November 2006 Archives

USC has played more ties with UCLA than any other opponent (7).

Ohio State students are up in arms after being awarded just 1,100 tickets for the BCS title game in Glendale, Ariz. But USC will be even worse if it makes the game.
``Only about 1,000 students will probably be able to go for us, too, and if it's of any comfort to the upset students in Columbus, there are lots of sympathetic students over here on the West Coast," USC ticketing director Debra Duncan said.

USC-UCLA has always been a hot ticket, right? Well, from the first battle in 1929, up through 1975, the Coliseum was sold out only seven times for the crosstown rivalry. This year's game will be the fifth consecutive sell out in the series. The only longer capacity streak was seven, from 1985 through 1991.

USC center Ryan Kalil made the final cut as finalists for the Rimngton Award today.

Although the answer to yesterday's question of the day, DeWayne Walker, worked several years under Pete Carroll, his defense is not identical, according to USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
"They do different things, it's not the same as our defense,'' Kiffin said. "It's stuff we've seen all year.''

When was the last night game in the USC-UCLA series? (Kickoff 5 p.m. or later).
UPDATED: The last night game took place in 1977 at the Coliseum.

USC coach Pete Carroll said tailback Emmanuel Moody (sprained ankle) will play against UCLA.

That could be the current scenario if USC plays Ohio State in the BCS championship. Here's how the process works Sunday, described by BCS coordinator Mike Slive.
``If we take the current standings, and Ohio State and Southern Cal are in the game,'' Slive said. ``Then what would happen would be that the Big 12 Champion would go to the Fiesta Bowl and the ACC champion would go to the Orange Bowl and the SEC champion would go to the Sugar Bowl and then the Rose Bowl would get the first two picks because we would need to replace the champions from the two leagues that participate in the Rose Bowl.''

UCLA's defense allowed four consecutive opponents to rush for less than 60 yards this season. Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn had a 60-yard run against USC.

BBC Sport is reporting that Iain Dowie says he is going to return to coaching soccer.
``Clearly I want to get back in the game,'' Dowie said.
This could be USC women's soccer's chance.

USC is going for its eighth win over UCLA, which would match the Bruins' longest streak over USC. Well, "match" is a relative term. The margins of the Bruin victories: 3, 1, 6, 12, 4, 7 (after 2OT's), 4, 17. The Trojan win margins: 10, 3, 27, 31, 25, 5, and 47.

Pete Carroll was asked Tuesday about the danger of looking past UCLA and toward the BCS title game.
But if anything, an informed person would argue the opposite is true. Carroll's spent more time watching or mentioning UCLA than any time since he arrived at USC. In past years, Carroll rarely mentioned UCLA in staff meetings or conversations with associates. He even rebuked a staff member for makng a dismissive remark about UCLA in one conversation.
This year, however, he frequently mentioned the Bruins whenever he was around Heritage Hall and kept a much closer eye on their stats and performances. Whether or not this concern is justified is different topic, but the fact is Carroll's pointed toward this game for months. Or at least had some concerns. I'll expand on this later in the week.

Tailback Emmanuel Moody (sprained ankle) is not supposed to return until a bowl game but he wants to play against UCLA.
``I'm trying to get back,'' Moody said. ``I want to get back for this one.''

Who was the first assistant coach hired by Pete Carroll when he accepted the USC job?
UPDATED: The correct answer is UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, who flew to Los Angeles the day after Carroll got hired and started recruiting.

UCLA defensive linemen Justin Hickman and Bruce Davis have 24 sacks. The entire USC team has 26.

Interest seems to be very low this year but here's how I'm thinking with one more week for some possible shuffling.
Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith and Arkansas tailback Darren McFadden.

USC spent $17.2 million on football last year, most in the Pac-10. Washington was second with $15.1 million.

Long Beach Poly track and football player Bryshon Nellum gave USC permission to send his letter of intent to the Pac-10 today, a week after the Trojans released him because of a mix-up understanding NCAA rules by a compliance official. Nellum must sit out a year of football by signing in November but he probably will concentrate anyways because he wants to try to make the U.S. Olympic team.
Nellum's decision will deflate some schools that wanted to sign him in the spring after USC released him.

Look at the nine finalists for the Football Writers of America Assn. Coach of the Year Award.
Houston's Art Briles, Michigan's Lloyd Carr, Wake Forest's Jim Grobe, Hawaii's June Jones, BYU's Bronco Mendenhall, Arkansas' Houston Nutt, Boise State's Chris Petersen, Rutgers' Greg Schiano, and Oklahoma's Bob Stoops.

Carmen Trutanich, lawyer to several USC football players, and his arch-rival, vice president of student affairs Michael Jackson, were both on the sideline during the Notre Dame game. But Trutanich brought back up, with Los Angeles County district attorney Steve Cooley by his side.

Chauncey Washington was rested today to help his sore knee recover. USC practiced on Cromwell Field today to protect Howard Jones Field from getting torn up after Monday's rains. The real practice days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said he has not talked to anyone at Arizona State about the vacant coaching position. He did say he is interested in the job.

A couple of the appropriate officials at USC discussed with us the availability of Iain Dowie regarding the women's soccer position, but it's still very early in the process.

Here's the USC-Notre Dame report card:

USC coach Pete Carroll revealed a concern about playing UCLA this week in the season-finale.
``I’m not concerned about a letdown but I am concerned it is the last game of the year,’’ Carroll said. ``We’ve had some close games two years ago with UCLA and a few years back with Oregon State (in 2003).''
That Oregon State game turned out to be a 24-point victory although Oregon State did take a 7-0 lead, which probably is what Carroll remembers about the game.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis stopped by the USC locker room after the game to congratulate Pete Carroll. He also did it last year.

