Dwayne Jarrett
USC is in front of the NCAA Infractions Committee in Tempe, Ariz., today and the next two days, a reckoning four years in the making since of star running back Reggie Bush's lucrative farewell season hit the news in 2006. Fans were impatient about the NCAA's response in 2007. In four to six weeks, finally, we'll have our resolution...
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Astoundingly, USC players make up exactly half of ESPN.com's Pac-10 All-Decade team: QB Matt Leinart, TB Reggie Bush, WR Dwayne Jarrett, C Ryan Kalil, OT Sam Baker, DT Sedrick Ellis, DE Kenechi Udeze, LB Rey Maualuga, LB Keith Rivers, S Troy Polamalu, S Taylor Mays and P Tom Malone....
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The assignment: Rank the top-10 Pac-10 players of the decade. Gulp. The list of folks not on this list includes numerous consensus All-Americans, award winners and record-setting players. So feel free to disagree. And, yes, NFL success sometimes functioned as a tiebreaker, which is why Reggie Williams, Mike Williams, Rien Long, Dave Ball, J.J. Arrington, Mike Hass, Derek Hagan...
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More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP 19 days ago: In this Sept. 5, 2009, file photo, Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley (7) and coach Pete Carroll shake hands during practice before an NCAA college football game against San Jose in Los Angeles. Carroll is hoping the return of perhaps USC's two most important players will put the...
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TrojanWire has crossed enemy lines and will be publishing a Cal grad's weekly betting analysis for USC football.
Dr. Bob will be helping TrojanWire make weekly picks at the BetUS Sportsbook.
You can get Dr. Bob's Best Bet of the Week by subscribing to his service. Watch the ESPN video after the jump to see how Dr. Bob actually applied the BUAD 310 lessons you slept through.
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USC and Florida were about even in my ratings at the end of last season and it's a shame that the two best teams didn't get to face each other in the National Championship game. The reason for the Trojans' exclusion was a late September loss at Oregon State by a 21-27 count in a game in which USC out-played the Beavers 6.1 yards per play to 5.0 yppl but were -2 in turnover margin. USC may be able to afford one loss this season given the enhanced strength of the Pac-10 this season and the tougher non-conference schedule (at Ohio State and visiting a ranked Notre Dame team). While the Trojans could make it to the National Championship game with one loss, they should be favored to win each and every week, including at Ohio State (although they may not be).
Yes, USC must replace 8 defensive starters that were selected in April's NFL draft, including 4 in the first 2 rounds, but the Trojans' secondary is going to be just as good and most of the replacements along the defensive front 7 are going to be headed to the NFL when they're done kicking ass for the Trojans. FS Taylor Mays returns to lead the unit after earning 1st Team All-American honors last season and replacing departed defensive backs Kevin Ellison and Cary Harris will not be difficult, as new starters Shareece Wright and Kevin Thomas are better NFL prospects than either Ellison or Harris (both 6th round draft picks). In fact, Thomas defended more passes (7 broken up and 3 interceptions) as a back up last season than either Ellison or Harris did as starters. The question on the defense is the front 7, which employs 6 new starters and has to replace 4 players drafted in the first 2 rounds. There is always talent waiting to fill the holes at USC, but the holes are pretty big this year and the lack of experience may be a minor problem early in the season (we'll find out on September 12th). I don't expect the USC defense to be historically good as it was in 2008 (allowed a miniscule 3.7 yards per play to a schedule of teams that would combine to average 5.7 yppl against an average stop unit), but the Trojans should still rank among the best defensive teams in the nation.
While the defense has to replace many stars, the offense only has to replace one. Quarterback Mark Sanchez had an excellent season as the starter and will now be starting for the New York Jets. It's tough to imagine sophomore Aaron Corp or freshman Matt Barkley being as efficient as Sanchez was last season, but the same was said of Matt Leinart when he had to replace Carson Palmer and of John David Booty when he followed Leinart. The only bad year for the USC pass attack was in 2007 when the receiving corps lacked talent and experience after Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett left campus, but the Trojans' pass attack has rated between +1.8 yards per pass play better than average and +2.8 yppp in the other 6 seasons since 2002 and the average new starter during that time had a rating of +2.3 yppp. The receiving corps is loaded with talent and experience heading into this season and WR Damian Williams is poised for an All-American season after nabbing 58 balls at 15.0 ypc and 9 scores as s sophomore last season. I expect the new USC quarterback to be about 2.3 yards per pass play better than average, which is down some from the +2.7 yppp rating of Sanchez last season. The rushing attack, meanwhile, should be even better than last season. The top 4 backs return to run behind the nation's best offensive line, which returns 5 starters (although C O'Dowd is questionable to start the season) and the Trojans could average over 6 yards per running play after averaging a stellar 5.6 yprp last season behind an inexperienced line that returned just 1 starter. Stafon Johnson, Joe McKnight, and company should enjoy running through the holes that this year's Trojans' offensive line should create. USC averaged 6.7 yards per play in 2008 (against teams that would allow 5.1 yppl to an average attack), and I think they could be even better this season.
