Yeah there is a trend. College defenses are

9/20/2009 7:33:16 PM
By: nobody



changing and getting better.

There are cycles in college ball.

Defenses in the PAC have improved substantially mainly to combat SC's past successes on offense. There is always a new fad. Pro-style defenses, the 4-3, the 3-4, the 3-3-5, the spread offense [whatever that really means], the veer, the wishbone, etc., etc.

The PAC 10 plays solid defense contrary to public opinion and the talking heads who don't watch games after 9:00pm Eastern time.

Too many here work on the assumption that SC operates in a vacuum ans that other teams are not scheming against SC; which leads to stupid and short sighted conclusions like "pound the rock to victory" and other nonsense.

The other trend is that if Sanchez stayed, that the quarterback transition would have been much more seamless and that SC's offense would not be struggling.

You seem willing to assume that every loss has had exactly the same cause and that they are part of a "trend" well you would be wrong. Each loss is unique. Oregon State was a punt return for TD. UCLA was stupid drive killing penalties by the oline especially Rachal and not Williams as most suppose. UCLA is also the only really true sub-par offensive performance by SC until the most recent game. Stanford and Oregon State II were defensive failures.

And you seem willing to ignore the long history of offensive failures by Chow using this very same system short the Fly sweep series of plays installed by Kiffin and Sark.

The real "trend" of SC's losses are execution failures with turnovers being near the top of the list. Execution failures are not a trend, they are a part of football.

Chow failures with the present system:

2002:

Without a fumble return for TD Chow's puts up only 14 points in a loss to KState

Without three field goals, SC beats Oregon State only 14-0.

Without three field goals, SC loses to Cal 28-21.



2003:

Without a pick six SC loses at Cal in regulation 24-17.

USC depends on TWO fumble returns for TD, a kick return for TD, and two field goals to turn what could have been a near loss or close game to UCLA in 2003 into a blowout. Chow's offense is good for only 21 points on TDs.



The epic 2004 team has a few close calls as well:

No punt return for TD and USC loses at Oregon State.

A field goal keeps the Stanford game from going to overtime.

USC needs FIVE field goals to beat UCLA by five points.
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