Khaled Holmes set the tone against California


In the waning moments of USC’s 27-9 victory over California on Saturday, the “Twitterverse” exploded with harsh commentary.   No, it wasn’t about senior quarterback Matt Barkley’s pair of interceptions. It wasn’t about the team’s nearly 300 rushing yards or the fact that the defense didn’t give up a single touchdown. No, most of the […]

Offensive line issues date back to Carroll


Amid the third season since former USC coach Pete Carroll left the Trojans in the lurch, it’s clear the current Seattle Seahawks coach has left an impression on USC in 2012. USC still benefits from Carroll’s cultivation of the brazen, rock-star culture recruits find so attractive, and the Kiffin regime often echoes Carroll’s “Always Compete” […]

USC can still rally to achieve BCS goals


As the USC players pushed their way through the throng of Cardinal fans on the Stanford Stadium field after the clock hit 0:00 Saturday night, the thousands of Trojan fans who made the trek north to Palo Alto were racing their way to the parking lot as quickly as they could. Each group was most […]

Stanford is the thorn in USC’s foot


It’s a fine line student journalists walk, being neutral as a media member, while also still a fan as a student. But this column is not written by a journalist and a media member. This column is written by a student and a fan of the University of Southern California. And I am way beyond […]

Trojans searching for some answers


PALO ALTO, Calif. — Ah, that looked like a USC team of yesteryear, didn’t it? The Trojans were ranked in the top five. They were beginning Pac-12 play on the road. They were more than a touchdown favorite. So, naturally, they laid an egg. Yup, USC again stumbled kicking off its conference slate, this time […]

For McNeal, last year’s fumble is in the past


Following last year’s 56-48 triple overtime loss to Stanford, I thought the Coliseum public address announcer might as well cue the Jaws theme music. After maneuvering his way to the three-yard line in the third overtime, senior tailback Curtis McNeal fumbled into the end zone, and Stanford linebacker A.J. Tarpley recovered the football to seal […]

Pac-12 competitors all have fatal flaws


Some USC fans bit their nails throughout the Trojans’ 42-29 win over Syracuse last Saturday — after all, they led the Orange by just five points entering the fourth quarter and ended up being outgained in total yardage, 455 to 445. Even worse, senior center Khaled Holmes left the game with an injury, and though […]

Without Jones, USC will still be relevant


When USC men’s basketball coach Kevin O’Neill was questioned about the possibility of losing guard Maurice Jones to injury or other circumstances prior to the start of the 2011-2012 season, he took on a near-apocalyptic tone. “Don’t come to the games,” O’Neill said at Pac-12 Media Day in 2011. “It’ll be ugly. Don’t show up. […]

‘Arrogant’ message has run its course


I almost wrote this column two years ago. I wanted to respond to the launch of the Lost Angeles blog, the brainchild of 29-year-old Zack Jerome. The blog went on to spawn an on-campus “Arrogant Nation” movement, which I wanted to point out perpetuated the outdated stereotype that USC was stocked with bigheaded rich kids. Then the […]

Woods is back on top of his game


EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — If Saturday’s contest against Syracuse taught us anything, it’s this: Not even rain delays and thunderstorms can slow down USC’s dynamic passing attack. Senior quarterback Matt Barkley failed to finish with his typical 300 passing yards, but he did manage to throw six touchdowns against the Orange. Three of those scoring […]