USC coach Pete Carroll said Sunday night that quarterback John David Booty's ankle will ``be all right'' after he hurt it against Notre Dame.
Carroll took exception to comments on the game broadcast that Booty was shaken up following the ankle injury.
``I don’t think there’s any way he’s rattled,’’ Carroll said. ``He does not carry things around or let (critics) load up on him.’’

If USC beats UCLA, it will be the fourth year in a row that they will finish a regular season ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the AP Poll. Prior to the current streak, they had not finished a regular season ranked that high since 1972 (1).
In fact, since the AP rankings started in 1936, they finished the regular season ranked No. 1 or No. 2 only four times, before their current streak: 1962 (1), 1967 (1), 1968 (2), and 1972 (1).
To put another way, from 1936 through 2002, SC finished the regular season ranked 1 or 2 four times; if SC wins Saturday, they will have doubled the number of all-time end-of-regular season rankings in the AP top two for the school, from 2003 through 2006.

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

From a USC fan: Notre Dame is overweighted
From a Notre Dame fan: Seven Heismans, no murderers

Manchester United hosts Chelsea tomorrow morning in a top of the table clash in Premiership action! Hey's it's soccer, how hard can it be to get a score right.

USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin blamed himself for John David Booty's second interception to defensive tackle Trevor Laws.
``I called down to the field to talk to Booty on the phone, which I don’t do often, and I said the second interception was my fault because it was a bad call,’’ Kiffin said. ``We needed him and he came back and played well.’’

Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who caught three touchdown passes and had 132 yards receiving, apparently had a couple reasons to be angry before the game.
``Notre Dame did not recruit him and he has a chip on his shoulder this year that he’s not being recognized (for post-season awards),’’ offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis on quarterback Brady Quinn.
``He didn't get much help, a bunch of balls went off hands. He was far from perfect but join the club, I was far from perfect.''
Weis on the final stats.
``Stats are for losers. The bottom line is we moved the ball but didn't put it in the end zone.''

Honestly, this was just about the result expected around USC, if you talked to people behind the scenes. Notre Dame's defense was just too weak to stop the Trojans' offense. The end.

On the field at kickoff, Will Ferrell wearing a bucket hat to disguise himself, the guy from JAG and some other series and Robert Patrick, who I think hung himself on the Sopranos, or maybe that was four other characters.

Just bumped into former USC linebacker Matt Grootegoed outside the Coliseum, who talked about how "dirty" the rivalry was with Notre Dame when he played.

USC coach Pete Carroll showed up at the Up the Irish party on Friday night and played two songs on the piano and sang, "beat the Irish."

If USC coach Pete Carroll remembers anything about last year’s Notre Dame game, besides the final-minute heroics, it was the way Coach Charlie Weis frustrated him on an 87-yard drive that gave the Irish a 31-27 lead with 2:02 remaining.
``I didn’t feel like the defense could stop them,’’ Carroll said. ``He called some good stuff. They threw so short and so quick, they had some really nice plays. They had a lot of momentum and rhythm.’’
Has USC’s defense felt as helpless this season?
``About six times,’’ Carroll said. ``Every game in the middle of the year.’’
The difference is the Trojans usually survived those rough moments this season and did not fold at the end of the game.
``We’re better,’’ Carroll said.

A veteran college coach who watched film of both teams offered this analysis:
``Charlie (Weis) will do all the little things he likes, like a no-huddle offense, no backs, a quick tempo,'' he said. ``And Pete's answer will be to blitz.''

USC vs. Notre Dame. Pete Carroll vs. Charlie Weis. But maybe the best matchup is ABC announcer Brent Musberger vs. USC sports information dept. for today's production meeting.
Musberger drew the ire of USC in September when he mentioned some hand signals by John David Booty that he learned during the Friday production meeting before the Nebraska game.
Also doing Saturday's game is former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie.

The first person who picks the correct score on the USC-Notre Dame game receives a copy of the Irish media guide (valid email required on pick).

It looks like Patrick Turner and Desmond Reed will alternate punt returns against Notre Dame. Last week, the Trojans had one return for one yard on six Cal punts.

With 18 senior starters, a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback and several other marquee players, why hasn't Notre Dame played better this season?
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4713784

USC defensive end Lawrence Jackson said he is undecided about whether he will turn pro after the season.
``I'm just worried about the next game coming up,'' Jackson said. ``I'm getting my degree next semester. I'm not concerned about it at all.''

Offensive tackle Kyle Williams returned to practice following a severe case of the stomach flu and appeared fine. Williams said he received 4 IVs at the student health center Tuesday and doctors wanted to give him four more but he declined.
``I feel fine, I lost a couple pounds, but nothing that eating tonight won't take care of,'' Williams said.
Offensive guard Drew Radovich (foot) also practiced along with tailback Chauncey Washington (knee). Defensive tackle Chris Barrett is not expected to play.

Florida coach Urban Meyer is against an Ohio State-Michigan rematch in the BCS title game and believes the Gators are more deserving than a certain other one-loss team in the championship picture.
``Realistically the one team out there is University of Florida, and probably Southern Cal. But Southern Cal got beat by an unranked team. We went to a hostile environment [at Auburn], played our heart out, we were on the 6-yard line and failed to get it done. . . . I think USC and Florida are the two teams that if they take care of business, deserve a shot.''
Meyer said if a rematch occurs, it should force a playoff system.

Despite the constant drumbeat the past few weeks, mainly from Phoenix sports-talk radio, USC coach Pete Carroll scoffs at speculation he is interested in becoming the Arizona Cardinals coach/general manager next season.
Wednesday night, Carroll dismissed the rumors, just as he did about a month ago. It's probably not going to go away, however, as long as the Cardinals struggle and there is a need to figure out a possible successor to Dennis Green.

