USC Trojans

So, that was sort of an exciting Saturday.

• Ka’Deem Carey, RB, Arizona: Posting the ninth-best rushing total in FBS history probably gets you a helmet sticker. Carey rushed for a Pac-12 record 366 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Colorado, averaging 14.6 yards on his 25 carries.
• Curtis McNeal, RB, USC: Rushed 31 times for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a 22-yard touchdown in USC's win over Arizona State.
• Lamar Dawson, LB, USC: The linebacker helped pace a USC defense that forced four turnovers and limited the Sun Devils to 17 points and 250 total yards. He tallied a team-high 11 tackles and also had an interception.
• Keith Price, QB, Washington: He accounted for three touchdowns in leading the Huskies past visiting Utah. Price, who completed 24 of 33 passes for 277 yards, had a pair of touchdown passes and also ran for a third.
• Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon: The accolades continue as Mariota matched an Oregon record by throwing six touchdowns. He completed 27 of 34 passes for 377 yards. He also carried six times for 42 yards.
• Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA: To go with his eight tackles (including three for a loss) and 2.5 sacks, he also tallied a safety.
• Stepfan Taylor, RB, Stanford: On 19 carries, Taylor rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the third straight season. He also had a 40-yard touchdown reception -- a dump pass that he turned into what head coach David Shaw called one of the finest plays of his career.

Here's our quick reaction to USC's 24-14 win over Washington.

It was over when: USC defensive back Josh Shaw grabbed a tipped interception near midfield from Huskies QB Keith Price on fourth-and-8 with 4:20 left in the fourth quarter and the Trojans up 10. The Huskies dominated the second half, but their first-half deficit was just too much.

Gameball goes to: The USC defense. The Trojans were supposed to be all about the offense -- QB Matt Barkley and his scintillating corps of receivers. That hasn't proven true, but the defense has been better than expected. It forced four Washington turnovers, and that proved the difference in the game. It held the Huskies to 299 yards.

Stat of the game: Barkley was 10-of-20 for 167 yards with a touchdown. If you had told me during the preseason that would be his stat line for any game, I would have laughed at the delusion.

Unsung hero of the game: While the Trojans passing game was struggling, Penn State transfer Silas Redd rushed for 155 yards on 26 carries. Of course, much of that came on a 57-yard run on USC's first possession, which only led to a field goal.

What USC learned: It learned that the Trojans' passing game is oddly mediocre and it doesn't seem to be getting better. I have no idea why it's not better.

What Washington learned: It learned that it weathered a brutal first-half schedule with a 3-3 mark. That's not too bad, as it went 1-3 in games in which it was a significant underdog. Bowl hopes are firmly alive.

What it means: It means USC inches forward. It won't move up much in the national rankings with this performance, but it won't move down. With dates against Oregon and Notre Dame ahead, the Trojans still have a chance to get into the national title picture if it becomes a beauty contest with one-loss teams.

SEATTLE -- There were plenty of positives for Washington to hold onto heading into Saturday’s matchup with No. 11 USC. The Huskies had won 10 of 11 at home and two of the three matchups against the Trojans under coach Steve Sarkisian.

Even after falling behind early, there was still reason to remain optimistic Saturday, since the Huskies trailed 10-0 in 2009 before coming back to beat USC, 16-13.

If Washington wants a repeat performance, the Huskies have work to do. They head into the half trailing 24-7 at CenturyLink Field.

Stat of the half: USC holds a sizable advantage in total offense heading into the half, outgaining the Huskies by 146 yards. Washington finished the first two quarters with 87 yards and, outside of their one scoring drive, really struggled to move the ball.

Player of the half: USC running back Silas Redd ran for 116 yards on 14 carries, adding an 11-yard touchdown to stake the Trojans to an early 10-0 lead after a Dion Bailey interception started USC in Washington territory on the Huskies' first drive.

What’s working for USC: Pretty much everything at this point. The Trojans have rushed for 140 yards, Matt Barkley is 7 for 11 for 101 yards and a pretty touchdown pass to Xavier Grimble in the second quarter, the defense has held Washington to 87 yards, and Anthony Brown blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. It's hard to find much wrong with what has gone on from a USC perspective, especially in a hostile environment.

