When I pulled into the Parking Lot at Reser Stadium and looked across the lot at the East Side of Reser Stadium, one thought went through my mind.
Fog Bowl #2.
But it wasn't the case, and who cares. The morning fog burned off, and the Beavers rallied early in the game to build up a 33 point lead before USC scored most of their points later in the game.
I'll have a summary of the big plays up once I get the audio broken down farther, but for now, here are my general thoughts on the game.
Offense:
A lot of guys stepped up big. Matt had another great game, and the "Canfield" signs should be somewhere near a dumpster. Save them for rooting Sean on next year, guys... Matt threw for 262 yards in the air. Sammie Stroughter had yet another Mike Hass-ish game, with 8 catches for 127 yards, and a 70 yard punt return for a touchdown that put the Beavers up 30-10. Clinton Polk, starting for a injured Yvenson Bernard, gained 100 yards on 18 carries, 19 yards better than USC's Chauncy Washington.
Defense:
Everyone stepped up here. Bryan Payton stepped up big time in the first half with a 52 yard interception return, Sabby had a great game as usual, the linebackers were solid, and we couldn't of done it without Joe Lemma getting up to tip John David Booty's pass on the two point conversion to end the game.
Special Teams:
Gotta mention these guys, because we relied on Serna a lot. He kicked 4 field goals, which was a huge help, but I felt that a lot of those drives could of easily been touchdowns. He also did a great job with kickoffs, sending a good percentage through the end zone for touchbacks.
Loomis didn't have the best day, with a dropped snap that led to a USC score, but he's a freshman, and those kind of mistakes happen. We'll have him around for three years after this, and by then he'll definitely be to Sam Palescu level.
Overall, great game. Loved to see the Beavers go out and get a win over one of the premier teams in the country, and stir up the BCS picture while their at it. And not to mention the ESPN air time.
Go Beavers!
--JB--