A lot of ``famous'' people suddenly become interested in USC football when the Trojans play a marquee game like Saturday's against Notre Dame. Here's the list of those expected to attend:

Offensive tackle Kyle Williams is staying at a hotel because he has the flu, and USC does not want anyone else to get sick. Williams is expected to return tomorrow and start Saturday.
It's looking more like Chauncey Washington will not start at tailback because of his sprained knee, which means freshman C.J. Gable would start. Washington was held out of Wednesday's practice although he said he intends to play.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis also made a little highlight tape for the Irish to get them excited about playing USC.
``He showed some clips about media, talking about different things, how their offense is powerful, our defense has no chance,'' safety Tom Zbikowski said. ``Good stuff like that.''

Cal coach Jeff Tedford was perturbed with the officials’ spot of the ball after quarterback Nate Longshore failed to gain a yard on third-and-1 at the 29 in the third quarter with the score 9-9.
Reporters told Tedford it appeared the side officials stood on the far side of the 30-yard line, which was where the Bears needed to get for a first down. By the time the officials met in the center of the field, they were standing on Cal's side of the 30.
``You noticed that, too?’’ Tedford asked. "They kept moving back, back, back.’’

Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski was asked today about Irish coach Charlie Weis wearing a USC hat and playing the fight song during Sunday's team meeting.
``Usually you're a little tired and sore when you walk in Sunday,'' he said. ``When you have the opposing team's fight song blaring when you walk in, you start laughing. Saw coach with a USC hat on. It was pretty funny when you walk in.
``(The hat) looked all right. I don't think he looks that good in whatever colors those are.''

Our Oaks Christian High School sources tell us USC contacted tailback Marc Tyler after he broke his left fibula and had a pin placed in his lower leg and informed him that a scholarship awaited him no matter how complicated the recovery.
Although some players lose their ability to cut with these type of injuries, NFL players suffered similar injuries with no lasting damage. A closer-to-home example is former USC fullback David Kirtman, who suffered a similar injury in high school and completely recovered.

Freshman Emmanuel Moody got his protective brace removed from his badly sprained ankle but it looks like he won't play until a bowl game.

For the first time in years, the Notre Dame band, or at least 75 members, will make the trip to the USC game.
``Actually I tried to get them all to go,’’ Irish coach Charlie Weis said. ``At late notice, we couldn't get that many spots in the stadium. I think I was very appreciative of both the band, Father Poorman, everyone involved in getting at least the pep band to go. USC did work with us, come up with 75 spots where we could go.’’
We wonder if Notre Dame band director Ken Dye, a USC graduate, will be allowed to direct the Trojan band during the national anthem, a courtesy he extends every two years to Spirit of Troy director Art Bartner.

We hear Iain Dowie will fly into LAX today for a holiday in Southern California. Is this merely a coincidence or is he going to interview for the USC women's soccer job?

Pete Carroll is 19-0 in November. Here's how the other Pac-10 coaches fared in November at their current schools.

P.S. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is 7-0 in November.

Linebacker Rey Maualuga showed up to practice with a cast on his left hand. Maualuga said he cracked a bone in his wrist but will play, although he might need a cast.
"It killed me Sunday morning," he said. Offensive guard Drew Radovich is wearing a boot because he bruised a bone in his foot. He hopes to return Thursday.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis denied today that he intentionally grew the grass long for last year's game:
``This is the Midwest, okay? In the Midwest, grass doesn't grow as high as it does in the South or in warm?weather climates. Therefore, if you cut the grass low early in the year, usually you have no grass left at the end of the year.
``I mean, it's pretty simple ? A pretty simple concept if you think about it. If we go cut the grass low early in the year, it's not going to grow as much, then you're going to be playing on dirt. Because we're not going to field turf here, last I checked, we're going to stay on natural grass, was the grass higher than it will be in a lot of places? Yes. Both teams played on the grass. What difference does it make what field you play on? You play on a field, you play on a field. ''

There's a feeling among some at USC that this will be Notre Dame's last shot at the Trojans for awhile because the Irish start 18 seniors on offense and defense, plus a senior punter and kicker.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said he spent 2/3 of last week practicing for USC instead of Army.

Safety Kevin Ellison said he understood that doubts existed about him and freshman Taylor Mays.
``Taylor and I didn't have any experience, I would think the same thing,'' Ellison said.
But he doesn't think inexperience is an issue anymore.
``After one or two games, there are no more excuses,'' Ellison said.
Ellison is third on the team with 52 tackles while Mays is fifth with 48. Mays also leads the Trojans with three interceptions.

Knowledgeable sources say that if Arizona State fires Dirk Koetter, the top candidate might be former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow. It's not a big stretch to find a reason, because ASU athletic director Lisa Love and Chow worked together at USC.

Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said his more-than-usual happiness following the Cal win was partly because of his joy for Pete Carroll over the accomplishment of winning a fifth straight Pac-10 title, something he still felt proud about Monday.
``People have won national titles and even back-to-back titles but no one ever won five consecutive Pac-10 titles,'' Kiffin said.

Long Beach Poly track star Bryshon Nellum, who also plays football, was released from the letter-of-intent he signed with USC last week because of a mix-up by a compliance official.
According to NCAA rules, Nellum would need to sit out football for one year if he signed in November. However, if Nellum waits until the spring, he can participate in football and track immediately.
Another possible scenario is that Nellum would sign a letter-of-intent in February with football. The drawback for USC is that other schools, particularly UCLA, can now recruit Nellum until at least February.

Pete Carroll said Monday night he will not change the official game stats.

Dwayne Jarrett said he suffered a mild concussion and had the wind knocked out of him on his TD catch against Cal.
He isn't sure if he will practice Tuesday but said he will play Saturday.

