Trojans on the right track after 2-0 start

For a 2-0 team, there sure is a lot of negativity surrounding USC.

Fans are clamoring for bigger margins of victory, fewer penalties and turnovers and gosh darnit, would USC coach Lane Kiffin just go for one?

Some of the criticism is justified: Two fumbles, one interception and six untimely penalties nearly cost USC a victory over Utah in a game in which USC was clearly the superior team.

But 2-0 is 2-0, and there are plenty of things to be excited about.

With 10 games remaining on the season slate, here are five reasons to be optimistic about USC football.

 

Reason No. 1: Robert Woods, superstar

The opening act was brilliant: second-year wide receiver Robert Woods had one of the best freshman seasons in school history in 2010, leading the Trojans in receiving and earning All-Pac-10 first team honors as a standout kick returner.

But what would the sensational sophomore do for an encore?

Two games in, Woods has already put himself squarely in the discussion of the country’s premier wideouts. He’s tied with Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd with a nation-best 25 receptions and his 17 catches in the opener broke a school record.

So high are the expectations for Woods now that his eight-catch, 102-yard performance against Minnesota was greeted mostly by yawns from USC supporters.

Currently on pace for a 150-catch, 1,674-yard season (both would be all-time bests for USC wide receivers), Woods could do some serious rewriting of the Trojan records books if he keeps up his torrid start.

 

Reason No. 2: The offensive line quieting doubters

Heading into last week’s game against Utah, Kiffin told the media after one practice that the Utes’ defensive line was “the best front four we’ve seen and had to face” since taking over as coach in January 2010.

The much-maligned Trojans’ offensive line — having only two players with significant Division I experience prior to this season — responded by allowing only one sack and opening holes for senior running back Marc Tyler’s 113-yard day on the ground. Redshirt freshman running back D.J. Morgan was also the beneficiary of some huge gaps to run through.

Kiffin didn’t seem to trust the big men up front in the opener against Minnesota: The Trojans ran the ball only on roughly one-third of the offensive snaps and junior quarterback Matt Barkley completed a majority of his 34 pass connections on short routes designed to get the ball out quickly.

If USC’s offensive line continues to play like it did against Utah, Kiffin and company can employ a more balanced run-pass attack and take more shots downfield.

 

Reason No. 3: The improved pass rush

The USC defensive line was, by most accounts, one of the strengths of the 2010 team. The Trojans, however, combined for only 28.5 sacks on the season and no player posted more than four and a half sacks on the year — the lowest total for a USC sack leader since 1991.

USC has already sacked the opposing quarterback six times in the first two games of the 2011 season, putting them on pace for 36 sacks for the year.

Utah quarterback Jordan Wynn didn’t look comfortable in the pocket during Saturday’s game, which led to Utes’ offensive coordinator Norm Chow calling for rollouts on nearly every pass play to buy extra time for Wynn.

Senior linebacker Chris Galippo and redshirt freshman Hayes Pullard have combined for three sacks, senior defensive tackle DaJohn Harris has created penetration up the middle, and sophomore cornerback Nickell Robey and redshirt sophomore cornerback Torin Harris have looked dangerous on corner blitzes.

The key though is pressure from the defensive end spot. Junior defensive end Nick Perry has two sacks this season, bumping his career total to 14.

The Trojans had only four multiple sack games during all of last season; they are currently two -for-two.

 

Reason No. 4: A special place kicker

Freshman kicker Andre Heidari has only kicked one college field goal so far, but it sure was an impressive one.

Heidari’s 47-yard field goal Saturday gave USC a 3-0 lead and was the longest for a Trojan kicker since David Buehler’s 47-yarder in 2007.

The Bakersfield, Calif., native who has 50-yard plus range, gives Kiffin another point scoring weapon and is the first big-legged kicker for USC since Buehler graduated in 2008.

 

Reason No. 5: Matt Barkley

It’s not all about the quarterback in college football, but it sure helps to have a really good one. Barkley has been superb to start the season, completing more than 70 percent of his passes and throwing four touchdowns to only one interception.

That might not be entirely good news for USC fans hoping Barkley will spurn NFL millions — at least temporarily — and stick around for his senior season.

Let’s make that four and a half reasons to be optimistic about USC football.

 

“Sellin’ the Sizzle” runs Wednesdays. To comment on this article, visit dailytrojan.com or email Jonathan at [email protected].