Penalties Continue to Plague Trojans

Sitting glumly in front of his locker, Lenny Vandermade tried to explain what went wrong.

The USC center talked about the penalties--including several personal fouls for late hits--that contributed to his team’s loss to Stanford at the Coliseum.

“We were trying to get downfield and hit people and set a tempo,” he said. “But we weren’t smart about it.”

Nearby, Coach Pete Carroll had another description for the same problem, using words such as “poor decisions” and “embarrassed.”

How did penalties hurt USC? Let us count the ways:

1. On the game’s first possession, with Stanford driving, the USC defense jumped offside. The five-yard penalty gave the Cardinal a first down at the 50-yard line, but quarterback Randy Fasani fumbled on the next play.

2 and 3. USC was driving midway through the first quarter when tailback Sultan McCullough gained seven yards on first down. But the Trojans were called for holding and a personal foul. Instead of second down near midfield, they faced first and 28 at their own 18-yard line.

4. Same possession. After digging themselves out of a hole with two completions, the Trojans were called for a false start. The drive stalled at the 46-yard line. Without the penalties, they might have been deep in Stanford territory, within range of a field-goal attempt.

5. The following drive. Safety Troy Polamalu was called for interference on a short pass. The Cardinal got a first down in USC territory, but defensive end Omar Nazel sacked Fasani to force a punt.

6. In the second quarter, the defense tackled running back Brian Allen for a loss but had jumped offside again. With a first down at the USC 29-yard line, Fasani completed a 27-yard pass and Stanford scored two plays later.

By halftime, the Trojans had committed six penalties for 48 yards, and Stanford drew not a single flag. The Cardinal led, 21-0. “It really disappoints me that we would go out and show that kind of first half,” Carroll said.

And it wasn’t over.

7. After USC made a 41-yard field goal to close the gap to 21-3 in the third quarter, kicker David Newbury tried a short, looping kickoff. Stanford recovered and the Trojans committed another 15-yard personal foul. The Cardinal took possession near midfield. The defense held.

8. With the score 21-10 late in the quarter, USC drove to the Stanford 30-yard line but on a short run, Vandermade committed a late hit. The penalty left the Trojans at midfield and, after a short pass completion, they punted.

At the start of the fourth quarter, it should be noted, Stanford committed its first penalty, a five-yard false start.

“We try to emphasize that there is a mental aspect in terms of penalties,” Stanford Coach Tyrone Willingham said. “You can’t kill yourself with them.”

9. With fewer than five minutes left, the Trojans trailed, 21-16, and faced a third and 25 at their 25-yard line. Carson Palmer completed a short pass, but guard Faaesea Mailo was called for yet another late hit--his team’s fourth personal foul. USC punted and didn’t touch the ball again.

Nine penalties for 93 yards, equivalent to a touchdown drive with enough left over to get within field-goal range.

“The effort was there,” receiver Kareem Kelly said.

“If we could just eliminate the mistakes.”

UP NEXT FOR USC

Washington

Saturday at Seattle

12:30 p.m.

FSN