USC returned to its offensive roots last week against Washington with shorter, quicker passes reminiscent of the Norm Chow era. Or did it?
Such an observation is not true, according to USC coach Pete Carroll, even as last week's performance was portrayed by several players as a retro approach based upon the principles of the previous seasons.
"We didn't do different things. Everyone knows the things we did," Carroll said. "We just did things that would happen faster."
PHOTO: AFP
"Our offense hasn't changed," offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin added.
The question keeps popping up, however, and even fans asked the coaches during a booster meeting this week about a return to Chow's philosophy.
But it's not a view shared among the coaches.
"I don't know if we went conservative," assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "I think it's questionable to say that's the case because we still threw to the end zone and Dwayne Jarrett caught three touchdown passes."
There was a subtle difference against Washington, though. The initial game script's first 15 plays included a number of perimeter passes, which are high-percentage completions and figured to boost quarterback Matt Leinart's confidence.
"I've had a few games where I wasn't to my level," Leinart said.
Carroll decided last week the best way to raise Leinart's morale was to quicken the pace and run less-complicated plays. The end result was the offense ran easier plays against Washington so that Leinart would feel less taxed than in the previous four games.
"We tried to establish confidence and made it happen," Carroll said.
Depending on your point of view, it was either a reversion to the past or USC simply used plays that existed but rarely were used.
"We've got a million plays," Kiffin said.
But Leinart appeared more comfortable after struggling for the past month. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns.
"I think we tried to get things easy and quick to get Leinart's confidence up," receiver Steve Smith said.
The quick pace probably fooled players into thinking there was a different approach more than anything else.
"In terms of being able to execute plays and scoring easy, it felt like old times," tailback Reggie Bush said. "I don't know if it was a return to last year but it was getting back to executing the way we know how. It's dominating Trojan football."
Smith said the pass routes were noticeably shorter against Washington, which he appreciated even though he is one of prime beneficiaries of the home-run approach.
"We had routes (against Washington) where you can go three different ways but they are all quick passes. You aren't doing so many long patterns, which can make you tired coming back to the huddle," Smith said.
Carroll bristled at the notion the offense want back to anything. After all, he always pointed out that he changed USC's offense midway through the 2001 season, making it less pass-happy and more run-oriented.
His growing influence with the offense was one of the reasons Chow departed for the Tennessee Titans, according to sources close to the situation.
"We've got a great system," Carroll said. "We're leading the nation in offense."
USC ranks first in the nation in scoring (49.0 points per game) and first in total offense (581.1 yards), so it's hard to argue with those statistics. But even Carroll gets asked by fans why tight end Dominique Byrd's role is smaller this season.
"I don't care who gets the ball but I want teams we play to defend our entire offense," Carroll said.
Byrd has caught 15 passes in seven games this year. Even though he missed five games with a knee injury, Byrd caught 37 passes in eight games last season.
As an example of taking whatever the opponent gives USC, Carroll pointed out the Trojans threw several passes to fullback David Kirtman late in the game against Arizona State because the Sun Devils failed to cover him. Kirtman is ahead of last year's pace with 14 receptions in seven games. Last year he had 19 in 13 games.
"We've thrown at people depending on the defense," Carroll said. "The situation dictates a lot of that stuff."
With little to separate the top teams in the Bowl Championship Series standings, degree of difficulty and style points matter when it comes to impressing college football coaches and other poll voters.
In that regard, Virginia Tech achieved partial success Thursday night. The Hokies, ranked No. 3 and stuck behind Texas and Southern California in the BCS standings, faced Boston College (No. 14 in the BCS standings) and were not seriously threatened in a 30-10 victory at Lane Stadium.
It was an occasionally dominating performance by Virginia Tech (8-0), although it was not always pretty, particularly with the Hokies wearing garish uniforms featuring a single orange shoulder. The Hokies did not put the game away until early in the fourth quarter, when they scored 10 points. The final points came via a 13-yard interception return by Vince Hall with 3 minutes 13 seconds left.
The offense did not strike at will against Boston College (6-2), which kept this one within range until the fourth quarter. The Eagles even held a 7-6 lead after scoring in the second quarter -- the first time since the season opener Sept. 4 that the Hokies trailed in a game.
But quarterback Marcus Vick, playing in front of his older brother Michael, led two touchdown drives in the second quarter, and soon the score was 20-7 and the game was under control.
The first touchdown came on a 15-yard reverse by Eddie Royal, putting Virginia Tech in front, 13-7. Then Vick carried the Hokies to another score. He had runs of 15 and 8 yards on consecutive plays to move Virginia Tech to the 3 before throwing a touchdown pass to Josh Morgan with 33 seconds left in the first half.
Vick completed 22 of 28 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown and ran for 52 yards on 13 carries. But it was the defense, which entered the game No. 1 in the country by allowing nine points a game, that dominated Boston College. The Eagles were held to 27 yards rushing and 183 yards of total offense to Virginia Tech's 492 yards.
"They beat us on both sides of the ball," Boston College coach Tom O'Brien said. "It starts in the trenches, and if you can't control the line of scrimmage, it's going to be a long night. That it was for us."
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