USC, Boston College seek to finish strong

Neither team opened the season expecting to wind up in this game, though for different reasons. Times staff writer Gary Klein looks at some of the key issues for the game between the Trojans and Eagles.

Young and old

Both teams feature freshmen at quarterback, but the similarities end with their statistics.

USC’s Matt Barkley, 19, is looking to finish on a high note after a difficult second half of the season.

In 11 starts, he has completed 58% of his passes, with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Boston College’s David Shinskie, 25, played minor league baseball for nearly six years before joining the Eagles.

The 6-foot-4, 216-pound Shinskie has completed 53% of his passes, 14 for touchdowns, with 13 interceptions

Tailback shuffle

With Joe McKnight in limbo because of a school investigation into his use of a sport utility vehicle owned by a Santa Monica businessman, junior Allen Bradford is expected to make his first start.

Bradford, who opened the season No. 3 on the depth chart, is averaging six yards per carry and has scored eight touchdowns.

Junior C.J. Gable and redshirt freshman Curtis McNeal also will be in the tailback rotation.

Sophomore Montel Harris of Boston College has rushed for 1,355 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He has eclipsed 100 yards seven times this season, including a 264-yard, five-touchdown performance against North Carolina State.

Fluid line

USC’s offensive line took an unexpected hit when starting right tackle Tyron Smith was declared academically ineligible. Tight end Anthony McCoy will sit out for the same reason.

Redshirt freshman Matt Kalil starts in Smith’s place, Rhett Ellison at tight end.

Left guard Jeff Byers, a sixth-year senior, is playing his final game, as is All-American left tackle Charles Brown.

No Boston College player has more than three sacks.

The Eagles’ Anthony Castonzo, a 6-7, 295-pound junior, is an All-Atlantic Coast Conference offensive tackle.

He leads a unit that will try to contain a USC pass rush that has 33 sacks.

Junior end Everson Griffen has eight sacks and redshirt freshman Nick Perry seven.

Looking ahead

USC’s linebackers, unfavorably compared most of the season to last year’s stellar group, hope to make a statement that will carry into 2010.

Middle linebacker Chris Galippo and weak-side linebacker Malcolm Smith appear to be at full strength, and freshman Devon Kennard is eager to continue his growth.

Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly, the ACC defensive rookie of the year, averages 11.8 tackles per game.

Something special

Boston College kicker Steve Aponavicius made 13 of 14 field-goal attempts and was perfect on 37 point-after tries during the regular season.

Ryan Quigley averages 41.8 yards per punt.

Rich Gunnell, averaging 13.7 yards per punt return, has returned one for a touchdown.

USC’s Jordan Congdon, perfect on 38 PAT attempts, is 11 for 14 on field-goal tries.

Jake Harfman averages 39.6 yards per punt.

Damian Williams has returned two punts for touchdowns and averages 15.4 yards per return.

Motivating forces

USC started the season with its sights set on an eighth consecutive Bowl Championship Series bowl game appearance.

Instead, the Trojans stumbled into San Francisco after losing three of their last five regular-season games and finishing with four losses overall, their most since Coach Pete Carroll’s first season, which ended with a 10-6 defeat to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The Trojans are 6-2 in bowl games under Carroll.

The Eagles were picked to finish last in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Atlantic Division but finished second behind Clemson.

Boston College is making its 11th consecutive bowl appearance and has won eight of its last nine.

gary.klein@latimes.com

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