September 2006 Archives

Tailback Stafon Johnson made his first appearance of the season and lined up at wide receiver. Johnson immediately made an impact, getting called for offensive pass interference.

USC coach Pete Carroll offered an obvious but simple point after the game.
``It's hard to be 4-0,'' he said.
Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin pointed out that USC's gone undefeated in the regular season the other two times it started 4-0 under Carroll. And 1-1 in bowl games, for those keeping score.

USC quarterback John David Booty on tonight's performanace: ``I just felt good. I’m playing more and more. My offensive line blocked its butts off. It seemed like I’ve been through a couple of these close games now though.''

USC center Ryan Kalil said the Trojans' narrow lead did not weigh on the players' minds in the fourth quarter.
``We’ve been in these situations before, there’s no time to think about those things,'' Kalil said. ``There’s no time to think, `What if we lose?' But it is a little more close for comfort.''

Feel free to post your thoughts. Lots of praise for John David Booty and Steve Smith in the locker room. Looks like the secondary still has some work to do.
``The young guys were in some situations and made some mistakes, but those guys will grow through that. We’re going to keep calling on them,'' Pete Carroll said. ``It’s good for us. This is a program that needs experiences to grow.''

Wide receiver Chris McFoy is in street clothes with a left shoulder injury along with linebacker Luthur Brown, who is on crutches.
UPDATE: McFoy bruised his left shoulder and Brown strained his hamstring. No announcements yet on how long they will be out. Emmanuel Moody sprained his ankle but said he was OK.

Among the recruits Washington State brought to the game was La Canada High tailback LaVelle Peterson, who rushed for a school-record 345 yards and five touchdowns last week. The Cougars' starting tailback, Dwight Tardy, is also from Southern California and attended St. Paul High.

Outside my hotel room window, the Trojans are conducting a walk-through in the parking lot, giving a shock to a couple people walking by and anyone driving into the WinCoFoods 24-hour market which is across the street.

It's extremely mild up in Pullman and today's high is forecast for 78 degrees. That's a vast improvement from the hail storm that greeted USC during warmups two years ago.

Freshman safety Taylor Mays said he feels comfortable enough after two starts that games are not his biggest worry.
``I feel like tomorrow’s practice will be harder than Saturday’s game,’’ Mays said.
Mays also said he likes playing the ``center field'' spot in the Trojans' secondary.
``I’m not feeling a lot of pressure but I know if I make a mistake it’s a touchdown,'' he said.

Freshman tailback Stafon Johnson will make his second straight road trip. Last week, Johnson was not on the travel roster but became a late addition. This time, he was on the official list

USC coach Pete Carroll, some players, the band and song girls recently visited USC Women's and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. While passing the maternity ward, a song girl noticed the bright ceiling lights and said, ``Is that to keep the babies tan?''

No one picked the correct score last week, let's see if someone can for the big game this weekend.

Is this season a truer test for USC's offensive coaches?
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4414885

Could USC fullback Brandon Hancock return for a bowl game?
It’s a thought being considered because the senior is making a fast recovery after tearing knee ligaments last month.
``I’d like to suit up, run a play and maybe catch a ball,’’ Hancock said. ``If the trainers feel I can, it might be cool.’’ Hancock said he rides an exercise bike 20 miles a day and suffers no pain or atrophy in his knee since the operation.
``It’s been a freakish recovery,’’ he said.
USC coach Pete Carroll said he’s discussed the possibility of a return with Hancock.
``I think it might be too farfetched but his will wants him to come back,’’ Carroll said.

Cornerback Kevin Thomas (sprained ankle) will make the trip and play against Washington State. Dallas Sartz is ready to play safety, if needed. Linebacker Brian Cushing did not practice to rest his sore ankle but said he would be fine.

As expected, neither Dwayne Jarrett nor Sedrick Ellis will make the trip to Washington State.

USC coach Pete Carroll said the Trojans could fall apart just easily as Miami or any other recent college dynasty, despite winning 48 of 50 games.
``Heck yeah, we could,’’ Carroll said. ``It’s a finely tuned instrument. It’s not just the players or coaches. It’s both.’’

The extra tickets for the Washington game were returned as unsold tickets by the University of Washington.

Pete Carroll bumped into agent Leigh Steinberg on Wednesday night, because Steinberg was invited to speak on campus. Steinberg pointed out to Carroll that the last time he was in Heritage Hall, the USC coach directed profanity at a group of agents he wanted to speak with, including Steinberg.
Carroll talked to Steinberg about his current pet project, figuring out how to ban agents from talking to college athletes.

Kicker David Buehler, who also plays safety, is the latest to get a try out at fullback. With Buehler stuck behind Troy Van Blarcom as the kickoff specialist and not likely to play at safety, he can try to learn the position, unlike Luthur Brown, who is a linebacker and has aspirations of starting one day.

One of our spies received this email from the USC ticket office Wednesday.
``A limited number of tickets to see the Trojans home game versus Washington have just been released. Be sure to get your tickets today.’’
This means two things: Tickets are available, even if you are not a student, for an upcoming home game. And USC has not sold out all six home games yet, despite making the claim every week in press releases.

Allen Bradford asked to move back to safety. He requested a meeting with Pete Carroll and Carroll gave him the option of playing safety, fullback or tailback and Bradford chose safety.
Bradford said "it was tempting" to play fullback but he always preferred safety. He will remain there now, barring a rash of injuries at tailback.
UPDATED: Dallas Sartz moved to safety because Kevin Ellison rested his knee but Carroll said Sartz could play if needed on Saturday. Kevin Thomas practiced and could play. It's too soon to tell if Sedrick Ellis will be available.

