Jesse Reed
2. Steve Sarkisian probably won’t be back at USC next season
USC (No. 17) was beaten at home for the second time this year on Thursday night by Chris Petersen’s Washington Huskies, 17-12. The Trojans had previously been bested by Stanford at the Memorial Coliseum. Just as frustrating as the poor home record is their 1-2 conference record, which slid them into fourth place in the Pac-12 South heading into the weekend.
The Huskies were the aggressors throughout the contest, and the defense dominated USC’s normally potent offense. Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler suffered through his worst game of the season, totaling just 156 yards on 16-of-29 passing with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
For Sarkisian, the loss represented probably the final straw, sealing his fate as a goner either sometime this season or at the end of the 2015 campaign. The two losses, combined with his unfortunate drunken faux pas in August, have likely sealed his fate. Already we’re hearing the calls for Chip Kelly, who is struggling in his own right in Philadelphia as the head coach of the Eagles.
Making matters worse was Sarkisian’s ill-timed decision to go for a field goal, trailing 17-12 with less than four minutes on the clock on a 4th-and-9 — a decision that could haunt him for a while.
“I hate to admit to confusion, quite honestly,” Sarkisian said, per SI.com. “I’m frustrated, that’s probably a better word for me. I’m frustrated because I really believe in this team.”
Talent-wise, the Trojans are loaded, especially on offense. But they looked confused and were outworked in Week 6, which belies poor preparation for the battle. Poor preparation is directly linked to coaching, and at this point it seems clear Sarkisian’s time in Southern California is coming to a close.
