TrojanNYC.com

Quick Update: Kristofer O'Dowd Officially Out for San Jose St.

Scott Wolf is reporting that Kris O'Dowd will not be ready for the opener. In terms of how that'll affect the starting line-up, Jeff Byers will take over the center spot and Alex Parsons will move to RG.

Injury Update: Kristofer O'Dowd Expected to Be Out 3-4 Weeks With Dislocated Knee-Cap

From LATimes.com:

Starting center Kristofer O'Dowd, regarded as a linchpin for an experienced line expected to ease the transition of a new quarterback, suffered a dislocated right kneecap during the first series of a scrimmage Monday night at the Coliseum.

O'Dowd, a junior coming off shoulder surgery, went down at the end of a mistake-prone first series on a running play that ended with Joe McKnight's fumble.

Senior Alex Parsons replaced O'Dowd, who is expected to be sidelined three to four weeks.

If 3-4 weeks is the right amount of time for this to heal, which in my zero medical knowledge seems hard to believe, that means Kris could possibly be back in time for the Ohio State game.

There is inevitably some drop-off when a potential All-American like Kris goes down with an injury, but I'm more than confident of Alex Parsons as a back-up.  Alex has been solid on both sides of the line since his freshman year.

Another Injury Update

 

Here's the updated list:

• Kristofer O'Dowd - Will have arthroscopic surgery for a dislocated kneecap and is expected to be out for 3 to 4 weeks. 

• Chilo Rachal - Sprained knee ligament and is expected to be out 3 to 4 weeks as well.

• Alatini Malu - Strained hamstring and is day-to-day. 

• Stafon Johnson - Deep bruise in his foot.  Probably will take practices off this week and be back for the game on Saturday. 

• C.J. Gable - Groin injury that has been lingering for a while now.  Not clear whether he'll be back for the game Saturday. 

• Cary Harris - Practiced today and might possibly play Saturday.  Doctors and coaches will probably tell him to rest till Arizona. 

• Shareece Wright - Hamstring strain will probably keep him out of this week's game.  Might be back by Arizona. 

• Travon Patterson - Needs surgery on foot and will be out the rest of the season. 

Very good news regarding Kristofer.

TNYC Washington Review

As usual, here are my thoughts:

• Positive - Winning the Game
  

• Honestly, the only positive I can take away from last night's game was actually winning the game.  It happens every season, we go into a game expecting to blow out the opponent and suddenly all hell breaks loose and your expectations drop to a point where you're just hoping for a W however ugly the means. 

As an optimist, I look back to last night's game and say it's an improvement over last year's Oregon State debacle.  The bottom line is we faced adversity in every possible way and came out victorious; that to me shows a fortitude that we lacked last season. 

• Negative - JDB's Play
  

• Now I'm sure you're asking, how can you single out JDB's play amongst the myriad of negatives we had in last night's game?  No, it's not because I'm on the "I hate JDB" bandwagon that seems to be full right now (I've been critical of JDB long before the bandwagon even existed), rather I see it being the most concerning negative simply because it can't be fixed immediately.  The penalties, fumbles, etc. will all go away starting this Saturday because the coaching staff will address it all week during practice, but can JDB change his tendencies by October 27th (@ Oregon)?  That I'm not so sure of. 

I've always said that JDB is a good but not elite QB because he can't create something from nothing.  He makes some jaw-dropping throws with his raw ability from time to time, but at the same time he breaks down when feeling pressured (i.e. curls up into a ball, hurries passes, etc.), locks onto  receivers, chooses to force a pass rather than check down, etc.  The criticism has NOTHING to do with being ungrateful or spoiled, it simply is what it is.

With that said, I still think Booty should be the starting QB and that we have a chance of winning a NC with him at the helm, we just have to achieve it in different ways (i.e. stellar defense play, maintaining running game, etc.).  JDB is not going to carry us on his back like Leinart/Bush did in '04, if this team wins a NC it will have to be done corporately. 

• Player of the Game - Chauncey Washington
  

• I'm very tempted to give the POG to Stafon since he carried for 16 more yards on 7 less carries, but Chauncey made all the pivotal runs like the 53 yarder before the half to set up the go ahead FG and key third downs in the 4th quarter.  Stafon was the more consistent back, but Chauncey ran tough when we needed him. 
  

