Many of these pundits, once again, including myself, were wrong.

As this report card is submitted, it is altogether appropriate to ponder what was learned.

The Trojans learned that they are not good enough to make silly mistakes late in a rivalry game against a worthy opponent.

They also learned that this years version of the fighting Irish are far too good not to take advantage of what those mistakes offer.

While any Trojan victory in South Bend is ultimately a good victory, this report card comes with a cautionary note to Pete Carroll and his coaching parents that Tommy (Trojans) have the ability to be unruly and needs a stern talking to.

With this in mind, here is this weeks Trojan report card, along with with failing grade on the importance of being a good citizen on field, which resulted in a myriad of punishments in the form of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties:

Defense:

Coaching:

For three quarters or so, Pete Carroll and Rocky Seto dialed up a good defensive game plan against what had been an explosive Irish offense led by quarterback Jimmy Clausen and wide receiver Golden Tate.

Then came the fourth quarter and Clausen started picking apart the soft cover two zone the Trojans defense kept running. However, that wasn’t Carroll’s biggest problem, his troops lack of discipline was.

Time after time in the second half, the Trojan defense either extended drives or Irish field position by committing silly personal fouls.

As the famous saying goes, one stupid personal foul mistake: shame on the player, Five stupid personal foul mistakes: shame on the coaching staff.

Grade: B-

Defensive Line:

As a whole, the defensive line came in and did what they have done all year long.

They only gave up 82 yards rushing and generally made Jimmy Clausen’s life in the Notre Dame miserable by sacking him five times and hurrying him on many others.

The fact that they were able to accomplish this by rushing no more than four linemen was huge in allowing the defensive secondary the man power to cover Notre Dame’s receivers, at least in the first three quarters.

However, in the fourth quarter, the pressure disappeared, and Clausen began his fourth quarter magic drawing the Irish to a last second possibility of an improbable win.

Factor in two silly after the whistle personal fouls, one on Everson Griffen, the other on Malik Jackson, both of which extended eventual touchdown drives, and the overall grade suffers.

Grade: B

Linebackers:

One question, where the hell were they?

Seriously, with the exception of Chris Galippo, whose name I heard a couple of times, the linebacker trio, so heralded as an up and coming group, simply disappeared.

I can’t recall Michael Morgan’s name being called at all and Malcolm Smith, coming back from an injury was only in on a few plays.

Generally, the defense played well without dynamic contributions from the linebackers but think how good they could have been with a significant contribution from the back end of the defensive front seven.

Grade: C

Defensive Backfield:

The Trojans came into this game as the only division one (sorry, I am “old school.”) team that hadn’t given up a passing touchdown all year.

Flush that stat down the toilet.

Although the first Golden Tate touchdown, a 45 yard bomb, was covered well, the second Tate touchdown, a 15 yard slant, wasn’t.

Golden Tate, with his eight receptions and 117 yards, to go along with the aforementioned two touchdowns and Robby Perris, who had nine receptions for 92 yards, kept sliding under the Trojans zone, exploiting opportunities that the Trojans so charitably offered.

However, the real problem was that the defensive backfields lack of discipline almost cost the Trojans the game.

Time after time, silly personal fouls by Taylor Mays, Josh Pinkard, and the rest of the defensive backfield breathed new life into a Notre Dame offense that damn near made them pay for it.

Overall Defense Grade: C+

Offense:

Coaching:

Sorry Jeremy Bates, I’m still not feeling you.

A marginal rushing attack needs to be focused on by Bates and his coaches in order to exploit Matt Barkley’s immense talent.

Given the fact that the Trojans can’t rely on a consistent running game means that despite the innovative passing game plan, which admittedly has been successful, the Trojans offense will continue to fall short of what it could be.

Now, before you ask me how I can be disappointed with 501 total yards, let me remind you that the Trojans put up that gaudy number with a rushing attack that accounted for all of 121 yards against an undersized Notre Dame defensive line.

This offense will not have the luxury of 380 passing from Barkley in every game.

Grade: C+

Quarterback:

Watching Matt Barkley, it is so easy to forget that this is a true freshman.

So, following Pete Carroll’s advice, I am not going to view this special talent with the fog of that perspective anymore.

No, Barkley is wise and talented so far beyond his years that normative criteria no longer applies.

380 yards and two touchdowns through the air on the road against a hostile opponent and an even more angry crowd screams that this kid can’t be looked at the same way you would look at others in his position, at his age.

Sure, he had a tipped pass intercepted and his stats did come against the 110 ranked passing defense, but this was a special effort by a very special player.

