August 2007 Archives
Is this where we remind the many people who angrily emailed us last season from Syracuse attacking our theory that Greg Robinson has very little in common with Pete Carroll?
Nick Howell was a strong candidate to be one of the disappointments of training camp, especially after he did not make the depth chart.
But Howell said his recently discovered hernia prevented him from making proper blocks and limited his range of mobility during training camp. Howell and USC thought he merely had a sore groin until the hernia was discovered. And this is not just a ``sports'' hernia, which is near the abdomen. Howell's is lower and more serious and one reason why he probably will not return this season.
While everyone focuses on freshmen like Joe McKnight and Kris O'Dowd, USC coach Pete Carroll pulled aside wide receiver Brandon Carswell, tight end Rhett Ellison and safety Marshall Jones and informed them not to expect to play against Idaho, because the coaches are still deciding whether to redshirt the players.
Broderick Green is not the only Trojan sidelined with a season-ending injury.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6765525
Tailback Broderick Green said he experienced pain in his foot for about a week-and-a-half but until X-rays tonight did not know he suffered a stress fracture.
Kris O'Dowd will be the first true freshman to ever start at center for USC on Saturday, let alone the first true freshman to start a season opener. The only two post-War era offensive linemen to start as true freshmen were Travis Claridge (1996) and Brad Budde (1976).
Pete Carroll said he wants to start true freshman Kris O'Dowd at center against Idaho because it will allow Jeff Byers to communicate with him during the game.
Why did USC allow Emmanuel Moody to go to Florida but force an appeal hearing for wide receiver Jamere Holland after denying him a transfer to Oregon (and Florida).
``You can't let someone talk to other schools, stop going to meetings and other things, and then let them just go to another Pac-10 school,'' said a source familiar with the case. ``This is not free agency.''
Not that the shotgun was going to be a vital aspect of the offense Saturday but the troubles at center will probably mean far less attempts at it against Idaho. One of worst experiences with the shotgun occurred in the second closed scrimmage when freshman Kris O'Dowd's snapped sailed about 20 yards behind quarterback Mike McDonald.
Yet another development in the Jamere Holland case.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6754840
Former USC wide receiver Jamere Holland also listed Oregon State and Washington as schools he would like to consider.
If losing Matt Spanos is not enough, No.3 center Nick Howell is also out with a groin injury. Alex Parsons, who just moved to offensive line earlier this month, will try to become the No. 3 center.
Jeff Byers starts at center with Kris O'Dowd the backup as Matt Spanos misses at least a few weeks with a torn triceps muscle.
Matt Spanos (bruised triceps) is not practicing and neither are Nick Howell and Chilo Rachal. Jeff Byers is practicing at center while Kris O'Dowd takes some reps at guard.
Wide receiver Vidal Hazelton said his groin injury feels much better. If true, he's one of the few times when a chronic groin injury got better in recent seasons.
``I can go out and run and play fast,'' Hazelton said. ``I was slowed down running routes before but I'm peaking at the right time.''
Last week's Salute to Troy was an uneventful affair unless you were seated at the table with the parents of a new player, who were upset because they felt he did not get enough chance to win the starting job and made a point to tell other guests at their table.
Did Florida coach Urban Meyer take Emmanuel Moody in any way to try and one-up USC coach Pete Carroll? That theory was advanced to me by a Florida source.
Meyer was unhappy when USC beat out the Gators for freshman wide receiver Ronald Johnson. And the Trojans were displeased when Florida got offensive lineman James Wilson to decommit from USC. Meyer also hired former Taft High School coach Troy Starr, which gives the Gators more connections in Southern California.
Taking Moody gave Florida another player USC wanted. And it only required one day of recruiting.
USC women's tennis just became more interesting to entertainment masses today with the news that sophomore Katja Decker-Sadowski became engaged to troubled reality, uh, ``star'', Jason Wahler of the show, Laguna Beach.
http://www.tmz.com/2007/08/28/jason-wahler-engaged/
Wahler's best known for several post-Laguna Beach arrests and is currently being sued by an L.A. dept. of transportation officer for allegedly hitting him and making racist comments.
Sophomore Charles Brown starts at right tackle against Idaho, ahead of senior Drew Radovich.
Center Matt Spanos strained a muscle in his arm and left practice. Pete Carroll said if Spanos can't play, Jeff Byers would start at center.
Patrick Turner suffered a shoulder stinger after a rough hit from Rey Maualuga and will get X-rays tonight. He said he feels OK.
Marc Tyler should be cleared Sept. 1. C.J. Gable is expected to start against Idaho and Joe McKnight is expected to get some playing time Saturday.
We hear 710 radio host DeMarco Farr broke his plastic chair and fell to the ground while doing his show from the lobby of Heritage Hall. I wonder if TrojanTV sabotaged Farr's chair for bringing actual radio to the building.
I just spoke to a close observer of the Florida football program regarding Emmanuel Moody.
``He's insane,'' the person said. ``Running backs rarely get 15 touches a game here.''
Moody also forgot that Urban Meyer's never had a 1,000-yard rusher, the source said.
Tailback Emmanuel Moody's choice of Florida is curious and not just because it's hard to imagine he will be the Gators' featured back. Moody's pass-catching and blocking were not his strengths at USC and those are important talents in a spread offense.
