Kiffin should foster pleasant environment


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When USC coach Lane Kiffin peers across the field to the opposite sideline Saturday afternoon when the Trojans take on Arizona, he just might be able to learn something from his opponents. Who should he be looking at? He should be looking at Wildcats coach Mike Stoops. Now, you might wonder what Kiffin might be […]

Women of Troy can provide valuable lesson


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I’ve come to understand that often a woman’s input can really help a man with the problems or issues he’s facing in his life. As evidenced by their recent trip to the Arizona desert, the Trojans have their fair share of both problems and issues and most certainly could use a little help. USC returned […]

Young USC hopes to benefit from road loss


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For many, it’s hard to see Saturday’s thrashing as anything other than a deflating punch to the gut for the Trojans. The great 3-0 start, a bunch of young talent proving its worth early on and a group of veteran leaders showing that it is ready to take the reins — it all seemed irrelevant […]

Novelty of beating USC has worn off


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I can only guess, but things aren’t supposed to grow stale in Tempe, Ariz. For a college town that never sleeps, that never stops — a West Coast king of nightlife if you will — Saturday night seemed rather familiar, almost clichéd. USC relinquished a lead in the second half, a routine that’s become near-second nature […]

Offensive front-five proving its worth


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Matt Barkley, Robert Woods, Marc Tyler — a Heisman Trophy candidate, a sophomore stud and a heart-warming story, respectively. But the stats these three put up wouldn’t be possible without the play of USC’s offensive line.   Yes, Barkley, Woods and Tyler dazzle with the eye-popping stats. Yes, they make the big, flashy plays. But […]

Road environment to test young USC squad


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So far it’s been a familiar setting for USC: “Tribute to Troy” blaring over the loudspeakers, the fourth-quarter torch lighting and Traveler prancing down the Coliseum sidelines. That changes Saturday, however, when the Trojans head to Tempe, Ariz., to take on Arizona State in their first road game of the season. It’s often hard to […]

Numbers can tell the story of USC football


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A number is worth a thousand words. Not any old, run-of-the-mill digit, mind you: It has to be a telling number, an insightful statistic that gets to the heart of the matter. As evidenced in the new movie Moneyball, statistics are an integral part of the modern sports landscape and, when properly studied and applied, can […]

Woods immune to sophomore slump


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The sophomore slump is as much a part of sports as hot dogs and cheerleaders. The term means exactly what it says — a player, in his second year, fails to come close to living up to the enormous expectations placed on him after the success of his rookie season. Sophomore slumps are fairly common, […]

Seasoned Barkley delivering for USC


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Back in 2009, when then-USC coach Pete Carroll named Matt Barkley the Trojans’ starting quarterback — over Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain — his rationale behind handing the job to the wide-eyed freshman signal caller was simple. “He has all the physical ability, he has the mentality and temperament to handle the position,” Carroll said. […]

Give Kiffin some love, credit he deserves


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Just minutes after stepping to the podium following Saturday’s 23-14 victory over Utah, USC coach Lane Kiffin was confronted with a reporter’s question regarding the “controversial” on-field interview he gave a week earlier, in which he said USC only had two good players on offense. The question had nothing to do with the outcome of […]