In the box
10-06-2007 10:54 pm
USCRipsIt.com spent Saturday’s game in the coaches’ box and on the headsets, so be expecting an article early this week that will give you this never-before-seen perspective.
A new start
10-06-2007 10:44 pm
It’s all about new beginnings for the Trojans, and you can read about it in the newest article from USCRipsIt.com.
Undoubtedly carrying a foreign feeling, the coaching staff will be back in the office Sunday morning to get going full-time on the Arizona game plan. Game day — the Trojans’ next opportunity to start anew — is less than seven days away.
Game time
10-06-2007 1:58 pm
In a few minutes, the Trojans will meet for the offensive and defensive clap sessions, which are short walk-thrus that go over some final important plays. The team then boards the buses and leaves at 2:10 for the Coliseum.
USCRipsIt.com will be in the coaches’ box during the game, so be on the lookout for an article from that perspective early in the week.
We’ll return after the game with a report on the blog, as usual. Kickoff’s at 4:08 p.m., and the game is broadcast on Versus, so check with your cable provider to see if you get that channel (For DirecTV customers, it’s on channel 603).
Enjoy the game.
The agenda
10-06-2007 1:36 pm
Here’s a minute-by-minute schedule for the rest of game day:
2:10 p.m. • The team buses leave the downtown hotel for the Coliseum with a police escort
2:20 p.m. • The Trojans arrive at the Coliseum and go through the “Trojan Walk”
3 p.m. • Warm-ups begin
3:27 p.m. • Stretching
3:48 p.m. • The Trojans retreat to the locker room
4:04 p.m. • USC takes the field
4:08 p.m. • Kickoff
The captains can make it happen
10-06-2007 1:28 pm
Today’s captains, besides the usual four, will be Hershel Dennis (the special teams captain of the week) and DaJohn Harris (the service team captain of the week). The coaching staff picks two additional captains each week to recognize outstanding performances in practice or the previous game.
Passing the time away
10-06-2007 12:31 pm
During a game day like today (with a late kickoff), the players have several lengthy breaks between meetings.
What do they do to pass the time?
They’ll take naps, watch college football on TV, watch movies or play video games on their portable players.
And then there’s Lawrence Jackson. The senior defensive end spent a good portion of the morning filling in the pages of his Sudoku book.
“Just trying to give my mind some exercise before the game,” Jackson said.
Almost there
10-06-2007 12:23 pm
The Trojans have completed nearly all of their final meetings as kickoff continues to inch closer. At 11:45 a.m., the team met together for a special teams meeting, during which they went through the roll call for the various phases of special teams. Then the offense and defense split and conducted their respective walk-thrus.
Now, the Trojans are eating their pre-game meal in silence in a hotel ballroom. It’s a full buffet with pastas, meats, breads and desserts that should fill the players up (it’s the last food they’ll eat until after the game tonight, so they’ve got to take advantage).
After the meal, the team has a break until 2 p.m., when they’ll congregate for the clap session and leave shortly thereafter for the Coliseum.
Good morning
10-06-2007 8:51 am
Game day has arrived.
The Trojans are trickling into a second-floor hotel ballroom for breakfast right now. The players don’t have business until 10 a.m. meetings with their respective position groups.
What’s for breakfast today? The same as always (Trojans are men of strict routine, after all): A full buffet, complete with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, French toast, potatoes, fruits, cereals, juice, pastries and made-to-order waffles and omelets.
What's ahead
10-05-2007 10:23 pm
Game day for the Trojans gets started with breakfast, which is served between 8 and 10 a.m., followed by position meetings at 10 a.m. Saturday. The first team-wide activity is a special teams meeting at 11:45 a.m.
The Trojans are schedule to arrive at the Coliseum at 2:20 p.m. and kickoff is at 4:08 p.m.
The day is over
10-05-2007 10:20 pm
The Trojans’ night is done.
After arriving at the hotel, the team went through a special teams meeting, during which the Trojans carefully watched film of all facets of special teams. Then the players and coaches broke into offense and defense meetings before the team meeting at 8:30 p.m., when Coach Carroll gave his usual one big, poignant speech of the week.
A hearty snack capped off the team activities for the night, though many players attended either mass or chapel sessions in nearby ballrooms after the snack. Bed check is at 10:30, and game day is a night’s sleep away.
Time to go
10-05-2007 5:57 pm
With a police escort, the Trojans’ buses will depart at 6 p.m. for their downtown hotel, where they’ll eat pizza dinners before meetings start at 7:30 p.m.
First up is the special teams meeting, followed by the offense/defense and team meetings. The “snack” (a full buffet dinner) is immediately after at 8:45 p.m.
Bed check’s at 10:30 p.m., but before that, players have the option of going to a Protestant chapel or a Catholic mass.
Game mode has hit full stride.
Gable's on the mend
10-05-2007 5:55 pm
Tailback C.J. Gable had successful surgery for his sports hernia today, Coach Pete Carroll said.
