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USC receiver Marqise Lee was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, conference representatives announced Monday.

In a vote of the conference's head coaches, Lee was chosen as the top offensive player. He also was the only sophomore in the conference unanimously selected to the Pac-12 first team this season, during which he totaled 112 catches, 1,680 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns.

One other Trojan, senior center Khaled Holmes, was selected as a first-teamer. Receiver Robert Woods, defensive end Morgan Breslin, cornerback Nickell Robey and safety T.J. McDonald were all second-team honorees, as was Lee as a return specialist.

Thirteen USC players earned honorable mention, with quarterback Matt Barkley, running back Silas Redd, tight end Xavier Grimble and offensive linemen Max Tuerk and John Martinez leading the way on offense.

Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Arizona's Matt Scott, two quarterbacks who beat Barkley this season, were named the Pac-12's first- and second-team signal-callers, respectively.

Barkley will leave USC having never been a first-team all-conference performer, which is remarkable considering the conference records he owns for all-time passing yards and touchdowns.

USC defensive linemen Leonard Williams, George Uko and Wes Horton and linebackers Dion Bailey and Hayes Pullard received honorable mention.

Williams also was named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, after recording a 7.5-sack, two-fumble-recovery season.

Kicker Andre Heidari, punter Kyle Negrete and reserve linebacker Tony Burnett rounded out USC's honorable-mention recipients on special teams.

LOS ANGELES -- The unranked USC Trojans will try to spoil the undefeated season of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 1 BCS, No. 1 AP) on Saturday at the Coliseum (5 p.m. PT, ABC).

Of course, they'll attempt it without senior starting quarterback Matt Barkley, who's out for the game with a sprained throwing shoulder. Redshirt freshman Max Wittek will start in his place.

Here are 10 things to watch in a game that will be Wittek's debut as a starter:

1. Max Wittek. We know he's talented, we know he's young, we know he's not nervous -- the latter, according to his coach. So what can we actually expect from him? If the way Lane Kiffin called the USC-Notre Dame two years ago is any indication, Wittek won't get too many chances to throw the ball deep early. When Mitch Mustain replaced the injured Barkley two years ago, Kiffin called for short passes almost exclusively. Mustain ended up with 37 pass attempts and just 177 yards passing, meaning he averaged less than five yards per attempt. If Wittek's numbers look like that Saturday, it'll be a bad sign.

2. Pro-style O. If there's one thing that bodes really well for the Trojans this week, it's Notre Dame's style of offense. The Irish run a traditional scheme, and the offenses that have given USC so much trouble in recent weeks were spread-focused. Despite Monte Kiffin's best efforts to orient his defense to defend the spread, the Trojans are still far better against offenses similar to their own. "It's no secret," Kiffin said this week.

3. Marqise and Manti. It's unlikely that Marqise Lee or Manti Te'o will actually win the Heisman, but having two of the top 10 candidates for college football's top award in the same game is certainly intriguing. There's a good chance at least one of them will earn a trip to New York City for the trophy presentation, too, and this game will help decide which one gets to go. Lee's numbers are more impressive, but Te'o's team has obviously done a lot better. If the Irish win again Saturday, it's hard to argue that their best player doesn't deserve to be a finalist. Lee turns 21 on Sunday, but his last moment in the spotlight for another nine months will come Saturday. USC's high-profile string of games isn't likely to continue into bowl season.

4. The Stanford games. These teams have played such different schedules, it's hard to compare them against similar opponents. But there is one team they've both faced: the Stanford Cardinal. USC lost to Stanford 21-14 in Palo Alto, and Notre Dame beat Stanford 20-13 at home. All coaches caution against reading too much into same-opponent performances, but it's worth noting how similar the games were. Notre Dame needed a final-minute field goal to force overtime against Stanford and a miraculous goal-line stand in overtime to secure the win.

5. That D. Guess how many times this season Notre Dame has given up more than 14 points in a game? The answer is twice. The Irish haven't allowed more than 20 in regulation all season. They've held the four ranked teams they played to an average of less than nine points, so there's not exactly a precedent for good teams to do better, either.

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LOS ANGELES -- The big news from USC coach Lane Kiffin's conference call Sunday night was quarterback Matt Barkley's being ruled out for this week's Notre Dame game because of a sprained right shoulder.

But there were other noteworthy things, too. Here are notes and quotes from the rest of Kiffin's call with local reporters:

Job security questions

Kiffin said he was not blindsided by questions about his job security in Saturday's postgame news conference, although he said it's "not something that I think about."

He was asked several questions about his future, including if he felt he needed to beat Notre Dame this week to come back next season.

