Kiffin again criticizes officiating vs. Oregon
In the three days since Oregon's 62-51 win, Kiffin has repeatedly complained to reporters about the Ducks' pass-interference penalties -- or lack thereof. Oregon was whistled for four such offenses during Saturday's game, but Kiffin has indicated he felt there were more.
Kiffin's continued criticism of the officials Tuesday actually emerged while he was answering a question about something unrelated to penalties.
Asked after practice Tuesday if there was a specific reason why he went for two when the Trojans scored a touchdown with one second remaining in the game, making the score 62-51, Kiffin said no.
"There wasn't," he said. "Guys were down there and thought the game was over, and it wasn't. "It wasn't like there was some big thought process -- it was just, let's throw another pass."
Then, as a reporter began another question, Kiffin interrupted.
"We just wanted to see if they'd get another pass interference on Marqise; see if they'd break a record for a single game," Kiffin said.
Earlier Tuesday, when asked about quarterback Matt Barkley's two interceptions against Oregon, Kiffin said he didn't blame Barkley for the first pick he threw in the first quarter of Saturday's game on a pass to Marqise Lee.
Lee appeared to be held on the play by Oregon corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and was signaling for a penalty to the referees when Ekpre-Olomu intercepted the pass.
Said Kiffin: "Can you avoid an interception if there's a pass interference on him that's not called?"
During Saturday's postgame news conference, Kiffin instructed Lee to not criticize the officiating when describing the first-quarter interception.
But, in his Sunday conference call with local reporters, Kiffin said he was "sure everybody watching saw pass interference" on the play.
Pac-12 official Jay Stricherz was the head referee for Oregon's win over USC at the Coliseum.
“Good to get back out on the field with the guys,” Kiffin said. “Good meetings this morning and [we’ve] got a big game coming up -- a conference game. Glad to be back home again and [to] get back on track this week.”
Kirby Lee/US PresswireMatt Barkley put up big numbers once again against Oregon but was plagued by two more interceptions.
For the second consecutive week Trojans’ quarterback Matt Barkley impressed Kiffin with his offensive output, completing 35 of 54 passes for 484 yards and five touchdowns. Once again, however, the Trojans ended up on the wrong side of the win-loss column.
“I thought Matt played great,” Kiffin said. “Oregon had given up 10 touchdown passes the entire season combined -- Matt threw for five. [He] came close to breaking all kinds of records again. In a seven-day span he’s thrown for 900 yards or something like that. So, like I’ve said before, I do feel bad because we’re not winning the games. The storyline is not about Matt and Marqise [Lee], it’s about what we’re doing wrong.”
But along with the big numbers, Barkley also threw two more interceptions against the Ducks, giving him 10 on the year when he was picked off a total of just seven times last season. And while Kiffin doesn’t believe every one of the picks has necessarily been Barkley’s fault, he did address the issue with his senior signal-caller on Monday, with the two coming up with an interesting objective.
“We have to individually look at all the interceptions to see what’s really happening,” Kiffin said. “Can you avoid an interception if there’s a pass interference on it that’s not called? You have to look at them all. And he’s had some -- especially early on -- that weren’t great decision-making that he knows about -- we’ve discussed that before. But I think he’s doing better. We did talk extensively yesterday about setting a goal of not throwing one over the next two weeks.”
Eddie Vanderdoes builds local legend 
With a massive cheeseburger already bearing his name at a local diner, it seemed nearly impossible for the USC defensive line commit to become more adored in his hometown. But Vanderdoes left perhaps his greatest mark by guiding Placer (10-0) to its first outright league football title since 1981.
Big things were expected from Vanderdoes before the season, and the four-star recruit delivered.
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Raekwon McMillan talks UF visit, top five
“The visit to Florida was really nice and I enjoyed spending time with Will Muschamp,” McMillan said. “He told me about how he wants me to come in and play in his system, and what it is like playing for a defensive-minded head coach. He wants me to make plays at traditional middle linebacker.”
McMillan likes the thought of staying in the middle in college, but more than that, he is hoping for an opportunity to come in and play early at the next level. He met one player at Florida who was able to do just that in linebacker Jon Bostic.
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Watch List QB Wilton Speight is patient
The ESPN Watch List quarterback prospect from Richmond (Va.) Collegiate still doesn't have his first scholarship offer despite several recruiters telling him he's toward the top of their recruiting board. And Speight just takes it in stride.
"I'm remaining patient and trusting that if I keep doing what I am doing things will fall into place nicely," the 6-foot-5, 220-pound junior said.
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Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon
- Week 10 numbers: Carried 38 times for 321 yards (8.4 average) with five touchdowns. Caught two balls for 26 yards.
- Season numbers: Has carried 179 times for 1,295 yards (7.2 average) with 19 rushing touchdowns. Has 15 catches for 184 yards and a score.