• Play of the Game - Terrell Thomas Creating/Recovering Fumble
  

• With momentum on Washington's side, Terrell made up for his interference call by making one of the biggest plays of his career in stripping Anthony Russo of the ball on a punt return and then recovering it himself.  It quieted the crowd and set up what would be the winning FG. 
  

• Final Thoughts... - Moving Forward

• The injuries to Kristofer O'Dowd and Chilo Rachal are huge since it affects the only consistent offensive weapon in our arsenal, which is the running game.  I think this puts more pressure on Steve Sarkisian's shoulders to get creative and start using our raw talent to beat teams.  That to me means a lot more misdirection and isolation plays where our players are given a chance to do their thing one-on-one.  I think Steve has done a great job at this point, I just think he needs to make a few tweaks to help JDB and our receivers along. 

We can let out a big sigh that we have Stanford at home this Saturday.  The game comes at a perfect time in that we can let some of our key players heal and also work on our execution.  Bring on the obnoxious tree mascot. 

Injury Update - Washington

Here's the damage from last night's game:

• Kristofer O'Dowd - Dislocated Kneecap

• Chilo Rachal - Sprained Knee

• Alatini Malu - Hamstring

• Shareece Wright - Pulled Hamstring

• Stafon Johnson - Foot Injury (minor)

Flat out ugly game in every way. 

TNYC Nebraska Review

Here are my thoughts on last night's game:

• Positive - O-Line Play
  

• I think there's a consensus agreement that the biggest positive from last night's game was the play of the O-Line.  They were in sync the entire night and opened up giant holes.  I, like many, am wowed by Kristofer O'Dowd's play. 

• Negative - Special Teams
  

• As I mentioned back in my Fall Scrimmage report, I don't feel comfortable with Vincent Joseph returning kicks.  I'm not basing this entirely on his fumble, I personally think he makes bad decisions and always tries to break it instead of going with his blockers. 

Also, not having enough players on the extra point was flat out embarrassing and Joe McKnight nearly had the ball bounce off his leg after misjudging a punt.  Also, how in the world do you kick-off to start both halves?

• Player of the Game - Stafon Johnson

• For two games in a row, I'm giving the POG to Stafon.  Again, he showed great vision in picking the right holes and ran hard - plain and simple running.  The spin move off the broken play was outstanding.  If there's any knock against Stafon it's his lack of breakaway speed, but you really can't complain about his performance at this point. 
  

• Play of the Game - Sedrick Ellis Knocking Brett Byford on His Butt

• Watching Big Sed explode off the snap and knock Byford on his rear-end was easily the play of the game for me.  Sedrick was absolutely unstoppable and was held blatantly on a couple plays.  He's easily been the star of the defense IMO. 

• Game-ball - Steve Sarkisian

• The offensive calls last night were beautiful.  All the misdirection plays and decoys had Nebraska confused the entire night.  I think I remember letting out a nice sigh at the relief of knowing that Lane Kiffin is all but a distant memory. 
  

• Final Thoughts... - Gaining Momentum/Patrick Turner's Lackluster Game

• You can feel the momentum building.  With the first big test out of the way, I think the team will hit their stride this coming Saturday against Washington State at the Coliseum.  I fully expect a big win this week. 

• Don't give up on PT just yet; let's remember that this is his 1st game of the season.  With that said, my expectations for him this season aren't as high as some.  He's talented, but I don't think he'll ever live up to the hype he received as the #1 HS receiver in the nation.  You might say it's ludicrous to say such a thing based on scant proof, but there's just something missing in his game... 

So a very impressive game overall.  I'm looking forward to reading humorous pre-game/post-game quotes from Bill Doba this week...

USC vs. Nebraska: Five Match-ups to Watch Tomorrow

Five match-ups to watch tomorrow:

• Terrell Thomas vs. Maurice Purify

• My guess is Terrell will probably be tested early since everyone knows SC will be looking to stop the run.  I can see Nebraska gambling some time in the 1st half to make the home-run play and get momentum and a expected raucous crowd on their side.  With all the criticism Bill Callahan faced last year for his conservative play-calling, I can't see him making the same mistake again.  Terrell had an off game against Idaho, so this should be a pivotal match-up to watch. 

