USC Football Preseason Rank 2011

The times have changed at USC.  The ESPN 2011 top 25 rankings does not include the Trojans.  These are not the days of Pete Carroll.

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USC Sanctions

There was no good news for USC football when the NCAA handed down its sanctions.  The Trojans will face the following:

• 2 year bowl ban
• 4 years of probation
• Loss of scholarships

The Trojans may also lose their 2004 National Championship.

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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.

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H/T: TrojanWire

Charlie Weis And His Comments About Pete Carroll

Weis is now backing away from the reckless comments he made about Coach Carroll.

Weis later claimed his comments were meant to be general statements about false Internet rumors and their impact on coaches’ lives.

 

These are the statements that Weis make about Coach Carroll,

“Let me ask you this question: You guys know about things that go on in different places. Was I living with a grad student in Malibu, or was I living with my wife in my house? You could bet that if I were living with a grad student here in South Bend, it would be national news.

“He’s doing it in Malibu and it’s not national news. What’s the difference? I don’t understand. Why is it OK for one guy to do things like that, but for me, I’m scrutinized when I swear. I’m sorry for swearing; absolve my sins.”

USC Football: Washington Game, Looks Like Aaron Corp Will Start At Quarterback For Trojans

As we enter Thursday practice before the USC v. Washington game, the decision about who will start at quarterback for the Trojans becomes a little more clear.  As previously predicted on Dreadnaught, it will be Aaron Corp.  (Note: Michael Lev at USC BLOG has also made the same prediction, so I am in good company).  Matt Barkley has missed his third consecutive practice, after it did not go well when he tried to throw before practice.  This stems from the bruised shoulder he suffered in the victory over Ohio State.  Coach Pete Carroll is expected to make the QB decision on Thursday morning.  Corp was asked earlier if he was ready to play, here is his answer,

“I’m ready. I was ready last week. I was ready two weeks ago. I’ll be ready if they need me.”

We shall see who makes the start in Seattle.

While on the topic of USC quarterbacks, it appears one QB may start at another position.  The starting punter position is open, and it looks like Mitch Mustain may be just the man for the job.  Best of luck to Mustain, he is a stud for coming to the Trojans with so much hype and being willing to do whatever it take to help the team.

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Note: If you are a USC football fan, you must read USC BLOG, TrojanWire, and inside usc.

USC Football: Quarterback For Washington Game Barkley Or Corp

This Saturday the Trojans face Washington.  The question remains who will start for USC at quarterback?  To answer this question one must look back at the quarterback competition at SC.  Coming out of spring practice Aaron Corp was named the starter by Coach Pete Carroll.  Corp then cracks his left fibula and Matt Barkley is named as the starting QB.  Barkley then starts against San Jose St. and stuns everyone in the come-from-behind victory over Ohio State.

Barkley did sustain an injury in the Ohio State game and is still suffering from a bruised shoulder.  Corp stands ready to play,

Mark Sanchez Rookie Of The Week In NFL

Former Trojan quarterback, and current Jets QB, Mark Sanchez has nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week.  Go here to vote and check back Friday afternoon to see who wins.

Sanchez’s stats:

Sanchez recorded the third most passing yards for a rookie in Week 1 in NFL history, completing 18 of 31 passes for 272 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a passer rating of 84.3 in the Jets’ 24-7 win over the Houston Texans. Sanchez led a Jets offense that gained a total of 462 yards and controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes.

So much for Coach Carroll not being happy about Sanchez leaving, it did leave the job open for Matt Barkley.

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USC Football: Carroll Has Talk With Barkley

Los Angeles-Not that Pete Carroll expects  Matt Barkley to suddenly go Todd Marinovich on him, but the USC coach said he met with the freshman quarterback Monday night to see how he’s handling life in the national spotlight.

“We sat down last night and talked about how Matt’s handling the attention and the constant questioning and all that stuff,” Carroll said. “There’s an innocence there that it’s great to see. He’s having fun. This does not change who he is. He clearly stated that and understands that. But we have to keep in contact with that. You know, stay around and hang with the people you always hang with. Stay close to us, you know. Don’t get very far away from the way we do things at any time.

