Here are my takes on the game..I had forecasted a close game, and silly me I didn't consider the injuries or the youth of this team in doing so. Apparently the lack of two starting linebackers and three Offensive linemen took root in this game. USC did not rush players in the first half (Saving them?) and UO QB Adams picked them apart with wide open receivers for long gains. In the second half USC did rush and sacked Adams 4 times...too little too late. And the USC OL didn't open many holes for the third week in a row.
UO has an unique offense, but do get beat by teams that are experienced and control the game. Like Northwestern and Utah, or who can match their Offense in a shootout like WSU. That doesn't describe the present USC team. And Stanford does match that except they gave the ball up 3 times and shot their chances.
The youth of this USC team showed. There is talent but not having played Oregon even once in their career, the confusion showed, particularly in coverage during misdirection plays. Part of this IMO is an aftershock of the NCAA sanctions. 10 less experienced bodies in the Soph class, the Junior class and something less than 10 (accounting for transfers and leaving early) in the Senior class. Among those would have been some key guys that could have helped. Only time will change that..I can't wait to see Oregon here next year.
There are three schools in the PAC12 I have not visited in an away game. I expect to travel to Colorado and to Utah but not to Eugene, Oregon. That crowd is loud and raucous and intimidating to refs. Intimidating is calling USC for 12 penalties for 124 yards, while calling UO for 4 penalties for 42 yards, when both were hitting hard and long after the plays. And the refs rushing to place the ball down such that USC did not get to substitute players. The refs are supposed to control the game and they did not do this equally in this game IMO. USC should have used timeouts to slow things down and berate the "Officials" IMO. Well, remember this when they come down here next year. I wish sometimes that the more laid back crowd in LA was like that. The one thing I do miss is a whole stadium singing the song "Shout" while showing that rendition in "Animal House" on whose campus they filmed it. In fact "Animal Stadium" sounds about right. Who let the Ducks out!
But one bright note, UCLA beat Utah and next week is for the PAC-12 South title, as little as that means, and I found myself starting a UCLA 8-Clap and stopped at 5 and berated myself "What are you doing!".
Lets close the season on a high note. See you at the Coliseum....
UO has an unique offense, but do get beat by teams that are experienced and control the game. Like Northwestern and Utah, or who can match their Offense in a shootout like WSU. That doesn't describe the present USC team. And Stanford does match that except they gave the ball up 3 times and shot their chances.
The youth of this USC team showed. There is talent but not having played Oregon even once in their career, the confusion showed, particularly in coverage during misdirection plays. Part of this IMO is an aftershock of the NCAA sanctions. 10 less experienced bodies in the Soph class, the Junior class and something less than 10 (accounting for transfers and leaving early) in the Senior class. Among those would have been some key guys that could have helped. Only time will change that..I can't wait to see Oregon here next year.
There are three schools in the PAC12 I have not visited in an away game. I expect to travel to Colorado and to Utah but not to Eugene, Oregon. That crowd is loud and raucous and intimidating to refs. Intimidating is calling USC for 12 penalties for 124 yards, while calling UO for 4 penalties for 42 yards, when both were hitting hard and long after the plays. And the refs rushing to place the ball down such that USC did not get to substitute players. The refs are supposed to control the game and they did not do this equally in this game IMO. USC should have used timeouts to slow things down and berate the "Officials" IMO. Well, remember this when they come down here next year. I wish sometimes that the more laid back crowd in LA was like that. The one thing I do miss is a whole stadium singing the song "Shout" while showing that rendition in "Animal House" on whose campus they filmed it. In fact "Animal Stadium" sounds about right. Who let the Ducks out!
But one bright note, UCLA beat Utah and next week is for the PAC-12 South title, as little as that means, and I found myself starting a UCLA 8-Clap and stopped at 5 and berated myself "What are you doing!".
Lets close the season on a high note. See you at the Coliseum....