“Everything worked out great,” Carroll said. “We’re excited to get him healed up and back around the team soon.”
The Jock Rally Report
10-05-2007 5:48 pm
The Trojan Marching Band, Song Girls, fans and the entire team join together for a usually spirited Jock Rally in the lobby of Heritage Hall on Friday evening. Running backs coach Todd McNair and linebacker Keith Rivers provided the short-and-sweet speeches.
Dispatch from Howard Jones
10-05-2007 5:42 pm
During the 45-minute practice this afternoon, the Trojans got special teams work, 15 offensive plays, 15 defensive plays and a lesson from Coach Carroll.
Because pre-practice meetings ran later than normal, several players showed up on Howard Jones field tardy, and Carroll kicked everyone off the field and made them come back together as one to send them a special message about punctuality.
John David Booty and the offense walk through a play during Friday’s practice.
The wind was blowing hard through the clear air during Friday’s practice.
The week's last practice
10-05-2007 3:59 pm
The Trojans are heading out to the field for their normal Friday practice, which is a 45-minute walk-thru of sorts. The team will go through all special teams situations, the first 15 plays of offense and 15 important plays for the defense.
Following practice, the Trojans will proceed to the lobby of Heritage Hall, where they’ll have a rocking Jock Rally with the Marching Band, Song Girls and more than 100 fans.
We’ll return after with a report from the practice and Jock Rally.
Productive meetings
10-05-2007 3:30 pm
The special teams, team and offense/defense meetings have just concluded, and now the players are in their respective position meetings. During the offense’s meeting, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian took the players through the “Script,” or the first 15 plays of tomorrow’s game. In the defensive meeting, the coaches discussed key play calls or final adjustments for the game.
Postponement
10-05-2007 3:26 pm
The next installment of “Carlisle’s Corner” will be published early next week. This new article showcases and explains USC’s famed core training program, so be on the lookout for this fascinating and informative story written by head strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle.
The day's business is ready to kick off
10-05-2007 2:14 pm
The Trojans’ team meeting is starting at 2:30, and it begins, like the game, with special teams. After about 30 minutes of carefully going through all phases of special teams, the team breaks up into offense and defense and, later on, position groups. The normal Friday practice is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.
Special guest
10-05-2007 1:32 pm
Legendary Trojan fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham has been hanging out in the USC football office today.
Doing some pre-game research
10-05-2007 1:25 pm
Coach Carroll has stepped out of meetings to spend some time with Ron Thulin, Kelly Stouffer and Lewis Johnson, the announcers for tomorrow’s game that’s set for 4 p.m. on Versus.
This weekly meeting between Carroll and the game’s announcers is a key method of research for television broadcasters, who you’ll commonly hear say throughout a game, “I was talking with Coach Carroll yesterday and he told me….”
And it begins
10-05-2007 12:38 pm
The game day preparation is about to hit fifth gear. The coaches are gathering for their staff meeting right now, meaning football-related business goes essentially non-stop until after tomorrow’s game.
Bringing you into uncharted territory
10-05-2007 12:22 pm
USCRipsIt.com is continuing to take you to places you’ve never gone before.
During Saturday’s game, USCRipsIt.com will be high above the Coliseum field in the coaches’ booth and on the headsets, getting the hidden story of one of the most sacredly guarded aspects of coaching.
The full article, which will be published early next week on USCRipsIt.com, will offer you a look at a captivating facet of the game that’s never been seen before.
They’re grrrreat!
10-05-2007 11:40 am
You can now wake up with a bowl of the USC Trojans every morning.
Starting next week, boxes of USC Trojans frosted flakes cereal will be available at Los Angeles-area Albertson’s grocery stores. As part of a promotional campaign for the new USCTrojans.com TrojanTV All-Access, 100,000 specially designed cereal boxes, featuring the Coliseum and six of the Trojans’ Heisman Trophy winners, will be sold exclusively through the grocery chain.
New USC Trojans frosted flakes cereal will be available at Los Angeles-area Albertson’s stores beginning next week.
The front and side of the box, showing the 2007 schedule.
The back of the box.
Catching up with the alums
10-05-2007 10:53 am
Former Trojan Lofa Tatupu is definitely leaving a mark with the Seattle Seahawks. Read his great story from the Seattle Times.
See the latest video!
10-05-2007 10:47 am
Check out the newest video — this one’s about how the Trojans shined during this week’s practices — in the USCRipsIt.com video player.
A night off
10-04-2007 6:31 pm
The coaches are wrapping up some last-minute work before taking Thursday night off. As is tradition, the coaching staff gets Thursday nights and Friday mornings away from the office to spend some rare in-season time with their families.
Friday gets started (officially) with a staff meeting at 12:30 p.m., though many coaches will be in the office earlier to make final preparations for Saturday’s game.
Pranksters
10-04-2007 6:22 pm
Punter Greg Woidneck got punked.
