On “NFL Live,” Adam Schefter reported that the Chicago Bears may have targeted USC offensive “guru” Jeremy Bates as a possible candidate for the offensive coordinator position.

Bates, who until this year was the only offensive coordinator, Bears quarterback Jay Cutler had known in his professional career, has spent a disappointing year directing the Trojans’ offense.

It was reported that Cutler had advised friends that if Bates would have been retained by the Denver Broncos, he (Cutler) would not have asked for the trade that eventually found him being dealt to the Bears.

With Chicago’s offense struggling this year, talk had turned to the possible return to the NFL of former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis as an offensive coordinator.

Weis, it has been reported, would welcome an offer by the Bears to run their offense.

Now Bates’ name has been tossed into the ring, and there is little doubt that Cutler would welcome the return of Bates, of whom Cutler says, “is one of the best minds in football.”

For many USC fans, the departure of Jeremy Bates would be a welcome event.

The Trojan offense in 2009, supposedly the strength of this year’s team, has under performed, and much of the blame has been laid at Bates’ feet.

Questionable play calling has left many Trojan fans scratching their collective heads all season long.

Of course, to be fair to Bates, USC has played true freshman Matt Barkley at quarterback, and he has experienced the expected growing pains, which has hampered the USC offense.

In addition, the offensive line, called the best in the nation by The Sporting News prior to the beginning of the season, has also under achieved.

Having said that, Bates has rankled the Trojan faithful by calling passing plays when the running game was clicking, and vice versa.

All of which has translated into an offense that found itself ranked between 45th and 60th at various times during the season.

Which is much better than the third-down conversion rate of roughly 100th in the nation.

So will Jeremy Bates leave after this season?

Rumors started last week that Bates would return to the NFL when his old boss, Mike Shanahan was thought to possibly be returning to the professional ranks.

USC head coach, Pete Carroll, did nothing to squelch the rumors when he talked about Bates’ familiarity with the NFL and how attractive he might be to those teams looking for an offensive coordinator.

Now comes word of the Bears interest in Bates, and for many Trojan fans his departure would be welcomed.

To what extent Bates is responsible for the Trojans offensive woes is anyone’s guess.

Would the loss of Bates be a Trojan addition through subtraction?

Who knows, but a lot of Trojan fans would like to find out.

Reaching deep into the abyss of my waning optimism, I think I have found that hope in the oddest of places.

Nine years ago, Pete Carroll took over a moribund USC Trojan team that had floundered under the tutelage of Paul Hackett.

That 2001 team wound up 6-6, and lost 10-6 to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Led by Carson Palmer, a highly touted prep quarterback out of Santa Margarita high school in Orange county, Ca., the Trojans shut out the UCLA Bruins 27-0 in a controversial game that was highlighted by excessive celebrations by the Trojans which rankled the sensibilities of Bruin nation.

However, the 2001 season, while it indicated hope for the future, was generally considered a disappointment.

After all, a 6-6 season should never be celebrated by fans of the men of Troy.

Fast forward to 2009.

In Pete Carroll’s ninth year at the helm, the Trojans have gone 8-4, and the season has been roundly described as a disappointment by the fans of USC.

Led by Matt Barkley, a much celebrated prep quarterback out of Mater Dei high school in Orange county, Ca., the Trojans beat UCLA 28-7 in a controversial game marred by UCLA’s irritation at excessive Trojan celebration.

Sound familiar?

Wait, it gets weirder.

USC is expected to be extended an invitation to the Poinsettia Bowl where they probably will meet…yep, you guessed it, Utah.

Hold on, I’m not finished.

Although Carson Palmer was a junior in 2001, his passing statistics almost mirror young Matt Barkley’s in 2009.

Palmer’s passing statistics in 2001:

221/377 (58.6%) for 2717 yards, 13 Passing TDs and 1 Rushing TD; with 12 Interceptions

Matt Barkley’s passing statistics for 2009:

184/315 (58.4%) for 2385 yards, 13 Passing TD’s and 1 Rushing TD; with 12 Interceptions.