What’s not working for USC: Barkley did throw an interception to Marcus Peters that eventually turned into Washington's only points of the half, as Keith Price hit Kasen Williams on a touchdown pass to bring the Huskies within 10-7. But besides that, it's been a good first half for the Cardinal and Gold.

We at the Pac-12 blog love pressure situations. And it just so happens that there are some pressure-packed scenarios this week for some of the conference's quarterbacks. But is there one scenario that seems tougher than another? That's for you to decide.

So your Thursday poll question is this: Which Pac-12 quarterback has the most pressure to produce this week?

Your options:

Matt Barkley, USC: He's climbed his way back into the top five of the ESPN.com Heisman poll after a strong showing on the road against Utah. Now he and the Trojans head to Seattle against a Huskies squad that is allowing just 274 total yards and 12.6 points in three home games.

Brett Hundley, UCLA: Even though he completed 66 percent of his throws (31 of 47) against Cal and had a pair of touchdowns, he also threw four interceptions. Saturday marks a huge home game for Hundley and his young offense with a very seasoned Utah defensive front coming to town.

Josh Nunes, Stanford: He silenced some of his critics with a five-touchdown performance against Arizona. But many skeptics are still looking to see if he can do it away from home. No easy task facing a highly-ranked, highly-motivated Notre Dame squad.

Keith Price, Washington: He's been less-than-stellar this year, but the schedule has also been less-than-favorable. Most notable is Washington's 75 percent conversion in the red zone -- which ranks ninth among conference teams. Price is also last in touchdown passes among regular starters with five and four interceptions.

Cody Vaz, Oregon State: Talk about pressure? How about making your first collegiate start for a 4-0 team that's ranked 10th nationally. Oh yeah, and do it on the road against the No. 3 scoring defense in the country. No problem, right?

If voting for first-team All-Pac-12 quarterback were held today, neither USC's Matt Barkley nor Keith Price would win.

And if your crystal ball had related that to you in August, you would have taken your crystal ball back to Target and asked for a refund.

Barkley was the leading Heisman Trophy candidate entering the season. Price was a darkhorse contender. They were, without question, the two top returning quarterbacks in the conference. And, perhaps, in the nation.

Last year, Barkley ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency behind Andrew Luck. He ranked seventh in the nation in passing efficiency and led the conference with 39 touchdown passes. At present, the four-year starter is 27th in the nation in passing efficiency and ranks behind Arizona State sophomore Taylor Kelly and Oregon redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota, a pair of first-year starters, in the conference.

In 2011, Price, as a first-year starter, ranked third in the Pac-12 in passing efficiency and eighth in the nation. He threw 33 touchdown passes. At present, he's 12th in the conference in passing efficiency and doesn't rank nationally because his rating is not among the top-100 QBs. The Huskies, in fact, are last in passing in the conference, with just 184 yards per game, down 51 yards from last fall.

Barkley seemed to find his rhythm last week during a win against Utah. Price has yet to rediscover his groove. The pair will square off Saturday when the Trojans take on the Huskies at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

"Keith is still a fantastic football player," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said. "I think at times, yeah, maybe he has pressed a little bit, and maybe he's gotten frustrated."

There are plenty of valid excuses for Price, who's thrown five touchdown passes with four interceptions so far. The Huskies are missing their top-two receivers and top-two rushers from 2011. They are down three starting offensive linemen. And a No. 2 receiver hasn't emerged behind Kasen Williams after James Johnson was lost to injury.

Still, Price hasn't been himself. A player nicknamed "Teeth" because of his tendency to smile a lot, even during high-pressure moments, has looked stressed-out and frustrated on the field. Moreover, after games, he's seemed distraught while taking the blame upon himself for the offensive struggles.

"He needs to play football," Sarkisian said. "Right now he's working football."

If anyone knows about the burden of high expectations, it's the Trojans.

"If you don't win every game by 50 points, all the sudden everybody is saying, 'What's wrong with you?'" coach Lane Kiffin said.

They were pretty much written off after the loss to Stanford -- Barkley as a Heisman candidate and the Trojans as national title contenders. Yet there is plenty of season left. For both teams.

