McDonald named top defensive player for Pac-10


By
 in ,

In a game that had a combined 77 points, you would have been hard pressed to find a defensive star in USC’s nail-biting 34-33 victory over ASU on Saturday night.

But USC’s sophomore safety T.J. McDonald- son of former-Trojan All-American Tim McDonald- had the kind of night, regardless of the score, the Pac 10 conference couldn’t overlook.

Highlighted by his second quarter blocked punt from Sun Devils’ kicker Thomas Weber, McDonald was relentless all night both on special teams and at defensive end.

In addition to his electrifying block, the newly announced Pac 10 Player of the Week downed a punt inside the four-yard line, led the team with 13 tackles and also had a deflection on a punt by Weber late in the contest.

McDonald’s big night should come as no surprise, as he leads the Trojans in tackles and interceptions, with three and 68 respectively on the year.

The Fresno-native is now the third USC player to be honored with the conference’s weekly awards, joining sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley and redshirt senior kicker Joe Houston. Both players were awarded top honors for their performances in the Trojans’ 48-14 rout of Cal Berkley on Oct. 16.