Eyes on the Enemy: Rey Maualuga
Rey will twist you like a pretzel and eat you.With a trip to the Coliseum slowly approaching, we plan to take a quick look at a few of USC’s more notable players in an effort to increase your familiarity, get your blood boiling and increase your hatred of L.A.’s only professional football team.
Chris took a look at USC’s big offensive threat, Joe McKnight yesterday and today we take a look at Rey Maualuga, perhaps the scariest looking defender in the entire country.
Rey could have gone into the NFL, but the 6′2″, 260 pound middle linebacker with 4.5 speed decided to come back for his senior season, looking to gain his third straight All-PAC-10 First Team honors. Rey is without question the heart and soul of this defense and perhaps the entire team.
Born in Oklahoma, Rey moved to Hawaii at a very young age, started playing football in the sixth grade and his family moved to California shortly after. After playing his freshman year in Ventura, his family moved north to Eureka, where he started to develop into the wrecking ball he is today.
During his final two years of high school, his teams went 20-2-1 and his numbers were sick: 242 tackles, 80 TFL, at least 11 sacks, 5 INT’s (2 returned for TD), 2 fumble recoveries and a kickoff return for a touchdown. It is no surprise he played in the US Army AA game and was selected USA Today First-Team defense.
Rey Rey played backup most of the year as a freshman, but saved his best game for UCLA, where he posted 9 tackles (1 TFL), 2 forced fumbles and 2 deflections. Maualuga finished the season with 37 tackles and earned freshmen All-American honors. He also overcame a minor arrest in early November and the passing of his father 2 days before the Rose Bowl (USC v. Texas).
While he didn’t start every game his sophomore year, Rey recorded 78 tackles, including 5 TFL and 2 sacks. These numbers were good enough for First Team PAC-10, some honorable mention AA awards and a semi-finalist for the Butkus award.
His numbers last year are not eye popping, but they were good enough to land Rey on Phil Steele’s third team All-American honors and his second straight All-PAC-10 honors. He lead the Trojans with 79 tackles, including 10 for losses and 6 sacks. With the wood that Maualuga brings, it is surprising to see he only has 4 forced fumbles in his career.
He has been slowed just a bit by a broken finger this season, posting only 4 tackles in the Virginia thrashing. He passed out in the airport afterwards, claiming the 2 Vicodin he took before the game lead to dehydration. I can only hope one of my Buckeye brethren will some how sneak into the USC locker room and replace the Vicodin with Xanax.
His takedowns have become legendary and what legend doesn’t have some type of nickname. “Maualugaed” has earned a spot in the Urban Dictionary and Brent Musburger will be dying to get that phrase into the telecast. Mark my words, the first big hit Maualuga has on Saturday, Brent will be putting down his beer and screaming “Holy Trojan Horse Herbie, Mo Wells just got Maualugaed!”
Trojan fans have littered You Tube with videos of Rey Rey’s monster hits. The one below is eloquently titled, “Rey’s Maualuga hit list” Here’s to hoping one of the Buckeyes doesn’t end up on that list.
I seriously wonder if there are any Buckeye fans hoping that Boeckman gets “Maualugaed” ala Patrick Cowan. I hope not, but one thing’s for sure: Boeckman better watch out once he starts getting happy feet.
He’s a beast, no doubt about that. Probably the first linebacker taken in the ‘09 draft. The only thing giving me hope is the fact that he has the cast on still. But he’ll bring it on Saturday.
Jason, I actually hope the cast is off. I would hate to see him using that as a “Trojan Club” or leading with it.
I have not watched too much of him, but his numbers don’t jump off the page at you.
He’s a superb LB…when he’s unblocked. Of course, so am I. Beanie is the best back in college football. He practices against Laurinaitis. People are talking about Maualuga as if he’s unbeatable. If he was unbeatable, then Illinois wouldn’t have posted over 400 yards of offense on them, despite a sack highlight on Juice when he went through a hole 10 yards wide while in spy coverage. Plus, the hit on the UCLA QB was exactly what it was, a hit on a QB, not a hit on the best back in college football, and certainly not against an elite O-line.
