Kicker Jordan Congdon, holder Garrett Green and snapper Chris Pousson go through early-practice field goal drills. Matt Barkley and tailback Curtis McNeal line up in the backfield during 7-on-7 period. Matt Barkley leads the Trojan offense in the final team period. Wideout Brice Butler poses for a picture with football legend Jim Brown.... more »
Thoughts from Tuesday's practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt...- Down two with three plays remaining in the full-pads practice, the offense cam roaring back with three straight wins to capture an 8-7 victory on Competition Tuesday and earn loads of praise from the coaches. "That's the kind of practice that gets us right," Coach Carroll said in the post-practice... more »
The offense got off to a strong start, but they were inconsistent and fumbled more than they should have, but on the bright side, coaches opened up the playbook and allowed Matt Barkley to complete some deep passes. However this offense, and the receiving game in particular, needs to play better. Trojan fans eagerly await the return of the fastest receiver, Ronald Johnson, who suffered a shoulder injury in the scrimmage game in August.
This defense is impressive. They almost held the Cougars to a shutout if it were not for Aaron Corp's fumble late in the game. Defensive back Marshall Jones and defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo each suffered season ending injuries in this game. Injuries are part of the game, and this is why it never hurts to have depth like USC does. Pete Carroll and coaching staff "stockpile" talent, and given the current waves of injuries, this is when the depth is tested.
*QB Aaron Corp has been throwing in 7-7 drills the past few days and has looked solid. The coaches have been happy with his accuracy and most importantly, his swagger. He appears confident and is showing good leadership skills despite being out with a cracked fibula. He will return to full practice next week. It will be interesting to see how his mobility looks as that seems to be the only thing that concerns the coaches regarding Corp. If Corp is even just 90% going into San Jose State I think he will get the start. The coaches are more comfortable with Corp's command of the offense and trust him to make the right throw depending on the situation. It will really come down to his health and how he performs the next two weeks.
*Freshman QB Matt Barkley has had a tough week following his 5-18 scrimmage performance in which Coach Carroll threw him into the fire against a heavy rush and disguised coverage's. The hope was that Barkley would bounce back fairly quickly from the performance but even Coach Carroll admits the expectations for Matt from everybody, coaches included, might have been too high.
The spotlight shined very bright on Matt since Corp went down and he has received nearly every first team snap to get him ready. In the process, they may have overloaded him. However, all this work will pay off in a big way for him in the future. He may have struggled but he never quit and has handled himself "beautifully" as Coach Carroll would say. Barkley will continue to get opportunities and may see significant time in the San Jose State game in a "platoon" situation. He has so much talent and moxie that they want to get him on the field sooner rather than later.
Also, the coaches have not ruled out the thought of a "platoon" system this year while they bring along Barkley. Carroll says he is opened to it but I don't think it fits his coaching style. We'll see... it worked with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow at Florida.
In the meantime, if Corp heals properly from his injury, in the near term, Corp gives the program the best chance to win.
See which players had standout performances during Sunday's practice:- Quarterback Matt Barkley turned in another exciting performance Sunday, especially on one string of plays during 7-on-7 period. First, he connected with receiver David Ausberry on a beautiful 35-yard fade to score a touchdown down the right sideline, eliciting a rousing applause from the hundreds of fans in attendance. Then,... more »
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller USC Trojans 2008 overall record: 12-1 2008 conference record: 8-1 Returning starters Offense 9, defense 3, kicker/punter 0 Top returners WR Damian Williams, C Kristofer O'Dowd, OT Charles Brown, OG Jeff Byers, TB Stafon Johnson, TB Joe McKnight, FS Taylor Mays, CB Josh Pinkard, DE Everson Griffen. Key losses QB Mark Sanchez, LB Rey... more »
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller Two things revealed themselves at USC's spring game: Aaron Corp is the clear No. 1 quarterback for a reason heading into the off-season and the defense is not exactly going to stink next fall. Eleven sacks? Come on! Corp completed 14 of 23 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown and, again, no interceptions,... more »
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller Ever wonder what a coach might say about a quarterback competition the day before he announces a pecking order? You're in luck! USC coach Pete Carroll stopped by for a chat with the Pac-10 blog on Monday, the day before he announced on his Web site that Aaron Corp would emerge from spring practices... more »
Got Shorty? They do now...Not to open up old wounds, but when Oregon State freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers busted 186 rushing yards on the best defense in the country, the world took notice. At 5'-7 Rodgers was cloaked behind his o-line, and the likes of Cushing, Maualuga, Matthews and Mays couldn't draw a bead until he was already five yards down field. Pete Carroll watched this "undersized" kid burst through the seam again and again and he must of thought to himself, 'I got to get me one of those.'
Enter redshirt freshman, Venice High running back Curtis McNeal.
<!----><!---->Saturday's Coliseum scrimmage was a welcomed break in the action from the routine of spring football. USCFootball.com was there shooting video of the pregame action as well as player interviews. Inside: Highlights of the quarterbacks warming up and interviews with Everson Griffen, Curtis McNeal, Kevin Thomas and Brice Butler... more »
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller Which Pac-10 newcomers might make a name for themselves this spring and put themselves into position to start or see significant action in 2009? Let's take a look. Arizona QB Nick Foles & OT Phillip Garcia: Foles is a sophomore transfer from Michigan State who will compete with Matt Scott and Bryson Beirne to... more »
USC freshmen Curtis McNeal and Nick Perry, who just joined the team after making it through the NCAA academic clearinghouse last Friday, made positive impressions during their first week of practice. McNeal had several impressive rushes Thursday, showing quick feet and natural run instincts. Of course, he is the seventh-string running back for the Trojans, who probably have the... more »
(0)
