USC Vs. Cal: Lane Kiffin On Learning From Mistakes, Dealing With Keenan Allen

The USC Trojans look to rebound from their loss to the Stanford Cardinal, a loss head coach Lane Kiffin said was disappointing for the coaching staff, the players, and the fans.

"We're not happy with that performance," Kiffin said in his weekly Q&A.

But Kiffin also stressed that one loss was not the end of the season for the Trojans, who still have nine games left on their schedule to prove their worth.

"We have to make sure they understand the world's not over; it's one game. What we've got to do is learn from that and we've got to improve," Kiffin said. "There's millions of stories of teams losing early and having great seasons, and I expect us to do that."

The first game on the rest of the Trojans' schedule is back in Los Angeles, hosting the Cal Bears on Saturday afternoon. USC has beaten Cal eight straight times, including wins of 48-14 and 30-9 under Kiffin.

USC will have to deal with Bears junior wide receiver Keenan Allen, a multipurpose threat with 379 combined yards in three games. Allen has scored a touchdown via the air, on the ground, and on a punt return this season.

"He's hard to deal with," Kiffin said of Allen. He's big, he's physical, he's fast. He returns punts, too. He is one of the best in the country.

Allen caught 13 balls for 160 yards last season against the Trojans, but they were able to keep him out of the end zone. Doing so again on Saturday will go a long way in helping USC get back on track.

Talk about the contest with USC fans at Conquest Chronicles, with Cal fans at the California Golden Blogs, and with Pac-12 fans at Pacific Takes.

USC Vs. Stanford: The Battle Behind The Battle

The battle between USC and Stanford doesn't only take place on the field.

USC Vs. Stanford Reaction: Plenty Of Blame To Go Around For Trojans

The USC Trojans fell. Considered the No. 2 team in the country by most accounts, they were doomed again by their Pac-12 road opener. Conquest Chronicles had plenty to say about the what and the how of what went down as the Trojans' national championship hopes may have eroded with the season barely off the ground.

Conquest Chronicles had plenty of blame to go around, starting with Matt Barkley and the offense. There was a disconnect between Barkley and his receivers while he played hot potato with the ball due to the pressure he was receiving from Stanford's front seven. The offensive line struggled to protect Barkley and added to the lack of rhythm in the passing game.

Conquest pointed out the lack of depth being an issue as well. When one player goes down, it has more of an effect on this team than on most, due to the team being so top-heavy.

The defense didn't earn too much criticism outside of a few tackling issues, but aside from that, this came down to what was considered to be one of if not the most explosive offenses in the country not coming through.

For more on the Trojans, visit Conquest Chronicles.

USC Football: Curse Of The Conference Road Opener

USC Vs. Stanford Final Score: Trojans Dominated In 21-14 Loss To Cardinal

Matt Barkley and the No. 2 USC Trojans were shutdown on Saturday night, especially in the second half, as the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal pulled off a 21-14 upset in the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams.

Barkley and the Trojans were held to just 92 total yards and no points in the second half, and dropped their fourth consecutive game to Stanford for the first time in school history.

Cardinal quarterback Josh Nunes completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz with 11:10 remaining for the winning score.

Barkley felt pressure all night, as the Trojans felt the loss of center Khaled Holmes. Backup freshman center Cyrus Hobbi was targeted by the Stanford defensive line, and Barkley was sacked five times. Barkley was sacked just eight times in all of 2011, in 12 games.

Barkley completed just 20 of 41 passes on the night for 253 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Trojans had trouble running the ball all night, with 29 yards on 27 carries. Silas Redd, who fumbled once and also left the game briefly with an apparently arm injury, scored two touchdowns but had just 19 yards on 13 carries.

But running the ball wasn't much of a problem for Stepfan Taylor of Stanford, who ran for 156 yards on 28 carries. He scored two touchdowns, including a 59-yard run in the first quarter and a 23-yard screen pass in the final seconds of the third quarter. Taylor caught five passes for 60 yards on the night.

