With a sure-bet Heisman candidate and two returning wide receivers, not to mention a formidable defense, much of the 2012 college football preseason hype focused on USC and its potential to end the SEC’s dominance of the BCS national championship. As we near the end of the season, Matt Barkley is still one heck of a quarterback and there may not be a better receiving tandem in the country than Marquise Lee and Robert Woods, but the Trojans have struggled with a traditionally pretty good defense. Lane Kiffin’s defensive unit is giving up an uncharacteristic 391 yards per game. Still, USC can position itself for a Rose Bowl berth with a win over UCLA this weekend.
Barkley has been somewhat Heisman-like this season passing for 2,972 yards and 33 touchdowns thus far. Lee, a 6-1 sophomore from Inglewood, has been Barkley’s go-to guy with 98 receptions for 1,447 yards and 13 scores. Woods, who had his best day against Colorado (8 receptions, 132 yards, 4 TD), has shown he is also a capable target with 61 catches for 653 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The Trojan running game has been solid as well with Penn State transfer Silas Redd leading the way with 732 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. Redd has been banged up a few times this year and 5-7, 190-pound senior Curtis McNeal has picked up 497 yards on 83 carries as an able-bodied replacement.
Where the Trojans have struggled slightly is on the defensive side of the ball where seven 2011 starters returned including stud safety T.J. McDonald. The 6-3, 205-pound senior was a first-team All-American in 2011 and is the unofficial leader of the Trojans’ defense. McDonald, like his teammates, realizes the USC “D” cannot have another skid like they did in successive games with Arizona and Oregon. The Trojans gave up 1,318 total yards and 101 points in the back-to-back losses.
Even so, coach Kiffin and his squad, sitting at 7-3, have a distinct advantage over UCLA as the Trojans continue their quest to get to the Rose Bowl. In their past 13 meetings, USC has dominated the cross-town rivalry with 12 wins including last year’s 50-0 blowout victory. The Bruins figure to be a much more formidable opponent this year with new head coach Jim Mora, Jr. leading UCLA to an 8-2 record so far.
It’s simple for the Trojans. To cap off a successful 2012 campaign, Barkley and company need to defeat UCLA and then beat a most likely unbeaten Notre Dame the week after. With a little help, the Trojans would find themselves at 9-3 playing for another Rose Bowl championship. And that is exactly what coach Kiffin and the rest of the Trojans would like to happen.