- What went well: Where to start? The records? The fact that it was on the road at USC? The fact that anyone who watched that game should have been convinced he's the top running back in the country? All in all, a thoroughly dominant and prolific performance.
- Any questions? Nope. None here. Others, however, still see Klein as the front-runner for now. But it's hard not to imagine Barner didn't punch a ticket to New York with his showing Saturday.
Marqise Lee, WR, USC
- Week 10 numbers: Caught 12 balls for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
- Season numbers: Has 88 catches for 1,286 yards and 12 scores.
- Thoughts: While Barner went off and showed the country he's the best running back in the nation, there should be no question about who the best wide receiver is. The loss shouldn't take away from another stellar showing.
USC recruiting several elite safeties
The Trojans reached out on Monday and confirmed an official visit with safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) for the weekend of Dec. 7. It’s no coincidence that all of the USC commits who plan to enroll early for the spring semester will be visiting that weekend, considering McQuay is also looking to enroll early at his school of choice. McQuay has already visited Vanderbilt and Oregon with plans to visit Michigan this weekend.
McQuay and USC have long shown interest in each other, so it’s not like the confirmation of a visit came out of nowhere. Even after the Trojans had received a verbal commitment from Redfield over the summer -- which seemingly filled their need at safety when combined with an earlier verbal from Su’a Cravens (Murietta, Calif./Vista Murietta) -- they had continued to stay in touch not only with McQuay but with other safeties such as Tahaan Goodman (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) and Priest Willis (Tempe, Ariz./Marcos De Niza).
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Toa Lobendahn enjoys USC experience
Regardless, he had seen more than enough.
“Even with the loss, it was just an amazing experience,” Lobendahn said. “It was awesome. It just showed me how much it really means to be a Trojan. It was a big stage and it seemed like people from all over the state came out. I probably would have gone down on the field had they won, but I knew the coaches wouldn’t be as happy with the loss so I kind of left near the end of the fourth quarter. It was packed and took us nearly 30 minutes just to get out of there.”
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While a mid-October visit to Notre Dame had an enormous impact on four-star athlete Max Redfield, ultimately leading to his decommitment from USC, it didn’t have nearly the same lasting effect on cornerback Chris Hawkins (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga).
Hawkins admitted that, yes, the trip to South Bend, Ind., was nice, but a return to the Coliseum for the Colorado game made him feel right at home. The four-star cornerback prospect was one of a handful of USC commits to attend the Trojans’ 62-51 loss to Oregon on Saturday, and Hawkins once again got that special feeling.
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Here's a quick look at Week 11 in the conference. All times are ET. All games are Saturday.
Colorado (1-5, 1-8) at Arizona (5-4, 2-4) 1:30 p.m. FX: Colorado leads the series 13-1, including a 48-29 win last year. The Wildcats' only win in the series came in 1986. Arizona could be without QB Matt Scott, who suffered a concussion in the loss Saturday at UCLA. The Buffaloes rank last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and rushing defense. But Arizona ranks last in total defense and pass defense. Arizona is 11th and Colorado 12th in pass efficiency defense. The Buffs have just three interceptions all season, which ranks 113th in the nation. The Buffs have surrendered 40 sacks, tied for most in the conference. The Wildcats have just 13 sacks this season.
Arizona State (5-4, 3-3) at No. 19 USC (6-3, 4-3) 3 p.m. Pac-12 Network: The Sun Devils lead the series 18-10, including a 43-22 win last year in Tempe. That victory, however, ended an 11-game Trojans' winning streak in the series. ASU has not defeated USC in Los Angeles since a 26-15 win in the Coliseum in 1999. The Sun Devils have lost three games in a row, the Trojans two games in a row. USC ranks first in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency. Arizona State ranks first in pass efficiency defense. The Trojans pass for 312.7 yards per game, but the Sun Devils only allow 161.6 yards per game through the air. The Trojans are still seeking win No. 800. It’s the earliest USC kickoff time in the Coliseum since 1998.
No. 11 Oregon State (7-1, 5-1) at No. 14 Stanford (7-2, 5-1) 3 p.m. Fox: Stanford leads the series 50-25-3. The Cardinal has won three of the last four, including a 38-13 win last year. This game features the two best defenses in the Pac-12. Stanford is No. 1 and Oregon State No. 5 in the nation in run defense, and both are ranked in the nation's top 20 in scoring defense. Both also recently changed quarterbacks, with Kevin Hogan taking over the Cardinal's starting job from Josh Nunes, and Cody Vaz replacing Sean Mannion. The winner becomes the top challenger to Oregon in the Pac-12 North Division. Stanford visits the Ducks on Nov. 17, while the Beavers play host to them on Nov. 24.