Beanie’s stiff arm vs. Maualuga’s helmet? Beanie simply doesn’t get blindsided by linebackers. I’ll take Beanie. Boeckman does get sacked, so it’ll be up to the O-line.
GO BUCKS!!! We’re UNDERRATED!!!
I’d agree with that, Rey is an impressive physical specimen but I think he lacks the instincts of a AJ Hawk or JLau or Pozlunzny. If he’s unblocked, he’ll do damage, but I think we can hold our own against USC’s converted defensive ends, errr, Linebackers.
I guess it’s just me, but I don’t see anything that would strike fear into my eyes if I were a buckeye!!! Chances are he’ll need a few xanny before the game now that he knows beanie is comin for his pink thong wearing passin out at airports pussy ass!! And if the xanex don’t knock him out, the vic’s he’ll surely need at halftime should surely do the trick!! And if that doesn’t do it….. Refer back to beanie!!
It’s only Wednesday and I’m already boiling over these USC taints!! Not to mention Mark May, and the rest of the “experts”… Its time to put up bucks… So the rest of the world finslly shuts up!!
I think the Buckeye’s are gonna be rediculous on Saturday, showing the world how talented they really are. Last week I think they zoned out for the whole game looking ahead to this game. In my eyes I think that James and all the other seniors came back specifically because this USC game was on the schedule. If we had the same schedule this year as last I don’t think that they would have returned because there would be no real way to prove themselves again. They have been waiting since the clocked reached zero against LSU and they will unload 2 years of frustration on USC.
GO BUCKS!!
Nuf said already…. the Bucks have shut everyone up in a big way Sat nite……. go into LA and perform ala the Penn State game last year at nite in a very hostile stadium and open up a large can of whoop ass!
This game will have longterm effects on the Buckeye program.With a win they a regain alot of lost respect.With a big loss the damage to its reputation will be irrevocable.Tressel better have this team ready to play.
Longterm effects? That’s what everyone said about the past 2 national championship games. The only people it “affects” are media types and other teams’ fans. Where it matters, recruiting, we are doing just fine. How many recruits do we have right now? Oh that’s right, 25. Yea, we’re hurting. I guess we’ll just have to shut the program down if we lose Saturday.
I hope Brandon Smith blows up Rey Rey like Maurice Jones Drew on Shawn Merriman.
Yeah, I’m not buying the line that a loss, even a convincing one, will forever alter the future of the program. We had a top-5 class last year and the early buzz from Rivals says we have the number one class this year. Unless we have a massive amount of decommits following a blowout loss, I think we’ll be just fine, thank you. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking Tressel has his best years, and his best talent, ahead of him.
Looks like it might be time for some coaching this game. Just this once turn these guy loose on defense.11 Silver Bullets flying around is what we need. Blitz and tackle its that simple. Make them pay if they get the ball. Thats how we beat Miami 02 which was a much better team than this USC team.
Tell me,how many blowout losses can the Bucks absorb and still get top quality recruits?The perception of the program has taken a major hit around the nation.The level of talent on the roster may dominate the conference,but looking at the Bucks playmakers there is an element missing to dominate on the national stage.
That’s what we all want to see. And you are right, that Miami team was better than this USC team. The big question is whether this Buckeye team is better than that 02 team.
How many times can OSU lose big on a national stage and not have it affect recruiting.Watching the past two national championship games the Bucks playmakers are at least a couple notches below what it takes to get it done.Top flight talent won’t go where the preception is that they can’t win the big one.Does Tressel have a lifetime pass?
conch put down the crack pipe.
ConchyBitch,
How does Illinois get talent? Hell, how does USC get talent when they can’t even make it out of the Pac-10 into the championship game?
Tampa Buckeye is so right. The defense must get aggressive and press USCs offense. No passive soft zone crap. Offense must get big chunks of yardage. Score TD’s, not FG’s, early and often. Hit them with big passes first, then run Beanie when they are forced to protect against the pass.
