Trojans need to address problems


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USC’s loss to the Bruins on Saturday exposed a lot of the team’s shortcomings, but there remain some more systemic flaws which have led to the Trojans’ poor performance later in games this season. The keys to a win over Notre Dame will lie in avoiding some major weaknesses in the Trojans’ game plan. 1. […]

UCLA loss is a wakeup call


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For the first time in my life on Saturday night, I lost faith in USC football. It happened with 14 seconds left in the first half, when UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley threw yet another wide open touchdown pass to receiver Eldridge Massington. For years, I have grown up with a steadfast belief in USC’s ability […]

USC must top UCLA to stay relevant


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I cringe every time I think about it, and at times it’s hard to believe, but over the past few months I’ve finally come to accept the following: I am a senior in college. As frightening as it might feel to be graduating in just seven months, there’s one thing that makes me feel extremely […]

Shaw can shore up USC’s defense


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For the better part of three months, I never thought senior cornerback Josh Shaw would return to the USC football team. Once Shaw revealed that he leapt from his own third-story balcony to evade police — and that those police officers were responding to a potential domestic violence incident — I thought he was done. […]

College GameDay goes old school


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It has absolutely nothing to do with the inaugural College Football Playoff. The last time either team claimed a national championship, Calvin Coolidge was president. It’s supposedly a rivalry game, but the favorite has won the last seven matchups and has home field advantage. The game won’t be broadcast on ESPN or any of the […]

Nothing wrong with USC loyalty


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As sports journalists, it is incumbent upon us to be impartial observers, to be conveyors of information without bias. But this is a column by an editor of the Daily Trojan, and it’s Conquest Week. So I’m going to be almost as unbiased as Lou Holtz talking about Everett Golson’s Heisman Trophy candidacy. I wish […]

Saturday could define the season


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The USC football team has the chance to win 10 games, sweep Notre Dame and UCLA and lay the groundwork for what could be the most explosive offense in college football next year. On the surface, it looks great, and 2014 seems like a solid debut season for coach Steve Sarkisian. Reflecting on the season […]

Trojan fan base lacks energy


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This weekend, I’m continuing a long-standing tradition. Please excuse the hyperbole, but treating it with humor is the only way I can make myself feel better about this. I’m headed home for a few days to start what, in all likelihood, will be another basketball season during which I will attend more San Diego State […]

Agholor could be USC’s best player


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What about Nelson Agholor? The response struck me as odd, definitely more so than it should have. I was in the middle of a text exchange with my friend Matt, and the topic had shifted to Trojan football. Matt — a rabid Cal fan — asked me who I thought was USC’s best football player, […]