Uncanny eh?

In 2002, Carson Palmer began the Trojan resurrection by leading the Trojans to 11-2 record and a convincing win over Iowa in the Orange bowl.

Oh yeah, Carson Palmer also picked up some personal hardware along the way.

You know, that little bronze guy who is straight arming an imagined foe and is named for some guy named “Heisman.”

Now, I am not suggesting that 2010 will be the year when Matt Barkley wins a Heisman trophy even though I would be ecstatic if he did.

But what I am suggesting is that history often repeats itself and with an extra year under his belt, I expect Matt Barkley, he of the abundant talent, to improve and along with that, elevate the Trojans back to elite status.

And if he wants to win a Heisman along the way, that alright too…

However, I have found this exercise to be tedious and limiting in terms of being able to express what I want to say.

So, in what can only be described as a stroke of inspiration, I have decided to combine a pseudo report card with a commentary on what I saw last night at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.

USC beat UCLA 28-7 in a completely forgettable game.

At least until the last Trojan drive of the contest.

But more on that later.

Here is the report card:

Offense: D-

Defense: A-

Special Teams: B+

Coaching: C+

Controversy: A+++++

Now for the breakdown:

The offense was abysmal. Period.

And it all starts, or in this case, ends with the offensive line.

The supposed strength of this year’s USC team has been, at best, mediocre this year.

Unable to consistently open holes for Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford, the Trojan running game has suffered.

In turn, this has impacted the passing game, which, without a steady running game, is unable to effectively call play action passes.

Because of this, Matt Barkley has had to operate in less than optimum conditions.

I know, a simplistic analysis, but one that nonetheless, has merit.

Of course, Matt Barkley has to take responsibility for some bonehead passes but he is a true freshman and this is to be expected.

Last night, the Trojans were the recipient of four turnovers and managed, until the controversial last drive, one score.

One.

Now, I understand that UCLA has a good defense and that UCLA defensive tackle, Brian Price, is a beast, but come on…

One score?

All of this was reflected in the Trojan offense last night and is something that will have to be focus for next week’s Arizona game and beyond.

Meanwhile, the Trojan defense continued with its Jekyl and Hyde performance with last night being of the good doctor variety.

However, this was against an anemic UCLA offense that must have their offensive coordinator, Norm Chow up at night munching Rolaids like they are going out of style.

Regardless, the Trojan defense was magnificent all night long, including creating those four turnovers that the offense pretty much squandered.

Included in those turnovers, was Malcolm Smith’s “pick-six” interception, which got the scoring started for USC.

So, despite the woeful UCLA offense, it is hard to take exception with the Trojan defense.

As far as the special teams go, they did fine.

UCLA was supposed to have a big advantage in this area but not last night.

Jacob Harfman delivered many big punts (with the Trojan offense in continual “stall mode,” he had to).

And Damien Williams, the nations second best punt returner, often gave the Trojan offense good field position from which to bog down.

As far as the coaching goes, again, defense (Pete Carroll) did well while the offense (Jeremy Bates), not so much.

Which brings us to the Trojans final offensive series of the game.

And the long bomb touchdown that Matt Barkley threw to make a game already won, 28-7.

Many people, especially Trojan haters, are going to label me a hypocrite for my support of Pete Carroll.

After all, I recently wrote an article blasting Jim Harbaugh for running up the score against the Trojans but this is fundamentally different.

Pete Carroll had no intention of passing or even running in that final series.

Leading 21-7 with less than two minutes remaining in the game, Carroll had the offense lined up in the “victory” formation and ordered Matt Barkley take a knee.

Then Rick Nueheisel called a time out.

And they had two more time outs as well.

This, according to coach Carroll, convinced him that UCLA wanted to continue playing the game.