USC coach Pete Carroll said he is considering changing the scoring of a play in the Cal game that would affect quarterback John David Booty’s passing stats for the second consecutive week.
Ironically, Carroll is debating whether to change a play that has already been changed. The play in question occurred early in the third quarter when Booty threw what was clearly a backwards pass to wide receiver Steve Smith (the line judge even signaled it as such with his right arm extended).
Smith initially was correctly given a rush for loss of three yards on the play, but before the next snap, the announcement was made in the press box that the play was being changed to a pass.

It looks like there is a blog war going on between Daily News media columnist Tom Hoffarth and USC play-by-play man Pete Arbogast.
http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/archives/2006/11/blog_vs_blog_1.html

USC's victory over Cal means if the Trojans reach the BCS title game, the Rose Bowl will end up with a matchup like Michigan-LSU. As things stand, it's unlikely Cal will make it into the BCS top 14 to earn consideration for the New Year's Day game.

Here's the grades for the USC-California game:

The USC women's soccer team is looking for a new coach. Iain Dowie, Carlos Queiroz and Alan Pardew are the top candidates. Vote for your top choice.

Computer guru Jerry Palm said USC might surpass No. 1-ranked Ohio State in the computer polls by the end of the season, even with that loss to Oregon State.
``Ohio State hasn't played the toughest schedule,'' Palm said.
Palm said No. 3-ranked USC should pass No. 2-ranked Michigan as soon as next week if it keeps winning.
``By the end of the year, they will pass Michigan,'' he said.

USC coach Pete Carroll said Sunday night the only game he regretted not putting more pressure on the quarterback was, not surprisingly, Oregon State.
``It might have been different in a game that came down to the final seconds,'' he said.
Carroll said USC is bringing more pressure in recent games, but didn't think it was a mistake earlier.
``The rest of the time we did all right,'' he said.

If you have any doubt Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis studies USC intensely, check out this amazingly long (and intricate) answer about the Trojans. Did Weis leave anyone out?

Q. You talked a little bit earlier about the speed of this game. Are you confident with your guys if this turns into a track meet?
Weis: ``It's not going to turn into a track meet.''
Q. And why not?
Weis: ``Well, you ever hear of four corners?''

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said today he still does not have any fond memories of last year's thriller with USC.
``That was still a miserable game and will always be a miserable game,'' Weis said.

David Buehler's 49-yard field goal was the longest by a USC kicker since Adam Abrams' 49-yarder at Oregon on October 24, 1998. The last USC field goal longer than 50 yards was Quin Rodriguez' 54-yarder against Michigan State in the 1990 Sun Bowl.

Cal surprised USC by putting its top cornerback Daymeion Hughes on Steve Smith instead of Dwayne Jarrett.
``We didn't think they would do that,'' offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said.
It would not be surprising if Notre Dame and UCLA tried a similar strategy.
One thing that frustrated the Trojans was four false starts, two of which were on wide receivers.
``It's very unusual for us, we've had issues on the road but not at home,'' Kiffin said. ``Patrick Turner said he had no idea what he did. Plus there were two on Kyle Williams. We need to fix it.''

Even Pete Carroll thought about the Rose Bowl when he went for it on fourth-and-2 against Cal, with John David Booty throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith.
``I felt good about our chances,’’ Carroll said. ``This wasn’t the Rose Bowl. It’s different. It’s not Texas. We were killing these guys.’’

Cal tailback Marshawn Lynch was still confident after losing to USC.
``Cal is on the rise,’’ Lynch said. ``This year, they got us. Next year is a different year. We’ve got a lot of young players who got a taste and next year will be hungry.’’

Players usually congratulate each other after a game but Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson and USC cornerback Terrell Thomas were yelling at each other on the field in an extraordinary display.
Thomas was part of the USC defense that limited Jackson to two catches, which he reminded the talented receiver after the game.
``There was nothing good being said at all,’’ Jackson said. ``He was telling me I only had two catches but he had a linebacker and safety helping him on me. He can’t talk. I had two catches when they played zone.’’
Jackson waved to taunting USC fans as he went up the tunnel to prove he was not deterred in his feelings. He then went to USC linebacker Brian Cushing in the tunnel and said, ``Tell (Thomas) to shut up.’’
Thomas offered a different view.
``He was talking the whole game and I didn’t say a word the whole game,’’ Thomas said. ``I voiced my opinion at the end of the game because he was talking every play. Plain and simple, he had two catches. All week, he’s been talking.’’

USC coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said they were never more excited after a victory at USC.
``I’m probably the most proud of this victory because of the staying power demonstrates,'' Carroll said.
Kiffin said winning a fifth straight Pac-10 title made it more special, especially since it was supposed to be a rebuilding year.
``I’ve never felt that excited,’’ Kiffin added. ``With all the injuries and people leaving early, we were underdogs to Cal before the season, you guys know that. Nobody has ever won five straight before.
``It was the most excited I’ve been in the pressbox after a game since I’ve been here.’’

An unprecedented fifth straight Pac-10 title. High emotions in the locker room and a big argument between USC cornerback Terrell Thomas and Cal wide receiver DeSean Jackson on the field afterward.

In USC's 23-17 victory over Cal at the Coliseum two years ago, defensive tackle Manuel Wright made a key sack with the Golden Bears at the 9-yard line with 1:47 remaining. Cornerback Eric Wright recovered a fumble and made five tackles.
Both Wrights would be starting for USC today if Manuel didn't turn pro early and Eric didn't run into legal problems that eventually caused him to transfer to UNLV before the university suspended him for three years.

Is there a better rivalry in the Pac-10 these days than USC-Cal?
``It's become a big rivalry,'' Trojans linebacker Oscar Lua said. ``They were the only team to beat us (in the Pac-10) before Oregon State took us down. They're looking for something after last year's score.''
USC beat Cal 35-10 last season in the only blowout in the past four years.

