Trojans' only hope is to shoot down Ducks with offense

Trojans' only hope is to shoot down Ducks with offense

Published Oct. 27, 2010 11:43 p.m. ET

USC can beat Oregon this Saturday, just not in the way anyone might expect.

They’ve got to out-Oregon Oregon. Push the tempo. Attack the defense in every way possible. Most importantly, score touchdowns.

That’s what Arizona State was able to do, all except that last step anyway.

"If there is a blueprint on how to play them, they did it,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “They just obviously turned the ball over too much."

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The Sun Devils rolled up 597 yards of total offense and drove into the red zone six times, but managed just two touchdowns and one field goal. Of course, there was also the matter of quarterback Steven Threet’s four interceptions, one of which was returned 39 yards for an Oregon touchdown.

Take away the pick-six, add two more field goals and the score goes from a 42-31 escape by the Ducks to a 37-35 upset.

It’s not that simple, obviously, but it’s clear the Trojans offense led by sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley is a lot better and more talented that their Sun Devil counterparts.

Under Kiffin, USC is undergoing an offensive renaissance. They are averaging the same number of yards per play as Oregon (7.3). Barkley has an absurd 20:4 touchdown to interception ratio. Freshman receiver Robert Woods has been unstoppable each of the last two games, with 339 yards and five touchdowns in that span. There’s a whole stable of running backs plus fullback Stanley Havili. The Trojans have also demonstrated a variety of looks and trick plays.

In short, this is the best offense Oregon will see all year until a possible showdown with Boise State or Auburn in a BCS bowl.

The Trojans have to exploit that fact and get touchdowns. Make the game a shootout.

And let’s get this out of the way up front. USC can’t beat Oregon simply by dominating time of possession.

The Ducks have rendered that statistic completely irrelevant with their fast-tempo, big play offense. In the win over Stanford, they held the ball for just 26:32 and still put 52 points and 626 yards of total offense on the board.

But the skeptics are saying, “Didn’t Boise State, Stanford and Ohio State take the air out of the ball last season in Oregon’s three losses?” Yes, but the Broncos and Buckeyes had disciplined defenses that shut down the run and forced then-quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to try and win with his arm.

Now, with redshirt sophomore Darron Thomas running the show, the Ducks have never been as balanced as they are. With Masoli and to a lesser extent Dennis Dixon, the passing offense came largely off play action.

Thomas can attack deep without first luring in linebackers and safeties, demonstrated by his strong 17 touchdowns against just five interceptions.

But by forcing him to play from behind on the road, the Trojans might be able to finally make Thomas look like a first-year starter.

Short of making the Ducks press, there’s no way this USC defense can make enough stops.

The Sun Devils forced 11 Oregon punts. That’s certainly not going to happen. The Trojan linebackers are too often out of position, the defensive ends lose containment and the secondary struggles to tackle.

You know it’s bad when Kiffin has said repeatedly the team would be 7-0 if the defense were just bad instead of horrendous. So go the other direction entirely.

First one to 70 wins.

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