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HT: USC BLOG

USC Football: Quarterback For 2009 Aaron Corp Is Named By Pete Carroll

It was a hard-fought battle in spring practice between Aaron Corp, Mitch Mustain, and Matt Barkley for the starting quarterback position for the Trojans.  See previous coverage, here, here, here, and, here.

WeAreSC is reporting,

Aaron Corp has been named the starting QB coming out of USC spring ball sessions with Matt Barkley as the back-up and Mitch Mustain in the #3 role.  The competition will continue into fall camp.

Pete Carroll had been clear that he wanted to name a starting quarterback by the end of spring and lately it had become pretty apparent that Corp would get that nod.  The freshman Barkley certainly put some pressure on but the fact that Corp did a great job of keeping on-field mistakes to a minimum (he didn’t have any interceptions through today) was a key factor in giving Corp the nod

With the loss of Mark Sanchez, this competition is great to see.

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USC Football: 2009 Quarterback Race Update

As previously reported, Aaron Corp was the frontrunner for the QB position for the Trojans.  He is followed by Mitch Mustain and Matt Barkley.  Corp is still holding on to that front spot,

He still looks a little deliberate at times throwing the ball, but his feet are a real asset. Defenses hate playing against mobile quarterbacks, and starting Corp would give Pete Carroll a weapon he never has had at USC.

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USC Football: Pete Carroll Highest Paid University Employee

If you work for a private university and want to maximize your earning potential, you either need to dominate the gridiron or epidermis.  USC Trojan coach Pete Carroll tops the list of private university employees earning an estimated $4,415,714 in 2007.  A close second is a dermatologist at Columbia University, Dr. David N Silvers, who received $4,332,759.

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USC Football: Trojans Hire Broncos Quarterbacks Coach Jeremy Bates

USC has confirmed it has hired former quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos Jeremy Bates.  Bates will be the quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach/offense for the Trojans.

Coach Pete Carroll, says Bates is one of the brightest minds in the NFL, and

There’s no doubt he’s going to be a big-time head coach. Denver had a fantastic year in offense last year. (Former Broncos coach) Mike Shanahan said Jeremy was instrumental in developing (Broncos quarterback) Jay Cutler.

Here is an excerpt from Bates’s bio,

In his first year with the Broncos during the 2006 season, Bates was an offensive assistant and worked with Offensive Coordinator Rick Dennison in coaching the offensive line. The Broncos were one of only three teams in the NFL to have two running backs post at least 670 rushing yards with Tatum Bell (1,025 yds.) and undrafted rookie Mike Bell (677 yds.) both enjoying productive seasons.

As quarterbacks coach for the Jets in 2005, Bates instructed a unit that was forced to use five different passers because of injuries. Despite the adversity, New York’s quarterbacks helped the club improve toward the end of the year with first year starter Brooks Bollinger posting an 87.7 passer rating and leading the team to a 2-2 record in its final four games.

Bates, 32, was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach for the Buccaneers in 2004 and worked closely with Head Coach Jon Gruden and Quarterbacks Coach John Shoop in the instruction and preparation of the team’s passers. In that capacity, Bates helped Brian Griese lead the NFL in completion percentage (69.3) in 2004 and set Buccaneers single-season records in that category along with passer rating (97.5) and yards per passing attempt (7.83).

Bates began his coaching career with Tampa Bay as an offensive quality control coach from 2002-03. Tampa Bay’s offense in 2003 was arguably the most productive in franchise history as Bates assisted a unit that set single-season records in total offense (340.8 ypg.) and passing offense (237.8 ypg.). In addition, the club ranked among the league’s top 10 in both categories in the same year for just the second time in Buccaneers annals.

In his first season in the NFL’s coaching ranks, Bates worked with a Buccaneers offense in 2002 that was pivotal in the franchise winning its first-ever World Championship with a victory over the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. Tampa Bay’s offense was particularly dominant in the postseason, averaging 35.3 points and 334.0 yards per game in three playoff contests that year.

Bates, who attended Sevier County High School in Sevierville, Tenn., began his collegiate playing career as a quarterback at the University of Tennessee in 1995. He transferred to Rice University, where he was a two-year letterman in football from 1996-99 and was a second baseman on the school’s baseball team.

