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That University of South Central center... - Printable Version

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Re: That the University of South Central center... - fullmetal - 09-16-2012

If he could play, Lane Kiffin would have put him in for the second half.  Trojan OL got abused.  Maybe Kiffin realized that the Stanford front seven would just exacerbate Holmes's injury more.

Don't see it that way - Redrum - 09-16-2012

Khalid Holmes dressing out was just gamesmanship.  Don't give the opponent anything to seize on before the game starts.  Also, it's good team psychology not to relegate the not-to-badly injured to dress out and be with the team.  But once he's not playing it's all pretty moot.  Looks like a beast just standing there, though.  We went after Khalid and his older brother hard in the recruiting wars,  but they were USC guys from the git go and probably just enjoyed the attention.

Re: That the University of South Central center... - Farm93 - 09-16-2012

OK to be fair,

SC has very few scholarship players they had planned to let on the field this year.  I am sure if there was an absolute need due to injury he could have jumped out there, but only in that situation.  Since SC might not even have other scholarship athletes worthy of suiting up and making the travel squad, Khalid was dressed.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED the SC OL play by the way.  No way Barkley looks like a ragdoll by the end if SC was a bit more organized on the line and that organization would have been the center's calls.  I knew it was a big deal when I saw the SC injury in the 4th quarter against Syracuse.

Thank you Syracuse for keeping it close last week.

Re: That the University of South Central center... - 76lsjumb - 09-16-2012

While we're discussing centers...

Sam Schwartzstein deserves some sort of award for sheer guts.  He was limping so badly for most of the game that it looked like he could have used a golf cart just to get from the huddle to the line of scrimmage...

Got called for holding once on a running play, but I'll give him that.  He did an amazing job overall, when it looked like he was probably less mobile than the Black Knight in Monty Python/Holy Grail...

Re: That the University of South Central center... - fullmetal - 09-16-2012

We all saw Barkley making the line calls and checks--it was a game effort, and it was really just 7+ pts shy of a winning effort--but you can't replace a guy like Holmes for sheer physicality/talent and pre-snap execution.  They'll get Holmes back, abuse the rest of their scheduled opponents, and end up in the Pac-12 title game against a worthy opponent and a bowl game...they'll be fine.

Re: That the University of South Central center... - yvonne - 09-16-2012

I don't know. They'll suffer some more attrition as all teams do. They won't have the depth, just as they don't at center. They will lose at least one more game, possibly even next week's. Arizona and UCLA are stronger, with new coaches, so those are possible losses, as well. They talked during the off season about how the sanctions weren't going to hurt them, but a lack of depth hurts any team.

Re: That University of South Central center... - LuckE2Bhere - 09-17-2012

Didn't they call-in another 5-Star (at least I heard he was the #1 rated OG in the country 2 years ago) replacement for Holmes? Fairly or not (I think NOT, having seen our front seven roll over pretty much their ENTIRE o-line as the game wound down), he seems to be taking all of the blame for their loss.  I don't necessarily disagree with Yvonne's point, or the main point of our post, Garvin, but I hate hearing people make it sounds like we only beat them because they had to play some kid that they just plucked off of a random high school field (btw, that kid may have red-shirted last year, but he's now in his second year in their system too).

Re: That University of South Central center... - fullmetal - 09-17-2012

The backup center shouldn't take all the blame for the loss.  Look at how their defense couldn't handle the jumbo package well toward the end of the game.  But the 1) burden of making line/protection calls from the QB position, 2) comparative lack of experience/physical strengths compared to Holmes, and 3) focus of the DL on getting through the center certainly neutralized $C's offense.  Without that pocket pressure, Woods and Lee might have wreaked untold havoc on the secondary.  The front seven's efforts must have been heroic to get to Barkley before Lee and Woods could break open. 

I'm going to rewatch that game this weekend, perhaps with a few of the other Stanford alumni in the area who didn't come out Saturday to our watch party, which was incidentally held in conjunction with the USC club of Austin's watch party.  Yeah, they left in a hurry without saying much at the end...but they weren't abrasive at all.  Good fan behavior from all sides.

Re: That University of South Central center... - LuckE2Bhere - 09-17-2012

I agree that the Center plays a role that extends beyond just blocking, but I'd also suggest that we played guys like Wayne Lyons in positions that were just as critical (given the WR match-up), and he really doesn't have any more experience than their back-up Center (maybe more plays this season, but he was injured most of his true-freshman year, and undoubtedly had fewer active practices coming into this game).

Re: That University of South Central center... - StannyBoy - 09-17-2012

Cyrus Hobbi was a 4 star recruit but that doesn't always mean much. And Kiffin is bashing their LT in the media and not Hobbi. Andrey Walker must be so pissed at Kiffin. Their whole line sucked.

Re: That University of South Central center... - fullmetal - 09-18-2012

Their right tackle was abused in that last drive.