November 22, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler (6) throws under pressure against the UCLA Bruins during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
It is UCLA Football versus USC Football. No matter if it is for the Pac-12 South Division or simply bragging rights, this will be an epic game to end the 2015 regular season.
It will not get bigger than this to end the South Division in 2015. UCLA Football will look to win the fourth game in a row against USC, but the Trojans are looking for revenge as they will field one of the best teams since they were sanctioned by the NCAA.
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It does not matter both teams are 0-11 going into this game or undefeated at 11-0, this game will have plenty of meaning, though both will hopefully look for more than just bragging rights. This game could crown the South Division winner who will go to the Pac-12 Championship Game. The winner of the Pac-12 Championship will most likely get a spot in the 4-team College Football Playoff or to one of the New year’s Six bowl games which includes the Rose Bowl.
So yes, there will be a lot riding on this game. If you think the animosity between Bruin and Trojan fans is think now, then just wait for this November 28 contest at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Next: USC Overview
The USC Trojans
Head Coach: Steve Sarkisian, 2nd year
2014 Record: 9-4 overall, 6-3 Pac-12
Mar 3, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans coach Steve Sarkisian at spring practice at Cromwell Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After last season’s Holiday Bowl victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, head coach Steve Sarkisian said that the USC football 2014 season was a “total success”.
USC Trojan fans know that was not really the case but it did seem that the Trojans we’re going in the right direction. I guess after Lane Kiffin, all you can do is go up. But I digress.
The Trojans will always have fantastic players looking to keep USC in the national picture, but lately players have not been the problem. It seems that USC has had much left to be desired in the coaching department. Will this be the year that Sark can make USC elite once again or will we have to Trojans flounder at the most crucial times?
To be fair, the talent alone can carry the team, but when Sarkisian goes up against teams with good coaching staffs, him and his crew need to find a way to counter that.
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The Trojans are expected to not only win the South Division, but also the Pac-12. Some even have them in contention for the National Championship, but they have a few hurdles to overcome before that happens, namely, their final two games of the season.
Before their match-up with the UCLA football team, the Trojans head north to take on the Oregon Ducks, a team they are projected to meet in the Pac-12 Championship. If USC has a favorable record going into their last two games and can beat the Ducks and Bruins, then they should be able to win the South. But it is not as easy as it sounds, especially since USC has not been able to beat both UCLA and Oregon since 2011.
Next: The USC Offense vs UCLA Defense
The USC Offense
Make no mistake, the USC Trojans on both offense and defense are full of talent, skill and most of all pride which means a lot to historical program such as the Trojans. The USC football program “is back” apparently as the Trojans start life post-sanctions and are looking to reclaim their place atop the Pac-12.
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Betsided
On offense, that starts with QB Cody Kessler who has caught all sorts of attention this off-season and is even expected to win the Heisman. He will have one of the better offensive lines in the Pac-12 which will be lead by powerhouse center Max Tuerk. Though it is unknown who will take over at running back for Buck Allen, it seems the likely candidates are Justin Davis and Tre Madden.
The Trojans have several wide receivers to make plays which includes primary target Juju Smith as well as Darreus Rogers and Steven Mitchell. There is even rumor that DB Adoree Jackson will get time at WR. With these players leading the charge, the USC passing game will undeniably be the strong point of the offensive game, though Sarkisian is certain they will be a run-first team.
The question is, can USC be successful with all of these weapons against teams with good defenses like UCLA? Last year the Trojans floundered against tougher teams, especially Kessler who had a harder time against UCLA, Utah and Arizona State (even Boston College). Here are Kessler’s stats in those loses compared to the rest of his season:
Looking back at the 2014 match-up, one of the glaring deficiencies of the Trojans was that they seemed to run out of gas against the Bruins. UCLA had dominated the trenches and threw Kessler off his game as he was sacked by UCLA six times. Expect more of the same from the Bruin defense, though they will have a bit more trouble with the USC offense this season as they are older and wiser.
Next: The USC Defense vs UCLA Offense
The USC Defense
The Trojans had a stingy defense, but definitely had some hiccups in 2014. Against BC, USC gave up 452 yards rushing (while USC only rushed for 20). In their four losses, the Trojans gave up an average of 459.8 total yards per game, which is up from their season average of 407.9 ypg.
UCLA Bruins
Still, USC seemed to be in transition in Sarkisian’s first year and those flaws should be tightened up in 2015, especially with the plethora of talent they will bout on the field.
The defensive line loses a huge piece as Leonard Williams is now in the NFL. Though they may have depth issues, it seems it is more inexperience than anything. Their projected starters, Antwaun Woods, Delvon Simmons and Claude Pelon are all seniors and should have a vicious line, but behind them is a lot of youth.
The linebackers take a hit as C.J. Pollard is off to bigger things as a pro but have a big weapon in LB/DB Su’a Cravens who is a relentless defender. He will have help from a few other seniors in Anthony Sarao and Lamar Dawson. The linebackers should be a deep and talented crew, but the group that will really leave a mark on 2015 should be the secondary.
Aside from Cravens who should move in and out of the LB/DB hybrid spot, the Trojans have Adoree Jackson who was exceptional as a true freshman last season (also watch him to play a lot of wide receiver… he is that good). They also have experience and talent from Kevon Seymour, Leon McQuay III and the uber-talented freshman Iman Marshall.
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Overall, the defense is good, but can they finally stop the Bruins now that QB Brett Hundley is no longer a Bruin (who went 3-0 against USC)? Though UCLA Football is currently without a starting QB, they return the Pac-12 leading rusher Paul Perkins and the most experienced offensive line in the country.
Last year, the Bruin O-line pushed through the Trojans defense and allowed the offense to virtually do whatever they wanted in a 38-20 victory. If UCLA can continue this, they should once again overcome the Trojans.
Next: The UCLA vs USC Outlook
The UCLA Football Vs USC Football Outlook
USC has had three different coaches in the last three years and all three have lost to Jim Mora and UCLA Football. This year will be the first time the Trojans have a coach face the Bruins for more than one year in the Mora era, so Sark has some consistency on his side.
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The thing is, Sarkisian is not necessarily a coach that has learned to overcome huge obstacles. Though he brought back Washington from oblivion, he was never able to compete with Oregon and Stanford and conquer the North. Though he arguably has more talent at USC, he needs to find a way to out-wit coaches that are perceived to be better. As for Mora, the Bruin Boss seems to know how to game plan for USC and has been able to capitalize on that year after year.
The talent will be interesting to watch as they will match-up well against each other as both UCLA and USC are loaded with skilled players. Because of that, it seems this game will once again come down to the coaching and at this moment, biased or not, the Bruins appear to have the better staff and will once again be victorious in the Crosstown Showdown.
The Way-Too-Early Prediction
UCLA 35 – USC 28
Next: Can The Bruins Dominate in 2015?
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