Countdown to Kickoff: <1 Day

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the final day on our countdown to kickoff. We started this countdown 97 days ago, and even though we've been strapped for time the first week of class, there 's no way in hell we weren't going to finish this countdown.

Representing #1 on our countdown to kickoff is junior wide receiver Patrick Turner. Turner, a former 5-star high school All-American, has played sparing the last two seasons as he sat below Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett on the depth chart. The Tennessee native arrived his freshmen year as the #1 player in the country. He was ranked above players such as Cal's Desean Jackson, Michigan's Mario Manningham, and last years Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden.

The soft-handed Turner gave us a preview of what he is capable of as a featured receiver last season when he started in place of an injured Jarrett. Turner had 12 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. As Booty's number one option this season we should expect to see similar numbers from Turner.

Lets us not forget to mention Turner's predecessor. The MAN who previously rocked the #1 jersey... BMW, or for those of you who don't know, Mike Williams.


The 6'5" Big Body wide receiver dominated opposing defenders in a way that I've never seen before. He wasn't the fastest guy, but any defender thinking they were going to tackle this guy on their own had a plate of stiff-arm coming their way. His ability to out-jump defenders along with his combination of size, power, and amazing hands go unmatched by anyone (well... we'll have to see).

Williams was Patrick Turner's host during his official visit to USC. Lets hope that Turner will be able to take what he has learned from Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, Chris McFoy, and Mike Williams and put it to work this season. Best of Luck to PT this season.

That concludes our Countdown to Kickoff series. Stay tuned for the next countdown series, beast wars, and more videos from USC Sports Talk.

FIGHT ON!

BEAT THE VANDALS!

Countdown to Kickoff: 3 Days

The excitement is building as we are less than 72 hours away from the start of the 2007 season. As we continue our daily countdown to kickoff we have now reached #3. Representing #3 on our countdown is Heisman winning quarterback Carson Palmer.

Carson Palmer set the standard at USC for quarterback excellence. In his final season at USC he passed for 3,942 yards and 33 touchdowns leading the Trojans to an Orange Bowl victory over the University of Iowa. That season Palmer became the first quarterback in USC history to win the Heisman Trophy and was later drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the #1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

Palmer has continued his dominance on the football field. He has already twice been named to the NFL Pro Bowl, last season earning Pro Bowl MVP Honors. Palmer and his 3 amigos will attempt to improve on last seasons 8-8 record and take the Bengals back to the playoffs.

I wish Palmer the best of luck this season, except during weeks when I'm matched up against Joey's fantasy football team.

Fight on!

Countdown to Kickoff: 4 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just 4 days away from kicking off the season this Saturday at the Coliseum. There's a double-shot of Trojans wearing #4 this season, hard-hitting junior safety Kevin Ellison and the top rated recruit of the 2007 freshmen class in Joe McKnight...

Ellison (above) is arguably the hardest hitter in all of college football (although Patrick Cowan might think otherwise), but is also one of the most underrated players in the country. When people talk about USC's defense, you usually hear about the 10 returning starters or the linebacking corps that many consider the best in the country, but rarely is there ever a mention of Ellison. The Pac-10 knows about Ellison though, just ask Berkeley's DeSean Jackson, who provides stability at safety and is also a team leader.

Freshman tailback Joe McKnight came to USC with aspirations of greatness, but is still trying to grasp life as a college football player. Although he seemed to struggle quite a bit during fall camp, he never wavered or hung his head. McKnight is very talented and offers the USC offense so much versatility, and now it's just a matter of time before he catches up to the speed of the game and feels fully comfortable with the playbook. Hopefully he'll be healthy and ready to go for the Idaho game on Saturday.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 5 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, it's back to school time for all us Trojans, but more importantly, we are now just 5 days away from kicking off the season against the Idaho Vandals. You guys know who made #5 special here at USC, the guy who constantly wrecked the bruins of Westwood High (see video at the end of this post) - Reggie Bush...

Bush, a.k.a. "The President," had a highly publicized and well documented college career. He helped the Trojans to Back to Back National Championships in '03 and '04, restoring the glory back at USC. The 2005 Heisman Trophy winner skipped his senior season, after one of the most incredible single season performances in the history of college football in order to enter the 2006 NFL Draft, where he was drafted #2 overall by the New Orleans Saints. Bush also won the Walter Camp Player of Year Award, the Doak Walker Award (best RB), and was a unanimous All-American. He did everything that could possibly be done in college football, except of course winning 3 consecutive national titles (damn you Vince Young). Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment (allegedly) though, at least to me, is Kim Kardashian. You be the judge...