As part of a lighthearted prank between some players and the equipment staff, Woidneck’s facemask got switched out for a defensive lineman’s facemask before Thursday’s practice.
Woidneck laughed along, but promised revenge.
The facemask, on the other hand, will be switched back to its normal look before Saturday’s game.
Punter Greg Woidneck shows off his new defensive lineman-esque facemask that was put on before Thursday’s practice thanks to some pranksters on the team.
Going against a former boss
10-04-2007 6:08 pm
Much has been made of USC passing game coordinator John Morton’s connection to Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, as the two worked together at the University of San Diego in 2005.
But so far, there’s been a forgotten Trojan in this game. Assistant strength coach Ivan Lewis was the strength coach for the University of San Diego football team for two years (2004-05) while Harbaugh coached there.
“I’m definitely looking forward to this game,” Lewis said with a huge grin.
Dispatch from Howard Jones
10-04-2007 6:00 pm
Thoughts from Thursday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt.com…
- A short, 75-minute practice ended with some fine play from both sides of the ball. During the final team period, John David Booty was precise with his passes, especially to receiver Patrick Turner. Later, on one play with Mark Sanchez at quarterback, cornerback Terrell Thomas tipped a pass to himself and caught it while falling backward for an incredible interception.
- Wideout Vidal Hazelton had a great catch with his tip toes barely in bounds along the right sideline during service team period.
- Scouts from the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks were in attendance.
Another day, another practice
10-04-2007 3:56 pm
The Trojans are heading out to the field for today’s “No Repeat” practice, meaning the coaches stress sharpness and discipline. We’ll return in a few hours with a report.
Cool in-house highlight video
10-04-2007 3:29 pm
Every Friday night before a game, the Trojans watch a special in-house highlight video with clips from the previous game. It’s produced by USC’s award-winning video department, and last week’s “Friday Night Video” (with highlights from the Washington State game and Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat” as the soundtrack) has somehow been posted on YouTube.
Check it out below, and be sure to watch the nifty effects on Fred Davis’ stiff-arm with about one minute remaining in the clip.
Note: The background music contains some adult lyrics.
What do you think? Send in your comments to Ben@USCRipsIt.com.
"Carlisle's Corner" coming tomorrow
10-04-2007 3:24 pm
You’ll notice a new video in the USCRipsIt.com video player, and this one visually presents various core exercises used by the Trojan strength staff. The next “Carlisle’s Corner,” which will be published tomorrow, focuses on this world-renowned core training program at USC.
So on Friday, you can expect head strength coach Chris Carlisle’s article to go along with this video.
Inspired by the past
10-04-2007 3:19 pm
As a method of motivating his players by showcasing past players, Coach Carroll began today’s team meeting by showing highlights of former Trojan tailback Justin Fargas during Oakland’s win over Miami last weekend. Carroll praised Fargas for the effort he gave when he played at USC in 2001-02 and the effort he continues to give today for the Raiders.
“He’s the epitome of who we’re looking for — a tremendously hard-worker,” Carroll told the players.
Kicking off the business of the day
10-04-2007 2:40 pm
As Coach Carroll walked out of his office and past the television in the football office lobby, he noticed the Colorado Rockies-Philadelphia Phillies game and was visibly surprised by the lopsided score in favor of the Rockies.
“10-4?” Carroll exclaimed. “Sheesh!”
But now it’s time to set aside playoff baseball and start the team meeting. After all, it’s “No Repeat Thursday,” and the game is 48 hours away.
Coming home
10-04-2007 2:29 pm
Former USC All-American defensive end Kenechi Udeze stopped by the football office this afternoon to say hi to his old coaches and friends. Udeze, who played on the Trojans from 2001 to 2003, has 14 tackles and two sacks in his fourth season with the Minnesota Vikings, who have a bye this weekend.
Getting ready
10-04-2007 1:59 pm
In preparation for Thursday’s practice, head athletic trainer Russ Romano (right) tapes defensive end Everson Griffen’s ankles in the Athletic Training Room in the basement of Heritage Hall. Today’s special teams meeting is at 2:15, and practice is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Preparation has no limit
10-04-2007 1:52 pm
Though no players are watching yet, last week’s Stanford-Arizona State game is being shown in the team meeting room prior to meetings at 2:15 p.m. Every day throughout a game week, the opponent’s previous games are projected during the roughly 45 minutes before meetings, a special touch delivered by the video department that allows players more time to watch and study that week’s opponent.
USCRipsIt spotlight: Jeff Austin Black
10-04-2007 12:35 pm
Periodically throughout the season, USCRipsIt.com will highlight up-and-coming business ventures, and today, we’re showcasing Jeff Austin Black, a rising music artist. Check out his story in the latest feature from USCRipsIt.com.
Over the air
10-04-2007 11:52 am
Tight ends coach Brennan Carroll (right) is appearing on USCTrojans.com’s “Heritage Hour” radio show right now just before Coach Pete Carroll goes on the show. You can hear a replay of the broadcast by subscribing to USCTrojans.com.