Josh Nunes completed 15 of 32 passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Stanford. He ran for 35 yards on three carries, including a 13-yard run on 3rd-and-10 with 11:35 left in the game, two plays before passing to Ertz for the go-ahead score. Nunes juked his way to the first down:

Marqise Lee caught seven passes for 93 yards for the Trojans, and Robert Woods caught five balls for 45 yards.

USC (2-1, 0-1) returns home to host Cal (1-2) next Saturday at 3 p.m. PDT.

For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.

USC Vs. Stanford Game Score: Defense Reigns As Trojans, Cardinal Tied 14-14 After Third Quarter

With 15 minutes remaining in Palo Alto, the No. 2 USC Trojans and the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal are tied 14-14 in a defensively charged battle at Stanford Stadium. Stepfan Taylor took a screen pass and ran for a 23-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the period to tie the game.

The third quarter was marked by a pair of questionable coaching decisions involving the kicking game.

After kicker Jordan Williamson missed field goal attempts of 47 yards and 23 yards in the first half, Stanford head coach David Shaw opted to have him try a 51-yarder with 11:42 remaining in the quarter. The kick was blocked.

Then with a 4th-and-2 situation with 8:38 left in the quarter on the 13-yard line, rather than let kicker Alex Wood attempt a relatively easy field goal for his first college attempt, USC coach Lane Kiffin called for a fake. But Matt Barkley's pass to the end zone was in the hands of fullback Soma Vainuku but knocked away at the last moment.

George Uko, who started at defensive end for the Trojans, committed a bad penalty, getting called for a personal foul with 5:33 left in the quarter as the Trojans were about to receive the ball after a third down stop. But the penalty ended up not hurting USC, as three plays later Stanford was forced to punt.

This Saturday matchup is one of just two games featuring two ranked teams. In their history, the Trojans are 5-9 against Cardinal teams ranked in the top 25, including losses in each of the last three years. USC's last win over a ranked Stanford team came in 1986.

For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.

USC Vs. Stanford Game Score: Trojans Overcome Turnovers, Injuries To Lead 14-7 At Halftime

It wasn't a pretty second quarter for the USC Trojans, as they committed three turnovers and had both of their main tailbacks injured, but the No. 2 Trojans managed to lead at halftime, 14-7 over the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto.

Silas Redd fumbled and left with an apparent arm injury, just minutes after Curtis McNeal headed to the locker room holding his side. McNeal was able to return though, helping a razor thin Trojans tailback depth chart.

Matt Barkley threw two interceptions and no touchdowns in the first half, and completed just 11 of 20 passes. Barkley's two picks sandwiched an interception by Cardinal quarterback Josh Nunes, making for interceptions on three consecutive plays.

To top that off, Stanford kicker missed two first half field goal tries, including one from just 23 yards out.

The lone score of the period wasn't pretty in itself, as the Trojans had to scramble out of a pair of dire situations.

The Trojans got a huge break early in the second quarter when they got a pass interference call on a pass to Marqise Lee on 3rd-and-12. But USC gave most of it back on the next play when Matt Barkley was sacked and fumbled. Lee picked the ball up but the play lost 14 yards.

That helped set up a 4th-and-19 from the Stanford 25-yard line, normally an obvious field goal situation. But without the injured Andre Heidari, the Trojans have walk-on kicker Alex Wood, and Lane Kiffin didn't want him kicking from that distance.

Barkley passed over the middle to Woods, who run toward the right sideline and beat defenders to the first down marker for a 24-yard gain. Two plays later Redd scored his second touchdown of the game, a one-yard scamper.

Stanford drove for a potential tying score near the end of the half, but Nunes was intercepted by Jawanza Starling.

For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.

Silas Redd Injury: USC Tailback Leaves Game With Apparent Arm Injury

The No. 2 USC Trojans are trying to snap a three-game losing streak to the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal, but might have to do so without their top two tailbacks. Silas Redd left the game midway through the second quarter with an apparent left arm injury.

