|
WR
Vidal Hazelton |
|
|
2007
Statistics |
Coach:
Pete Carroll
76-14,
7 years |
2007
Record: 11-2 |
|
IDAHO |
WON
38-10 |
at
Nebraska |
WON
49-31 |
WASHINGTON
STATE |
WON
47-14 |
at
Washington |
WON
27-24 |
STANFORD |
LOST
23-24 |
ARIZONA |
WON
20-13 |
at
Notre Dame |
WON
38-0 |
at
Oregon |
LOST
17-24 |
OREGON
STATE |
WON
24-3 |
at
California |
WON
24-17 |
at
Arizona State |
WON
44-24 |
UCLA |
WON
24-7 |
ROSE
BOWL |
Illinois |
WON
49-17 |
|
2007
Final Rankings
AP-3, Coaches-2, BCS-7
|
2008
Outlook |
The
superlatives that describe
the six years under coaching
guru and program savior
Pete Carroll are too many
to hit them all. USC has
had a top 10 recruiting
class, an 11-win effort
concluded by a BCS appearance,
and a top four (AP) finish
each year he has been
at the helm. No year has
seen the Trojans lose
more than two games, and
none of the losses has
been by more than seven
points. A 70-8 record
(89.7% wins) looks great,
as do the combined 30
points in those seven
losses that has kept Carroll
from being undefeated
this entire time. Three
Heisman winners and record
crowds bear witness to
what the country can see
from all football hotbeds
- his version of USC football
is arguably the best we've
seen since the program's
starting run of 1922-33
(never lost more than
two games per year during
that 109-16-3 [85.2%]
stretch). All fear the
west coast's deadliest
warriors come post season
(5-1 in those BCS bowls),
yet the conference wanna-be's
have seen chinks in the
armor lately that give
hope of catching the Trojans...but
for six years, that's
all it has been, hopes,
and this year looks alot
like those past six.
The
best chance to exploit
the changes Southern Cal
is making will be early
on. The new starter under
center will probably be
Mark Sanchez, but hedging
the offense with another
top QB recruit, Arkansas-transfer
Mitch Mustain, guarantees
results (Mustain was 8-0
as a freshman starter
in Fayetteville). Sanchez
threw a quarter of USC's
passes last year, so neither
is that green. Factor
in Aaron Corp to see the
position's running capabilities
when he's in. The players
who are stacked up, awaiting
their chances to covet
the ball, make up just
about the best talent
bed in college football...but
that's been true for the
last three years, and
the two two-loss campaigns
as of late reflect an
offensive drop-off that
shouldn't be with so much
talent everywhere. We
think it was the result
of now-departed John David
Booty's decent-but-not-spectacular
results, so the change
is good. But how long
will it take for the new
QB to get USC back to
their superior selves?
That answer will dictate
just how well the team
will do more than any
other variable. Don't
even think the new-look
line will be a liability...it
won't.
The
scariest part will be
how good the defense continues
to get. Seven guys back
in starting roles means
another ferocious group.
The LBs are both big and
fast, and the safeties
play in the box as well
as they do when in coverage(s)
- the range of the back
seven makes it tough to
fool them laterally. The
line uses seemingly interchangeable
hats to confuse OLmen
when they match up in
their many variations
up front. The DL, like
the secondary, can hold
its own, making it an
open pallet for the linebackers
to creatively wreak havoc.
Rey Maualuga leads the
run stopping from his
MLB command post, and
when you have an All-American
overseeing so many capable
defenders, it should be
a special year.
It
will be sized up real
quick when Ohio State
brings its No.1 squad
into Los Angeles. There
are two ways this likely
plays out... 1. USC wins
a close one and sits atop
their perch, over-confidently
awaiting challengers...or
2. Ohio State wins, forcing
Carroll and his troops
to rebolster their approach,
which in turn brings a
repeat of last year when
the early loss made the
Trojans hungrier and unbeatable
by November. If that game's
a loss, USC climbs back
to become one of the top
two in the BCS, guaranteed.
A win always works...though,
an early defeat often
does more than a early
win, a win that sends
a false sense of security
into a group of kids who
need to keep their edge.
Playing not to lose isn't
a good approach. A hungry
group of 18-22 year olds
is better than a complacent
group, but hey, this is
all conjecture to buffer
what we see as a possible
early loss. Two of the
past four Trojan losses
occurred in the state
of Oregon, so the trip
to Corvallis for a Thursday
night game looms. Otherwise,
Arizona State and Oregon
look like the toughest
matchups, and both visit
Memorial Coliseum.
