October 2006 Archives

Thomas Williams practiced exclusively at fullback today.
"We've moved him and we're going to go for it," Pete Carroll said. "We're going to find a spot for him. We're looking for a physical presence."
Mark Sanchez and Allen Bradford ran laps after fumbling an exchange. Bradford also ran after fumbling another time. Freshman tailback Stafon Johnson practiced with the scout team.

Fullback Stanley Havili is still hoping to return and will be examined by doctors tonight. His return might be vital since the fullback position continues to atrophy each week in the offense.
UPDATED: Looks like Havili will need to wait another week before practicing.

USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said it was decided before the Oregon State game to abandon the tailback rotation and go with junior Chauncey Washington.
``That was the thought. (Washington) had a great game against Arizona State and a great week of practice,'' Kiffin said. ``He ran really well, but the fumbles were a problem. If it continues to happen, he won't play.''

For all the comments before and after games about the lack of forced turnovers, it's interesting to note USC's recovered five fumbles this season. Last season at this stage the Trojans also recovered five fumbles.
Apparently, that aspect of forced turnovers is not as big a deal as originally thought.
There is a disparity in interceptions. USC intercepted five passes in its first seven games this season. Last year, it had 11. But remember the Trojans were often ahead by large margins in games, forcing teams to throw more last season.
Maybe the offense just score more points last season no matter where it was.

If you are like me, you are probably too young to remember former USC All-American Marlin McKeever. Here’s a glimpse of one of his greatest moments, the 1960 USC-UCLA game according to the book, ``USC Vs UCLA: The Best Little Rivalry in Town a Game-By-Game History of America's Greatest Football Rivalry.’’

USC employed sophomore defensive end Kyle Moore more (pardon the pun) against Oregon State as part of a traditional four-man pass rush. Perhaps an admission that the 3-4 defense (or whatever you want to call it with a fourth linebacker on the field) was not working as well as hoped?

For several weeks, we've stressed the theme, ``Is USC improving?'' in different posts. One example might be the offensive line, which committed several penalties, including false starts against Oregon State. In past years, it seemed like the noise from hostile crowds would cause penalties early in the season but then it would no longer become an issue.
``We really tried to stress that last week so it wasn't an issue,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``I don't think it was any louder than the other places we've played this season. But it still jumped up.''

Here's the grades from the Oregon State game:

In typical form, USC coach Pete Carroll said he will not discuss the BCS situation with the Trojans any more than a few comments following the loss to Oregon State.
``I won’t spend any more time on it,’’ Carroll said. ``I haven’t even thought about it.’’
But the Pacific-10 Conference race is an acceptable talking point.
``We have to win every game,’’ Carroll said. ``That’s all. That’s the issue right now.’’

Pete Carroll said Sunday night that tailback Chauncey Washington's fumbles will be a talking point this week.
``We’ll be real hard on him,’’ Carroll said. ``We’ll address ball security. When you’re the lead back, you have to be the best at it.’’

BCS expert Jerry Palm said Cal and Notre Dame were hurt by USC's loss almost as much as the Trojans.
``They're national championship hopes rested on playing an undefeated USC, beating them and making a big jump in the polls,'' Palm said. ``It hurt both of them.''

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

Is USC out of the national title picture? Probably not.
In the Trojans' favor, there were still five head-to-head matchups this season involving teams ranked in the top 10 this weekend (Ohio State-Michigan is an example). So there is a chance for fluidity in the rankings and USC's schedule will impress the computers.
Before worrying too much about that, however, more pressing matters are the fumbles, tipped passes, soft pass coverages and lack of playmakers that plague USC as it moves toward what was considered the tough part of its schedule.

Of all the stats thrown about regarding the Pete Carroll era, I consider this the most impressive: Carroll's lost just one game by more than 10 points (26-15 to Notre Dame in 2001) in six years.
Even down 33-10 to Oregon State, Carroll somehow avoided getting blown out for the first time in his career. Compare that to the legendary Joe Paterno, who already this season lost by 24 points (Notre Dame) and 22 points (Ohio State).
Or self-proclaimed legend Charlie Weis, who was beaten by 26 points by Michigan last month.

Oregon State's 33 points is the most the Beavers scored against USC since 1914 in the teams' first meeting.
John David Booty's 406 yards passing was the fifth-best performance in school history, just ahead of Matt Leinart’s 400 yards last year against Notre Dame. USC is 3-3 in games where the quarterbacks throw for more than 400 yards.
Steve Smith finished with 258 yards receiving, just two yards shy of the USC record of 260 set by R. Jay Soward against UCLA in 1996. Soward’s mark came in a double-overtime game.

It's a bit of an esoteric point, but after the game, USC coach Pete Carroll regretted going for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 10-yard line trailing 33-10.
``If I kick a field goal, it’s a different game. I screwed that up,’’ Carroll said. ``That’s something I’ve got to correct. As I look back, I was impatient. But it was 33-10 at the time.’’
USC failed to score but it didn't really matter because Oregon State botched the punt and allowed the Trojans to score a touchdown a few minutes later.

``It was a 3-step drop, the same thing we got done with Steve (Smith) the play before. The guy was there and got his hand up.''

Everyone who favored the Pac-10 playing a full conference schedule without skipping opponents might regret it today. When the conference changed the schedules for this year, USC added its trip to Oregon State.

Linebacker Rey Maualuga did not play in the first half because he overslept and was late for a team meeting Friday morning.
UPDATED: ``He was late, I probably would do that with anybody,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said.

``We will always have a target on our back. It's very difficult and every week you have to go out and play beautiful football. If you don't, than you are giving the football away and that makes it very difficult. I am disapointed in the uncharacteristic play where we are not taking the ball off our opponents.''

