CURSED! Trojans Lose Game and Maybe Barkley

Beavers' speed too much for Trojans to handle

USC went to Corvallis to exorcise their demons but, like the five years prior, they will be leaving with their tails between their legs as the Oregon State Beavers dominated the Trojans in every aspect of the game and knocked quarterback Matt Barkley out of the game on their way to 36-7 rout of #18 USC.

Coach Lane Kiffin rolled the dice early in the game going for it on fourth down inside the Oregon 30-yard line, but Marc Tyler was denied the two yards needed to keep the drive alive.  From that point on, the Trojans looked as if they were trying to not lose another game in Oregon.  The tenative play spelled "doom" for USC as the Beavers looked like they were playing in a different gear than the Trojans.

Any potential of a comeback was lost when Barkley laid motionless on the field turf of Reser Stadium.

TROJANS EXPERIENCE THREE BIG LOSSES:

  1. The Trojans, first and foremost, lost the game. It was definitely a trap game as the Trojans have a mental block as soon as they cross the Oregon state line.  On the Trojans' schedule, the Beavers were wedged between a ranked opponent and a rival – Arizona Wildcats and Notre Dame.  With the win last week, the Trojans broke back into the Top 25 and were setup for a letdown.  However, it turned out to be a total crash and burn.
  2. The Trojans lost Barkley.  At first glance, it looked as if Barkley would never walk again.  It leg, knee and ankle looked like a twisted pretzel that was about to snap. The Trojans will evaluate Barkley's ankle and only time will tell if he will be ready for Saturday's game against Notre Dame.  The absolute worst scenario would be if the Trojans lose Barkley for their "Bowl game" against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.
  3. Talented freshman running back, Dillon Baxter was suspended for the game in Oregon for the egregious sin of accepting a ride in a golf cart from a fellow student on the USC campus.  The student is an agent, and well, going overboard is the recipe for the day.  The compliance office at USC tattled on themselves to the NCAA and requested that Baxter be disciplined by "forced charity up to the value of the cost of the golf cart ride across campus" – Hmmmmm, is that equal to opening the door for a coed or helping an old lady cross Jefferson Ave.?  Nonetheless, that is the second suspension of Baxter this season, but he should be ready to play on Saturday against Notre Dame.

BY THE NUMBERS:

GAME STATS
 

USC
TROJANS

OREGON ST.
BEAVERS

SCORE  7  36
RUSHING YARDS  120  174
PASSING YARDS  135  154
TOTAL YARDS  255  328
PENALTIES 5-46  8-85
TURNOVERS  2  0
TIME OF POSSESSION  27:32 32:28

PLAY OF THE GAME:

On 4th and 4 on the Oregon State 38-yard line with just four seconds remaining in the first half, Lane Kiffin decided to go for it to see if he could jump start the stagnant Trojan offense.  However, Oregon State's Kevin Frahm sacked Barkley and it looked ugly.  Barkley hobbled toward the sideline and a golf cart (don't worry, it was a legit golf cart) drove him into the locker room.  Midway through the second half, Barkley appeared in a walking boot and with crutches.  There was no bigger play in the game than when Barkley got injured.

NEXT GAME:

USC Trojans (7-4, 4-4 Pac-10) vs. Notre Dame (6-5)

MY PREDICTIONS

MY RECORD FOR PREDICTIONS: 8-3

RESULTS GAME DETAILS MY PREDICTIONS

@ HAWAII
USC 49 - Hawaii 36

The Trojans win with an offensive explosion.

Trojans 42 - Warriors 28

vs. Virginia
USC 17 - Virginia 14

Virginia keeps it close at half but second half is all Trojans.

Trojans 34 - Cavaliers 17

@ Minnesota
USC 32 - Minnesota 21

Minnesota scores first and then the Trojans roll.

Trojans 42 - Gophers 13

@ Washington State
USC 50 - Washington St. 16

Trojans put on an offensive and defensive clinic.

Trojans 54 - Cougars 6

vs. Washington
USC 31 - Washington 32

USC will pulled away from the Huskies in the 2nd half.

Trojans 42 - Huskies 24

@ Stanford
USC 35 - Stanford 37

Stanford take advantage of a weak Trojan Defense.

Trojans 24 - Cardinal 48

vs. Cal
USC 48 - Cal 14

Cal takes the guessing out of the end of this game.

Trojans 17 - Bears 27

vs. Oregon
USC 32 - Oregon 53

Oregon's high powered offense spoils homecoming.

Trojans 45 - Ducks 52

vs. Arizona State
USC 34 - Arizona St. 33

A back-and-forth affair but USC survives.
Trojans 32 - Sun Devils 28

@ Arizona
USC 24 - Cal 21

The Trojans will make it 5 straight in Tucson.

Trojans 38 - Wildcats 24

@ OREGON STATE
USC 7 - Oregon St. 36

The Trojans will break the curse.

Trojans 34 - Beavers 28

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