The
consistency seen under
Carroll won't end this
year. We like the way
he approaches his guys,
allowing everyone to have
fun while reaching their
potential. Kinda like
the way some of his musical
heroes approach their
craft - Carroll likes
Jerry Garcia's uniqueness
and how James Brown's
passions have driven his
ambitions. Both are evident
in Carroll's profile.
Such an "artistic"
attitude in this violent
endeavor gives his kids
a "flip side",
so to speak, a compliment
for them to see how being
a complete person can
help fulfill one's goals.
Not many in college football's
highest echelons share
this way of being. Carroll
has a special place, and
his kids are lucky to
have him as a mentor.
He will create another
top four finish, and his
legacy will grow as Los
Angeles celebrates the
most impressive football
the city has ever produced...professional
or otherwise.
Projected
2008 record: 12-0
|
|
USC
*POWER RATINGS |
Offense |
Defense |
QB
- 4 |
DL
- 4 |
RB
- 4.5 |
LB
- 4.5 |
WR
- 4 |
DB
- 4.5 |
OL
- 3.5 |
.. |
|
USC
2007 Statistical Rankings |
OFFENSE |
|
National |
Conf. |
Rushing: |
27 |
3 |
Passing: |
50 |
5 |
Total
Off: |
29 |
3 |
Sacks
Allow: |
17 |
2 |
|
DEFENSE |
|
National |
Conf. |
Rushing: |
4 |
2 |
Passing: |
15 |
1 |
Total
Def: |
2 |
1 |
Sacks: |
3 |
1 |
|
|
RETURNING
LEADERS |
Passing:
Mark Sanchez, 69-114-5,
695 yds., 7 TD
Rushing:
Stafon Johnson, 98 att.,
673 yds., 5 TD
Receiving: Vidal
Hazelton, 50 rec., 540
yds., 4 TD
Scoring: David
Buehler, 16-19 FG, 52-54
PAT, 100 pts.
Punting: Greg Woidneck,
60 punts, 37.9 avg.
Kicking: David
Buehler, 16-19 FG, 52-54
PAT, 100 pts.
Tackles: Rey Maualuga,
79 tot., 41 solo
Sacks: Rey Maualuga,
6 sacks
Interceptions:
Kyle Moore, 2 for 38 yds.;
Kevin Ellison, 2 for 9
yds.
Kickoff Returns:
Ronald Johnson, 25 ret.,
24.8 avg., 0 TD
Punt Returns: Joe
McKnight, 19 ret., 8.4
avg.
|
|
|
LB
Rey Maualuga |
|
|
|
|
|
|
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA |
|
|
OFFENSE
- 4 |
----RETURNING
STARTERS---- |
DEFENSE
- 7 |
|
KEY
LOSSES |
OFFENSE:
John David Booty-QB, Chauncey
Washington-TB, Fred Davis-TE,
Sam Baker-OT, Matt Spanos-C,
Drew Radovich-OT, Chilo
Rachal-OG (NFL) |
DEFENSE:
Lawrence
Jackson-DE, Sedrick Ellis-NT,
Thomas Williams-SLB, Keith
Rivers-WLB, Terrell Thomas-CB |
|
|
2008
OFFENSE |
The
Trojan war machine wasn't itself
again in 2007; now-departed
John David Booty never transpired
into the top quarterback his
recruiting rankings promised,
so USC had two years of not
reaching its offensive potential.
The two losses last year reflect
this fact, meaning new blood
under center will allow Pete
Carroll to get his team back
atop the rankings.
QUARTERBACK
The time is now for Mark Sanchez,
the RS junior who has been procured
to run the offense as a drop-back
type. Still, the sizable hurler
is not easy to bring down due
to his 4.7 (second in the 40)
speed. Sanchez was the No.1
prospect in the nation and both
the Parade and EA Sports Player
of the Year in 2004...he proved
his abilities in a few games
while Booty was hurt in '07,
so he looks like he is coming
along as scheduled. That makes
the job his to lose, unless
Arkansas-transfer Mitch Mustain
plays well enough in practice
to displace him, which he hasn't
so far. Mustain started at Arkansas
as a true frosh, hitting 52%
of his tries on the run-obsessed
Razorbacks as he went 8-0 as
a starter. Mustain is a bit
smaller than Sanchez, but he
is a step faster and stronger
in upper body strength. Also
a Parade POTY (as well as USA
Today and Gatorade) one year
after Sanchez ('05), Mustain
affords Carroll two consecutive
years of top high school QBs
battling for the position. Under
them is Aaron Corp, whose only
tag - Mr. Football (in-state)
- means his arm will unfortunately
be third in line here this season.
