Someone get the Arizona defense some Neosporin.
It was death by a thousand little cuts Saturday night at Arizona Stadium, as USC junior running back Javorius “Buck” Allen took a butter knife to the Wildcats defense in a 28-26 Trojans win.
Rarely did he go for the big gash. It was subtle, it was quiet, it was painful.
There was the first-quarter touchdown run, when Allen dipped a bit to avoid a tackle. There was the early-second-quarter 14-yard gain, when Allen took a handoff right, cut left and then cut left again. There was the 48-yard touchdown run, later in the second quarter, when Allen hit the R-2 button on the video game controller just as Arizona defensive back Jarvis McCall Jr. was in his breakdown.
“I trust myself, and Coach preached about making guys miss,” Allen said. “I hear his voice back of my head. It’s little things like that. I can read guys, their momentum. It’s a gift that God gave me.”
People are also reading…
Allen became just the second running back this season to break 100 yards against Arizona by doing what many others failed to do: make the Wildcats miss. The surprisingly sure-handed Arizona tacklers could have used some drills on Saturday — the Wildcats didn’t break down, took poor angles, and grasped at air as Allen cruised by.
This is something USC head coach Steve Sarkisian has stressed to Allen throughout the season, to capitalize on breakaway opportunities.
“We’re preaching it,” Sarkisisan said. “I really think as a coach, when you emphasize it, you should get results if you do it the right way. It’s no different for Buck. Two weeks ago, we challenged him, gotta be better in the open field. Now he’s making safeties miss.”
Buried in Lane Kiffin’s doghouse for much his sophomore season — although surprisingly potent in Week 6 last year against Arizona, when he had two touchdowns on six carries — Allen finally emerged nine games into the 2013 campaign, rushing 16 times for 133 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-14 win at Oregon State. Kiffin was long since jettisoned by then; the shackles were off Allen.
They have rarely been put back on, either by the USC coaching staff or opposing defenses.
Including his breakout game against the Beavers, Allen has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in nine of his last 12 games, including a 154-yard effort in a win at Stanford this year and 143 yards in a late loss to Arizona State a few weeks later.
On Saturday, he had eight rushes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone. He had 163 yards and three scores by the end of the third quarter, and he finished with 26 carries for 205 yards.
“I was waiting; good things come to those who wait,” Allen said. “My grandma told me that. I kept that in the back of my head. The opportunities came, and I took advantage of it.”
Just when Arizona needed to corral Allen the most, he broke free, even if he was dog-tired.
Allen had a crucial 32-yard, tackle-breaking, back-breaking run with 9:50 left in the game, right after the Wildcats trimmed USC’s lead to 28-20. He received three more carries the rest of the way, as backfield mate Justin Davis started getting the ball.
“Just never stop moving my feet,” Allen said. “The coaches preach, ‘Keep driving your feet, and good things happen.’ Coach challenged me, and I’m a guy who loves challenges. That’s something I thank him a lot for, bringing it to my attention. Not letting me get by with it.”
Sitting two chairs down from Allen on Saturday night in the postgame press conference, Sarkisian looked over to his young star.
“You’re welcome, ‘Buck,’ ” Sarkisian said. “I thank you, too.”