UCLA analyst James Washington, working for Fox Sports, referred to USC on Monday as ``overrated'' and quarterback John David Booty as ``overhyped.''
USC coach Pete Carroll said quarterback Mark Sanchez (fractured thumb) will not be back for the Idaho game.
Tailback Joe McKnight is not cleared for contact but returned punts Monday and did some scout team work.
With all those kickers in camp, here's how things shook down after three weeks.
1. David Buehler. 2. Joe Houston. 3. Jordan Congdon. 4. Brad Smith 5.Brook Van Muijen
USC is not changing its helmets, but 10 other schools are this season: Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Kansas, Michigan State, Minnesota, North Texas, Rice, Syracuse, Temple, and UCF.
There's been a lot of comparisons between Patrick Turner and David Ausberry to either Mike Williams or Dwayne Jarrett. Pete Carroll even compared Turner to Mike Williams and Jarrett in today's Daily News (linked in Morning Buzz).
But here's one opinion on the difference between Jarrett and this year's starters.
``Jarrett ran nice routes and he could convince you he was doing something that he was not,'' cornerback Shareece Wright said. ``Patrick and David just go up and get the ball.''
It's the Weekend Forum, where Mitch Mustain is king and some of you still think it's OK to ask more than one question. But I will show more mercy than Pete Carroll against Jim Harbaugh. But will I show more mercy than Pete Carroll against Robb Akey? And who is Robb Akey?
USC’s first win at the Rose Bowl Stadium (or the Tournament of Roses’ Stadium, as it was then known) was against Idaho. The Trojans defeated the Vandals, 14-0, before a crowd of 12,500, on November 18, 1922. That was the first USC game against Idaho, as both joined the Pacific Coast Conference that year.
It was a transition year for USC: the first season that would conclude with a Rose Bowl game, the last season that would feature a game at Pomona, USC’s first real big rival.
In case you find the official site too annoying to navigate, here's the depth chart.
Who knew about this week's freshmen uprising?
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6722526
Freshman center Kris O'Dowd deserves some credit for coming into camp and winning the backup spot behind Matt Spanos over Nick Howell. Same for walk-on fullback Adam Goodman, who is the backup over Jody Adewale and Jordan Campbell.
And Everson Griffen, no surprise, is listed as an equal to Kyle Moore. If Moore sees that, we might have a fight in practice this week.
Although he is not enrolled in school, USC is trying to get point guard Angelo Johnson certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Johnson took several summer courses in an attempt to gain eligibility. He has until Sept. 17, the last day to enroll for the fall semester, to be approved by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
We've discussed this since spring and today USC coach Pete Carroll acknowledged that safety Josh Pinkard will play a lot at cornerback and perhaps even start.
"Josh is an incredible athlete and he seems to be a more dominant athlete on our practice field at corner."
Pinkard will rotate with Terrell Thomas, Cary Harris and Shareece Wright.
Ronald Johnson pondered being a two-way player.
http://origin.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6715575
After throwing more than 400 passes without an interception in training camp, John David Booty threw a couple interceptions in Friday's practice.
Long autograph lines for Pete Carroll but even longer lines for a drink. Joe McKnight and every other player are gamely signing autographs. I don't see a big group after Mitch Mustain, surprisingly.
I might have to leave because three people asked me to take pictures of them with Patrick Turner. But several other people say they are fans of the blog! The blog!
Now it's time to introduce 105 players. Time for a break. At least the fireworks draw praise among the crowd of 3,500, up from 3,100 last year. Who went that did not belong or know someone in a support group?
Offensive tackle Sam Baker (ribs) returned to practice. Baker, John David Booty, Keith Rivers and Lawrence Jackson were elected team captains.
Pete Carroll might go undefeated but Art Bartner could not even win one game. USC's band lost to Grambling today on ESPN's College Football Live. If it's any consolation, the band's 1977 appearance at the World Series was shown on ESPN's New York Yankees' drama, The Bronx Is Burning.
But that was in the band's more energetic days, when Kansas songs owned the AM airwaves and 8-track tapes flew off the Wherehouse shelves.
Quite a week around here. Pete Carroll told me the last official night of camp that it had been quiet and that was after Emmanuel Moody and Jamere Holland left the program. Good thing nothing newsworthy happened although all of these events distracted me from the true cause of completing ``Mitch and Me.''
The window for asking questions was smaller but we'll have another chance over the weekend. Now on to the answers!
We hear Chauncey Washington's shoulder injury is a little more than day-to-day.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6704321
Tailback Allen Bradford, who carried 10 times for 56 yards in the scrimmage, is bothered by a sore groin. That means Stafon Johnson might be the only completely healthy tailback at the moment.
Tailback Broderick Green is expected to hear tomorrow if he is certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Tailback Chauncey Washington sprained the AC joint in his shoulder and is day to day. X-rays revealed a sprain.
Sophomore tailback Stafon Johnson is sitting pretty today after a year when he was basically ignored.
Johnson is healthy, a big plus on this team, and seems primed to play a real role.
"He's had a great camp and he could do a lot of things for us,'' Pete Carroll said. "He's been one of our most dependable guys.'
One of USC's incoming freshmen requested a waiver to live alone in the dorms because he did not want roommates. The request was not granted.
Although Charles Brown sat out the scrimmage with back spasms, Drew Radovich returned from his back injury and played in a live situation for the first time. Nick Howell, mainly a center, also played some tackle.