Cataloging the hours
10-04-2007 11:05 am
What does a morning entail for the USC coaching staff? The offensive coaches are together in the War Room scripting plays for the day’s practice for both the offense and service team defense to the tunes of an eclectic mix of music blaring from quarterback assistant Yogi Roth’s laptop.
The defensive coaches, meanwhile, are watching film and scripting the defense’s plays for this afternoon’s practice in relative silence in their staff room.
Coach Carroll jets between the offense, defense and his own office throughout the morning, but he usually spends most of the time with the defensive staff.
For a good read...
10-04-2007 9:34 am
Terrell Thomas is known as “T2” among his teammates, but he’s known for his suffocating defense among his opponents. Read his story in today’s LA Times.
Starting the day off right
10-04-2007 9:06 am
Coaches are coming together in the War Room for their morning staff meeting, meaning Thursday has officially kicked off — and game day is only two days away.
No rivalry here
10-03-2007 6:56 pm
Former UCLA basketball coach Steve Lavin watched Wednesday’s practice from the sidelines, and he said he was impressed with the style of Coach Carroll’s practices.
“There are things that are parallel — the speed, the pace — even though basketball and football are different sports,” said Lavin, who now works as an analyst on ESPN. “You see things out there that excite you as a coach.
“But Pete’s definitely unique. He’s singular.”
Bilingual
10-03-2007 6:54 pm
Mark Sanchez conducts a television interview in Spanish for the Spanish-language station Univision after Wednesday’s practice. Fullback Jody Adewale also did an interview in Spanish for the station, though Coach Carroll stuck with English for his answers.
Blocking out the distractions
10-03-2007 6:48 pm
On his own time Wednesday evening, tailback Joe McKnight practiced receiving punts.
The only catch? Secondary assistant Demetrice Martin attempted to distract the freshman by standing inches away and waving his arms as the ball approached.
Learning from the best
10-03-2007 6:35 pm
Punter Greg Woidneck (left) spent time with former USC punter Tom Malone, who attended Wednesday’s practice. Woidneck took pointers from the All-American throughout the day, and even stayed after to work with his predecessor.
A towering presence
10-03-2007 6:30 pm
With USC’s well-known Bovard Administration Building looming in the background, Coach Carroll and safety Kevin Ellison, distanced from the play going on, discuss an adjustment during Wednesday’s practice.
A picture says 1,000 words
10-03-2007 6:29 pm
Tailback Allan Bradford posted several strong rushes throughout practice Wednesday. Coach Carroll said Bradford should receive more carries Saturday to make up for the rash of injuries suffered by the running back unit.
Dispatch from Howard Jones
10-03-2007 6:20 pm
Thoughts from Wednesday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt.com…
- It wound up No Turnover Wednesday, as the offense protected the ball faultlessly throughout the 90-minute practice. But apparently it was Competition Wednesday. The offense and defense tied at 12 after the 24-play team period, so Coach Carroll declared one final play would decide the winner of the day. The defense came up with the victory on an overthrow.
- Several individual performances stuck out Wednesday: Patrick Turner and John David Booty again hooked up for several big completions; receiver Vidal Hazelton had a fancy one-handed catch; and tight end Fred Davis snagged a well-thrown ball from quarterback Mark Sanchez for a touchdown.
- Former UCLA basketball coach Steve Lavin attended practice as the guest of a mutual friend he shares with Carroll.
Practice has begun
10-03-2007 4:07 pm
It’s that time of the day, as players have made their way out to the practice field for Turnover Wednesday. We’ll return in a few hours with a report.
The ladies of USC football
10-03-2007 3:40 pm
As part of the USCRipsIt.com profile series, meet the ladies of USC football, the three behind-the-scenes administrative assistants (Morgon Fraser, Joyce Hirayama and Irene Puentes) who make a key impact on the Trojan football program.
The points of emphasis on this Turnover Wednesday
10-03-2007 3:16 pm
Wednesday means it’s turnover day for the Trojans, and at minus-3 this season, they’re directing even more attention to the ball at today’s practice. The offense will emphasize protecting it and the defense will concentrate on strip attempts this afternoon on Howard Jones field.
For today’s practice, Coach Carroll and his staff are also stressing focus to the players in order to drastically reduce penalties — especially the ones at the line of scrimmage such as offsides and false starts.
Practicing to make perfect
10-03-2007 2:15 pm
USC’s practices are renowned for their fast-action, but very few know what goes into making them so unique. But now you can understand the ins and outs of a Trojan practice thanks to the newest article from USCRipsIt.com.
Time to get rolling
10-03-2007 2:08 pm
A relatively quiet day in the USC football office is about to finally make a 180-degree turnaround, as the special teams meeting starts at 2:15 p.m. The team meeting follows soon after and Turnover Wednesday’s eventful practice is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Octoberfest
10-03-2007 12:27 pm
It’s October and that can only mean one thing.