Bates’ father, Jim, is a veteran NFL defensive coordinator who was the Broncos’ assistant head coach/defense in 2007. His brother, James, was a linebacker and defensive captain on the University of Florida’s 1996 national championship team and does television play-by-play for the Mountain West Sports Network.

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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 Over UCLA 28-7 At The Rose Bowl

The Men of Troy finished their regular season by beating the Bruins 28-7, and finished the 2008 season with a record of 11-1 and 8-1 in the Pac-10.  The Bruins showed a great deal of sportsmanship by agreeing to take a timeout, because the USC was charged a timeout by the NCAA for wearing the wrong uniform.  Both Coach Carroll and Coach Neuheisel agreed to restore the tradition of both teams wearing their home uniforms.  Coach Neuheisel did the right thing by burning a timeout after USC was penalized.

Things did not stay so congenial after that, and  things got a bit chippy after halftime.

With this win, and the loss by Oregon State, the Trojans are headed to the Rose Bowl for the 4th straight year.

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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.

USC Football: Carroll’s Comments On Mitch Mustain

Coach Carroll comments on Mitch Mustain,

“He had fun, loved it and had a big light in his eye because he had a blast,” Carroll said.
The look, and the confidence that produced it, was in stark contrast to the mostly tentative vibe Mustain gave off as he attempted to learn and consistently execute the Trojans’ offense.
In high school, Mustain deftly ran a spread attack almost exclusively from the shotgun formation. The scheme was similar at Arkansas, where his high school coach was hired as offensive coordinator.

See the video

Pete Carroll Outstanding Coach; Better Person

USC football coach Pete Carroll has amassed an extraordinary record at SC.  But what is even more impressive is his philanthropic work.  Earlier this year, Coach Carroll ensured that his special assistant, Ricky Rosa, received a Rose Bowl ring.

Now Coach Carroll has invited Ryan Davidson, a 15-year-old boy battling cancer, to practice,

On this day Carroll walked Ryan onto the field and showed him a player/coach-only close-up view. When practice ended QB Mark Sanchez came over and escorted Ryan into the middle of USC’s postpractice huddle, where the players cheered his name.

Ryan and his family will be at the Coliseum for Saturday’s game against Arizona State.

USC Football: Maualuga To Start Against Arizona State

The Scariest Defender in college football, Trojan middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, has recovered from the sprained right knee he suffered during USC‘s loss to Oregon State.  According to Coach Carroll, Maualuga is “full go.”

With Maualuga returning, Brian Cushing will return to strongside linebacker.

The Men of Troy take on Arizona State at 3:30 pm on 11OCT08 at the Coliseum.

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USC Football: Chris Galippo To Start At Linebacker

Pete Carroll has stated that Trojan Chris Galippo will start if Ray Maualuga has not recoveredfrom the injury he suffered during the Oregon State game.

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H/T: inside USC

UCLA: Dominance Remains With USC Just Look At The BYU Loss

UCLA recently took out an add proclaiming the end of USC’s football dominance in the City of Angeles.  Before Rich Neuheisel is ordained, one should look at the recent score in the UCLA v. BYU game: 59-0

To put this in perspective, the total margin of victor for opponents against USC in the Carroll Era is 59.

That is over a period of seven seasons.

Losses by the Trojans under Coach Carroll

2001

USC Football: Ricky Rosas Gets His Rose Bowl Ring

For those who are unaware, Ricky Rosas is Coach Pete Carroll’s special assistant, and his story is extraordinary:

He is 4 feet 8. He weighs 91 pounds. He doesn’t have a driver’s license. He doesn’t have money. He can’t sign his name.

But around USC, nobody’s name has been chanted more. Nobody has been hugged more. Nobody has been loved more. Nobody is richer.

“It’s funny how the hugest of guys take care of the littlest guy,” Ricky says.

In one world, there are struggles to live with three others in a house with one tiny bedroom and a primitive bathroom. His mother sleeps on the couch, his sister on the floor, Ricky on a bare mattress under a rickety bunk bed.

In the other world, there is the triumph of a job, handing out water at practice, picking up lunch for the coaches, shredding old game plans, Ricky on the sturdy foundation of importance.