Linebacker Thomas Williams, who blocked a punt, left early with a sprained ankle but said he was OK.
Fullback Jody Adewale will not practice on Mondays or Tuesdays during the season as he takes classes necessary for this master's degree.
For the ``18,000'' in attendance at the Coliseum, many probably wondered why wide receiver Patrick Turner did not make much impact. Turner was given most of the scrimmage off, playing just three series, perhaps a reward for taking so many snaps in practice.
By the way, quarterback John David Booty's thrown nearly 400 passes in camp without an interception.
Here's the stats on the final scrimmage.
Tailback Chauncey Washington said he sprained his shoulder and will undergo an X-ray today.
``It’s just a little sprain, no it didn’t come out (of the socket),’’ Washington said. ``I’m going to get an X-ray (today). I fell and someone fell on top of me. I don’t think it’s that big.''
Offensive tackle Charles Brown sat out with back spams.
Chauncey Washington is getting his shoulder examined by the trainers and took his pads off in the third quarter. Broderick Green is not playing, presumably because he was not cleared by the NCAA on Wednesday.
Welcome to the final scrimmage, where even Mitch Mustain is a team captain. And fans are restricted to one side of the stadium. Once again, we are brought to you by Roman Meal, the official bread of Peter Caesar Carroll.
One reason tailback Broderick Green is the last freshman waiting to be cleared is because he took online classes through BYU that need to processed with his original transcripts.
We will blog tonight's free scrimmage for those of you who do not like hearing piped-in crowd noise.
A couple Trojans make the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award watch list.
USC will scrimmage tonight with the first team facing the second team in a mock game as Pete Carroll prefers not to have the starters scrimmage against each other. By contrast, UCLA frequently has its first team go against its first team.
As we mentioned in today's paper, USC is against the idea of granting Jamere Holland a release to fellow Pac-10 rival Oregon. http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6684245
Do you think he should be allowed to transfer to the Ducks?
Freshman wide receiver Brandon Carswell was certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse on Tuesday, leaving only tailback Broderick Green as the lone player without clearinghouse approval. If Green is not approved by Thursday, USC will drop his classes in order to avoid losing a year of eligibility in case he does not receive NCAA approval.
Sounds like Chancey Washington is the starting tailback. Not a huge surprise but here's Pete Carroll's take:
``Chauncey has done a real good job to hold onto the leadership position there being the most savvy and most experienced he's done a nice job.''
Even before Jordan Campbell's shoulder became an issue, walk-on Adam Goodman was getting reps with the No. 2 offense for an extended look this week. Goodman is the biggest fullback on the team (6-2, 235) and he might be of some use as a blocker.
Tailback C.J. Gable is being given a couple days off to rest a sore groin. Gable's been bothered by a sore groin off-and-on since last season.
Fullback Jordan Campbell's arm is in a sling and he did not practice with a sore shoulder. USC coach Pete Carroll said Campbell arrived at training camp with a sore shoulder.
Someone else considered leaving the program,
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6675297
Some more details on Jamere Holland's departure.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6675219
Where does Jamere Holland want to transfer to?
Answer after the jump.
Quarterback John David Booty did not practice to rest his arm after throwing every day in camp.
So Jamere Holland wanted to transfer and Pete Carroll dismissed him for missing meetings, etc.
Whatever happened depends on who's view you subscribe to. We hear Holland wants to go to a school where he can featured more (sound familiar?) and was never happy at USC.
So would he be "dismissed" if he did not want to leave? That's a real question.
With Emmanuel Moody transferring and Jamere Holland leaving, USC coach Pete Carroll is convinced outsiders are trying to convince some players to leave the program.
``Those guys got their information from somewhere,'' Carroll said. ``Somebody's talking to them. I have some ideas.''
Every now and then, one of you asks if something is being discussed within the program, such as the arrest of UCLA assistant coach Eric Scott.
Well, one topic definitely discussed is the number of players arrested at Florida since last season. Maybe this is a sign the Gators arrived.
Here's the Weekend Forum answers, featuring a lighter-than-expected offering of Mitch Mustain questions.
And some tidbits on Aaron Corp's up-and-down camp.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6666693
Around 6 p.m., we heard wide receiver Jamere Holland was transferring and upset with his playing situation. USC coach Pete Carroll did not want to comment but later told us he dismissed Holland from the team after we spoke to him.
So who is right? If Holland wanted to leave, Carroll would only be too happy to get the scholarship back and give it to another recruit.
Carroll declined comment Sunday night but we hear there was some unhappiness with off-field issues, such as attending rehab sessions, meetings and practices. Still, Holland's never appeared to be that much of a problem.
We suspect chronic injuries played a large part in frustration on the coaches part. And Holland was frustrated with his role on the team.
Expect Florida, which hired Holland's former high school coach, Troy Starr, to be in touch with Holland.
Linebacker Chris Galippo on tailback Broderick Green: ``He doesn’t have many moves but you just can’t wrap him up.''
Here's some public confirmation on what we said earlier this week about Aaron Corp redshirting.
"Unless there is a huge injury, that's what (the coaches) told me will happen.''
USC coach Pete Carroll said offensive tackle Drew Radovich is a ''long shot'' to start which means he is probabaly 50-50.
Radovich is going to try to complete his first practice Tuesday.
