Media Reaction To USC Head Coach Lane Kiffin

The reaction to USC hiring Lane Kiffin as the new head coach of the Trojans has drawn impassioned reactions from all media sources.

• Gene Wojciechowski – Kiffin has no credibility
• Dan Wetzel – I don’t think this was the worst move by the Trojans
• Peter Schrager – Lane Kiffin is leaving Tennessee in a state of rubble and shrapnel
• Dennis Dodd – Lane Kiffin? Lane Kiffin? Really? Ha ha! No, seriously, really?
• Michael Rosenberg – Well, I really have to hand it to the USC Trojans: They aren’t even faking it anymore.
• Stewart Mandel – Welcome to college football in 2010.

yojoe Fight On!

USC Football: Kiffin, Chow, Orgeron Back At USC

According to ESPN,

Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin has been named the next head coach at Southern California, athletic director Mike Garrett announced on Tuesday.

Kiffin replaces Pete Carroll, who jumped to the NFL as coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

“We are really excited to welcome Lane Kiffin back to USC,” Garrett said in a statement. “I was able to watch him closely when he was an assistant with us and what I saw was a bright, creative young coach who I thought would make an excellent head coach here if the opportunity ever arose. I’m confident he and his staff will keep USC football performing at the high level that we expect.”

It is also being reported that Kiffin will bring his father, Ed Orgeron, and Norm Chow, in what is being called a “blockbuster deal.”  Sorry UCLA.  For those claiming USC would not win without Norm Chow, that is now a worry of the past.  Norm Chow and Matt Barkley, that will be a formidable team.  Yes, Matt Barkley confirmed he is staying at USC.  And so is C.J. Gable.

That should also cover recruiting with Orgeron, word is he is already working.  As for defense, it does not get better than Monte Kiffin.

yojoe Fight On!

H/T: TrojanWire

USC Football Recruiting: USC Finishes National Signing Day At No. 3

At the end of National Signing Day 2009, USC finishes the day ranked No. 3 by rivals.com.  The Trojans finished just behind Alabama and LSU.  SC had the 2nd highest average recruit ranking with a 3.9, bested only by Florida with a 3.94.

The Trojans did lose out to Notre Dame when Manti Te’o became a Domer.

The Men of Troy did land the No. 1 quarterback Matt Barkley.

Here is a full list of USC commits for 2009 along with their Scout.com position rank:

USC Football Recruiting: Linebacker Frankie Telfort Will Be A Trojan

The OC Register’s USC BLOG is predicting outside linebacker Frankie Telfort will sign with USC.  The #3 OLB out of Miami, Fl will make his announcement tomorrow. 

He may be joining Manti Te’o at linebacker for the Men of Troy. 

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Update: At least this prediciton was correct.  SC did not land Te’o.

USC Recruiting: Linebacker Manti Te’o Will Be A Trojan

Scott Wolf, of inside usc, is predicting that inside linebacker Manti Te’o will sign with USC. 

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Update:  This again demonstrates the pathetic divinatory here at Dreadnaught.  Manti Te’o will join one of the top ten college football programs of all time: Notre Dame. 

On the down side, he will also be have to endure the most loathsome coach in college football: Charlie Weis.

USC Football Recruiting: Kennard Commits

USC picked up another 5-star recruit.  Devon Kennard, DE from Desert Vista HS, in Phoenix, AZ.

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USC Football: Quarterback Mark Sanchez To NFL

Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez to leave USC and move on to the NFL.  Coach Pete Carroll is not happy about the decision.

Dreadnaught prediction: the starting quarterback for next season will be Aaron Corp.  Not to take anything away from Mitch Mustain or Matt Barkley, but Corp will be the man for 2009.

Corp on Sanchez:

I’m not going to say I’m as enthusiastic as Mark is at times, but I can be.

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Video of Mark Sanchez’s press conference:

USC Football Recruiting: 2009 Under Armour High School All-American Game

The 2009 Under Armour High School All-American Game featured a number of future Trojans.

• QB Matt Barkley
• WR Alshon Jeffrey
• OL Kevin Graf
• OG John Martinez

Barkley had a standout performance, he,

threw for two early touchdown passes to lead his White Team to a 27-16 victory over the Black Team on Sunday night.