USC's special teams were a mixed bag last season, as the punting (33.0 net average) and punt returns (opponents averaged 36.7 net) were bad while the kickoff team was the 2nd best in the nation (21.8 yard line average opponent field position after kick-offs) and the kick return unit was good (26.5 average return). The Trojans must replace the punter (no problem there) and kicker David Buehler but the kick and punt return specialists are back. The departure of P Woidneck is likely to be a positive, but Buehler did a great job on kickoffs (although a bit worse than average on field goals) and I doubt the Trojans can repeat their great kick-off coverage stats. However, I expect more out of the punt return team and the kick returns should continue to shine. USC should once again be good overall in special teams.
The Trojans rank as my #2 rated team behind Florida entering the 2009 season, but that rating is contingent on Corp or Barkley continuing the recent tradition of great USC quarterbacks. The first big test is at Ohio State on September 12th, but I think the Trojans will be better than the Buckeyes on both sides of the ball even if the new quarterback isn't quite ready to play at typical USC standards. The Pac-10 schedule presents tough tests at Cal and at Oregon and a non-conference road game against a Notre Dame team that for once may actually be pretty good (although still likely to lose by 10 to 14 points to the Trojans). It will be a tough task for USC to come away from those 4 challenging road games with 4 wins, but I'd favor the Trojans in each of those games. An 11-1 season and another BCS bowl win is the most likely outcome (unless that BCS bowl game is against Florida), as USC tends to slip up in one Pac-10 game every year.
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<!----><!---->It seems natural to try and replace what you had with something similar. And while Mike Williams, Dwayne Jarrett and Patrick Turner were all different receivers, they fell under the same heading: big. And this is where David Ausberry steps in. He's big, and he's ready for his shot. Go inside for more on Ausberry and for a full...
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From ESPN.com:Under Armour All-American athlete DeMarco Cobbs told ESPN affiliate Web site WeAreSC.com, "I talk to USC a lot, and right now they're my number one school. They have great academics, they put guys out to the league (NFL) every year and I have a lot of family out there." He added, "I like the fact that they produce big...
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Reggie Bush (RB, New Orleans) is up to his old tricks, taking 8 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown in addition to 51 yards on 14 carries. His score was the game winner (24-20 over Tampa Bay), and his longest playes were 26 yards on the ground and 42 in the air. Fellow running back Deuce McAllister did...
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(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
And so was the Saints offense, which Reggie Bush aided with 163 total yards, including a 42 yard romp for a touchdown. Sedrick Ellis and the Saints D-Line now under Ed Orgeron also looked great.
Other USC notables were Keith Rivers with 9 tackles in his debut with the Cincinnati Bengals.
And coming of an injury, Pro Bowl Safety Troy Polamalu had his first interception in nearly 2 years.
Dwayne Jarrett caught a couple passes (36 yards) for the revived Carolina Panthers who beat San Diego on the road in dramatic fashion.
And in spelling injured Tom Brady, Matt Cassel was 13 of 18 for 152 and a TD -- leading the New England Patriots to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. (Rumors are rampant that Tom Brady tore an ACL and Cassel will be the Pats QB the rest of the year.) Certainly we wish Tom Brady well, but it would be cool to see a guy that never took a snap as a starting QB at USC be prolific in one of most dominant offenses in the NFL.
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When USC and UCLA tipoff today at the Staples Center it will be the first time the two programs have ever faced each other in the Pac-10 Tournament. It may also be the last time you see the school bands at a hoops rivalry game. Earlier this year, UCLA ended a long tradition by refusing to invite the Spirit...
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When it rains, it pours. A bad week of run-ins with the law for a future Trojan (Maurice Simmons), a current Trojan (Fili Moala), and now an ex-Trojan.
Dwayne Jarrett was picked up on a DUI last night at 3am by the Mecklenberg County Sheriff in North Carolina.
Panthers' Dwayne Jarrett Arrested for DWI [Fanhouse via Pyle of List]
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The Varsity Lounge in Heritage Hall stood quiet this week. As the deadline for players to decide whether to enter the NFL Draft or remain for their senior season passed, no media storms converged in the back room. It was an odd turn for a setting that had produced memorable moments such as Matt Leinart announcing his return and...
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