University Southern California Trojans
No. 25 USC Football Opens 2011 At Home Versus Minnesota
August 28, 2011 | Football
Aug. 28, 2011
| Game Coverage | ||
 Live Audio | Gameday Central | |
| Depth Chart | Media Guide | Get Tickets |
| TV: ABC | Radio: 710 ESPN Radio | |
The No. 25-ranked USC football team, in its first season under the Pac-12 Conference umbrella, opens its 2011 campaign at home against Big Ten opponent Minnesota in a clash between teams that share near-similar colors. Troy has won its last 13 openers and its past 11 games against Big Ten squads. It's the beginning of a 3-game homestand for the Trojans (the last time that Troy started with 3 home games was 1998) and the first of 7 Coliseum games for USC in 2011 (the most since also having 7 in 2000).
The Trojans scored 3 unanswered touchdowns in the second half last year to overcome the Golden Gophers in Minnesota, the teams' first meeting in 30 years (USC has been nationally ranked in each of the 7 meetings). Second-year USC head coach Lane Kiffin spent his teen years at Minnesota's Bloomington Jefferson High while his father, Monte Kiffin (currently USC's assistant head coach), was an assistant with the Minnesota Vikings. USC, which begins its second (and final) year banned from post-season play because of NCAA sanctions, is coming off an 8-5 season in which it lost twice on field goals at the gun.
The Trojan offense, which looks to continue the improvement it showed last year in yardage and scoring, features some of the nation's best at their positions, including QB Matt Barkley, sixth on USC's career passing chart and seventh on the total offense list after hitting 63% of his passes with 26 TDs last season, and 2010 Freshman All-American WR-RET Robert Woods, Troy's leader last fall in receptions, all-purpose yards and kickoff returns (he had a scoring kick return to spark last year's comeback at Minnesota). Among USC's other key returning starters on offense are OT Matt Kalil, C Khaled Holmes and FB-TE Rhett Ellison.
The Trojan defense aims to improve upon a 2010 campaign that saw it surrender more total yards per game and TD passes than ever. Facing this challenge are such defenders as S T.J. McDonald (the team's 2010 tackle leader), DEs Nick Perry, Wes Horton and converted linebacker Devon Kennard, DT Christian Tupou, LB Chris Galippo and CB Nickell Robey (USC's top interceptor in 2010). USC hopes the exceptional play it had on special teams in 2010 (i.e. 7 blocked kicks) carries over to 2011.
Minnesota will be making its first visit to the Coliseum since 1979. The Gophers will be led by a new head coach, Jerry Kill. Fifteen starters return from last year's 3-9 squad, including converted WR MarQueis Gray at quarterback, RB Duane Bennett, WR Da'Jon McKnight and LBs Gary Tinsley and Keanon Cooper.
The game will be shown live regionally on ABC-TV. USC has added a Spanish language radio broadcast this year in addition to its flagship 710 ESPN Radio.