Post your thoughts on today's game:

Here's a couple thoughts: Turnovers, tipped passes, special teams, playcalling, undisciplined, an opponent without its best tailback. A lot of problems throughout the season came home to roost today.
``How do you go a month without getting a turnover?'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``That's what it feels like.''

There's fog everywhere in Corvallis, but it's should just be overcast for the game. The sun is actually breaking through a bit before kickoff. It must be a big game because USC brought an 11-piece band.
USC won the toss for the seventh straight game this season.

Marlin McKeever, a 2-time All-American end at USC who then played 13 years in the NFL, died on Friday (Oct. 27) in Long Beach after suffering a head injury in a fall at his home. He was 66. Information for memorial services is pending.

USC's streak of sellouts could be in jeopardy. According to the Oregon State website, "Approximately 400 tickets remain in the $60 sections. There are 500 Club Level tickets at $385."

USC's last Pacific-10 Conference loss was at Cal, 34-31, in three overtimes in 2003. Since then after a bye, the Trojans beat Arizona, 45-0 (2003), Oregon State, 52-28 (2003), Colorado State, 49-0 (2004), Cal, 23-17 (2004), Notre Dame, 41-10 (2004), Arkansas, 70-17 (2005), UCLA, 66-19 (2005), and Nebraska, 28-10 (2006).

Here we go again. The first person who picks the correct score will receive a copy of Game Day: Southern California Football by Athlon Sports (valid email required on pick).

Although Marlin McKeever was a two-time All-American at USC and enjoyed a successful NFL career, notably with the Rams, there was an injustice when he was not inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
His twin brother, Mike, got in and Marlin was told that two players from the same school couldn't get in in the same year and he would get in the next year. That never happened and Marlin was severely disappointed.

``It’s just a tragic situation,’’ said USC coach Pete Carroll, who left the campus Thursday and went to the hospital where the former Trojans' All-American is in a coma. ``I’m just shocked by what happened. He was fit and working out a day ago. He’s in a coma and it doesn’t look like he’s coming out of it.
``We’ll sorely miss him.’’

USC linebacker Luthur Brown was cleared to play against Oregon State just four weeks after badly tearing his hamstring.
``The doctors said I shouldn’t even be walking right now,’’ Brown said Thursday.
Brown is available to play special teams against the Beavers and said he wants to play.[EP
``I just hope they put me in,’’ he said.
He was expected to be out six-to-eight weeks when he pulled his hamstring against Arizona on Sept. 23. Brown needed crutches to walk and could not bend his leg properly for a few days.

USC coach Pete Carroll noted tonight after practice that the Trojans ran the ball 215 times and passed 212 in the first six games.
``That's pretty good balance, I think,'' Carroll said. ``How about that?''
Naturally, we couldn't resist a joke, but I'm sure many of you will fill in your own punchlines.

USC is a dreadful 2-4 against the spread this season and the Trojans' games finished ``under'' in total points in five of six games. But that's better than Notre Dame, which is 1-5-1 against the spread.
Here's how some other teams match up:

USC legend Marlin McKeever is in intensive care at St. Mary's Hospital in Long Beach after suffering a fall at his home earlier this week. His condition is considered grave. McKeever, a defensive end-fullback, was an All-American in 1959-60 and his twin brother, Mike, was an All-American left guard in 1959.

North Carolina fired Coach John Bunting earlier this week, which is ironic because six years ago USC coach Pete Carroll tried to get the Tar Heels job that eventually went to Bunting.
Imagine the reaction in North Carolina if it was widely known that Carroll struck out in his attempts to interview for the job.
``They never called me back,’’ Carroll said. ``I never got a smell.’’

Quarterback Mark Sanchez practiced without back pain Wednesday and said he feels fine and will be available for the Oregon State game.
Defensive tackle Chris Barrett twisted his knee but Pete Carroll said he thought Barrett would be OK.
"It's just a little scare, we hope," Carroll said.

Virginia coach Al Groh is feeling the heat from Cavaliers fans with a 3-5 record but Groh said few coaches have job security.
"Unless you're Jim Tressel or Pete Carroll, everybody's seat is a little warm," Groh said.

We hear a local paper has spent several months working on a story trying to demonstrate quarterback Mark Sanchez received preferential treatment from USC during his legal troubles last spring compared to other football players.
USC's denied the charge. You might recall Sanchez was suspended from team workouts last summer until his legal situation was cleared up.

USC feels Oregon State is the best team its faced on special teams this season. Punt returner Sammie Stroughter averages 17.9 yards per return and scored two touchdowns this season.

Fullback Stanley Havili (broken leg) met with doctors Tuesday night and said he will undergo x-rays Friday and if the reports are positive, will be cleared to practice next week.
Meanwhile, tailback Stafon Johnson, who has participated in just one play on offense, said he won't consider transferring.
``I haven't thought about it,'' Johnson said.

Garrett Green moved back to quarterback Tuesday because Mark Sanchez feels lower back stiffness. Mike McDonald will be the backup if Sanchez was unable to play.

With the tight end position disappearing a bit, starter Fred Davis, who did not catch any passes in USC's last game, hopes a return to Corvallis, Ore., turns things around.
``You know it's a tradition, Dominique (Byrd) did good at Oregon State,'' Davis said.
Two years ago, Byrd made a famous one-handed catch in the Trojans' come-from-behind victory at Oregon State.

There's no doubt the now-vacant North Carolina job always appealed to former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who enjoys mythic status in the Tar Heel State from his successful season as an assistant at North Carolina State.
Ironically, USC coach Pete Carroll aggressively pursued the North Carolina job before John Bunting was hired in 2000.
But do not assume Chow will leave the NFL. Even if Tennessee fired Jeff Fisher, we hear Fisher is considered the top candidate to replace Bill Parcells in Dallas after the season if Parcells retires.
And just to anticipate some possible comments, the Chow-Carroll relationship is over and the pair will not work together again.

