But Carroll speaks from experience when he says he is confident that his 2004 Trojans will respond well. "Gregg Guenther and Dominique Byrd were outstanding last season and getting Alex Holmes back really strengthens the position.". Bush might also return punts. . Other possibilities on the outside among the returnees are junior walk-on Collin Ashton (28 tac, 0.5 for loss, 1 FF, 1 dfl in 2003), who performed admirably while starting twice late last year when Simmons was injured, and redshirt freshman Thomas Williams, plus walk-on sophomore Mike Brittingham, who also can play fullback. Fr. [34] Reggie Bush scored on a pair of touchdown runs and totaled a career-best 335 all-purpose yards and placekicker Ryan Killeen kicked a USC and Pac-10 Conference game record 5 field goals. Fr. Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive end Lawrence Jackson were named to the Freshman All-American first team. Tackle Winston Justice and guard Fred Matua return as starters on the line (John Drake, who started 7 times last year at guard and tackle, is back as well). [6] Matt Leinart passed for a career-high 400 yards and a school record-tying five touchdowns Saturday, leading the top-ranked Trojans to a 4110 victory and adding a highlight performance to his ultimately successful Heisman campaign. At fullback, fleet junior Brandon Hancock (1 tcb, -2 yds, -2.0 avg in 2003, plus 13 rec, 160 yds, 12.3 avg, 2 TD), a tough blocker and excellent receiver, was expected to return as the starter, but he'll miss 2004 while recuperating from knee surgery. Both have a knack for creating havoc. "The past 2 years, we were really good on defense and we played just how we drew it up," said Carroll, the team's defensive coordinator. [41], Leinart, the game's MVP, threw an Orange Bowl record (and at the time a USC record-tying) 5 touchdowns, including 3 to wide receiver Steve Smith, tying both an Orange Bowl and USC record; Ryan Killeen set the USC career scoring record with 329 career points; USC's 55 points tied its most ever in a bowl and were the most ever allowed in a bowl by Oklahoma. Key losses from the offense are wide receiver Keary Colbert, a 4-year starter who set the USC career receptions record (207), and a trio of experienced linemen: All-American tackle Jacob Rogers (a 3-year starter), All-Pac-10 center Norm Katnik (a 3-year starter) and guard Lenny Vandermade (a 4-year starter). Last year, 2 Trojans finished in the Top 10 in the Heisman Trophy balloting, 5 were All-American first team selections and 9 were All-Pac-10 first teamers. It's no wonder, then, that the Trojans likely will enter the 2004 campaign as a pre-season favorite to repeat as national champs. Head Coach: Pete Carroll (11-2) Offensive Coordinator: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) & Lane Kiffin (PGC) Defensive Coordinator: Nick Holt Other Assistant Coaches: Best Players on the 2006 USC Trojans Football Team. Although returning 11 starters from 2005, the team lost eleven players to the National Football League (NFL), including 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, Matt Leinart, and 2005 Heisman winner, Reggie Bush. Also, junior tackle Winston Justice, who from his right side spot protects Leinart's blind side, was slated to start for his third year and be an All-American candidate. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. First, a starting wide receiver must emerge and we must reconstruct the line. 2006 USC Coaching Staff Football Coaches & Staff LB Brian Cushing. 2008 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll (12-1) Offensive Coordinator: Steve Sarkisian Defensive Coordinator: Nick Holt Other Assistant Coaches: Todd McNair (RB/ST Coach) Brennan Carroll (TE Coach) John Morton (WR Coach) Ken Norton Jr (LB Coach) Best Players on the 2008 USC Trojans Football Team QB Mark Sanchez RB Stafon Johnson "I am very excited to formally announce our coaching staff," said Riley. "They're both really hard to block and are relentless in how they play the game. Senior tight end Matt Cassel could be his backup. "He's an impact player because of his size, speed and ability. His underrated, yet