Quite a week around here. Pete Carroll told me the last official night of camp that it had been quiet and that was after Emmanuel Moody and Jamere Holland left the program. Good thing nothing newsworthy happened although all of these events distracted me from the true cause of completing “Mitch and Me.”
The window for asking questions was smaller but we’ll have another chance over the weekend. Now on to the answers!

Mitch Mustain is a pro-style quarterback with good mobility. He is not as nimble as Aaron Corp but Corps a lot better than average when it comes to foot speed. Mustains got good all-around talent and thats why USC likes him so much.

Mark Sanchez wants to make a valiant try to return next week but it doesnt look good at the moment. That could mean a big opportunity for Mike McDonald, although I could see John David Booty playing at least three quarters against Idaho.

Garrett Green appears to actually have a chance to play this season. Why? Because the wide receiver position is so uncertain at the moment. Other than Patrick Turner, its hard to say who will get the most playing time. David Ausberry and Vidal Hazelton are neck-and-neck, Brandon Carswell frequently surprises, Ronald Johnson is highly touted and Travon Patterson is due back next week.
But no one owns anything, so Green could sneak in there.

There could be additional scholarships available for this year, however, until Jamere Holland officially signs papers releasing USC from his scholarship, he remains on scholarship.

My top 25 appears last week on this blog.

Mitch Mustain could theoretically attend nonconference road games if USC chose to bring him. A few years ago, Brandon Hance went to some road games, but in the Pac-10 he paid his own way and sat in the pressbox with the coaches.

With the Idaho game approaching, I expect players to get rested over the weekend who might have minor injuries and also maybe see some miss Monday or Tuesdays practice. This is not Virginia Tech or Auburn, so USC could sit out most of its starters from practice and still be fine.

USC basketball is currently being overhyped thanks to last years Sweet 16 run. There are a lot of young players either playing their first season or expected to contribute a lot more than last year. The Pac-10 will be difficult with most teams better. Expect the Trojans to take their lumps in the nonconference. And even in the Pac-10, things could be brutal at times.
That said, once they get to the tournament, they could make a run with some luck and a favorable draw.

I havent focused on academic probation issues right now because Ive been working on clearinghouse and summer school situations

Will I be at Salute to Troy? Yes, I will have my own booth where I will sign pre-order copies of “Mitch and Me.

I address Chauncey Washingtons status in todays paper and blog.

I believe Brian Cushing will return next season and Rey Maualuga will not.

I continue to investigate Pedalgate but I am also looking into Thumbgate, the mysterious circumstances behind Mark Sanchez fracturing his thumb. Sanchez still does not which player broke his thumb on the play Sanchez threw an incomplete pass. Could it be a Mustain ally? Or is Mike McDonald behind this? What about freshman Aaron Corp? Folks, it’s going to require a lot more investigative skills.

Broderick Green is bigger than Allen Bradford but in the early scrimmages showed the ability to break a run. Id say he might be a stronger runner but that Bradford is a better blocker and receiver.

Hershel Dennis will probably play at some point but the top concern is protecting his injury-ravaged knee. Stafon Johnson is poised to play a significant role if he continues his impressive scrimmage performances and the coaching staff does not become wedded to the idea of playing last years mainstays. He has good speed and takes a hit well. He just needs to be focused and avoid mistakes like the fumbled punt return in Wednesday’s scrimmage.

After two scrimmages, Mitch Mustain seems polished and full of poise. He does not force passes and is good at looking for the open receiver without locking on to one WR. I see an interesting two-way battle in the spring and Id like to see Aaron Corp get thrown into the mix too based on his scrimmage performances.

Joe McKnight seems unlikely to be ready for Idaho although USC insists he will be. When I say that, I take into consideration that he has not practiced this week and is going to be rusty. But I wont be surprised if he plays. That never surprises me around here.

Ive written quite a few articles about Rey Maualuga, including last season when I detailed an incident at a fraternity house. They are all available on the dailynews.com website.

Steve Sarkisian could leave USC if he were offered a head job, especially at a West Coast school. He wants to be a college head coach and leaving USC would help his chances to return one day as the boss.
Pat Ruel is always a hot commodity in the NFL and gets calls from teams in the offseason, so he might depart.

Antwine Perez transferred because he knew he would not play ahead of Taylor Mays, Kevin Ellison or Josh Pinkard. Although he was hurt at USC, he did not have the pure athletic ability of those three players.

The offensive line looks nearly settled with Sam Baker, Jeff Byers, Matt Spanos and Chilo Rachal the starters. Charles Brown probably starts at the final tackle spot, but as I predicted, Drew Radovich is now making a push as he returned from his back injury.

Fresno State was an entirely different team than Idaho and capable of beating any team in the country. This wont be the case Sept. 1.

After Turner, Ausberry and Hazelton, there’s Ronald Johnson, Brandon Carswell and perhaps Travon Patterson if he returns soon along with the late-charging Garrett Green and Brad Walker.

One guy who reminds me of Stafon Johnson is Ricky Ervins. They both have slashing styles and dont go down on the first hit.

Reggie Bush lateraled the ball to Brad Walker because he had done the play in high school and thought Walker would score a TD in a memorable never-forgotten fashion if he made that play. Unfortunately, for Bush, the play was remembered forever but for different reasons.

Recruiting is going answer F.) None of the above.
That would be because is going “as expected.”
Why? Because after losing a couple local prospects to UCLA, USC’s recruiting has rebounded nationally by being a little bit better than expected. So if you even it out, it’s right about where people expect it to be. In the end, I suspect recruiting to be in the top five nationally but I wonder who the super-prospect Joe McKnight or Everson Griffen will be in this class. And does USC need a Darrell Scott now with recent transfers and injuries.

I have seen and heard that Mustain reads defenses well since training camp opened. His poise might be the best facet of his game.
Good to see we’re back to 70 percent Mustain questions.