What’s The RAMS Problem?

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November 15, 2019

NFL 2019: San Francisco 49ers vs Los Angeles Rams OCT 13 — Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay during the NFL game on October 13, 2019. Jevone Moore

LOS ANGELES – Heading into Sunday nights pivotal showdown against the Chicago Bears, our beloved Los Angeles Rams are in danger of missing the NFL Playoffs after last year’s magical Super Bowl run. With a (5-4) record, their season is derailing due to a struggling offense, lackluster play from their superstars and risky gambles from management determined to win now at all costs.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff #16 during the NFL game on October 13, 2019. Jevone Moore

After Sunday’s humiliating loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-12, when the Rams anemic offense was incapable of scoring a touchdown in an astounding 15 possessions. Four turnovers and a measly three points was all the Rams could muster. In 2018, the Rams led the NFL in scoring, this season it’s dropped to 10th. What happened?

First, All-Pro Running Back Todd Gurley is no longer the premier rusher he formerly was. His nagging quad and knee injuries have limited him to 428 yards with only 6 touchdowns. The offense was predicated and built around Gurley’s excellence, enabling quarterback Jared Goff to confuse opposing defenses with the play action. For example, Gurley came alive on Sunday afternoon, with a strong 22-yard run in the 3rd quarter. Oddly, backup Malcolm Brown came in for Gurley for nearly the remainder of the game. Ram’s wunderkind Head Coach Sean McVay has left Gurley on the bench during several crucial moments in 2019.

Another factor is the injury bug is finally catching up with the Rams. Primarily with the offensive line. Once the steady bedrock of the franchise, Center Brian Allen as well as Guard Joe Noteboom will sadly miss the remainder of the season. The past two seasons, no Offensive Lineman missed a game.

Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs the ball on October 29, 2019, Photo by Jordon Kelly.

Always the optimist, McVay is prepared for any new obstacle. “I think it’s a great challenge, let’s use this opportunity to try and see we can put guys in better spots, and ultimately find a way to win the game as a team,” said McVay.

Just one year ago, the Rams knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs, 54-51 at the Coliseum. The week 11 triumph was one of the most thrilling regular-season games in NFL history. The tenor going into this week, 11 matchup against the Bears is one of urgency.

The Rams are currently third in the NFC West, trailing both the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, in what is hands down the strongest division in the league.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff #16 during a NFL game on October 13, 2019. Jevone Moore

Personally, I believe the lion share of the blame falls on Rams quarterback Jared Goff. Goff has reverted to the issues which plagued him during his Super Bowl LIII 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots. The 2016 NO. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft has thrown 11 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. Making matters worse, Goff has gone five straight games with a completion rate below 60 percent.

To be fair, Goff has been pressured on 40 percent of his drop backs. Opposing defenses have figured the Rams methods and schemes. The Rams reeked of desperation against the Steelers: the fake punt deep inside their own 30 yard line. To running the ball on third and long situations.

This is not a case of the dreaded, ”Super Bowl hangover”. These problems began to creep up last year. Rather, it is the tale of an innovative coach and general manager possibly making shortsighted decisions in order to hoist the Lombardi trophy this season.

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay during the NFL game on October 13, 2019. Jevone Moore

Rams general manager Les Snead paid his three most important players – Gurley, Goff and defensive tackle Aaron Donald exorbitant contract extensions. Snead took a dangerous, albeit loyal gamble to keep his stars in the City of Angels. Let’s talk about the Jalen Ramsey trade. Arguably the league’s best cornerback was a disgruntled Jacksonville Jaguar demanding a trade.

The Rams obliged, perhaps giving up too much in return. The Rams received Ramsey while losing Cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. Even worse, the Jaguars received first-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 NFL draft.

Can the city and the Rams afford his vision? Moving to the $5 billion-dollar SoFi stadium in Inglewood in 2020 has to be a part of his decision. Let’s not put the horse before the cart. We’ve got a best Da’ Bears.

The Bears are facing the same issues we are: an incredible defense, shaky quarterback play and Postseason aspirations. Lest we forget, on a Sunday night game in CHI town at Soldier field last year, the Bears had our number, winning 15-6. The Rams will also be missing wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who has suffered another concussion.

