Yahoo! Sports
(CSTV U-WIRE) LOS ANGELES — It’s not the flashiest way to win. It won’t put up video game-like numbers on the scoreboard or keep fans glued to their seats.
But as the Trojans look to finish out the end of the season with three final victories, their best bet is to stick with the running game, which exploded behind Chauncey Washington last week for 239 yards against Cal.
Running plays accounted for 70.6 percent of Steve Sarkisian’s play-calling against the Bears, allowing Washington to post a career-high 220 yards on 29 carries.
So why tamper with what’s working? They don’t call USC “Tailback U” for nothing. Coach Carroll did recruit 10 top-flight running backs to this roster. Let the offense continue to gravitate toward blue chips Washington, Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight.
It’s unlikely that any defense can shut down all three on any given night. Chauncey provides the power, Joe offers the outside speed and Stafon contributes a little of both.
Most importantly, perhaps, is the fact that USC’s running backs now run behind a fully healthy offensive line. Sam Baker, Chilo Rachal and Matt Spanos have finally made it back into the lineup.
And the effect in the Cal game was evident. USC’s healthy O-line dominated the Bears at the line of scrimmage, clearing lanes for Washington all night long.
And if a fully healthy offensive line seems like just as much of a reason to open up the passing attack, think again. The Trojans are still plagued by dropped passes and other miscues.
Whether it’s the young receiving core’s inexperience or John David Booty’s poor decisions, the passing game has been too inconsistent.
Sticking with the rushing attack can alleviate these problems. The Trojans can live by age-old football wisdom, which suggests establishing the run will open up the passing game. This will allow the Trojans to take a little bit of pressure off Booty’s shoulders — and we all know he’s had his fair share of that this season.
In USC’s only truly dominant victories this season against Nebraska and Notre Dame, the running game stood out as the root of the Trojans’ success. Tailback U racked up 313 yards on the ground against the Cornhuskers and 227 against the Fighting Irish.
True, Notre Dame and Nebraska are both having terrible years, but in how many games has our passing game really exploded?
The passing attack has only eclipsed the 300-yard mark once this season when Booty threw for 364 in a loss to Stanford. Its inconsistency has been one of the major disappointments of this season.
So USC would be wise to stick with the run against its next two opponents, Arizona State and UCLA. Both teams are ranked in the top 20 defending the run, but these high rankings are deceptive.
Despite ranking 17th nationally in rush defense and yielding only 103.4 yards per contest, the Sun Devils haven’t played an incredibly difficult schedule. Oregon, by far their most worthy opponent, exposed the Sun Devils’ rushing defense for 200 yards and handed ASU its only loss of the season.
The Bruins are just behind the Ducks with the 18th-rated run defense, giving up just over 111 yards per game. But the same trend holds true. UCLA gave up 159 and 274 yards, respectively, in losses to Washington State and Arizona State.
Washington might have finally found his rhythm. The ball should be in his hands as the Trojans prepare to end the season in stride.
“We told each other we’ve got to finish,” Washington said after his breakout performance last week. “That’s our motto. Fourth quarter, we’ve got to finish.”
The Trojans are ready to carry the momentum from the Cal victory and translate it into the strong finish they have become so accustomed to during the Pete Carroll era. And that will all hinge on their ability to continue pounding the football on the ground.
Source: COMMENTARY: Running game is Trojans key to closing out season on high
