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football Edit

Five Things To Watch For: USC

Let's get right to it:

1) Linebackers [check] - They played about as well as you could have hoped. No real glaring mistakes, generally more decisive, and multiple bodies were at the ball most of the time.

2) Quarterback [check] - Great game for Webb, who avoided mistakes and kept it moving.

3) DeVante Wilson [half check] - This was the most I remember seeing DeVante Wilson all season, although it still wasn't too much. He was a bigger force in the pass game than usual, though.

4) Punch first [check] - Early lead, then a 20 point lead. No complaints here. Team looked prepared and ready early.

5) Balance the offense [half check] - Still didn't run the ball enough.

The weakest Oregon team in years, the best scorecard of the season, and it still took until the final play of the game to get a victory due to game management.

Hard not to be a little frustrated, given that. Now, in order to end the streak, they'll need to...

1) Keep USC off balance

As I wrote earlier this week, I suspect that Davis Webb still can't throw the ball deep, which will mean that USC is probably preparing for this possibility as well, especially if Hansen doesn't play again (another thing I do not anticipate). This frees up the Trojans to play aggressively with their back line, unless Jake Spavital has some looks he's ready to scheme up. I don't think our usual catch and run/short screen stuff will work as well against this level of USC athlete, so it'll be interesting to see what adjustments are made.

Some misdirection can help against this unit -- Colorado got back in the game against the Trojans by hitting on a running back pass, and getting that kind of trick play would be a huge confidence booster.

As always, please #runthedangballjake.

2) Bother Sam Darnold

After a disastrous attempt to start Max Browne against Alabama, USC decided to push their chips into the pile behind the redshirt freshman, who looks better every week, and can run a bit, too, keeping the play alive with his feet but staying downfield. He's rarely been touched -- two sacks so far -- and doesn't make a ton of mistakes -- 2 INTs on the year against 13 TDs. The kid looks like the real deal, and the USC starter for the next two+ seasons.

Getting him off balance and setting USC behind the chains would be a huge bonus on Thursday, as it would allow the Bears to settle in behind their secondary and just try to keep things in front of them.

3) Daniel Imatorbhebhe and Tyler Petite vs the Cal secondary

We know Juju Smith-Schuster well, and he'll cause problems no matter where he's at -- this would be true even if Darius Allensworth was at full strength. However, in their last game against Colorado, Sam Darnold discovered the tight end as a tight end target, and it's these two guys (3 TDs against the Buffs) who could end up joining the Ed Dickson--Pharoah Brown--Johnny Mundt--Every Stanford Guy tier of unremarkable receivers who manage to dash hopes and dreams.

They've had a bye week to continue working on this, and also the tape of the Oregon game to realize Cal's struggles against bigger receivers. I have no doubt that Tee Martin and company have schemed to attack this.

4) Adoree Jackson

Do not kick to him. Do not -- for the most part -- throw at him. Choose which receiver you want to sacrifice to him, and try to work around that.

[On a side note, it sucks that we won't get to see him go head up with Chad.]

5) End the streak

Look, guys. Any children that were born the last time we beat USC are now able to go see a PG-13 movie by themselves. (Editor's note: I was in the sixth grade. First field storming ever)

As far as ideal conditions to end the streak, these are not them -- we're coming off a short week, we're brutally injured and dinged up, and we're on the road on Thursday night. The Trojans we thought we might get -- the quit on the season Trojans, the rudderless, head coachless Trojans -- are nowhere to be found, and by the looks of things, they've begun to figure it out.

Which means this is as good a time as any to break tendency, right? It's just a stadium. They're just a team. If the Bears can get off to a fast start, it might prevent some of the "oh no here we go again" mentality that they often dig themselves into against the Trojans.

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