So Pete Carroll and Matt Barkley obliged him.

The resulting long touchdown pass drew the ire of the UCLA bench and their players, who streamed out to the playing field in indignation.

But why the indignation?

Was USC supposed to just stop playing when it became apparent that the Bruins still intended to?

UCLA should use that indignant energy to play football the whole 60 minutes, especially when it was they, who by calling the timeout, motivated the notion that this game was still to be contested.

Of course, the bottom line here is that this now one sided rivalry has an undertone of bad blood between Nueheisel and coach Carroll.

Good.

With the Trojans winning nine out of the last ten in this series, it needed some controversy.

And maybe next time Nueheisel will think twice before calling useless timeouts.

Bench Matt Barkley?

Are you serious?

The short answer is yes. But with an explanation.

I am aware that for USC, the future is Matt Barkley.

But is it fair to the team if the quarterback of the future is not playing well enough to be the quarterback of now?

Barkley, the nations darling when the Trojans were 6-1 is now just another struggling young quarterback trying to find his way on a Trojan team that has slipped to 7-3.

Along with his flashes of brilliance, so evident early in the season, now comes the true freshman mistakes that resulted in four turnovers in USC’s home debacle against the Stanford Cardinal.

Saddled side by side with his eleven touchdown passes are ten interceptions, the majority of which have come recently.

Now, I know that the Trojans slide is far from young Mr. Barkley’s fault.

It goes without saying that even a “typical” Trojan defensive effort would have possibly resulted in one or two more victories.

So this line of questioning isn’t wrapped around an accusation that Matt Barkley is the reason for the Trojans less than stellar record.

But given the deterioration of that same defense, can the Trojans afford to couple that with another poor performance by Matt Barkley?

Please understand that in the grand scheme of things, there is no greater fan of Barkley than myself.

I fully believe that this talented young man will lead the USC Trojans to the promised land and that soon, perhaps even next year, he will be hoisting that crystal football as the Trojans celebrate a national championship.

However, I also believe that at this point in time, there may be other options available that might suit this years Trojans better should Barkley struggle again.

I also know that the Trojan coaching staff has thrown their support fully to Matt.

I get that.

It is a show of support meant to prop up the confidence of a young quarterback who is struggling.

Yet, there is also an obligation that must be considered to the senior players and others who came to USC to forge their own success as part of this traditional powerhouse.

Is it fair to them to stubbornly refuse to consider Mitch Mustain as a possible option should Barkley stumble once again?

And lets not forget the opponent themselves this week.

It is UCLA. Need I say more?

Should Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates keep refusing to explore other options against this opponent should Barkley fail to produce?

In my opinion, no, any and all options must be considered and utilized against UCLA this week.

So while many may consider my suggestion blasphemy, please forgive me.

And more importantly, lets do whatever it takes to beat UCLA.

Now, before you go off and accuse me of being facetious and sarcastic, let me set you straight.

I mean it.

Notre Dame fans are some of the classiest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, both on the net and off of it.

Knowledgeable and passionate, fans of the Fighting Irish exhibit their unabashed love for their team week in and week out.

But its not only that, they are also a giving sort. Once I wrote a rather insulting article about Lou Holtz, the ex-Notre Dame coach and beloved Fighting Irish Icon.

Instead of showering me with insults, the barrage I experienced was the many thoughtful responses and even a couple of offers to join them for a tailgate party prior to the game should I be able to make it back to South Bend for the game.

Can you believe that? Classy, classy people.

In fact, they are such giving people that one of their most fervent supporters, a fine writer who covers Notre Dame football, gave me the idea for this article.

This writer extended an offer for me to review his latest piece which examined the various effects that the USC-Notre Dame bye weeks would have for each program.

After reading the article, which was well written, objective and fair, it suddenly occurred to me that I could shed additional light on the benefit of the bye week for the Trojans so that fans of the Irish could better prepare for what is coming in two weeks.