In the unfortunate event that you were unable to witness Reggie make a mockery of Westwood, this is what you missed...

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 6 Days

As we continue our countdown toward the 2007 season we are now only 6 days away from the season opener and unfortunately less than two days away from the beginning of fall classes. Proudly representing #6 on our countdown is redshirt sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez.


If John David Booty accepts the Heisman Trophy in New York this season he will undoubtedly thank his family, coach Carroll and the Trojan coaching staff, his offensive linemen, his receivers, his high school/ pop warner coach, and of course God. The one person he may forget to thank is Mark Sanchez, a person who has contributed an immeasurable amount to his greatness on the football field. Sanchez pushed Booty to edge last preseason in a competition for the starting quarterback position. Forcing Booty to perform an elite level everyday in practice to win the job. The results were quite remarkable for a first year starter.

Mark Sanchez will once again serve as Booty's primary back-up this season. Sanchez should get plenty of playing time this season as the Trojans should have the majority of their games decided by the end of the third quarter. Live game experience will be extremely important for Sanchez as he prepares himself for the battle to end all battles next season.

Next season's quarterback battle will feature both the 2004 & 2005 High School Parade All-American Player of the Year. Sanchez vs. Mustain. There will be no shortage of media attention given to this battle next season. Everyone has their opinion on who they think will win this quarterback competition. However until we see the two head-to-head in practice against the same defense, nothing can be said definitively.

Feel free to discuss your opinions here.

Everyone here knows who I proudly endorse....

Countdown to Kickoff: 7 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just 7 days away from the opening kickoff against the Idaho Vandals next Saturday. Jersey #7 will be worn by 2 Trojans this season, junior CB Cary Harris and sophomore WR Vidal Hazelton...

Harris (above) returns with a year of starting experience at corner until his belt. Harris is very good in run support, but when in coverage it seems that he gives up way to much cushion. If he's going to be giving up 6-8 yard routes all game, then he needs to punish the WR's after catch and make them pay for catching the ball. I expect he'll play much better this season now that he is a year older and wiser now.

Hazelton is battling David Ausberry and Ronald Johnson for the #2 WR position across from Patrick Turner. He has a year of experience in the program already, but in my opinion, should have red-shirted last season. I understand that Jarrett missed some time last season, and an opportunity presented itself for Hazelton to step in and show that he was indeed worthy of playing time, but Coach Carroll needs to be a little more selective with his red-shirts. He saw limited action in 11 games and finished the season with 1 catch for 8 yards and 1 carry for 7 yards. I don't know about you guys, but that sounds like a waste of a year to me. Ausberry, meanwhile, did red-shirt in '06, and ended up getting valuable reps and dominating on the scout team. Now he's on track to start the opener along side Turner. Hazelton is very talented though, so hopefully he'll play with a chip on his shoulder and have a monster year.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 8 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just 8 days away from kicking off the season against the University of Idaho in what could be the biggest blowout the world has ever seen. Wearing #8 for Trojans this season is the highly touted freshman WR Ronald Johnson, who will have some very big shoes to fill (Dwayne Jarrett's)...

Johnson (image above from yesterday's scrimmage) came to USC, despite being heavily recruited by his home state school of Michigan, because he believed he can contribute right away as a slot WR who can break a game open at any time. He has shown that he has the necessary skills to compete at this level throughout fall camp, and will get every opportunity to work himself into the starting lineup. It will be interesting though, to see how he handles the pressure of continuing the legacy left by Jarrett, who is perhaps the greatest Trojan WR since Lynn Swann.

Dwayne Jarrett basically re-wrote the record books during his career at USC, but his finest moment might have came a couple years ago in South Bend. The #1 ranked Trojans engaged in an epic battle against Notre Dame, but found themselves trailing 31-28 late in the 4th quarter. Facing a 4th Down and 9 yards to go, (click here to relive the magic) Leinart found Jarrett for what will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest plays and finishes to a game in college football history. Who will ever forget that memorable 4th and 9 play, called "82 Sluggo Win," that eventually led to the game-winning touchdown (and the Bush push)? I sure as heck won't.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 9 Days

As we continue our daily countdown toward the 2007 season, we are now only 9 days away from wrecking Idaho in the Coliseum. Throughout the countdown, we have thrown the word “beast” around pretty loosely, but no one embodies the word the way David Ausberry does. This guy is a BEAST. At 6’4” and a solid 225 lbs, opposing cornerbacks are going to have to use several towels to wipe their face after they get bukkaked by Ausberry in the red zone. The redshirt freshman has been named a starter along with Patrick Turner in what will be the most dominant wide receiver tandem in all of college football. These guys are going to get big shit poppin'.