The Huskies' schedule, which has included four top-10 teams in the first six games, eases up over the season's second half. In August, a 4-2 start, which a win would give them, would have been embraced by just about anyone on Montlake. An upset of the Trojans would leave them well-positioned in the conference pecking order. And, keep in mind, the Huskies did beat the team (Stanford) that beat the team (USC).

For USC, Barkley could still play his way into the Heisman conversation, and the Trojans are still lurking in the national picture. An impressive win likely would push them back into the top-10, and we know anything can happen in college football.

But the first step for both teams is getting their quarterback play consistently back to where it was expected to be in the preseason.

LOS ANGELES -- The Trojans continued their prep work for Washington on Tuesday, hitting Dedeaux Field in a full-pads practice that USC head coach Lane Kiffin noted was highlighted by a strong defensive effort.

“I thought they had great energy today,” Kiffin said. “That’s three weeks in a row where we’ve had really good practices. I think our defense has really picked it up, and I think that’s showing up on Saturdays.”

Huskies tough at home
With a perfect record of 3-0 at CenturyLink Field in 2012, Washington has proven to be an extremely formidable opponent for teams to face at home, and something Kiffin is making sure that the Trojans prepare for this week.

“You go up there and the crowd and the stadium is extremely loud that they’re in, and they play better at home,” Kiffin said. “And so the concern for us is on offense, handling the crowd [and] playing with good composure. On defense, handling the quarterback ... he makes so many plays by running around -- out of rhythm plays, especially toward the end of last year and especially in the bowl game.”

But it’s safe to say that the Trojans know a thing or two about playing on the road. After all, the trip to Seattle marks the fourth time that the Trojans will have travelled in just six games this season. And having come through with an impressive victory in the team’s last contest away from home at Utah, Kiffin feels much better about the trip to the Pacific Northwest this weekend.

“Now that we’ve gone on the road and played better than we did the time before, I don’t mind going on the road again,” Kiffin said. “This team is used to going in, going through some adversity and not playing well, which is going to always happen at some points in games -- they make plays too. So I know that we’ll be really composed if that happens again.”

(Read full post)

When you beat ranked teams, you move up. Unless you are already on top.

See last week's power rankings here.

1. Oregon: The Ducks faced their first foe with a pulse -- a ranked one, no less -- and rolled 49-zip. They moved up to No. 2 in both national polls. 'Nuff said.

2. Stanford: The Cardinal got to relax on their bye weekend and dwell on how great it is to beat USC four times in a row. "Oh," coach David Shaw said, "we don't care about that, Ted, Kevin!" Pause, grin. "Four times!" A visit to Washington on Thursday might be interesting, at least if the series' recent history of Stanford domination is ignored.

3. Oregon State: Lookie here! The Beavers surge into third. Why are they ahead of USC? Well, consider the résumé: Unbeaten with two wins over ranked teams. And to be good, you've got to feel good, and the Beavers surely feel better than the Trojans today. And, hey, who doesn't after an In-N-Out burger.

4. USC: The Trojans got the running game and defense going against California. In the preseason, I didn't think I'd type this: But what about the passing game?

5. UCLA: Anyone else notice that 3-1 Nebraska is ranked ahead of the 3-1 Bruins? Anyone remember where the Cornhuskers' "1" came from? Yeah, go figure. Did the Huskers' wins over Arkansas State and Idaho State really prove something? The Bruins, however, do face their first adversity of the season after losing at home to Oregon State.

6. Arizona State: Speaking of bouncing back, the Sun Devils certainly did that with an utter domination of Utah in every phase. Now can they duplicate that disciplined, complete effort on the road? That's the next step to measure this weekend at California, a team that figures to be plenty motivated.

7. Arizona: Well, you could call it the most competitive 49-0 defeat in history ... would that help? And here's a guess that the Wildcats do a little red zone work this week at practice. It would appear they will be challenged by a very good Oregon State defense on Saturday.

8. Washington: The Huskies' early schedule gauntlet turns to its Stanford chapter. A win at home -- well, in CenturyLink Field, the Seattle Seahawks' home -- would go a long way toward signaling the Huskies are turning a corner. Sure QB Keith Price will raise an eyebrow at the way Stanford's defense rolled USC's offensive line and made Matt Barkley miserable.