steady, ability-remember his highlight reel touchdown grabs against Michigan in last season's Rose Bowl-made it unwise for teams to double-cover Williams. All the running backs return, also: starting tailback Hershel Dennis (661 rushing yards in 2003) and top backups LenDale White (his 754 yards last season made him the first true freshman to lead USC in rushing, while his 13 rushing TDs was a Trojan frosh record) and Reggie Bush (a Freshman All-American who set the USC freshman all-purpose yardage mark with 1,331 yards last fall), plus fullback Brandon Hancock (but he'll miss 2004 with a knee injury). His 65 PATs last fall were a Pac-10 season record and his 19 field goals tied the USC season mark. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. Despite all of its returning talent, skeptics surely will question USC's ability to replace such impact players as Udeze, Colbert, Rogers and Poole. He'll long be remembered for his spectacular one-handed, Frisbee-like TD grab against Oregon State last fall. [32] Trailing 103, USC scored the final 38 points. Dallas Sartz, Jr. Lofa Tatupu, Jr. Thomas Williams, Rs. The backup tackles will be junior LaJuan Ramsey (6 tac, 2.5 for loss, 1.5 sack, 1 FF in 2003), who also might work at end, sophomore Travis Tofi (3 tac, 1 for loss, 2 dfl, 1 sack for a safety in 2003), and redshirt freshmen Sedrick Ellis and Ryan Watson. So he sought to have his collegiate eligibility restored (as of mid-July, the NCAA hadn't ruled). "We know we can expect a high level of play out of our experienced returning players. [2] The team captains were Shaun Cody, Matt Grootegoed and Matt Leinart.[3]. [37], There was some controversy in the final team selections as the Auburn Tigers had also finished the regular season undefeated and won their bowl game, the Sugar Bowl, against the same Virginia Tech team USC defeated in the season opener; Auburn began the season ranked outside the top 15 and perhaps because of this they were unable to secure a spot in the national championship game,[38] although they did tie Oklahoma at No. Hanson, who served as a graduate assistant on Riley's Oklahoma staff in 2019, comes to USC after two years of coaching Tulsa's offensive line. He proved to be a load at 350 pounds before breaking his ankle late in the year (he missed 2004 spring drills while recuperating). [3] Irish quarterback Brady Quinn completed 15-of-29 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. 2008 USC Coaching Staff Football Coaches & Staff Obviously there are emotional swings with sports and so the mathematical ratings do not always line up with the emotional expectations from a team. He likely will start again, as could senior guard John Drake, if he's healthy. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. "That's my fundamental approach to the game: control the ball on offense, go get it on defense and make things happen on special teams," said Carroll. Joining them will be 20 new scholarship players, including 3 who enrolled at USC this past spring and participated in spring practice. Email. WIDE RECEIVERS This past February when a court ruled that players didn't have to wait until after their third year out of high school to enter the NFL draft, All-American first teamer Mike Williams quickly decided to give up his final 2 seasons at Troy and go pro. 2004 USC Trojans football team - Wikipedia 2001 USC Coaching Staff Football Coaches & Staff (213) 740-4204. The Trojans then return home to host Arizona and Notre Dame before concluding their season on "Championship Saturday" (Dec. 4) at UCLA. for the first time ever. The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. Fr. I'm really looking forward to watching the competition there and seeing how it shakes out. The big disappointment is Donte Williams is not only coaching the cornerbacks, he got a fake title: Defensive passing game coordinator. Josh Henson, who has 23 years of coaching experience primarily in the SEC and Big 12 and has been part of a national championship staff, joined the USC staff as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in December of 2021. "It starts with a big-time opener against a premier program