Butch Lewis practiced with the first unit Sunday. Linebacker Luthur Brown (hamstring) returned and practiced in shoulder pads.
UPDATED: Radovich said he will be ready to play against Idaho.
The freshmen found out today where they are living and none of them will live at Cardinal Gardens. Only upperclassmen get that honor (burden?). Freshmen will be spread out through different campus dorms.
Offensive tackle Charles Brown's pass protection was graded as excellent. However, yesterday the offensive was dominated by the defensive line in practice.
"You could say the offensive line struggled," USC coach Pete Carroll said.
There's been some talk about Joe McKnight doing a drill with the wide receivers in practice. But don't expect to see McKnight at wide receiver in the traditional sense.
He's doing the drill to prepare him for when he lines up like Reggie Bush on passing situations.
Kicker Brooke Van Muijen, dropped from the team earlier this week, is back and should return to practice tomorrow.
Josh Pinkard is now listed as a "safety-cornerback" on the team roster. He's played cornerback in training camp but there was a reluctance to say he would do both.
Tailback Joe McKnight (strained knee) was cleared by doctors and will probably resume practicing in a couple days.
He did sprints Saturday and will work on cutting tomorrow. He will wear a brace but said he would participate in next week's scrimmage.
USC coach Pete Carroll on the difficulty of going No. 1 wire-to-wire in the AP poll.
"That doesn't have anything to do with anything else," he said. "We've always handled it well. The biggest task is to indoctrinate the guys who haven't been here before, the young guys."
Safety Will Harris sprained his ankle in the scrimmage but Sam Baker and Vidal Hazelton could return this afternoon. Travon Patterson is no longer wearing a protective boot.
Joe McKnight, who strained his knee, feels better, Carroll said.
The Open Forum answers were delayed because I was on assignment tracking down Pete Carroll at the Hermosa Beach Pier yesterday instead of answering these valuable questions because I intend to write where he is every single minute of the day. Wouldn’t that be original?
And once again, these answers are brought to you by Roman Meal, the official bread of Peter Caesar Carroll!
And without further adieu, here's my first top 25 poll of the season for the Associated Press.
While USC took the afternoon off, Pete Carroll was spotted bodyboarding at Hermosa Pier, his favorite hangout. Our spies are everywhere.
Do you think Urban Meyer could pull that off?
Departing, not quite departed, tailback Emmanuel Moody eating lunch today with some USC teammates on campus.
Pete Carroll is warming to the idea of Vincent Joseph returning kickoffs. The only reluctance was Joseph's lack of experience handling the ball because he is a cornerback.
C.J. Gable, Ronald Johnson and Joe McKnight are other candidates to return kickoffs.
Today's 4 p.m. practice got canceled, perhaps as a reward for last night's scrimmage or because so many guys are dinged up and need rest.
Mitch Mustain was just happy to get his first live experience after sitting out the first scrimmage.
"I felt comfortable and it was a lot of fun," Mustain said. "I was preparing this week for it and I had a blast doing it."
That's the over/under figure for oddsmakers on touchdown passes for quarterback John David Booty this season.
Several sources reiterated that tailback Emmanuel Moody intended to transfer to Oklahoma State.
USC coach Pete Carroll saw Broderick Green talking to his mom on his cell phone after the scrimmage and ripped the phone from Green to give his own assessment of Green's performance.
"We got a great look at Broderick," Carroll said. "That was a real plus. I was really pumped up about the big fella."
USC coach Pete Carroll was pleased with the running backs and their ability to keep going after taking an initial hit
"We're a lot more solidified," Carroll said. "We've got some tough decisions but a couple weeks to figure it out."
Especially since I got faked out typing in previous post.
Mitch Mustain 3 for 3, 54 yards, 1 TD.
"He looked like he did against us in Arkansas," USC coach Pete Carroll said.
Welcome to the closed scrimmage, brought to you by Roman Meal, the official bread of Peter Caesar Carroll.
Walk-on kicker Brook Van Muijen was cut from the team, joining Emmanuel Moody as a roster deletion.
Pete Carroll discussed Emmanuel Moody's transfer this morning:
''We talked about it for a couple days, it was not a snap decision," Carroll said. "He's looking for an opportunity where he can be a featured guy. I feel bad he's banged up and not looked his best in camp lately.
"He didn't leave disgruntled. He just thought he'd get a chance somewhere where the competition is different.
"No, I'm not surprised if someone wants to leave. But we're not as right (at tailback) as it seems. We're not practicing with 10 guys because guys are banged up. And we're losing four guys off this depth chart next season. It'll work itself out."
Lost amid the transfer of tailback Emmanuel Moody was the news that Joe McKnight will share punt-return duties with Desmond Reed in the season-opener against Idaho.
USC coach Pete Carroll warned the running backs yesterday to beware practice visitors with ties to other schools who would suggest leaving.
This advice confused some players but perhaps Carroll already knew Emmanuel Moody would depart and this was his first reaction. Moody was unhappy with his role in training camp, where the experienced backs received few reps the first week. He also bruised his knee, which further reduced his role.
Sophomore tailback Emmanuel Moody transferred Wednesday night, possibly to Oklahoma State.
He is the first tailback to leave after much speculation that someone would depart because of the number of tailbacks on the roster.