Kiffin revealed that he'd been told by administration he'd be back no matter what happens this season, and was then asked if athletic director Pat Haden had told him that.

He answered in the affirmative.

"I'd say that was probably fair to ask," he said of the questions Sunday.

An odd rebound

Kiffin said the Trojans were "fortunate" to rebound from a rivalry loss with another rivalry game against the No. 1 team in the country in Notre Dame on Saturday (5 p.m. PT, ABC).

He said he didn't think his players would fold with the Rose Bowl now out of the picture and a Sun Bowl appearance probably the best-case scenario.

"These kids are too proud and they've been through a lot now," Kiffin said. "That won't be an issue."

Statistical oddities

Kiffin called the 38-28 loss to UCLA a "very discouraging game" but also pointed out that he found it a "strange game, as far as statistics."

There's merit there, as USC outgained UCLA, had half as many penalties, and converted the same ratio of third downs.

But, ultimately, as Kiffin pointed out, a big part of the difference may have come on special teams, where the Trojans lost handily to the Bruins for "one of the few times" in the Kiffin era.

UCLA out-punted USC by a dozen yards each attempt, and converted its only field-goal attempt. The Trojans' Andre Heidari missed two kicks and an extra point.

Final notes: Kiffin said he saw the potential for seven more sacks from USC's defense in Saturday's game. The Trojans produced five, as it was. ... With Silas Redd less than 100 percent healthy at running back, Curtis McNeal's 161-yard day proved "why it's critical to have depth at that position," according to Kiffin. ... Kiffin also said he did not call a team meeting to discuss Barkley's injury and instead planned for his players to find out via the internet and social media. ... The USC coach downplayed any similarities between this week's Notre Dame game and the one Mitch Mustain started while Barkley was hurt in November 2010: "Every situation is different. Mitch was more experienced, obviously."

PASADENA, Calif. -- The USC Trojans (No. 18 BCS, No. 21 AP) started poorly, then rebounded, then played more mistake-ridden football in the second half and lost, 38-28, to the UCLA Bruins (No. 17 BCS, No. 17 AP) in a back-and-forth game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

Here's a report card for the Trojans, who dropped to 7-4 overall and 5-4 in the Pac-12 with the loss.

PASSING ATTACK

Matt Barkley and Marqise Lee's crucial connections seemed off until late in Saturday's game, and that might be the single biggest reason why USC lost. Barkley's two picks were just puzzling, too, and they were both intended for Lee, so the Trojans didn't learn their lesson from last week. But Robert Woods did prove he can still catch the ball.

RUSHING ATTACK

With Silas Redd still less than 100 percent, Curtis McNeal again stepped up and carried the ball nicely. Yet, as has been the case all year save for last week, he didn't get many opportunities early on. Would the game have ended differently if he had? We'll never know, but McNeal did finish with 158 yards.

IN THE TRENCHES

One of the better games for both units, actually. The USC defensive line, led by Morgan Breslin, pressured Brett Hundley most of the game, and the O-line did a better-than-expected job protecting Barkley. The picks weren't because he had no time -- they were just bad decisions. Aundrey Walker was beaten badly on the hit that knocked Barkley out, though.

DEFENSE

This really wasn't that bad. A lot of UCLA's points came directly off turnovers, and there's little the Trojans' defense could have done there. They held the Bruins plenty of times in the second half, and it wasn't their fault that the USC offense couldn't match UCLA. But Monte Kiffin will still be under fire come Monday.

SPECIAL TEAMS

After two straight great special-teams games, John Baxter's unit regressed Saturday. There was a missed extra point, missed field goal, blocked field goal and blocked punt, and nothing positive from the Trojans to offset them. It's tough to expect a still-hurt Andre Heidari to convert a 44-yard field goal in that weather when his season long was 41.

COACHING

Yes, USC rebounded from a terrible start, to the coaches' credit, but hasn't that terrible start happened too many times this season to make it still-defensible? It sure seems like it. A stellar coaching job would involve getting your players ready before kickoff, not 30 minutes after it. What was Kiffin's motivation to avoid running so desperately until late in the game?

LOS ANGELES -- No. 11 USC easily rolled over Colorado at the Coliseum on Saturday, topping the Buffaloes, 50-6. Here's a report card for the Trojans' record-setting day:

PASSING ATTACK
Wouldn't it be funny if there was a 'B' here and a criticism of Matt Barkley's one incompletion? Ha -- anything other than an 'A' would be blasphemy, even considering the opponent. He was magnificent. Max Wittek and Cody Kessler showed positive signs in garbage time, too.

