Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley praises Cal defense

Matt Barkley anticipates no special greeting when USC plays California on Saturday at the Coliseum.

He got one last season at Cal after saying a few days before the game that he didn’t expect the crowd to be as loud as it was at Ohio Stadium.

Fans at Memorial Stadium found fliers taped to their seats with a quote from Barkley and instructions to disrupt the then-freshman. One was slipped into Barkley’s helmet before he went onto the field.

Barkley shook off the potential distraction, passing for 283 yards in a 30-3 victory.

Barkley finished the 2009 season with 15 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.

He has passed for 15 touchdowns in six games this season, with four interceptions.

Against Cal, he faces a defense ranked No. 1 in the Pacific 10 Conference and sixth nationally against the pass.

“Their secondary is good,” Barkley said. “They aren’t afraid to bump and run, and they’ll play press coverage. So it will be a challenge both for our receivers, and myself, and the line and all of us.”

On the right track

Kicker Joe Houston, who struggled in several practices leading up to last week’s game at Stanford, was outstanding this week — at one point earning a fist bump from Coach Lane Kiffin.

Houston, who has made two of six field-goal attempts, was accurate and appeared noticeably more confident from longer ranges.

“I have to be like that,” Houston said. “Everyone knows the situation. The only way it’s going to be solved is, I’ve got to make kicks. You have to come through when your number is called.”

Quick hits

USC is 62-30-5 against Cal in a series that dates to 1915…. This is the first time since 2001 that neither the Trojans nor the Golden Bears is ranked entering the game.

gary.klein@latimes.com

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