Dallas Sartz started out practice working at safety before moving back to his preferred linebacker.
Allen Bradford is also practicing at safety. Dwayne Jarrett showed up for the start of practice but left.

The offensive line is making slow progress, just like the rest of the offense.
``They were better (against Arizona),'' offensive line coach Pat Ruel said. ``We're replacing a lot of guys, and we're not getting the same consistency but it's starting to come.''

Offensive tackle Sam Baker goes against Washington State defensive end Mkristo Bruce on Saturday. Last year, Bruce beat Baker on an early play, then was fairly well contained. Bruce had five sacks against Stanford.
"If he gets five sacks this week, daggone, he's an All-American,'' Washington State coach Bill Doba said.

Freshman Vidal Hazelton is getting a lot more work in practice this week. Not necessarily because he will play against Washington State but because if Patrick Turner gets injured, Hazelton will be the next guy up in the rotation and needs to be ready to play.

As the chart below shows, games are 15 minutes shorter so far this season thanks to the new clock rules.

Category 2005 2006 Difference
Plays/Game 168 152 16 plays
Game time 3:20 3:05 15 minutes

``It's making a difference. I think somebody did the stats. It's eight or nine plays to 12 plays is where we've heard is the range,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``I don't want these games to end in a hurry. I'd rather play and stay out there as long as we can. We only get to play 12 or 13 a year you know. The longer the better, but if we could turn it, I'd vote for turn it.''

USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said he is unfazed by critics.
``Criticism from the fans or media, I’ve grown up around this, I know you can’t please everyone,’’ he said. ``It’s about getting guys ready and improving. If someone writes a story or says something it’s not going to change the way I’m doing my job.''

Dwayne Jarrett is not practicing today but will see the doctors tonight. Chauncey Washington had his best practice and said he got his burst back.
"It was noticeable he was different," Pete Carroll said.
The Luthur Brown fullback experiment is over because Carroll said it would take too much time to learn a new position during the season.
Travon Patterson missed practice with a possible concussion.

While USC fans might yearn for his return, we hear there's only two jobs right now that would seriously appeal to Norm Chow under ideal circumstances: North Carolina State and Arizona State.

It never showed up in the stats, but another player who drew praise on special teams was linebacker Kaluka Maiava. Speaking of stats, defensive end Lawrence Jackson was credited with two half-sacks and three assisted tackles that were not originally given to him Saturday night.

Since 1984, USC is 8-2 in games played in Pullman, Wash. The losses were memorable: 1986, 34-14, USC's worst loss ever to Washington State and 2002, the overtime loss that was the Trojans' final loss of that Orange Bowl-season.
There have been some close calls: 1989, 1991, 1996, and 1999. The 1986 game was the only time a USC team in the AP Top 10 lost to Washington State. Top 10 USC teams are 14-1 against Washington State, with No. 3-ranked USC teams 2-0 (1975 and 2003).

USC's student senate will vote on the following resolution tonight. It includes some unaddressed issues, such as tickets alloted for road games and bowl games and the confusion among Coliseum staff, campus security and the student affairs staff.

A lot of comparisons were made around USC on Monday between the 2003 and 2006 seasons because of the similarities (first-year quarterbacks, freshmen tailbacks). But when USC lost its fourth game in 2003, consider that Reggie Bush entered that contest with just 20 carries and LenDale White 15.
The same mistake is not being made this time around. Emmanuel Moody already has 37 carries (and 258 yards). USC coach Pete Carroll made sure he didn't wait too long this time around to have a freshman tailback ready to go for Pac-10 play. Whatever else happens, Moody's got more experience than Bush/White at a similar stage.

Someone who stood out against Arizona was freshman cornerback Vincent Joseph, who made some key blocks on special teams and a tackle as he filled the vital role of gunner on the punt team.

From vice president of student affairs Michael Jackson on the student-ticket fiasco.
``We did not plan well; we did not communicate well; we did not seek student advice to the degree that we needed to.''

The university just announced changes in this year's student ticket plan and the availability of seats for next year's games:

Pete Carroll said Dwayne Jarrett wants to try to return this week but it's too soon to tell if he will.
No changes to the fullback position yet but Carroll said the tight ends will perform more blocking duties usually reserved for the fullback. That includes Fred Davis and Dale Thompson.

USC coach Pete Carroll prides himself on the fact the Trojans led the nation in turnover ratio the past five years (+1.5) and the 189 takeaways in that span also was tops in the country.
But USC is just +1 in the past two games.
``I’m always concerned about the turnover situation,'' Carroll said. ``We need to get the ball and put it on that end of the field. The one interception (against Arizona), that can happen. Chauncey (Washington) got one punched out. It’s keeping the score down.''

One reason Pac-10 replay official Gordon Riese took a leave of absence following last week's Oklahoma-Oregon controversy was because he received death threats from Sooners fans.

The Washington game at the Coliseum will start at 12:30 p.m. and be televised on Fox Sports Net.

Here's the report card for the USC-Arizona game:

Arizona's 44 plays were the fewest against USC since Pittsburgh had 34 in 1974, a 16-7 Trojans' victory. That's one reason the lackluster game lasted just three hours, 10 minutes, which is shorter than all but one game last season (USC vs. Washington, 3:06).

``We’ve just missed on our explosive play opportunities.''

USC coach Pete Carroll talked about John David Booty on Sunday night, and in particular, the lack of big plays.
``Booty played really well. They did a nice job on him but he made really good decisions. He played very solid again. He’s continued to stay on mark. He had about six inches of distance on three different passes, the two passes to Steve Smith and the pass over the middle to Fred Davis, all were catchable balls. He was about three inches from three incredible throws.''

