Unanimous

PCBE and myself attended another Fall camp practice this morning and were again impressed with several players. Aaron Corp seems to be picking up the offense a little more each day and was completing some difficult throws today. Mark Sanchez looked pretty upbeat on the sidelines this morning as well. Vidal Hazelton sat out much of practice with an unknown injury, while Rojo took plenty of reps at slot. Again, the defense was giving the first team fits. And thats a good sign. The rumors are true about Chauncey Washington as he really has slimmed down and looks very, very smooth. It seems as though he has benefited from an excellent spring and summer, not having to worry about passing classes, and being able to condition himself better.

The geniuses over at ESPN have pulled out the crystal balls and predicted the results of the 2007 bowl season. And the results are in. USC is predicted to to win the BCS national championship game by all 12 experts, ranging from USC homer Colin Cowherd to analyst Jim Donnan. They have USC downing teams such as LSU, West Virginia, and Texas.

While we love our Traveler and being Trojans, we have to pay due to possibly the best mascot of all....compliments of EDSBS.

Ivan Maisel has penciled an All-American team and USC has the most players on it.

CNNSI has got their scouting report on USC and we're holdin it down at #1. Shocker there.

The cards are stacked in our favor with a Heisman contender at QB, a savage defense returning, and some serious blue chips at wide receiver. Not to mention, THE WIZARD at head coach.While most teams seem to fold under such pressure (cough..Ohio State..cough), USC and coach Pete welcome the challenge with open arms. While the clowns at Westwood High run around like chickens on acid, the beast slowly starts to move in for the kill, one team at a time. September 1st can't arrive soon enough as everyone seems a little anxious these days. No wonder Dennis Erickson wanted out of this game, for Idaho will surely be brought in as a sacrifice to the Gods. There will be hitting. And there will be blood. Lots of blood.

Tuesday Morning Practice Notes

Today was the second two-a-day of fall camp for the Trojans, who began working this morning at 9am in shorts and helmets. Here are a few notes from this morning's practice...

• There's a long list of injured players that sat out practice or spent the majority of practice on the trainer's table. The list includes: Hershel Dennis, Marc Tyler, Emmanuel Moody, Desmond Reed, Travon Patterson, Mark Sanchez, Kevin Thomas, Cary Harris, Alfred Rowe, and Luther Brown.

• Vidal Hazelton attempted to participate in today's practice however he was pulled out of practice by Coach Morton. Morton apparently didn't want him practicing on a sore knee.

• Jamere Holland was practicing this morning. I'm hoping he will participate in the evening practice because I have yet to see him practice in full pads.

• Position Switch: Garrett Green the former quarterback turned safety turned quarterback is now working with the receivers. Green may be the most versatile athlete on the team. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw him kicking field goals tomorrow. I almost forgot that he also participated in kickoff coverage last season as well.

• As expected Aaron Corp received a lot of reps at quarterback today. The highlight of the day for Corp was a deep completion to Brandon Carswell down the right sideline. Or maybe it was when he scrambled out of the pocket throwing on the run to David Ausberry for a touchdown.

• I'm not sure whether or not Shareece Wright is injured but today the second string corners were Vincent Joseph and Jim Abbott. Scary I know.

• The defense continues to get pressure on the quarterback forcing JDB to throw the ball away or dump passes off to the tight ends.

• Joe McKnight had a good practice displaying soft hands catching out of the back field. The play of the day for McKnight was when he out-jumped Keith Rivers to haul in a pass from Booty in the redzone.

• Carroll spent time after practice talking to the receivers and tight ends about the importance of hand placement when making catches. Carroll used a number of receivers and tight ends to demonstrate his point as he rifled balls at them. Vidal Hazelton takes the prize for best hands.
  

The Trojans will return to Howard Jones at 4:00 pm. Unfortunately I don't believe anyone here at USC Sports Talk will be able to attend the evening practice.

Fight On!

David Beckham: MLS Savior or Bust

David Beckham made his long awaited MLS regular season debut against D.C United in an unimpressive performance last week. It was a sloppy game, which is pretty common in the MLS. The game was played in the rain, unlike pussy-ass baseball, and Beckham made a rather low-key debut for his first MLS regular season appearance. Beckham is still nursing a tender ankle, and as a former soccer player, hurt ankles are a nuisance when you're trying to cut or stop on a dime. I doubt we'll be able to see Beckham play up to his full potential for about another couple of weeks. When he does get healthy, I hope Beckham can show a fraction of the form he showed in his last games with Real Madrid.

David Beckham is a beast on the soccer field. He has uncanny vision and he can change a game with a single strike from his boot. His free kicks are rivaled only by Roberto Carlos of Brazil. He's also married to the stunning Victoria Beckham, which makes him one of the most envied human beings in the whole world. Very few people can say they're going to make 250 million dollars in the next 5 years, but this guy can.

With great power, comes great responsibility though... Uncle Ben was right when he uttered those words to a young Peter Parker in the first Spiderman. Beckham has been assigned the difficult task of making soccer relevant in America. This is a monumental task. Soccer is an afterthought here in America because everyone gets off to the Big Three: football, basketball and baseball. Soccer can hold its own in popularity though. Every time a European club comes to play a friendly game here in States, the game sells out immediately. Even Mexican club teams can sell out stadiums here in the U.S. The whole country gets a sudden wave of interest every 4th year for the World Cup as well. The arenas where soccer falls short are on television and coverage in the mainstream American media. ESPN doesn't give a shit about soccer unless something monumental happens. I mean, when Eric Wynalda is a lead commentator for soccer games, you know something isn't right.

Maybe Beckham can arouse more media interest about the actual game of soccer, instead of what he or his wife are wearing out in public or the usual tabloid bullshit. If Beckham can produce a handful of the plays he displays in this video in the coming years here in the U.S., then he has a good shot at making soccer explode.



Regardless of what happens, he has already made the casual fan more aware of the beautiful game with his mere marketing ability and his 80 dollar jersey, which is fucking sweet by the way.

