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Sports Karma
"I don't know what the football gods have in store for us, but I'm so proud of our team for the spirit they showed tonight," head coach Steve Sarkisian expressed the same sentiment to the team and the media after the game. If you believe in due, the Trojans were overdue for a break to go their way. They rose to the emotional challenge all night despite last week's gut-punch and a myriad of potential excuses until finally seeing the dam break open on the game-deciding missed field goal.Make Them Miss
USC's field goal block unit made the ultimate difference in the narrowest of contests. Sarkisian's crafty use of timeouts provided the first line of field goal defense as he successfully froze the Arizona kicker at the end of both halves. "It's all about the timing," Sarkisian explained. "You want to give the guy the feeling of getting the kick and making it, but that one doesn't count. And then you try to do it again." The jumbo rush team blocked the first half field goal, which could have led to the miss that mattered most. "We don't block misses," said Zach Banner about the final kick. "If they're going to give it to us, they're going to give it to us. That's the fear that you put into them when you block one before the half. That's the fear that you instill into the enemy."
Signature Game
Buck Allen emerged from obscurity against Arizona last season to become the Trojans' workhorse back, and he enjoyed a career night against the Wildcats on Saturday. He ran for 205 yards on 26 carries with 3 TDs. Allen has been remarkably consistent with five 100-yard rushing games this season becoming the first Trojan to do so since LenDale White in 2005. Blessed with speed and power, he has added elusiveness to his repertoire. "I trust myself," Allen explained. "Like Coach Sark said, he preaches making guys miss. I hear his voice in the back of my head. I just read guys and their momentum, which way they are going."
Three Man Wall
The Trojans employed a "bend but don't break" defensive game plan preventing Arizona from making explosive plays with their talented wide receiving corps. The key to the plan was the defensive line stuffing the run without much help. "Before the game, [Sarkisian] came up to us and told us, 'We win the game up front, and we win the game.' We took it upon ourselves to fight hard and be assignment perfect," said DT Antwaun Woods. Leonard Williams led the charge with 8 tackles, including 2 sacks, a forced fumble and ultimately the game-winning stuff on Arizona's failed two-point conversion.
Growing Up
At Boston College, the young offensive line succumbed to a tough road atmosphere and complex blitz packages. Facing a similar challenge tonight, the O-line responded like seasoned veterans keeping QB Cody Kessler clean and paving the way for Allen's legendary performance. "Max Tuerk is one of the smartest people I know," said Kessler, who credited the OL captain. "He does a great job of watching film and knowing what they are going to do and where they are going to blitz from. Our offensive line stepped up."
Digging Deep
Forgetting the emotional battle, to beat a Top 10 on the road, the Trojans had to survive the physical war of attrition. Walk-on kicker Alex Wood stepped in flawlessly for injured starter Andre Heidari (groin), and true freshmen Jonathan Lockett and John Plattenburg locked down the Wildcats' receivers during crunch time in place of Kevon Seymour (abdominal pain) and Adoree' Jackson (hip/groin). "We've had to dig deep. Everybody in our locker room understands we all have a role," said Sarkisian. "It's all hands on deck every time we take the field."
Extra Point....
What Else Could Happen???
Who knows what crazy turn this season will take next, but Sarkisian and company are enjoying the ride. "Since training camp, I've probably experienced more as a head coach in the last three months than I did in five years at my previous job," he said. "We're learning about ourselves. We are finding out a lot about ourselves."
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