We need to support our Rams by making it out to the Coliseum on Sunday night. Kickoff is at 5:15 pm. The game will air on NBC. Prediction: Rams 24 Bears 21

USC remains undefeated with 84-66 win over South Dakota

By

Eric Ramos

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November 12, 2019

The USC basketball team saw their lead cut down to three points with 9:35 left in the second half. The Trojans put South Dakota away with a 16-4 run, including two three-pointers by senior Jonah Matthews.

Nick Rakocevic drives to the basket during the South Dakota vs USC men’s basketball at Galen Center in Los Angeles on November 12, 2019. (Photo by Rick Gurrola)

Nick Rakocevic scored 27 points and pulled down 16 rebounds to help USC defeat South Dakota, 84-66, Tuesday night at the Galen Center. USC improved to 3-0 on the season.

“South Dakota, I thought played very well for most of the game,” USC head coach Andy Enfield said. “I thought we wore them down late in the second half with our length. Our guys finished the game strong.”

Rakocevic and Matthews, who finished with 14 points, both got into the 1,000 career points club. Rakocevic tied a career high in points, made a career-high 10 free throws and finished with five steals, also a career high.

“To be part of those great players (who have scored 1,000 points) is special.” Rakocevic said. “Being aggressive down low and crashing the offensive glass has always been part of my game. I had mismatches against them and my teammates got me the ball to score.”

USC jumped out to a 16-point lead in the first half with the help Max Agbongpolo, who made 3-of-4 three pointers off the bench. USC led 38-31 at halftime despite shooting 35 percent.

True freshman Onyeka Okongwu converted a three-point play and grad transfer Quinton Adlesh drilled two three-pointers to fuel an 11-0 run and a 56-44 lead in the second half. South Dakota stormed back with a 12-3 run to cut the lead, 59-56.

Jonah Matthews drains a three pointer during the South Dakota vs USC men’s basketball at Galen Center in Los Angeles on November 12, 2019. (Photo by Rick Gurrola)

In the closing minutes, the seniors took over as Mattews hit two three-pointers and two key free throws. Rakocevic nailed three free throws to extend the lead and put the game out of reach.

“Our guys executed the game plan well,” Enfield said. “Any team we play can beat us. South Dakota State went to the NIT last year, won 25 games, they’re an excellent program. Our players knew they could beat us. It was good for our guys. They did a great job in the last part of the game to get the W.”

The Trojans hit the road for the first time this season when they travel to Nevada on Saturday, Nov.16.

Pac-12 Football Players of the Week – Week 11

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Press Release

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November 11, 2019

PAC-12 Conference Football Media Day 2018 — PAC-12 Football Media Day

Pac-12 Football Players of the Week – Week 11

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 02: USC Trojans quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) drops back in the pocket during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

OFFENSE: Kedon Slovis, Fr., QB, USC (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
• Was 29-of-39 for a career-best 432 yards with 4 TDs (8, 8, 58, 95 yards).
• All of his TDs were in the first quarter when he completed 15-of-17 passes (including his first 11) for 297 yards to help USC to a 28-7 lead.
• The 95-yard TD was the longest at USC since a school record 97-yarder in 1996.

Also nominated: Salvon Ahmed, WASH; Laviska Shenault, COLO; Joey Yellen, ASU.

DEFENSE: Edefuan Ulofoshio, R-Fr., LB, Washington (Anchorage, Alaska)
• Ulofoshio came off the bench to lead the Washington defense to a dominant performance in the Huskies’ 19-7 win at Oregon State.
• OSU entered the game averaging 33.6 points and 431.0 yards per game, but were limited to 7 points (which were actually scored by the OSU defense on a pick-six) and just 119 yards of total offense.
• Ulofoshio, mainly a special teamer prior to last Friday, entered the game with a total of 11 tackles (and no sacks or TFLs) on the season but, after an injury to a starting linebacker, filled the gap and led the Huskies with nine tackles in the game, including one and a half sacks for losses totaling 12 yards.
• In the second half of the game, Ulofoshio and the Dawgs defense limited the Beavers to just eight yards of total offense and no first downs as OSU went three-and-out five times.