RUSHING ATTACK
There really wasn't one, sort of out of necessity because of what Lane Kiffin wanted to accomplish through the air. Curtis McNeal and Silas Redd carried a combined six times. D.J. Morgan looked great late, carrying 10 times and showing the same explosion we saw against Utah.

IN THE TRENCHES
Aundrey Walker didn't do anything to stand out until he got hurt was carted off -- and that means he was doing well. The Trojans' second-team offensive line created some holes, and just about everybody on the USC D-line got to the quarterback at one point or another.


DEFENSE
The Trojans did nothing to disprove the argument that they're significantly improved on defense this year. Yeah, they allowed Colorado to gain some yards, but they also forced six turnovers. This USC unit has produced big plays all season long, and that's an underrated strength going forward.

SPECIAL TEAMS
There was still a big kickoff return, and there were still penalty issues on the unit, so this wasn't perfect. Kyle Negrete's only punt went 64 yards and was downed inside the 20, though, so that has to count for something. Andre Heidari banged an extra point off the uprights.

COACHING
Lane Kiffin did a nice job of managing different interests in this game, getting Barkley and Robert Woods their records but also keeping them out of harm's way. He probably could've stood to run the ball more, but it's hard to argue with two incompletions. Nine penalties for 90 yards, though -- that's hard to support.

SEATTLE -- Here are notes and quotes from No. 11 USC's 24-14 win over Washington that won't make it into our other coverage from the game.

Defensive prowess

Nickell Robey was beaten badly on Kasen Williams' 17-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, and he wasn't too happy about it.

As he ran off the field, he pooled coach Lane Kiffin and secondary coach Marvin Sanders together and told them he had a declaration to make.

"He's not gonna catch another pass the whole game," Robey told his coaches.

Sure enough, Williams didn't make another appearance on the stat sheet. He finished with 22 yards on two catches, the other five-yard catch coming just before the touchdown.

After the game, Kiffin said Robey led the way for what was another sneaky-good performance from USC's defense.

Two years ago, the Trojans were downright bad. Last year, they were good at times and bad at others.
Now, they're just good -- especially in the turnover department, forcing another four from the Huskies on Saturday.

And, perhaps most important, they weren't just good for three quarters, either. They held up all the way through the fourth, not allowing Washington any points in the final 20 minutes.

"For three years, that's been our issue: Fourth-quarter defense," Kiffin said. "I thought our guys really played well and closed the game out."

Defensive back Josh Shaw, who made his debut at cornerback Saturday and had an interception, said he heard his teammates discussing just how much improvement they've made over the past year. He didn't see any of it because he transferred from Florida in January, but he believes it.

"I wasn't here last year, but the talk is that this defense is much improved," Shaw said after the game. "We're looking pretty good."

Really, USC's defense has been more consistent than its offense, allowing no more than 22 points in a game when not counting garbage-time TDs from Syracuse and Utah.

Asked if he agreed with that assertion after Saturday's game, receiver Marqise Lee nodded his head.

"As of right now, you could say that," Lee said. "I'm not even gonna lie."

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SEATTLE -- No. 11 USC battled past some second-half troubles to top Washington, 24-14, on Saturday at CenturyLink Field. Here's a report card for the Trojans:

PASSING ATTACK
Yeah, 10 completions isn't really going to cut it. Matt Barkley didn't attempt a ton of passes, but his attempts weren't particularly effective anyway. Robert Woods did show some impressive explosiveness. Marqise Lee's best play was called back because of a penalty. Only four receivers caught passes.

RUSHING ATTACK
Silas Redd had a fantastic first quarter and a strong second, then stayed in the locker room after halftime and wasn't quite the same when he returned to the game later. Curtis McNeal was effective, as usual, as the No. 2 runner. No real chances for D.J. Morgan.

IN THE TRENCHES
Too many penalties on the USC offensive line, but, in general, the players were able to produce room for Redd and McNeal to run. The tackles were still occasionally smoked around the edge. The Trojans' D-line hasn't had a bad game yet, and Morgan Breslin and Leonard Williams are two dominant newcomers.

DEFENSE
Not a perfect performance, but USC's defense made big plays when it needed to. Dion Bailey had an impressive first-quarter pick to get the Trojans going, and Jawanza Starling's fourth-quarter strip might have been the play of the game. Both players made more plays, too. Torin Harris missed the second half, but Josh Shaw stepped in just fine at corner.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Anthony Brown's blocked punt and scoring return was huge, so that helps keep this unit from a much lower grade. Nickell Robey was very shaky as a punt returner, muffing two fair catches, and Andre Heidari had a second-half field-goal attempt blocked.