Playoff baseball.
The TV in the football office lobby is currently showing the Colorado Rockies-Philadelphia Phillies game. Though coaches are offering a passing glance when walking between offices right now, the later games involving the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will hold the coaches’ attention, as many on the coaching staff are fans of the two American League teams.
The playbook cover
10-03-2007 12:16 pm
We present this week’s offensive playbook cover, featuring the L.A. skyline, the Coliseum and the team motto “Do you love it?” These covers are designed by quarterbacks assistant Yogi Roth each week, and they don the outside of the offense’s playbook, which changes every week to fit the tailored game plan for each opponent.
A point of clarification
10-03-2007 10:51 am
As a point of clarification regarding the Heritage Hall extension, the new addition is in its very preliminary stages. The process still must receive final approval from the Campus Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees, as well as go through many other logistical steps.
“The spirit of the building is all there, but we can’t get ahead of ourselves,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “As much as we’d like to finish it tomorrow, there’s still a long way to go.”
C.J. Gable to have season-ending surgery
10-03-2007 10:08 am
Tailback C.J. Gable will have season-ending surgery to correct a sports hernia, Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday morning.
Because he didn’t play past the Washington State game (the third game of the 2007 season), he will be eligible for a medical redshirt and could have three years of eligibility remaining starting in 2008.
“He’s just an awesome competitor and we love the way he plays,” Carroll said. “It was hard to watch him when he wasn’t 100 percent.”
After sitting out much of fall camp and offseason workouts with the issues stemming from his sports hernia, Gable played sparingly in the first few games of the season. But he started against Idaho and Nebraska and averaged 11 yards a carry in his limited work. In 2006, he rushed for 434 yards with four touchdowns, along with a 27-yard average on kickoff returns.
It’s a great morning to be a Trojan
10-03-2007 9:07 am
As the morning sun shines brightly into Heritage Hall, five of USC’s seven Heisman Trophies strike a pose with their shadows. The BCS national championship trophy from 2004 (top right) stands guard over the shadow men.
A real sports hero
10-02-2007 6:52 pm
In case you missed the broadcast this evening on AM 570, here’s the 90-second clip of Coach Carroll being featured as a “Real Sports Hero” for his work with A Better LA. The segment is hosted by legendary Dodger announcer Ross Porter.
Pictures from Tuesday’s competition
10-02-2007 6:50 pm
Defensive ends Lawrence Jackson (left) and Gerald Washington (right) battle during defensive linemen drills that force the linemen to practice staying low. Coaches Nick Holt (background) and Dave Watson (foreground) are nearly a part of the drill.
Quarterback John David Booty lines up during 7-on-7 drills as Coach Carroll (red sweatshirt) looks on.
Kicker David Buehler gets a kick off as the field goal block unit attempts to deflect it. The Trojan defense blocked two-out-of-five kicks Tuesday.
Hard-hitting day
10-02-2007 6:49 pm
It’s naturally a hard-knock life on Competition Tuesday.
Receiver Vidal Hazelton caught a pass and immediately got popped by safety Taylor Mays, causing a pads-crunching sound. Hazelton, though, popped right back up as if nothing happened.
Tight end Fred Davis also got whacked near the end of practice after a nifty one-handed catch over the middle, but he carried on like normal after the hit.
Think pink
10-02-2007 6:45 pm
Linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. has a new pink cast for his injured thumb.
The proof's positive
10-02-2007 6:42 pm
Two examples from practice proved that it was most definitely Competition Tuesday.
On one play, tailback Joe McKnight violently stiff-armed cornerback Vincent Joseph, who snapped back, “I’ll get you next time.” In reality, though, all defenders were out to get him for the rest of the practice as the competition got fiercer as practice went on.
As the players were lining up on one play during the final team period, cornerback Terrell Thomas appeared to stretch his arm out to shake hands with receiver Patrick Turner. Instead, Thomas mischievously yanked Turner’s glove off his right hand, leaving him gloveless for the following play.
Anything to get an edge on Competition Tuesday.
Quote of the day, Competition Tuesday edition
10-02-2007 6:40 pm
“The best competition is in your mind,” defensive line coach Dave Watson told his players during 1-on-1 drills.
Dispatch from Howard Jones
10-02-2007 6:39 pm
Thoughts from Tuesday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt.com…
- The defense had a big day, disrupting the passing game and being very physical throughout the practice en route to a 13-11 victory in the final 24-play team period.
- Tailback Hershel Dennis had a strong carry during team-run period that included sleekly hurdling over a fallen lineman. He added several more impressive runs throughout the practice.
- Wideout Vidal Hazelton recorded a phenomenal leaping catch against great coverage along the left sideline in the final team period. Equally as spectacular was the back-shoulder throw from quarterback John David Booty, who placed the ball perfectly so that the cornerback couldn’t touch it.
- Scouts from the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers were in attendance.