Also nominated: Davion Taylor, COLO.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Evan Price, R-Fr., PK, Colorado (Evergreen, Colo.)
• Scored 10 points, making good on all three field goal attempts and his lone PAT kick.
• His 23-yard field goal tied the game at 13-13 with 7:34 to go, and then he kicked the game winner from 37 yards as time expired
• It’s CU’s third field goal in history to win a game as time expired, the first since 2007 versus Oklahoma.
• He is the first freshman in school history to be involved in a game winning score in the final two minutes in school history (Mason Crosby made a 23-yard field goal to send the game into overtime that CU eventually beat Kansas, 50-47, in 2003).
• He is now 7-of-8 in his career on field goals.
• He was told Thursday prior to the game that he would be the placekicker, as regular James Stefanou has a hip injury.

Also nominated: Brandon Aiyuk, ASU; Ben Griffiths, USC; Daniel Rodriguez, OSU.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Arlington Hambright, Gr., OL, Colorado (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
• In CU’s 16-13 win over Stanford that snapped a five-game losing streak, Hambright played all 71 snaps at left tackle, grading out to a season-best 88.7 percent.
• He had eight knockdowns and a touchdown block in helping CU rush for 172 yards (181 without one sack, averaging 4.5 per rush); 40 yards over Stanford’s season average on defense.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Joe Tryon, So., DE, Washington (Renton, Wash.)
• Led a suffocating Husky pass rush Friday in the Huskies’ 19-7 win at Oregon State, finishing the game with seven total tackles, four-and-a-half tackles for loss (for 26 yards) and two sacks (for 18 yards).
• It marked the second week in a row that Tryon tallied two sacks in a game. He now ranks 3rd in the Pac-12 in sacks, and second in conference games.
• OSU entered the game averaging 33.6 points and 431.0 yards per game, but were limited to 7 points (which were actually scored by the OSU defense on a pick-six), just 119 yards of total offense and six first downs.
• In the second half of the game, Tryon and the Dawgs defense limited the Beavers to just eight yards of total offense and no first downs as OSU went three-and-out five times.

Also nominated: Christian Rector, USC.

USC Trojans running back Kenan Christon #23 during the Arizona Wildcats vs USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday October 19, 2019 (Photo by Jevone Moore)

FRESHMAN: Kenan Christon, Fr., TB, USC (San Diego, Calif.)
• Christon, a fifth stringer at the start of the year who was playing just his fourth ever game, got his first career start and responded with 144 all-purpose yards.
• He had 62 yards on 20 carries and 82 yards on 4 catches with 2 TDs (8 and 58 yards, dragging defenders the last 20 yards on his second TD).

Also nominated: Omar Speights, OSU; Joey Yellen, ASU; Evan Price, COLO.

Cal Ends Losing Streak With 33-20 Win Over WSU

By

Aaron Nelson

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November 9, 2019

NelsonAaron_Cal_WSU_fi360News_11_9_19-2 — Caption: The Cal Golden Bears defeat the Washington State Cougars 33-20 at California Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 9, 2019 (Aaron Nelson / fi360 News).

Berkeley, CA – The California Golden Bears (5-4, 2-4) and Washington State Cougars (4-5, 1-5) entered their Saturday, November 9, match-up at Memorial Stadium with identical schedules both in and out of conference, each coming off a bye week, and both teams desperately needed a win as they fight for bowl eligibility.

It was Cal that would survive to earn its first win, 33-20, since starting quarterback Chase Garbers was lost to injury during a Friday Night home contest against the Arizona State Sun Devils in which they began a four-game losing streak after opening the year at 4-0 and earning a spot in the Top 15 rankings.

The game itself was a fairly evenly matched slugfest with both teams capitalizing on explosive plays and ultimately relying on their bread-and-butter styles. The Bears played stingy defense, especially in the red zone, while the Cougars threw the ball all over the field.