Being a “giver” myself, I am happy to oblige, and in doing so, I hope I don’t deflate those Irish hopes that are riding so high right now.

First, my Irish friends, forget what you have seen from the Trojan offense so far.

With a true freshman quarterback who got hurt in the second game, against Ohio State, and who keeps getting better every week, the bye week will allow the Trojans to further hone Matt Barkley’s considerable game and at the same time, his shoulder should be 100% healthy by game time.

Every week, young Mr. Barkley gets better and Pete Carroll recently said that Barkley is as good as anyone the Trojans have had at the position which includes two Heisman winners and a total of five quarterbacks in the NFL.

Hyperbole? Sure, but you get the idea. The kid is really, really good.

If a completely healthy Matt Barkley doesn’t throw fear into Irish fans hearts, the return of Ronald Johnson should.

Rojo, as he is called, was hurt in the spring game and has been on the mend all year long.

Now he returns and with him comes the Trojans long passing game.

Johnson is the Trojan version of Michael Floyd, the Fighting Irish’s very talented wide receiver.

He will stretch the Irish defense opening up opportunities for Damien Williams (13 receptions for over 220 yards in the last two games) and tight end Anthony McCoy in mid-range passing game.

While Ronald Johnson will be back and ready to give Notre Dame nightmares, Michael Floyd will miss the game due to a season ending injury.

But that’s not all.

Armond Armstead, the Trojans defensive tackle that was so fast and talented that Pete Carroll moved him to defensive end and made him a starter, is back too.

His return allows Pete Carroll quality depth along a defensive line that has seen the emergence of Nick Perry, the PAC-10’s sack leader.

Nick Perry was hobbled by a knee injury, which severely limited his effectiveness against Cal.

These two weeks off will do wonders for Perry’s health.

Wait, there’s more.

USC’s defense, which once again is rated top five nationally, has been missing monster linebacker Malcolm Smith and his very capable backup Jordan Cameron, for the last two weeks due to ankle sprains.

They will both be back too.

There are other factors that the Trojans will benefit by these two weeks off also, such as reshuffling the defensive backfield by returning Shane Horton to his safety position (Horton filled in for Smith at linebacker and did a fantastic job), thus providing stability to the unit.

There are other benefits that this bye week brings the Trojans but I don’t want to pile on.

Suffice to say that I feel this bye week benefits the Trojans more than it will the Irish.

I expect to hear from Notre Dame fans telling me why I am wrong and how this extra week of preparation will give the Fighting Irish an advantage.

These fans of the Irish will craft well reasoned arguments and deliver them to me in a thoughtful, concise manner because that’s who they are and what they do.

Which is why, as I celebrate another Trojan win on October 17, I will feel a bit of angst that my happiness will be a result of Notre Dame fans disappointment.

Somehow, I think I will get over it though.

As the USC Trojans mantra evolved from “win one for Stafon” to “won one for Stafon,” one thing became abundantly clear.

Pete Carroll and his staff, along with the rest of the team, did a marvelous job of channelling their emotions for their fallen teammate, Stafon Johnson, who is back home recuperating from a serious weight room accident, into a complete domination of the Cal Bears at Strawberry Canyon, in Berkley.

There was some concern that the emotion of the Trojans could be a distraction rather than motivation as the Trojans travelled north to play an angry Cal team whose precipitous fall in the top 25 came as a result of their 42-3 embarrassing loss to Oregon the week before.

Pete Carroll and his staff would have none of it.

Vowing to clean up the Trojans game, whose fundamental flaws included 13 penalties the week before, the Trojans coaching staff set out to focus their young team on beating a quality Cal team while their hearts resided with Johnson who watched the game from his hospital bed in southern California.

The Trojans only commited five penalties and with a dominating defense, much improved special teams and an offense that made significant strides, consider the job well done.