Practice is here
10-02-2007 4:02 pm
Competition Tuesday’s practice is on, so we’ll return from Howard Jones in a few hours with a report.
Trojans around the League
10-02-2007 3:57 pm
USC alums — both coaches and players — had more spectacular performances in the NFL this weekend.
Dissecting Competition Tuesday
10-02-2007 3:32 pm
Tuesdays are the first day of installing the game plan for the Trojans, so the team and offense/defense meetings feature detailed scouting reports about the opponent’s personnel. Position coaches give a player-by-player analysis of the opposing team's counter position group (for example, wide receiver coach John Morton presents various notes about the opponent’s secondary). Also, Coach Carroll starts the meetings off with an overall look at the coming opponent to offer a big-picture perspective for his Trojans.
Tuesday's meetings are usually the only time every week when a significant portion of the meeting is devoted to the opposing team, as the Trojans predominantly focus on improving their own play the rest of the week.
The day's business begins
10-02-2007 2:31 pm
Competition Tuesday has gotten started with a punt team meeting at 2:15. The team meeting is up soon, and today’s full-pads practice is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Moving right along
10-02-2007 1:27 pm
News that Stanford quarterback T.C. Ostrander is out for Saturday’s game is spreading through the USC football office, but it’s not changing much in terms of the Trojans’ preparation.
“We’ll have to look at the film and see the plays the new guy has thrown,” Coach Pete Carroll said. “But since he’s only thrown three passes, we really don’t change anything. There’s nothing we can do. We’ll just prepare like we always prepare.”
Meeting the press
10-02-2007 1:02 pm
This week’s installment of Coach Carroll’s press conference is in the books, and he discussed in detail last weekend’s game, as well as this Saturday’s game against Stanford. Two of his most memorable quotes from the 30-minute presser dealt with the difficulty of college football and the quality of his defense.
(on last weekend’s upsets) “It’s hard to do this. Some really, really good teams got beat. It’s hard to win, it gets harder every week. It’s hard to win all your games. Give credit to the football gods — sometimes the ball bounces this way or the wind goes that way. It’s just ball.”
(on this year’s defense) “This is a wild group. They hit the heck out of people. They’re determined to leave a statement. We’re playing harder and with more intensity than we ever have before. I love these guys, I love the way they’re playing.”
Answering questions
10-02-2007 11:57 am
It’s that time of the week for Coach Carroll’s press conference with local print and broadcast media. We’ll return after with a report.
Listen in
10-02-2007 11:54 am
Coach Carroll will be on KLAC-570 AM today at 5:25 p.m. as the feature of Ross Porter’s Real Sports Heroes, which will be showcasing Carroll’s efforts with A Better LA.
Midnight madness
10-02-2007 11:14 am
College basketball is just around the corner. Next Friday (Oct. 12), USC will be having Midnight Madness at the Galen Center to kick off the 2007-08 basketball season that’s ripe with promise for the Trojans.
The event, which starts at 9:30 p.m. and is free to attend, will feature a dunk contest, three-point contest, giveaways and scrimmage, along with celebrity guests. The USC women’s volleyball match against Oregon immediately precedes Midnight Madness.
Pleasant background noise
10-02-2007 10:52 am
With James Brown blasting out of his office stereo, Coach Carroll is sitting at his desk doing his weekly conference call with Pac-10 reporters right now.
Coming together
10-02-2007 10:26 am
Thanks to secondary graduate assistant Demetrice Martin’s daily howl alerting the office of the pending meeting, the coaches know it’s now time to gather for their routine morning all-staff meeting in the War Room. During this brief meeting, they’ll talk about personnel, injuries, the travel roster and the day’s practice.
Media day
10-02-2007 9:25 am
Tuesdays represent Media Day for Coach Carroll, as he has a morning conference call with reporters from around the Pac-10 and his weekly press conference with local reporters at noon.
We wonder if he’ll get any questions about Jim Harbaugh this week.
Guest of honor
10-02-2007 9:22 am
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is hanging out and watching film in the Trojan football office this morning. Fitzgerald and USC quarterbacks assistant Yogi Roth played together at the University of Pittsburgh.
TV dinners
10-01-2007 7:08 pm
As coaches eat their dinners before the night’s meetings commence, they’re glued to the television in the football office lobby, which is showing the Monday Night Football game between the Cincinnati Bengals (with USC alums Carson Palmer and Frostee Rucker) and New England Patriots (featuring former Trojans Matt Cassel and Oscar Lua).
No, he's not the middle linebacker
10-01-2007 7:01 pm
A prototypical hands-on coach, Coach Carroll (left) was right in the mix during Monday’s practice.
Center of attention
10-01-2007 6:58 pm
Tailback Stafon Johnson, who rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown on Saturday, was the focus of attention for about a dozen reporters after Monday’s practice. Johnson sat out practice with a boot on his foot, but he said he’ll return to practice later this week.