Sanchez out 2-4 weeks

USC backup QB Mark "The Dirty" Sanchez will be sidelined for 2-4 weeks after injuring the thumb on his right (throwing) hand at Sunday night's scrimmage. The redshirt sophomore has a "hairline crack" and there is a chance that he will miss the season opener vs. Idaho. Third-team QB Mike McDonald, who doubles as the holder on placekicks, will take over the backup role behind fellow senior John David Booty. Remember, McDonald converted a fake FG for a TD vs. Washington last season when he hit WR Steve Smith all alone on the sideline. Though McDonald is a savvy veteran and knows the offense well, he needs to take all the reps he can in practice to get ready for the start of the season. Freshman Aaron Corp is young and inexperienced, and Mitch Mustain must sit this season out after transferring from Arkansas. Fortunately, USC has a bye week before traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska in Week 3 to take on the Cornhuskers. The Idaho game is expected to be a rout, and would provided a good opportunity for Sanchez to receive valuable playing time. Sanchez needs to get a head start on his competition for the 2008 starting QB job. Let's wish him a full and speedy recovery.

Fight On!

Weekend Wrap

A great, relaxing weekend for all those at USC Sports Talk. I finally made it out to my first fall practice on Saturday afternoon, and I came away very impressed with the intensity at which practice was run. Beyond that...here goes.

Pac-Man made his first in-ring appearance at TNA: Hard Justice, but it wasn't what fans expected. Just like Thursday when he was supposed to show, but only had that 40 second promo. On Sunday, he was surrounded by police when he hit the stage. Very disappointing.

I am a huge fan of EDSBS, and if you click here and read Monday's posts, you'll see why. This has always been a favorite site of mine and I can only think of one more college football countdown that I would rather read than ours, and its this one.

Here is an article that speaks volumes about the Pac-10. Taj Gibson and O.J. gettin some love. Ignore all the assmilk about Kevin Love, by the way. Check out Doug Gottlieb's column as well.

An AP writer predicts a Texas-USC rematch in January. We win it this time. Big.

Entourage: E looks like he's got a new client for the Murphy Group.What was the verdict on Ari's wife? Anybody? Only 3 episodes left. I think I speak for everyone when I say....Fuck.

Have a happy Monday. I won't.

Tailback- Who?

USC Sports Talk asked which position battle fans are most looking forward to. The results are in and fans are overwhelmingly anticipating the battle at tailback. Here are the final results...

84% Running Back
9% Wide Receiver
3% Safety
1% Defensive End
1% Cornerback
1% Other

The battle for the #2 wide receiver spot is still wide open. It appears that David Ausberry has closed the gap on Vidal Hazelton who was named the #2 wideout after spring practice. Ausberry has impressed so much this fall that Carroll is considering starting both Patrick Turner and David Ausberry. Freshmen Ronald Johnson and Brandon Carswell have been getting a lot of reps with the injuries to Travon Patterson and Jamere Holland.

One thing is for certain about the battle between the defensive backs and that is that Josh Pinkard will be a starter. He has been working with the first team at safety and cornerback and started in today's scrimmage at corner. It's beginning to look like Mays and Ellison will start at Safety with Terrell Thomas and Pinkard at corner. Cary Harris and Mozique McCurtis will be the first DBs off the bench.

As for the battle at defensive end... there is no battle at defensive end. Kyle Moore has looked great so far this camp. Everson Griffen has been showing improvement but Moore is on another level.

After a week of practice here is how I would rank the running backs.

1. Chauncey Washington- Is finally starting to look like the Thunder & Lightning combination that we've been waiting to see. Get your C-Dub t-shirts now because he's going to be a monster this year.
2. Stafon Johnson- The local 5-star All-American is giving fans what they've been waiting for. Based on production, Stafon has been the best back the first week of fall camp.
   
3. C.J. Gable
4. Allen Bradford- BEAST. Enough said.
5. Desmond Reed
6. Emmanuel Moody
7. Joe McKnight
8. Broderick Green
9. Hershel Dennis- Injured
   
10. Marc Tyler- Injured

These rankings are up for debate. Comments welcome.

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!

Saturday Morning Practice Notes

The USC football team will conduct 4 days of two-a-day style practices during fall camp. On those days the team will have a morning practice at 9am and then return in the afternoon at 4pm. Saturday is the 1st two-a-day session of camp, and here are a few notes from the hour and a half long morning session, in which the players wore helmets and shorts...

• The team continued to work on special teams, and today the focus was on the punt coverage and field goal units. Junior kicker Dave Buehler had a solid workout, showing good accuracy and a strong leg. I didn't get a total count on his attempts, but his only miss came when he hit the right upright from at least 40 yards out. It is obvious that Buehler has the skill necessary to be an efficient kicker at this level, the only question is if that incredibly clutch 49 yard kick he made against UC-Berkeley last season was an aberration or a sign of things to come.
  

• The offensive star of the morning workout, again, was David Ausberry. This guy is a fucking "beast." I know the term "beast" has been overused lately, but Ausberry is very deserving of it. It's debatable whether he's the best WR on the team, but he's by far the most impressive. Just watching him play on the practice field makes you say "Wow!" He has soft hands and is a mismatch nightmare for whichever defensive back that lines up against him. With Travon Patterson and Jamere Holland sitting out, Ausberry often lined up at split end (X), with Ronald Johnson at flanker (Z), and Patrick Turner in the slot. That's a line-up that very few teams in college football can match-up against.
  

• Offensively, the first team offensive line and most of the running backs had a light session during the scrimmage type 11-on-11 team period. The focus during this period seemed to be on the passing game, as the offense went against the defense (which was rotating players regularly).
  

• There wasn't any contact, as the workout was brisk and smooth, but look for that to change in the afternoon session. We'll get a better look at the defense once the team comes out in full pads again.
  

Update: Trojans in the NFL

Week 1 of the NFL Pre-season continued on Friday with 4 games. The New England Patriots traveled to Tampa Bay where they lost to the Bucs 13-10. Former Trojan QB Matt Cassel got some action for the Patriots, completing 4 out of 7 passes for 32 yards and rushing 3 times for 13 yards. Patriots veteran LB Junior Seau didn't see any action but another former Trojan, LB Oscar Lua, led the team with 5 tackles.

Elsewhere, the New Orleans Saints 1st team offense appeared to be in mid-season form in their 13-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Former Trojan and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush was electrifying the few times he touched the ball and showed the versatility that made him so special last season. Bush finished with 2 carries for 15 yards and had 3 catches for 26 yards.

