USC loses to OR, but still competing for Pac-12 South

Fans don’t remember the records – they remember the big-time wins.

USC is experimenting in practice with different pairings to replace Dawson and Smith, the team’s leading tackler.

USC has not had the type of season it wanted, but they can still find their way into the Pac 12 title game.

The Cardinal (20-6, 14-4 Pac-12) recorded a three-set sweep for the first time in almost two weeks and improved to 12-1 all-time against the Utes. Maybe no other game better encapsulates the Pac-12 in 2015 than Utah’s falter against the struggling Trojans, as once again the conference couldn’t get out of its own way. Great for the Wildcats. The Cougars won 30-24. A rematch is never as exciting of a game, and OR is a lower ranked team that presents more of a matchup problem. Entering the fourth quarter, USC had forced another UO punt and had the ball, and it was back to being a close game. “The years we’ve won that battle, we’ve won, and the years we haven’t, we haven’t”. The game also airs as a live stream online. That’s it. Enough said. Adams has 12 touchdowns over the past four games and he will be the key player to watch for the Trojans as they try and shut down the OR offense. He expects everyone else to play, unfortunately. Bercovici’s principal targets are senior WR/RB D.J.

Colorado deserves higher regard than being known as the 11th-best team in the Pac-12, but the Buffaloes just can’t seem to break through. It’s the longest active streak in the FBS. Southern Cal Trojans rank at 86 for 137.0 road rushing yards where as Oregon Ducks rank at 71 for allowing 158.3 rushing yards at home.

Oregon Coach Mark Helfrich said Ducks coaches were aware of Adams.

The Ducks had stymied the Trojans and regained control of the game. We will take everybody up.

This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the league’s coaches, who acknowledge the disadvantage. Utah had nothing to lose in that game. “This is as intense as any of the ones I have been involved in, and I have been involved in a few big ones”.

Or maybe it was the fact that he was playing against the team he rooted for as a kid, a team that included many of his close friends. What went wrong for the Cardinal defense, and is it in danger of repeating those mistakes against Jared Goff and the Cal offense?

Rodriguez explained that Anu Solomon is day-to-day, he looks good, but “It’s up to the medical experts”. Then, backup Jon Hays took the spotlight, only to lead the Utes to one win in four games.

-DT Delvon Simmons is coming off a big game, with two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a blocked kick. “That’s pretty tough, but we’ve just got to be positive about the situation”.

Said Kessler: “It was a great (play) call, we had the look we wanted”. He does a good job of reading guys and seeing the tempo they’re running.

Junior QB Anu Solomon completed 17-of-27 for 277 yards and two TDs in the win over Utah. The sophomore, who now has 68 catches for 1,217 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, was named one of the 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top receiver this week. Linebacker Scooby Wright, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, has missed nine games and won’t play against Arizona State, the 10th game he’ll miss this season.

On Oregon’s side of the ball Vernon Adams is providing leadership to a potent Ducks Offense.

Adams is five of seven for 97 yards.

You can’t ask for much more from a conference in terms of big games on one weekend. It’s a MUST SEE video. Kessler, however, said he doesn’t let the crowd phase him.

ASU and Arizona have met 88 times in football. Unbelievably, just three of those carries came in a second half in which the Buckeyes either led or were tied for all 30 minutes.