But Corp's all about adding
a running dimension to the QB
position, much more than the
other two do. Corp's amazing
senior prep numbers make him
seem like the best way to give
offensive coordinator Steve
Sarkisian his biggest range
of possibilities from under
canter (also punts well) and
therefore his best guy to get
the playbook wide open. Oh,
the possibilities. Sanchez will
be under center come fall (save
injury), but the position is
officially wide open as of now.
RUNNING
BACK
The backfield is still a wealth
of riches at tailback. C.J.
Gable looked like the next Reggie
Bush as he averaged 11 yards
per carry starting the first
two games, but an abdomen injury
(and subsequent surgery) meant
he missed the rest of the year
and was a redshirt for '07.
Stafon Johnson is listed next,
giving Sarkisian more bang for
his buck between the tackles
and more open-field speed with
his lightning quick feet. Then
there is Joe McKnight - his
potential to open the playbook
is exponential, too. With the
stack of five-star backs crowding
the depth chart, McKnight, who
is reported to be one of Carroll's
favorites, is being branched
out into more of a receiver
role. He may be the guy who
is most like the last Trojan
Heisman winner out of all the
current backs, and Carroll thinks
that McKnight might even a be
more adept as a receiver than
Bush. "This is the farthest
we have taken a running back
at running routes and feeling
confident. He can play like
a receiver, but he is going
to do it from the running back
position." Besides Gable,
the other guy last year not
to lose any yards while carrying
the rock for the Trojans was
fullback Stanley Havili. If
Havili is going to be part of
the production with touches,
then get this 1,000-yard receiver
(as a prep senior) the ball
via some designed passes (true
H-Back, fellas). And do the
same with tireless bigman Allen
Bradford, an ex-LB who can do
it all (blitz pickup) from his
backfield spot. RS frosh Marc
Tyler has his mind set on seeing
some carries, but he may have
to wait 'til next year for the
amount he deserves. Phew...now
onto the receivers.
RECEIVER
Vidal Hazelton will probably
stay in the slot (FL) this year,
living underneath most of the
time. Hazelton and Sanchez hooked
up for the second longest pass
play of 2007, a mere 48 yards,
which shows the trouble USC
had stretching the field with
Booty. Like Turner, Ausberry
is 6'5 and makes a great downfield
blocker as well as a huge target
for the new QB, but neither
is a burner. Damien Williams
has been tearing up the practice
field. Ronald Johnson was excellent
in open space as a deep threat,
and last year's No.1 WR recruit
topped all Trojans with his
15.7 yards per catch average
in just his true freshman years.
Johnson was found behind the
Trojan DBs all spring. All of
these talent positions are officially
up for grabs, and the juggling
job the coaching staff will
have to do to employ the full
array of weapons in their arsenal
will make depth charts and who
'starts' somewhat irrelevant
since all will get their chances...
somehow.
TIGHT END
The tight end position is a
coveted slot in the Pete Carroll
scheme. Blake Ayles, the No.2
tight end recruit according
to Rivals, is going to push
McCoy and Miller for reps. A
true 'west coast' tight end
is needed, so whoever can step
into the role - or if it is
a few of them, they - will likely
become a major component of
the production here.
OFFENSIVE
LINE
The line, for having four starters
departed and two out this spring,
has come along well during its
facelift. Jeff Byers has overcome
hip troubles early in his collegiate
career to recapture the guard
slot he covets after his illustrious
prep career (Gatorade and EA
Sports National Player of the
Year as a lineman). He is the
lone returning starter, but
there is plenty in the cupboard
from which to pick. Byers and
Kris O'Dowd both started games
as true freshmen. O’Dowd
had surgery this off-season,
but the freshman All-American
is primed to return by fall
at full strength. Heberer started
at guard last year twice, so
the inside is full of guys who
know the system and can formulate
a strong leadership nucleus.
The same kind of depth is found
on the outside, where Brown
and Lewis have starting experience,
albeit limited, and can be counted
on early. Ex-DT Alex Parsons
is just itching to prove how
far he has come this past off-season,
and with three other major junior
contributors along the line,
things will work fine for hole
opening and pass protecting.
The
offense has been catching up
to the defense in scrimmages,
struggling yet progressing.