Heralded basketball recruit O.J. Mayo arrived at USC today in a brightly colored custom jacket and shoes that bore the Statue of Liberty and a New York motif. During lunch, Mayo already got to sign some autographs for some students. Also on campus was forward Davon Jefferson, who also signed this week.

Tight end Fred Davis did not catch a pass in the Oregon game. Safety Kevin Ellison is quietly putting together a nice season with 45 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception, 4 deflected passes and 1 forced fumble.

The Heisman Trophy ballot arrived today and must be returned by Dec. 6. It's quite a race right now with lots of big games left. Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan keeps putting up big stats (43 TD passes, 72 percent completion rate, 189.00 efficiency rating) while Ohio State's Troy Smith and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn remain the frontrunners.

The first person who picks the correct score on the USC-California game will receive a copy of the Notre Dame media guide in preparation for next week's game (valid email required on pick).

A popular sports book from the 1970's is Pete Carroll's bible for success (not to mention a reason Lawrence Jackson got three sacks last week).
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4675873

Defensive end Chris Barrett, who has a strained calf, doesn't think he will play against California.
``I think it’s very doubtful,’’ Barrett said.
Fili Moala is scheduled to start in place of Barrett.

Comfortable seats. Great sight lines. A loud and enthusiastic student section. A moving halftime ceremony.
So what was missing from the USC-South Carolina game Thursday night? Namely, a crowd. The number of empty seats was stunning for a 35-plus-years-in-the-waiting arena and the number of people who said they couldn’t wait to show up for the inaugural contest.
The upper decks were not half full and there were a lot of empty seats everywhere else.
One USC official attributed some of it to a problem distributing tickets to fans.
``It was a ticket fiasco,’’ the official said.
Former USC coach and player Bob Boyd attended the game and said he was promised a new gym in 1950.
``Bill Sharman was a senior when I was a sophomore and he said, don’t worry, you’ll get a new building by the time you’re a senior,’’ Boyd said.

Tailback Chauncey Washington will be fitted with a new knee brace today because he cannot fully raise his knee when he runs with the current model. Washington said he will play against Cal even if he is not 100 percent. The swelling in his sprained knee went down significantly this week and USC coach Pete Carroll said he expects Washington to be fully available against Cal.

Defensive tackle Chris Barrett is a question for the game after missing practice. Fullback Stanley Havili will redshirt, according to USC coach Pete Carroll.

USC linebacker Clay Matthews was the only member of the football team to be named to the Pac-10 All-Academic team. Matthews made the second team. USC was the only school with no honorable mention selections.

Don't expect to see Cal in its all-white uniforms Saturday. The Bears are 0-2, losing at Tennessee and Arizona.
``It was weird out there. I just had a weird feeling,'' wide receiver DeSean Jackson said of the uniforms following the Arizona game.

As far as practice goes, there are no complaints from USC coach Pete Carroll this week.
``There's no worries other than bringing it on game day,'' Carroll said.

USC coach Tim Floyd and South Carolina coach Dave Odom enjoy a close relationship and the pair ate breakfast Wednesday morning. ``He really did us a favor playing us (in the first game at Galen Center),'' Floyd said. ``We had a hard time finding someone that wanted to play us.''

USC coach Pete Carroll said he would talk to injured fullback Stanley Havili about his options this season, which means he will probably redshirt after not being cleared to play this week.

Defensive end Lawrence Jackson did not practice today after experiencing back spams while lifting weights. He should return Thursday.

USC coach Tim Floyd on signing O.J. Mayo, the No. 1 recruit in the nation.
``He’ll be here a year and he’ll be gone and that’s OK. That’s who he is. I’m going to encourage it. He’s sold tickets wherever he’s been and I know he will here. It makes it easier for other great players to look at USC.
``I think I’ve had five conversations with him. I’ve never done less recruiting. He called us the first conversation and said he wanted to come and never wavered. He has a great amount of poise. He doesn’t carry himself as a prima donna. He can play point guard or off guard at the next level.''

There were some reports today that Long Beach Poly sprinter/wide receiver Bryshon Nellum will not be able to play football until his junior year at USC. Nellum will be able to play both sports immediately and there no NCAA rules restricting him from doing both.

USC received O.J. Mayo's letter of intent, so it's official.

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, who lost to both teams, on the Cal-USC game.
``USC's defense is the best we've played all year. Cal's offense may be better. 'SC at the line of scrimmage is maybe a better football team, but Cal has some intangibles on special teams and on offense that USC will have to deal with.''

O.J. Mayo, the No. 1-ranked basketball recruit in the nation, said he has signed a letter of intent with USC. School officials say they are still waiting for the letter to be faxed to them. We'll keep you posted.

Several readers complained that after reviewing the USC-Oregon game telecast and other highlight shows this week, there is no way the first play of the game was a pass instead of a run. For the record, quarterback John David Booty threw a pass behind the line of scrimmage to wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett for a 37-yard gain.
Jarrett's about half-a-yard behind Booty on the tape when he catches the ball. Monday, USC changed the play from a run to a pass, overruling the veteran stat crew that studies these plays before making the decision, and gave Booty more than 200 yards passing.
The Pac-10 says the home team makes the final decision. The point of all this is the lack of oversight, which allows stats to be padded after the fact, even in a high-profile game involving the highest-profile program in the country.

P.S. Can anyone offer video evidence that the play was really a pass?

USC compliance officials are interviewing football players this week regarding recruiting dinners held at Papadakis Taverna restaurant to determine if any violations took place.
According to sources, the end result is football recruits will no longer be taken to the San Pedro restaurant, which is owned by former USC player John Papadakis.
Concerns were originally raised last December, when the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Papadakis gives recruits a speech about the Trojans' cardinal and gold colors and closes the meal by urging them to declare, ``I want to be a Trojan.’’
But the compliance office is just now interviewing football players nearly a year later. Faculty athletic representative Noel Ragsdale and associate provost for athletic compliance Ellen Ferris are meeting with players about trips to the restaurant.

Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes has as many interceptions (8) as USC this season.

About 1,500 tickets are left for Thursday's inaugural men's basketball game at the Galen Center against South Carolina.

South Carolina lost to UC Irvine by 15 points tonight. Gamecocks coach Dave Odom played the Anteaters on the advice of USC coach Tim Floyd, when Odom said he wanted another West Coast game besides playing the Trojans on Thursday. Odom probably regrets that decision now.
Or feels like Floyd did two weeks ago when Air Force beat the Trojans by 17 points in a scrimmage at the Galen Center.
Meanwhile, Paulette Francis, the mother of USC point guard Ryan Francis, was at USC on Tuesday night in preparations for ceremonies Thursday night to honor her slain son. There will be a halftime ceremony, a video of Francis, Floyd will speak and comedian Tom Arnold will speak to announce a scholarship in honor of Francis.

Forward Davon Jefferson posted a qualifying test score tonight and signed a letter-of-intent with USC. Jefferson, who sat out last year after attending Lynwood High, did not sign a scholarship agreement, so his letter does bind him to USC.
USC's also received a letter from 6-4 guard Marcus Simmons of Alexandria, La., and 6-6 forward Leonard Washington of Lake Charles, La.
There is a chance an even bigger signing could take place today, the last day of the early signing period.

Tailback Emmanuel Moody is slated to be out 3-4 weeks but said he wants to play against Notre Dame. Chauncey Washington did not practice (knee) but said he will play.
Rey Maualuga did not practice because of a sore knee. Stafon Johnson got more snaps than usual because of the injuries.
UPDATED: Neither Chris McFoy nor Stanley Havili were cleared by doctors Tuesday night.

USC coach Pete Carroll feels like he's hit the tough part of the schedule at the best possible moment.
``I'm encouraged about our play right now, it's happened at the right time,'' he said. ``We found that feeling when everything hits.''

Cal coach Jeff Tedford on the USC rivalry: ``They have been the elite team in the conference over the past few years and rightfully so. They're a great football team; we have a lot of respect for them. They're very talented and well-coached in all phases of the game.
``To win this conference, you have to go through them. That's not as easy as just saying it. They're a great football team. When we beat them in 2003, it was a huge win for this program. It's very difficult to beat these guys because they are so talented and so well-coached.''

Cal coach Jeff Tedford was always known as being the one guy to give Pete Carroll fits until last year. Tedford covered the point spread against USC his first three seasons, but things fell apart last year when he had a totally overmatched Joe Ayoob at quarterback. Ayoob threw four interceptions against the Trojans, although he did match Matt Leinart in touchdowns (0).
Cal quarterback Nate Longshore seems closer to the Kyle Boller-Aaron Rodgers model than Ayoob, although his foot speed is considered a weakness. It's one reason USC did not aggresively pursue him in high school.

That freshman C.J. Gable leads the Pac-10 in kick returns, averaging 27.17 yards per return. He is also ranked 14th nationally. Ironic, since last week, USC coach Pete Carroll said he did not realize how effective the Trojans were on kick returns until he saw the stats.

Tailback Chauncey Washington sprained his knee and will be limited in practice for a couple days. Emmanuel Moody tore a ligament in his ankle but Pete Carroll said he is not ready to rule him out for the Cal game.

Pete Carroll called Pac-10 supervisor of officials Verle Sorgen today and wanted to know why Oregon coach Mike Bellotti was allowed to challenge the original replay decision. Sorgen said because the replay officials never considered whether the ball was tipped, Bellotti could challenge that aspect of the play.
``The fact the ball was tipped did not come to light in the original decision,'' Sorgen said. ``And it had been tipped.''
The tipped ball meant it did not matter that Oregon's Jonathan Stewart went out of bounds and came back on the field.
``I don't know what there's not to be satisfied with,'' Sorgen said. ``If the original decision said no, the ball wasn't tipped, then it could not be challenged.''

USC revised the Oregon stats today, changing a 37-yard run by Dwayne Jarrett to a 37-yard pass completion from Booty to Jarrett. So Booty now passed for 213 yards instead of 176 and Jarrett caught 7 passes for 91 yards. These changes usually take place after Pete Carroll or another coach reviews the game film and overrules the ``Ned Miller and staff'' stat crew.

Here's the grades for USC-Oregon:

USC coach Pete Carroll on the Trojans' No. 3-ranking in the BCS standings.
``Am I surprised? No,’’ Carroll said. ``It’s hard to win all your games. A lot of people assumed teams would not lose another game. But it doesn’t mean anything right now. It doesn’t add any emotion or any excitement to our games.
``We’ll see what happens. These are fun games. We’ve been through everything now. We had to lose one to figure it out.’’

The decision to overturn an original replay review decision that gave Oregon a touchdown and caused a 15-minute delay continued to irk USC coach Pete Carroll on Sunday night.
``To reverse a call, you have to have conclusive evidence,'' Carroll said. ``There is nothing on film to reverse that call. Mike Bellotti did a fine job exercising the opportunity allowed him. He was competing. I'm anxious to talk to (supervisor of officials) Verle Sorgen tomorrow. The official could have ended it by saying we already looked into it.''

USC coach Pete Carroll talked more Sunday night about his sideline reaction to the reversal of the reversal that allowed an Oregon touchdown.
``I didn't like my reaction and it wasn't right,'' he said. ``I apologize to anyone that thought it came their way. I was just upset at that moment.''

Analysts believe that with USC moving to No. 3 in the Harris Poll and it's already strong computer ranking, the Trojans will leapfrog Florida into the No. 3 spot when the official standings are released today.