Saturday’s action kicked off early. The opening minute of play included an interception followed by a rushing touchdown for the Bears, and a blocked point-after try returned for a two-point score for the Cougars, making it 6-2 with 14:15 remaining in the first quarter.

The back-and-forth scoring would continue through much of the game, but the Cal defense would ultimately make the difference. With a forced fumble to go along with the early interception and key stops in the red zone leading to field goals instead of touchdowns as well as a key turnover on downs forced in the fourth quarter which allowed the Bears to pad their lead late.

Cal head coach Justin Wilcox announced Friday that quarterback Devon Modster (6) would start against the Cougars after he was forced out of their game against Oregon State October 19. Modster had started against both Oregon and Oregon State after taking over the offense with Garbers’ injury.

Though Modster had failed to produce much success leading into the match-up with the Cougars, the UCLA-transfer was clearly more likely to lead the team to a win than freshman Spencer Brasch (13), who struggled heavily in the Bears’ 35-0 loss at Utah.

Modster provided his strongest performance at Cal by far in this one. Finishing with 230 yards on 16-of-24 attempts for 3 touchdowns, including a huge 52-yard score on a third-down tunnel screen to freshman receiver Makai Polk (17) to go along with 54 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. He led the offense with poise and proved that the unit was capable of giving the team’s dominant defense a chance.

He was quick to point to the team-effort in earning the victory after the game saying “I think it just shows a lot of grit, coming off of a four-game losing streak, our spirits didn’t die. We came out to work every day and I think it showed tonight.”

The Bears offense also ran the ball far better than in recent weeks, thanks in part to key returns from injury on the offensive line, along with a porous rushing defense from the Cougars, who had allowed over 193 yards per game and 5 yards per carry coming in.

Christopher Brown Jr. (34) led the way for the Cal rushing attack with 101 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown as well as 13 yards receiving with two catches, while redshirt junior DeShawn Collins (26) added 34 yards on six carries.

For the Cougars, the nation’s leading passing attack, their proficiency through the air simply wasn’t quite enough.

Senior quarterback Anthony Gordon (18), who led or tied for the lead nationwide in total passing yards, passing yards per game, total offensive yards, and passing touchdowns entering the day, finished with 407 in this one, completing 45-of-58 with two touchdowns and the lone interception.

The Cougars closed the game with just 16 yards rushing, however.

Though they were able to add a late touchdown following Modster’s scamper in the end zone to put the Bears up 33-14, they were also held out of the end zone for nearly the entire second half.

The Cougars have now dropped five of their last six games and three straight in Berkeley.

Washington State cornerback George Hicks III (18) said that head coach Mike Leach did not mince words with his team after the game, telling his group “We have to be better. There was a lot of talk throughout the week, and at the end, we didn’t execute. That’s it. We have to put things into action come Saturday.”

They will return home to Pullman to take on Stanford as they look to add two more wins in three remaining contests, including a trip to Seattle for the Apple Cup, to give themselves a shot at post-season play.

National Defensive Player of the Year Candidate, linebacker Evan Weaver (89) and his fellow seniors will play in their final game at California Memorial Stadium next week as the Bears welcome the USC Trojans for senior night and their final home stand of 2019.

Mistakes cost ASU in their Comeback bid against USC

By

Eric Townsend

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November 9, 2019

ASU vs USC 2019 #660 — USC vs Arizona State PAC-12 Football (Photo by John Hays)

USC vs Arizona State PAC-12 Football (Photo by John Hays)

TEMPE, AZ – Pac-12 play continued for both squads as the USC Trojans (6-4, 5-2) their way to the 31-26 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils (5-4, 2-4).

It was the Kedon Slovis show in this one, as the Arizona native returned home to deliver the big win for the Trojans, throwing for 347 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone.

Marred mostly by sloppy play and costly mistakes in the first half, the Sun Devils would actually have to rely on another freshman quarterback, Joey Yellen, to replace the injured Jayden Daniels, who was out with an injury.

“I had a full week to prepare,” Yellen said. “I felt we had a good plan going in to this, and we executed for the most part except for a few plays.”

