 "Photo: Joel Zink | Daily Trojan")
After a trip to the Islands and a week off, USC's vacation time is over.
Saturday's game against Arkansas marks the first of 10 straight weeks that the Trojans will have to defend their No. 1 ranking, including three away games against teams currently in the top 25.
But USC (1-0) can't get ahead of itself, not with the nation's leading rushing attack coming to the Coliseum on Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
The Razorbacks (1-1) have averaged 338.5 yards per game on the ground, using an offensive attack that is 180 degrees from the run-and-shoot style deployed by USC's first opponent, Hawaii.
"It is a big switch, a big change for us and we are really from A to Z on the spectrum," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "This team loves to run the football and they are great at it. All of their passing game comes off of their running and their running actions."
Arkansas features a trio of running backs, each with the potential to bust a big run on the Trojans' still-unproven defense. Senior De'Arrius Howard leads the team with 259 yards on 33 attempts (a 7.8-yard per carry average), sophomore Peyton Hillis has a team-high three rushing touchdowns to go along with his 174 yards and freshman Felix Jones led the Razorbacks with 136 yards on eight carries in their season-opening 49-17 victory over Missouri State.
Despite its huge gains on the ground, Arkansas can still go through the air to 6-foot-6, 227-pound Marcus Monk, a larger wide receiver than USC's imposing big men Dwayne Jarrett and Patrick Turner. Monk leads the Razorbacks, who lost to Vanderbilt, 28-24, last week, with two receiving touchdowns and 136 yards.
Carroll has said repeatedly that he wasn't sure what to make of his defensive unit after Hawaii since the Warriors featured such a gimmicky offense and believes playing Arkansas will give him a proper assessment of the group.
His players said they are well equipped to shut down the Razorbacks' imposing offense.
"If we shut down the run early or make them go to the passing game, then it will make it easier for the rest of our defense," defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis said. "That is definitely our goal, stop the run first so we can pin back our ears and get to the quarterback."
Arkansas' running game may be No. 1, but USC has several players that top the country statistically as well. Quarterback Matt Leinart's passing efficiency rating of 224.1 leads the country, as does wide receiver Steve Smith's 185-yard-per-game average and Jarrett's 18.0 scoring average. Arkansas coach Houston Nutt knows that those two tools, along with running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White, make it nearly impossible to stop the Trojans.
"I don't see any weaknesses. I see an unbelievably explosive team on offense that can make it happen anywhere on the field," he said.
While opposing coaches lose hair over trying to stop the Trojans' arsenal on offense, USC's offensive lineman know that their gifted teammates make their jobs that much easier.
"The defense schemes on the weapons you have so it prevents teams from blitzing at certain times or running certain plays because they have to worry about the certain players that are in the game," offensive tackle Winston Justice said. "So it does make it easier."
But the most thankful of all should be Leinart, who arguably has the best players at each of the skilled positions to throw to, down after down.
"Matt is the lucky one," Carroll said. "He gets to sit in the middle of this thing and give the ball to all these guys. You aren't hearing him complain. He has a great situation."
A great situation made even better by the fact that Bush's offseason conditioning prepared him to be a back that can run through the tackles and get tough goal line scores. And it didn't take long for the junior to show he could do just that, gaining a team-high 86 yards and scoring a touchdown from 1 yard out against Hawaii.
"(Bush) was out there busting his butt, getting bigger, stronger, faster; you can really notice it," Leinart said.
"I sat back and watched him and was like 'man, this guy is going to be unstoppable this year.'"
The Trojans have been unstoppable at the Coliseum of late, winning a school-record 21 home games in a row and, if they can get past the Razorbacks, have a chance to break Miami's all-time record of 21-straight weeks being ranked No. 1.
