Special teams vital in Trojans’ success


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In my 10 years or so of playing Madden and NCAA Football video games, I had never blocked a kick or even seen one blocked. Sunday evening, that changed, when I denied a 31-yard field-goal try. So shocked and excited was I by this event, it occurred to me just how much I had taken […]

Heisman odds still not in Woods’ favor


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Five games into the college football season, the nation’s best players are building their cases for the sport’s biggest award. The race for the Heisman Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding player in college football, is watched almost as closely as the battle for the national title. Preseason Heisman favorites like Stanford quarterback Andrew […]

USC defense struggling despite early optimism


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It was impossible not to be optimistic about USC’s defense coming into this season. After all, the belief was that improvement was guaranteed — not because of a boost in experience, talent or coaching, but rather, because the 2011 defense couldn’t possibly be worse than the 2010 defense. Last season, USC gave up an average […]

PR battle hopeless challenge for Kiffin


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When it comes to a battle of perception, USC coach Lane Kiffin is probably going to lose. And he’s probably going to lose about 11 out of 10 times. It comes with the territory of being Lane Kiffin, in large part. Most USC fans have never exactly instilled a ton of faith in the Trojans’ […]

Trojans team in class all on its own


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I remember 2004 and 2005 just as much as the next person. It was a time defined by wardrobe malfunctions, Shaq and Kobe’s split, a search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and, yes, USC’s dominance on the football field. Sure, who doesn’t like a national championship-caliber team now and again, but sometimes you just […]

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 […]