USC vs Arizona tonight in a huge PAC-12 south matchup in the desert of Arizona. The Trojans have struggled on the road under Coach Clay Helton and need to show the conference that they can carry the flag when away from the friendly crowds of the LA Coliseum. The Arizona Wildcats have a lot to play for. A program that has never fully lived up to the hype and a team on a mission to make this game begin the process of change for a once proud football program.
USC won last week at home versus Washington State but the game, albeit exciting, left that empty feeling of the lack of defensive domination. Yes, we ran in to a great quarterback who had a hot hand at 4-0 prior to the Trojans defeating the Cougars. It was not a convincing win and it leaves the PAC-12 South in flux as to who is the dominant team. At this point in the season going in to a game five we should not be wondering when it comes to a storied program like USC. The South is the weaker of the two conferences making up the Pac-12 and it’s time for a statement game by Clay Helton’s Trojans.
The unpredictability of the three phases of the team are in constant unknown. Will special teams rise up as they improved last week against the Cougars? Will Clancy Pendergast regain that dominant Trojan defense and attack from all aspects of his skilled but beaten down squad. They have not provided the fans with that convincing full game to date. In fact, it has been quite some time since the Trojan defense ranked at the top of the power five schools. This has to change. This has to turn around before this season ends. Tee Martin and the offense must think ball control. Not home run ball but ground game over and over. Feed these talented backs and lead with Carr. He needs more touches and needs to get in that rhythm that all the great backs of USC past have been trusted with. This one run and two pass mentality or worse case passing on first down has to stop. Give the offensive line some encouragement by letting them pound the Wildcats like we saw ONCE in the Washington State win on the first series. Let’s recall, five plays all runs and 80 yards to a touchdown. Priceless execution and then Tee Martin puts it away never to be seen again. What are we saving this for? It works. Run the ball Tee.
Fight On