USC vs. Auburn Date - August 30, 2003 Location - @ Auburn Result - USC 23 Auburn 0 Here are some summary notes and statistics from the USC versus Auburn game that started off the 2003 season. The original notes were taken at the actual time of the game and now I am combining them with some additional data and pictures. Hence there are sections of the following game summary are of course written with the obvious benefit of 20/20 hindsight. USC beat Auburn in a convincing fashion 23-0 at Auburn to open the 2003 season on the road. At the time the Trojans were ranked #8 at the start of the season and Auburn was ranked an impressive #6 in the nation. For USC it was a dominating win to open the year and for Auburn it marked the start to a disappointing season. Auburn eventually finished with 8 wins and 5 losses and fell out of the AP and Coaches Top 25. Jeff Sagarin's final ranking however listed the Tigers at 18th in the nation. Both teams in 2004 returned many of the same players and both teams went undefeated. Rather than recap the newspaper reports let's take a look at some items I try to check at the end of most games to isolate some of the keys to the game. I'll divide the game up into several categories for some cursory analysis. How USC Scored Points off of drives starting on the Trojans 20 yard line or less 3 1 Drive of 56 yards sustained for FG Points off of drives starting between the Trojans 20 and the 50 yard line 3 1 Drive of 47 yards for sustaind for FG Points off of drives starting inside the opponents 50 yard line 17 2 TD's and 1 FG starting inside of opponents 50 yard line. All off turnovers. Totals 23 2 TD's and 3 FG's in the game.  As you can see USC did not move the ball or score particularly well when starting on their side of the field. Matt Leinart was a new quarterback and the backfield contained Herschel Dennis and three new freshmen at tailback by the names of Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and Chauncey Washington. The wide receivers Mike Williams and Keary Colbert were the more proven elements. Justin Wyatt also played wide receiver in this game as did Steve Smith. Key Stats Check Red Zone Efficiency 100% First Down (+4) Efficiency 46.4% Turnover Margin +3 Big Plays (+12 on runs) 2 Big Plays (+16 on pass) 3 Overall Scoring Drive Conversion 5 of 14 for 35.7% Average Drive Length 22.5 yards Scoring Drive Length 28.4 yards 3rd Down Conversion 4/15 for 26.7% 4th Down Conversion 1/1 for 100% Sacks Generated 6 Sacks Tackles For Loss 12 TFL's There were several bright spots on offense and defense for USC in the game. On defense the Trojans forced 3 turnovers (2 fumbles and one interception) which lead directly to short field opportunities for the USC offense in Auburn territory. Also the USC defense produced six sacks and twelve tackles for losses (TFL'S). Auburn was unable to generate a viable running attack and finished up the game with 36 carries for only 43 yards on the ground. Jason Campbell the Tiger's quarterback faced a large number of 3rd and long situations and finished 12 of 26 for 121 yards and one interception. As the game wore on this lead to sacks for the Trojans. On offense USC was unable to move the ball much when starting on its own side of the field as evidence by the 22.2 yard average drive length and the 28.4 yard average scoring drive length. Third down efficiency was also a mere 26.7%. However, on the bright side the offense was able to produce +4 yards on first down 46.4% of the time which is a good achievement. The team was also 100% efficient once in the red zone converting on all scoring opportunities although several times they had to settle for field goals. There were five big plays in the game by the definitions used above. Herschel Dennis broke off a couple of nice runs during the game including one 14 yard burst for touchdown. There were three pass plays of greater than 16 yards in the game. Offensive Stats Plays Number Yards Average Run Plays 36 123 3.42 Pass Plays 30 192 6.40 Total Plays 66 315 4.77 In hindsight I'm pretty sure that USC went into this game with a very conservative offensive attack. There were mostly run plays on first down and pass plays were fairly balanced and short in nature. The rush attack only produced 3.42 yards per carry yet it was able to move the ball when needed on first down as well as third down and short situation. Matt Leinart finished the game 17 of 30 for 192 yards in his first start and importantly no interceptions. Offensive Formation & Yardage Direction Summary I Formation Yards Gained Left Yards Gained Middle Yards Gained Right Total Yards Run 5 60 7 72 Pass 22 49 0 71 