Answer Thursday! (Part 3)

In this segment, a question about why Pete Carroll really started Matt Barkley.

Q: vantage said:
Your comments about Caesar deciding to start Barkley over Corp before the Fall camp even started are pretty interesting. Could the reason have anything to do with Sanchez having to wait for Booty? In the past, QBs have had to wait it out (Leinart waiting for Palmer to leave, Booty waited for Leinart to leave, and Sanchez waited for Booty to leave). Except perhaps that Sanchez perhaps could have started earlier.

Do you think the reason Pete was so enamored with Barkley is because he finally had a chance to start someone early? Or perhaps he knew he was leaving to the NFL and would never otherwise see Barkley play?

A: The reason he was enamored with Barkley were two-fold: Barkley possessed a stronger arm than Carroll saw from other QBs (except Carson Palmer) and Barkley’s personality was similar to Carroll’s. Combine those two qualities plus the fact Mark Sanchez went pro and you had a head coach that was hell bent to play a true freshman who probably was everything Pete Carroll wanted to be when he was 18.

Q: Jon said:
How are Directors’ Cup points scored? Does fielding a higher number of teams increase the odds of scoring more points, or is it just coincidence that Stanford fields so many teams and almost always finishes #1.

A: You are rewarded for fielding more teams provided they finish high enough to score points. But it’s just like a lot of recruiting rankings. If you sign more recruits, you get a higher score than teams that might have better recruits but sign less players. So you can get a higher score by fielding as many teams as possible.

Q: MRSAM said:

How were Shane Horton, and the other reserve linebackers during the spring practice, do you think they can step in for the starters if needed?

A: Ever since last year, Horton’s been an able backup. He would be able to step in and play ably. The only issue is his size if USC plays a physical team. But he knows his assignments. The problem occurs when he plays with Michael Morgan, who is slim for his size. That’s one reason Pete Carroll moved Devon Kennard to linebacker, to get more size at the position against running teams.