Grade: A-

Receivers:

Wide receiver Damien Williams and tight end Anthony McCoy were practically unstoppable.

In a dizzying display of receiving prowess, both McCoy and Williams showed why the Irish pass defense was so lightly regarded.

Other contributions by wide receiver Brice Butler and reserve tight end Rhett Ellison just added to the very effective receiving corps.

Ronald Johnson, who will be a key contributor to the future passing game showed that he isn’t near 100% despite a nice reception of a tipped pass.

Grade: A-

Running Game:

Although there were a couple of nice runs by both Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford, by and large, the running game disappointed.

Of course, much of the blame for this must be shared by the offensive line but more on that later.

If you take away the big runs, of which there were only a very few, the rushing attack was pedestrian at best.

Grade: C

Offensive Line:

First the good.

The offensive line, so touted at the beginning of the year, did a good job of keeping Matt Barkley upright.

However, as has been the case all year long, the O-line fell short on opening holes in the rushing game.

121 yards on the ground, most of it gathered on a few long runs, exhibit deficiencies that must be fixed soon if the Trojans offense is to become complete.

Grade: C+

Overall Offensive Grade: B

Special Teams:

Two made field goals and decent coverage on kick returns tempered another whiff on a trick special teams play by the Irish that led to the first Notre Dame touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, an attempted reverse by the Trojans resulted in horrible field position.

Grade: C+

Summary:

For the first three quarters, what looked like an impressive Trojan victory wound up as a nail biting escape from South Bend.

Lack of discipline and a meager running attack give the Trojans plenty to work on as they prepare for some payback when they host Oregon State next Saturday.

As USC attempts to continue improvement in this up and down season, the focus must be on eliminating mistakes that of are their own doing, and if they can, they should be fine.

But if not, teams like Oregon, who is far more talented than Notre Dame, will find a way to make the Trojans pay for their transgressions.

Overall Team Grade: B-

Several of these players will have a direct impact on the Trojans game plan and one in particular will fundamentally change the way USC does business on the offensive side of the ball.

As if the Irish didn’t have enough to do game planning for the Trojans who have been recently playing, here is what Notre Dame must now consider as they prepare for these returning USC players:

First and foremost, wide receiver Ronald Johnson returns.

“Rojo,” as he is known, has been out all season long with a broken collarbone, and with him comes the return of the Trojans vertical passing game.

Johnson, who is USC’s version of Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd (and who will miss the game due to injury), completely changes the dynamic of the Trojans offense.

Rojo’s speed will prevent the Notre Dame defense from stacking the defensive line by bringing a safety up to protect against the run.

In turn, not only does the Trojan running game benefit but so does the intermediate passing game where wide receiver Damien Williams and tight end Anthony McCoy will find ample room to showcase their skills.

Make no mistake about it, the return of Johnson will create opportunities for quarterback Matt Barkley and the rest of the Trojan offense all over the field.

Also back is defensive end Armond Armstead, who is returning from a foot injury that he suffered during training camp.

Armstead, whose speed and athleticism prompted the unusual move from defensive tackle to end, is a gifted lineman who will probably get most of his playing time back at defensive tackle.

Part of the reason why he will move to the interior is because of the emergence of Nick Perry, the PAC-10 sack leader and the continued excellent play of Everson Griffen who is only a sack behind Perry.

The other reason is that Averil Spicer and Christian Tupou, both defensive tackles who see significant time in the rotation, are banged up.

This week, Armstead has seen most of his practice time playing along side Jurrell Casey, who is having a breakout season as defensive tackle and nose guard.

A healthy Armond Armstead will further strengthen a defensive line that is already statistically one of the best in the nation.

Meanwhile, the Trojan linebacking corp gets a big boost with the return of starting strongside linebacker Malcolm Smith and his back-up, Jordon Campbell.

Smith and Campbell, both returning from ankle injuries, are expected to be eased into the rotation and their health directly influences the depth of the defensive backfield, who has been missing safety Shane Horton.

Horton, who had filled in for Smith and Campbell and did an excellent job, is expected to rotate between linebacker and safety.

Speaking of the defensive backfield, USC will also welcome back Brian Baucham, an up and coming cornerback, who, prior to a motorcycle accident, had been one of the first in USC’s d-back rotation.

The above mentioned players who are returning constitute a significant portion of both starting talent as well as depth to a Trojan team that comes into South Bend as a 10 point favorite.

While the bye week allowed extra time for the Trojans to welcome back key missing players, it also allowed other Trojans who have been playing with nagging injuries to recover as well.

