LOS ANGELES — In no situation has the USC offense struggled more in recent weeks than it has on third down.

The 11th-ranked Trojans go into Saturday’s Pac-10 game with No. 25 Stanford eighth in the conference in third-down conversion (32.4 percent).
“It hasn’t been good enough,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “We have to really make sure that all our focus is on it, because our production has to change there or games are going to continue to be very difficult for us. So we’re on it.”
The Trojans’ third-down problems were a point of emphasis in practice this week and are considered a key factor for an offense struggling to get back on track after scoring one touchdown in its past six quarters.
“We worked extra hard on (third-down situations) this week,” Carroll said. “Hopefully, we’ll see some results in the numbers. We have to get that percentage closer to 50 percent.”
In a 47-20 loss at Oregon on Oct. 31 and a 14-9 victory at Arizona State last Saturday night, the Trojans converted just 6 of 27 (22.2 percent) third-down opportunities.
“It affects the whole football team when you have to punt the football again,” Carroll said. “So we have to get better there. So there are some things we’re doing, yeah. We have to continue to seek stuff, but also just count on the ability to execute better as we grow together and all that.”
McCOY RETURNING
USC’s slumping offense could get a boost with the return of tight end Anthony McCoy on Saturday.
McCoy, who missed the past two games because of a sprained right ankle, will play against Stanford, Carroll said.
McCoy’s return is offset by the loss of wide receiver Damian Williams, the Pac-10 punt return leader and the Trojans’ top big-play threat this season, and backup tight end Blake Ayles. Williams and Ayles are both out because of ankle injuries.
Some inside the USC camp point out that the Trojans’ offensive slide has coincided with McCoy’s absence.
McCoy has 16 receptions for 375 yards. Among the nation’s top 100 receivers, only one has a per-catch average better than McCoy’s 23.4 yards per reception (Owen Spencer, North Carolina State, 25.5).
Williams is third in the Pac-10 in receiving, averaging 76.4 yards per game. He is also averaging a Pac-10-leading 16.3 yards per punt return.
Williams’ 75-yard touchdown reception against Arizona State is the Trojans offense’s lone TD since the first half of the Oregon loss.