COACHING
At times, Lane Kiffin can be an inventive and intelligent play-caller. This was not one of those times. It seemed too often USC was in a third-and-long scenario and Kiffin was calling for a run to hedge his bets and get a little bit better field position. The third quarter continues to plague Kiffin's squad.

LOS ANGELES -- It was a shorts and helmets practice for the Trojans as they gear up for Saturday's matchup with Washington in Seattle. With the team working a day ahead of schedule, Wednesday’s practice resembled more of a Thursday practice in regard to what was worked on, and Kiffin was pleased with where the team is now, in terms of its preparation.

“Once again, good to be a day ahead [and to] have a first Thursday -- we’ll have another one tomorrow,” Kiffin said. “I thought [the] guys looked good. I think they’re excited to go on the road again and play in a great environment.”

Shaw still in the mix at cornerback

One of the biggest storylines of the week has centered on Josh Shaw being thrown into the competition at cornerback, as the Trojans search for consistent play at the spot opposite Nickell Robey.

After practice, Kiffin said no decision had been made as to whether the Palmdale native will see time against the Huskies at the position occupied by Torin Harris for the last three games.

“We haven’t figured out what we’ll do on game day yet,” Kiffin said. “We’ll go back after this practice, and after tomorrow’s, and I’ll obviously talk with the defensive staff about how he’s doing over there, and we’ll go from there.”

The emergence of Williams

Supplanting Antwaun Woods in the lineup, freshman Leonard Williams earned the second start of his USC career against Utah, and he responded with five stops at defensive tackle. According to Kiffin, the move had less to do with Woods and more to do with Williams' exceptional play so far this season.

“That was off of performance -- nothing to do with Antwaun,” Kiffin said. “That was all Leonard. Leonard had performed really well in his opportunities in the games, especially in the previous game, Cal. So it came down to how we run our program -- to create more production. So Leonard got the start and he did well, and he’s going to be a great player here.”

Night to forget for Heidari

As viewers saw on television, place-kicker Andre Heidari had what might have been his roughest night as a Trojan against Utah, connecting on just 1 of 3 field-goal attempts -- the first time in his career he has missed two field goals in a game.

But as Kiffin revealed, what most people didn’t see was that Heidari also lost his composure on the sideline, at one point appearing to have a verbal altercation with some fans in the stands.

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LOS ANGELES -- Andre Heidari wasn't Andre Heidari in last week's game against Utah, and the Utes' fans have themselves to thank.

The USC kicker, typically automatic from 45 yards and in, missed two of his three field-goal attempts in the Trojans' win last Thursday and had another miss erased because of a penalty.

"I don't come out there and miss two field goals," he said Wednesday. "That's just not me. I don't like going out there and missing, and it got to my head."

Asked for reasons why he was so off, Heidari said he failed to properly establish his plant foot on the first miss from 40 yards, midway through the third quarter. The now-permanent switching of holders from Matt Barkley to Cody Kessler had nothing to do with it, he said.

USC coach Lane Kiffin said he heard Heidari was yelling at some Utah fans at one point, "getting into it with them." Earlier, Kiffin said he attributed the misses to Heidari being over-hyped.

Heidari said it wasn't the fans' "fault" he missed -- "I missed those two field goals" -- but he did allow that they played a role.

"The crowd said some stuff," he said. "I just got distracted. I don't know what to say -- I wasn't in the right mindset for the game."

It was his first road game of the season, since, as he said Wednesday, he missed the Syracuse and Stanford trips after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the season opener.

Heidari now has four total field goal misses in his career, including just two last season -- one of which came while kicking with an injured ankle against Notre Dame.

He said Wednesday he still hopes to feel better in the coming weeks after this injury, which he said occurred on a first-quarter kickoff. He'll resume kickoff responsibilities this week against Washington for the first time since the opener.

Kiffin said he was pleased by Heidari's reaction after Thursday's game. When the coach called him in for a Friday meeting upon the team's return to L.A., Heidari didn't attempt to defend his actions.

"He knew he was wrong," Kiffin said. "And it won't be an issue again."

LOS ANGELES -- USC Trojans coach Lane Kiffin addressed the media in his normal day-after game conference call Friday night, discussing several topics pertaining to Thursday night's win over Utah and looking forward a bit to the Trojans' long week of practice before their next game at Washington.

Here are notes and quotes from the call:

Still no answers at corner

Kiffin has been looking for a solution at the second starting cornerback spot all season, but he said the Trojans aren't any closer to finding one after Thursday's game.

"No, we're not," Kiffin said Friday.