Utah (4-5, 2-4) at Washington (5-4, 3-3) 10:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network: Washington leads the series 7-0, including a 31-14 win in Salt Lake last year. Both teams have won two in a row. Washington is the only Pac-12 school that Utah has never beaten. Utah must win two of its final three games to become bowl eligible for a 10th-straight year. The Huskies are 4-1 this season at CenturyLink Field, a record that includes wins over then-No. 8 Stanford and then-No. 7 Oregon State. According to the NCAA, Washington has played the second-toughest schedule in the nation to date while the remaining schedule ranks No. 116 in the nation. Last year, the Utes also started 0-4 in Pac-12 play before winning four straight games and five of their last six, including a Sun Bowl victory over Georgia Tech. Utah senior Reggie Dunn made NCAA history with his fourth career 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown vs. WSU last Saturday. Going into the game, Dunn was tied for the record at three with Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State, 1986-88) and Brandon Boykin (Georgia, 2008-11). Utah is 11-0 when John White rushes for 100 yards, which he has done three times this season, including the past two games.
No. 3 Oregon (9-0, 6-0) at California (3-7, 2-5) 10:30 p.m. ESPN: California leads the series 39-34-2, including a 43-15 win last year. The last time the Ducks were in Berkeley, the Bears almost pulled a major upset against the unbeaten Ducks before succumbing 15-13. Oregon is No. 1 in the Pac-12 in scoring (54.3 ppg), total offense (561.2 yards per game) and rushing (341.2 ypg). QB Marcus Mariota is No. 1 in the conference in passing efficiency. It appears that Bears QB Zach Maynard will not play in this game due to a knee injury he suffered last Friday against Washington. His backup is Allan Bridgford.
No. 18 UCLA (7-2, 4-2) at Washington State (2-7, 0-6) 10:30 p.m. ESPN2: UCLA leads the series with the Cougars 39-18-1 and has won four in a row, including a 28-25 win last year. The Bruins have won three in a row since losing at Cal. The Cougars have lost six in a row since a 2-1 start. The Bruins are second in the conference in scoring (37 ppg), third in total offense (514.9 ypg) and second in rushing (226.2). The Cougars are allowing foes to convert 48.6 percent of their third-down plays, which marks the worst percentage in the conference. UCLA's defense has recorded 33 sacks. The Cougars have surrendered 40 sacks, tied with Colorado for worst in the conference. UCLA is ranked ahead of USC in the BCS standings for the first time since 2001.
ESPN 150 safety McQuay to visit USC
LOS ANGELES -- It didn't take long for the USC coaching staff to zero in on four-star safety Leon McQuay III (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) following the decommitment of four-star athlete Max Redfield (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo) on Sunday night.
McQuay has scheduled his official visit to USC for the weekend of Dec. 7, he said in a text message Monday afternoon. He is set to take an official trip to Michigan this weekend and has already visited Vanderbilt (Oct. 12) and Oregon (Oct. 26).
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CB Adoree' Jackson on Ducks, Trojans
ESPN Watch List CB Adoree' Jackson, Gardena (Calif.) Serra will almost assuredly receive an offer from both of the schools that were on field. With eight offers to date from Colorado, Nebraska, Northwestern, SMU, UCLA, Utah, Washington and Washington State, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Jackson is looking for more. That's not to say he's in a hurry.
"I'm not really too worried about it right now" Jackson said. "I am worried about getting better and helping my team reach our potential."
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Justin Davis won't waver on USC pledge
Not even USC’s 62-51 loss to Oregon could ruin his trip to Los Angeles or dampen his commitment to the Trojans.
“It’s definitely something I’ll always remember,” Davis said following his unofficial visit, the only one he plans to take this year. “It was definitely an exciting experience and, on top of that, it was a big game. These were two top-of-the-notch teams and to think I’ll be playing for one of them in the future is an exciting feeling.”
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When: Saturday, November 12, 12 p.m. PT
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Cal Sport Media via AP ImagesDual-threat QB Taylor Kelly will provide another challenge for the USC defense.Radio: ESPNLA 710
Scouting ASU: Arizona State, guided by first-year coach Todd Graham, lost its third consecutive game when it fell at Oregon State, 36-26, last Saturday. The Sun Devils are ranked high in the national statistics on both sides of the ball. ASU is 20th nationally in passing efficiency (153.5, third in Pac-12) and tied for 22nd in scoring offense (37.0, second in Pac-12), while it is second in both sacks per game (4.2, second in Pac-12) and tackles for loss per game (9.1, second in Pac-12), seventh in pass defense (161.6, first in Pac-12), 13th in pass efficiency defense (105.9, first in Pac-12) and 24th in total defense (333.3, second in Pac-12).