X-rays today revealed wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett sprained his shoulder. He is considered doubtful this week and could be out two-to-four weeks, but doctors are unsure because each individual responds differently to these type of injuries.
``It could be a two-to-four week deal. We’ve got to wait and see. I don’t know,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``I wouldn’t be surprised knowing the competitor he is if he tried to go.''
Patrick Turner steps into the starting lineup if Jarrett is out while freshman Vidal Hazelton could also get some playing time.

Here's this week's Top 25 ballot for the Associated Press:

USC tried a couple ``imaginative'' plays against Arizona. Neither worked. Tailback Desmond Reed threw an incomplete pass while wide receiver Travon Patterson gained one yard on a reverse.
Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said the tailback pass was a ``situational'' call because of where the Trojans were in the game while the reverse was part of the pre-game script.

Notice how far ahead the defense is in yards allowed after three games compared to previous seasons:

Year Yards Allowed
2006 217.3
2005 341.7
2004 260.7
2003 328.3

Here's how they compare after three college starts:

Leinart: 51 of 85, 647 yards, 215.7 yards per game, 6 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 140.1 pass efficiency.
Booty: 73 of 110, 697 yards, 232.3 yards per game, 7 touchdowns, 1 interception, 138.77 pass efficiency.

John David Booty completed only nine passes that went for more than 7 yards. Eight passes went for five yards or less.
USC coach Pete Carroll was asked about the lack of deep passes from Booty?
``He’s only going to do it if we call the plays,’’ Carroll said

USC's defense limited Arizona to minus-16 yards net rushing, or to put it another way, carried the Trojans' offense.
``The defense has a little notch on the offense,’’ linebacker Rey Maualuga said. ``As of right now, we are the strength of the team. The offense can go over their mistakes and improve.’’

This is not a quick-strike offense apparently.
``We never really showed our big-play ability,’’ USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``It was something we were looking for. I think we’re a little different. Balls are not getting downfield as fast as it has.’’
Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said sometimes things were a little conservative on first down because the offense struggled.
``Sometimes a game goes that way and you want to move the ball on first down because you don't want second-and-10 or second-and-11 because you're not playing that great.''

USC coach Pete Carroll said he was not sure what he would do yet but linebacker Luthur Brown said he is ready to switch.
``We’ll just figure it out,’’ Carroll said.

Fullback Stanley Havili broke his fibula and will be out 4-5 weeks. Dwayne Jarrett sprained his shoulder. He will be examined in Los Angeles before USC determines how long he is out.

USC's three points in the first half is the fewest since the Trojans scored three points last year against Arizona State. But USC trailed 21-3 at halftime of that game.

Stanley Havili and Emmanuel Moody started, giving USC its first all-freshmen backfield in school history.

Safety Kevin Ellison is wearing a knee brace for the game. It's a little windy down on the field.
Pete Carroll doesn't look nervous. He's on his cell phone making a call. Carroll called his high school coach.
Matt Leinart and Deuce Lutui just showed up.

Let's see if anyone can pick the correct score for today's game.

Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart might come down from Phoenix for the USC-Arizona game. Former offensive lineman Deuce Lutui and cornerback Justin Wyatt, who are also with the Arizona Cardinals, are scheduled to come to the game.

If Stanley Havili starts at fullback and Emmanuel Moody or C.J. Gable start at tailback, it will be the first time in school history that USC started a pair of true freshmen in its backfield.

Freshman safety Antwine Perez is nearly recovered from the bruised thigh he suffered in training camp. It's prevented Perez from playing at full speed.
"We might have to wait for a game to see his full burst," USC coach Pete Carroll said.
Perez is currently the third safety behind Kevin Ellison and Taylor Mays.

USC coach Pete Carroll said Thursday night freshman tailback Stafon Johnson made the travel squad for the Arizona game. It was a late decision because Johnson was not on the original travel list.

Injuries? What injuries? Pete Carroll's deepest team keeps overcoming them.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4378120

I've long suspected that new band/student seating area in the end zone would be a horrible place to be situated for a game, despite a glowing letter from band director Art Bartner in last weekend's game program.
But why take my word for it? Listen to student Matt Barrett, who attended this week's meeting about the student-ticket problems.
``You can't tell the difference between a three-yard gain and a 30-yard pass,'' Barrett said.

Defensive end Rashaad Goodrum accepted a medical redshirt because of a lingering back injury.

Chauncey Washington did not practice because his grandmother suffered a stroke and he also had a religion test.
But Washington said his hamstring feels 90 percent recovered. C.J. Gable practiced so his strained groin might be less of an issue.
Kevin Thomas will not make the trip because of his sprained ankle.

Taylor Mays feels he answered some questions with his first college start against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers did not exactly test the secondary but Mays came away pleased.
``I think the best thing was I didn’t have any big mistakes and that’s what some people questioned about me,’’ Mays said. ``It gave me a lot of confidence. There was a couple plays I was upset about but overall I think I did very well.’’

Father-son rappers Master P and Lil' Romeo were guests on the sideline of the USC-Nebraska game. Master P is actually a fan of the Trojans basketball program. He is from New Orleans, which has become a new area of emphasis in recruiting since Tim Floyd got hired.

Fullback Stanley Havili said he is a diehard BYU fan but not enough to play for the Cougars.
``I'm probably the biggest BYU fan but I wanted to get out of Utah,'' Havili said. ``I needed to get away from everything there. People talk too much.''

So far, 13 true freshmen played in the first two games for USC. That includes some who only saw limited time, like highly touted wide receiver Vidal Hazelton.
But Hazelton hopes he might have a larger role against Arizona, because he started returning kickoffs in practice.
``I’m anxious to make big plays,'' Hazelton said.

Several runners, who work for agents and befriend athletes, waited inside the Coliseum on Saturday and approached recruits and their parents before the game. It’s an easy way for agents to contact prospects and their families.’’
USC’s compliance office and Trojans coach Pete Carroll are aware of the situation and changes could be made for the next home game.

