HORRIBLE TOSSES

Kessler throws a Pick 6 (to Damante Horton) and Wittek hurls the game-sealing Interception (also to Damante Horton) as Washington State’s Offense never finds the end zone, but the Cougars still Beat SC and Spacey horrible boss Kiffin 10-7

SC Sucks.  Always has, always will.  But now, everyone on the planet, including all trojan fans, AGREE.

u$c’s beloved Football Program is in total shambles as the (former) #25 trojans just lost to 16-point underdog UNRANKED Washington State, in the Coliseum.  It’s the trojans’ first home-opener loss in 15 years, and the first loss to WSU in 11 years.  And who knows how long it’s been since the usc Defense allowed zero touchdowns, and the team still lost?

For the second week in a row, sc’s Defense harassed an opposing QB enough to make him look woefully inept, this time causing one to commit three Turnovers before Halftime.  The third giveaway set up sc in a position to make the score 14-0 at the break.  But then starting QB Cody Kessler threw an awful pass that was picked and returned 70 yards for the game-tying touchdown.

It was 7-7 at the Half, and Kessler had thrown for a measly 41 yards, so Max Wittek took over in the Second Half.  But Wittek was just as dreadful as Kessler, throwing for only 13 yards in the entire Second Half.  The Running Game was working, as Tre Madden piled up 151 yards, but even that couldn’t loosen it up for either QB.  Even trojan All-World Wide Receiver Marqise Lee couldn’t bail out these two major disappointments.  Lee was held to 27 yards Receiving, with no catch gaining more than SEVEN yards!  Lee and the trojans were forced to settle for nothing but two Field Goal attempts in the 3rd Quarter.  But the trojans’ Special Teams were “Special” like the Special Olympics, allowing the first one to be blocked, and missing the second one wide left, because the holder put the ball down with the laces facing the kicker — the first thing you learn NOT to do in Holding 101.  Only Lucy van Pelt could have done worse.

So it was still 7-all in the 4th Quarter, until WSU finally made a play — a 50-yard completion complete with a couple of BADLY MISSED tackles.  That set up a Field Goal that gave the Cougs a 10-7 lead with 3:15 left.  Plenty of time for a half-decent Offense to march down the field at least to tie the game.  But sc doesn’t have a half-decent Offense.  They don’t even have a quarter-decent Offense.  They got a Pass Interference call to extend the drive, but then Wittek matched Kessler, when Bait Man Damante Horton read the pattern, stepped in front of the Receiver, and easily snagged the game-clinching INT.  Actually, WSU needed one first down to effectively run out the clock (AS IF sc could score even if they got the ball), and they couldn’t do it,,, without sc’s help.  But sc gave the game to the Cougs, with a Pass Interference call of their own, and THAT allowed WSU to take 3 knees and end the game.

SC fans had been booing their own Offense throughout the final 3 Quarters, because the Quarterbacking was atrocious, and the play-calling was even worse — Repeated Bubble Screens,  and then straightforward Running Plays when long yardage was needed for a First Down — So unimaginative, and such a waste of Lee’s talent.  By the end of the game, the whole crowd was chanting “Fire Kiffin,” and it was totally audible to TV viewers at home.  At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before they make a change.

It’s simply amazing to see how badly they play now that Pat Haden has taken over, and now that the NCAA is watching closer, and a Compliance Department finally exists.  Level playing field anyone?  So now that they aren’t deflating footballs, changing jersey numbers illegally, giving Free A’s in Spanish classes, shooting up steroids, and paying recrutis, and players, and palyers’ families, they suddenly come back down to Earth.  Simply amazing.  It’s gonna be even funnier when it’s learned that they’re still doing all that stuff, but they still suck.