Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesLike a car with balky manual transmission and a worn clutch, USC heads into Minnesota looking for some newfound rhythm to counter two games of jerking and stalling.The game opens with Minnesota probing the Trojan defensive center and finding six-pack abs where they expected a soft underbelly.Jurrell Casey and DaJohn Harris absolutely buckle the center of the Gopher line, raising eyebrows among the Minnesota coaching staff. Damn, this wasn't in the films.USC dodges its 3rd-and-long nemesis, due more to a drop than any secondary coverage, but it's still a three-and-out, and USC isn't in a position to turn up its nose at any assistance.Matt Barkley and David Ausberry continue to have the type of chemistry that results in laboratory insurance premiums being sky-high. The 6'4" Reebok San Francisco 49ers #21 Frank GORE Realtree camo Jersey
Ausberry breaks free down the sideline, but Barkley throws it as though Jack was open halfway up the beanstalk. Later, seeing a 10-inch mismatch on the outside, Barkley smartly audibles to a quick fade but manages to get the ball no higher than Ausberry's sternum.I'm getting the feeling that if Barkley was the table setter for Wilt Chamberlain, the Dipper would have averaged about eight a game.USC's defense returns to its early season form, allowing a huge gain on 3rd-and-long, allowing two other 3rd-and-long conversions, and then finally holding in the end zone on a third down bleacher throw to guide Minnesota gently and inevitably into the end zone. Offensive coordinators throughout the country are thinking about taking a knee on first and second down just to set up the Trojan nightmare of down and distance.Allen Bradford motors around right end and over defenders, racking up about 30 yards in three carries in a startling display of size and speed. Before anyone can ask why this guy hasn't been playing, he's quickly ushered off the field, and the awkward questions are postponed.Marc Tyler plunges in on an insistent touchdown run that darn near needed a commercial break due to its sheer duration. If Sisyphus has cable down in Tartarus, he's pushing that rock with renewed confidence after watching Marc struggle and strain for about a 10 count before eventually barging into the end zone.Barkley finds Ronald Johnson steaming behind the secondary and lays the ball perfectly in his lap for a score. Maybe it's just tall receivers that screw with Matt's depth perception. The Trojans celebrate a strengthening pulse, but a two-point conversion attempt looks like a bunch of guys late for work trying to crowd into a packed elevator, and they're left contemplating the stairs.Jawanza Starling breaks with recent Trojan safety tradition and makes a play on a wobbly, underthrown football. The ball clangs off his hands as though he were ringing accompaniment to Quasimodo's cry of "SANCTUARY!", but he manages to haul in the rebound. If Jawanza has a Reebok Washington Redskins #98 ORAKPO Realtree camo Jersey
girlfriend and he's inclined to give shoulder rubs, he might be flirting with a domestic abuse charge.The pick gives the Trojans a chance to grab a working margin before half, but the only thing more predictable than USC throwing on 1st-and-goal inside the five is USC going deep after a change of possession in plus territory. Barkley waits, waits, finds nobody open, and inexplicably does a blind fouette turn into a well-blocked defensive end, aborting an end of half drive.The second half starts, and the USC offensive machine isn't running any smoother. Under pressure, Barkley lobs a prayer into the middle of the Gopher secondary, forgetting that that particular tactic only seems to work against USC. Predictably, the ball is gobbled up, and the Gophers have much-needed momentum.Minnesota takes a 14-13 lead, and somewhere the South Dakota State A.D. is frantically trying to get Pat Haden on the phone to schedule a home and home. It may not be time to panic for USC, but after ten-and-a-half quarters of frequent stalls, the people pleading for calm are looking a bit like Kevin Bacon at the end of Animal House.It's time for senior leadership, time for the people who have been through the wars to stand up and make a statement. Okay, they weren't answering their cells, so freshman Robert Woods, USC's most consistent and soon to be best player, runs the kickoff back for a nerve-soothing touchdown.Just like that, the Trojans suddenly get the feel for the soggy clutch and find third gear without sounding like the cat chased the silverware down the garage disposal. For a 15-minute stretch USC plays tough, physical, and smart. The line blocks ferociously, the defense swarms, and shockingly even the flags stop falling.Minnesota, once dreaming upset, is now faced with a reasonable facsimile of an actual USC football team. They don't like what they see.Barkley connects with Ausberry on a back shoulder fade, and the two immediately get together to find out what went wrong. Bradford, a horse all day, pops free for a touchdown sprint, and those deferred questions bubble up again. Very quickly the game becomes a rout, and for the first time the Trojans get to cruise with the top down and give the little finger wave to pretty girls on the sidewalk.It's not all hair blowing in the breeze and designer sunglasses Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers 43 Troy Polamalu Realtree camo Jersey
for USC. The front four still can't get pressure on the quarterback without a linebacker riding shotgun, and Barkley's ability to spin the football seems to degrade with every second he stays in the pocket. The penalties are still an issue, it being uncertain whether the Trojans played a relatively clean half or the officials lost interest after the game got out of reach.But at least for a quarter, USC shows that it still has a high gear. Perhaps the engine just needs to be broken in slowly. Maybe they'll up the RPMs for a half against Washington State, the last tuneup before the real season begins. With Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona on the horizon, USC needs to be revving for 60 minutes.
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