Chatsworth High School's Mike Moustakas, the No. 2 pick in the amateur draft, signed with the Royals right before the deadline. He would have played for USC if he did not sign a contract tonight.
Quarterback John David Booty has not thrown an interception in training camp, according to Steve Sarkissian.
Which freshmen have been the biggest surprises on offense and defense?
This question excludes players like Joe McKnight or Everson Griffen, who everyone knows about.
Without question, the two top candidates are tight end Rhett Ellison and linebacker Malcolm Smith. Ellison caught four passes during the team period of the first practice and continues to make plays that impress the coaches.
Smith was sort of an unknown because USC never saw him play the weakside linebacker position but every day Pete Carroll seems to rave about him.
Quarterback John David Booty received a custom brace for his knee because his original brace was too tight and bothered his knee for the first week-and-a-half of training camp.
From what we hear Mark Sanchez's thumb injury will not hasten the use of Aaron Corp and he is still projected to redshirt.
Former USC defensive tackle Manuel Wright signed a free-agent contract with the New York Giants today.
So far there's one issue regarding freshman tailback Joe McKnight, who will certainly return punts in some situations and showed value as a receiving back.
But can he run between the tackles? It's unanswered nearly 10 days into camp.
That should be the nickname for Matt Leinart, who is paying roughly that amount in legal fees for his lawyers and those representing Brynn Cameron.
That's why we recommended putting his ego aside and settling things a long time ago instead of quibbling over minor issues. It only hurt the star's wallet.
The USC bookstore finally decided to offer more than just skill player jerseys.
http://www.uscbookstore.com/index.php?cPath=40844&sort=2a&page=2
Tackle Sam Baker has a slightly cracked rib and is day-to-day. He said he will miss the next scrimmage.
That would be freshman Joe McKnight. As opposed to being an every down back.
"I don't know what kind of back I am, I'm trying to find my role," McKnight said. "I'm not an every down back (right now)."
Maybe we know what Everson Griffen's role is already.
``Griffen has grown into a third down rusher,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``He shows flashes every day and shows something.''
Quarterback Garrett Green practiced at wide receiver this morning while Vidal Hazelton rested,
He's been our utility guy since he got here.,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``With the wide receivers banged up, it was an opportunity for him to get some reps. He has such great versatility.''
Carroll also tutored the receivers after practice.
``I was just doing a catching clinic,'' he said. ``We have firm beliefs about that stuff. We have some cool things to coach them with. And we've had enough good examples to draw from.''
Was there a worse time for Mark Sanchez to suffer an injury if it prevents him from being available for the Idaho game?
Unless John David Booty gets hurt this year, the Idaho game was probably expected to be the Trojans' biggest blowout, which meant a possible earlier-than-usual appearance for Sanchez. And it raises the question of whether USC would risk Aaron Corp's redshirt year. Probably not.
Quarterback Mitch Mustain did not play in Sunday's first scrimmage but said he knew beforehand he would only get to watch.
``They told me,'' he said. ``There's so many quarterbacks I had a feeling I might not.''
Mustain's chances improved for the next scrimmage with Mark Sanchez out.
Ever wonder what a typical day of training camp is like? Here's today's schedule for the players and coaches.
The rivalry between defensive ends Kyle Moore and Everson Griffen finally went public Monday when the pair got into a fight during practice.
The argument started when Griffen complained about his back and Moore told him to shut up, and then escalated enough to draw the attention of gathered players.
Moore and Griffen have engaged each other since the start of camp. Griffen arrived as a highly touted recruit and was considered cocky by some teammates. He and Moore got into an argument in the locker room last week over possession of the rookie ball, which is a football the freshmen hide from upperclassmen.
With Sam Baker nursing an injury, USC moved Charles Brown to left tackle and started Thomas Herring at right tackle. That's definitely a new look. And true freshman Kris O'Down took snaps with the second unit today, another promotion.
You know it's training camp when an elevator at Fluor Tour gets stuck with football players. Jody Adewale, Will Collins, Garrett Green, Scott Stephens, Jim Abbott, Mike McDonald and Jordan Campbell were in an elevator for about 20 minutes and nearly missed a team meeting.
The players tried to exit through the ceiling, but it was locked. They also tried to use their cell phones but could not get service. It's too bad Mitch Mustain wasn't in the elevator or we could start some theories on the culprit.
Mark Sanchez has a hairline crack in his right thumb and will be out 2-4 weeks. No surgery required but Mike McDonald is officially No. 2.
Joe McKnight missed practice with a sore neck while Sam Baker missed with a rib strain, but said he won't know until today what is officially wrong.
UPDATED: Tailback Emmanuel Moody bruised his knee during the scrimmage.
We hear a settlement was reached on the Matt Leinart child-custody case this afternoon, or three weeks after TMZ.com reported it being settled.
Punter Greg Woidneck had two punts blocked last night but USC coach Pete Carroll blamed himself. Freshman linebacker Malcolm Smith was inserted on the punt team for the first time during training camp and the veterans immediately exploited it.
It was one of those trial-by-error moments. I guess we'll say the same thing about the passing game under pressure. For now.
People and In Touch magazines are at the courthouse right now covering Matt Leinart's child-custody hearing even though Leinart is not present.
The NCAA changed the name of Division I-AA competition to the Football Championship Subdivision. Does that mean USC plays in the Football Premiership?