More games on the slate today highlighted by Carolina at the NY Giants, and Arizona at Oakland. I'll report on that tomorrow morning.

Fight On!

Friday Practice Notes

The USC football team suited up in full pads today, for this time this fall, and entertained the crowd. The team went through their usual routine of individual position drills, but lined up for some live scrimmaging for much of the 2nd half of practice. PCbestever and I were able to attend the entire practice, and he'll fill you in with his thoughts on the LBs, DBs, offensive backs and WR's. Here's what I observed from the offensive and defensive lineman, and the team session...

• I spent most of the day watching the defensive line during the positional drills, and later the unit drills, when they combine with (and go up against) the offensive line. The focus of today's d-line drills was on defeating cut blocks (where offensive blockers dive at a defender's legs in order to get them to the ground). The younger players seemed to struggle early on, but got better as the drill progressed. The next drills emphasized hand use techniques such as swim moves and slapping a blocker's hand away. I must say, I'm very impressed with the hand speed and power of the Trojan d-linemen. The 1-on-1 battles between the offensive and defensive linemen featured some great match-ups. Starting left guard Jeff Byers in going to be nasty this season. He displayed incredible technique and physically dominated starting DT Fili Moala twice. Averell Spicer showed that he is ready to contribute at NT this season as he beat starting C Matt Spanos on the same pass rushing drill. The best battle of the drill however, was DE Kyle Moore going against All-World OT Sam Baker. Moore has a very quick first step and gave Baker all he could handle. There is no doubt in my mind that Moore will be the starter on the right side this season, as highly touted freshman DE Everson Griffen continues to learn what big time college football is all about. The o-line looks very solid and has not skipped a beat with Charles Brown filling in at RT for projected starter Drew Radovich.
  

• During the 11-on-11 team scrimmage segment, there wasn't really much separation at RB. Marc Tyler and Hershel Dennis didn't practice, and Broderick Green (along with WR Brandon Carswell) wasn't in full pads, which meant more carries for the 7 other backs. Redshirt freshman WR David Ausberry was the star of the day for the offense, showing off his big-play capability with an impressive touchdown grab in the back of the end zone. Ausberry's size is a definite mismatch for any opponent, and is making a strong case for extensive playing time this season. CB Jim Abbot had the hit of the day when he leveled sophomore RB Stafon Johnson, who had broken off a nice run on the play, with a crushing tackle that got Johnson off his feat and put him on his back.
  

• Joe McKnight had a sub-par workout today and, like Everson Griffen, is still getting introduced to the rigors of big time college football.

PCbestever what were your thoughts from Friday:

• Safety Will Harris did not participate in today's practice. Apparently he suffered a stinger in his neck after yesterday's vicious hit on Jamere Holland. The coaches held him out as precaution and he should be back for tomorrow's practices.

• Today Josh Pinkard took the majority of the first team reps at free safety alongside Kevin Ellison during the 11-on-11. When he wasn't with the first team at safety he was in at corner. Pinkard is playing very well and if he continues to play at such a high level there is no way the coaching staff will be able to keep him off the field.

• Linebacker of the day... Clay Matthews. Matthews had a great day in practice today. He was blowing by offensive linemen in the 11-on-11 team scrimmage, batting down passes, and chasing down ball carriers.

• Fielding punts today were the freshmen Joe McKnight, Brandon Carswell, and Ronald Johnson and senior Desmond Reed. The freshmen had difficulties holding on to the ball as Reed looked the most comfortable and consistent.
  

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.

Fall Camp Coverage continues...

Today is Day 5 of fall camp and USC will practice in full pads for the first time. Some of the younger players and newcomers better make sure their helmets are strapped up because we're gonna find out a lot today.

USC Sports Talk will have two representatives at practice today, which should help us provide a more detailed practice report. I'll mainly focus on the linemen, while PCbestever will get a long look at the skill positions, but we'll do our best to cover as many positions as possible. Practice is scheduled to begin at 3pm, so we'll post our report later this evening.

For a look at the fall camp practice schedule, click here (via Conquest Chronicles).

Fight On!

Update: Trojans in the NFL

The NFL's Pre-season got underway in Canton, Ohio last Sunday as the New Orleans Saints played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game. If you didn't watch the game (like me), the Steelers won 20-7, but you didn't miss much. The starters for both teams didn't play much, maybe one possession apiece, but that's all. Former Trojans in the game included the Saints' Reggie Bush (2 carries, 8 yds.) and Troy Polamalu (no stats recorded, probably didn't even suit up).

Thursday featured two games: Cincinnati lost at Detroit 27-26, and Indianapolis lost at Dallas 23-10. Former Trojan and Heisman Trophy winning QB Carson Palmer had a nice day for the Bengals, completing 7 out of 10 passes for 93 yards. Former USC defensive lineman Shaun Cody got into the stat sheet for the Lions with 1 tackle. In the 2nd game, former Trojan safety Scott Ware played for the Colts and recorded 3 tackles and 1 assisted tackle against the Cowboys.

Friday's Week 1 Pre-season games featuring former Trojans include: New England @ Tampa Bay, Buffalo @ New Orleans, and St. Louis @ Minnesota. I'll have a roundup from those games before tomorrow morning.

Fight On, to our Trojans in the NFL!

Countdown to Kickoff: 22 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 22 days away from kicking things off against the Idaho Vandals. Wearing jersey #22 for the Trojans this season is senior all-purpose running back Desmond Reed...

Reed is one of the more versatile players on the team, but due to the freak injury he suffered in '05 at Notre Dame, he has been unable to establish himself as an elite player. He will likely get lost in the shuffle this season, not only at RB, but also as a return man. The very talented freshmen Joe McKnight and Ronald Johnson are expected to get every opportunity to win the kickoff and punt return duties, and it seems that at least one (if not both) will emerge as a game-breaking return man. I'm sure Carroll will find a place for him somewhere on the field, but Reed will always be left wondering "What if Notre Dame had cut their grass to a normal playing level?"

Fight On!

Thursday Practice Notes

Yet another beautiful day for football, unfortunately I couldn't stay for the entire practice. I left about half-way through practice when the players and coaches took a quick break to get hydrated. Here are a few notes from Thursday's practice...

• Apparently Scott Wolf was incorrect in reporting that Pete Carroll would miss today's practice as he was there running the show as usual.