Don't expect any Pac-10 coaches that already played USC and California to pick sides.
``Don't ask me who's better, them or Southern Cal,'' Washington State coach Bill Doba said. ``I think I would pay to watch that one.''

USC's rash of close victories might be viewed as the mark of a struggling team but Trojans coach Pete Carroll thinks the halfway point is merely where this year's team will start playing much better, like his then-youthful team three years ago.
``It is like the 2003 team because we didn't know what we were doing and we were young,'' Carroll said. ``That year, this is just where we got going.''

Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett practiced healthy together for the first time in several weeks and Pete Carroll said quarterback John David Booty's confidence shot up noticeably.
Kyle Williams, Thomas Williams and Oscar Lua all practiced and will play against Oregon State. Tailback Chauncey Washington missed practice to take a midterm but said he is doing fine academically and his grades are not an issue.

Since 1921, USC has lost to Oregon State only twice (in 1935 and 2000), in games which the Trojans actually scored any points.

After watching game films, USC coach Pete Carroll is impressed with Oregon State tailback Yvenson Bernard, who is second in the Pac-10 in rushing (106.6 ypg).
``He's a little guy but he's a special player,'' Carroll said.
However Bernard is nursing an ankle injury that forced him to leave the Arizona game last weekend.

According to nonpartisan polls, former USC wide receiver Lynn Swann trails Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell by 19 points in his bid to become governor of Pennsylvania.

The worst game of the season will kickoff at 4 p.m. and be shown on Fox Sports Net.

USC coach Pete Carroll is not concerned the Trojans dropped to No. 3 in the BCS rankings this week.
``I thought the week off was supposed to help us,'' Carroll joked. ``But I'm not worried about. I'm worried about winning the Pac-10. This just shows how close a lot of the teams are right now.''
If USC wins the rest of its regular-season games, it will finish in the top two and advance to the championship game.

USC coach Pete Carroll said Sunday night he expects wide receiver Steve Smith (ankle) and linebacker Oscar Lua (bone bruise) back at practice today.

Here's this week's ballot for the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Two teams barely missed the cut, Missouri and Hawaii.

USC president Steven Sample's objection to the NFL is pretty simple. A redesigned Coliseum would seat about 68,000 with expanded seating to 80,000 for big games.
That's a net loss of 12,000 seats (even by USC's own strange attendance counts) and means quite a drop in revenue.
It's an issue that needs to be resolved although the NFL is opposed to adding more seats.

USC doesn't exactly have a rooting interest in today's Notre Dame-UCLA game. However, that might not be totally true. It's safe to say that behind the scenes, the Trojans and Bruins are united in finding Irish coach Charlie Weis insufferable.
Actually, you could probably add Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue and whoever else Notre Dame plays this season into that category, if you catch the drift.

Back in April, USC coach Pete Carroll said the only thing the Trojans missed was tailback Reggie Bush, not LenDale White or Matt Leinart.
Last year, USC scored 32 touchdowns of at least 21 yards or longer. This year, after six games, the total is 0.

Freshman offensive lineman Butch Lewis said he is thinking of going out for the basketball team and recently stopped by the basketball office. ''I can play the 3,'' said Lewis, who does have a body that resembles Charles Barkley.

It's become painfully obvious getting someone to correctly predict the score is becoming a problem. So with a bye, let's have a dry run by seeing if anyone can get the correct score of the Archrivals Bowl, UCLA at Notre Dame.

Offensive line coach Pat Ruel said redshirt freshman Charles Brown and true freshman Butch Lewis will both start at USC.
''They have quick feet and are athletic, so it won't be a stretch for either one of them,'' Ruel said. ''I expect both of them too.''

It's ironic that starting tight end Fred Davis caught five passes in the season-opener against Arkansas but against Arizona State, with all the talk about injured receivers, did not catch a single pass. Maybe that is one reason the offense's production is suffering. The tight end position was basically MIA last season too.
By the way, feshman tight end Anthony McCoy always played wide receiver in high school but that is because he never weighed more than 230 pounds until his senior year. He now weighs 250 pounds.
"I always only wanted to be a wide receiver but now I like tight end better,'' McCoy said.

Interesting that the Butkus Award named USC linebacker Rey Maualuga one of its 10 semifinalists when even he admits having at least two subpar games and Pete Carroll said Keith Rivers is the best player on the defense after six games.

When USC ran the ball 11 straight times on its game-winning drive against Arizona State, it reminded me of the Trojans' famous game-winning drive against Ohio State in the 1980 Rose Bowl. The Trojans went 83 yards in the final five minutes to win 17-16.
But what's the point of bringing it up without a juicy detail. Head coach John Robinson told offensive coordinator Paul Hackett before the drive, ''If you throw one pass, you're fired.''

Once he gets comfortable playing safety, which probably means next year, freshman Taylor Mays would like to consider playing a little offense too. Mays was a two-way star in high school and entertains thoughts of playing offense and defense.
''We talked about it during the recruiting process and it's something I'd like to do one day,'' Mays said.

USC coach Pete Carroll had a cameo role in the 1973 Disney movie, ''The World's Greatest Athlete.'' Jan-Michael Vincent starred in the movie about a Tarzan-type athlete discovered by a coach played by Tim Conway . . . well, you get the idea.
Carroll, who played football at Pacific at the time, returns an interception 100 yards for a touchdown.
''I bet you guys didn't know that,'' Carroll said this week.

It's the midway point of the season and USC is bowl eligible while Stanford is already bowl ineligible.