9. California: The 1-3 start was what most expected. But the next three games -- all winnable -- likely will provide a good guess at the overall trajectory of the season. A quality win at home over Arizona State might inspire some cautious optimism among the worried Berkeley faithful.

10. Utah: Man, you Utah fans were in a Twitter panic on Saturday, with a bad loss to Arizona State knocking thoughts of challenging for the South Division title off the table. It feels like a good time for a bye week. Only problem is the next three games look far more formidable than they did in the preseason, when all the focus was on USC's visit on Thursday, Oct. 4. Now road trips to UCLA and Oregon State on back-to-back weekends are reasons for worry.

11. Colorado: Buffalo fans, take a moment and breathe. Then look down. Wave. Of course, you're thirsty after scoring 21 points in the fourth quarter at Washington State to end fears of a winless season. Go ahead. Make a demand, like the winner you are. You've earned it. "Hey, Cougs! Can you bring me a cold beverage from the basement -- that's the BASEMENT -- refrigerator?"

12. Washington State: "Burp."

Here are some of the storylines to keep an eye on in Week 2.

1. Who can rebound? Washington State, Cal and Colorado will all look to get in the win column this week after disappointing debuts. Each has something specific it needs to work on in Week 2. The Bears need to find a way to get off the field on third down, Colorado needs to find a running game, and Washington State needs to find a little confidence (positive rushing yards wouldn't be bad, either). And even though Stanford won last week, there was a vibe around the team that a 20-17 against San Jose State isn't going to cut it. And they are right. After this week's game against Duke, USC comes to town and then a big road trip to Washington. Cal has its big matchup with Ohio State looming as well. A lot needs to be sorted out for these four teams in Week

2. Super schedule: Some huge measuring-stick games this week against out-of-conference, BCS-conference foes (seven total). UCLA will see what they really have in Brett Hundleywhen he sees a Nebraska defense that won't be as generous as Rice. And we'll see if Arizona State and Arizona are the real deal when they take on Illinois and Oklahoma State, respectively. While it was nice to see all three win in Week 1, the big question now is whether they can all sustain it with the competition level being increased dramatically. And there are a couple more nonconference games we should mention ...

3. What about the Beavers? Mike Riley joked that so far this season feels like the training camp that would never end. As last week's game against Nicholls State was re-routed because of Hurricane Isaac, we're still not sure what we're getting with Oregon State. We know they want to run the football, and Storm Woods is the guy to do it. At question is whether they'll have success against Wisconsin. It's tough to open the year against a ranked opponent, and Riley called this one of the biggest nonconference games in school history. Also eager to see how much progress Sean Mannion has made and how OSU's passing attack led by Markus Wheaton stacks up against the Badgers. By the way, big ups to OSU, which will have volunteers from the American Red Cross at Reser Stadium to take donations that go to victims of Hurricane Isaac. Classy gesture.

4. What about the Huskies? Grrr ... the SEC. They win national championships. They dominate the rankings. Their fans come to our blog and troll with impunity. Grrr. How well will the Huskies represent the conference when they travel to Baton Rouge? Washington showed a lot of inconsistency against San Diego State, particularly on offense. And losing running back Jesse Callier for the season certainly doesn't help the situation. But when the Huskies were clicking, it was Keith Price connecting with Austin Seferian-Jenkins (nine catches, 82 yards) and Kasen Williams (six catches, 75 yards, 1 touchdown). That trio will have to have a monster game to pull off a shocker against the No. 3 team in the land.

5. Desert defense: Some interesting matchups when you look at Arizona and Arizona State's competition -- particularly at the quarterback spot. How will the Wildcats fare against Oklahoma State freshman quarterback Wes Lunt, who actually saw less field time last week than Marcus Mariota? The Sun Devils might or might not face Illinois starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, who has been out with an ankle injury. Head coach Todd Graham said they are prepping to face Scheelhasse, though there's a good chance (depending on which update you read at any particular hour) the Sun Devils could be seeing Reilly O'Toole.