Quality time
10-01-2007 6:53 pm
Like a father and son playing catch at the local park, Coach Carroll and fullback Stanley Havili ran around the field and tossed the football for about 10 minutes following Monday’s practice. Carroll encouraged Havili with various coaching points as the two went back and forth making spectacular catches.
When the Coach and his pupil finished throwing, Havili walked off the field and was obviously very grateful for the time with his coach. “Thanks, Coach,” Havili said with a smile.
Fullback Stanley Havili and Coach Carroll throw the ball around after Monday’s practice.
Peak performers
10-01-2007 6:23 pm
Here’s a look at some shining individual efforts Monday:
- Cornerback Cary Harris returned to the practice field and even snagged two interceptions.
- Receiver Vidal Hazelton and quarterback John David Booty connected for a 35-yard touchdown on a perfectly thrown bomb in the final team period.
- Linebacker Thomas Williams continued his quarterback-hazing ways by picking off another pass during the team period.
- Wideout Scott Stephens caught a long touchdown in the final period, igniting the second-string offensive players and causing them to erupt in cheers for that play’s win over the defense.
- Defensive lineman Trey Henderson is apparently trying to contribute in any way he can. Henderson, recovering from recent knee surgery, played on the service team offensive line during Monday’s practice to fill in on the injury-depleted line.
Dispatch from Howard Jones
10-01-2007 6:21 pm
Thoughts from Monday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt.com…
- With the whole team watching and laughing, the second-stringers completed a comical final play of Monday’s hour-long practice with an old-fashioned hook-and-ladder that crisscrossed the field several times but ended with linebacker Malcolm Smith recovering an errant lateral and returning it for a touchdown.
- After a short individual period, the offense and defense ran 15 plays of service team before splitting the field and running 1s against 1s on the north end and 2s against 2s on the south end of Howard Jones field, giving the Trojans some rare competition between the top units.
And game week starts anew
10-01-2007 4:44 pm
Let practice begin. The Trojans are heading out for their first on-field session since Saturday with a 45-minute practice on Howard Jones field. We’ll return after with a full report.
Meeting to tell the truth
10-01-2007 4:22 pm
The Trojans are now in their position meetings to examine strengths and weaknesses from Saturday’s game on a smaller scale. Today’s practice is set for 4:45 p.m. on Howard Jones field.
Home sweet home
10-01-2007 3:36 pm
ESPN columnist Bruce Feldman ranks the Coliseum as
one of the toughest places to play in America.
Telling the truth
10-01-2007 2:48 pm
The Trojans are wrapping up the special teams portion of their Monday team meeting, and now they’ll move to the team-wide part of the meeting, during which they’ll watch highlights from the game and go over specific areas of success and failure, as today is “Tell the Truth” Monday.
A new video is up!
10-01-2007 2:08 pm
A short PSA for A Better LA, starring Coach Carroll, has been added as the newest clip in the USCRipsIt.com video player. Be sure to check it out!
Recap from MMQB
10-01-2007 2:06 pm
Coach Carroll has returned from the hour-long Monday Morning Quarterback at the Galen Center, where he dissected film and answered questions about Saturday’s game. Here are some memorable quotes from the event:
- (Carroll on the hard-fought victory) “That W is no different size than all the rest of them. The important part now is how we respond.”
- (Carroll on Desmond Reed) “He’s playing so well right now. He’s really playing his role, a great third-down back. It’s still a major accomplishment that he’s playing now [considering his foot injury two years ago].”
- (Carroll on Shareece Wright’s hit on Jake Locker) “It’s a terrific hit, a fantastic collision. It’s part of football, it’s going to happen sometimes. We just have to make smart decisions.”
The lights are turned off in the Galen Center as Coach Carroll goes through film from Saturday’s game.
Coach Carroll (far left) answers questions during Monday Morning Quarterback at the Galen Center.
Going to Galen
10-01-2007 12:09 pm
Coach Carroll is about to take a break from defensive meetings and head to the Galen Center for Monday Morning Quarterback. We’ll return after the hour-long film-viewing and Q&A session with a report.
Film study
10-01-2007 11:50 am
Quarterback John David Booty is currently watching film from Saturday’s game in the offensive staff room, just another one of many players to do the same already this morning.
BREAKING NEWS: USC-Arizona game to kickoff at 12:30 p.m.
10-01-2007 11:13 am
USC’s game against Arizona on Oct. 13 will kick off at 12:30 p.m. and be televised regionally by ABC.
The Trojans are in Vogue
10-01-2007 10:41 am
Coach Carroll, John David Booty and Keith Rivers appear in the recent issue of Men’s Vogue with a huge photo and a cool story about Carroll as a visionary.
You can see the magazine spread (the first two pages of it, including the neat photo) and read the full story.
Monday Morning Quarterback free for students
10-01-2007 10:32 am
Around 12:15 p.m., Coach Carroll will host his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback session at the Galen Center. Students can attend the Q&A and film session for free with a student ID.
