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The Prince and the Anointed

By Paul Myerberg   //   Jul 26, 2010

Kevin Prince might own the starting job, but U.S.C.'s Matt Barkley owns Los Angeles.

U.C.L.A. is still not ready to leapfrog past U.S.C. in the Pac-10, let alone as the power program in Los Angeles. For all of Rick Neuheisel’s bluster, that move isn’t happening soon — even with the Trojans facing multiple years of N.C.A.A. infractions. The Bruins have progressed, however, improving to 7-6 in 2009 after being defined by its inept offense in Neuheisel’s debut season. Part of last year’s improvement stemmed from the play of then-redshirt freshman Kevin Prince, whose cautious play — often by design — lent U.C.L.A. a degree of stability to the quarterback position.

Now a year wiser, Prince is the key to U.C.L.A.’s offensive attack. His play as a freshman was along the lines one would expect from a rookie, with flashes of success interspersed between periods of inconsistency. Take, for example, a three-game stretch against Oregon, California and Arizona, when Prince completed 41 of 91 attempts for 452 yards — 311 against the Bears — and two interceptions without a single touchdown. Over his next three, Prince completed 62 of 81 attempts for 849 yards and 4 scores against a single pick.

Not surprisingly, U.C.L.A. went 0-3 over the first three games, 3-0 over the last.

Prince still represented an upgrade at the position: in 2008, then-starter Kevin Craft scrapped, clawed and fought, but still ranked in the bottom 20 nationally in interceptions thrown and quarterback efficiency. In the former category, Prince threw 12 fewer interceptions — albeit in nearly 100 less attempts. Further, it’s clear that Prince has what Neuheisel is looking for in his quarterback; perhaps the third-year coach will give Prince more responsibility in 2010.

Should U.C.L.A. go to the Pistol offense, all bets are off. Simply put, in its current incarnation — the system put to use at Nevada — the offense does not fit Prince’s skill set. In fact, a new addition to the quarterback mix, JUCO transfer Darius Bell, would be a better fit in a run-first system. Knowing that, U.C.L.A., Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow will surely tailor the offense, maintaining the shotgun set but largely removing the quarterback option, in an effort to play to Prince’s strengths.

No such worries for Matt Barkley, the other — other, in quotes — sophomore quarterback in Los Angeles. Unlike Prince, Barkley entered last season with immense billing, due both to his college of choice and the fanfare that accompanied his recruitment.

Like with his U.C.L.A. counterpart, Barkley’s ascension to the starting role could have afforded a one-year stay. To be fair, Barkley, by and large, lived up to his expectations. He threw for 2,735 yards in 12 starts and tossed at least two scores in four of five mid-season games, acquitting himself well as a true freshman starter at one of the premier positions in college football. Like Prince, experienced gained in 2009 will be of enormous benefit to Barkley and the Trojans come this season.

Nevertheless, turnovers were somewhat of a concern, as Barkley tossed six more interceptions than Prince in 42 more attempts. In Barkley’s defense, he was asked to take far more chances than was Prince; U.S.C. asked Barkley to win games, U.C.L.A. asked Prince not to lose. Despite his rapid growth, the Trojans were still better when asking Barkley to do less, not more: U.S.C. was 3-3 in games where Barkley attempted at least 31 attempts, though those victories include Ohio State, California — these two on the road — and Boston College, the latter in bowl play.

So which quarterback is in the better position in 2010? It’s still Barkley, even given Prince’s expected progression in his second season in the starting lineup. Disregard U.S.C.’s penalties for a moment, if you can. Even with a few departures, U.S.C. returns plenty of talent on the offensive side of the ball. U.C.L.A. does as well, returning its top two receivers, but depth — though improving with each recruiting cycle — remains a concern.

Tags: Kevin Prince, Matt Barkley, U.C.L.A., U.S.C.

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