C.J. Gable strained his groin in warmups but it might not be serious. Luthur Brown moved back to linebacker and is an emergency option only because Stanley Havili progressed enough to play against Arizona.
Oscar Lua will play but Kevin Thomas appears headed toward missing another game. Kyle Williams returned after yesterday's knee sprain.
Pete Carroll said Jeff Byers and Sedrick Ellis could both be back in two weeks.

Pacific-10 Conference instant replay official Gordon Riese has requested and been granted a leave of absence for the remainder of the football season, the Pac-10 announced today. Riese had been suspended for one game by the conference following a controversial play in last week's Oregon-Oklahoma game. As the Pac-10 replay officials work in crews, replay assistant Roger Judd also will not work any more games this season.

For those wondering, the mood at USC is fairly calm regarding the recent revelations about Reggie Bush, and many still believe USC will not be punished.
``At this point, no one has compelling evidence of wrongdoing,'' a high-ranking official said.

Freshman tailback Emmanuel Moody fumbled in Tuesday's practice, a problem he overcame in training camp. Moody was forced to run a lap as punishment.
``It was just a lack of focus today,'' Moody said. ``It was definitely humbling. Turnovers lose games for you and I feel I was letting the team down.''

USC security chief Carey Drayton said he eventually crammed 9,200 students into the Coliseum for the Nebraska game, 1,200 more than allowed. Drayton said 8,000 were admitted with wristbands, 800 were given standing-room only seats and another 400 were allocated during the game.
The most honest quote regarding the student-ticket situation came from a high-ranking USC official: ``It was kind of a thug move what the athletic dept. did.''

One section removed from the student section is around the 50-yard line. Those seats went to the Scholarship Club. To join the club, and therefore have a right to purchase those tickets, you must contribute $25,000.
A former yell leader from 1964 who attended Tuesday night's town hall meeting referred to president Steven Sample as a ``professional fundraiser.''

Just attended the meeting at Taper Hall for students upset about the new seating policy and near-rioting that took place Saturday. About 200 vocal students showed up.
``I want to apologize to all of you, it was not a positive experience,'' said Lori White, associate vice president of student affairs.
But here's my favorite quote of the night regrading the decision to eliminate 4,000 students seats.
``Clearly, we should have consulted more widely with the students,’’ White said. ``If we knew the impact, we never would have agreed to go forward with the changes.’’
More later.

Linebacker Luthur Brown moved to fullback today.
UPDATE: USC coach Pete Carroll will see how Brown plays before making a decision on whether it's permanent.
``It’s a very, very difficult transition,’’ Carroll said. ``We need to experiment a little bit.’’

Offensive tackle Kyle Williams hurt his left knee and is out of practice. Williams is standing on the sideline, so it may not be serious.
UPDATE: Williams said it was a minor sprain but he was getting x-rays tonight.

USC's lack of explosiveness against Nebraska was not completely for a lack of trying. The Trojans attempted a long pass to freshman wide receiver Travon Patterson, but the play did not come off because quarterback John David Booty was sacked.

The Coliseum reports most restrooms along the west and north side of the stadium were inoperable after halftime because a sewer main overflowed along Menlo Street.

Fullback Ryan Powdrell will apply after the season for a sixth year of eligibility. Meanwhile, Jeff Byers walked around campus Monday looking normal despite undergoing back surgery last Friday.

Tailback Allen Bradford said he would refuse a move to fullback.
Bradford, a freshman who already switched from safety, said he would not consider replacing starter Ryan Powdrell, who broke his leg against Nebraska and is out for the season.
``I wouldn’t go,’’ Bradford said. ``That’s where I draw the line. That’s not me. I never played fullback in my life.’’
What if he could get 10 carries a game?
``I still wouldn’t do it,’’ Bradford said.

Several students tell me that the women's restroom directly behind the student section was closed during the game. I mention this because it's time to raise the level of intolerance regarding the Coliseum, if you want an enjoyable game-day experience.

Here's the university's first comments on the stident-ticket fiasco:

An announcement is expected within an hour on changes in the student ticket policy following Saturday's debacle.

Kickoff for the Washington State game is 4 p.m. and the game will be on TBS.

Maybe on the field. But not off it. The experience provided fans at the Coliseum was shameful. If you think nothing matters more than making the most money on a Saturday, the Nebraska game was Exhibit A.
Frankly, USC is among the worst schools in the nation when it comes to the fan treatment.
The horror stories regarding the student section Saturday would not be tolerated anywhere else. I saw girls with bruised arms and legs, crying and emotionally distressed. Who in their right mind employs a reckless ``scramble’’ seating policy without proper security or adequate ticket entrances? Or doesn’t employ a lottery to make sure everyone gets a seat in advance?
And that wasn’t the only embarrassment.
At least two restrooms offered non-working toilets and no running water. There was not even bottled water in one concession area.
Anyone fortunate enough to go to Arkansas two weeks ago saw an organized, fan-friendly operation that allowed students and other fans to flow freely into a 76,000-seat stadium with no glitches.
Actually, USC’s not even the best on the field. The turf was a joke, full of rough patches and divots.

USC’s announced attendance for the Nebraska game was 92,000. That follows an announced 92,000 for the previous home game (UCLA, 2005), the first time USC’s had identical attendance figures in back-to-back games since 1941.
If you believe these figures, it means USC drew more for Washington State (92,021) and Stanford (92,212) last season than Nebraska and UCLA.
But if you are a student of history, you know USC’s figures are not the most reliable. Amazingly, Notre Dame used to give more accurate crowd counts for USC-Notre Dame games at the Coliseum than USC.
How? Because Notre Dame's media guide attendance figures are based on audited attendance reports, going all the way back to 1926. Prior to 1946, the attendance figures for USC home games listed in the Trojans media guide were "estimated" to the nearest thousand.

