The Denver Post's sports reporters contribute analysis, notes and minutiae on this blog focussing on CU athletics.
LOS ANGELES — In a season in which Colorado's pass defense hasn't been able to stop a stiff breeze, the Buffaloes came to Southern California on Saturday afternoon and faced a hurricane. Following a script that could have been written in Hollywood and was as predictable as a bad sitcom, USC quarterback Matt Barkley and the 11th-ranked Trojans blew away the Buffaloes 50-6.
This was a sitcom at its worst. But Colorado (1-6, 1-3 Pac-12) didn't think it was very funny. Then again, the Buffs were mere props as they committed six turnovers and Barkley launched himself into the school and conference record books, if not back in the Heisman race.
He hit an amazing 19-of-20 passes for 298 yards and six touchdowns to
give him 102 for his career, breaking Matt Leinart's record of 99. The six also tied Barkley's school record for a single game — set last year in USC's 42-17 win in Boulder.Don't be surprised to soon see a stuffed buffalo in Barkley's living room. In two games against Colorado, he is 44-of-59 for 616 yards and 12 touchdowns. On Saturday, he threw three touchdown passes in his first eight plays. His lone incompletion for the day was dropped.
He wasn't that accurate in warm -ups.
Then again, this is a recurring theme with Colorado this year. One game into the second half of the season, one common thread is found through this year.
"Definitely blown assignments, guys not doing their job," said junior safety Parker Orms, who indicated some are studying more than others. "We talked about not letting them beat us deep, to keep them in front of us, and that's what we let happen."
This game had all the trappings of the disaster that it became. CU came in 118th nationally in pass-efficiency defense, and a sellout Coliseum crowd came to christen Barkley as the new king of Trojans QBs.
Colorado welcomed back senior safety Ray Polk, out since the opener against Colorado State with a high ankle sprain.
In this game, he was just another speed bump. Receivers for USC (6-1, 4-1) were more wide open than some of the 83,274 fans left in empty sections of stands in the fourth quarter."Pretty rusty," Polk said. "I wasn't myself."
Symbolizing the Pompeii-level rebuilding job second-year coach Jon Embree has, covering Barkley's top target for the day, All-America receiver Robert Woods, was freshman Kenneth Crawley. A year ago, Crawley was blanketing tiny receivers in for his Washington, D.C., public school.
Barkley victimized him on the two touchdown passes that pushed Woods past Dwayne Jarrett for the school's all-time reception record. Woods went on to eight receptions for 132 yards and a school-record four TD catches. Marqise Lee added 103 more receiving yards.
Yet through all the blown assignments and video tributes to Barkley and Woods, the pass defense wasn't what stuck in Embree's ever-deepening craw the most.
"Turnovers," Embree said. "We talk about getting first downs and protecting the football. And we didn't do that. That was the disappointing thing. We've got to protect the ball."
Colorado's offense, only reasonably better than the defense at 103rd in the country, gained 351 yards but shot itself in the foot in the red zone. Jordan Webb threw an interception in the end zone when he tried to throw it away on the first possession, freshman tailback Christian Powell fumbled at the Buffs' 17 on the next one and Webb threw two more interceptions in USC territory, one when Tony Burnett stole the pass from the hands of freshman receiver Nelson Spruce.
Make that shot themselves in the foot, the hand, the lower intestine.
"We're not playing good enough," said Embree who said the staff will discuss Sunday whether to keep Webb at quarterback. "It's not just his position. At other positions, we're not making plays also."
While the junior may not be the answer in Embree's rebuilding plans, he's a much less of a problem than Colorado's horrific pass defense. With USC backup Max Wittek throwing a TD pass in the fourth quarter, the Buffaloes have given up 27 touchdown passes and intercepted three.
And believe it or not, it's only getting worse. Up next Saturday is a visit to second-ranked Oregon. But Colorado can finally make some history of its own. A loss would clinch the Buffaloes a school-record seven consecutive losing seasons.
John Henderson: 303-954-1299, jhenderson@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/johnhendersondp
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