and never lets up. [6] However, in the key final series, under heavy crowd noise, the USC defense caused an incomplete pass, a sack by defensive tackle Manuel Wright, and two more incomplete passes to cause a loss of possession and effectively end the game. DEFENSIVE BACKS The good news in the secondary is that both starting safeties return. "With Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed and Dallas Sartz, it's like we have 3 returning starters. [8] Although Virginia Tech was not ranked going into the game, they ended the season ranked 9th, going 103 (71 in the ACC), becoming ACC Champions in their first year in the conference and were invited to the 2005 Nokia Sugar Bowl. "Linebacker is the great strength of our defense," said Carroll. [10] In the process, Leinart has thrust himself to the front of this year's Heisman race and is also a leading candidate for the Davey O'Brien Award. (213) 740-4204. The bull-like White, who had a trio of 100-yard games last season, was the first true freshman to lead USC in rushing (his 754 yards were the second most by a Trojan frosh behind Charles White's 858 in 1976) and his 13 rushing TDs were a USC freshman mark (his 14 total TDs tied the USC frosh record). USC's top 4 rushers (and 14 of its 17 ballcarriers), its top 4 passers and 16 of the 17 players who caught passes last year return in 2004. Join our linker program. He'd then give way to LenDale White (141 tcb, team-high 754 yds, 5.3 avg, 13 TD in 2003, plus 6 rec, 15 yds, 2.3 avg, 1 TD) and Reggie Bush (90 tcb, 521 yds, 5.8 avg, 3 TD in 2003, plus 15 rec, 314 yds, 20.9 avg, 4 TD and team-best 18 KOR, 492 yds, 27.3 avg, 1 TD), now both sophomores. QB John David Booty. 2007 USC Coaching Staff Football Coaches & Staff Jr., OT Alatini Malu, So., OG Fred Matua, So., OG Chilo Rachal, In. [28], USC clinched its third consecutive conference championship with a victory over the visiting Arizona Wildcats. Zach Hanson, tight ends coach. And USC's rushing offense (155.9), though not nationally ranked, was its best since 1991. Playing its first game on November 14 of that year against the Alliance Athletic Club, USC achieved a 16-0 victory. [44], In June 2010, the NCAA imposed sanctions on USC as a result of an investigation into the football program. Competing for time at guard are senior Travis Watkins, sophomore walk-on John Lanza, sophomore junior college transfer Alatini Malu (Long Beach City College in Long Beach, Calif.), who enrolled at USC this spring, freshman Travis Draper (originally a 2003 signee, he didn't enroll at USC until this spring), and prep All-American Chilo Rachal (Dominguez High in Compton, Calif.), an incoming freshman who also can play tackle. Marques Tuiasosopo, Tight Ends. Chris McFoy, So. The challenge starts right away, as the Trojans open on Aug. 28 against perennial power Virginia Tech in the Black Coaches Association Football Classic in Landover, Md. Hard-hitting senior free safety Jason Leach (88 tac, 5.5 for loss, 1 sack, 6 dfl, 1 FR, 1 FF, 2 int with 1 for a TD in 2003) was USC's No. USC has accomplished this with a multi-pronged offensive attack that stresses efficiency and ball control, an aggressive defensive approach that thrives on getting turnovers and an effective, mistake-free kicking game. [1], Quarterback Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding collegiate football player in the U.S. His teammate, running back Reggie Bush, finished fifth in Heisman voting, winning the following year. Jason Mitchell, Sr. Steve Smith, So. That. Also a key special teams player, he led the Trojans in punt returns in 2001 with 25 for 225 yards (9.0 average) and earned All-Pac-10 first team honors as a special teamer that season. WR Fred Davis. OFFENSIVE LINEMEN A key to USC's success in 2004 will be the play of the partially-rebuilt offensive line, which could be the biggest in Trojan history (there are 8 linemen who weigh at least 300 pounds). Head Coach: Pete Carroll(13-0)Offensive Coordinator: Norm ChowDefensive Coordinator: Other Assistant Coaches: Lane Kiffin (WR Coach) Ed Oregeron (AHC/DL/RC). All-American first teamer Udeze-a 3-year starter and Hendricks Award finalist