Here's the report card for the USC-Nebraska game:

Here's some Sunday night comments from USC coach Pete Carroll:

Fullback Ryan Powdrell underwent surgery this morning at USC University Hospital after breaking his fibula and dislocating his ankle against Nebraska. He will miss the rest of the season.
``It’s a significant recovery but he’ll come back full speed,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said.

Former USC tailback Reggie Bush called Pete Carroll last night and again stated he did not receive improper financial benefits from sports marketing agents.
``He was very firm about all of that,'' Carroll said. ``He wanted to make sure the situation is exactly as it was from the start.''

Here's this week's Top 25 ballot for the Associated Press.

USC has 10 plays of at least 20 yards in two games. Last year, the Trojans had 112 plays of at least 20 yards in 13 games.
After two games last year, USC outscored its opponents 133-34 and averaged 627.0 yards. This year, the offense is averaging 435.5 yards and outscored its opponents 78-24.
The defense allowed 381.5 yards to Hawaii and Arkansas. This year, the defense allowed an average of 249.0 yards to Arkansas and Nebraska.

Pete Carroll was pleasantly surprised by Nebraska abandoning its passing attack BEFORE the game, which made his job a little easier.
``They went back into their total running offense,’’ Carroll said. ``I was surprised how they thought they needed to play us. They threw a ton last year.''
Cornhuskers coach Bill Callahan admitted he was determined to run the ball, even though he was hired to add a sophisticated passing game to the playbook.
``We wanted to establish the run,’’ Callahan said. ``We felt we could run. You need to run to win championships. Let me be clear. We want to run. It didn't happen and we're disappointed and we'll take a look at it.''

Simply put, today’s game was a total disaster if you were a student. Girls were crying and upset after being pushed and trampled as students shoved their way through the inadequately organized lines.
`It was horrible,’’ said Lesley Swanson, a senior majoring in history and communications. ``People were pushing and shoving everywhere to get in. People jumped the gates and ran to the front and it became a big mess. It was total chaos. It was dangerous. Someone is going to get hurt.
``They only had one gate open for 8,000-drunk students. This is my fourth year and this is the worst I’ve ever seen it. I almost died.’’

From USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin: ``I didn’t think I was good tonight.''

With Ryan Powdrell out for the season with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle, USC will consider moving freshman tailback Allen Bradford to fullback.
Bradford did not get any carries against Nebraska and Pete Carroll said after the game he liked the look of the three-man rotation at tailback (Emmanuel Moody, Chauncey Washington, C.J. Gable). Powdrell will undergo surgery today.

It's two hours to kickoff and the student line is the length of one side of the Coliseum, four or five deep, with no guarantee of getting a seat.
But that activity card will still get you a yearbook!

There are huge numbers of Nebraska fans around the Coliseum. We've snuck into the Huskerpedia tailgate, where Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers is mingling with the fans.
Former player Jason Peter, looking half his playing weight, is also posing for pictures along with Vince Ferragamo.
It's quite an event for a road team's fans.

Feel free to predict today's winner and score:

The NCAA wants to see Reggie Bush's upcoming deposition.

Safety Taylor Mays, cornerback Cary Harris and middle linebacker Rey Maualuga make their first college starts tonight. Safety Kevin Ellison and defensive end Chris Barrett make their second starts. And nose guard Fili Moala makes his third.

Tomorrow's game officials will be from the Pacific-10 Conference. Referee Jack Folliard's last game at the Coliseum for the USC-Stanford game on Nov. 5, 2005.

This must be a big game. In a bit of gamesmanship, USC coach Pete Carroll will wait until kickoff to name a starter at tailback. C.J. Gable is expected to start but Carroll probably wants Nebraska coach Bill Callahan to wonder who will really play the first series. Chauncey Washington is expected to get plenty of time also.
Center Ryan Kalil and safety Kevin Ellison will start. Linebacker Oscar Lua and cornerback Kevin Thomas are listed as possible.

There will be no shuttle service or parking from Staples Center tomorrow. There was also a shuttle service downtown last season but apparently it's also been discontinued. There is a new parking structure at the corner Flower and Exposition but it will probably fill quickly.

With injuries mounting, one decision facing the coaches tomorrow is whether to use players like freshmen Shareece Wright and Vincent Joseph on special teams to keep starters fresh.
It's already been decided to keep Cary Harris off the punt team because he will probably play the whole game at cornerback.
But do you also keep Terrell Thomas off the punt team too? That would deprive the Trojans of their two top gunners. Thomas is expected to be given a break on the punt team, but in the heat of the game, I could easily see him being placed on it if the game is tight.
Tomorrow, the punt team could start off without four players (Harris, Thomas, Josh Pinkard, Kevin Ellison) who were the first unit against Arkansas.

Offensive lineman Jeff Byers will have surgery Friday on his back and be out about a month, barring complications.

Center Ryan Kalil suffered a concussion and did not practice but USC coach Pete Carroll and offensive line coach Pat Ruel said he would start and be OK.
He was rested Thursday. Nick Howell is the backup with Drew Radovich also an option.
Oscar Lua will suit up and be available for an emergency. Kevin Thomas is probably out.
Chauncey Washington will get extensive action along with Emmanuel Moody at tailback and C.J. Gable will probably start.
Kevin Ellison said he can start and Antwine Perez is the backup at strong safety.

The average price for a game ticket on Stub Hub is $188 and ranges between $118-$1,450.

Here's an update from today's paper on Jeff Schweiger.