David Ausberry has had impressive Spring and Fall Camps. After being named the 2006 Service Team Offensive Player of the Year, it was only logical that Ausberry would make progress and earn himself plenty of playing time. Ausberry has had plenty of success dating back to his high school days at Lemoore (Calif.) High. He was named a 2004 Parade All-American, USA Today All-USA first team, ESPN 150, Prep Star All-Western, U.S. Army All-American Game participant, and an All-League Offensive MVP as a senior wide receiver, defensive back and punter, yes you read right, PUNTER. After this season, Ausberry will be able to add ALL-WORLD to his impressive resume.

Photo taken from Scout.com

I had the pleasure of having Ausberry in my Sociology class last semester and his mere presence in the classroom was intimidating. He would simply dominate the room as soon as he entered and I was honored just to be in the same room with him.

All of us here at USC Sports Talk are looking forward to seeing Ausberry dominate on the football field this season. We were never able to see what Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett could do if they were ever on the field at the same time. Now that Patrick Turner and David Ausberry will be lining up at the same time, opposing defensive coordinators can only pray that they don’t give up more than 400 yards through the air against these guys. It might get nasty, especially with the majority of corners being short and shitty these days. I expect Ausberry to get unleashed early and often in every game so the world can see his Secretariat-like stride.

Here are some more interesting facts about David Ausberry:

Legend has it that it was David Ausberry and not Secretariat who won the 1973 Triple Crown. Ausberry won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths seen below.

Michael Jordan did not lead the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA Championships. David Ausberry did.

David Ausberry can dribble a football.

David Ausberry sired the entire starting lineup of the 1927 New York Yankees World Championship team.

David Ausberry is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.

David Ausberry doesn’t sleep. He waits.

David Ausberry has two speeds: run, and kill.

David Ausberry can divide by zero.

David Ausberry floats like a butterfly and stings like a Tomahawk Cruise Missile. At Mach 3. In the face.

Countdown to Kickoff: 10 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just 10 days away from the opening kickoff against the University of Idaho. There's a double shot of Trojans wearing #10 this season, senior QB and Heisman frontrunner John David Booty and junior LB Brian Cushing...

Booty is back for his second season as the Trojans starting QB. It has long been believed that all players, but especially QBs, improve the most in the time between year 1 and year 2 as starters. That is why expectations are high for Booty, who had a very solid season last year. He is surrounded by some young, but very talented playmakers that he can distribute the ball to, so hopefully offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will open up the playbook this season and let Booty gun it. Cushing is back to his preferred strong side LB spot after spending last season as the elephant in Pete Carroll's 3-4 defense. He is coming off a dominating performance against Michigan in the Rose Bowl and will look to carry that momentum into this season.

Fight On!

Countdown To Kickoff: 11 Days

UCLA gets owned by Leinart....again

With less than 2 weeks before kickoff, we arrive at #11 in our countdown, USC legend Matt Leinart. One of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of college football, Leinart set the record at USC for all-time touchdown passes and completion percentage and a stunning 37-2 record as a starter while playing for Troy. More importantly, he led SC to 2 consecutive national championships, 3 title game appearances, a ridiculous 34 game winning streak, and decorated himself as a 3 time All-American, Rose Bowl MVP, Orange Bowl MVP, Unitas Award Winner, Manning Award Winner, and celebrates what is said best by Coach Kevin O'Shea......a Heisman Trophy.

Leinart + Carroll = Dynasty

Leinart also helped restore the swagger that USC had long been missing. Unlike the taints over in Westwood, it's not only better to be a Trojan, but more fashionable. Flaunting a star-studded entourage with the likes of Nick Lachey and Bron Heussenstamm, Leinart became a star among stars in Los Angeles. He was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals where he has become the starting quarterback. Cheers to you , Matt. Long live Troy.

