USC Football To Host No. 1 Oregon On Homecoming
October 24, 2010 | Football
Oct. 24, 2010
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It's Homecoming at No. 24 USC and the eyes of the college football world will be focused on Los Angeles. After a week off, revived USC--just a pair of at-the-gun field goals away from being undefeated--welcomes No. 1 Oregon to the Coliseum. ESPN's College GameDay pre-game show will be here and ABC-TV will beam the game nationally.
While the Trojans have held the No. 1 spot often in recent years, this is their first game against a top-ranked squad since 1992 and the first time a No. 1 team has visited the Coliseum since 1988. Troy has had more success against top-ranked teams than just about anybody.
While USC holds a sizable edge in its series with Oregon, the Ducks have had the Trojans' number in recent years (winning 7 of the last 12). Highly-ranked Oregon teams have been especially successful against USC. It's the seventh straight USC-Oregon contest in which both teams have been ranked. The game features 2 of the nation's top offenses. USC, ineligible for post-season play because of NCAA penalty, had its most complete 2010 showing on both sides of the ball in its most recent game. Head coach Lane Kiffin's 2010 offense is putting up big numbers and ranks high in every national statistical category. QB Matt Barkley, who already is in the USC career passing Top 10, is the Pac-10's passing efficiency leader. His top aerial targets are explosive multi-threat WRs Ronald Johnson and Freshman All-American candidate Ronald Johnson. The Trojan ground attack is led by physical TBs Allen Bradford and Marc Tyler, plus versatile FB Stanley Havili. The USC defense, maligned during the first half of the season, turned in a vastly improved showing in its last game with the help of such players as CB Shareece Wright, DT Jurrell Casey, S T.J. McDonald and LB Devon Kennard.
That defense, however, will be severely challenged this week by Oregon's high-powered and quick-striking offense, which tops the country in total yards and points. Head coach Chip Kelly's team thoroughly throttled UCLA last Thursday in its first game wearing the No. 1 mantle. RB LaMichael James leads the nation in rushing, and he is third in all-purpose running and scoring. His backup, RB Kenjon Barner, is dangerous not only running but as a returner. Dual-threat QB Darron Thomas directs the Ducks offense, with his top targets being WRs Jeff Maehl, seventh on the school's career receptions list, and D.J. Davis. Oregon's defense--which has allowed just 23 second-half points (7 in the fourth quarter)--is No. 1 nationally in turnover margin and in the Top 20 in pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, sacks and tackles for loss. The defensive leaders include ROV Eddie Pleasant, LBs Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews (4 of his relatives played at USC), DT Brandon Bair (the Pac-10 leader in tackles for loss) and CB Cliff Harris, who sits atop the Pac-10 in punt returns and interceptions.
USC's recent College Football Hall of Fame inductee Sam "Bam" Cunningham will be honored at halftime. The USC men's water polo, women's volleyball and women's swimming teams host contests on campus earlier on Saturday.
