At the moment, Aaron Corp, the 3rd-year sophomore out of Orange Lutheran, is an idea in the heads of USC Trojan football fans. Aaron is a tremendous kid with huge talent. He is, easily, the Trojans quarterback with the most mobility, the most escapability and the best chance to make a big play with his feet. He was named the starter after spring practice, and he's been in the program a long time. He has a deep understanding of the offense, and he's obviously hungry to play.
Now that it looks like uber freshman Matt Barkley's shoulder bruise will likely keep him from starting at Seattle against Steve Sarkisian's new-look Huskies, visions of a wide open offense are dancing in some Trojans fans' heads. Let's check that right here.
Corp will be making his first start. He will be facing a revved up crowd - maybe one of the loudest venues on the west coast. He played in parts of 5 games last year while Mark Sanchez was the starter, and he was 4-4 in relief of Barkley after the win over the San Jose St. was salted away in week 1. Despite spending more time in the program than Barkley, Corp is now the less-experienced of the 2 QBs.
Playcaller Jeremy Bates and Offensive Coordinator John Morton are not calling games like Old West gunslingers. Barkley didn't take big shots downfield, and I suspect, neither will Corp. Barkley threw the ball fewer than 20 times against San Jose St. and just 31 times at Columbus. If the Trojans run 35 passing plays tomorrow at Huskie Stadium, it will mean either that they lose or they're locked up in a real battle that goes to the wire.
With Joe McKnight (who is battling the flu), Stafon Johnson, Allen Bradford, CJ Gable and Marc Tyler, Corp is going to be handing the football off a lot tomorrow. If the Trojans get field position, they may take a shot or 2, but McKnight and Johnson will have more touches than USC wide receivers. And, that's the way it should be.
In my mind, the identity of this 2009-2010 Trojan team is that they run the football. Corp will be able to "check down" to FB Stanley Havili and TE Anthony McCoy, and he may get to dink a couple of passes to McKnight in the flat so he has the opportunity to create "in space." Maybe if USC wins the field position battle, Bates will call for a couple of downfield throws.
The one wrinkle that Corp gives the Trojan offense is that on a rollout, or a bootleg, or if the pocket breaks down, or off of play action, Corp can create positive yards by running the football. That's a plus. I would be surprised to see a designed quarterback draw (a la Terrelle Pryor).
I feel good about this game for the Trojans. While the team was still in Columbus, Coach Carroll started talking about Washington. Last year, the game that followed Ohio St. was in Corvallis and we all remember that Waterloo featuring the miniature Jaquiz Rodgers slicing his way up and down the field. There will be no letdown here. I don't believe that this is a trap. USC came out of Ohio St. bruised, battered and lucky to be undefeated.
But some of the pointspreads I've seen, like USC laying 20, are unrealistic. Jake Locker is a tremendous talent, Sarkisian has transformed the Husky culture, and, regardless of what the coaches say, Sark and D Coordinator Nick Holt is going to know some tendencies that they may be able to exploit.
My prediction:
TROJANS 42
HUSKIES 24
I wish good luck to the team. We will rock you!
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