Dual-threat sophomore QB Taylor Kelly (169 of 258, 65.5 percent, 2,161 yards, 20 TD, 6 INT in 2012, plus 97 carries for 383 yards) is 19th nationally in passing efficiency (156.8, third in Pac-12). His top receiver is junior H-back Chris Coyle (43 receptions, 501 yards, 11.7 avg, two TD), along with senior WRs Jamal Miles (23 receptions, 245 yards, 10.7 avg, plus 10 kick returns for 211 yards and 18 punt returns for 144 yards) and Rashad Ross (21 receptions, 335 yards, 16.0 avg, one TD in 2012, plus 13 kick returns for 341 yards and one touchdown.
Top runners, who double as effective pass catchers, include freshman RB D.J. Foster (72 carries, 393 yds, 5.5 avg, two TD, plus 31 receptions for 463 yards, 14.9 avg, 4 TD), senior TB Cameron Marshall (96 carries, 391 yards, 4.1 avg, six TD, plus 10 receptions, 72 yards, 7.2 avg, one TD) and junior TB Marion Grice (62 carries, 316 yards, 5.1 avg, six TD, plus 28 receptions, 331 yards, 11.9 avg, seven TD).
Key ASU defenders include senior LB Brandon Magee (70 tackles, 7 for loss, 5.5 sacks, two INT, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble), senior FS Keelan Johnson (61 tackles, one for loss, two INT), junior LB Chris Young (60 tackles, 13.5 for loss, two sacks, four passes defensed, one forced fumble), sophomore LB Carl Bradford (51 tackles, 12 for loss, 7.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, two forced fumbles in 2012) and junior DT Will Sutton (42 tackles, 15 for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles). Sutton is the Pac- 12’s leader in sacks per game (1.2, sixth nationally) and tackles for loss (1.9, fourth nationally), while Young is 20th nationally in sacks per game (1.5, fifth in Pac-12) and Bradford is tied for 23rd nationally in tackles for loss per game (0.8, tied for fifth in Pac-12).
See last week's power rankings here.
1. Oregon: It wasn't perfect, at least on defense, but that was a resounding statement at USC. There are some injury issues, particularly on defense, but this team is coming together as perhaps the best of the Chip Kelly era. Wondering what type of opponent the Ducks will face at California: A motivated one or one that will serve as a doormat?
2. Oregon State: A nice bounce-back win over Arizona State. The Beavers have overcome a quarterback change and injuries. This team just keeps finding ways to get it done. The winner at Stanford on Saturday becomes a legitimate threat to Oregon in the North Division.
3. Stanford: So does Kevin Hogan step in at QB and make the Stanford offense formidable again? Maybe. But it's not wise to take too much away from stomping Colorado. Oregon State will offer a true defensive challenge.
4. UCLA: Just like Kevin and I predicted: The Bruins dominated Arizona. The offensive effort was outstanding but unsurprising. The defense shutting down the potent Wildcats' offense was most notable. But the Bruins can't overlook a visit to Washington State. That's what the "old" Bruins might have done.
5. USC: The Trojans' resilience is going to be tested, starting with a visit from Arizona State. USC could win out, go to the Pac-12 title game and still earn a shot at the Rose Bowl. Or they could fold and finish a season that began with national title hopes with five consecutive defeats.
6. Arizona: Wow ... the Wildcats took a horrible beating at UCLA. Some of that was a USC hangover. But a lot of that was the Bruins asserting themselves in the South Division pecking order. A visit from Colorado should supply that sixth victory and bowl eligibility.
7. Washington: The Huskies were sloppy at Cal, but sloppy with a W is OK. If they can handle a visit from Utah on Saturday, they will get a sixth victory and bowl eligibility.
8. Arizona State: The Sun Devils have lost three in a row after the schedule toughened up. The good news is they showed some fight at Oregon State. It's a battle of two wounded teams at USC on Saturday.
9. Utah: The Utes are making another late charge. At 4-5, they need to win two of three to earn bowl eligibility. They still play Colorado, so that means they need to win at Washington on Saturday or beat Arizona when it visits on Nov. 17.
10. California: Cal and Jeff Tedford are beaten up. And here comes Oregon. Maybe the Ducks will be flat after the big win over USC?
11. Washington State: A run of 10 bowl games in 10 seasons as a head coach ends for Mike Leach, and things don't seem to be going well in the Cougars' locker room. A hot UCLA team is coming to town. How about a good snow storm for the visitors from sunny SoCal?
12. Colorado: The Buffs just need the season to end. A visit to Arizona doesn't figure to go well for perhaps the nation's worst defense.
ABOUT WE ARE SC
Garry Paskwietz
Garry Paskwietz is the publisher and founder of WeAreSC.com and has covered the Trojans since 1997. Send him an email at garry@wearesc.com.
Blair Angulo
Blair Angulo covers USC Trojans recruiting. He joined ESPNLA.com in 2010 and also interned at the Los Angeles Daily News. Email him at blair.angulo@gmail.com.