Here is the Trojans report card, delivered with an ringing endorsement from Stafon Johnson:

Offensive Coaching:

It is sometimes difficult to remember that along with the Trojans evolving, there also is a growing and familiarity period for Jeremy Bates as well, who is in his first season with the Trojans calling plays. Bates, who has been roundly criticized this year for his conservative play calling, continued to open up the game plan and in doing so, the Trojans racked up 451 yards against the Bears. Nice, but they still missed touchdown opportunities inside the Bear 10 yard line and the offense only scored two touchdowns. Another Bates head scratcher was his two calls of running plays on the Trojans third drive where they were stopped on third and fourth downs, continuing a trend of USC not being able to get that big yard when they need it.

Grade: B

Quarterback:

Matt Barkley continues his amazing growth as the first true freshman quarterback to ever start for the Trojans. Barkley set another personal best for yardage with 283, completing 20 of 35 passes. Continuing to nurse his injured shoulder, Barkley missed several open receivers and threw an ill advised interception late in the game. Barkley’s lack of touchdown passes (none this game) is a direct correlation to the Trojans season long lack of success of getting touchdowns inside the red zone, particularly inside the 10 yard line and this must improve.

Grade: B

Receivers:

Damien Williams was a monster in this game with eight receptions for 101 yards. Time after time, Williams made big catches and extended drives. The tight ends, led by Anthony McCoy and Blake Ayles with two catches each, had very nice games. Lost in the statistics was McCoy’s absolute domination blocking throughout the game. David Ausberry finally showed up with two catches as did Brice Butler.

Grade: A-

Running Backs:

Welcome back Joe McKnight. McKnight, whose tremendous potential often fails to meet expectations on the field, put it all together against the Bears. Rushing for 119 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns, including a spectacular scoring run on the Trojans first possession, McKnight also contributed three receptions in possibly his most complete game for the men of Troy. Of considerable note was McKnight’s ability to hold on to the ball, which has been a continual source of concern for Pete Carroll and Trojan fans. Allen Bradford mixed in some nice runs but his numbers were fairly pedestrian. CJ Gable and Curtis McNeal got a few garbage time carries on the Trojans final possession after the game was out of hand.

Grade: A-

Offensive line:

This unit showed a lot of improvement by limiting penalties, opening holes for the running game and protecting Matt Barkley pretty much throughout the game. While there is still concern about the Trojans lack of success in short yardage situations, especially on fourth downs, the O-line can use this game to build on as they head into their bye week.

Grade: B+

Overall grade for the offense: B+

Defensive Coaching:

Rocky Seto, USC’s first year defensive coordinator, continues his quietly masterful job of molding a unit who lost nine starters from last year’s team into a top five national defense. Seto, a deeply religious man, has a special relationship with his players and their cohesion is a reflection of not only the Trojans abundant talent but also the immense respect they have for coach Seto and the rest of his staff. Against the Bears, the defensive game plan was to bottle up the Bears all-everything running back Jahvid Best and make quarterback Kevin Riley beat them with his arm and they succeeded admirably. Rocky Seto and his staff have been solid all season long.

Grade: A

Defensive Line:

The Trojans only managed two sacks as opposed to the eight they had last week against the Washington State Cougars but that was due to playing against a much better Cal Bear offensive line. Nick Perry, hobbled by a sore knee couldn’t add to his Pac-10 leading six sacks but like the rest of the line, was effective against the run. Nonetheless, this line harassed Kevin Riley all night as Riley’s woeful 15 completions in 40 attempts will attest to. Mix in the fabulous job the D-line did in limiting Jahved Best to 47 yards in 14 carries and it is easy to see why this line has exceeded all expectations, not only for this game but all year long.

Grade: A

Linebackers:

Coach Ken Norton’s unit was banged up for this game but you couldn’t tell it by the results. With Malcolm Smith and Jordan Cameron both sidelined with injuries, Chris Galippo and Michael Morgan stepped up and continued their rock solid play as they have done all season long. Morgan continually shadowed Best and contained him throughout the game while Galippo took care of everything in the middle. Shane Horton, normally a safety who filled in for Malcolm Smith, did a fine job in both the run and pass defense.