• Will Harris continues to impress. No one with the ball is safe when Will Harris is on the field. Today's victim was Jamere Holland who got blasted while attempting to catch a pass. Holland couldn't hold on to the ball and fell to the ground. Holland was on the ground for a few seconds trying to remember who he was, then he headed over to the trainers table.

• Yesterday I commented on how impressive the freshman linebackers looked and the two didn't disappoint today. Chris Galippo is legit. He's the real deal. When he's in at middle linebacker he takes over the defense. He's a very vocal leader, unlike our current starting middle linebacker who tends to lead by example. He always seems to be in the right spot making plays all over the field. Yesterday I mentioned that Luther Brown was limping around. I didn't see him practicing today and am unaware of his injury status. All I know is Brown better get out to practice or learn another linebacker position because I think we've found our #2 at middle linebacker.

• More dropped passes from the wideouts. Hazelton specifically needs to step up in practice, especially if he wants to hold on to that #2 receiver spot. Ausberry and Rojo have been pretty consistent catching balls and making plays.

• Gable got up limping a little after a tackle by Terrell Thomas. He seemed to be slightly favoring his right leg as he walked to the sideline. I was unable to catch the rest of practice, so I'm not sure whether or not he is okay.

• The best tailback through the first half of practice was again Stafon Johnson.

http://www.wearesc.com

• Moody got man-handled by Chris Galippo. After the play Moody got in Galippo's face attempting to tell the freshmen that it wasn't a tackling drill. Comments welcome.

• Hersh sat out practice with a large ice wrap on his left leg.

Tomorrow's practice should be exciting as the players suit up in full pads for the first time. Hopefully we will get to see some of the freshmen who were recently cleared by the NCAA suited up tomorrow. However according to Scott Wolf it is unlikely that we will see Marc Tyler and Brandon Carswell suited and booted.

Bullshit

Its taken me a while to address this, but I'll do my best to make up for lost time. I'm sure you all know by now that ESPN College Gameday will be visiting Blacksburg, Virginia on September 1st for the Virginia Tech-East Carolina game. I can't display to you how much I hate this move by ESPN and its affiliates. However, there is one game on Sep. 1st that is critical to the college football scene and that is Tennessee vs. Cal in Berkeley. A SEC-Pac-10 showdown with marquee players such as DeSean Jackson, Nate Longshore, Eric Ainge, Eric Berry, and coaches Phil Fulmer and Jeff Tedford. I am in no way endorsing the Hippies up North, but this is a game that will truly kick-off the season in amazing fashion and eyes around the country will be watching.

Back to Blacksburg, a town that was just recently torn apart by a savage gunman. This man. And ESPN feels that sending its "healing" crew of Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, and Desmond Howard will help heal the wounds? The people at Blacksburg are trying to move on from the terrible tragedy and most will tell you that they don't want to be reminded of the massacre again. And to be honest, many Americans don't want to tune in, beer and burger in hand with happy faces, to see shitty montages of that dreadful day played over and over to the sudden seriousness of Scooter and Herbstreit. Virginia Tech students will be thrilled for football season again, I'm sure. But in no way does this game warrant a visit from ESPN College Gameday. I digress.

Another thing I can't stand is the idea that some people say Virginia Tech football players have pressure to win and play for the victims. That is the largest pile of dog shit I have ever heard. If these players winning is so critical to the psyche of Tech Students, why not give them some help. Lets call Les Miles and ask him to lay down for the victims of Virginia Tech in Week 2 of the season. We are talking about 19-20 year olds who play football for Christ's sake. Were they not scarred by the tragedy? How does one "heal" by playing football? Does it make the students forget about what happened or take their mind off of it? If thats the case, then why show up? I can already see a student at Virgina Tech whose best buddies were blasted in the face by Cho Seung-hui, and 3 months later saying, "Geez, I hope we beat East Carolina because that would really help me get over the loss of my friends and the emotional and psychological damage that history's worst school massacre has caused me and my schoolmates. Or even better, having Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit set up shop in front of the Norris Building and relive that day in April will help make me feel loved and I'll soon forget that terrible day." Wishful thinking, I guess.

If ESPN wants to help, send some money to their psychology department, start up some scholarships, but don't subject the students and the rest of the country to another video of the deadliest massacre in school history, in high definition. Ditch this bullshit. I won't be watching.

Countdown to Kickoff: 23 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 23 days away from kicking off the season against the University of Idaho. Wearing jersey #23 for the Trojans this season is senior RB Chauncey Washington...

It's no secret that all of us here at USC Sports Talk are really high on Chauncey and Hersh to be the premier backs for our offense this coming season. Regardless of durability issues, these guys are work horses. You only have to look to the final drive against Arizona St. game last season where Chauncey carried the team, as well as several defenders on his back on his way to winning the game. C-Dub is going to leave opposing defenders black and blue every time he trucks a couple of them on his way to getting those tough yards down the middle.

We're hoping C-Dub gets plenty of carries this coming season and that he can build upon a decent season last year. This guy is going to be a beast if he can stay healthy. After all, he was the First President...

Fight on!!!

Wednesday's Practice Notes

It was a beautiful day for football practice today, and what made it even more beautiful was the sound of helmets crashing. Today the team wore helmets & shoulder pads in what was supposed to be a day of light contact. Light contact? The only light the players saw was a green light for lighting players up... and that's exactly what happened. Here are a few notes from Wednesday's practice.

• The offensive line didn't impress today, especially in the 11-on-11. The d-line got to the quarterback with ease. There were numerous sacks and a few pass break ups. Hopefully the o-line will show some improvement in the next coming weeks.

• Vidal Hazelton and Vincent Joseph got into a little scuffle today. During a receivers drill Joseph said something to Hazelton that got him pretty worked up. Hazelton called Joseph out and the two went head up on the next drill. After a good pop the two went at and continued to go at it even after Hazelton's helmet popped off. Coach Morton broke it up and called all the receivers and the corners in for quick chat. He told the players that he loved the fire and energy, but doesn't want to see anyone get hurt.

