USC Recruiting: Lane Kiffin Adds Zach Banner - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

Lane Kiffin is doing exactly what he was brought on to do 23 months ago, after Mike Garrett swooped him out of Knoxville, Tennessee in the middle of the night. Kiffin came as an avid recruiter, an aggressive play caller and a man who knows how to throw names around. He’s done all of that so far in his short time as USC’s head coach, maturing into an elite coach seemingly overnight by doing what he said would do.

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Lane Kiffin: Deserving of Coach of the Year, Regardless of the Trophy - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

Kiffin Going For Two and the Win: Should’ve Done it or Too Risky? - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

Kiffin’s Trojans Earn a Well-Coached, Well-Played Victory over Notre Dame - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

After the debacle that was the USC-Minnesota matchup this past Saturday, Shiloh Winder and I decided to exchange some emails regarding our thoughts. Here’s what went down:

Shiloh Winder: So after Saturday, where do you think USC will finish? Did the offense look better from tunnel 12 than tunnel 23?

Michael Castillo: After the first half, I’d tell you top of the South and 3rd overall. After the game? Middle of the pack. As for the offense, I just didn’t get it. Aren’t short passes and screens supposed to open up the deep ball, running game and the middle of the field? They only went deep once (TD to woods), went over the middle a couple of times, and couldnt run. I thought Kiffin was greatly outcoached and Jerry Kill was a genius for holding his players at the end of the first half, and getting them motivated at half. They stopped the dinks and dunks and therefore stopped the Trojan offense. So…I say THROW THE BALL DOWN FIELD AND USE MORE THAN THREE PLAYS ON OFFENSE! Inside slant, bubble screen, and student body left/right was it. Barkley had protection all game long, so I don’t understand not exploiting the gaps in the defense.

Shiloh Winder: I agree.  I have always thought that Barkley locks on to Woods waaaaay too much and it was comical on Saturday. He is the only WR in the rotation with dependable hands, but I have to ask, why are Butler and Carswell the other WRs in the rotation?  Where are Prater and Flournoy? I thought DJ Morgan looked good, but it seemed the O-line played much worse in the 2nd half.  Maybe they wore out a bit.

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Off the Record: Talking USC-Minnesota - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

USC defeats Minnesota, leaves much to be desired - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

USC vs. Minnesota Match Up - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

Video: USC at Pac-12 Media Day - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site

Gallipo, possibility more touted in high school than the aforementioned, came to USC as a prototypical inside linebacker, and donning a number 54 jersey didn’t do much in curbing his initial comparisons to the Bears’ Brian Urlacher. As a sophomore in 2009, he started the season for the Trojans with little drop-off to the NFL talent he replaced. Gallipo racked up a bevy of tackles against San Jose State, Washington, and Notre Dame and played a huge role in the victory over Ohio State in Columbus. He had 48 tackles through the first seven games, and provided the leadership that the Trojans needed on defense, alongside safety Taylor Mays. Was this the guy that everyone hoped ‘SC would have coming out of Servite?  We thought so.

But he fell off much like the Trojans’ record in the second half of 2009, and then 2010 happened, when Gallipo lost favor to Devon Kennard at middle linebacker. Gallipo finished the season with just 29 tackles, so while it’s easy to say that he has the talent and heart to regain his past success in the new Pac-12, it might not be that simple. As a sophomore and a junior, Gallipo was bullied off the ball routinely, and appeared as though a lack conditioning and strength to play middle linebacker at a high level was what was hampering him.
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Butkus Award Hopeful, Chris Gallipo: Stud or Dud? - The 110 Report - The 110 Report - A Los Angeles Sports Site