Torin Harris and Kevon Seymour were both burned on touchdown passes by the Utes, Harris flailing his arm well away from the pass in the end zone and Seymour getting out-positioned on another attempt downfield.

Kiffin did say he and his staff have discussed the possibility of moving safety Josh Shaw to corner to provide a different look -- a move he has steadfastly resisted so far this year.

Shaw has played well in limited snaps as a reserve safety this season and also looked good during his temporary switch to corner in fall camp.

He said in August that he prefers playing corner over safety.

More on Woods' situation

Receiver Robert Woods, who fell to the field in a scary moment in the first quarter of Thursday's game, is "fine," Kiffin said.

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SALT LAKE CITY -- Here are notes and quotes from No. 13 USC’s 38-28 win over Utah that won't make it into our other coverage from the game:

The Holmes-Barkley rapport

Center Khaled Holmes, the culprit on USC's two early turnovers that spotted the Utes 14 points, took every bit of available blame for his errors -- to the media and to his teammates.

He also said his connection with quarterback Matt Barkley -- the two played together in high school -- played a role in the Trojans' quick rebound. USC scored a touchdown on its ensuing drive, preventing a total collapse.

"I think that could have happened," Holmes said. "But fortunately it was not the case.

"Matt and the whole team had my back."

USC's more candid players did admit some interesting reactions to Holmes' second mistake, which was eerily similar to the first one that came just a few minutes before. He snapped the ball badly the first time, then misread the cadence on the second, which led to another bad snap because Barkley wasn't ready.

"After seeing it again, you're like, 'C'mon, man, seriously?'" receiver Robert Woods said he was thinking as he walked off the field. "Here we go again."

Woods' brief exit

Woods fell to the turf late in the first quarter when he tried to run off the field while dazed after a hit, a scary moment that turned out to be only a minor fright.

"That was funny. That was actually pretty funny," said Marqise Lee, his teammate and good friend.

Woods said he remembered most of the incident.

"I remember trying to run," he said. "But I couldn't see. And then I fell."

About an hour after the game's conclusion, he said he hadn't seen the video of it, yet, but noted it was "probably on YouTube."

Not much later, Lane Kiffin's assistant, Kyrah McCowan, tweeted a picture of Woods watching the play with tight end Xavier Grimble.

Woods said the concussion test given to him by USC's medical staff consisted of three questions: Who is the current president, what is today's date and what is 100 minus 7, minus 7, minus 7.

He passed all three, he said, and was allowed to return to the game after one missed play.

"There's no way you're gonna have Robert sit on the bench, no matter what it is," Lee said.

Morgan's return

On D.J. Morgan's eye-black during Thursday's game were two words: "Never Left."

Morgan wanted to show that he hadn't left the Trojans' offense despite missing USC's past three games after undergoing minor knee surgery to remove scar tissue from a high-school knee injury.

He said he felt as though he did that.

"It was very exciting," Morgan said. "My performance today came because of my preparation, because I prepared like I knew I was gonna play, like I was a starter."

Morgan, a redshirt sophomore, said he was still rehabbing following the knee surgery and didn't yet feel 100 percent recovered.

"Adrenaline kinda hides all that," Morgan said.

Homecoming for Martinez

USC right guard John Martinez is only the third Trojans letterman to hail from the state of Utah, and he grew up a Utes fan, attending a number of games at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

So he said Thursday night's game was "kinda a little bit personal" for him and that his teammates had asked him a bunch of questions about the atmosphere in the week leading up to the game.

He said it felt like a traditional Utah crowd amped up to another level Thursday night.

Martinez also was the player asked to help Holmes with the task of double-teaming Utah's Star Lotulelei, and he said it was intense.

"Their D-line is a friggin' monster to go against," Martinez said.

Injury report

Multiple USC players said running back Curtis McNeal suffered a concussion in the first quarter of Thursday night's game. It appeared to occur on a run play that did not count because of a holding penalty.

McNeal didn't return and did not record any statistics. Silas Redd, USC's other top running back, left the game initially with a shoe issue in the third quarter but did not return. It's not known if he suffered any sort of injury.

Defensive end J.R. Tavai did not make the trip to Utah. Only 56 scholarship players traveled for the Trojans.

Final notes: USC tied the school record for consecutive games without being shut out at 186 straight contests. ... The crowd of 46,037 was the fourth-largest in Utah school history. ... Kicker Andre Heidari missed two field goals in a game for the first time in his career Thursday. They were only the third and fourth misses of his career. ... Third-string quarterback Cody Kessler did all the holding for the first time this season. Barkley has typically filled that role this season. Kessler appeared to place the ball poorly on Heidari's second miss.