• McKnight was officially introduced to college football today. He's received a lot of praise the last two days, however today he received nothing but pain. McKnight was planted by Kevin Ellison and moments later he was lit up by Will Harris. I think those two hits stuck with him the rest of practice as he ran sideline-to-sideline trying to avoid defenders. Thomas Williams kindly informed him, "That shit don't work here! Not here!" This all comes a day after McKnight was sent flying to sidelines when Terrell Thomas gave him a one handed blow and politely told him, "I don't know who you think your fuckin' with!"
  

• Stafon Johnson was by far the best back today. He looked very shifty and powerful. However after one of his better plays of the afternoon Coach Carroll stopped the practice to call him out in front of the entire team. Apparently after Stafon trucked Vincent Joseph or Will Harris he tossed the ball at them. Carroll yelled, exclaiming that this is not the kind of football we play and that foolishness like that is what will negate good plays.

• Emmanuel Moody got bitched by Michael "Slim" Morgan. Of all the backs Moody looked the least impressive today.

• Marc Tyler, Broderick Green, and Brandon Carswell all participated in today's practice. Not wearing should pads, all three players sported the yellow jerseys. The three looked good, however Brandon Carswell was the most impressive snagging balls over defenders.

• I seem to be seeing more dropped passes by the receivers than usual, even from the sure-handed Patrick Turner and Travon Patterson.
  

• During a receiver drill Josh Pinkard lined up against Patrick Turner. After making the catch the long-armed Turner gave Pinkard a nice stiff arm and took the ball up the field. After the play Pinkard said "I just cant get to him," and he and Terrell Thomas went on to talk about how difficult it is to tackle PT.

• Luther Brown appeared to have injured his right leg. Toward the end of the practice he had his pads off and was limping around the field.

• Freshmen linebackers Chris Galippo and Malcolm Smith both looked impressive today in practice.

Stay tuned for more practice notes as the guys here at USC Sports Talk will try to attend as many practices as our summer work schedules (or lunch breaks) will allow us to.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 24 Days

The excitement builds as the #1 ranked Trojans are only 24 days away from the start of the 2007 season. Representing #24 on our countdown to kickoff is sophomore cornerback Shareece Wright. Wright appeared in all 13 games last season as a true freshmen. Picking up valuable playing time at cornerback and on special teams.

Shareece played well during the spring and with only one cornerback position solidified, he has the opportunity to compete for the starting job opposite Terrell Thomas. With Kevin Thomas still recovering from injury, Wright's primary competition this fall is current starter Cary Harris. Competition will increase when/if Kevin Thomas returns and if the coaching staff decides to move Josh Pinkard back to cornerback. Shareece is a very physical cornerback and we should get a good look at him on Friday when the team suits up for their first day in pads.

I just heard the first horn sound, time to head over to Howard Jones...

Fight On!

More Bondage

*Barry Bonds' rookie card is now a valuable item...if you can get your hands on one.

*756

A tragedy occurred tonight.

A night that will live in infamy... Tuesday, August 7, 2007 will go down as the day *Barry Bonds shitted on one of the most hallowed record in all of sports: the all-time home run record set by Hank Aaron. The record has stood since 1974 when Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record and in my mind, it will stand until someone other than *Barry "Asshole cheater" Bonds breaks it. I fucking hate *Barry Bonds for many reasons. For starters, he plays for the San Francisco Giants. My biggest beef with this guy is that he knowingly used steroids after the 1998 season but he refuses to admit it. *Bonds is an outright cheater and baseball refuses to step up and suspend this fucking prick.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks this way. *Bonds can have this moment but in the court of public opinion, he will always be remembered with an asterisk. This is truly a dark day for sports and it marks the end of my interest in baseball. Fuck *Barry Bonds.

*Note: I also think Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, and Jason Giambi are steroid users and douchebags. They can go eat shit too.

Countdown to Kickoff: 25 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 25 days away from welcoming the Idaho Vandals to the Coliseum - home of nation's longest current home winning streak (32 games). Let's use this time to honor former Trojan tailback Justin Fargas...

Fargas transferred to USC in 2001 after spending three years at Michigan. He only played one year for the Trojans, but he made it a memorable one. Fargas was a key member of that 2002 team that was instrumental in putting USC back amongst college football's elite. In 2002 (Pete Carroll's 2nd season), the Trojans finished with a record of 11-2 and made it to their first-ever BCS game, where they pummeled Iowa 38-17. The Trojans have been in a BCS bowl every year since. Fargas impressed the pro scouts enough to be selected in the 3rd Round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He is now entering his 5th season with the Silver and Black, where is joined by several fellow Trojans, including the new head coach Lane Kiffin.

We were a little bit side-tracked by the start of fall camp and are still working on Day 26 of our countdown, but it will be posted a little bit later. Sorry fellas...

Fight On!

Just For Kicks.....

Thought you all might enjoy this. Fuck The Bruins. (And yes, that's 6'6" Greg Carr)

Morning coffee...

Great weekend for everyone here at USC Sports Talk. The season is even closer as practices across the country begin this morning. I am McLovin it!!!! Here's the weekend rundown and morning news.

Fall camp previews are up for the defense, as well as offense. Mel Kiper Fan will be spearheading much of the analysis from now until New Orleans on January 9th. Check it out.

PacMan Jones is gonna suit up. For TNA Wrestling. Don't really know what to say, but I'll be watching. I wonder what kind of signature move he's gonna have. Any suggestions on the name for his move? Perhaps something to do with biting or "making it rain."

Finally, Bonds has tied Hank Aaron and we are still hearing about this jerk-off. This whole thing can't be over soon enough. However, A-Rod is closing in fast as he reached 500 this weekend and many believe he is on pace to hit over 800 in his career. So much for an untouchable record, right? And is Tom Glavine the last 300 game winner in the history of baseball? I tend to think so( as much as I hate agreeing with Tim "Douche" Kurkjian).

Tickets are on sale for UFC 76 on September 22 in Anaheim,CA. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell will get his rebound opportunity against Keith "Dean of Mean" Jardine. And I am most excited to see the "much awaited" debut of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua from Pride. Shogun just might be the best pound for pound MMA fighter on the planet. Check out his destruction of current light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson. He will square off against UFC fan favorite Forrest Griffin. Great card all around.

Another great episode of Entourage. A $42,000 desk? Are you fucking kidding me?I loved the Gary Busey appearance, though. And I am sure everyone loved Ari's quote, "How can one embryo produce two fucking losers !!?"