who tied for the national lead in sacks in 2003 while posting 56 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss and 5 forced fumbles-opted to skip his senior year and head to the NFL, where he was a first round pick. The Trojans have done a superb job of getting turnovers under Carroll, as their +1.33 turnover margin and +111 takeaways the past 3 seasons are the best marks in the nation. "But we need to establish some depth at both safety positions, so some players will have to step forward.". RB Stafon Johnson. A pair of prep All-Americans-Thomas Herring (Fremont High in Los Angeles, Calif.) and Jeff Schweiger (Valley Christian High in San Jose, Calif.)-have a chance to make a contribution as freshmen when they arrive in the fall. [40] The turning point in the game came early in the first quarter, with the game tied 77, Sooner Mark Bradley made a critical special teams error that resulted in USC gaining possession on the Oklahoma 6-yard-line; after that the game turned into a USC rout. The vacated games included the Trojans' Orange Bowl win. Senior Matt Grootegoed (41 tac, 4.5 for loss, 1.5 sack, 1 dfl, 1 FR, 2 FF), who has started the past 3 years at strongside linebacker (he'll be on the weakside in 2004), has a knack for always being around the ball. Fred Davis graduated a semester early from Rogers High in Toledo, Ohio, and enrolled at USC this past spring. A lot of the key players from that offense return this year. He was named to the fulltime staff in January of 2018. RB Chauncey Washington. But this year's offense has a high standard to live up to: in 2003, the Trojans were fifth nationally in passing efficiency (159.1, first in Pac-10) and scoring offense (a school-record 41.4, first in Pac-10), 13th in passing offense (291.6, second in Pac-10) and 14th in total offense (447.5, second in Pac-10). He gave an early indication of his talent when his first career pass went for a touchdown at Auburn in last fall's opener. The USC football coaching staff has been rounded out by Lincoln Riley with the hire of Josh Henson as offensive line coach late Sunday night. LINEBACKERS USC's strength on defense will be its linebacking corps. But, in my. Cody's move to end means promising sophomore Manuel Wright (8 tac, 2 for loss, 1 sack, 3 dfl in 2003) will assume his tackle spot. [33], The top-ranked Trojans visited the Bruins for their annual crosstown rivalry game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on the 75th anniversary of the first USC-UCLA game in 1929. Fr., DE Travis Tofi, So., DT Ryan Watson, Rs. The 2004 season featured a win over No. Ed Orgeron Reveals 'Crucial Keys' For Rebuilding USC Football Troy led the nation in net punting (43.7 avg.) The threesome combined for 1,906 rushing yards (146.6 yards a game) with 20 TDs in 2003; each rushed for at least 500 yards (the first time that had happened at USC since 1988) and averaged at least 4.8 yards per carry. Fr., S Terrell Thomas, Rs. The 122 points he scored in 2003 were the second-most ever tallied at USC. "Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson are the best defensive linemen in college football," said Carroll. But he was not selected because of a judicial stay on that ruling, which was then overturned. Fr., SNP Mario Danelo, Rs. Senior placekicker Ryan Killeen backs up Malone. "Our team is well-prepared for this because it presents a great opportunity for others to step to the front. We'll attempt to continue to play defense fast and aggressively, looking to take away the football.". Behind Leinart is a stable of very capable backups. Fr., OT Ross Burruel, Jr., C Jeff Byers, In. Just look what happened last year when Troy had to replace a number of top performers, including the 2002 Heisman winner (Carson Palmer), the nation's best safety (Troy Polamalu) and 3 NFL-caliber tailbacks (Justin Fargas, Sultan McCullough and Malaefou MacKenzie). USC later vacated 2 wins (1 in conference), as well as the BCS and Pac-10 Championships, due to NCAA sanctions. I really like what our returning defensive players bring. Keary Colbert - Football Coach - USC Athletics

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