in not only sports, but academics as well. I often ponder to myself that I am probably the only one to get nervous before the Trojans take the field, but I think to myself, how about the guys who get to go to games every week when i have only been to one my whole life, that must be the life! How cool is it if you're having a touch work week, and you have Saturday to look forward to? Eventually my goal is to fly out to catch a USC game, and go to a WeAreSC meet and greet! Those meet and greets sound like a ton of fun, plus only around 30 bucks for the night? That's a pretty nice deal! Some goals to reach before the age of 19 right? So I raise my Mountain Dew to you, USC. Kick some tail and Fight On!

September 25th Around the League Picks..

    There are certainly some very intriguing games this weekend around CFB nation, although I'll have my eyes glued to the TV for the USC game, which is the most important game this Saturday! However, there are many games that will have big implications on the BCS standings with 4 games featuring two top 25 teams going head-to-head. Here are some picks on how I believe things will play out...

  (1)Alabama-34
(10)Arkansas-20

(24)Oregon St.-16
(3)Boise State-23

(5)Oregon- 45
Arizona St.- 13

UCLA-9
(7)Texas-27

(12)S.Carolina-13
(17)Auburn-17

(22)WVU-20
(15)LSU-21

(16)Stanford-31
Notre Dame-20

This years sleeper recruits?

     In past years, USC has always seemed to have that one commit to come out of nowhere. Jarvis Jones, and Jawanza Starling are two that come to mind as I sit here typing this right now. So will USC have anyone this year who will shock the recruiting world and come to USC, when many did not even think SC' was on the radar? Two prospects that come to mind would be Colt Lyerla-DE/LB and Curtis Grant-Linebacker. Grant who hails out of Virginia, has rumored to have said that playing time would be the deciding factor and who can offer the most. Reportedly his top 3 school are Alabama, Florida, and USC. USC needs linebackers badly, so there is a high chance that Grant will see the field early. Lyerla has been quiet for the most part on his recruitment, but some say USC, Oregon, and Miami(FL) are his main 3. Scout.com, who doesn't even list USC as a choice for Lyerla does however list a long list of suitors possible for Lyerla. It will be an interesting run to National Signing Day, hope for the best for USC!

George Farmer

     Many people have been saying for a very long time that 5 star wide-receiver George Farmer (Gardena, CA) has been a lock for the Trojans, since his freshman year it has always been not 'if' George commits to USC, but 'when' will he commit? Farmer has been quoted saying that he wants to stay close to home so his family can watch him play. So it does look good for the Trojans when George cut his list down to 5 schools which include: USC, Alabama, Florida, Oregon, and Miami(FL). With Alabama, Florida, and Miami all being nearly 3,000 miles away, it seems odd that they are in his top 5 right? Oregon, who rounds out his top 5, isn't too far from his hometown, but it was surprising when he dropped the likes of Cal, UCLA, and Stanford. Things look good for the Trojans due to the fact academics play a huge roll in his decision, and USC is the highest ranked out of his top 5. Not to mention that long time friend/high school teammate Robert Woods is an upcoming Freshman seeing plenty of time on the field. George was going to announce in January, but the process seems to be wearing him down. Look for George to be a package deal with teammate Marquis Lee, 4 star safety with a USC offer, and Jason Gibson, linebacker who holds an offer as well. Things look very bright for USC landing this trio of studs.

Prediction Time: Class of 2011

Signing day is still LONG ways away, but its never to early to start guessing who will sign with the Trojans! Here are some predictions of who USC will land come signing day(I'll be putting 25 players to fill the class up, which hopefully we do with the lack of depth coming soon)....


                             Early Enrollees...

• Cody Kessler-QB (Bakersfield, CA)
• Aaron Douglas-OL (JUCO-Arizona Western..Yuma, AZ)
• Thearon Collier-WR **Transfer-Miami(FL)**
• Peter McBride-LS (Scottsdale, AZ)
• Andre Heidari-K (Bakersfield, CA)
• Jason Peacock-OL (JUCO-Citrus..Glendora, CA)
• Charles Burks-DE (Huntington Beach, CA)
• David Garness-OL (JUCO-CC of San Francisco..San Francisco, CA)
• Kent Turene-MLB (Lauderdale Lakes, FL)
• Maurice Couch-DT (JUCO-Garden City..Garden City, KS)

                             'Late' Enrollees...

