This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy. - Marine Corps Rifleman's Creed.
These are the words from former-Trojan coach Steve Sarkisian, about USC tailback Joe McKnight,
I think Joe McKnight, he could arguably be the best player in the country right now. I’ve always thought that that now for three years, and it’s coming true. He’s a special player, he’s playing physical, he’s running hard, he’s catching the ball out of back field, and he’s tough to defend.”
USC was able to get the win over Ohio State, 18-15. It was a great game by both teams. This was a much better Ohio State team than the one the Trojans faced last year in Los Angeles.
As well as Matt Barkley played on the final drive, it was Joe McKnight who won that game. It was good to see Barkley face a very hostile crowd and fight off the injury to his throwing arm. Nonetheless, this game goes to McKnight.
Joe McKnight arrived at USC with as much hype as any recruit in the nation. He then suffered injuries and a case of the fumbles. Now,
That’s why I was shocked to see Joe so, well, upbeat at practice Tuesday.
You could see it in his body language. In his first full practice of the spring, McKnight sprinted around the field, looking 100 percent for the first time since who knows how long. Then he was all smiles as he signed autographs to adoring fans, one after the other.
TrojansBrian Cushing and Rey Maualuga were among the 12 semifinalists announced for the Lombardi Award. The Lombardi Award goes annually to the college football lineman — offense or defense — who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the discipline of Vince Lombardi.
Brian Cushing, Linebacker, University of Southern California Auston English, Defensive End, University of Oklahoma James Laurinaitis, Linebacker, The Ohio State University Alex Mack, Offensive Lineman, University of California Rey Maualuga, Linebacker, University of Southern California
This is not coming from Dreadnaught, this is coming from ESPN and The Sporting News:
“The No. 7 Trojans are better than both No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 LSU, which will play for the BCS championship Monday night in the Louisiana Superdome.”
-Mark Schlabach from ESPN
“There’s no doubt — USC is nation’s best. And no team, not even mighty Patriots, has dominated more this decade.”
From the beginning of this game, you could see the difference in speed. The
Men of Troy came out on the first drive with John David Booty spreading
the ball around, 5 receivers in the first 5 passes. The opening drive
was almost mechanical: 1:47 51 yards.
The Trojans of USC will play Oregon on 27 October 2007. Oregon comes in ranked 5th in the BCS, while USC is ranked 12th. The Trojan offense has been improving with Mark Sanchez at quarterback and Joe McKnight seeing more carries. This is, however, difficult to measure because the defense of Notre Dame could make any team look good.
John David Booty continues to improve, after the injury to his finger suffered in the loss to Stanford. According to Coach Carroll, it will be a difficult decision on who to start. Coach Carroll said the JDB is “real close,” to returning to full strength. Continue reading →
The Trojans had a number of injured players return to the lineup for the game in South Bend, including Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga. One injured player that did not return was John David Booty, so Mark Sanchez got his second straight start and quarterback. Stanley Havili had a solid game, and Joe McKnight had a big run in the second half. When asked about his team’s play and if they had hit the bottom, Charlie Weis said,
“I’m going to answer that very cautiously, because I don’t want to be called sarcastic using New Jersey rhetoric. So let me just say people better enjoy it now, have their fun now.”
The Men of Troy travel this Saturday to Lincoln, NE to play Nebraska. The last time the Trojans met the Cornhuskers met in the City of Angeles in 2006, USC won 28-10. The line on this Saturday’s game is USC – 18 1/2.
Coach Carroll respects the Husker Nation, stating “I’ve never been there for a game. Visited before, but never been there for a game. I know just historically it’s an extraordinary crowd. They’ve got a great following. It’s going to be a fantastic challenge for our young guys to handle it, deal with it well, perform like they’re capable.”
Quarterback John David Booty remains a Heisman favorite. The Trojans might go to a shotgun formation, a favorite of quarterback John David Booty’s, in some situations against Nebraska. Continue reading →
The teams have not played since 1984, when LSU won and went on to lose to Nebraska in the Sugar Bowl, and SC beat Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. One would think that this is one of the biggest rivalries in college football.
There is the issue of Southern Cal taking players out of LSU’s own back yard. Joe McKnight the Parade All-American Co-Player of the Year, and top running back from the 2007, leaving his home state of Louisiana to come to Troy. Also, John David Booty is from Evangel Christian HS in Shreveport, LA, and his brother Josh Booty played at LSU.
The views expressed on this blog are offered in the contributors' personal capacity. They do not purport to be speaking for, and their views should not be imputed to, any other organization, agency, or entity.