Nick Perry, the aforementioned defensive end and Christian Tupou, will both benefit form the time off although their contributions in terms of playing time may still be compromised.

So what does this mean for the fighting Irish?

It means that Charlie Weis and company, as if they didn’t have enough of a headache planning for the recent version of USC, now has more to make their heads hurt.

Better keep the Tylenol handy Charlie.

Along with their game plans, both teams will also take the fervent hopes of their passionate fans with them when the whistle blows to start the game.

USC, ranked sixth in most polls, will meet a Jimmy Clausen led Notre Dame team that has re-entered the AP and Coaches poll at number 25.

Both the Trojans and the fighting Irish are coming off bye weeks and oddsmakers have installed USC as an early eight point favorite.

An interesting side show to this classic is the impact a win or loss will have on the status of beleaguered Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.

To be certain, coach Weis could REALLY use a victory over USC.

So fans of the fighting Irish have offered their best plan for Notre Dame to finally break the eight year winning streak by the Trojans.

However, judging by the comments I have received from the Notre Dame faithful there is also an underlying theme that best can be described as one of dread.

The many examples of the sophisticated and reasoned analysis I have been privileged to receive from these dedicated fans of the fighting Irish seem to all be tempered with the caveat, “It is going to be very difficult to beat USC, but, if we are to do it, it has to be…”

Then they finish with:

“done by outscoring the Trojans in a high scoring game.”

Because these Notre Dame fans are rooted in reality, they understand that there is a good possibility that a seasoned USC offense, led by a re-energized running game and featuring a very talented freshman quarterback, Matt Barkley, who gets better by the week, may run rough shod over a fighting Irish defense that has given up yards and points in large chunks.

So these fine Notre Dame fans suggest that an Irish victory might be best engineered in a shootout.

In some ways, this makes sense.

Jimmy Clausen, the Irish quarterback is having a marvelous season throwing the ball all over the field to talented receivers Golden Tate and tight end Kyle Rudolph amongst others.

To be sure, Jimmy Clausen will be one of the very finest quarterbacks the Trojans will face all season.

To compliment the Irish passing game, Notre Dame will welcome back a healthy Armando Allen and his tough fullback, Jame Aldridge.

Allen is a very good running back and Aldridge will be playing on Sundays some day.

This offense, which has engineered several late game comebacks this season, is talented, fast and precise.

Which bode well for those Notre Dame fans who extol the virtues of simply outscoring the Trojans.

Except there is a problem.

USC’s defense is…well…scary good.

Despite nine new starters replacing six drafted players by the NFL, the Trojans haven’t missed a beat defensively.

Regardless of replacing four linebackers who all were drafted in the first four rounds, the Trojans simply shrug and say, “next.”

And in the 2009 version of the Trojan defense, “next” means a leaner, faster, yet just as nasty trio of linebackers.

Chris Galippo, Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith (who the Trojans will be welcoming back after missing two games with a sprained ankle) while not as physical as last years linebackers, are noticeably faster.

And just as tenacious.

Meanwhile, the Trojans defensive line, featuring Nick Perry, the PAC-10 sack leader and Everson Griiffen, the freakishly fast and athletic defensive end, lead the nation in sacks per game.

Oh, and they are top five nationally in yards per rush allowed.

Hold on you say, what about the Trojans defensive backfield? Is this where Jimmy Clausen and his talented receivers break through?

Probably not.

Taylor Mays, USC’s all everything safety who runs a 4.25 forty and at 6′3″, 235 pounds, simply crushes everyone who has the temerity to enter his territory.

Will Harris, Mays partner at safety, lays the wood with the same ferocity.

The corners, Kevin Thomas and Josh Pinkard, are fast and stick to opposing wide receivers like fly paper.

Just to set your mind at ease that this isn’t just a Trojan honk blowing smoke, the Sporting News had this unit ranked #1 in the country in the preseason and they have done nothing to refute this lofty praise.

So there it is.

The Trojan foil to the well reasoned, albeit hopeful, plan of the fighting Irish faithful.

The fly in the ointment to securing Charlie Weis’ continued employment at the legendary academic institution in South Bend.

Of course, coach Weis’ future may not hinge on a Notre Dame victory against the Trojans at all.

Maybe, he has shown enough progress that an upset of the Trojans would only be icing on the cake.

But if outscoring the Trojans is truly the game plan that Notre Dame intends to hang their hat on, I have a suggestion.

Find a new game plan.

2009

USC TROJANS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

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-