3 WR Formations Run 2 5 5 12 Pass 8 31 18 57 2 TE Formations Run 31 4 0 35 Pass 42 0 0 42 4 WR Formations Run 0 0 4 4 Pass 0 7 15 22 5 WR Run 0 0 0 0 Pass 0 0 0 0 Totals Run 38 69 16 123 Pass 72 87 33 192 There are multiple sub-categories under each of these headings but for simplicity I will lump them in these five groups for study. Under the I Formation for example there are cases were the formation shades the fullback either to the strong side or the weak side of the formation (with respect to the tight end). With the 3 WR sets there is often the case where the receivers are all to one side (Trips right, etc.) or line up in some sort of 1x2 or 2x1 alignment. Then there is of course motion, field position, and location on the hash marks, and other factors to consider but I won't go into that level of detail. Here you can see what an opponent has to worry about with USC. It is a pro style offense that does use multiple formations, personnel groups, and attacks all directions of the field. 143 yards were produced out of the I Formation for example with a very even 72 to 71 yard split coming on runs and pass plays. USC seemed to be attacking the middle of the Auburn defense in general. However two big gains came later in the game to the left. The majority of the I Formation run plays were up the middle and not to the outside. Also there was extensive use of crossing patterns, dig routes, and slants against the middle of the Auburn pass defense. I suspect that Auburn was playing a Cover 2 shell on many of these plays but the TV angle did not allow for confirmation. Offensive by Downs & Run versus Pass Downs Runs Passes Total 1st 18 10 28 2nd 12 10 22 3rd 5 10 15 4th 1 0 1 36 30 66 As you can see from this breakdown USC relied much more upon runs on first down than on pass plays. This was no doubt in order to take the pressure off of Matt Leinart in his first start at quarterback. In hindsight I have to wonder why Auburn did not stack the box more in terms of a game plan to force the situation and put USC into more long yardage pass plays. Second down offense was mixed on a very even basis and third down was stilted more in favor of pass plays by a two to one margin. USC was not effective on third down conversion however only converting 4 of the 15 attempts for a 26.7% conversion percentage. Down 1st Runs 1st Passes 2nd Runs 2nd Passes 3rd Runs 3rd Passes 4th Runs 4th Passes Attempts 18 10 12 10 5 10 1 0 Yards 67 68 28 90 24 34 4 0 Average 3.72 6.8 2.33 9.00 4.80 3.40 4.00 0 As you can see by this further breakdown the Trojan offense had success in different situations. Run plays on first and third down were fairly consistent overall. The one time USC needed to convert on a 4th and short Herschel Dennis was able to power forward for 4 yards. On pass plays the damage mostly came on first and 2nd downs when the intent was less certain.  On these plays USC average 6.8 yards and 9.00 yards per pass attempt. Conversely on third down when in longer situations they only netted 34 yards on 10 passes for a 3.4 yard average. Offense by Situation Down Situation Run Pass 1st Long 16 10 Medium 2 0 Short 0 0 2nd Long 6 5 Medium 4 5 Short 2 0 3rd Long 1 7 Medium 1 2 Short 3 1 4th Long 0 0 Medium 0 0 Short 1 0 Total 36 30 This table breaks down the offense by situation and how USC attacked Auburn in general. In order to get specific we'd need to study this in conjunction with both formation and the type of play called that level of information is not prudent to post on the internet. As you can see however in hindsight the game plan was fairly conservative it appears with run plays dominating on first down situations. The offense was balanced on second and long and second and medium situations as you'd expect. On third and long and medium the pendelum swings to the pass plays. On third and fourth and short USC ran the ball four times out of five I suspect to avoid putting too much pressure on the quarterback. Pictures and Highlights Defensive Fronts USC played much of the game against Auburn with 8 men in the box. Here is a 2TE Ace back alignment for Auburn where USC has 4 down linmen in three point stances and has dropped a linebacker as well as a safety to the line of scrimmage in 2 point stances for six men on the LOS. Two linebackers 4 yards off the LOS leaves little room to run. However Cadillac Williams did break through the line on this play and gain 11 yards for a first down on a rare missed tackle by DE #94 Udeze Here also is an 8 man front used by USC against the straight I Formation of Auburn.  