Game summaries 2008 USC Trojans football team

1 game summaries

1.1 virginia
1.2 ohio state
1.3 oregon state
1.4 oregon
1.5 arizona state
1.6 washington state
1.7 arizona
1.8 washington
1.9 california
1.10 stanford
1.11 notre dame
1.12 ucla
1.13 rose bowl versus penn state

game summaries
virginia

the trojans opened season visiting university of virginia cavaliers of atlantic coast conference (acc) under al groh in first ever game between 2 programs , first usc game in virginia. virginia went 9–4 in 2007, off-season losses both nfl , unexpected issues left cavaliers ranked fifth-out-of-six teams in acc s coastal division in preseason. 5 uva players arrested during off-season , 5 other players dismissed team because of academic reasons.

the game described possibly biggest home opener virginia @ scott stadium. groh noted pleased game opened team s schedule due usc s ability , general distraction otherwise pose conference play: s time in wanted play in first game, , wanted play in first game. virginia entered game having gone 3–4 in opening games under groh.

virginia become 34th state (plus japan) trojans have played football. usc entered game favored 19.5 points.

scoring 3 touchdowns in first quarter usc needed beat on cavaliers @ home field. quarterback mark sanchez threw 338 yards, cj gable ran 73 yards, , ronald johnson had 78 yards in receiving. no. 3 trojans got off start, virginia turnovers.

usc continued undefeated streak in openers away home under carroll.

ohio state


date: september 13
location: los angeles memorial coliseum, los angeles
game start: 8:00 pm est
game attendance: 93,607
tv announcers (abc): brent musburger & kirk herbstreit

after bye week, trojans hosted ohio state buckeyes of big ten conference under head coach jim tressel. usc or ohio state had played in 5 of last 6 bcs title games. non-conference game between 2 perennial powers had potential national championship implications either program. historic rivalry existed between 2 teams: between 1968–84, met 6 times in rose bowl , determined eventual national champion in 3 of contests. teams had not faced 1 since september 29, 1990, when todd marinovich led trojans 35–26 victory in ohio stadium in game called because of thunderstorm 2 minutes 36 seconds play.

by end of 2007–08 season, game garnered interest possible early-season battle between top-10 teams. beginning of season named anticipated regular-season game of 2008. winning team assumed have inside track national title game, though, given recent trends in title game, loser had reasonable chance well. in naming top potentially season-defining game of 2008, sports illustrated highlighted theme of credibility: ohio state enters game trying move past bcs title game losses of previous 2 seasons , usc enters trying show remains highly competitive new starting quarterback , 4 of 5 new players on offensive line. game viewed possible heisman trophy showdown, between ohio state s running chris beanie wells , usc s sanchez. during preseason pac-10 media day, carroll noted s games make us.

the buckeyes featured combination of quarterbacks: fifth-year senior , all-big-ten quarterback todd boeckman continued start buckeyes, in 2008 supplemented highly regarded true-freshman quarterback terrelle pryor. combination aimed use boeckman s prowess classic drop-back passer pryor s speed , ability scramble yards. trojans had particular concerns pryor, had many of capabilities made previous athletic scrambling quarterbacks, such dennis dixon, jake locker , vince young, difficult defense contain. buckeyes came in strong defense, led all-american , butkus award-winning linebacker james laurinaitis , cornerback malcolm jenkins. both linebacking corps, highlighted buckeyes laurinaitis , marcus freeman trojans rey maualuga , brian cushing, considered best in country. 1 of major storylines entering game surrounded health of ohio state s star running back, beanie wells. injured foot in buckeyes opener, , sat out second game of season. during week of game cleared play against trojans; thursday presence assessed doubtful after experienced soreness in foot 1 day after returning practice.