USC coach Pete Carroll said linebacker Keith Rivers is currently the best player on the defense. Rey Maualuga bounced back last week after a couple inconsistent games.
"He was overruning plays or trying to go through them," said one player.
A Pac-10 coach described Dallas Sartz's first six games as "quiet."

Even USC coach Pete Carroll is aware of the growing criticism concerning the past couple games.
``We're 6-0 and everybody thinks we're falling apart,'' Carroll said. ``I don't believe that.''
By the way, even though USC ranks 25th in the country (of 119 teams) in total offense, scoring is a bigger problem. USC is only No. 52 in yard-to-touchdown ratio. By comparison, Cal is No. 9 in both categories.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4508708

Offensive tackle Kyle Williams enjoyed getting 11 straight running plays called on the game-winning drive against Arizona State.
``We loved it, we're putting every guy on this team on our backs,'' Williams said. ``There was no way we weren't going to score, you could see it in everyone's eyes.''

A lot of people have called or emailed and said quarterback John David Booty locks on to receivers and telegraphs passes.
USC coach Pete Carroll said Booty is not locking on to receivers or telegraphing passes, but acknowledged that the Trojans relied too much on a single target in several games. Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith and Patrick Turner all caught 11-or-more passes in single games this season.

Kevin Thomas underwent surgery on his broken foot today and might return for a bowl game. Mozique McCurtis is the nickel back with Shareece Wright and Vincent Joseph competing to be the fourth CB.
Pete Carroll said he will closely monitor Stanley Havili's recovery because he could still redshirt the freshman fullback.

It was a bye week, so coaches have more free time than usual. That suited USC coach Pete Carroll on Monday night, who simultaneously watched Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart throw two touchdown passes while eating dinner, since he didn't have to immediately dive into practice films like during a game week.
Carroll let out a couple big yells in his office when Leinart threw his second touchdown pass and quickly said, ``now run out the clock.'' Alas, the Cardinals weren't fortunate enough to hold on in their 24-23 loss to the Chicago Bears.
But it's safe to say Carroll's enthusiasm watching Leinart was genuine and true. And maybe reminded him of how low-maintenance the quarterback position was most of the past three seasons.

Freshman fullback Stanley Havili said he would get x-rays tomorrow and in a best-case scenario hopes to be cleared for the Oregon State game.

A season-ticket holder sends along this observation from the Arizona State game.
``The crowd around us is getting really unruly and directing expletives at the team (USC). Last week, the LAPD guy who stands in front of (the team) was telling people in the crowd to tone it down. The crowd really turned on him and I don't think I've ever seen him back down the way he did.''

USC finally blitzed more against Arizona State but it's not always as easy as it looks.
``I messed up a call,'' safety Taylor Mays said. ``I came in from the wrong side on one play.''

For two decades, Arizona State was USC's nemesis. And nearly was on Saturday too.
From 1978 to 1999, USC went 7-9 against the Sun Devils. But in the past seven seasons, the Trojans are 7-0.

Time to give out some grades:

Here's Pete Carroll's take on being No. 2 in the BCS today. It's more than he usually says.
``I generally don't take a lot of stock in it. I know it's time to start the interest in the BCS standings and all and so they have to kick off sometime and this is it. I don't see anything controversial or anything that's going on. Just the opening round.
``It does position us in a place where if you hold on you have a big opportunity at the end of the year. But it's a long haul and we're just at the halfway point now.

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

Now we know why Fox Sports hired former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez as an analyst. From today's show on the BCS rankings regarding USC:
``They’re playing four quarter games now,'' Alvarez said. ``They’re a little more exposed than they’ve been.''

An example of how USC benefits from the lack of the margin of victory component is found in the latest Sagarin ratings, which are used for the BCS ratings. USC is No. 1 in the rankings without MOV, but 12th in the MOV rankings. Not only is Cal third in those rankings, but Sagarin's calculations suggest that, if the game was scheduled for next week, the Bears would be a 3-5 point favorite over the Trojans.

USC is No. 2 in the first BCS standings.

Could anyone imagine six weeks ago after USC beat Arkansas that a young-and-bound-to-improve Trojans team would end up blowing a 21-0 lead to a .500 team in mid-October at the Coliseum?
Or to put it another way, is USC getting better?

Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was asked if he had any answers for the 3rd-and-37 play faced by the Trojans in the third quarter? ``Not many of them,'' he joked.
Kiffin did say the Trojans still need to improve their deep game.
``It's something we need to continue to work to throw,'' he said.

Despite the fact there were clearly less fans at the game than last week, the attendance figure (91,126) was higher than the Washington game (90,282).

It seemed strange that after 11 straight running plays that got USC down to the Arizona State 5-yard line on its game-winning drive, the Trojans would then throw two passes to little-used fullback Jody Adewale.
But offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said neither play was specifically designed for Adewale.
``The first time he's waiting for Dwayne and then goes to his second option,'' Kiffin said. ``The other is a hot throw.''

John David Booty's interception that was returned for a touchdown appeared to be a miscommunication between he and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett.
But offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said it was Booty -- not Jarrett -- who was to blame.
He said Booty did not read the position of Arizona State cornerback Keno Walter-White properly, but Jarrett did and took off downfield.