The amount of guys who need
touches is huge, and they just
have to find the right QB so
the highlight reels they make
can be reflected upon after
a BCS title try, not after a
two-loss disappointment that
again sees this offense fail
to reach its potential.
|
|
OG
Jeff Byers
|
|
|
|
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA 2008 DEPTH
CHART
Returning
Starters/Key
Players |
OFFENSE |
QB |
Mark
Sanchez-Jr (6-3, 225) |
Mitch
Mustain-So (6-3, 205) |
FB |
Stanley
Havili-So (6-1, 225) |
Adam
Goodman-Jr (6-2, 235) |
TB |
C.J.
Gable-So (6-1, 195) |
Stafon
Johnson-Jr (6-0, 210)
Joe McKnight-So (6-0, 180) |
WR |
Patrick
Turner-Sr (6-5, 220) |
David
Ausberry-So (6-4, 225) |
WR |
Vidal
Hazelton-Jr (6-3, 210) |
Ronald
Johnson-So (6-1, 190)
Damian Williams-So (6-1,
190) |
TE |
Anthony
McCoy-Jr (6-5, 255) |
Rhett
Ellison-Fr (6-5, 235) |
OT |
Charles
Brown-Jr (6-6, 290) |
Tyron
Smith-Fr (6-6, 270) |
OG |
Jeff
Byers-Sr (6-4, 285) |
Matt
Meyer-Fr (6-8, 290) |
C |
Kristofer
O'Dowd-So (6-5, 300) |
Michael
Reardon-Fr (6-5, 265) |
OG |
Zack
Heberer-So (6-5, 300) |
Thomas
Herring-Jr (6-6, 300) |
OT |
Butch
Lewis-So (6-5, 280) |
Alex
Parsons-Jr (6-4, 285) |
K |
David
Buehler-Sr (6-2, 225) |
Joe
Houston-So (5-8, 160) |
|
|
2008
DEFENSE |
Stability
on defense has really picked
up the past few years. There
have been two consecutive campaigns
of improvements in nearly every
statistical category. The seven
starters who have been leading
the 2008 charge look like they
have the troops ready for anything.
DEFENSIVE
LINE
It always starts up front here...the
right bodies are there to keep
foes under 100 yards per game
in rushing, a bar easily surpassed
in '07 (84 ypg). But the top
two DLmen left, making room
for the next wave of Trojan
trench warriors. The newest
No.1 guy for his position here
is Everson Griffen - don't miss
his 4.56-second 40 time and
his 400+ bench max. Griffen
is a serious pass rusher, earning
the team's fourth-most sacks
(5.5) mainly as a reserve (started
versus Arizona State and Idaho).
He will bookend proven leader
Kyle Moore (two INTs). JUCO-product
Washington has adapted well
from tight end, and Henderson
is the first Canadian to get
a football scholarship here
(for good reason, though he
is a rare three-star prospect
here). Newbies Horton and Perry
are both top three prospects
nationally, so the outside youth
will soon give way to valuable
real game reps and a killer
end rotation, once again. There
is just as much quickness inside
when you consider Averell Spicer's
DE-quality speed (11.2 seconds
in the 100m). Fili Moala is
a more traditional "spark
plug" type of stopper,
occupying two guys to free up
someone else. Da'John Harris
is a hybrid end-tackle who can
line up anywhere between the
tackles. This is a deep line,
like you would expect from Carroll's
superior recruiting efforts.
LINEBACKER
The linebackers will again be
able to free themselves up instead
of doting on whether the line
can hold its own. Rey Maualuga
is an All-American First Teamer
for us this preseason - the
former-No.1 ILB prospect is
too big to be effectively blocked
by TEs or RBs and he easily
gets around linemen with his
quickness/strength combination.
NJ prep defensive Player of
the Year (2005) Brian Cushing
has battled injuries off and
on, but he has really helped
to shape the way Carroll runs
his schemes. Cushing plays the
main role in the "elephant"
defense; he is a SLB who comes
up to the line and plays on
either side as a fourth lineman
in a two-point stance. Many
say this was just in '06, but
he was seen doing this last
year and it only makes sense
with so much talent that he
keep confusing OLmen this way.
The ends often drop back while
Cushing heads forward, as evidenced
by Kyle Moore's two INTs and
five pass breakups. Kaluka Maiava
has worked his way up the Trojan
ladder - Laurinaitis at Ohio
State isn't the only collegiate
LB with pro wrestling ties (Maiava's
uncle is Dwayne "The Rock"
Johnson and his grandfather
is ex-brawler Neff Maiava).