It's always easy to focus on the freshmen at scrimmages but quarterback Aaron Corp offered a new look this season. Corp is tall like Matt Leinart but with better speed.
His arm is not strong by college standards yet but he made up for it by finding the open receivers during the scrimmage.
Here's the Weekend Forum answers.
By the way, I stood next to the newest USC newspaper blogger Saturday who said he would not do his blog ``like Scott Wolf.'' He did not know I was standing next to him. So he's already doing his job different than Scott Wolf, because I always know who is next to me.
The offense did not react well to the defense's pass pressure tonight. It's not unusual for the first week of camp, but it's also true many teams will try to pressure more after watching last year's UCLA game.
Josh Pinkard played cornerback although Pete Carroll said part of the reason was Cary Harris sat out with a sore hamstring.
Scrimmage stats:
Passing
John David Booty 7-14 53 yards 2 TD
Mark Sanchez 4-8 29 yards 1 INT
Aaron Corp 4-4 49 yards 1 TD
Rushing
Chauncey Washington 1-78
Stafon Johnson 13-51
Broderick Green 8-14
Receiving
No one caught more than 2 passes.
Tackles
Malcolm Smith 5
Kaluka Maiava 5
Scoring
Fred Davis 2 pass from Booty.
Patrick Turner 4 pass from Booty.
Cooper Stephenson 50 pass from McDonald.
David Buehler FG 49
Joe McKnight 74 punt return.
Ronald Johnson 9 pass from Corp.
Welcome to the closed USC scrimmage, which means only a few hundred people are in attendance.
After a week, an NFL scout who attended practice offered some opinions:
Strengths: Size, versatility at tailback, linebacker.
Weaknesses: Speed at wide receiver, cornerback, the passing game when under pressure.
Adequate: Defensive line.
Defensive end Everson Griffen continues to make waves.
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_6603945?source=most_viewed
Several of you asked what tributes are planned to kicker Mario Danelo this season.
Here's a few things lined up: There will be a banner above the tunnel at the Coliseum with Danelo’s name and the goal-post pads will also pay tribute to him. Every USC player will wear a custom helmet sticker.
There’s also going to be a team poster to honor the kicker.
Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin stole Pete Carroll's slogan, ``I'm in,'' which he uses at USC to build team unity. Kiffin even made a silver and black banner with the saying.
Pete Carroll said he might start Patrick Turner and David Ausberry together after watching them in practice and noticing how often John David Booty threw to them in practices this week.
Turns out wide receiver Travon Patterson separated a bone in his foot and will be out a minimum of 10 days. He will see a doctor on Monday.
USC wide receiver Travon Patterson is on crutches after injuring his toe in practice. Patterson said he is day-to-day but thinks he will be out a couple days. That would rule him out of Sunday's scrimmage at the Coliseum if he does not recover.
Pete Carroll lavished compliments on the once-forgotten Stafon Johnson after practice.
"This is like a whole new guy, I'm really fired up for him," Carroll said. "He's got some stuff. They're having trouble tackling him."
It looked like twins with long-haired Jordan Campbell and Christian Tupou getting treatment at the training table. Or maybe it was Troy Polamalu.
Hey look, a major university successful in sports started its own Internet TV site. And it's free!
http://texassports.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=11&change_well_id=1
Here's the way USC views defensive linemen. A nose guard is quicker and faster than the other defensive tackle, who plays the ``three technique'' position. But the three technique is usually taller than the nose guard. If you're tall and quick, then you can play defensive end.
Here's Syracuse coach Greg Robinson, who we doubt will be around in 2011, commenting on playing USC.
Freshman offensive tackle Martin Coleman is banned from contact for four months following shoulder surgery but he can work on one thing: Losing weight.
Coleman currently weighs 324 pounds, down from 332.
Well, training camp started and I learned so many things this week. For example, as one of my readers told me this week, ``just because you CAN broadcast on the Internet doesn't mean you should.''
Good point.
And I learned how much some players couldn't wait to get a crack at Everson Griffen, and I'm not just referring to offensive linemen.
Things I didn't learn: Who broke Mitch Mustain's bike pedal. OK, now on to all those interesting questions.
USC broke out the shotgun in practice today with a fumble on the opening snap but after that, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was pleased.
``I thought it was productive in third-and-long (situations),'' Sarkisian said.
Perhaps as long as the pass doesn't get tipped, the shotgun should be considered productive.
Is Joe McKnight going to be a true tailback this season or a receiving back?
"A lot of that's on him,'' offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. "It depends how fast he matures and how he handles the pounding. It took Reggie (Bush) three years. We'll have to monitor that.
"Joe is a tough kid."
Marc Tyler did not practice because he underwent X-rays last night on his injured ankle because of some "spacing" where screws were removed following last year's surgery.
Brandon Carswell also missed practice with a bruised thigh.
Ever wonder who has the best hands on the team?
Well, here's the front row of the kick return's hands team, which is not necessarily the best receivers but guys who can catch a ball in a pile.
Brad Walker, Garrett Green, Kaluka Maiava, Luthur Brown and Clay Matthews.
Interestingly, Chris Galippo and Everson Griffen are second-team members.
USC has verbal agreements to play Syracuse in 2011 and 2012 and Boston College in 2013 and 2014. Home games are in odd years and road games in even years.
The freshman football players will be spread out through the campus instead of living in just one area this year.