Redd was helped off the field with 7:32 remaining after fumbling. Earlier in the quarter, USC also lost tailback Curtis McNeal to an apparent side injury, as he headed to the locker room.

Redd ran for 17 yards on 11 carries against the Cardinal, but scored two touchdowns for USC. On the season Redd has run for 180 yards on 35 carries, an average of 5.1 per rush, with three touchdowns. The fumble, which was recovered by Stanford, was his second giveaway of the season.

The rest of the non-quarterbacks on USC's roster have combined for 130 rushing yards this season, and that includes a 76-yard reverse by wide receiver Robert Woods.

For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.

Curtis McNeal Injury: USC Tailback Leaves Game

USC Trojans running back Curtis McNeal left the game against the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal with an apparent injury to his side in the second quarter. McNeal walked to the locker room under his own power but was seen wincing and holding his right side while walking to the locker room.

McNeal, who has been listed each week as the co-starter at tailback along with Silas Redd, had one yard on two carries before the injury. But, he was able to return and carry the ball twice, including a 26-yard run for the final play of the first half, giving him 33 yards in the opening two quarters.

McNeal in 2011 became the 27th USC tailback ever to run for 1,000 yards in a season. His 6.9 yards-per-rush average was the highest by a Trojans running back since Reggie Bush in 2005, and he had four games of over 100 yards.

For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.

USC Vs. Stanford Game Score: Big Plays Highlight 7-7 First Quarter

The No. 2 USC Trojans opened their Pac-12 schedule against the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal, and after the first quarter the two teams were tied, 7-7.

Last year these two teams produced a triple overtime thriller, a 56-48 Stanford win that was the highest scoring game in Trojans' history. Saturday isn't shaping up to be quite as active on the scoreboard, though there were a number of big plays in the opening 15 minutes.

Matt Barkley passed for 104 yards in the opening quarter, but completed just six of 12 passes.

Stanford started the game off on a high note as Ty Montgomery returned the opening kickoff 64 yards to the USC 33-yard line. But before their first play from scrimmage the Cardinal were hit with a delay of game penalty that set them back five yards. Stanford was unable to convert a first down on its first drive, which resulted in no points when Jordan Williamson's 47-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright.

USC open its first drive with a 16-yard catch and run from Barkley to Marqise Lee, but the Trojans were unable to do much else and were forced to punt.

After forcing a three-and-out on Stanford's second drive, the Trojans got the ball with great field position and midfield, and they took advantage. Nelson Agholor took a pass down the middle from Barkley for 48 yards down to the two, just the second catch of the season for the freshman.

Two plays later Silas Redd ran it in for one yard for a touchdown and a 7-0 Trojans lead. Redd's second touchdown of the season capped a four-play, 66-second drive. Redd appeared to be helped, pulled into the end zone by left tackle Aundrey Walker. But the points stood, as no penalty was called.

Stanford responded with a quick drive of its own, a six-play, 82-yard jaunt that culminated in a 59-yard touchdown run by tailback Stepfan Taylor.

USC failed in all three attempts to convert third downs, but Barkley did complete an eight-yard pass to tight end Randall Telfer on 4th-and-3 in the final minute of the quarter.

For more news and notes on USC football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.

Robert Woods, Marqise Lee Try To Help USC Chop Down Stanford Tree

USC Vs. Stanford 2012: Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread And More

With dominating wins over the Hawaii Warriors and the Syracuse Orange to start off the season, the No. 2 USC Trojans will get a true test when they open up Pac-12 play against the No. 21 Stanford Cardinal on Saturday night.

Without superb quarterback Andrew Luck, the Cardinal struggled out of the gate, beating San Jose State by just three points before getting their offense together for a 50-13 drubbing of Duke. While 2-0, Stanford hasn't faced a team nearly on the level of USC and will need to bring their A-game to challenge the Trojans.

However, the game will be a test for the Trojans too, as they showed a little less shine in their armor during the first half of their game against Syracuse as they struggled to get out to the same dominant start that they did against Hawaii.