Legacy Clay Matthews (brother
was a safety on the 2003 championship
team here and his father was
a linebacker for the '74 champs)
forced two fumbles and had both
of USC's blocked kicks, so any
letdowns amongst the starters
will not last long. Last year's
top OLB prospect, Chris Galippo,
isn't even on the two-deep,
nor is Mike Morgan. Size and
speed make this one of the country's
top LB corps.
DEFENSIVE
BACK
The secondary had its best showing
in a few years in '07 as every
game saw the same four starters;
steady improvements will continue
since only one full-timer leaves.
We see two safeties who both
may be All-Americans, though,
only senior Kevin Ellison gets
our nod this preseason. Ellison
is great in run support, but
he isn't subject to being burnt
on play fakes. Taylor Mays was
the No.2 Athlete from 2006's
national class who happened
to get the start his first year
when Josh Pinkard was injured.
Mays earned consensus Freshman
All-American nods and was that
year's Freshman Pac Ten Player
of the Year. Still learning,
Mays plays in the box like a
linebacker. Will Harris has
a 42" vertical leap to
accentuate his prowess, and
Marshall Jones has yet to be
given enough time to prove his
all-around approach. Cary "Turbo
Time" Harris (no relation
to Will) started as a soph and
has been part of the improvements
the past two years to the secondary.
The technique of Shareece Wright
made him the No.2 corner in
the '06 national class, and
he is solid enough to be left
on an island in coverage. Josh
Pinkard seems to be the odd
man out. Once considered the
best player on the team by coach
Carroll, Pinkard is back after
two missed years (knee), and
he and Kevin Thomas (shoulder
kept him out all of '07) will
push the starters so that new
heights are reached by the entire
secondary. The DBs will continue
(to fake) two-deep coverages
and will masterfully mix up
the way they look until just
before the snap.
This
4-3 one-gap defense has its
subtleties, and coordinator
Nick Holt has gotten his guys
acquainted well with how to
pull it off as a team. His two
squads have each seen only five
foes go over 20 points, so consistency
will be seen once again. Any
improvements on last year's
great defensive results will
mean a BCS title run is a realistic
ending for 2008.
|
|
DB
Kevin Ellison
|
|
|
SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA 2008 DEPTH
CHART
Returning
Starters/Key
Players |
DEFENSE |
DE |
Everson
Griffen-So (6-3, 265) |
Clay
Matthews-Sr (6-4, 240) |
NT |
Averell
Spicer-Jr (6-2, 290) |
Christian
Tupou-So (6-2, 275) |
DT |
Fili
Moala-Sr (6-5, 295) |
Derek
Simmons-So (6-4, 275) |
DE |
Kyle
Moore-Sr (6-6, 275) |
Gerald
Washington-Sr (6-6, 260) |
SLB |
Brian
Cushing-Sr (6-4, 240) |
Michael
Morgan-So (6-3, 220) |
MLB |
Rey
Maualuga-Sr (6-3, 250) |
Chris
Galippo-Fr (6-2, 235) |
WLB |
Kaluka
Maiava-Sr (6-0, 225) |
Luthur
Brown-Jr (6-3, 230) |
CB |
Cary
Harris-Sr (6-0, 180) |
Josh
Pinkard-Sr (6-1, 215) |
CB |
Shareece
Wright-Jr (6-0, 180) |
Kevin
Thomas-Jr (6-1, 185) |
SS |
Kevin
Ellison-Sr (6-1, 225) |
Will
Harris-Jr (6-1, 205) |
FS |
Taylor
Mays-Jr (6-4, 225) |
Marshall
Jones-So (6-0, 185) |
P |
Greg
Woidneck-Sr (6-0, 200) |
Billy
O'Malley-So (6-1, 190) |
|
|
|
2008
SPECIAL TEAMS |
David
Buehler has done the job needed, but
he remains an enigma from 50+. One
thing is for sure; his fullback/safety
background makes him a true 11th man
for tackling on KOs. The returns of
McKnight and Ronald Johnson give Southern
Cal another advantage. One thing they
didn't do well last year was punt
- Woidneck had three of his tries
blocked, though, his controlled approach
is worthy of better coverage (104th-ranked
net results). The other thing that
Carroll was not pleased with has been
the long snapping. "Still working
on these snappers, it is an open competition
let's say. We are not even a C- right
now." It will be a shame if this
detail costs the team a win and therefore
a shot at bigger things, which it
surely would.
|
|