Long Beach Poly wide receiver Bryshon Nellum will make his official visit this weekend. Nellum will be at USC on Friday, then drive back to join his teammates for their game.
Meanwhile, Servite junior D.J. Shoemate, who committed to USC last spring, had just six yards rushing and 56 yards receiving last week, hardly impressive stats. But we hear Shoemate was brought back too fast from a foot injury and might be held out of a couple games.

Kevin Ellison (hyperextended knee) did some light drills but said he feels OK. He will probably be handled with care tomorrow but should be able to start. Antwine Perez is still not showing the speed he did in spring before he bruised his thigh but will back up Ellison with Mozique McCurtis.
Rey Maualuga will start at middle linebacker. The real question is whether Oscar Lua (hamstring) will play. He suited up for practice but then took off his pads and appears unlikely at the moment.

I checked in with a recently departed USC assistant coach working east of the Mississippi who spoke to some Nebraska assistants about the game.
``They're fired up,'' he said. ``They think they can beat them. I think they can too.''

A Nebraska booster paid $25,000 for a prime tailgate space near the Coliseum for Saturday's game.

In Nebraska's press relelase this week, it says, ``Coach Pete Carroll (USC, 1973) is in his sixth season as USC head coach after returning to his alma mater from a 16-year stay in the NFL."
Carroll actually played football at Pacific.

USC coach Pete Carroll was asked about speaking to Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson for advice about taking the USC job in 2000. Pederson was then the athletic director at Pittsburgh and said he spoke to Carroll.
Carroll said he didn’t remember it but then said, ``I might have called him about the Carolina job.’’
North Carolina fired Carl Torbush in 2000 and replaced him with John Bunting.
Carroll’s memory was not the greatest Tuesday. He also forgot taking the entire coaching staff to watch tailback Marlon Lucky, who ended up at Nebraska.

Post your thoughts here on the big game:

Safety Kevin Ellison injured his left knee in a 9-on-7 drill and is being examined by trainers. More to follow.
Ellison is meeting with team doctors. USC coach Pete Carroll said Ellison's knee seems stable, with indications it might not be serious.
Ellison just met with the doctors and said he hyperextended his knee and should return tomorrow.
"The first few seconds were pretty scary,'' Ellison said. "But the doctor said it's a little hyperextension."

USC is currently on a 27-game winning streak at the Coliseum. It might be hard to believe but the Trojans drew just 43,508 for that first game of the steak against Arizona State in 2001. Since then, these are the yearly home attendance lows:
2002, 52,961 vs. Washington
2003, 68,341 vs. Stanford
2004, 72,855 vs. Washington
2005, 90,221 vs. Arizona

Oscar Lua, who is nursing a sore hamstring, will practice with the scout team today as he tries to return in time for the Nebraska game.

Nose guard Sedrick Ellis will undergo knee surgery today and be sidelined several weeks. Fili Moala will replace Ellis in the starting lineup.
The ironic thing is Ellis hurt his knee during a walk-through portion of Monday's practice. It's also fortunate that Moala worked at nose guard during the bye week.

Former USC Coach John Robinson will be a spotter for John Madden during NBC's 2006 NFL coverage.

The nose guard is undergoing an MRI tonight after taking a funny step in practice and twisting his knee. More will be known tomorrow.
``He tweaked his knee in a drill,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said.

Tailback Stafon Johnson was taken off the scout team today and walk-on John Griffin took snaps instead. None of the coaches would commit to whether this will last tomorrow.
Tailback Chauncey Washington (hamstring) and linebacker Oscar Lua (hamstring) sat out practice. Both are expected to be available for the Nebraska game.

USC should start promoting its offensive linemen the way Auburn does. Here's the Tigers' latest release on offensive guard Ben Grubbs:
``Grubbs graded out at a team-best 94 percent on 56 plays in Auburn's 34-0 win at Mississippi State.
``In his 27th career start, Grubbs tallied a team-best two rodeo blocks and added cockroach block and one pancake block against the Bulldogs.''
I wonder how many rodeo blocks or cockroach blocks Sam Baker had against Arkansas?

Nebraska center Kurt Mann did not play last weekend against Nicholls State because he suffered from mononucleosis. Mann started the previous 24 games and is considered the team’s best lineman.
His status for this week is a big talking point for the Huskers.

USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin criticized his receivers for their performance against Arkansas and gave them a grade of F in a radio and print interview with a reporter from the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star.[EP
``We're going to get better,’’ Kiffin said. ``If we don't, we'll make some changes. They did a terrible job getting off the line of scrimmage.’’
Kiffin specifically criticized All-American Dwayne Jarrett, who caught five passes for 35 yards, and said the wide receiver might be living in the past.
. ``We really challenged him (last) week and embarrassed him to get him going,’’ Kiffin said.

Check back a little later tonight for some very interesting comments from USC's receivers.

Here's this week's top 25 ballot for the Associated Press:

Freshmen tailback Emmanuel Moody already gets it. When assessing his first college game against Arkansas, he knew priority No. 1 for a tailback is simple: Hold on to the ball.
``I feel it’s a success I didn’t fumble,’’ Moody said.

Unlike most athletes, freshman tailback C.J. Gable does not see much need to celebrate when he scores a touchdown. Gable reacted matter-of-factly to his first career USC touchdown last week against Arkansas.
``It’s just another one since high school. It’s not that exciting,’’ Gable said. ``There’s more to come. Why get excited?’’

Among the more intriguing prospects being recruited by USC is former Florida State wide receiver/kick returner Kenny O’Neal, who hopes to transfer to a new school next semester.
O’Neal, who attended Skyline High in Oakland, was kicked off the team in June for "conduct detrimental to the team," according to Florida State coach Bobby Bowden.
O’Neal was also an All-American sprinter at Florida State and posted the third-fastest 100-meter time in the nation his senior year at Skyline, where he won two state titles.