Countdown to Kickoff: 12 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just 12 days away from seeing the #1 team in the country get it popping against the Idaho Vandals. The number 12 has been retired at USC by one of the founding fathers of "Tailback U," 1979 Heisman Trophy winner Charles White...

Here's Charles in action against the LSU Tigers from 1979. White took a back seat to another Trojan legend in tailback Ricky Bell as a freshman in 1976, but he rose from Bell's shadow the next three years on his way to stardom. White helped lead the Trojans to the 1978 National Championship and won the '79 Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award, and was a 2-time unanimous All-American ('78, '79). For his career, White rushed for a USC and Pac-10 record 6,245 yards (according to USC Legends). Hopefully one of our guys at running back can make Mr. White proud this season.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 13 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just 13 days away from unleashing hell on the University of Idaho. Wearing #13 for the Trojans this season is the talented sophomore running back, Stafon Johnson...

Johnson, a.k.a. "The Prince of L.A.," was the prize recruit at tailback last year, but he had a disappointing freshman season in 2006. Stafon Johnson fell to the bottom of the depth chart behind fellow freshmen C.J. Gable, Emmanuel Moody, and Allen Bradford, not because he lacked talent, but because of some character issues. He missed most of the winter and spring workouts with an injured shoulder and was falling further behind. Rumors began to circulate that Johnson would be the 1st Trojan tailback to transfer before the season, but he changed that perception in a hurry. Stafon must have done some real soul searching because he has gotten a ton of carries throughout fall camp, and has probably positioned himself into the main rotation at tailback this season. That is a prime example of Coach Carroll's philosophy of creating a competitive environment for his players. It's good to see Stafon turning the corner and buying into Carroll's philosophy, as all of here at USC Sports Talk look forward to a tremendous season from "The Prince."

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 14 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just two weeks away (that's right, 14 days) from kicking of the season against the University of Idaho. Wearing #14 for the Trojans this season is Garret Green, probably the sickest athlete in all of college football...

Green, a 6'2" 205-pound sophomore, continues to be one of the more versatile players on the team. Green wants to play quarterback, but he is so athletic and is such a good football player, that Coach Carroll moved him to safety as a freshman last season. Green played mainly on special teams last year, but he appeared in 10 games. He moved back over to QB after the season and has practiced at WR during the second week of fall camp. Some of the WRs have been banged up this fall, so Green was needed there to provide more depth. He was a pleasant surprise though at Thursday's scrimmage, catching 3 passes for 34 yards. There is no doubt in my mind that Garrett Green will find a way to get on the field and contribute big-time before he leaves for the NFL.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 15 Days

As we continue our countdown towards the 2007 season we are now only 15 days away from chanting, "BEAT THE HUSKERS... BEAT THE HUSKERS," after our destruction of the Idaho Vandals. Representing #15 on our countdown is a California High School Football State Champion, freshmen quarterback Aaron Corp.


Corp is a very special player. He lead his Lutheran Lancers team to a 14-1 record and a State Championship his senior season while throwing for over 2,000 yards and completing more than 70% of his passes. He also rushed for over 800 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Before Corp stepped foot on campus this summer it was all but certain that he would redshirt his freshman season. At 6'3" 185lbs. Corp needs to bulk up and add some muscle to his skinny frame before it is even safe for him to compete at the college level. After a season of practicing against one of the best college defenses ever assembled and an offseason with Coach Carlisle Corp should be ready to participate in a fierce quarterback battle with Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain.

The coaching staff is getting a good look at Corp this fall as his reps have increased due to Sanchez's recent thumb injury. In the first scrimmage this fall Corp was 4 for 4, throwing for 49 yards and a touchdown. He's looked good in recent practices and he should only get better as he learns the offense.

It's going to be a tough road for Corp competing against Sanchez, Mustain and possibly Matt Barkley. The good news for Corp is that he can do things that the other quarterbacks cant. For instance...

Basketball - Lutheran's Aaron Corp goes up for a reverse dunk during the Lancers' 92-62 loss to Oak Hill Academy-VA in the Nike Extravaganza on Feb. 2 at Mater Dei High School.

Countdown to Kickoff: 16 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 16 days away from kicking off another season of USC Football. We got a double shot of Trojan QBs wearing #16 this season, 5th year senior Mike McDonald and the all-world sophomore transfer Mitch Mustain...