Grade: A-

Defensive Secondary:

This unit continues to show why the Sporting News rated them as preseason best in the country. All night long the defensive secondary harassed the Bears wide receivers. Kevin Thomas and Josh Pinkard were solid on the edges and Taylor Mays finally got that interception he has been so hungry for. Mays pick off in the end zone on the Bears first offensive series was quite possibly a game changer in that it quieted the crowd and deflated the Bears offense who had put together a very nice opening drive.

Grade: A

Special Teams:

In this game the unit was well named. Jordon Congdon kicked three field goals in gusty wind conditions and Damien Williams had a sweet 66 yard punt return for a touchdown. The punt and kickoff cover units didn’t give up anything big and they finally cut down on their penalties. A scene that sticks out was Pete Carroll hugging much maligned new special teams coach Brian Schneider after Williams punt return.

Grade: A-

Summary:

Going into their bye week, this was a game that the Trojans can definitely build on. Sure, the Trojans must find a way to turn field goals and missed fourth down conversions into touchdowns, but with two weeks to prepare for their trip to meet the fighting Irish in South Bend, don’t be surprised if those ills are cured. Pete Carroll and his staff expect to greet key returning players Ronald Johnson (his return is huge as he will stretch the field as the Trojans fastest wide receiver), defensive end Armond Armstead, and several others, including the aforementioned Malcolm Smith and Jordan Cameron. Meanwhile, other key players, such as Nick Perry will mend and should be at full strength for the Notre Dame game.

Overall Game Grade: A-

Pete Carroll thought he had found his man in Broderick Green, a 230 pound beast of a runner who came to the Trojans in 2007 from Pulaski Academy in Arkansas.

In limited duty, Broderick Green showed flashes of the combination of power and speed that made Lendale White such an effective alternative to the elusiveness of Reggie Bush.

But Green, like Emmanuel Moody, the 2006 running back recruit who transferred to Florida, found the competition presented too much of a challenge and, like Moody, Broderick Green transferred in 2008.

To be fair to Green, he also had family issues that necessitated his return to Arkansas, unlike Moody, who simply couldn’t stand the competition.

Since then, the Trojans have not had that bruising style of runner who they could turn to with a presumptive certainty for that combination of raw power and bruising speed.

Until now.

Allen Bradford, also a recruiting gem of the 2006 class, was recruited as a highly coveted linebacker from Colton high school in Colton, Ca.

Bradford, regarded as one of the best prep linebackers in the nation at the time, was a rare blend of speed and power at the outside linebacker position.

However, Allen Bradford was soon changed to the tailback position and there he languished until 2008 when he underwent hip surgery and sat out the year.

When spring camp opened, a new version of Allen Bradford made his abundant presence felt.

All through spring, and later, fall practices, Bradford was one of the most impressive players on the field.

Practice after practice, including the few I attended, featured an explosive Allen Bradford running around and over his stalwart defensive teammates.

For those who witnessed his impressive work, it seemed only a matter of time before Bradford found his way into the rotation with significant playing time.

That time is now.

After Bradford averaged over nine yards a carry in last Saturday’s 27-6 win over Washington State, all those who witnessed his domination of the Cougars clamored for more playing time for the now 240 pound power running back.

Then Stafon Johnson suffered his devastating weight room injury.

With Johnson on the mend in southern California, Allen Bradford is assumed to be the heir apparent to those carries that Stafon Johnson would otherwise had.

Meet the new Reggie Bush-Lendale White Trojan running back combination.

Say hello to Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford.

While Joe McKnight has a long way to go to make people forget Reggie Bush, Allen Bradford already has displayed skills that seem to surpass White, who was a great Trojan.