Fall Camp Preview: Offense

After previewing the defense yesterday, it was obvious that there aren't many question marks on the defensive side of the ball. However, as most of you already know, that is not the case offensively. First of all, there have been a couple of changes to the coaching staff. Steve Sarkisian steps in as USC's new offensive coordinator - though he and Lane Kiffin served as "co-offensive coordinators" the past two seasons, it was actually Kiffin who called the plays - and John Morton was brought in to serve as passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach. I am very excited to see Sarkisian's play-calling style, since I was often very critical of Kiffin's. I think he's ready for the challenge and will do just fine. Morton was a key (and under the radar) addition to the staff, and will not only bring some new ideas to the passing game, but should help develop and mentor the young WR's this season.

Offensive Line
What we know: All-world Left Tackle Sam Baker returns for his senior season and junior Chilo Rachal is back at Right Guard. Junior Jeff Byers appears to be healthy and will likely start at Left Guard, which means senior Drew Radovich - last year's starter at LG - will move to Right Tackle. That leaves senior Matt Spanos at Center, who is finally eligible after missing all of last season due to academic issues.

Fall Questions: (1) How much will USC miss Ryan Kalil, who was a three year starter at Center and team captain. A guy like Kalil is irreplaceable, but hopefully the return of Byers and Spanos can help offset his loss.
(2) How will Radovich perform at Right Tackle? Radovich struggled at times last season, so maybe he's better suited to play tackle instead of guard.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
What we know: Junior WR Patrick Turner is the only returning player with any significant game experience at WR. Senior TE Fred Davis enters this season as one of the leading candidates for the John Mackey Award, given annually to the nation's best tight end.

Fall Questions: (1) How in the heck will this young group of wide outs match the production and consistency of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith? The one advantage this group has is that they have a veteran QB who can get them the ball. The best of the bunch right now is Turner. He and redshirt freshman David Ausberry certainly have the size (6'5") to dominate games, but Ausberry is not a great route-runner and lacks experience. Ausberry played very well in the spring game though and is getting better every day. Sophomore Vidal Hazleton is penciled in as the starter opposite of Turner, but is his game as big as his ego? To his credit, Hazleton has looked really sharp in summer workouts and is coming off a great spring, so he just might be as good as he proclaims. Sophomore Travon Patterson and redshirt freshman Jamere Holland have the speed to really stretch the field, though Holland can't seem to stay healthy. Patterson had a breakout performance in the spring game, but does he have the size and toughness to catch passes across the middle? The X-factor is freshman Ronald Johnson. From what I've seen, he looks to have great acceleration and change of direction, runs crisp routes, and has very soft hands. RoJo will get a chance to play right away, so we'll know early on in camp if he's for real.
(2) Is there any depth at TE behind Fred Davis? Senior Dale Thompson, junior Jimmy Miller, and sophomore Anthony McCoy will need to show that they can contribute whenever USC lines up in a multiple tight end formation, or even become serviceable backups should anything happen to Davis.

Running Backs
What we know: No running backs are lost from last season, but the addition of 3 highly touted freshmen means that there is an even bigger log-jam at tailback. There are 1o players vying for carries and playing time this season: Seniors Chauncey Washington, Hershel Dennis, and Desmond Reed; Sophomores C.J. Gable, Emmanuel Moody, Allen Bradford, and Stafon Johnson; Freshmen Joe McKnight, Marc Tyler, and Broderick Green. At the conclusion of spring drills, Washington and Gable were listed as co-1st teamers at RB, with Stanley Havili listed as the #1 fullback (who also had an amazing spring).

Fall Questions: (1) Who will separate themselves from the rest of the pack at running back, and who will end up switching positions or transferring? With the exception of Stafon Johnson, we've seen all of the backs in action and have a pretty good idea as to what each of them can do. Johnson and the 3 freshmen need to be given a chance early on to see if they can become the game-breaker that USC's offense was lacking at RB last season. Chauncey showed he can be a workhorse, and Hersh looks like his old self before the injuries. I feel really good about both of those guys. Gable, Moody, and Bradford just didn't show me enough last season and may still be a year away from being ready.
(2) Will Stanley Havili remain healthy? The fullback position is very important to the USC offense. It's a position that has been ravaged by injuries the past couple seasons. Havili has shown wonderful abilities in practices and will have a big role this season. He can catch, block, and runs very well.

Quarterback
What we know: There is no quarterback controversy this season, as senior John David Booty appears to be the front-runner for this year's Heisman. He had a very good season last year, especially when you consider that it was his first as a starter, and USC's inabililty to find a consistent running game. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be even better this year. Redshirt sophomore Mark Sanchez should be ready to fill in as a backup, if needed.

Fall Questions: (1) Who will emerge as the heir apparent to Booty for next season? Sanchez has the early advantage, having spent 2 years in the program already, but he will definitely be looking over his shoulder at two other QB's. Due to NCAA rules, Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain will have to sit out the season, but he will practice. Fall camp gives Mustain an opportunity to measure himself against Sanchez, and offer us a preview of what to expect in the 2008 QB battle. The third candidate will be freshman Aaron Corp. Though highly talented, Corp is very likely to redshirt this season in order to get himself physically ready to compete for the 2008 starting job. He just doesn't have the body that can withstand the punishment and rigors of Division I football, at least not yet.

Hope this was enough information to get everyone ready for what should be a very fun and entertaining fall camp.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 26 Days

The Vandals are less than 26 days away from their one and only touchdown in Los Angeles.... at LAX. We continue our countdown to kickoff with less than 24 hours to the start of fall camp. Representing number 26 on our countdown is redshirt sophomore safety Will Harris.



Harris has been marred by injuries since his arrival at USC, missing out on the majority of the last two seasons. Harris returns this fall as the 4th man in a 3-man competition at safety. Chances are very slim that Harris cracks the starting lineup but should see a considerable amount of time in reserve duty.

Fall Camp Preview (Defense)

A new football season is right around the corner, so as USC gets ready to open fall camp on Monday, it's time to get re-acquainted with the 2007 Trojans. You've all heard the old adage "Defense Wins Championships" so let's first take a look at the defense. This season's USC Defense is expected to rank near the top of every statistical category as the #1 ranked Trojans return 10 starters from a unit that was pretty darn good last season. The emphasis this year will be on creating turnovers and to generate big plays that swing a game's momentum. USC definitely has all the pieces needed to become one of the best defenses in the country, but there are still a few questions that can only be answered through fall camp. Here's what I think Pete Carroll and his staff need to address in the next few weeks...

