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MATT BARKLEY NEWS

• USC football: Matt Barkley named Pac-12 offensive player of week
• USC Trojans Football: Matt Barkley The Maestro In Upset Of Oregon
• Matt Barkley Heisman campaign begins
• USC huge win at Oregon
• Stopping RB Polk is biggest key
• USC's Matt Barkley finds love and perspective in Nigeria
• Record-game For Barkley; Woods and Lee Shine in 48-41 Win Over Arizona
• USC Football Returns Home To Host Arizona
• Bank Of The West Weekly Football Honors
• FB | Jones still out with injury, to miss game Saturday against Southern California
• Trojans in need of better effort
• Scoggins: For Kiffin, misery doesn't love company
• USC Football Notebook: Barkley, Woods on same page in scrimmage
• USC's Matt Barkley named to 2011 Manning Award watch list
• USC FOOTBALL NOTES: Barkley shaky in first scrimmage
• Pio Vatuvei Verbals To USC Trojans Football
• USC's Matt Barkley, 5 other Pac-12 players named to 2011 Walter Camp watch list
• Southern California Trojans football
• USC Trojans Football: The Nickell Robey Story
• USC football: Issues come to the fore in the fourth
• Trojans release new numbers fot the fall roster
• No changes on the horizon for USC's football uniforms
• USC football: Nick Perry has a big number in mind
• OT Smith helps keep first-round grade at USC pro day
• Injuries will impact USC practice
• USC linemen the next Cam Newton?
• USC hires Nebraska's Gilmore as WRs coach
• USC Trojans redshirt freshman WR Kyle Prater breaks foot
• Eight USC Trojans invited to 2011 NFL Combine
• USC's Johnson, O'Dowd, Wright to take part in 2011 Under Armour Senior Bowl
• Amir Carlisle and Anthony Sarao Choose USC
• USC Recruiting | Trojans eyeing McKeesport DL recruit Delvon Simmons
• USC football: Is Lane Kiffin too unemotional?
• USC signs two more JC gridders
• Football recruiting: Losing Aaron Douglas hurts
• USC Football Recruiting: One More Verbal and Closing the Book on a Busy Weekend
• USC football: Breaking down Matt Barkley’s season
• USC seniors deserve a better ending
• USC Football Hosts Notre Dame In Famed Intersectional Rivalry
• USC Football: Was the Arizona Game a Sign of a Modified Spread in 2011?
• Barkley named semifinalist for O’Brien Award
• USC FOOTBALL NOTES: Passing comment serves as motivation
• Report card: Grading the Trojans (vs. Stanford)
• USC Football | Sarkisian shows he has transitioned from student to master
• Jupiter and Havili named USC Credit Union Student Athletes of the Week
• USC Football: Robert Woods' 97-yard kickoff touchdown return
• USC's Tyler goes from forgotten to first
• USC leans on Matt Barkley's leadership
• Mater Dei WR Blackwell among best in California
• USC Football Success Factors in 2010 And Beyond
• Laying the Foundation: USC Football Recruiting, 2011
• Joe McKnight doesn't mind the comparisons to New Orleans Saints' Reggie Bush
• USC Trojans to face Boston College Eagles in Emerald Bowl
• Corp gets the nod in Saturday's game against Washington
• Colts sign rookies Austin Collie (WR, BYU) and Fili Moala
• The Sideline Report: '09 College Football Preview
• USC 101: History of the Song Girl
• USC football: The best DBs, OLs in the nation?
• USC football: 5 most indispensable Trojans
• Ryans set to help Cushing
• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 4)
• UCS's Pete Carroll to Author "Win Forever" Book
• Trojans' quarterback Barkley getting into a groove
• Trojans' defense is quickly making strides
• 2009 NFL Draft Preview: Clay Matthews
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz will keep open mind at draft
• Waiting game finally over for Chiefs' Cassel
• Odd questions are the norm for prospects at the NFL combine
• Longevity runs in Matthews family
• Pythons kept at bay by brilliant Baxter
• SIGNING DAY 2009 : West Helena's Winston highlights Razorbacks' 2009 commitments
• USC's Sanchez among 12 Trojans invited to NFL combine
• Should He Have Stayed One More Season? Mark Sanchez Enters the NFL Draft!
• Carroll apologizes to Sanchez for demeanor
• Carl Smith And Mark Jackson Join USC Football Staff
• High School Football: Matt Barkley Leads White Team to Victory in Under Armour All-America Game
• Next Season Could Be A Test For Carroll, Trojans
• Trojans offensive line will have holes to fill
• Trojans' Moala will try not to cry
• Trojans' outlook: Up in BCS, down in Rose Bowl hopes
• USC blanks Arizona State, 28-0
• USC Seeks Upward Mobility
• QB Tuel takes aim at Centennial
• USC linebacker Cushing could be sidelined for Oregon State game
• Matt Barkley, Nation's Top HS Football Prospect, Opens Season on ESPN2