“It really felt good out there,” he said. “It was a fun game with a lot of great players.”

Barkley, from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., hit Marlon Brown of Memphis for a 71-yard score on the game’s first possession, then followed with a 35-yard TD pass to Jamal Reid.

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Why Charlie Weis Is Loathsome And The Irish Deserve Better

Any reader of Dreadnaught knows this is not a Notre Dame blog.  The Men of Troy are my team.  Thus, if you are a Domer you may want read this post with that in mind.  But, be it known, I have nothing but respect for Notre Dame fans.  I have been to South Bend and watched games at the Coliseum and without exception found the Irish fans to be knowledgeable, humble in victory, and sportsmanlike in defeat.

You deserve a better coach, and much better person than Charlie Weis.  He is a petulant Jersey mall rat and wannabe tough guy.

His overall record is 28-21, with only 8 victories with teams that finished the seasons with records better than .500.

He brags of his vast football acumen and his dominance with the Patriots in the NFL. I am convinced that my Bulldog Dreadnought could win in the NFL with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.  And Dreadnought is a great dog, but not all that smart.

Weis has coached talented players at Notre Dame, just look at his recruiting classes.

Trojans Continue To Recruit Well For 2009

Matt Barkley signed in January.

Hebron Fangupo, the top JUCO defensive player, signed in May.

Alshon Jeffrey signed in June.

And the recruiting just keeps getting better for the Men of Troy.  The 2009 class is shaping up to be the number on recruiting class in the nation, according to Paul Peszko of bleacher report,

Vontaze Burfict, a five-star, 6’2″, 235-pound linebacker from Centennial High School in Corona, CA; Devon Flournoy, a four-star, 6’2″, 4.40 wide receiver from Birmingham High School, Van Nuys, CA; Patrick Hall, a four-star, 6’1″, 181-pound safety from St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, CA; and Chris Metcalf, a three-star, 6’1″, 190-pound safety from Compton (CA) High School gave their commitments to the Trojans.

In May the Trojans got a commitment from a five-star JC defensive tackle, Hebron Fangupo, 6’2″, 230 pounds from Mount San Antonio Junior College in Walnut, CA.

USC v. Ohio State: Early Predictions

USC will face Ohio State (without “the”) on 13SEPT08 at the newly expanded L.A. Coliseum.  SI.com predicts Ohio State’s defense will bring them a victory. 

In other SC news, the recently honored Matt Barkley explained that he does not plan to party as much as Matt Leinart. 

yojoe Fight On!

USC Football: Linebacker Chris Galippo Undergoes Second Back Surgery

Chris Galippo, who had surgery in 2007 to repair a herniated disk, recently had another surgery on his back.  This latest surgery will likely keep him out for a portion of the 2008 season.

Galippo was projected to be the backup for Rey Maualuga at middle linebacker for the Trojans. 

The photo below is of Gilippo after receiving the MVP trophy at the 2007 Army Game.

Fastest Player In College Football: Florida Gator Jeff Demps

Previously on Dreadnaught, it was reported that Trindon Holliday of LSU was the fastest player in the history of college football.  He did not hold that title for long.  Holliday is no longer the fastest player in the SEC.

Jeff Demps from South Lake H.S. (FL) recently ran a 10.01 in the 100 meters.  Demps broke the high-school record, with was 10.08.  Demps is a member of the 2008 recruiting class – raked as the #4 athlete by Scouts, Inc. – and has signed with Florida.  Demps is a very versatile and the Gators may use him at running back, wide receiver, or cornerback.

It was a good run while it lasted LSU fan.

yojoe out

USC Football Recruiting Update: Alshon Jeffrey Commits To 2009 Class

The No. 16 receiver for the 2009 class has committed to Southern Cal. Alshon Jeffrey is 6′ 3″ and 214 lbs. Apparently Jeffrey is also a stud on the basketball court.

Jeffrey will join recent commits Hebron Fangupo and top quarterback Matt Barkley.

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Hat tip: TrojanWire

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USC Football Recruiting Update: Hebron Fangupo Top JUCO Defensive Player Commits

The Men of Troy have signed their 11th commitment for the 2009 recruiting year. The latest new Trojan is defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo, a 6’1” 330-pounder.