Game time/date: 7:30 p.m. PT, Saturday, Sept. 15

Location: Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA

TV: FOX

Odds: USC are 8-point favorites.

Matchup History: USC leads, 59-28-3

For more on USC football, join the discussion over at Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

USC Looks To Snap Losing Streak Against Stanford

USC lost 56-48 in three overtimes to Stanford in Los Angeles last season.

USC Vs. Stanford: Robert Woods, Marqise Lee Duo Tough To Stop

Up to this point in the season, USC Trojans wide receivers Marqise Lee and Robert Woods have put up exceptional numbers. Lee has piled on 21 catches for 263 yards and four touchdown catches, while Woods has compiled 16 catches for 135 yards and four touchdowns.

Lane Kiffin talked about his two star wide receivers here at his latest press conference. You can catch his comments about Woods and Lee at around the 2:30 mark in the video above.

It'll be difficult for the Stanford Cardinal to hold these two wideouts down. Stanford has given up 287 passing yards per game through the air so far this season, placing them in 102nd among all FBS schools. Stanford will have to do their best to try and contain Matt Barkley and keep him in check, probably by generating pass rush and forcing him out of the pocket and making plays on the move.

Talk about Woods and Lee with Trojans fans at Conquest Chronicles, talk about how the Cardinal should defend them with Stanford fans at Rule of Tree, and discuss the game in general with Pac-12 fans at Pacific Takes.

Matt Barkley, Johnathan Franklin Highlight College Football Week 2

USC Bans Reporter From Practice, Denies Game Credential For Reporting Injury Information

USC Football: Darreus Rogers To Enroll In January

USC freshman wide receiver Darreus Rogers, whom the NCAA deemed eligible for the 2012 season last week, has decided to delay his college career until 2013. Rogers announced his decision to "greyshirt" on his Twitter account Monday:

grey shirting want be going to school until January because im already behind

— Darreus Rogers (@D_Rog5) September 10, 2012

Since USC had already reached its scholarship limit of 75 for 2012, Rogers would have had to redshirt this season anyway. The Trojans have 18 scholarships available for 2013, and all are spoken for through verbal commitments, including one for Rogers. The Carson, Calif. product was rated as a four-star recruit by both Scout.com and Rivals.com, and led Los Angeles in receiving in 2011 with 1,251 yards.

For more on USC football, join the discussion over at Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

USC Football: Depth Chart Vs. Stanford

The depth chart for this Saturday's USC-Stanford Pac-12 football game is out, and the Trojans have yet to announce who will start at tailback, tight end and strong safety. But the most-watched positions, quarterback and wide receiver, are set with the familar names fans expect to see.

Here's the projected starting lineup for No. 2 USC as of Monday, for the 4:30 p.m. start against No. 21 Stanford on Saturday in Palo Alto:

OFFENSE:

WR Robert Woods

LT Aundrey Walker

LG Marcus Martin

C Khaled Holmes

RG John Martinez

RT Kevin Graf

TE Xavier Grimble or Randall Telfer

WR Marqise Lee

QB Matt Barkley

FB: Soma Vainuku

TB Curtis McNeal or Silas Redd

DEFENSE:

DE Wes Horton

NT Antwaun Woods

DT George Uko

DE J.R. Tavai

OLB Dion Bailey

MLB Lamar Dawson

OLB Hayes Pullard

CB Nickell Robey

FS T.J. McDonals

SS Jawanza Starling or Demetrius Wright

CB Anthony Brown

For more information on Trojans football and everything USC, head on over to Conquest Chronicles or pay a visit to the Pac-12 blog Pacific Takes.

USC Vs. Stanford Depth Chart: Khaled Holmes Listed As Starter At Center

Khaled Holmes is still listed as the starting center just two days after suffering what could be a potential serious ankle injury.

USC Vs. Stanford To Be Called By Gus Johnson On Fox

USC Vs. Stanford Odds: Trojans Open As 10-Point Favorite Over Cardinal