Cardinal seek upset of sixth-ranked Trojans
Sports Network | November 12, 2008
Stanford, CA (Sports Network) - The sixth-ranked USC Trojans are once again the class of the Pac-10 Conference, and they will take on the Stanford Cardinal on the road this weekend.
USC is ranked in the Top 25 in every national offensive and defensive statistical category, proof of the tremendous all-around ability of the squad. The Trojans have allowed more than 10 points in only one game this season, their lone loss to Oregon State. Since then, the club has put together six consecutive victories, including three shutouts. While USC is clearly on the outside of the national title picture at the moment, there is still hope that the team will make it to college football's biggest game. The Trojans need some losses by teams ahead of them in the BCS standings, and that is certainly a possibility considering the amount of upsets we have seen in recent weeks.
Stanford's goal is simple, as it needs one more victory to earn bowl eligibility, something that the program hasn't done since 2001. The Cardinal brings a 4-0 home record into Saturday's game and hope to post their first perfect home season since Bill Walsh's 1977 team won all six of its home contests. Last weekend, Stanford dropped a 35-28 decision to Oregon, and the club has now rotated wins and losses in the last six outings.
USC owns a 58-25-3 lead in the all-time series with Stanford, including a 39-10-1 edge in the last 50 meetings. Still, the Cardinal scored the biggest upset of the 2007 college football season with a 24-23 victory over the Trojans on the road.
In the last four outings, USC has scored 69 points, 17 points, 56 points and then 17 points again in last weekend's 14-point victory over California. Clearly, the offense has been wildly inconsistent under the guidance of quarterback Mark Sanchez. So far this season, Sanchez has completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 2,122 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, impressive numbers for sure. But with the amount of talent present on the offensive side of the football, and there is a ton, there is no reason that USC should have been held below 20 points in two of the last three games.
The Trojans posted 411 total yards against Cal last weekend and committed just one turnover, but the team simply wasn't able to generate many points. Sanchez threw a pair of touchdown passes in the tilt, a 19-yarder to Patrick Turner and a six-yard strike to Ronald Johnson.
"I felt we did a good job moving the football," said head coach Pete Carroll after the game. "We played under control and sustained some nice drives."
USC is ranked first in total defense (206.4 ypg), scoring defense (6.7 ppg), pass efficiency defense and pass defense. In fact, USC's scoring defense is its best in 56 years, its total defense average is its finest in 41 years. The Trojans are surrendering a lowly 77.8 rushing ypg on an average of 2.3 yards per carry. The pass defense has limited opposing quarterbacks to 8.2 yards per completion while compiling 13 interceptions. There are many standout performers on the defensive side of the ball, and Rey Maualuga leads the way with his 57 total tackles and two interceptions. Brian Cushing, another linebacker, has posted 54 tackles, including 7.5 TFLs.
Last weekend against Cal, the Trojans surrendered only 165 total yards, including 27 rushing yards on 26 attempts. USC posted four sacks in that tilt and limited the Golden Bears to 5-of-14 success on third down conversion attempts.
"The defense was playing like crazy--lights out tonight," said Carroll. "I really feel the game was more in control than the score showed."
Junior safety Taylor Mays was named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week after posting five tackles and four pass breakups against Cal.
Last weekend against Oregon, Stanford posted 325 total yards and scored three offensive touchdowns, but the effort was not good enough to avoid defeat. There weren't many big plays made in the passing game, as the Cardinal managed just 138 yards on 15 completions. As for the ground attack, Anthony Kimble led the way with 106 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Stanford held the ball for more than 39 minutes, surprising considering that the squad was 5-of-15 on third down conversion attempts.
Overall this season, Stanford is averaging 27.6 ppg and 341.9 total ypg. The club is rushing for 207.0 ypg on 5.0 ypc, clearly the strength of the offense. Of the 32 touchdowns scored by the offense, 23 have come on the ground. Toby Gerhart, who has rushed for 932 yards and 13 touchdowns, is expected to fight through hamstring injury and play this weekend. Quarterback Tavita Pritchard, who has as many interceptions (10) as touchdown passes, doesn't pose much of a threat with his arm.
The Cardinal did not register a single sack against Oregon last weekend and permitted the Ducks to make good on 6-of-11 third down conversion attempts. Oregon racked up 307 rushing yards on an average of 7.5 yards per carry and scored four offensive touchdowns in the clash, three of which came on the ground. Stanford recovered four Oregon fumbles, and if not for those miscues by the Ducks the score would have been more lopsided. Put simply, the defense did not play very well and needs to put forth a better effort against USC.
Opponents are posting 24.7 ppg and 374.9 total ypg against a Stanford defense that can be described as mediocre at best. The team has been much better against the run than the pass, so expect USC to air it out quite a bit this weekend.
