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.