With no game tomorrow, USC coaches are off to high school games. Pete Carroll is attempting to see two games, starting with Serra-Peninsula to see wide receiver Anthony Boyles followed by a flight to Arizona to see defensive end Everson Griffen, considered one of the top players in the nation. Offensive line coach Pat Ruel is attempting to watch two games in Arizona.
Quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian is attending the Oaks Christian-Muir game while running backs coach Todd McNair is going to the Norco-Leuzinger game to see linebacker Jordan Campbell. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is expected to go to Servite-Santiago while linebackers coach Ken Norton is expected to attend the Taft-Crenshaw game.

Thursday is party night at USC, but you just can't have as much fun when you have a 6:45 a.m. practice. Or can you? We better think before we answer that question.
The Trojans concluded the week with an abbreviated session this morning that focused on conditioning and running plays before taking the weekend off.
``We should have (fresh) legs even better than for the opener,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said.
Carroll singled out defensive end Alex Morrow and new starting safety Taylor Mays as standouts this week.
``Alex Morrow deserves to be in there more,'' Carroll said. ``I feel really good about Taylor. We tested him all week. He did a lot to solidify his opportunity.''
The morning practice allowed Carroll some early time to recruit before he speaks to the Pasadena Quarterbacks Club and then dashes off to watch two high school football games today.

John David Booty making throws Matt Leinart never could?
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4304165

Quarterback John David Booty admitted Thursday even he was concerned how his back would hold up in the first game, following off-season surgery.
`My back feels great. I had a couple bruises but my back was no part of it,’’ he said. ``I even wanted to know. I haven’t been hit before. I took a couple shots and my body can take it.’’

With Taylor Mays the starting safety, who would be his backup? Mozique McCurtis moved over this week and adds athleticism but is still learning.
Antwine Perez has the most experience (surprisingly) but lacks speed since pulling a thigh muscle.
That's the dilemma currently facing the program. It also means Mays needs to stay healthy.
``Antwine has the most versatility,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``(McCurtis) looks comfortable and made progress too.''

Who gained more in the BCS-approved Billingsley computer rankings last weekend, USC or UCLA?

Among the many roles filled by Josh Pinkard was as a gunner on the punt team, which is the role he played when he suffered his season-ending knee injury against Arkansas. Last year, several players filled the role, which was at times a problem for the Trojans.
Cornerback Cary Harris will replace Pinkard as the new gunner.

USC committed three illegal formation penalties against Arkansas and offensive tackle Kyle Williams was cited by the officials, but assistant coach Pat Ruel said Williams was not at fault.
Ruel said offensive guard Chilo Rachal kept lining up a step behind where he was supposed to, forcing Williams to also step back.
`After the first time I told Chilo to move up and he did, but for just two plays. The second time it happened I blew a gasket on the sideline,’’ Ruel said. ``The third time it was Krakatoa.’’

Linebacker Rey Maualuga on the Arkansas game: ``I thought I did OK. I made some plays but I made some mistakes. I'm getting better. I felt pretty comfortable out there because I played almost the whole game.''
USC coach Pete Carroll added, ``He was all over the place. Some plays could have worked out better but he was really good on pass defense. He played pretty well with a lot of room for improvement.''

Not much happening at safety because Taylor Mays is the starter, but Mozique McCurtis officially moved from defensive back to safety.

Linebacker Brian Cushing, on his first game playing defensive end: ``I definitely have some learning to do. There were no big mistakes. But there's small things I need to work on. Overall, I think it was pretty good.''

Freshman tailback Stafon Johnson said he is aware what he needs to do during the bye week in an effort to move up the depth chart. He was the only tailback who did not play in the season opener.
``I just know some things I need to improve,'' Johnson said. ``Things didn't happen on accident (in Arkansas).''
When he was placed on the scout team, running hard on every play and blocking were two areas cited as in need of improvement for Johnson.

USC and UCLA's defenses are in the unlikely position of being tied for 44th in the NCAA rankings. Both allowed 287 yards offense in their season openers.

Cornerback Mozique McCurtis is taking some snaps at safety. Defensive end Jeff Schweiger is hurt and not practicing.
UPDATED: McCurtis, Garrett Green, Antwine Perez all took turns at safety but Taylor Mays is the No. 1 safety right now. The coaches have discussed switching linebacker Dallas Sartz to safety but so far no changes occurred.
Allen Bradford's not being considered for saferty at this time.

So far in today's practice, linebacker Dallas Sartz is still at linebacker and Allen Bradford remains at tailback, as no new players were moved yet to help replace injured safety Josh Pinkard.

Linebacker Keith Rivers, who had eight tackles, a forced fumble and recovered a fumble against Arkansas, was named Pac-10 defensive player of the week.

An MRI confirmed Josh Pinkard tore knee ligaments and is out for the season. He will apply for a medical redshirt for this season and undergo surgery in a few weeks.

1. West Virginia
2. Ohio State
3. Auburn
4. LSU
5. Florida State
6. Michigan
7. Florida
8. USC
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
11. Miami
12. Iowa
13. Georgia
14. Virginia Tech
15. Oklahoma
16. Tennessee
17. Nebraska
18. Penn State
19. Clemson
20. Oregon
21. Louisville
22. South Carolina
23. Texas A&M
24. UCLA
25. Alabama

Here's how USC's offense performed against Arkansas this year compared to last year:

The new timing rules may have had some impact on Oklahoma’s opener with Alabama-Birmingham. The two teams combined for just 110 offensive plays, the fewest over the past 50 years for an Oklahoma game. The previous low during that span was 112 in the 1960 Oklahoma-Colorado game and the 1962 Oklaoma-Missouri game.