USC huge win at Oregon

 

What we learned: That second-year Southern California coach Lane Kiffin is just flat out getting it done, in recruiting, in organizing and in play-calling.

The NCAA sanctions to come -- 10 scholarship losses per year for the next three years -- may or may not knock the Trojans out off contention for conference championships and BCS bowls, for which USC will be eligible next year after a two-year ban.

But Kiffin and the Trojans proved without a doubt Saturday that they have young talent that can play hard and tough and smart and at one of the toughest places in the county to play -- cold, raucous, fans-on-top-of-you Autzen Stadium -- and win.

The Trojans went up to Oregon as prohibitive underdogs and took a 21-7 lead, then a 38-14 lead, then held on for a 38-35 victory against a team that was ranked No. 4 in the country and starting to make a case for a shot at a national championship.

Instead, it was the Trojans that made the big move in the rankings -- ranking, that is. USC moved from No.18 to No.10 in the AP poll. The Trojans are ineligible for the USA TODAY coaches' poll and the BCS rankings because of -- all together now -- sanctions resulting from extra benefits provided to former tailback Reggie Bush (remember him?).

Some of the biggest playmakers on the field for the Trojans were freshmen, including wide receiver Marqise Lee and linebacker Hayes Pullard.

The Trojans might lose some juniors to the NBA draft -- most prominently, quarterback Matt Barkley, whose NFL stock continues to soar -- but it's possible they could return 18 or so starters next year. The quantity of USC scholarship players will go down, but the quality is tremendous.

The coaching has been excellent. When a team gets better and better and better all season, that says a lot about coaching. USC started the season stagnant and mistake-prone and looked terrible in a 21-point loss at Arizona State. But the Trojans are 6-1 since, the only loss being a triple-overtime loss to Stanford that easily could have been a victory.

Now they have beaten Oregon, a team that many people said was playing the best football in the country.

They did it the old-fashioned way, with balanced offense and rugged defense.

They ran the ball. They defended the run, allowing Oregon yards (who doesn't?) but making difficult tackles in space against lightning quick Ducks playmakers -- the kinds of plays that make a difference in a game but are hard to quantify.

They also protected Barkley, giving him time to do his thing. And his thing, right now, is magical. He threw for 323 yard and four touchdowns.

With him back at QB next year, the Trojans could conceivably begin the season in the top five and make a run at a national title.

Without him, who knows? There are highly recruited QBs backing him up, waiting for their chance.

Whoever is the QB next year, he will have a lot of talent around him.

Best performance: With USC star wide receiver Robert Woods still not 100% because of nagging shoulder and leg injuries, Marqise Lee became the primary target of Matt Barkley Saturday night at Oregon and he delivered a spectacular performance.

Lee, a true freshman, caught eight passes for 187 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown pass.

Biggest disappointment: Nick Montana, son of NFL legend Joe Montana, got his first start for Washington, starting in place of injured Keith Price, but threw for just 79 yards as the Huskies were upset by Oregon State 38-21. It was just the third victory of the season for the Beavers.

