State Of The Program

Hey, someone needs to congratulate Sark for good clock management at the end. Of course, McKnight's break-out run made things a lot easier, but it had to be tempting to pass the ball when they had 5 minutes to burn and 2nd and long. I kept yelling "keep it on the ground" at the non-HD picture (^%$# ESPN on ABC) and they did. It was like I was coach for 5 minutes!!

Yeah, we don't have Matt, Reggie or Dwayne... Just a bunch of 5-star all-everything recruits who are bumping their heads on their ceilings.

Give me a break. The problem with this system seems glaring to me. USC runs a pro-style offense and defense. You do that when you have high-capacity, disciplined, NFL-like players. If those standards don't apply to your players, you do what everyone else does in the NCAA... run college packages to make up for weaknesses.

It's not like it's going to happen overnight, but coaches need to evaluate things when they're not working. Don't just be stubborn about it; that's what caused our last 3 losses.

I understand the desire to lower expectations but guess what, the Stanford game already did that. Despite several questionable offensive and defensive play calls, a few more drops, and some questionable personnel uses, I thought the guys came to life very well, the defense held relatively ok, and we won against another team that really played above their typical level of play while we got even more savaged by injuries.

I was thrilled for our kids and hope we'll see a little tinkering to the offensive play book to maximize the talent that is healthy.

Well, the punter certainly got a bigger workout last night than any other game in years. He can thank Sanchez for that. We need Booty back or a game against a real team is going to be real bad.

Sark sounds like an idiot...what about just a few games ago when we never punted?

Sorry, this team is in a total downfall, and our OC has really helped that. We were dreaming that he'd erase memories of Kiffin.

So what he's saying is, this year is a washout so wait until 2008 when Mustain comes in and it will be like the good old days again?

Great comments especially Class of 2007.

We have four and five star depth three deep in many areas. Heck we have walk-ons that by background would have pulled a scholie at the schools we are losing to and struggling with. And we have had a remarkable mix of continuity at many positions including a six year RB, with two second year top rated RBs and another six year and two year on the mend. We have a fourth year QB and a third year QB, and a cast of second, third and fourth year receivers. Ironically it is the guys that didn't see much time or who are new that are better having not gotten the great "coaching" that turns five stars into burnt out stars. And for all the injuries it isn't like we are the only team and this is a problem at every position.

Carroll is a great guy as long as he hires the right people and listens to them we can win. He chased away people and hired lackeys. He insists on micro-managing. So look where we are. He wants to bring us out of the Chow offense which he is incapable of running altogether. He has us running his prevent defense and ultra simple blitzes which is a waste of athletes. But the hows don't matter, just look at the results. Pete Carroll is not USC. I support whoever is good for USC. I still hope we get healthy, Carroll eases off and becomes a little flexible. Does he want to go back to his former life of an itinerant coach with a middling record and athletes that talk bad about him in the press? I know I am not delighting in his struggles.

Joe McKnight was the player of the game. We can thank him for the win, despite Sanchez's joke of a performance.

How can he just up and say that when alot of players havent been on the feild he needs to be a better job of coaching instead of trying to put it on the players

There it is rah-rah, all-is-well, Cardinal & Gold colored glasses wearing Trojan fans! Straight from one of the horse's mouths.

Let me just remind everyone this is the unanimous pre-season No 1 team. This is the team with the best talent in the nation as result of four #1 recruiting classes.

What else do these coaches want? There isnt anything more to give.

If they cant win with the best, then when can they?

Good to see Sark openly admits Sanchez is not that good and in the same sphere as past players. 2008 is what we have to look forward to when that "other quarterback" becomes eligible. By all accounts, he is the real deal. No more pretenders to the throne.

Is that Sark saying that he has to coach now...maybe call some decent plays...please....SArk scares me...Ever since Norm Chow left the offense has become suspect.....I was at the game and we did look like a Paul Hacket team.....Run the damn Ball !!!!

Granted, the offensive line is in shambles, and we did win the game, but for Sarkisian to make the comments he made is a loser's mentality. Honestly, very few of the players on Stanford or Arizona were even recruited by USC, let alone offered a scholarship. The difference in blue-chip talent is so vast it's funny. Now, maybe the recruiting outlets have overrated some of these players, but they can't be all wrong about so many players. So if that's the case, then this comes down to coaching. And I think we all agree the offense hasn't looked as dynamic since Chow left. So maybe Satkisian and the rest of the coaching staff need to look in the mirror and figure out why all these five-star players are not crushing two to three-star players on the other teams.

I wonder what all the Lane Kiffin haters are saying now, didn't you all want to run him out of town last year?

we're saying that there was a lot of truth that he and Sark were one and the same...we got rid of Butthead, now let's dump Beavis

The usual suspects are at it again. This blog which is for the most part pro MM and anti Sanchez is also backed-up by SW who is also pro MM. The point is that this is the only blog where Mark Sanchez is chastised and crucified continuously. The USC fans at the Sporting News blogs are either fair or give Sanchez a fair shake. Booty had SIX INT's in the last two games with a much healthier line NOT to mention more preparation. The usual suspects are blind to that.
Thank you

Why do you think that Sark is saying those things. It is because he knows that we don't have a great offensive coordinator anymore like we used to, and I don't mean Kiffin. Once Norm Chow left, the offense has been on a downward spiral, this season is the first that the players on offense haven't had some of the influence of Coach Chow. In the years after he left, the players did what they did on a combination of their shear talent, plus what they learned from Chow. Now will be the time to find out if Pete Carroll is really a coaching genius or if he just made a genius hire when he hired Chow originally. Sarkisian knows Chow really well, he played for him at BYU and he was mentored by him here at SC, so he can see the writing on the wall. He knows that he is not as good as Chow, and is stating so, so that fans will learn not to expect such greatness in the future.