The O needs to run wide open like they did against scUM in 2006 while hanging up 42 points( even with 2 fumbles at point blank range). Tressel needs to re-watch that game!Now is not the time to try the 3 yards and a cloud of dust routine. Play tough, agressive , smart football!
Guys … stop dreaming of some aggressive defense, it ain’t gonna happen. this team simply plays a soft zone and that is it. I don’t know, maybe it works this time… we have to hope that lawrence wilson and cam heyward do something on the young O-line of USC because we will be back in that zone all day giving up yards and hoping to make a tackle on 3rd and 3/4 yards to get off the field (sound familiar)
I hate to say it, but I fear that Buckeye Willie might be right. If we weren’t willing to challenge LSU’s and Florida’s wideouts, and were willing to let Zook’s run free, it’s likely another zone look is in the offing this weekend.
I’m just baffled by that. Both Jenkins and Washington are fine athletes – Washington looks like a killer in practice – and Chekwa is continuing to develop. I hate to see OSU play these huge games with one defensive hand tied behind their back.
Shades of Bill Davis, but I hope I’m wrong.
Joe Fox,
the only thing I can think of is that this coaching staff doesn’t really have faith in our one-on-one coverage skills. Maybe these guys aren’t as good as we think and the coaches see that. It makes no sense to any fans why we continue to allow the offense to dictate to the defense rather than trying the reverse.
Heacock is content with this so we better get used to it as it’s likely here until he retires
ConchyBong,
The fact that OSU was in the last two national title games will help recruiting. You forget they have been there 3 of the last 6 years, what big time recruit isn’t sitting at home thinking he could help OSU get over the hump next time around. The odds are good that OSU will make it to at least one NC game in a players career. Any HS kid would take those odds.
While I like the optimism of some of you, I have to disagree. the fact that we were in the last 2 NC is, yes, good for recruiting. But, another blowout loss and they will not be put back in the big game by the writers over a 1 loss USC or SEC team again for the forseeable future.
therefore, I don’t see how you can honestly say that the odds would be that a recruit will get to play in the big game.
these embarrasing losses are not good, no matter what. But, that does not mean OSU recruiting will be bad, either. Its OSU … it will recruit top 20 classes by simply continuing to exist.
But I think it’s a mistake to think these loses have no effect on the program. That is blind homersim – which together with $1.00 might get you a cup of coffee, but does not convince the writers to put us in the NC game
“…the only thing I can think of is that this coaching staff doesn’t really have faith in our one-on-one coverage skills. Maybe these guys aren’t as good as we think and the coaches see that.”
Well, I know first-hand that the coaches decided early on in 2006 to provide as much help as possible for Antonio Smith, and that certainly showed in the Florida game. I think Washington and – certainly – Jenkins are way above Smith’s level.
Look, if the Gators have you down 28-14, the chances are pretty good that what you’ve schemed isn’t working, so change it. What’s the worst that can happen? You lose by thirty instead of by twenty?
For whatever reason, we elect to wait on the offense to make a mistake and provide opportunities. There’s little wonder that our turnover numbers are down the past year or so. Turnovers generally come about because a defense is being aggressive, disruptive and has a touch of the gambler in it. We picked four passes against OU only because Boo Jackson couldn’t connect with a receiver even by telephone. Save for his feet, he was a horrible quarterback, and his receivers didn’t help him much, either.
I just think back to the Miami game in ‘03. Ohio State got burned a couple of times (Dustin Fox, in particular), but – generally speaking – Miami only scored when we eased up on the pressure and waited for something to happen.
Make it happen, Bucks. Make it happen.
Before everyone keeps bringing up the past two NCGs, you have to realize that OSU doesn’t have 50 days off before this Saturday night. They’re in the flow of the season, and no matter how bad they played against OU, I think they’ll be ready to play.
Again, we’re not coming off a 50-day layoff…
As much as I would like to believe the 50 day layoff is an excuse, that itself is a disturbing thought. What happens the next time we get the the NC game? We can never win it? I don’t the layoff had anything to do with it, personally. Other teams have long layoffs as well and do fine. I hardly see 50 days drastically altering things where 40 days do not