Starting with the ball first, USC would jump out to the early 7-0 lead, after Slovis and Trojans would drive 75-yards on 11 plays, connecting on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Slovis to Drake London.

After a quick three-and-out by the Devils, the Trojans would get the ball right back, where they would then capitalize on another Slovis touchdown, this one to freshman running back, Kenan Christon from eight-yards out, to make it 14-0.

Head coach Herm Edwards noted that this was again an instance where ASU won the coin toss, but deferred their decision, which ultimately came back to haunt them. “We’ve done this twice now,” Edwards said. “We need to fix that, cause that’s not good. We look up at the clock and it’s seven nothing, then it’s 14 nothing.”

Needing a response, luckily ASU would rebound quickly, getting right back into this one as they were sparked by a 97-yard kick return by receiver Brandon Aiyuk who got it down to the Trojan three-yard line. Three plays later, the Devils would find the endzone, scoring on a Yellen touchdown pass to Kyle Williams from five-yards out to make it 14-7.

Unfortunately for ASU, the Trojans would continue to score at will, finding the endzone on back-to-back drives of 75 and 98 yards respectively, to eventually make it 28-7 after just the first quarter.

Not backing down, ASU would begin to rally, making some major adjustments. Trailing 28-7, Edwards told his guys, especially his defense to “just play the coverage correctly” he said.

Coming up big in the second quarter, Yellen and the Devils would drive 71 yards on three plays, punctuated by a Frank Darby touchdown from 62-yards out to make it 28-13 with 6:47 to go in the half.

A missed extra point by the Devils would perhaps be the play to come back and bite ASU, though as the team still trailed 28-13 at the half, holding the Trojans to zero points that quarter.

Putting the first half woes behind them the Sun Devils would respond in the second half, scoring on their first drive to make it 28-20, when Yellen would find Aiyuk from two-yards out.

A few series later, the Trojans would get on the board again, this time connecting on a Chase McGrath field goal from 41-yards out to give the Trojans the 31-20 lead, virtually putting this one away for good.

Showing their resiliency, ASU wouldn’t back down, climbing back in to score a touchdown from Yellen to Darby again, but chasing points from that missed PAT earlier and the Devils would fail on the two-point conversion attempt to bring them within three points.

ASU would use a stifling defense to hold the Trojans from here on out, holding USC to zero points for the rest of the game, even allowing the offense to get one last chance to drive the field with over three minutes left to possibly steal the game.

Edwards would tell his freshman to “just keep smiling, you’re doing great,” he said. Yellen would finish the day with 292 yards passing with four touchdowns to just two interceptions.

“He’s not afraid to throw the vertical ball on the field,” Edwards said. “He might take more chances than Jayden [Daniels].”

However on that last drive ASU would have a chance to win this one as they were driving the field, but a few missed opportunities would prevent the Devils from coming back in this one. A wide open touchdown pass was dropped, that essentially set-up the costly Yellen interception throw to USC’s Christian Rector that iced the game.

ASU would go on to lose this one by a 31-26 final, falling to 5-4 (2-4) on the season.

“We just keep shooting ourselves in the foot,” ASU receiver Frank Darby said. “It’s frustrating you know, we worked too hard for two weeks.”

As for the Devils, they will travel to Corvallis next week to take on Oregon State, meanwhile the Trojans will face Cal to stay in the Pac-12 South hunt.

SMU Mustangs Outlast Surprisingly Good ECU Team

By

Ariawna Talton

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November 9, 2019

Dallas, Tx – To say that SMU was disappointed to end their winning streak last week against Memphis would be an understatement. Saturday, the team took the field at Ford Stadium with redemption on the agenda. After a full four quarters of competition, the Mustangs defeated the Pirates of Eastern Carolina 59 -51.

The powerful SMU offense arrived early and stayed late, however, Eastern Carolina brought with them a very powerful offense as well. For every SMU score, ECU followed up with a score. The back and forth battle was both entertaining and exhausting for the home crowd, which clearly didn’t expect such a high-powered ECU (3-7, 0-6 AAC) offense.