although scheduled third week of season, game primary focus of fan , media attention both programs. ticket prices rose levels $100 $5,000 apiece. game received heightened attention in national sports news when usc alumnus , starting quarterback nfl s cincinnati bengals, carson palmer told radio show cannot stand buckeyes , having live in ohio , hear people talk team, drives me absolutely nuts [. . .] can t wait game here can come out coliseum , experience l.a. , old-fashioned, pac-10 butt-whupping. while tressel defended palmer s comments of fan, ohio state fans incensed. in week before game, buckeyes wide receiver ray small stated usc lacked class of ohio state, noting [a]t ohio state, teach better man. there, s football , further nothing felt usc not serious game. sideline passes in high demand, celebrities such denzel washington , jamie foxx in attendance.

usc , ohio state opened preseason ranked no. 2 , 3 in both ap , coaches polls, swapping positions in each. after trojans strong performance against virginia, usc rose no. 1 , ohio state ranked no. 3 in both polls. however, after ohio state struggled in week 2 win against unregarded ohio team, fell no. 5 in both polls while usc remained no. 1. game week trojans considered 10-point favorites.

ohio state @ usc




oregon state

the trojans began pac-10 conference schedule on road against oregon state beavers, under head coach mike riley, in corvallis, oregon. on previous visit reser stadium, during 2006 season, beavers defeated trojans, 33–31, in major upset; such, game mentioned in preseason possible upset trojans.

freshman jacquizz rodgers (#1) ran 186 yards , 2 touchdowns osu, usc quarterback mark sanchez (#6) passed 227 yards, , damian williams (#18) caught 80 yards top ranked trojans in upset loss.

oregon state pac-10 conference school have beaten usc twice during pete carroll era, until oregon , stanford equaled feat in 2009.

oregon

before season game named game of interest , second interesting pac-10 game watch after ohio state-usc, in part due potential battle top of conference.

arizona state

entering season, arizona state named possible challenger usc s dominance of pac-10.

washington state



arizona



washington



the announced crowd of on 80,000 dissipated midway though fourth quarter, trojans, using second , third team players, leading 49–0.



california

this game mentioned possible upset trojans.

stanford

before 2007 season, stanford head coach jim harbaugh, in first year cardinal, garnered attention first stating 2007 going carroll s last year @ usc, then, during pac-10 media day, usc may best team in history of college football. cardinal stunned trojans in major upset, 24–23, ending trojans 35-game home winning streak , causing major obstacle trojans national title hopes. during 2008 pac-10 media day, noted aftermath of cardinal s victory on usc water under bridge. given previous season, before season named game watch espn.com.

the game marked first sell out of new stanford stadium since opening in 2006; large portion of crowd in support of usc.



notre dame


date: november 29
location: los angeles memorial coliseum, los angeles
game start: 8:00 pm est
television network: espn

ucla


date: december 6
location: rose bowl, pasadena, california
game start: 4:30 pm est
television network: abc





















the 2008 edition of rivalry marked return tradition of both teams playing in home jerseys.

before season game garnered interest in seeing how new bruins coach rick neuheisel in battle gain supremacy in los angeles.

joe mcknight (12-yard run), damian williams (12-yard pass mark sanchez), stafon johnson (2-yard run) , patrick turner (18-yard pass sanchez) scored trojans. sanchez passed 269 yards, mcknight ran 99 yards , turner caught 81 yards.

a fumble recovery turned pass reception touchdown kahlil bell in beginning of game scoring bruins in latest cross-town rivalry game. ucla quarterback kevin craft completed 11 out of 28 passes total of 89 yards , had 1 pass intercepted.

going game, trojans set be, @ worst, co-pac-10 champions oregon state. however, after win on ucla , oregon state s loss same day, trojans became pac-10 champions seventh straight year , qualified rose bowl, played on january 1, 2009. linebacker rey maualuga named pac-10 defensive player of year.

rose bowl versus penn state


date: january 1
location: rose bowl, pasadena, california
game start: 5:10 pm est
tv announcers (abc): brent musburger & kirk herbstreit































the rose bowl, prepared 95th edition of nation s oldest bowl game.