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

I talked to Pete Carroll alone after the game about a now infamous episode during the game, when he unleashed ``F--- you'' three times after the officials reversed a call and allowed a touchdown. It appeared he was looking toward the Oregon sideline but Carroll said it was directed at no one in particular.
``That was really out of line to be yapping like that,'' Carroll said. ``There's no excuse for it.''

Oscar Lua hyperextended his elbow on the play where he stopped Oregon QB Dennis Dixon on fourth down on the game's first series. But he continued playing and had three tackles.
``It felt like we finally put it together,'' Lua said. ``Just an all-around game.''
Rey Maualuga and Chauncey Washington also suffered some minor injuries but are expected to be OK.

USC defeated Oregon without a customary lapse and just about every other team between the Trojans and undefeated Ohio State/Michigan lost.
``That's a big-time rivalry with Oregon, to get that win is a big win,'' quarterback John David Booty said. ``Today was just a crazy day. That's how it is for every team, everyone's lost except Ohio State and Michigan. We were watching the Cal game at our hotel. We know how hard it is to beat Arizona at Arizona, so I wasn't surprised.''

Defensive end Lawrence Jackson recorded his first three sacks of the season, taking some sting out of a disappointing campaign.
``The things that happened for me last year and with this year's high expectations, I was surprised I didn't get one in my first or second game,'' Jackson said. ``Let alone the eighth or ninth game.''

Tailback Emmanuel Moody tore ligaments in his ankle, or suffered a medial ankle sprain, and will be sidelined for a lengthy amount of time. X-rays were negative but he will undergo an MRI. Moody was on crutches afterward.
``It was pretty severe,'' he said.

Basketball great Paul Westphal saw the Galen Center for the first time today, more than 30 years after he was promised an on-campus arena.
And the basketball team earned a huge 56-47 victory over Cal Poly Pomona.

Oregon coach Mike Bellotti is not a fan of tonight's 7:15 kickoff.
``We're looking at different strategies to use up that time,'' Bellotti said. "It's not a matter of being focused, it's a matter of relaxing. We may go to a movie, we may watch football games, we may go roller ska---I'm kidding. That's the toughest thing, waiting five or seven hours to play a football game.''

USC knows the stakes the final four games, especially if it loses another Pac-10 game.
``If we don't win the Pac-10, the second place team goes to the Holiday Bowl,'' defensive end Lawrence Jackson said. ``I can't really think about that.''

My colleague at the Daily News, Tom Hoffarth, points out today that USC analyst Paul McDonald has become little more than former Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon the way he constantly chuckles at homer comments during radio broadcasts. http://www.dailynews.com/sportrs/ci_4634623
At least in the 1970's he was second fiddle to Charles White. And laughing is better than obfuscating for Paul Hackett.

Here we go again. The first person who picks the correct score on USC-Oregon will receive a copy of Game Day: Southern California Football by Athlon Sports (valid email required on pick). No prize for getting Blackburn-Manchester United or any other Premiership scores right.

USC is focusing more time on special teams this week. Ironically, punt returner Desmond Reed will miss the game to attend a funeral in Alabama. Wide receiver Patrick Turner will return punts in his place with wide receiver Travon Patterson his backup.
``I’m ready, it should be fun,’’ Turner said.
Turner is not one of the faster receivers on the team but USC is more concerned about someone just catching the ball without fumbling.
``He’ll be the tallest punt returner in history,’’ USC coach Pete Carroll said of the 6-foot-5 Turner.

One of the goals the rest of the season is to get tailback Emmanuel Moody to trust the play and let things develop. When former tailback Reggie Bush used to be asked by coaches on the sideline why he cut or reacted a certain way on plays, he usually said, ``I don't know.''
Bush relied on instinct. Moody is similar in that respect, but Bush's unique talent allowed him to get away with it more than most tailbacks.

Cal plays struggling Arizona on Saturday but the Golden Bears said they are not thinking about USC the following week.
``Tucson, Tucson, that's all we're thinking about,'' said QB Nate Longshore.

After starting in the nickel defense last week, defensive end Jeff Schweiger's been replaced by linebacker Keith Rivers this week. Schweiger graded out well but did not record any tackles against Stanford.

The Heisman Trophy Trust sent a letter to USC today requesting materials on quarterback John David Booty, with the anticipation he might be one of the players invited to the ceremony in New York.

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese knows if Louisville wins its remaining games, there will be one-loss teams campaigning to be ahead of the Cardinals. But he won’t try to counter campaign.
``If people want to yell and scream about their one-loss teams, let them scream,’’ Tranghese told the Louisville Courier-Journal. ``I just don't think it is going to affect anybody. The Harris poll voters are going to vote the way they do, and it's certainly not going to affect the computers.
``I just think it is almost protectionist. Do I have to get out and pound the table for my schools? They know where I am coming from.’’

USC briefly recruited Oregon tailback Jonathan Stewart. Initially his grades were an issue and then he lost interest.
``He was a big freak of nature,'' offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said.

Quarterback John David Booty seems to be at odds with a lot of fans regarding the issue.
``I think we're just trusting the plays we're calling,'' he said. ``I think (Steve) Sarkisian and (Lane) Kiffin have done a great job. We totally trust what they are doing.''

Tailback Hershel Dennis is eligible for a sixth year and said he will apply for it after the season.
``I want to come back and get a good senior season in and help my draft status,'' Dennis said.

Fullback Stanley Havili will not be cleared to play until next week. Wide receiver Chris McFoy was also not cleared. Linebacker Kaluka Maiava underwent an MRI on his lower back and did not practice. Luthur Brown moved to weakside linebacker to replace Maiava.