Fangupo joins the following five-star recruits in the 2009 class:

Notre Dame Football Coach Charlie Weis Disparages U.S. Military

Hoodlum – noun – a young street ruffian, esp. one belonging to a gang.

Thug – noun – a cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer.

Notre Dame Football Coach Charlie Weis was quoted as saying “I could get hoodlums and thugs and win tomorrow. I won’t do it that way.”

Evidently Coach Weis is referring to the hoodlums and thugs that defeated his football team last year, which included a loss to the United States Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy. This is unacceptable for Coach Weis to label Midshipmen and Cadets as thugs and hoodlums to justify his abysmal coaching and Notre Dame’s lack of success on the football field.

Coach Weis was correct when he recognized he was a disaster. The jury from his failed malpractice case was correct when they returned the verdict: you are fat.

Coach Weis should concentrate on losing a record 10th bowl game, and stop besmirching the fine men and women of the Navy and Air Force.

yojoe out

USC Football Update: Mark Sanchez Named As Starting Quarterback

After taking a redshirt year in 2005, then serving as the backup for John David Booty in 2006 and 2007, it appears that Mark Sanchez will get his opportunity to lead the Men of Troy for the 2008 campaign. On 16APR08, Coach Pete Carroll named Sanchez as the starter, after the bulk of spring practice ended. Given the wealth of talent at the quarterback position for USC – Mitch Mustain, Aaron Crop, and incoming Matt Barkley – it was not a forgone conclusion. Best of luck to Sanchez.

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USC Football: Win Forever

The mantra for USC Football Coach Pete Carroll is “Win Forever.” Given the Trojan’s success over the past 6 seasons it is entirely possible. To get Coach Carroll’s Win Forever desktop wallpaper, and Win Forever gear, and the USCRipsIt blog.

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College Football Recruiting: Mike Stoops Accuses Arizona State Of Becoming A Junior College

On national signing day, University of Arizona head football coach Mike Stoops said that Arizona State has “turned into a J.C.” Stoops made this comment, suggesting that Dennis Erickson, head football of Arizona State, was accepting recruits with lower academic standards. Stoops was likely trying to explain is lack of success as coach of the Wildcats. In contrast to Stoops, Coach Erickson finished his first year at A St with a record of 10-3. It took until the middle of his third year for Stoops to get his 10th win.

Mike Stoops at Arizona has compiled the following record:

2004 – 3-8
2005 – 3-8
2006 – 6-6
2007 – 5-7

The Wildcats under Stoops have amassed the impressive winning percentage of 0.36957, placing the Cats at number 93 in winning percentage of major college football teams. The only Pac-10 team below Arizona is Stanford.

If Stoops it suggesting that the awe-inspiring academic standards of U of A is the reason for his lack of success on the field, this argument does not survive scrutiny. In academic standing, Arizona (as ranked by U.S. News & World Report) ranks behind all of the California teams,

USC Football Recruiting: Commits On Signing Day 2008 And Team Ranking

The Trojans ended the day ranked number 13 according to Scout.com and ranked as number 10 according to Rivals.com. One of the reasons for the lower ranked class this year is the number of commits. SC only had 18 commits, but the average star rank was 3.89 (2nd highest in the county). Thus, while the Men of Troy may have been surpassed in quantity, the quality was present as always. This is the 2008 class:

1. Nicholas Perry
2. T.J. Bryant
3. Jurrell Casey
4. Brian Baucham
5. Malik Jackson

USC Football Recruiting: 2009 Top Prospect Matt Barkley Commits

The 2007-08 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year Matt Barkley, quarterback from Mater Dei High School, has committed to becoming a Trojan. The 6-foot 3, 220-pound Barkley is the first junior to win the award. Barkley made he decision to announce his decision after visiting USC on 19JAN08.

Barkley will not be eligible to sign a letter of intent until February 2009.

Barkley explained his early announcement,

“I’ve always loved USC and I wanted to get the burden of the recruiting process over before I start back with Mater Dei football.”

Mater Dei has produced other notable Trojans Matt Leinart and Matt Grootegoed. Now Barkley will follow in these legends to USC. The announcement by Barkley clearly places USC football at the top of the recruiting world. This move regains the Southern California spotlight for USC, after cross-town rivals UCLA announced the addition of Norm Chow to the Bruin coaching staff.

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