Like White, Bradford has the power to shed tacklers and make positive yardage out of nothing.

Unlike White though, Allen Bradford has the speed to outrun even some of the fastest in their opponent’s defensive backfield.

While last weeks performance against the Cougars was impressive, it did not come against top flight competition.

However, as those who witnessed Bradford in practice against his Trojan defensive teammates will attest, he was doing the same things against them that he did to the Cougars.

The only questions for Bradford now are those of consistency and health.

Can Allen Bradford’s surgically repaired hip withstand the rigors of his bruising running style?

Perhaps as important, can Bradford bring the same intensity and effort not only game after game but carry after carry?

If he can, Bradford will also bring a new, dynamic component to a Trojan offensive that, quite frankly, has been a disappointment this year.

This 2009 version of Allen Bradford will do wonders for true freshman Matt Barkley, who will find opponent’s defense cheating to the line to try to stop the Trojans running game.

Needless to say, this will create mismatches in the defensive secondary that Barkley can exploit in the passing game.
If this occurs, don’t be surprised to find a sickly Trojan offense getting healthy very quickly.

And don’t be surprised to find Allen Bradford the focus of opposing college defenses.

If Bradford can bring the game he is capable of bringing for the rest of the season, the Trojans will be a very tough team to beat.

Of course, the downside to this is that at the end of the year, should this happen, the Trojans will probably once again be the best team in the nation and not get a chance to prove it in the title game.

Damn you Washington.

But that’s a subject for another time and another article.

While Stafon Johnson, their star senior running back who already has five touchdowns, lays in a hospital room recovering from emergency throat surgery after a serious weight room accident, the Trojans prepare to meet an angry Cal Bear team in Berkeley Saturday.

Though Trojan hearts will remain in southern California with their fallen teammate, their bodies will face a Cal team that was embarrassed by Oregon 42-3.

As a result, the Bears, ranked number six a week ago, now find they have fallen to No. 24 in the latest AP rankings.

For the Cal Bears, they must be wondering about the fairness of it all. Or perhaps a lack of it.

When the Trojans lost to an unranked Washington Huskies two weeks ago, they fell from third in the AP rankings to 12.

Meanwhile, the Bears, though admitedly losing by a significantly higher margin, fell 18 places while losing to a much better Oregon team.

This won’t go over well with an already angry Cal team who played far, far below their capabilities.

In every way possible, the Bears threw in a clunker and they will be eager to show the college football world that the Oregon game was just an aberration.

And they are good enough to do it too.

Meanwhile, the Trojans, coming off a lackluster 27-6 win over the out manned Washington State Cougars, will arrive in Berkeley with a heavy heart.

Stafon Johnson is a team leader who went from a malcontent to a go-to running back for Pete Carroll and the Trojans.

At a time like this, with a team already in transition due to offensive woes, it is difficult to say what effect Johnson’s accident will have.

If anyone can get the team to focus, it is Pete Carroll.

But Carroll and his coaching staff, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, already have their hands full just trying to get the Trojans to play fundamentally sound football.

Last Saturday the Trojans committed 13 penalties and this was to be a focus for the Trojans, not worrying about whether or not a loved teammate can pull through with his life on the line.

Inconsistent offensive line play and getting Matt Barkley and his receivers on the same page was supposed to capture the attention of the Trojans.

Instead they are saying prayers for a young man who has come a long way since he constantly resided in Pete Carroll’s doghouse for not dedicating himself to the game.

Now Stafon Johnson’s dedication, this time in the weight room, has landed him in a hospital emergency operation room and a nation of Trojan fans can only pray and hope for the best.

For the Trojans, whose collective heart beats with their fallen running back in a hospital room in southern California, the best dedication they can give to Stafon Johnson is to beat an angry Cal Bear team.

It won’t be easy but all they need to do is remember why Stafon Johnson was in that weight room in the first place.

Stafon would want it that way.