Here's the first report card of the season:

Safety Josh Pinkard will undergo an MRI on his knee Tuesday but USC coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that it still looks like a serious injury. Freshman Taylor Mays moves into the starting lineup.
ADD PINKARD: He was probably the one guy USC did not want to get hurt seriously, especially after he played five different positions last season. He led USC with six solo tackles against Arkansas and was also a valuable special teams player.

USC coach Pete Carroll quickly adapted to his surroundings last night, saying of the Arkansas offense, ``They only had two drives that were worth a hoot.''
The Razorbacks probably would have had more than two that were worth a hoot if freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain played the entire game.

After generating some controversy over omitting Cal from my Top 25 poll for the Associated Press, I can say that I will be the only voter not to drop the Golden Bears down the ladder this week.

While off in Arkansas, the basketball team got some good news as guard Daniel Hackett and forward Taj Gibson were academically cleared by the NCAA. This means the pair can start lifting weights and conditioning at USC tomorrow.
Still no change on the status of recruit O.J. Mayo, who is not hinting when he will officially announce he is attending USC.

If Josh Pinkard's knee injury is season-ending, freshman Taylor Mays becomes a starter.
But will that force the Trojans to move tailback Allen Bradford back to safety?
With Chauncey Washington healthy, the ``big back'' role can still be filled without Bradford and Pete Carroll, already worried about the depth at safety before Pinkard's injury, can address the problem with a position switch.
By the way, Pinkard led USC with six solo tackles against Arkansas.

``Early on, I was playing too fast. In the second half, I was really able to slow down and get into a rhythm. Some people doubted us but they didn’t know what we have. We hurt ourselves early, but, we just came back and kept playing. It's always good to have big targets (like our receivers). But, they're not just big, they're fast and can really catch.''

Here's how John David Booty did in his first game compared to Matt Leinart in his first game.

Booty: 24-35, 261 yards, three TDs and no interceptions.
Leinart: 17-30, 192 yards, one TD, no interceptions.

Kevin Thomas injured his ankle and iced it after the game. It's too soon to tell the severity. Oscar Lua pulled his hamstring on the first play and will undergo an MRI this week. Lawrence Jackson left the game with dehydration but later returned.

Who leads USC in all-purpose yards?
Find the surprising answer here:

I’m still in the pressbox but here’s what I think is one of the most important things I heard after the game.
USC coach Pete Carroll told his offensive assistants to open up the offense at halftime, which explained why quarterback John David Booty started throwing to wide receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith in the second half.
``I was encouraging the (assistant coaches), saying `let's go.’ We were playing safe early on,'' Carroll said.

USC safety Josh Pinkard sufered a potentially serious knee injury against Arkansas. Pinkard injured his knee on a punt return and felt a crack. X-rays were negative but he will undergo a magnetic-resonance imaging test to determine if there is ligament damage.
Pinkard was on crutches after the game.
``The guy called a fair catch and I tried to get out of his way, but I just felt it crack,’’ Pinkard said.

The Trojans arrived by police escort about 20 minutes ago and the stadium is slowly becoming a sea of red. Beat USC shirts are everywhere. The weather is just about perfect.
Arkansas just took the field to deafening applause from the student section, which looks like it will stand since about 2 hours before kickoff.
There's a large grassy knoll above the stadium where fans can watch the game for free.
Its gotten even louder as the Arkansas band takes the field. Former USC players Keyshawn Johnson, Craig Gibson and Mike Salmon are on the field.
The attendance is a stadium record 76,564.

A large contingent of Arkansas checked into the team hotel today, creating a human sea of USC fans, Arkansas fans and Trojans players mingling together in the lobby. So far, no incidents.

USC assistant coach Brennan Carroll flew across state Friday night to watch tailback Broderick Green play his first game of the season. Green, who is from Little Rock, played against Forrest City, which is in Jonesboro. USC is staying in Northwest Arkansas while Jonesboro is in the Northeast part of the state.
Green committed to USC last spring although there's been some question about the strength of his commitment, mainly because of local pressure to play closer to home.

T-shirts at the Fayetteville Wal-Mart (where else?) that say ``Beat USC'' are going for $5.

The Trojans just got their fist look at Razorback Stadium, following Pete Carroll's road-trip tradition of getting a look at the stadium the day before the game.

Pete Carroll said after Friday's walk-through that USC's offense performed at its best in its final two two workouts.
``The offense did great, they're really into it,'' Carroll said. ``They were perfect today and yesterday.''
He also said the atmosphere changed since arriving in Arkansas.
``You can feel the energy. They've been waiting a long time,'' Carroll said. ``This is about as good as we've practiced before a game.''

USC performed its walk-through at Bentonville High School, in Bentonville, Ark., which is home of Wal-Mart. The high school was probably the best ever visited by the Trojans, with a new $9 million football stadium that seats 6,000 and included a huge scoreboard with a video screen.
The school also had an indoor practice facility and weightroom that made Pete Carroll envious along with a two-story pressbox atop the stadium. The campus also has three gyms.

Pete Carroll brought his college coach, Chester Caddas, on the trip to Arkansas. Caddas was head coach at Pacific from 1972-78, getting promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach for Carroll's senior year. Caddas also gave Carroll his first coaching job at Pacific.
Among those who coached for Caddas are current UCLA assistant Jim Colletto (an assistant while Carroll played at UOP), Patriots assistant Dante Scarnecchia (an assistant in New England with Carroll), Stanford coach Walt Harris (Carroll friend, assistant while Carroll played at UOP), Syracuse coach Greg Robinson (Carroll teammate, friend, UOP assistant) and Bob Cope (assistant while Carroll played at UOP), who got Carroll a job as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1977.