Some will live in Cardinal Gardens but most will be in other dorms. The purpose is to give football players a living experience that resembles what normal students encounter.
And maybe it will cut down any chance of off-field hi-jinx in university apartments.
"They aren't walk-throughs, it's more like run-throughs around here."
-- A player who wishes to remain anonymous on the morning workouts.
Is there anything better than spending a Saturday evening at a lively discussion on USC football? Um, well, I'll let you answer that question.
But imagine a live version of the Open Forum, where I will answer all questions, even about Mitch Mustain. C'mon Internet geeks, here's your chance to interact with yours truly just a week before the Idaho game.
I'll be speaking August 25 at the Friendly Hills Country Club in the beautiful hills of Whittier. Maybe if we're lucky, we can get the beautiful, big black cat to make a cameo appearance. For event and ticket information, click on the link after the jump.
The first few days for Everson Griffen have not been easy.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6578379
The baseball team picked up a big transfer with North Carolina State designated hitter-first baseman Mike Roskopf deciding to enroll at USC. He hit .316 with 13 homers and 42 RBI last season with a slugging percentage of .620. He was also third on the team in total bases.
Several freshmen players complained of sore feet because of improperly tied ankle braces. It seems some of their never wore ankle braces before coming to USC. They were shown how to properly tie the braces today.
One of today's points of emphasis was throwing to the tight ends, an area sometimes underutilized in recent seasons.
"We really tried to get the ball to the position to see the guys behind Fred Davis," Pete Carroll said.
Freshman Rhett Ellison's gotten off to a good start although it's premature to think he will not redshirt.
USC coach Pete Carroll will miss tomorrow's practice and meetings to attend the funeral of former San Francisco coach Bill Walsh.
"It just warrants it, Coach Walsh was an extraordinary guy," Carroll said.
Against my better judgment, here's the first forum during training camp. As an aside, we might have a break in the bike-pedal incident. Aggressive reporting revealed the bike actually belonged to Martin Coleman, so maybe it's a case of mistaken identity.
Marc Tyler was officially cleared but Broderick Green and Brandon Carswell are merely being allowed to practice for the next 14 days while the NCAA reviews their paperwork.
Charles Brown is the No. 1 tackle with Drew Radovich with a back injury.
"He looks pretty good," offensive line coach Pat Ruel said.
Another tackle to watch is Butch Lewis, who is 270 pounds and still trying to make up for his massive weight loss after catching a virus in Mexico.
"Butch is a guy who's always going to play a little bit better because he's smart," Ruel said. "But it's going to hurt him some."
Freshman tailback Joe McKnight is catching passes while in motion out of the backfield and lining up in the slot. Pete Carroll said he has ``no doubt'' McKnight will make a noticeable contribution this season.
Always a popular topic. Right now, C.J. Gable and Vincent Joseph would start if there were a game. Among the freshmen, Ronald Johnson, Joe McKnight, Marshall Jones and if he gets cleared, Brandon Carswell, will be given chances to return kicks in practice.
Defensive end Trey Henderson tore the meniscus is his right knee and will undergo surgery next week. He is expected to be sidelined four-to-six weeks.
Last year, nose guard Sedrick Ellis suffered a similar injury and was out just three weeks. But Henderson is going to redshirt so there will not be any rush to bring him back.
Walk-on wide receiver Brad Walker was awarded a scholarship today. Punter Greg Woidneck is expected to be given one next, but for maximum effect they will be stretched out over training camp. Woidneck actually received his tonight. He was not at the team meeting this afternoon where he was supposed to get one.
Defensive end Trey Henderson was on crutches after practice with a probable sprained knee. He was carted off the field during practice.
Freshman Aaron Corp is taking more reps than Mitch Mustain right now because he is eligible and might be the No. 3 QB.
"He's struggling with the installation as anyone has that has been here," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "It actually gets harder. But we have to find out what he can do. It's not too big a job for him."
After watching films, USC coach Pete Carroll singled out Averill Spicer, Derek Simmons, Josh Pinkard, Joe McKnight, Ronald Johnson, Rhett Ellison, Christian Tupou and Michael Reardon as players who stood out.
None of the USC "three'' are practicing today, still waiting for NCAA approval.
A lot of discussion centered around Joe McKnight, Allen Bradford and Stafon Johnson following Monday's practice, but tailback Emmanuel Moody also made some sharp runs and did not appear hindered by his sore hamstring.
Moody also brought back some of the zip and breakaway aspects missing so often.
USC's morning walk-throughs do not use balls but they are so physical some players complained about it afterward.
``It might as well be a regular practice,'' one said.
That's a trademark of the Pete Carroll era and sometimes it leads to injuries but it's one reason players often say games are easier than practices.
Defensive end Lawrence Jackson weighs 260 pounds, 15 less than last season. Jackson lost the weight because he believes it slowed him down last season, which was disappointing by his standards.
Mitch Mustain's first football practice was not quite what he expected.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6560518
Due to many complaints, USC took away the need to register for its website, usctrojans.com, if you merely wanted to check a schedule or see a roster. Sometimes, the will of the people does prevail.
One of the most noticeable differences with today's practice was the number of players at each position, especially kicker, where about 12 guys lined up, but we won't go there.
``We filled out the depth chart,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said.