USC coach Pete Carroll on another close game:
```We’re a different team now,’’ Carroll said.
Carroll also restated last week’s statement that close victories feel like Groundhog Day.
``If Groundhog Day feels like winning, I’ll take it,’’ he said.

Discuss a sloppy victory over ASU.
Injury note: Kevin Thomas broke his foot and will be out at least 6-8 weeks.

It's nearly halftime, and USC's defense is blitzing more than previous games, especially safety Kevin Ellison.

Here's the newest class of Hall Of Fame inductees:

Could USC freshman tailback C.J. Gable of Sylmar High still be in the mix for playing time today against Arizona State?
Gable fell out of the tailback rotation with five carries or less against Arizona and Washington State before getting no carries last week after being bothered with a strained groin.
``Last week, we got messed up, C.J. Gable missed a couple practices and we had to hold back on some stuff,’’ Carroll said. ``Having him back helps.’’

Oregon State has Ralph Miller Court. Arizona had Lute Olson Court and then Lute and Bobbi Olson Court. UCLA has John and Nell Wooden Court.
And now USC has Jim Sterkel Court at the Galen Center. Sterkel played at USC from 1956-57 and was most improved player in '57 when he averaged 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds. The court was named after him because a wealthy donor and longtime USC supporter provided a hefty contribution and asked Sterkel's name on the court.
Good for him. I'm a total supporter of remembering Sterkel and it sounds like he was a good player, so this post isn't about him at all.
What it is about is placing money over tradition. Usually that's OK, but a basketball court is a different matter these days.
``It just sort of diminishes the importance of our heritage in basketball,'' said a prominent player from the 1950's. ``Would Kentucky do it? It's just embarrassing.''
It also ignores Bill Sharman, an All-American and conference MVP at USC in 1950. He won four NBA titles with the Boston Celtics and became just the second coach to win ABA (Utah Stars) and NBA titles (Lakers).
He is only one of three people to be in the basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach. Another candidate would be Sam Barry, who is a USC legend after being the head basketball and baseball coach. And I'd personally like to see former player and coach Bob Boyd honored. Too late now.
UPDATED: Barry is also credited with the creation of the halfcourt line.

USC coach Pete Carroll said he and defensive coordinator Nick Holt never clash about whether the Trojans should blitz more.
``When Nick was at Idaho, he blitzed just as much as we do now,'' Carroll said.

Here's a feature on USC's secondary.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4485493

An Air Force F-117 Nighthawk will fly above the Coliseum during the national anthem tomorrow.

Another week passes without a winner. The first person who picks the correct score will receive a copy of Game Day: Southern California Football by Athlon Sports.

In five games, USC's defense has given up 16 plays of 20 yards or more.

Count me among those who waited more than 20 years for the opening of the Galen Center. The most pleasant surprise was the energy created by the arena around the corner of Figueroa St. and Jefferson Blvd., a previously dead area.
There is still a lot of work to be done on the arena, so it's hard to make too many judgments. But if you're a woman, you couldn't be too pleased when the first-floor restroom overflowed before the volleyball match.

Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith and Chilo Rachal are all ready to play. Jarrett especially says he feels much better than he did last week.
Jarrett also admitted for the first time he actually separated his shoulder against Arizona.

USC coach Pete Carroll said the switch from linebacker to defensive end is still a work in progress.
``Cush is still real young at rushing the passer, he hasn't taken off in that regard,'' Carroll said.

Time to check in with sophomore linebacker Brian Cushing, who switched defensive end this season and has 26 tackles, which is the third-best mark on the team.
``All I know right now is I'm just trying to get on the field, but the change is not a real big deal,'' he said. ``I kind of like this position right. It's kind of natural. We'll see what happens next year. I really had no idea I would play this position before the season. So I might gain 5-10 pounds if I stay here.''

Here's my column on how difficult it's been to find a Pete Carroll clone.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4478810

The Galen Center officially opens tonight, which is a good thing for USC. But it's a mixed blessing for the construction company, which won't get a bonus because it could not deliver a finished product by September.

Wide receiver Steve Smith has some swelling in the back of his foot but said he wants to start. Offensive guard Chilo Rachal (sprained ankle) appears set to start.

Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter's compiled video of struggling quarterback Rudy Carpenter with his successes from 2005.
``I've said several times, we're not talking about a quarterback here who's not done it at this level,'' Koetter said. ``I just wanted to see for myself. It was so glaring, I kind of expanded that project. I cut out 66 pass plays with gains over 15 yards, with basically the same plays we've been running this year, where Rudy's just flawless - on the money, great body language. I just wanted Rudy to see. When everything starts crumbling around you, you start to think maybe the world's not round anymore, maybe it is flat.''

If the Pac-10 finished in a three-way tie, the league champion is decided by the BCS rankings, not the old points system. A three-way tie would happen only if Oregon defeats USC and USC defeats Cal, and Oregon, Cal, and USC suffer no other conference losses.
Where the three schools would be in the BCS Rankings is purely speculative; Oregon might have the advantage of the earliest loss and might also have the advantage of Cal’s loss to Tennessee, and there would also be the possibility of a potential USC loss to Notre Dame outside the Pac-10 race in November.

Dallas Sartz and Oscar Lua have not practiced this week with a sore knee and bone bruise, respectively. Lua's MRI also showed a cracked tibia that was suspected to be an old injury. And if that's not enough, Kaluka Maiava underwent an MRI on his sore shoulder that's bothered him for most of the season.
All three expect to be available for the Arizona State game.

Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter is 0-11 in Pac-10 games in California.

Wide receiver Jamere Holland caught some passes after practice for the first time since breaking his collarbone. Holland said he feels no pain and even went through his first track workout on Monday. He will still redshirt this season and have four years of eligibility remaiining.