Looking ahead: Oregon, despite losing its hopes of a national championship shot, is still the favorite to win the Pac-12 title and get to the Rose Bowl. The Ducks will win the Pac-12 North with a victory against struggling Oregon State, earning the right to host the inaugural Pac-12 championship game Dec. 2.

The South division is up for grabs, with UCLA (5-3 in league), Utah (4-4) and Arizona State (4-4) all still in contention.

UCLA would win it with an upset over USC this week. If the Bruins lose and Utah (vs. Colorado) and Arizona State (vs. Cal) win, it's a three-way tie and ASU would emerge with the tiebreaker win.

Whoever wins the south, it will be a big underdog vs. Oregon in the title game.

By David Leon Moore, USA TODAY

 

More on USAToday.com

 

MORE MATT BARKLEY NEWS

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Jan 30 2012 2:34PM GMT

Football recruiting: Morris may be a pleasant surprise for Tide
Montgomery Advertiser Jan 30 2012 2:34PM GMT Florida State. "You see Alec Morris here, he's serviceable. Alabama hasn't needed to have Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley or Matt Stafford out there to win. So field generals are good. Quarterbacking one of the premier programs for two seasons in

Football recruiting: Morris may be a pleasant surprise for Tide
Prattville Progress Jan 30 2012 12:20PM GMT Florida State. "You see Alec Morris here, he's serviceable. Alabama hasn't needed to have Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley or Matt Stafford out there to win. So field generals are good. Quarterbacking one of the premier programs for two seasons in

Local roundup: Disc golfers Criss, Hokum win open divisions at Felton Freeze
Santa Cruz Sentinel Jan 30 2012 10:59AM GMT the Intermediate flight, La Selva's Ryan Gonyea shot a 2-under 112 for the win, San Jose's Matt Barkley took second with 117 and Monterey's Sean Allen took third at 119. CYCLING The fourth race in the Surf City Cyclo-X series course was held Sunday at

Kiffin, Orgeron Keep USC on Track
DawgsBite.com Jan 30 2012 6:37AM GMT of Robert Woods and Marquise Lee among others, and some teams could lose some of their leaders like Matt Barkley. ?Getting or keeping those guys on campus while trimming the roster of non producers will help lessen the impact of the scholarship

Holler: RG3 holds the key
PackerReport.com Jan 29 2012 2:22PM GMT flat on their faces, the quarterback market is as hot as it has ever been. The decisions of Matt Barkley and Landry Jones, both of whom would have been first-rounders, to stay in school increased Griffin?s value. Unlike most aspects of life, where

Top recruits don't always work out for teams
Individual.com Jan 29 2012 9:28AM GMT Missouri, Gateway (Mo.): Academics forced him to JC for two years, Missouri backup for half of 2011. 5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC, Mater Dei (Calif.): Threw for Pac-12 record 39 TDs, early Heisman favorite for 2012. Class of 2008 1. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio

Mock draft begins with Luck, trade for Griffin
SI.com Jan 29 2012 7:58AM GMT read is that Tannehill is the most likely candidate. Washington's desperation at quarterback is obvious, and no Matt Barkley or Landry Jones means the Redskins might have to roll the dice on the former Aggie. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina. The

Top recruits don't always work out for teams
Pittsburgh Tribune Review Jan 29 2012 7:23AM GMT Missouri, Gateway (Mo.): Academics forced him to JC for two years, Missouri backup for half of 2011. 5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC, Mater Dei (Calif.): Threw for Pac-12 record 39 TDs, early Heisman favorite for 2012. 1. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State,

Top recruits don't always work out for teams
Pittsburgh Tribune Review Jan 29 2012 7:23AM GMT Missouri, Gateway (Mo.): Academics forced him to JC for two years, Missouri backup for half of 2011. 5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC, Mater Dei (Calif.): Threw for Pac-12 record 39 TDs, early Heisman favorite for 2012. 1. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State,