On this play LB #6 Matt Grootegoed dropped off the line on this play by 2-3 yards. This looks like more of a 4-3 Over front as NT #99 Patternson appears to be on the weak side and #84 Cody is in a 3 technique on the strong side of the formation. This play resulted in an incomplete pass. With 8 men in the box and two corners up tight like this you can infer that only one safety is deep and USC will probably play Cover 1 with the safety providing deep zone support over the middle. Here is a different play and different alignment showing what I mean about the deep safety...This is a 3 WR alignment for Auburn on a passing situation. USC lined up in more of a Cover 1 shell and kept only one safety deep in support after the snap.This implies in my opinion that USC was fairly confident it could cover the receivers of Auburn and did not need two defenders deep. The defensive game plan probably focused more on shutting down the run game of Auburn and taking chances on the passing downs against Jason Campbell. Here is a different look at the USC defense against the I Formation of Auburn.  This front his hard to see from the angle but looks to be a 4-3 Under front which USC uses most often. The SLB droped to the strong side of the formation and plays over the tight end (right side of offense) on the line of scrimmage. A safety is down near the two linebackers. The NT Mike Patterson is aligned to the strong side of the formation in a 1 technique. The other tackle Shaun Cody is in a 3 technique to the weak side. Two linebackers play off the line of scrimmage (in between them is a referee). This is the base defense for USC on perhaps half the plays of any given game. The safety position varies. This one is also a 4-3 Under alignment with the same characteristics as the picture to the left. Here however the Auburn fullback is set way outside to the right in the picture and not as much of a blocking threat up the middle. In response the Strong Safety also drops down and is aligned at the same level as the two LB's in the middle of the defense. The SLB is covering the TE on the line putting five men on the line of scrimmage although they sort of blur together in this picture. This play also leaves only one free safety deep in support. Here is a behind shot on a different play that gives us a rare good glance at a change of pace alignment USC used up front in this game a couple of times. Here the NT Mike Patterson #99 is in a 1 technique to the weak side of the formation...usually USC puts the NT to the strong side in an Under alignment. Here however the NT is to the weak side and the other DT #84 Shaun Cody is to the strong side in a 3 technique spot. This is not the USC base defensive line alignment most games but it is one of the small minor changes of alignment that USC works in each game to alter the match ups and the details. Offensive Formations & Highlights I Formation Sets Here USC lines up in its signature I Formation look early in the game on the first series after an Auburn turnover to start the game. The fullback is aligned straight.  This is normally a run formation for most teams due to is alignment and you can see Auburn responds with 8-9 men near the tackle box near th goal line.  Indeed USC did run middle on this play and only made a short gain. Later in the game this opens potential for play action passes as USC will throw out of this formation at any given time. Here is an I Formation shot where the fullback is shaded to the right to the TE side and one receiver has come in motion from left to right. The strength of the formation is right and often implies a power off tackle run for most teams. On this play though USC was throwing either a slant or a curl route to the WR #83 Keary Colbert who came in motion on the play. The DB for Auburn committed a pass interference penalty and USC moved down to the 4 yard line as a result. Here is an I Formation where the Fullback is shaded weak. If you look close the tight end is on the right of the formation so setting the fullback left in this case has the effect of balancing out the formation. Auburn stayed in their normal 4-3 alignment on the play. USC actually ran to the left on this play and was stopped for about a one to two yard gain. 3 WR Formations Here is an Ace back 3 WR alignment for USC. The formation is slightly unbalance in that 2 WR's are split out to the right and the split end is to the left at the top of the screen. The tight end is to the right of the formation. From the left hash mark some teams normally run to the wide (right) side of the field. USC seems to have no tendency in this regard whenever I check. On this play USC called a run play to the left and and gained only 1-2 hard earned yards. Auburn stayed in a 4-3 alignment guessing run it appears. It is tough to run on 7 men in the box from 3WR Ace back sets as the offense only has six blockers for the back near the line of scrimmage. Here is another 3 WR formation earlier in the game on the first drive. Here the formation is balanced in that there are two WR's right and one to the left at the top of the screen. The TE is also aligned left keeping the formation in balance. On this play Mike Williams is the inside receiver to the right of the screen and USC threw the slant route to the back of the end zone. It was a fairly easy catch for Mike Williams and Matt Leinart's first career TD I believe. 