Steve Smith is awaiting results of an MRI for his sore ankle but if USC played a game tomorrow, he would be available.
Dwayne Jarrett remains on track to play more. Chilo Rachal is still "a little gimpy" and will not start unless he is 100 percent.

Five of the BCS computer polls are now out (Wolfe will not be released until next week). USC is No. 1 in four of the five. If you drop the highest and lowest computer rankings, the computers are in rare agreement on the top four: 1. USC; 2. Ohio State; 3. Florida; 4. Michigan.
It's the human polls that are slightly less impressed with the Trojans at the moment.

Here's more on the Petros Papadakis situation from Daily News media columnist Tom Hoffarth.
http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/archives/2006/10/petros_has_punc_1.html

Popular radio host Petros Papadakis resigned from 1540-AM today. Papadakis is going to pursue other interests because the future of the radio station remains up in the air since it was recently sold and is no longer the flagship station of USC football.

USC’s defense was credited with 42 ``strip attempts’’ against Washington, which are times when players tried to strip the ball from a Husky player.
To give you an idea of how high that number is, teams usually average strip attempts in the 20’s or 30’s per game. And yet, USC did not force a single fumble against Washington.
``It was one of the bigger topics today,’’ linebacker Oscar Lua said about Monday’s team meeting.
``It’s hard to get the ball out and secure a tackle at the same time,’’ safety Taylor Mays added.

On passing instead of running on third-and-goal from the 4-yard line with 1:42 left against Washington, which had only one timeout.
``If you believe you have a high percentage chance of scoring the touchdown, you go for it and go past burning the timeout,’’ offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said. ``That might burn only 10 seconds. If you score a touchdown, the game is over.''

Dwayne Jarrett is considered fit to play and practiced Monday. Dallas Sartz neded to see a doctor Monday because he bruised his knee. Steve Smith's ankle remains sore but he is expected to play.
USC coach Pete Carroll said Allen Bradford is not moving to fullback, but he's trying him at different spots in the backfield.
"We're trying to experiment," Carroll said. "We're trying to find some ways for him to help us."
Bradford said, "it's not a position switch."

Even USC's cornerbacks conceded that in their defensive formation Saturday, it was possible to find the open areas.
``We played a lot of Cover 2, in cover 2, you can find a soft spot,'' cornerback Kevin Thomas said.

A USC coach told me the following axiom over the weekend: ``Sacks come from good coverage. Interceptions come from great pressure.’’
The message was that the defensive line should not solely be blamed for the lack of sacks the past two weeks.
It sounds like USC coach Pete Carroll is also getting the message. After sticking with his base defenses the past two weeks, Carroll admitted, ``Scheme wise, we have to compliment our four-man rush.’’
Make no mistake, Carroll still controls the defense. He decides when, and if, USC blitzes.
Could this be the week?

John David Booty has as many 200-yard passing games (4) as Pat Haden.

Here's the report card for the Washington game.

USC coach Pete Carroll said he and Washington coach Tyrone Willingham exchanged best wishes after the game and also discussed, ``the screwy clock and why things happened the way it did.’’

Did you know that since 1926 only four USC players have had more receptions in a game than Patrick Turner did Saturday?
Here's where Turner ranked on the all-time receptions list for a single game:

Steve Smith has a first-degree ankle sprain, which means he has a chance to play this week. Dwayne Jarrett's shoulder is not considered worse after playing yesterday.
Taylor Mays (shoulder stinger) is supposed to practice Monday while Chilo Rachal (ankle) is expected to start practicing full-time at some point this week.

Just asked Pete Carroll about throwing a pass on third-and-goal at the 4-yard line with about 1:42 left instead of running the ball and forcing Washington to use its last timeout.
``We could have but we wanted to go for the touchdown, we thought we had a play we could make it. We thought it was the right thing to call a play for a touchdown.''
John David Booty's pass was nearly intercepted and the Trojans settled for a field goal and 26-20 lead.

Fresno State lost to mighty Utah State last night and is 1-8 since losing last year's 50-42 thriller to USC. Imagine if not for Reggie Bush's 513 all-purpose yards, Fresno State's only wins in the last 10 games would be Nevada . . . and USC.
And within a 12-month period, Fresno State would have won at the Coliseum, but lost at Logan, Utah.

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

John David Booty knows he’s got some big shoes to fill right now, especially after his roughest game of the season.
``Matt (Leinart) had to follow one (great quarterback) and I had to follow two,’’ Booty said. ``But I want to be a great player too.’’
Here’s how Booty and Leinart’s stats compare after five games of their first seasons.

It turns out the last time USC's offense scored just one touchdown was the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl. But that team had a converted fullback (Sunny Byrd) at tailback. Too bad Pete Carroll hadn't learned the player pretending to come off the field fake field goal or the Trojans might have scored twice against Utah.

Here's a few trends: USC ran the ball on first down on the first four possessions of the second half. The Trojans ran on first down on five of six possessions in the second half. And they passed on second down on four of those six possessions.

Referee Brian O'Cain on the final play.
``I wanted to make sure the officials had seen the clock when the play became dead and were comfortable with the time remaining on the clock, which was confirmed to be two seconds.
``The general rule of thumb is that if there is one second when I wind and they snap immediately, the play can go. We try to keep the same pace the whole game. We don't go faster or slower.''

Pete Carroll was upset the officials did not start the clock sooner on the game's final play, although the clock expired before Washington snapped the ball.
``That last play was a mess,'' Carroll said. ``I wanted them to start the 25-second clock, but for some reason the refs refused. It was almost like a timeout for them. The clock was mishandled. They should move the sticks and immediately start the clock.''
Tyrone Willingham on the play: ``When the official is standing over the ball, it makes it difficult for us to move as quickly as we want. We thought (at first) they would reset (the clock). But we were preparing in case they weren't. It's a difficult situation to officiate. If the officials move too fast, are they favoring the University of Washington? If they move slower, is it for USC?''
Isaiah Stanback on the final play: ``I'm not going to speak to it. I don't want to say anything wrong.''