• Vidal Hazelton vs. Cortney Grixby

• Highly overlooked match-up IMO.  Zack Bowman will likely be on Patrick Turner/David Ausberry which sets up a battle between Grixby (5-9) and Vidal (6-3).  If Vidal can step up and use his excellent body control against the smaller Grixby, he has a chance to have a breakout game and really cause problems on the offensive end. 

• LB Corp vs. Marlon Lucky

• This match-up is the key to the game.  If they stop the run this game is over.  Marlon can catch the ball out of the backfield so it will be crucial to watch whether the LB stays disciplined or not.

• Kristofer O'Dowd vs. Nebraska D-Line

• Turnovers can easily swing the momentum of the game either around or to insurmountable levels and it will be pivotal that Kristofer maintains clean exchanges with JDB the entire game. 

• Bill Callahan vs. Nick Holt

• Will Callahan come out conservative or will he try to take advantage of crowd/momentum and go for the jugular early?  Will Nick Holt/Pete Carroll send blitzes to try and rattle Sam Kellar or will play loose to not give up the big play? 

I have USC winning 34-20.  Feel free to leave your predictions. 

TNYC Idaho Review

Here are my thoughts on last night's game:

• Positive - Running Game

• I liked what I saw from the running game.  I was hesitant after the Fall Scrimmage to anoint Stafon the lead back, but after last night's game I believe he should get equal time with CW.  He showed great patience, ability to break the 1st tackle, and a nice combo of speed/power.

People will argue that C.J. Gable had more yards per carry, but the thing that concerns me with C.J. is his inability to break the first tackler.  When there's a hole, C.J. thrives with his shiftiness, but he can't absorb two hits and push for 3-4 yards like Stafon did last night on one play. 

• Negative - D-Line Play/Turnovers

• Where was the D-Line this game?  When the defense wasn't blitzing, it seemed like the Idaho QB had a full minute to get the ball off.  The run D looked atrocious at times as well; the Idaho O-Line were getting their angles and pushing the D-line out of position leaving gaping holes.  Definitely disappointing.

• I don't think much needs to be said about the turnover battle.  We picked up a fumble when the Idaho QB lost the handle on the ball but didn't force any turnovers.

• Player of the Game - Stafon Johnson

• Stafon was the only player that really stood out to me.  He ran the ball hard and showed great shiftiness and vision. 

• Play of the Game - Vidal Hazelton's One-Handed TD Catch

• No question it's Vidal's beautiful one-handed catch in the end-zone.  The angle in which he caught the ball and the way he secured it using only one hand was mind-boggling.

• Game-ball - Kristofer O'Dowd

• Kristofer played a solid game in his first career start.  The line looked in-sync, I don't recall there being a false start, and the center-to-QB exchange looked smooth.  Although he wasn't be the best player in the game, I think he deserves the game-ball for his play considering the circumstances. 

• Final Thoughts... - Stanley Havili's Stellar Play/Rant Against USC Student Section

• Stanley Havili just impresses me more and more.  When he leaped over the Idaho defender I turned to my friend and said, "We have ourselves a USC version of Brian Leonard."

• To the USC Student Section:  Take note of the Cal-Tennessee game last night.  Yes, the Cal section has ripped off chants/cheers from Florida, WVU, Notre Dame, etc., but they have become more intimidating, organized, and cohesive than the USC student section... BY FAR.  How we still accept mindless chants like, "Beat the ____" at a cadence that makes it impossible to be loud is beyond me.  Start simple like Cal is doing and then establish your own traditions.  It's flat out embarrassing to be outdone by schools like Cal, Rutgers, etc. that have little to no football tradition whatsoever. 

When all is said and done, I'm confident going into the Nebraska game.  Yes there is cause for concern, but I have faith that this team will turn it around in two weeks.  Pete Carroll knows how to get a team ready for big games and I have full faith that we'll be clicking in Lincoln.

Quick Update: O'Dowd to Start Against Idaho

From LATimes.com:

A day after USC coaches said junior left guard Jeff Byers would move to center in place of injured Matt Spanos, freshman Kristofer O'Dowd  took nearly all of the first-team snaps on Thursday in the Trojans' final full practice before Saturday's opener against Idaho.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound O'Dowd will become the first true freshman to start a game at center for the Trojans.

"The more I look at it, why should we move two guys because one guy's not in there?" Coach Pete Carroll said.

A little nervous about a freshman starting at center, but then I remember it's Idaho...