SMU quarterback Shane Buechele passed for 414 yards. ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers passed for 498 yards, connecting with feature receiver Tyler Snead for 240 of those yards. The incredibly offensive-heavy first half was so smooth that not a single flag was thrown to interrupt play.

The Mustangs started the scoring just minutes into the first quarter when Buechele connected with Kylen Granson in the back of the end zone. ECU would come right back with a 68-yard touchdown pass and then the back and forth ensued.

The second half played out like a scripted evening of NCAA on PS4. The first four possessions for Eastern Carolina resulted in three touchdowns and a field goal. And then SMU scored three touchdowns and a field goal.

At times both defensives appeared nonexistent. The onslaught of scoring was only interrupted by one particular error on special teams. ECU returner Jsi Hatfield dropped a kickoff that he was simply unable to fall on. Tyler Levine recovered the ball for SMU. The Mustangs would score a few minutes later and No. 25 SMU (9-1, 5-1 AAC) finally gained control and secured the difficult win.

Records were broken on Saturday. Several players had career days. While SMU was projected to defeat ECU by more than 20 points, it is important to note that of the 110 total points scored, SMU never trailed in this game.

“We were able to figure out a way to win the game,” Dykes said. “It’s hard to win every Saturday, it’s hard to win on Saturday. Hard to win nine games.”

Freshmen Tandem Lead USC over Portland

By

Darrel Wilson

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November 8, 2019

LOS ANGELES — Freshman phenom Onyeka “Big O” Okongwu booked a double-double and classmate Ethan Anderson dished out ten dimes as the USC Trojans pulled away late to defeat the Portland Pilots 76-65, Friday night at the Galen Center.

There was much discussion entering the season about the Trojans’ recruiting class that featured Big O and Isaiah Mobley. However, on this night, the unheralded Anderson put this team in a position to succeed.

“He had a really controlled game,” said USC head coach Andy Enfield about Anderson. “I thought he made the right reads… Anytime you get 10 assists in a game, it’s impressive, especially for a freshman. He’s developing as a player. He has great court vision. He’s a tough kid.”

USC opened the game by scoring the first seven points to put the visiting Pilots on their heels. The highly touted Big O made the first basket of the game off a put back, which was a sign of things to come.

“He does a lot on his own, if you see the five offensive rebounds,” said Enfield. “He’s constantly within the offense. He’s ball screening, rolling to the rim, posting up, going for the offensive glass, he runs the floor… He plays an important position in our system… He’s very impressive.”

The Pilots got onto the scoreboard with buckets by junior guard Jo Jo Walker and Isaiah White. White led all players in scoring with 22 points. The teams traded baskets for a while in the first half before Big O had to go to the bench with his second foul.

Graduate transfer Quinton Adlesh came off the bench, midway in the first half, and provided a spark by draining two three pointers to give the Trojans a 30-18 lead. The upperclassman’s presence had a positive impact on his team.

“They come into the game and already know what the deal is,” said USC senior guard Jonah Mathews about Nelson and Daniel Utomi, another graduate transfer. “Just having that experience on the court just helps me a lot.”

That huge first half lead would slowly begin to evaporate as the Trojans went through a spell of sloppy play, which included turnovers and missed assignments on defense and saw the Pilots trim the 12-point deficit down to one at 33-32.

“We let them come back in it,” said Enfield. “We made some defensive mistakes. We just didn’t defend.”

A dunk by Nick Rakocevic and a three by Mathews gave the Trojans cushion as they went into the locker room with a 41-35 lead. They finished with 11 and 12 points, respectively.

Two minutes out of the break, Big O picked up his third foul and had to exit the game. The Pilots fought tooth and nail, giving the Trojans a run for their money, as White got hot from deep. Although they were able to tie the game at 48, the visitors never held a lead.

The Trojan lead was two when Big O entered the game at the 13-minute mark. He scored eight points during a 13-4 USC run that put the game out of reach and shut the door on the Pilots’ hopes of getting a big road win.

Big O finished the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds, 14 and 8 coming in the final 13 minutes of the game. Sophomore Elijah Weaver chipped in 12 points, including stoking three of four from long range.