USC's offense scored just one touchdown today, the same as its special teams.

Pete Carroll on the close outcome: ``We're not getting any sacks. We are not getting any turnovers. Those are major changes and we need them and we're just not doing it. Until we make those things happen, games are going to be close.''

Wide receiver Steve Smith sprained his left ankle. X-rays were negative and he appeared fine afterward. Safety Taylor Mays suffered a shoulder stinger and linebacker Oscar Lua bruised his leg, neither injury was considered serious.
More curious is why wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett (sprained shoulder) played. He could not continue after halftim and said he was too sore to continue.
``It affected me,'' Jarrett said. ``I'm hoping it's better next week.''
``I don't know what Dwayne's situation will be,'' Pete Carroll said. ``Maybe he can play, maybe he can't.''

Comment on a very interesting game:

USC reports 5,800 students showed up for today's game, compared to 8,800 for the Nebraska game.
``How many didn't make it in?'' joked one observer.

Watch for today's announced attendance, because there are empty seats throughout the Coliseum. Trojan Nation looks more like a street corner, with less than half of the bleachers filled with students. The band is not getting much energy from the fans, with so few sitting around it.
On the positive side, the student-entrance problems from the Nebraska game were apparently non-existent.

Some of you asked about Petros Papadakis, who has not been on the air since the middle of the week. Papadakis is meeting with management of 1540 this weekend and his future at the station should be clear by Monday, according to sources.

If there’s one thing USC will probably do Saturday, it’s going deep downfield. Washington ranks last in the Pac-10 in pass defense, surrendering 235.6 yards per game.

A Pac-10 coach said this week that stopping Washington boils down to stopping quarterback Isaiah Stanback and wide receiver Sonny Shackelford.
``If you stop them, you stop Washington,'' the coach said. ``That's it.''

USC coach Pete Carroll said he reviewed the films again and Washington State quarterback Alex Brink threw just three passes where he actually dropped back with rolling out or taking a quick, three-step drop.
That said, Carroll said he needs to increase pressure on the quarterback tomorrow, which means the Trojans won't sit back in their base defense the entire game like last week.

Let's see if anyone can pick the right score for the first time this season.

Believe it or not, it's only the fifth game of the season but a lot of players and coaches told me this week that it feels like the dog days of the season. Back-to-back road trips and an accumulation of bruised-up players contributed to this feeling.
``Usually you have it about right now because guys get beat up at this time of the year,'' quarterback John David Booty said. ``That's why you try to fight through it.''
No, he wasn't referring to fullback David Buehler's brawl with tailback John Griffin.
Imagine how much worse the feeling might be if USC did not have a bye the second week of the season.

Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett will suit up and said "if they need me I will play."
But Jarrett (sprained shoulder) said he is only 70 percent recovered and if it's not necessary, he would wait another week.
"It's up in the air," Jarrett said.

Offensive guard Chilo Rachal participated in some of Thursday's practice and said he thinks he can start. Pete Carroll said its too early to tell if Rachal could start but it looks like he could play.
Offensive line coach Pat Ruel said he is leaning toward starting Alatini Malu because he got the bulk of practice time and Rachal is not 100 percent.
C.J. Gable will return kickoffs and Troy Van Blarcom will handle kicking duties.

Last week Washington State missed two offensive lineman and Coach Bill Doba said only one starter played the same position in the first four games.
This week, USC faces a Washington team where five offensive linemen have taken every snap of every game.
Meanwhile, USC coach Pete Carroll already showed the Trojans a quote from Washington safety Dashon Goldson (in previous entry). Here's a pragmatic quote from Husky linebacker Scott White.
"They're more realistic this year. They're more like a college football team now, where in the past, come on, with LenDale White and Reggie Bush and all those guys, that was an all-star team,'' White said.

Freshman tailback C.J. Gable is limping again because of a nagging groin injury. Gable said he intends to return kickoffs even with the injury. If he doesn't, Cary Harris will probably be back at kick return because it doesn't appear as if Vidal Hazelton can assume the role yet.
Desmond Reed remains the punt returner, despite fumbles in the past two games.

The Trojan Football Alumni Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It's open to all former players and staff. The club has two new programs this year:

There's been some suggestions within the team this week that maybe Washington State was taken lightly.
``I know I didn’t take them lightly but it looked like everyone seemed rusty,’’ linebacker Rey Maualuga said.

Football is a contact sport, so it is no surprise fullback David Buehler emerged with a black eye on Wednesday.
The circumstances were unexpected, however. Buehler, known for being one of the most cheerful personalities on the team, got punched by walk-on tailback John Griffin during the running backs meeting before practice.
The running backs are apparently assigned seats in their meeting room and when Buehler told Griffin he was sitting in his chair, the scuffle started. Witnesses said Griffin threw several punches before being restrained by teammates.
Buehler, who is 6-feet-2 and 225 pounds, did not attempt to punch Griffin, who is about three inches shorter and 30 pounds lighter.
``I didn’t want to start anything,’’ he said. ``It was a cheap shot.’’
It’s the second altercation of the season for Griffin, who was involved in a scuffle with tailback Stafon Johnson during a drill in training camp.

Defensive end Chris Barrett was singled out in the locker room at Washington State for playing despite requiring intravenous fluids at halftime. But Barrett did not get an IV.
``I don’t like needles,’’ he said.
It turned out Lawrence Jackson received the IV.

Freshman wide receiver Vidal Hazelton enjoyed his best practice of the season, according to USC coach Pete Carroll. Hazelton made five catches in scrimmage situations and Carroll said he is ready to play against Washington.

Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett got fitted for special shoulder pads but a final decision might not be made until Saturday.
It's important to note that the coaches feel Jarrett could miss practice all week and still get into the game because of his experience.