Defensive end Everson Griffen got into the action right away and made several hurries rushing the quarterbacks.
There's also a No. 19 painted in the end zone in honor of Mario Danelo and no player will wear that number this season.
And before I forget, here's the list of additional walk-ons.
Joe McKnight made a good impression in his first practice and got plenty of reps Monday night.
"He's really smooth and has great fluid movement," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He was very comfortable. He had a couple balls get away but he has fantastic hands."
Marc Tyler, Broderick Green and Brandon Carswell are not practicing which means they were not certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse today.
Your attention please, Michael Reardon is now wearing No. 91. We know how important these things are to you.
I could comment on this photo of Reggie Bush but what really caught my eye was the headline in the lower left corner: ``Matt Leinart talks Super Bowl''
What would he know about it?
Florida coach Urban Meyer sought advice recently from New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick to discuss the challenges of repeating as champs to the 2007 Gators. Hopefully for USC, Belichick didn't offer any of Pete Carroll's secrets from their meeting following the Trojans' last national championship.
Pete Carroll enrolls all the freshmen in summer school to start the adjustment period to college earlier. The flip side is that freshmen-only practices were eliminated today because it would conflict with summer classes.
So it's the last Weekend Forum before training camp starts. Did I tell you how happy I am about going to training camp? It means I get to see the obfuscators who surround the football program on a daily basis along with the ``Internet reporters'' in their USC hats and T-shirts.
But I digress. On to the answers!
Looks like the freshmen could get some quality early looks. And maybe Stafon Johnson!
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_6552848
Offensive tackle Drew Radovich will probably be limited in training camp because of a sore back.
``He wasn't able to finish summer workouts,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said.
This is in addition to our earlier item on offensive tackle Sam Baker's sprained ligament in his toe.
As of right now, freshmen tailbacks Broderick Green and Marc Tyler along with wide receiver Brandon Carswell will not practice tomorrow because they have not been certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
This means their might be something missing on their transcripts or an outside class they took did not get sent to the NCAA yet. Until the NCAA receives all the necessary paperwork and approves it, they will be held out of practice.
With USC players reporting today, it's good to see even Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh offered an early goal for his first season in the Versus, uh Pac-10 Conference.
``The most imporant goal is to earn the right to show we can beat 'SC,'' Harbaugh said. ``We need to earn that.''
And here some of you criticized Tim Floyd for offering a scholarship to an eighth-grade point guard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG47FDenyXw
Wide receiver Brice Butler of Norcross, Ga., committed today. What's interesting about this is Butler and linebacker Brendan Beal visited several schools, including USC, at the same time last spring and became friends and USC remains the leader for Beal.
Until now, we haven't had much time to look into Mitch Mustain's departure from Arkansas, but one of the prime issues was a rocky relationship with Coach Houston Nutt.
According to sources, Mustain publicly criticized Nutt and then apologized but things never really recovered and some Arkansas players were unhappy over the comments.
Another week of great questions. It almost made up for the shock of being asked to register just to view usctrojans.com. No thanks.
For the third time in four years, USC is atop the coaches' preseason top 25 poll. LSU is No. 2 and Florida No. 3.
Here's one early answer from the Open Forum. Arkansas wide receiver Andrew Norman, a high school teammate of Mitch Mustain and Damian Williams, will not be transferring to USC. He has not contacted the Trojans and is expected to go to Tulsa.
He barely cracked the depth chart at Arkansas and is not the same caliber of player as Mustain and Williams.
We're happy to announce that we will once again participate as an Associated Press poll voter.
If you need a lesson on how not to handle making a commitment, a good illustration might be offensive lineman Hamani Stevens of Hemet. Stevens committed to UCLA, then backed off when USC showed interest during summer camp season.
But USC never offered him a scholarship and UCLA no longer has a scholarship available. Hello Arizona! That's why it pays to always keep your commitment, even if you are looking at other schools on the side.
The idea of double practices in training camp is losing favor. Next week, USC practices once day Monday through Friday with two practices on Saturday. We also hear UCLA is not really planning two-a-day practices either.
The idea is to keep players fresh in training camp. It reminds of those halcyon days at UC Irvine when Paul Hackett had three practices a day.
Offensive tackle Sam Baker is receiving treatment after straining ligaments in his toe earlier this week.
Mitch Mustain, Matt Leinart, Pete Carroll. What could be this week's favorite topic? One question per post please or I will torment you with details about Trojan TV.
Tailback Emmanuel Moody underwent an MRI today on his hamstring to make sure he's OK for training camp. Moody said he feels fine and does not expect to be limited next week although his hamstring's been an issue since spring practice.
Oddsmakers list the over/under at 11 for number of wins for USC this season. That means the Trojans must go undefeated in the regular season for the ``over'' bettors.
Here's all the other teams too.
Turning to basketball, USC forward Davon Jefferson is also still waiting to be certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
UCLA defensive lineman Bruce Davis was greeted by eight Pac-10 coaches when he attended last week's media day. Hmmm, we'll let you guess the lone holdout.
And here we thought the Petros-Pete Carroll confrontation was the lone highlight.
Defensive tackle Armond Armstead, USC's most recent commitment, was viewed by several colleges as an offensive tackle instead of a defensive lineman. Perhaps that's how USC will get to six offensive linemen in its recruiting class once Mater Dei's Khaled Holmes commits.
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