UCLA's played Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame, so Bruins coach Karl Dorrell was asked who was the best team.
"I think Cal,'' Dorrell said after a long pause. "I think Cal is a good football team. No disrespect to the other two schools you mentioned. Cal is playing as a great team right now. They're playing really good defense. Solid, hard-nosed defense. The quarterback is not making any mistakes. He's really efficient with the ball. They've got good runners, good receivers. They're playing very well.''

Looks like a couple players won't be allowed to apply for an extra year of eligibility.
http://dailynews.com/sports/ci_4614870

Wide receiver Chris McFoy did some non-contact drills Monday and will see doctors Tuesday to determine his status. Pete Carroll said it was "less likely" McFoy will play this week than next week but did not rule him out.
Fullback Stanley Havili was unable to run and will also see doctors Tuesday.

Notre Dame plans on a 7-4-1 schedule model (seven games in South Bend, four on the road and one at a neutral site), with neutral site games with Big East teams starting as early as 2009. The Irish will also play three Big East teams per year beginning in 2011.

Ohio State will replace the turf at the Horseshoe for the second time this season. It was first replaced after the Penn State game on Sept. 23. With three big home games in November, let's hope the Coliseum turf looks better than it did last month.

Here's the grades from the blowout:

Oscar Lua, the player other defensive members say is the team leader, is getting more playing time because of frustration with starter Rey Maualuga.
``(Maualuga's) a young player and there's things he continues to have to work on,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said Sunday night. ``He missed on man coverages because he was overaggressive. Oscar Lua is playing more because (Maualuga's) made some mistakes.''

Even after routing Stanford, USC coach Pete Carroll's thoughts returned to the Oregon State loss.
``I'm mostly disappointed in the way we played,'' he said. ``We screwed it up. We didn’t have to lose that game.''

USC coach Pete Carroll likes to compare the 2003 season to 2006. 2003. After seven games in 2003, the Trojans' offense averaged 426.9 yards per game. This year, the offense averages 402.6 yards.
The 2006 team has converted 48.7 percent of the time on third downs while 2003 converted 32.2 percent.

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

There was some talk after the game about cornerback Terrell Thomas challenging the defense to step up in a team meeting Friday night.
``We played just the first quarter or the third quarter of games,'' Thomas said.
Said USC coach Pete Carroll: ``I was really proud of him. He called on other guys. He said it was time to step up.’’

``I don't know if we were taking teams lightly or looking ahead, but everybody woke up I guess after the loss.''

``We finally got the ball away from our opponent. My guys did not let the ball get away and that was great.
``We're back in L.A. from this point forward and we're really excited about that. It's been a long year on the road with a lot of trips and now we have the benefit of being home to finish the season, and we need to make the most of it.''

Feel free to start commenting early.
UPDATED: No injuries and USC forced three turnovers after forcing just one in the previous three games. USC's scored 63 straight points since falling behind Oregon State 33-10. The attendance of 49,371 was the largest in the new Stanford Stadium.

If you did not make the trip, the new Stanford Stadium is quite a gem for the Pac-10. It's intimate and is perfectly shaped for football. It's amazing they built it in less than a year.

There were a couple UCLA fans sharing a flight to San Francisco with about 12 USC fans (mostly sorority girls) on Friday with the Trojans and Bruins playing in the Bay Area today. When the UCLA fans found out they were not sitting next to the sorority girls, one of them said, ``Thank God, I didn't want to sit next to Laguna Beach.''

The media reports that portray Stanford coach Walt Harris and USC coach Pete Carroll as close confidantes are overblown. Yes, Harris signed Carroll to a letter-of-intent at Pacific and coached him, but Harris is not part of the inner circle.
That's a group that most prominently includes Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and LSU defensive coordinator Bo Pelini.

Another week, another game. 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).

USC's fumbled 16 times and lost six this season. After seven games last season, the Trojans fumbled nine times and lost three.

Tailback C.J. Gable was held back to rest a sore groin while tight end Anthony McCoy will not make the trip because of a sore hamstring.
Linebacker Rey Maualuga's groin is OK althought Oscar Lua will also play.

With the season past the halfway point, USC coach Pete Carroll is trimming the time of practices and working the second team more to keep players fresh.
It also might make sense to give the younger players more practice time since they could play more in a blowout over lowly Stanford.
``Stanford’s good, they’ve just made some mistakes,'' freshman tailback C.J. Gable said. ``We’re a young team, so we don’t expect blowouts right now.''

Quarterback John David Booty talked about tipped passes after Wednesday's practice.
``Sometimes it's too much penetration or other times it's not getting proper depth on the play, but the only passes batted down were on three-step drops,'' he said.
The failed two-point conversion against Oregon State was also a three-step drop play.

A forgotten blue-chipper is getting his chance against Stanford.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4588681

Freshman skill players like wide receivers Vidal Hazelton and Travon Patterson along with tailback Stafon Johnson are not getting much playing time but offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said it is because games are a lot closer this season.
``In blowout games, John David Booty got a lot of opportunities last year,’’ Kiffin said. ``Vidal, Travon and Stafon don’t have a lot of chances right now with so many close games.’’

With November upon us, it’s finally time for voters to start looking at the Heisman Trophy race. So far, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, West Virginia tailback Steve Slaton, Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan and Ohio State's Troy Smith are all making strong cases for the award, among others.
But it’s still too early and there are a lot of big games left before my ballot is due in early December.

With so many first-year players, there's a little bit of a split this week between those who experienced a loss before and those who did not.
``We'll see how these guys react now,'' said a veteran player. ``This will show us a thing or two about the young guys.''

Someone loses a perfect mark this month. USC coach Pete Carroll is 16-0 in November. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis is 4-0.

A USC player spoke to a starter on Oregon State's defense immediately after the game ended Saturday and the first thing the Beaver player said was, ``We thought you guys were going to run the ball again.''