Former USC assistant Ed Orgeron is 4-12 after his first 16 games at Mississippi and 1-9 in Southeastern Conference play but his job seems safe because athletic director Pete Boone blames the recruiting efforts of former coach David Cutcliffe, who was fired in December 2004.
``There's a reason you have a coaching change,'' Boone said. ``I think what we're seeing now is that the recruiting the past few years of the previous group was not very good. I knew that. It was not a surprise to me.''

One reason Sedrick Ellis' return will be important this week is because Lawrence Jackson went 73 plays against Washington State, Chris Barrett went nearly 70 and Fili Moala went more than 60. Those numbers can come down with Ellis back at nose guard.

Washington safety Dashon Goldson on USC: ``We've seen that they're pretty beatable this year.''

Middle linebacker Rey Maualuga said there are two things he needs to improve Saturday.
``I missed assignments and I need to remember on cut blocks, you can't always take on the lineman, you have to go around him,'' Maualuga said.

USC coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said they discussed going for 2-points on the Trojans’ next touchdown with about 14 minutes left and a 21-15 lead. That was before the Trojans actually scored. USC did score with 5:52 remaining but Carroll forgot to go for 2 points and no one reminded him over the headsets.
``We had talked about it before the drive and said we wouldn’t. But we didn’t say anything (right after the touchdown),’’ Kiffin said.
Asked if he tried to remind Carroll, Kiffin said, ``It’s not my decision.’’
Carroll again took full responsibility for the decision Tuesday.
``I’ll take the blame,’’ he said.

Defensive end Lawrence Jackson does not have a sack this season, but he's getting good reviews from the coaches when they grade the game films.
Jackson's recorded positive plays 81 percent of the time against Arkansas, 91 percent against Nebraska, 95 percent against Arizona and 90 percent against Washington State.

Dwayne Jarrett ran some pass routes at the beginning of practice. Chilo Rachal is not practicing and Kevin Ellison is getting the day off to rest his ankle.
Jarrett is seeing doctors again tonight to see if he can get cleared for the game.

While this year's defense is clearly superior to last year, one remaining question is who will be the leader? Of all the defensive players, linebacker Oscar Lua is universally viewed by his teammates as the clear-cut leader, but he is playing substantially less so far.
``There's no one else, besides Oscar, he was like Lofa Tatupu, who always talked to the defense,'' one player said.

Kevin Bryant, a 6-foot-6, 380-pound offensive guard from Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., hopes to make his official visit the weekend of the Arizona State game. He is ranked the eighth-best guard in the nation by Rivals.com.
Bryant could be the Trojans' second offensive line commitment from Florida, following guard James Wilson of St. Augustine, Fla.

USC and Washington are two of just seven NCAA Division I-A programs that never faced a non-Division I-A opponent since the current division setup was established in 1978. The others that have yet to play a non-Division I-A opponent since the advent of the current format are Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and UCLA.
That's three Pac-10 schools and three Big Ten schools for those keeping score

I talked to a defensive starter tonight who thought Washington State caught the Trojans off guard by being better than expected.
``We stopped everybody we've played and then they start moving the ball on us and we thought, `Now what do we do?' '' he said.

USC coach Pete Carroll blamed himself for not going for 2-points on the Trojans' final touchdown.
``I did a lousy job of it,’’ he said. ``There’s no excuse.''

An MRI revealed two cracks in wide receiver Chris McFoy's shoulder and he will be out 4-6 weeks. Dwayne Jarrett feels "1,000 times better" according to Pete Carroll and needs doctors clearance to play.
Sedrick Ellis might start if his knee holds up in practice.
UPDATED: Offensive guard Chilo Rachal's ankle injury doesn't appear serious but Alatini Malu will start if there is a problem.

There's been plenty of criticism in the comments section about the playcalling and the offense, but why no scrutiny of the defense?
Is it because offense is the glamour side of the ball? Or that Pete Carroll's defensive expertise makes it immune from criticism?
What stands out from the Washington State game is the lack of adjustments. USC's cornerbacks were never protected, in the sense that no coverage changes took place to compensate for the fact Cougar receiver Michael Bumpus was constantly open.
For that matter, Jason Hill was also open, but the ball was overthrown several times.
The other issue is the lack of pressure on the quarterback. The defensive line was unable to generate a proper rush but there was no blitzing, which would help the line and the cornerbacks.
As I mentioned in today's Daily News http://www.dailynews.com/usc/ci_4428662, in past years, All-Americans Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson provided enough pressure without blitzing.

Washington running back Braxton Cleman caught 15 passes for 69 yards on Oct. 19, 2002.

In the Anderson and Hester computer ranking, which is used by the BCS, the Washington Huskies are ranked 11th this week. Here's the link: http://www.andersonsports.com/football/ACF_frnk.html

Wide receiver Steve Smith named Pac-10 offensive player of the week. Here's a chart showing his 186 yards receiving ranked ninth all-time on USC's single-game list.

Here's the grades for last weekend's game.

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

Offensive lineman Chilo Rachal could barely stand during some plays yesterday and the reason was a sprained ankle that makes him questionable for this week's game. X-rays on wide receiver Chris McFoy's sore shoulder were negative but he will undergo an MRI today. Linebacker Luthur Brown has a badly pulled hamstring and will probably be out awhile.

Here's my top 25 ballot for the Associated Press poll:

Washington State wide receiver Michael Bumpus' 11 receptions were the most against USC since 2002. Can anyone name the last wide receiver to get at least 11 catches against the Trojans?

Purdue wide receiver Selwyn Lymon caught eight passes for 238 yards against Notre Dame, which broke former USC wide receiver John Jackson's opponent-yardage record of 200 yards receiving against the Irish at South Bend on Oct. 21, 1989. That Notre Dame team was ranked No. 1.
Jackson still shares the record for receptions in a game (14) with two other players.

Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said he's no longer restricted in playcalling because John David Booty can handle everything Matt Leinart did.
``I feel the freedom to do everything, you just don’t have the Reggie (Bush) factor,'' Kiffin said. ``You’re only missing a guy that can go 80 yards. There’s nothing new we feel we can’t put on John David.''