The Trojans have the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on deck, November 12 at the Galen Center.

Follow me on Twitter @spitsgame

Raiders Beat Chargers on Final Drive,26-24

By

Christopher Floch

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November 8, 2019

Oct. 25, 2015: Oakland Raiders Fans taking over San Diego in a game played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA. (Photo By Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

OAKLAND-Heartfelt and sweet are words one never uses describing the Black hole or Raider fans: yet those emotions bubbled to the surface on Thursday night, as David Carr led the Silver and Black on a game winning drive over the fierce AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers,26-24.

Oakland Raiders at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland Ca. file photo (Photo by Jevone Moore/Full Image 360)

“I love this place,” Gruden exclaimed just before leaving the decidedly non-plush home locker room following his team’s 26-24 crucial victory.. “I’ve got a lot of love for the fans here, for this city. It’s why I came back .”

In what was probably the final night game the Oakland Raiders will ever play in the city, before moving to Las Vegas. 51,194 die hard fans witnessed a hard fought battle between two foes fighting for a playoff spot. With 3:57 remaining in the game, Raiders quarterback David Carr engineered his 18th fourth quarter comeback behind a staunch, aggressive offensive line.
On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 18-yard line, Raiders rookie phenom RB Brandon Jacobs took the hand off, darting to the end zone for the games final touchdown. Reminiscent of a Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson touchdown, Jacobs has already surpassed every Raiders rookie record at running back thus far.

The term must win is used far too often, however, for these classic AFC West teams, it was the cold hard truth. It was a major setback for the Chargers, coming off a dominant performance this past Sunday, pummeling Aaron Rodgers and the visiting Green Bay Packers, 26-11 at the StubHub Center in Carson. The heartbreaking loss erases their two game winning streak, with the Chargers falling to (4-6).

As for the Raiders, the last minute win puts them at (5-4), only one game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. Furthermore, next week the inferior, winless Cincinnati Bengals visit, meaning the Raiders have a realistic shot at reaching the AFC playoffs, a first since the 2016 season.

Philip Rivers under center for Los Angeles Chargers at Stubhub Center in Carson, Ca File Photo 2017. (Photo by Jevone Moore Full Image 360)

Despite Rivers struggles, he still put the Bolts up 24-20 with 4:02 remaining, throwing a six yard touchdown pass to Running Back Austin Ekeler.
Living up to his nickname, the Carr Insurance Co. led the Raiders, going 21 of 31 for a touchdown with no interceptions. Marching down the field for the decisive touchdown, unfortunately a missed PAT left the score at 26-24. This left the window cracked for the Chargers to steal the game with a last second field goal.

The night belonged to the Raiders defense. Chargers Quarterback Phillip Rivers threw three costly interceptions, including two to Safety Erik Harris. His second pick was returned to the house for a Raiders touchdown. I call the play a, “SIX-erception”(patent pending)!

On the final drive, the Chargers had nothing left in the tank. Rivers facing unrelenting pressure, hoisted up wobbling duck on fourth down which resulted in a Raiders interception. GAME OVER!

“It’s unbelievable,” Carr said of the Coliseum in his postgame press conference. “I love this place. It’s special … The smells, the atmosphere, the noises, the things you can hear, those are memories you keep forever.”

Cowboys Remain Giant Killers

By

Christopher Floch

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November 4, 2019

NFL Football 2016: Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams AUG 16 — Dallas Receiver Dez Bryant (88) catching a touchdown. (Photo by Jevone Moore)

Not even a slow start, or a black cat running on the field of MetLife Stadium could prevent the Dallas Cowboys from earning their sixth straight victory over their NFC East foe New York Giants, 37-18 on Monday night. Despite the lopsided score, the game was actually close going into the 4th quarter, before a Dak Prescott 45-TD pass to Amari Cooper put the game out of reach.

America’s Team improves to (5-3) on the season, retaining a half game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. A lingering problem for Big D is their tortoise like starts, Monday night was no exception. On the night’s first play, Prescott threw an interception inside the Cowboys 10 yard line, however the Giants red zone offense was terrible.