• QB-Max Wittek (Santa Ana, CA)
• DB-DeAnthony Thomas (Los Angeles, CA)
• DT-Antwaun Woods (Woodland Hills, CA)
• OLB-Tre Madden (Mission Viejo, CA)
• DE-Jalen Grimble (Las Vegas, NV)
• DE-Greg Townsend (Beverly Hills, CA)
• S- Marquis Lee (Gardena, CA)
• WR-George Farmer (Gardena, CA)
• WR-Victor Blackwell (Santa Ana, CA)
• OLB-Jason Gibson (Gardena, CA)
• RB-Amir Carlisle (Sunnyvale, CA)
• OL-Cyrus Kouandjio (Hyattsville, MD-We WILL land him, I believe Playing Time will be the deciding factor)
• OL-Marcus Martin (Los Angeles, CA)
• OLB-Corey Waller (Long Beach, CA)
• Surprise recruit who we wont hear about until later in the process.

Keys to the Game: Washington State

The keys to this game is to just play Trojan Football. Washington State is a terrible team, and we should win by at least 40. The offense needs to click, and the defense needs to hold them under 14 not only because they should not score over that, but because they need the confidence. Washington will be a tough game, if we struggle against little Washington State who struggled with a FCS team this year. Barkley needs to be on point, and the line needs to cut down some penalties, which last time I checked USC was leading the race for penalties/penalty yards. The defense needs to step up, get sacks, turnovers and really get their confidence up before Washington. The run game will be key, as obviously Barkley can not do it all. Tyler/Bradford/Baxter is a deadly combo and if used right, they can easily rush for over 80 yards a piece.

Predictions:

• Barkley throws 3TD's with no picks.
• Ronald Johnson catches two of the TD's the other goes to Rhett Ellison
• Robert Woods has a big day
• Bradford leads the team in rushing
• Baxter scores a touchdown
• Tyler Scores a touchdown
• One Interception by one of the safeties.

Score Prediction:       USC- 41
                          Wash St.-  6

Recruiting Updates:

• Former SEC Freshman All-American Aaron Douglas who transferred from Tennessee when Kiffin left, has USC and Arkansas in his top 2.
• Number 1 player in the nation and Defensive Tackle Tim Jernigan will visit Nov. 27th for the Notre Dame game.
• Greg Townsend, 5 star Defensive End has USC in his top 3 schools with TCU, and Washington.
• Defensive Tackle, and Commit Antwaun Woods will not be taking trips and is 100% Committed to USC.
• George Farmer may decide sooner then January when he is supposed to announce at the Under Armour game.
• 8th Grader David Sills (Trojan Commit for 2015) who is the starting QB for his High School team threw 3TD's in his last game.

Kicking off 2010

    It has been a very rough start for the 2010 season with new coach Lane Kiffin, and a very young secondary. This team has no identity yet, and is still searching for who it is. When the offense shines, the defense struggles, and vice-versa. Matt Barkley has improved big time so far throwing for 9TD's and 2INT's in 3 games so far this year, when he had a total of 15TD's and 14INT's all of last year. The offensive line struggled early with holding calls, and false starts, but has since found its rhythm it seems going into the Pac-10 opener at Washington State. The secondary has been an are of concern only returning Shareece Wright. TJ McDonald (Safety), Jawanza Starling (Safety), and Nickell Robey (True Freshman) have all been assigned the starting spots. Robey struggled the first game at Hawaii, which was his first ever college game, and it seemed as if they picked on him, however he has since molded nicely to the college game and seems to really be finding his place on this team. Standing only 5'8 Nickell with certainly be a force come later in the Pac-10 schedule. TJ McDonald has been the surprise. TJ has 1INT so far and has led the team in tackles a few times this year. He had a great performance against Virginia registering 14tackles and an INT. Jawanza Starling also has been stepping up. He looked rough the first few games, but his tackling has been getting much better, and even had an INT against Minnesota. The Washington State game will be key to work out any last kinks this team has before the real meat of the schedule hits.