Adams showed reporters an “SC” tattoo on his arm this week, which led to speculation it was a reference to USC because he grew up rooting for the Trojans.
Advertisement
The last time USC and OR met was in 2012, with OR prevailing at the Coliseum, 62-51. The Trojans are giving up 22.7 points a game, ranking third in the conference, and they are giving up 385.5 yards, ranking fourth.
Oh, and for the record, Adams patterned his game more off of Reggie Bush than Leinart.
Oregon’s offense has been reborn, and the defense is much improved. Five games into the season, USC fired head coach Steve Sarkisian following separate reports of alcohol problems crossing over into his work life.
Instead, the Cardinal lost to OR and the Utes fell to Arizona. But a two-loss Pac-12 champion is bound to get a few consideration, especially if there’s chaos toward the top of the standings. Both are out for the season. Of course, that would allow for the SEC strategy of scheduling one more cupcake OOC game. Injuries are a concern for OR as well.
I think the Ducks are playing really well, offensively, and making enough plays defensively. But Robinson got hurt vs. Stanford and might not be available.
Oregon’s Bralon Addison has 45 receptions, six for touchdowns. Punter Kris Albarado has slumped, and kicker Alex Wood hasn’t been almost as effective on kickoffs.
Whether it’s missing a key field goal or blocking a punt. USC has struggled to return to its original dominance since. Matt Wogan has 47 touchbacks among 74 kickoffs.
“I’m just excited to play USC”, he said. And many current OR football players are Southern California natives who followed the Trojans. Helfrich is 31-7 in two-plus seasons, including a Rose Bowl victory and a national championship runner-up finish. Neither is in play this year as OR has three losses for the first time since 2009, Kelly’s first season. Like Wilcox, Ducks second-year defensive coordinator Don Pellum has felt the wrath of the fan base.
While it may be an oversimplification to characterize the contest as Utah’s vaunted rushing attack against UCLA’s prolific passing, whichever team can prove to be successful in doing what it does best will likely win the game.
No. 18 Utah sat atop the Pac-12 South with a game cushion and the inside track for a berth in the conference title game and with a shot to play in the College Football Playoff.
Oregon’s running game was so dominant against Stanford that Adams threw only 12 passes. The duo rundown two players, one from OR and one from USC, who should have major impacts on the outcome of the game. “(Their defensive backs) like to put hands on guys, and our guys like when guys press them. Will Helton open up the offense knowing the Ducks are vulnerable on the back end? And will anyone besides Smith-Schuster emerge as a consistent downfield option? Darren Carrington had a quality performance in the win, totaling two catches for 54 yards and one TD. The next highest is Steven Mitchell Jr. with 33 targets. He and Kessler apparently have resolved the communication issues that have led to two interceptions this season.
USC is catching OR at exactly the wrong time.
We deal with hype in covering the Ducks, too, because fans and Duck-friendly media seemingly never consider what could go wrong with the team or they can’t look through flash-and-dance to see flaws. A sixth straight win would match Cal’s longest winning streak in the history of the rivalry. But USC’s offense has taken a step backward during that stretch. The Trojans worked extensively to become more assignment-sound this week; Helton cited missed assignments as the primary culprit for last week’s sluggish start at Colorado. It’s also possible that the Trojans were looking past the Buffs. USC will give OR its full attention.
Advertisement
The Trojans may have trouble outscoring the Ducks. UCLA will represent the Pac-12 South if they beat Utah and USC in the regular-season finale. But it could eliminate Helton from consideration for the full-time coaching job.
