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With tomorrow's final regular season game at home against Arizona there a re number of story lines that we need to keep an eye on...

Who Staying and Who is going?

Stanley Havili is going to stay...

Several USC juniors will consider making themselves available for the NFL draft after the Trojans play a bowl game later this month.

Fullback Stanley Havili said Wednesday he would not be among them.

"I need to come back," he said.

Havili, who suffered a midseason shoulder injury that sidelined him for two games and slowed him for two more, surprisingly was projected by the Sporting News last month as a possible late first-round pick in the April draft.

Havili was unmoved.

"I have a lot of developing to do," he said. "I need to show parts of my game that I haven't been able to show yet."

Obviously Havili is the best fullback we have. But he has some injury issues in his career so he needs to get as much experience as he can before making the jump. He has all the tools, blocking, receiving and big capability but  there have been a few time that he has had trouble holding onto the ball at critical moments.

Havili's returning for another year gives Matt Barkley a little more stability as he settles into his second year as the starter.

The bigger question on offense will be Damian Williams...

USC's regular-season finale against Arizona on Saturday will be the last Coliseum appearance for Trojans seniors.

It might also be receiver Damian Williams' final home game.

"I've kind been like, 'Wow. It could be,' " the fourth-year junior said Monday. "But right now, I'm just focusing on getting through the season. After the bowl game, we'll sit down and make some decisions."

Last January, Williams had considered making himself available for the NFL draft, especially after quarterback Mark Sanchez decided to turn professional.

But Williams returned and has been the Trojans' most dynamic player. He has caught 50 passes, six for touchdowns, and also has returned two punts for touchdowns.

Williams, though, has suffered several injuries, including a hamstring strain that slowed him against Oregon and a high-ankle sprain that sidelined him against Stanford.

So Williams, who will graduate this month, again will consider entering the draft.

DWill is in the same boat as Mark Sanchez was last year. He is set to graduate so he technically can move on. The question is is he ready?

There is no question he can make plays...he is/was the favorite target of both Barkley and Sanchez and he has been the #1 receiver on this team the past couple of seasons. When he wasn't in the dynamic of this offense changed considerably. This is a hard one to call, though I think he is gone. Being slowed by injury and having a true freshman QB running the offense may have decreased Williams' production this season but there is no question he can play. I think his draft evaluation will be the determining factor.

What about Everson Griffen?

USC junior defensive end Everson Griffen says he’s not thinking about the 2010 NFL Draft.

At least not yet.

Griffen, who has been projected by various draft sites as possible first or second round pick should he forgo his senior season, said he will evaluate his options after the season.

"I really don’t know yet," said Griffen, currently third in the Pac-10 in sacks (8). "We still have two more games left. Let’s focus on the last two games and I really haven’t thought about it yet. I’ll talk it over with my family but right now I’m just focused on these last two games and see where I’m at and then go from there."

Griffen has been the most puzzling player on this team.

He is a tremendous talent but his head and drive have always been questioned. Jethro Franklin has done a great job at getting his head screwed on straight but not without some lapses (see the Notre Dame game). SC has some decent depth at DE but it is hard to let such a tremendous talent, albeit still a little raw, leave before it is fully developed.

Joe McKnight commented this last week...

USC junior tailback Joe McKnight is leaning toward returning for his senior season.

McKnight, who is closing in on 1,000 yards, hasn’t completely made up his mind but said if he had to make the decision "today or tomorrow" he would come back to school.

I haven't heard an update on this, so I will assume that he is staying...

Anyway more later...

- - -

Here are some links...

Coach Carroll on Garrett Green - TrojanWire

Joe McKnight gets another opportunity to shine against Arizona -- latimes.com

USC defense shows Jekyll-and-Hyde personality - LA Daily News

USC's potential newcomers could make sudden impact - LA Daily News

USC defense faces challenge in Foles - The Orange County Register

Preview: Arizona at USC " The Trojan Empire

Week 14 Game Matchup: Arizona Wildcats VS. USC Trojans | All Pac 10

Jethro Franklin got the best of Pat Ruel to settle a 12-12 tie in Tuesday's practice.

Girls in bikinis also enjoy an occasional Slip N Slide (after the jump).

TENSE TIMES AT USC, DONE COLUMNIST-STYLE [EDSBS]
Fun in the rain [The RipsIt Blog]

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.

The Skinny's heard from a very good source the NCAA is still about 9 to 12 months away from any type of announcement regarding USC.

After the jump find out why the Skinny thinks SC could be playing in the National Title game.

Here’s the fifth thing we learned this spring about USC football:

No. 5 — All-Pac-10 center Kristofer O’Dowd is worthy of all the hype.

How can this be? How could Kristofer O’Dowd prove his value without taking a single spring snap?

It seems counterintuitive, but hear me out:

Sometimes we don’t realize the value of a player until he’s gone. Quick example: In the Phoenix Suns’ run-and-gun heyday from 2004-08, they won 70.7 percent of their regular-season games. Out of the 17 games Steve Nash missed, they won all of four.

The O’Dowd-less USC offensive line didn’t have a bad spring, but it didn’t have a great one either. It was one of the Trojans’ more inconsistent units, and arguably their most disappointing given the number of returnees with starting experience (even without O’Dowd).

A lot of variables contributed to that. One was the daily dominance of a deep, talented defensive line that probably would have made any college O-line look bad. Another was a spate of minor injuries that had several players shifting around. (Tackle Butch Lewis briefly played guard — for the first time.) Yet another was the force-feeding of talented but still-learning young tackles Tyron Smith and Matt Kalil.

The constant was the absence of O’Dowd, who missed spring ball while recuperating from shoulder surgery.

