Alicia de Artola: Fiesta BowlAfter being edged by Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game, the Trojans will be picked as an at-large bid to the Fiesta Bowl like Arizona was a year ago.
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With Cody Kessler at a grad school orientation, Browne ran the team and Coach Sarkisian sounded like he liked what he saw from the redshirt sophomore. Put simply, the defense didn’t do enough to support an offense that scored 32.5 points per game, and that can’t be repeated if the Trojans to win their division, let alone conference. He opines that Kessler is grounded by his upbringing in the state’s Central Valley, and that the quarterback is well-equipped to avoid the entrapments of celebrity and fame that have tripped up USC quarterbacks in the past. “It has been a long time”. USC will have much better numbers and more talent – if young talent – and the ability to make it work and to come up with 60-minute game plans on offense and defense that play to USC strengths are key here. We’re over that. We got through that together.
After serving a sentence of 4 years probation and being docked 30 scholarships, the Trojans are free! “It’s nice to be recognized, but at the same time, it’s just a projection at the beginning of the season”. USC lost two games on the final snap and blew a 17-point lead in another. It doesn’t really mean anything. The Ducks were 13-2 last season and 8-1 in conference play. Jackson also will return kickoffs and punts, making him the Trojans’ first three-way player in two decades.
Utah’s 24-21 victory over USC in Salt Lake City last season – sealed on a 1-yard touchdown pass from Travis Wilson to Kaelin Clay with eight seconds remaining – was a defining moment for both teams.
CATCH IT: Nelson Agholor joined Allen in jumping to the NFL early, leaving the Trojans without last season’s top receiver and three of their top four overall.
According to Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News, USC’s players were initially told to line up in a Hail Mary defense, but then some were told to switch to a more traditional formation.
BRIEFS: BYU tight end Steven Richards is out for the season after going down with a knee injury.
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USC returns 16 starters, including eight on offense, and is in prime position to make national noise, ranked 10th in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll.