Defensive Line
What is known: LDE Lawrence Jackson, NT Sedrick Ellis, and DT Fili Moala, all returning starters, have solidified themselves on the first team unit and are in no apparent danger of losing their jobs. They form the core of what is the best defensive line in college football, and will thrive off of each other this season.

Fall Questions: (1) Just how good is DE Everson Griffen? I am really high on Kyle Moore, the projected starter at RDE, who had a great spring and should be a very serviceable starter for the Trojans. If Griffen can play himself into the rotation, or even earn a starting spot, then I will feel really good about our D-Ends.
(2) Who will step up at defensive tackle? Fall camp will allow the coaches to evaluate the young tackles that are being counted on to provide depth up the middle. Guys like Averell Spicer (R-So.), Alex Parsons (R-Fr.), and incoming freshman DaJohn Harris will all get a chance to show what they got.

Linebackers
What is known: The starters are Rey Maualuga (MLB), Keith Rivers (WLB), and Brian Cushing (SLB). Senior Thomas Williams, who is a versatile, reliable veteran that can play all 3 LB positons, returns as the top backup. Maualuga and Rivers are two of the best in the country at their position and will be 1st Round picks when they enter the NFL Draft. Cushing returns to his preferred position of strong-side linebacker after playing the "elephant" position last season...

Fall Questions: (1) How well can Cushing play the strong-side LB spot? He played really well in that hybrid DE/OLB role towards the end of last season (especially vs. Michigan), but he struggled mightily during the 1st half of the season. I realize he was only a sophomore, but it took a while for him to grasp his new position. It raises some questions as to how quickly he can pick things up and learn a new role as he is once again asked to play a different position than the year before. The fact that he missed most of the spring due to injuries, and the quality reps that come with practicing, further illustrates my point that there is a little bit of uncertainty at SLB.
(2) Will freshman LB Chris Galippo have an immediate impact this season? It's not likely that he'll crack the starting line-up at all this season, but it'll be interesting to see him and Luthur Brown battle it out for the #2 MLB spot.

Secondary
What is known: All 5 players who started a game last season return (CB Terrell Thomas, CB Cary Harris, FS Taylor Mays, SS Kevin Ellison, S/CB Josh Pinkard), but only 4 of them will start. For the moment, Pinkard is the odd man out, but he was the leader of the Trojan secondary before suffering a season ending knee injury in last year's opener. Terrell Thomas and Kevin Ellison are probably the only guys who aren't looking over their shoulders.

Fall Questions: (1) Where will Pinkard play? He started at corner in 2005, so maybe he can take over Cary's spot if Carroll wants to put his best players on the field, but maybe he take back his starting free safety spot from last year's freshman All-American Taylor Mays.
(2) Injuries...how will the players returning from injuries hold up? Kevin Thomas, T. Thomas, K. Ellison, and J. Pinkard were all kept out of practice for most or all of the spring.

The offensive preview will be posted on Monday morning.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 27 Days

The daily countdown to kickoff continues as we are now only 27 days away from the start of the 2007 season. Representing #27 for the Trojans this year is incoming freshmen safety Marshall Jones from Oaks Christian.


Jones is a tremendous athlete and brings his versatility and hard-nosed style of play to a safety position that is already loaded with talent. Jones excelled at Oaks Christian playing safety, wide receiver, and some running back behind Marc Tyler. Delivering brutal hits at all three positions. The title of the article alone suggests the perfect mentality you want your enforcing safety to have.

Jones may not get much playing time at safety, however fans should be able look forward to Jones laying people out on special teams.

Fight On!

Update: Brice Butler picks USC

Like I said in the previous post, Butler was to bring out 3 or 4 hats to his announcement, with each representing the schools he chose as his finalists. Apparently, he kept fans in suspense by only bringing Notre Dame, LSU, and Florida State hats to the podium. After knocking off ND and LSU, Butler surprised everyone when he whipped out a USC hat concealed underneath the FSU hat, becoming USC's 13th verbal commitment of the 2008 recruiting class. Here's the full report from rivals.com...welcome aboard Brice!

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 28 Days

As we continue our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now 28 days away from the start of a very promising season. Representing #28 on our countdown are a pair of Trojans; senior cornerback Terrell Thomas and sophomore running back Emmanuel Moody.



Terrell Thomas sat out most of spring drills while recovering from an off-season shoulder surgery. Thomas is healthy now and will enter fall camp as the veteran leader of one of the best defensive back units in Carroll's tenure. Thomas is often praised by coaches for his willingness to help out the younger players. Look for Terrell to have a successful senior season starting opposite either Kevin Thomas or Cary Harris.



Emmanuel Moody is currently listed as one of five projected starters on Carroll's end of spring depth chart. However in actuality Moody will have to compete with 9 healthy tailbacks this fall for playing time. Only time will tell how much playing time Moody will get this season. Last season Moody saw ample playing time as a true freshmen, starting in 4 games before injuring his ankle. Averaging just under 6 yards per carry Moody displayed good speed and elusiveness, as showcased in this video...



Moody is one of the hardest working tailbacks on the roster. Anyone who has seen him this summer knows exactly what I'm talking about. The guy has bulked up a lot this summer, adding some serious muscle. But we all know that muscles don't make you a good running back, just look at Lendale.

The competition at tailback should be very exciting.

Fight On!

McGuffie picks UM...Butler to USC?

As seen on rivals.com, Norcross (GA) High School WR Brice Butler will verbally commit to a school on Saturday at around noon (PST). He has received offers from all over the country, but has yet to name any finalists. At his announcment, Butler will lay out 3 or 4 hats representing each of the schools he has chosen as finalists.

Butler has great hands and is a very good route runner and is highly regarded by most recruiting services. Here is an excerpt from rivals.com that ranked the WR's in various categories.

Best Hands
Crabtree's take: I love Brice Butler's ability to go get the football. He doesn't let it come to him, he attacks the ball. And some of the catches he makes on film are amazing...