New York had five trips in the red zone, yet managed only a single TD while settling for four field goals. The Cowboys defense was nasty, forcing three turnovers, sacking Giants QB Daniel Jones five times.

The turning point of the night occurred during the warning minutes of the first half. Trailing 12-3, Prescott escaped a swarming G-man pass rush, extending the play with his mobility he threw a short pass to tight end Blake Jarwin. Jarwin blazed down the field for a crucial touchdown.

Prescott threw for 257 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Running Back Ezekiel Elliot dashed through gaping holes en route to 139 yards. Cowboys counterparts Giants Daniel Jones completed 26 of his 41 passes for 210 yards, a touchdown and a pick on the night. Giants Running Back Saquan Barkley had 95 yards from scrimmage, most of those yards coming on a screen pass, Barkley displayed his lightning quick speed in the open field for 65 yards on the play.

The play of the night was on a crucial third down. From the Giants 31 yard line, Prescott threw a pass to Wide Receiver Michael Gallup, who ran down the sidelines, jumping over the Giants defender landing on one foot, bunny hopping over the pylon, for a TD. Making it 23-15 in favor of the Cowboys. Dallas has won 44 games in a row when leading by seven or more points entering the 4th quarter.

The next few weeks will tell us more about the Cowboys. Continuing their primetime run, the Minnesota Vikings visit next Sunday night, followed by a matchup against the Detroit Lions, the shockingly good Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots.

USC miscues leads to blowout loss against Oregon

By

Eric Ramos

-

November 3, 2019

Oregon_vs_USC_1122019fi360-4792 — LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Oregon Ducks quarterback Cale Millen (17) catches the ball for a a gain during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 02: Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) drops back in the pocket during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

USC got off to a fast start against No. 7 Oregon, scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter and holding the Ducks scoreless. The Trojans snapped a streak of 14 consecutive quarters in which Oregon scored at least seven points.

That was the only bright spot for the Trojans as the Ducks would go on to score 28 points in the second quarter in route to a dominating 56-24 win on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

“Credit to Oregon, they are a good football team,” USC coach Clay Helton said. “We made enough mistakes tonight against a top-10 team that you can’t win a ballgame. You can’t turn it over four times and have the penalties we had and play that not-clean a football game and expect to beat that team. Not our night. As I told the group in there we’ll come back on Monday and get ready for Arizona State.”

USC quarterback Kedon Slovis threw for 264 yards and three touchdowns but had three costly interceptions and lost a fumble. All four turnovers led to 28 Oregon points.

“I don’t think it necessarily affected my decision-making process throughout the game or my reads,” Slovis said. “You can’t commit turnovers like that, but sometimes it happens. You just have to move on and play the next play.”

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert scored on a 10-yard run and wide receiver Jaylon Redd punched it in from two yards out to give Oregon a 14-10 lead. On the next drive, Oregon safety Brady Breeze intercepted Slovis and returned it 32 yards for the score.

Slovis led the Trojans down the field on a 9-play, 74-yard drive which he capped with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr. with 20 seconds left before halftime. Mykael Wright returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and a 28-17 lead.

LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 02: Oregon Ducks running back Travis Dye (26) runs the ball for a gain during a college football game between the Oregon Ducks and The USC Trojans on November 02, 2019, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly)

“If you watch Mykael’s (Wright) high school tape, that wouldn’t surprise you,” Oregon coach Mario Cristobal said. “That’s what he has done. Brady’s (Breeze) touchdown was a huge momentum swing and then for them to come down and score, for us to come right back with the kickoff return, that was huge.”

Herbert shook off a rocky start and threw three second-half touchdowns to put the game out of reach. Pittman Jr.’s younger brother, Micah, caught a 35-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for Oregon. The Ducks scored 28 unanswered points in the second half before USC true freshman Kyle Ford would score his first career touchdown.

“You go on to the next game just like we’ve done,” Helton said. “We’ve got to play an Arizona State team that’s had a week off and they’re in preparation for us. So we’ve got to get back to work tomorrow, immediately. They’re at home with a talented offense and we’ve gotta go back and clean up the things that we did today and be ready to win the next one”