It may not have been the prettiest of victories, but the USC Trojans started the Lane Kiffin era on a high note with a road victory over Hawaii.
“We play three of the first four on the road, said Kiffin at the weekly PAC-10 phone conference. “So, we're excited to be back home for the only time in the whole opening month of the season that we'll be at home and the chance to play at home.”
There were many things to get excited about in the first win of the season; however, as Coach Kiffin intimated after the game, there is still plenty of work to be done before the Trojans machine is clicking on all cylinders.
Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley was about as close to flawless as one can get, passing for 257 yards and a whopping 5 touchdowns, four of which went to wideout Ronald Johnson, with no interceptions.
The backfield battalion of Marc Tyler, Allen Bradford and C.J. Gable pounded the ball on the ground, combining for 245 of USC's 252 yards.
Two areas of weakness? Two things that dogged the Trojans repeatedly last season, defense and penalties.
“I'd like to see us be more consistent, but number one, with penalties,” explained Kiffin. “You know, eleven penalties in the game and I think we really had thirteen, I think two were declined.”
“We've got to get that fixed and corrected, and just be more consistent and tackle better as well.”
Unlike last season though, in which the defense started strong and faded down the stretch, USC has replaced many starters from a year ago, especially in the secondary unit, which could result in more cohesiveness as the season progresses.
The defense will have an opportunity to redeem themselves against a Virginia team that was picked by many to finish last in the ACC Coastal division.
Last week, led by bruising 255-pound tailback Keith Payne's 114 yards on the ground and 4 touchdowns, the Cavaliers spoiled former USC quarterback Aaron Corp's debut with the Richmond Spiders.
Corp was limited by the Virginia defense to just 18 of 32 passing for 183 yards and 1 interception and finished his first game with the Spiders with a quarterback rating of 98.0.
Besides being at home, the Trojans will be trotting out a player whom almost everyone has been eagerly waiting to see in true-freshman tailback, Dillon Baxter.
Baxter, who returns from a one-game suspension, was a human highlight reel in both the spring and fall practice sessions, putting on a dazzling display that prompted Kiffin to compare him to Reggie Bush.
USC and Virginia last met in 2008 when the Trojans, behind quarterback Mark Sanchez, lit up the Cavaliers to the tune of 52-7 in Charlottesville.
If Barkley continues to progress and plays as he did against Hawaii, it is not out of the question that he might duplicate Sanchez’s numbers on Saturday.
Tune in to Fox Sports Net on Saturday to see the Trojans face off at the L.A. Coliseum against the Cavaliers. Kickoff time is set for 7:30 PM PT.
© 2010 Neal J. Leitereg -- All Rights Reserved
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