Farrell's take: Brice Butler is one of the few players in any category who was a unanimous selection. He makes circus catches and this top five is as good as any in recent years at catching the ball.

Shurburtt's take: The receivers in this group catch everything that's thrown their way. Butler also is an excellent route runner.

I believe it's down to USC or Florida State for Butler (just like T.J. Bryant and Deion Walker), so let's just wait and see what happens.

Hopefully we will hear some good news tomorrow, especially after missing out on McGuffie. For the moment, USC has lost out on class of 2008 football recruit Sam McGuffie, who verbally committed to the University of Michigan last Sunday. The ultra-talented running back out of Cy-Fair (TX) High School, has become a YouTube legend due to his amazing junior season highlight reel. His announcement was a very disappointing one for me, but I guess the temptation of immediate playing time at UM due to the departure of senior RB Mike Hart just proved to be too much for any school to overcome (USC was a finalist along with Notre Dame, Florida, and Texas A&M). However, I believe USC is still in the picture because of the uncertainty of coach Lloyd Carr's future at Michigan. Carr's teams have been known to choke in big games (see last 3 Rose Bowl appearances, '05 vs. Notre Dame, (1-5) record vs. Jim Tressel's Buckeyes, and any others I might have missed), but his age (62) is also a concern, which means his days in Ann Arbor are clearly numbered. Should Carr step down (or be fired) at the end of the season, and if Carroll can convince McGuffie that he isn't going to the NFL, then there is still a chance that we will see this cat in a Trojan uniform next year.

Countdown To Kickoff: 29 Days

We are now less than 30 days from kickoff and we arrive at 29 Days with one of the most fearsome animals to ever roam wild....Scott Ware. The former hard-hitting free safety was not only known for his vicious hits, but his run-stopping ability as well. His mental knowledge of the game gave him an advantage over defensive backs behind him on the depth chart and led to quite the safety tandem with Darnell Bing. If you were a receiver or tight end hoping to catch a pass up the middle of the field.... I would count on 1 of 2 things: 1) Getting your face ripped off by one of the baddest motherfuckers to wear cardinal and gold or 2) catching the ball, then getting your face ripped off. Bitch.






Who could ever forget the comment Scott left on his Facebook group message board...

Hey guys, I am glad to hear you all love me fucking people up as much as I LOVE fucking people up. You may have heard the crazy shit about me and I am here to tell you:

1. Yes I enjoy knocking the shit out of other players.
2. No I can not go into public when I drink because Me + People = bad news
3. Yes I have a 2 1/2 foot long Savannah Monitor named Croc that I keep in my apartment and feed rats.

Is this not one of the best mugs you have ever seen? This guy is a legend in my mind.But you're still asking yourself, how badass is Scott Ware? This bad. Enough said.

Frustration Mounts in Westwood

I came across this post this morning from a UCLA Bruins blog and I think they have given up all hope and can only pray for one thing....

The only place for them to go Is straight down. They just can't keep this up year in and year out. I heard Carroll was gone after this season anyway. Let's hope Harbaugh was right. Time to leave for the NFL Petey. You can cheat all you want there as long as you don't run a dogfighting operation.

I think you have forced superiority over your rivals when they don't even want to compete anymore. They don't want to see their beloved institution change directions and find a way to win. Westwood High fans don't want Dorrell to grow some balls and win the Pac-10 for once. They don't want Dorrell to be fired and a new coach hired who can compete with Carroll. They don't want to "outrecruit" USC for a change and win the Pac-10. They don't want to gather everything they have and prove that they can compete with USC for a Pac-10 title and a National Title.
They want Carroll gone. Plain and simple. Its their only chance because as long as he is here, UCLA will always be backpage of the LA Times, or as they call it "The Trojan Times." Damn, it sure feels good to be on top. As a matter of fact, thats what she said. Fight On!

Trojans in NFL Training Camps

From Wednesday's ESPN.com article,

Washington Redskins: LB Dallas Sartz (strained hamstring) was sidelined morning Wednesday...

Seattle Seahawks: Backup fullback David Kirtman broke his hand during practice Wednesday morning...Kirtman, a fifth-round draft choice from 2006 out of Southern California, was participating in a running plays drill with backs and linemen when he suddenly walked off the field with a trainer while holding his right arm. By the afternoon, Kirtman was wearing a soft brace over his right hand and wrist. A Seahawks spokesman said Wednesday night that the team has yet to determine a treatment course for Kirtman, so there is no estimate on how long he will be out. Kirtman spent most of last season on the practice squad before being added to the active roster in December...Mack Strong, Seattle's two-time Pro Bowl fullback who turns 36 in September, said Wednesday that coaches have told him he will be yielding some of his playing time to younger players this season.

And from last Saturday's LA Times regarding the Carolina Panthers:

The Carolina Panthers signed second-round pick Dwayne Jarrett to a four-year, $3.825 million contract...Jarrett, a receiver from USC, will receive $1.935 million in guaranteed bonuses and incentives, making the deal one of the largest in guaranteed money for a second-round pick. Jarrett, the 45th pick in the draft, is expected to contend for the starting receiver job vacated when Keyshawn Johnson was released in the off-season.

"He's excited to be a Carolina Panther and looking forward to the opportunity to start opposite Steve Smith," Jarrett's agent, Darin Morgan, said.

Jarrett's signing came hours after fellow second-round pick Ryan Kalil agreed to a four-year deal. Kalil, also from USC, is expected to compete for a starting job on the offensive line.

An injury for Sartz, what else is new? Tough luck for Kirtman though, he was a very soild (and underrated) player at 'SC. Let's hope he can get back out there healthy. Best wishes to DJ and Ryan Kalil, they have a damn good chance to start next year.

Good luck in the NFL guys.

Fight On!

Countdown to Kickoff: 30 Days

As we continue on our daily countdown towards the 2007 season, we are now in the month of August and just 30 days away from kickoff. Located in the heart of campus is Tommy Trojan, which was unveiled in 1930 during the University's 50th Jubilee and provides a constant and strong reminder of Trojan spirit...

Tommy Trojan is the shrine that is surrounded by Bovard Auditorium, the Student Union, and Doheny Library. It symbolizes Trojan excellence and offers a sense of pride to anyone affiliated with our fine institution. It is also one of the most majestic campus landmarks in the country. One more month fellas...

Fight On!