USC-Virginia live blog

Tonight’s game kicks off at 7:30 on the West Coast.  All updates will be timestamped with game time. Be sure to check out our Twitter feed for instant info at www.twitter.com/dailytrojan

3:30 4th quarter. USC 17-7.

FIELD GOAL MISSED UVA. Virginia drove from its 28 yard line all the way down to USC’s 18 (aided by two 15-yard personal foul penalties on the Trojans) but kicked a 35-yard field goal wide right. That should be the game. I don’t see UVA scoring twice in the last 3 minutes, but stranger things have happened.

5:52 4th quarter. USC 17-7.

FIELD GOAL USC. Thanks to a 15-yard interference penalty from Virginia on its punt, USC got the ball at the UVA 35-yard line, but didn’t do much with it there. Baxter rushed for 18 yards on 3 carries and Houston capped that with a 34-yard field goal, his first ever field goal for the Trojans. Defense just has to do remain average and they’ll stop Virginia.

9:06 4th quarter. USC 14-7.

Both teams have had a possession here in the 4th quarter and neither team has been able to do much with it. Virginia drove 18 yards before punting, and USC could only follow that with a 34 yard drive before downing a punt at the UVA 3 yard line. The Trojans need a big defensive stop here to get good field position and put them up 2 scores.

End of the 3rd quarter. USC 14-7.

The 3rd quarter comes to a close with very little offensive action. Both teams have been able to move the ball in the middle of the field but have stalled when nearing field goal range. Many thought that USC would have this game wrapped up by now but like their tackling it’s anything but wrapped up. Virginia starts with the ball in the 4th quarter and can put serious pressure on the Trojans’ offense for the 1st time this year with a touchdown.

3:49 3rd quarter. USC 14-7.

The Trojans put together a nice drive going from their own 11 to the Cavaliers 31-yard line but Joe Houston missed a 48-yard field goal wide right in his first field goal attempt for the year although he had the leg for it. Barkley completed passes to Woods, Johnson and Cameron, who is displaying great hands. Virginia promptly went three-and-out. After both teams combined for three touchdowns in the last three drives of the 1st half, this game has stalled as both offenses can’t find a rhythm.

8:57 3rd quarter. USC 14-7.

USC gets its first possession of the half after UVA put together a decent drive to start out the 2nd half, but was stalled when DaJohn Harris sacked Virginia QB Marc Verica for 10 yards to push UVA back to the USC 42 yard line and out of field goal range. Looks like whatever Kiffin said in the locker room t0 the defense resonated with them.

Halftime- TOUCHDOWN USC (14-7).

With 1 second left in the half, Barkley scrambled around to find WR Brandon Carswell for an 11-yard touchdown down the middle of the field. It was a gutsy move by Barkley as the clock could’ve run out on him without the Trojans scoring any points on that drive. The highlight of that drive was Barkley’s 20-yard run from his own 37 yard line for which he was punished by a late hit out of bounds (he was unhurt).

That drive followed an efficient UVA scoring drive to answer USC’s first score. Virginia methodically drove down the field (with some help from missed tackles by the USC defense) and scored on a Keith Payne 6-yard run with just 1:14 left in the half. But USC went 10-plays and 76 yards to take the lead at the half.

Kiffin will be furious at the amount of penalties his team has committed (7 for 65 yards, although the Pac-10 refs have been enjoying their time in the spotlight) and the lack of tackling on defense. The Trojan defensive players look like they have peanut butter on their hands. The Trojan offense has finally found its grove the last 2 drives after coming out flat. We’ll see if they can keep it up.

3:43 2nd quarter- TOUCHDOWN USC (7-0 USC). After stopping UVA twice with one yard to go (on 3rd and 4th downs) and its own 45 yard line, the Trojans drove down the field in 3 plays. Barkley found freshman receiver Robert Woods for an 11-yard gain and then a deep 40-yard pass down to the 4-yard line before completing a beautiful pass to TE Jordan Cameron in the back corner of the end zone. The offense has finally woken up today after putting up 27 points in the first half last week in Hawaii. The defense is looking much improved, shutting UVA out thus far but still need to work on tackling.

7:46 2nd quarter- The penalties keep on coming. Just when it seemed like USC would be on the board thanks to a 47-yard strike from Barkley to Johnson, the play was nullified by a holding penalty which had an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty tied on to it. So instead of a 7-0 lead, USC was faced with a 3rd and 28 situation. If there’s any good news out of that for the Trojans, Baxter had a 17 yard run on that 3rd down but USC punted again. USC currently has 7 penalties for 65 yards. Lane was blowing smoke out of his ears after the 11-penalties for 110 yards last week. I don’t want to be in that locker room at halftime.

11: 18 2nd quarter- USC was forced to punt on its last drive, only to have a Cavalier run into the punter for a 5-yard penalty. With 4th and 2 from the UVA 43, USC went for it and completed a pass for the 1st down, only to have it nullified on a holding penalty. The Cavaliers then got the ball and went for a wonderfully executed fake punt from their own 40 where they went all the way down to the Trojan 20-yard line, but that was brought back because of an illegal block below the waste. Sloppy  game thus far.

End of 1st quarter- Welcome to USC Dillon Baxter. The freshman phenom running back got his first carry with 2:23 left in the 1st quarter for no gain. Other than that, we’ve played one quarter but you wouldn’t know by looking at the scoreboard. The score remains at 0-0 with the only real scoring threat coming from Virginia on a 45-yard field goal miss. Barkley and co. have been able to move the ball but have shot themselves in the foot with 2 false starts and a holding penalty- all on its current drive. Lane has gotta be fuming in his mind. USC starts the 2nd quarter with the ball on its own 44-yard line.

7:00 1st quarter- USC gained a first down after the UVA missed field goal but then Barkley coughed up the ball on a crunching sack at the USC 31-yard line. Virginia drove all the day inside the 5 but then QB Verica threw a floaty ball into the end zone right to T.J. McDonald for the interception. No idea where the pass was headed. USC has the ball on its own 36. Still waiting for the first Dillon Baxter sighting.

10:41 1st quarter- After a awful looking three-and-out series from USC that saw them faced with 3rd and 20, UVA drives down the field only to push a 45-yard field goal wide right. Still 0-0…a couple notes: DE Nick Perry (high ankle sprain) is playing for the first time this year for USC after being held out of the Hawaii game in which he probably could have played. For UVA- CB Ras-I Dowling is not in the starting lineup. Dowling is considered one of the best CBs in the country but he didn’t play last week due to injury.

Pre Kickoff- Hey guys! Kenny here live blogging for the USC-Virginia game here at The Coliseum. Kickoff is just moments away. USC is looking to come out with the offensive firepower they displayed last game as Barkley threw 5 touchdowns and Ronald Johnson caught 3 touchdowns- both equaling school records. Here we go. USC will receive.