McDonald (above) will serve as USC's holder for the 2nd straight season, and is currently the backup to senior QB John David Booty as Mark Sanchez recovers from a thumb injury sustained during the 1st scrimmage of fall camp. Mustain (below) comes to USC with an already impressive resume after transferring from the University of Arkansas. He was the #1 rated QB in the 2006 recruiting class, but transferred to USC with teammate Damien Williams following a tumultuous freshman season. He must sit this season out per NCAA rules, but Mustain is already causing a stir amongst fans. Most USC fans are split 50/50 on the race for the 2008 starting QB; there are those loyal to Sanchez, and those who are ready to anoint Mustain as the next Heisman Trophy winner (me). Whichever way you feel, it's simply amazing that USC will have 3 very good QBs, who can probably start anywhere else in the country, competing for the starting job next season.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 17 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 17 days away from another exciting season of USC Football. Wearing jersey #17 for the Trojans this season is sophomore WR Travon Patterson...

Patterson entered fall camp with great momentum following his 3 TD performance in the Trojan Huddle spring game. He is very quick and is a legitimate deep threat, but Patterson will have to hold off a surging David Ausberry and highly touted freshman Ronald Johnson who are making their own case for playing time.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 18 Days

USC Sports Talk's countdown to kickoff has now reached #18. Wearing #18 for the Trojans this year is redshirt freshman Jamere Holland. Holland has battled the injury bug since his arrival at USC last summer. Last summer he broke his collar bone and was forced to sit out the season. This summer Holland has been practicing while slowly trying to recover from a hamstring injury suffered while running track.


As possibly one of the fastest players on the team it is important that Holland get some good work in at practice. If his hamstring heels and he can remain healthy while avoiding Will Harris, Holland can be a very valuable weapon for the Trojans.

I cant forget to mention the other Trojan wearing #18 this season. Here's a hint in case you forgot.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 19 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now just 19 days away from the opening kickoff on September 1st against the Idaho Vandals. Number 19 will not be worn this season, in honor of USC's former kicker, the late Mario Danelo...

This photo was taken in 2005 after USC's dramatic victory at Notre Dame. The Trojans will dedicate this season to their fallen teammate and have painted a large 19 in cardinal and gold trim in the south end zone of the Howard Jones practice filed to pay tribute.

R.I.P. #19

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 20 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 20 days away from watching the Trojans knock some heads against the Idaho Vandals. The number 20 has been retired at USC in honor of the school's first Heisman Trophy winner and current Athletics Director, Mike Garrett...

Garrett's Heisman Trophy award in 1965 began a tradition that earned USC the moniker "Tailback U." He paved the way for future Trojan greats O.J. Simpson, Anthony Davis, Ricky Bell, Charles White, Marcus Allen, and Reggie Bush. I don't know very much else about Garrett's playing career, but I do know that he was responsible for the hires of Head Football Coach Pete Carroll and Head Basketball Coach Tim Floyd. The Trojans are in good hands and will soon match Florida by holding national championships in both sports in the same year.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 21 Days

As we continue our countdown toward the 2007 season, we are now only 21 days away from seeing Traveler gallop up and down the Coliseum as the Trojans score touchdown after touchdown. Representing #21 for the Trojans this season is junior tailback Allen Bradford. Bradford is a BEAST. Better yet, Bradford is a Renaissance Beast. He can beat you in multiple ways from multiple positions. He's quick and powerful. He can play running back, fullback, safety, linebacker; wherever he's needed he is willing, ready, and capable of ripping the opposition a new asshole.

Bradford spent last season moving back and forth from offense to defense from one position to the other as coaches tried to best figure out how to use his talents. This season Bradford will focus specifically on the running back position. After a full of spring/offseason at one position Bradford is ready to show the coaches what he is capable of. USCFootball.com had this to say about Bradford after Wednesday's practice...

Allen Bradford continues to show the best combination of size, speed and agility of anyone out there.

Everyone here at USC Sports Talk knows how much I get off to freshman DE Everson Griffen. Well this is what Bradford had to say to the highly touted freshman.

I see you Griff...

Get some!


Bitched!

The Inland Empire product should continue to impress coaches today as the Trojans suit up in full pads. More pads = more contact = more punishment.

Fight On!

Practice Update 08/10/07: During a drill where the running backs and fullbacks have to try to block blitzing linebackers Allen Bradford handled Keith Rivers, tossing him to the ground. Keith Rivers who is on the Lott, Nagurski, Bednarik, and Lombardi Award watch list.

He is a true "Monster in this Game," as his tattoo states.