2 TE Formation & Big Run Play Here is a series of shots of a 22 yard gain in the first quarter by Herschel Dennis. The formation is a balanced 2 TE alignment with the TE's set to each side. With 2 WR's and one back this balances the formation and gives away nothing in terms of strength or play direction before the snap of the ball. Here you can see right away that it is a zone run play to the left or short side of the field. On this type of play there is no designated hole to run through for the running back. He has the option of taking it outside or cutting back inside depending upon how the blocking develops. The QB does his job of selling the rollout to the other side to occupy linebackers and safeties for a split second as well. #34 Dennis gets to the edge and finds an alley to cut back up into. It is not clear from this angle but when the play is viewed from behind on the replay the TE #86 Dominique Byrd threw a nice block to create the run lane and cut back angle. One into open space #34 Dennis makes a nice burst and breaks through the second level of defenders. He is finally brought down well into the secondary for a 22 yard gain. This was one of two big run plays in the game for Herschel. The other was a 14 yard blast up the middle to score a touchdown late in the game on the first play after an Auburn fumble deep in their territory. 2 TE Set and Big Pass Play This is also a balanced 2 TE formation and it produced a big play as well. Every team in football has multiple plays they run from the same formation as "counters" to avoid tendencies.  Here USC sells the play as a zone run outside to the right (wide side of the field) this time instead of to the left as the example above. On this play however it is a fake and the QB Leinart rolls without protection (naked) to the left. I did not clip the picture of the throw but it was a wide open throw to the TE Dominque Byrd. He gathered the ball in stride with no one around him for several yards. Downfield at the 30 he picks up the first down and as you can see the other TE Greg Guenther #44 slows and makes a nice block downfield to spring him for more yardage. Eventually he rumbles for a 42 yard gain and what would be Byrd's second biggest catch of the entire season in terms of yardage on this play. USC tried this same basic roll out play earlier in the game with Mike Williams coming out from behind the TE but on that play Auburn stayed home and broke up the pass for no gain. Credit USC for coming back and trying the same type of play again to a different receiver...or perhaps the Tiger defense just fell asleep on this one. On an aside note I often hear or read that some fans comment USC does not throw to the tight end enough any more but the receptions have been remarkably flat over the past few years. USC also threw more to the TE in 2006 than 2003 by a margin of 47 to 32 catches. Big plays like this to the TE I suspect are simply fewer as teams have seen the tape and defend it more alertly against the Trojans... Other Notes & Reflections: Despite the offensive struggles by USC in this game it was a great start to the season especially for the defense. Matt Leinart got off to a reasonably good start and gained valuable confidence with a road win in a hostile environment. As the game progressed several notable freshmen made their USC debuts in this game as well. Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and Chauncey Washington all made their first entrances for the Trojans. Herschel Dennis had a very sturdy performance in terms of both blocking and running with 21 carries for 85 yards. Reggie Bush in his first action gained only 10 yards in 5 carries and also lost 6 yards on a screen pass out of the backfield. LenDale White lost 5 yards on his first carry as a Trojan but recovered to gain 19 yards on his next four carries to total 14 yards on 5 carriers. Chauncey Washington gained 24 yards on 3 carries as well during the last drive sequence with the game out of reach.