It’s hard for even a football fanatic such as myself to truly judge offensive-line play, and it’s especially difficult to assess the interior linemen when so many bodies converge and the ball is often elsewhere. But it was clear during spring drills that USC’s offensive line missed O’Dowd, who earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors as a sophomore. There were far too many tackles for loss and far too many one-sided blitz periods.

The offensive line hadn’t looked that shaky since the start of training camp last year, when guard Jeff Byers was out because of an illness. O’Dowd took just about every snap then, so maybe it’s the combination of him and Byers that makes the O-line click. Once Byers returned, the line jelled.

I expect the same to happen this year when O’Dowd comes back — and adds “All-American” to his growing résumé .

10 THINGS WE LEARNED SCHEDULE

• Thursday, April 30: No. 1 — Freshman quarterback Matt Barkley is really, really good
• Friday, May 1: No. 2 — Junior defensive end Everson Griffen can be as good as he wants to be
• Monday, May 4: No. 3 — The Trojans have more viable tailbacks than they have spots to play them
• Tuesday, May 5: No. 4 — The Trojans are crazy deep at cornerback, and that’s a very good thing
• Wednesday, May 6: No. 5 — All-Pac-10 center Kristofer O’Dowd is worthy of all the hype
• Thursday, May 7: No. 6
• Friday, May 8: No. 7
• Monday, May 11: No. 8
• Tuesday, May 12: No. 9
• Wednesday, May 13: No. 10

More from the USC blog:

• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 4)
• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 3)
• USC football: 8 kickoff times set for 2009
• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 2)
• USC Football: Robinson in CFB Hall of Fame
• USC football: 10 things we learned in spring (No. 1)
• USC basketball: Net result of the comings and goings
• USC football: Pryor engagement already on their minds?
• USC football: The secret to Jethro Franklin’s success
• USC football: A pair of unsolved mysteries

Post from: USC

Carroll also announced Wednesday night that linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. would take on the additional title of assistant head coach/defense and that former Trojans assistant Jethro Franklin would return to the staff as defensive line coach.

Seto last month turned down the opportunity to become the defensive coordinator at Washington, where former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is now the coach. Sarkisian initially pursued Trojans defensive coordinator Nick Holt, who at first declined before changing his mind late last week. He officially joined the Huskies staff Monday.

One of the selling points for Seto to remain at USC was the possibility of eventually becoming defensive coordinator. It happened sooner than later.

“He’s earned his way to that position,” Carroll said of Seto, whose tenure at USC goes back to 1999, exceeding Carroll’s. “He has just become a tremendously valuable guy.”

Seto will remain in the press box during games, and Carroll will continue to be the defensive play-caller.

Carroll last month gave Seto the assistant head coach/defense title that Norton now will assume. Carroll said he didn’t give Norton the new title to entice him to remain with the program. Norton’s name had been linked to the defensive coordinator opening at UCLA, his alma mater.

“It’s more of a recognition of what he’s meant to us and what he’s become,” Carroll said. “He’s a powerful character and personality in our football program, and I want to give him the opportunity to spread his influence.”

Norton and Seto are considered USC’s best recruiters among the assistant coaches. The first day high school players can sign letters of intent is Feb. 4.

A day after bringing Carl Smith back to the program as quarterbacks coach, Carroll rehired Franklin, who served as USC’s defensive line coach in 2005. Franklin spent the past three seasons in the NFL, the past two with the Houston Texans. He will share defensive line duties with David Watson, who did the same with Holt the past three seasons.

More from the USC blog:

• USC football: Rocky Seto named defensive coordinator
• USC football: Et tu, Sam Bradford?
• USC football: Report says Orgeron offered D-coordinator position
• USC football: Sanchez no cinch for top 10
• USC football: Reports say Stafford going pro
• USC football poll: Who will be USC’s defensive coordinator?
• USC basketball: Washington ‘doubtful’ for UCLA game
• USC football: Josh Pinkard’s situation
• USC football: And on the other side of the ball …
• USC football: Sanchez ‘right down the middle’

Less than a month before kickoff now.... and here is what Pete has to look forward to this season....

The entire team, with the exception of walk-on safety Justin Hart (tonsillitis), reported Wednesday.

"The Coliseum is sold out for every game for the first time ever."

"What is unique about this team is that we have the culmination of three very big recruiting years, and those classes have a sense of what this is all about already," said Pete Carroll (at Pac-10 media day).

This is the most talented USC team to play under Carroll.

ComPETE is the name of the game and there will be plenty of it to bring about the best.

Notable position battles include quarterback (John David Booty vs. Mark Sanchez), tailback (Chauncey Washington vs. Michael Coleman and a stable of incoming freshmen) and all linebacker spots (Rey Maualuga vs. Oscar Lua, Dallas Sartz vs. Brian Cushing, Keith Rivers vs. Kaluka Maiava).

Team speed?

"Somebody put a stopwatch on them recently," Carroll says, with a hint of a smile. "We think we have nine guys who run 10.7 or better (in the 100-yard dash)."

Oh, and lest we forget, the man pictured here. Nick Holt will be returning to replace Jethro Franklin in coaching the defensive line AND will be holding the title of defensive coordinator--the first other than Pete in the Pete Carroll era. You think he is good? He is better than good!

Fall Camp Begins [USCFootball.com]
USC reloading, not rebuilding [OCRegister]
Carroll doesn't wonder 'what if ...' [OCRegister]
Don't Worry, Be Happy [DailyBreeze]
Camp Check-In [BrandonHancock.com]

How much is Monte Kiffin, Pete Carroll's bro, going to poach from USC?

Hopefully this SC-ification in Tampa will help Matt Grootegoed get some playing time in the NFL. [UPDATE] Our bad. Grootegoed was actually picked up by the Detroit Lions. Thanks Larry.