USCRipsIt will have a report following the event.
Starting the week off right
10-01-2007 9:23 am
Game week has started all over again as coaches are gathering for their staff meeting right now to prepare for Stanford. But today is also “Tell the Truth” Monday, a day when the Trojans “self-scout” to examine themselves and find ways to improve.
In the news
09-30-2007 3:15 am
Here’s what the various reports said about the Trojans’ 27-24 victory at Washington on Saturday night:
Associated Press
L.A. Times
O.C. Register
Riverside Press-Enterprise
Back at home
09-30-2007 3:05 am
The Trojans touched down at LAX at 1:45 a.m. and airport janitors stopped their work to ask the team for autographs. After walking through the terminal, players and coaches boarded buses back to USC, where they arrived at 2:20 a.m.
The team has Sunday off and will return on Monday with the normal meetings starting at 2:15 p.m. Game week starts all over again, as Stanford comes to the Coliseum in less than seven days.
As USC football goes, so goes USCRipsIt.com, so we’ll be taking it easy Sunday and return full-blast on Monday.
Can’t leave soon enough
09-30-2007 3:04 am
As the final seconds ticked off the game clock, most players and coaches exhaled and said something like “Let’s go home” or “Let’s get out of here.” The rain, cold, and closely contested game probably all contributed to that feeling.
Saturday’s game was the epitome of a hard-fought victory. The Trojans were glad, relieved and downright overjoyed to get the win and get out of Seattle with a 4-0 record.
Speedy turnaround
09-30-2007 3:03 am
The game ended around 9 p.m. and by 10, the Trojans were being led out of Husky Stadium by a police escort, headed to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The predominant topic of conversation on the ride to the airport was the glut of upsets in college football on Saturday. Players and coaches were shocked that five out of the nation’s top 10 teams could fall on one day.
The buses arrived at the airport at 10:26 p.m., players were whisked through security and the charter plane, filled with giddy passengers, pushed back from the gate at 11:14 p.m. The Trojans were homeward bound.
The Trojans arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport late Saturday night for their charter flight back to LAX.
Coach Carroll and his wife Glena board USC’s flight to LAX on Saturday night.
Pictures of victory
09-30-2007 3:02 am
The score might have been closer than anyone wanted, but it still spelled a win for the Trojans.
Only minutes after the game concluded, Husky Stadium had emptied out on this cold and dreary night in Seattle.
Relaxing like old buddies
09-30-2007 3:01 am
Like some friends talking football on a Sunday afternoon, USC coaches sat in their locker room after the game late Saturday night and simply hung out. A sense of both relief and joy filled the cramped room as the coaches talked about memorable plays from the night, looked at the stats and ate from several pizza boxes sprawled around the room.
From the looks of things, it sure feels good to win.
Speaking his mind
09-30-2007 3:00 am
Coach Carroll’s post-game speech was abnormally harsh (the truth hurts) as he scolded his team for the excessive amount of penalties and turnovers. But the end of his talk featured Carroll’s typical positive outlook.
“This is how games get lost,” Carroll said after he went through the penalties and turnovers. “But the other side is that you would not let that happen. We have to not let this happen again. It’s not easy to win these, guys. Under all that stuff, we still won today.
“Let’s learn from this and get the hell out of Seattle!”
Coach Carroll speaks to his team in the locker room after the game.
Nothing can get in the way
09-30-2007 2:59 am
Several of the coaches’ headsets mysteriously — and rather disruptively — stopped working at many points throughout the game.
Competing for a win
09-30-2007 2:58 am
Offensive and defensive coaches battle against each other every day during the week, but gamedays are a different story.
Exhibit A: During one third-quarter play when the Trojans were on defense, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian noticed an illegal formation by the Washington offense and ran down the sideline toward the official to alert him of the violation.
Details count
09-30-2007 2:57 am
Even the smallest things get that special Trojan touch: The players have gold-tipped shoe laces.
Decibel levels
09-30-2007 2:56 am
Husky Stadium was so loud at many points during the game that players and coaches had to yell less than six inches away from one another’s ear in order to communicate.
Halftime
09-30-2007 2:55 am
The 15-minute break between halves starts and ends before you even notice, but the players like it that way, as they strongly desire to get back to the field. Coach Carroll ended the halftime with a swift speech before the team returned to the game.
“Play the way we play — do things right,” Carroll told the Trojans. “Don’t give them nothing!”
Then the team proceeded down the 150-yard-long tunnel chanting “War time, let’s take it outside!” with the volume and energy coming to a crescendo at the entrance to the field.
The sights of halftime
09-30-2007 2:54 am
The defensive coaching staff, including Coach Carroll (left, against the wall), secondary coach Rocky Seto (middle) and defensive coordinator Nick Holt (right), had a quick meeting at the start of halftime to go over issues with the first half and plan adjustments for the second half.
Center Matt Spanos (69), offensive line coach Pat Ruel, quarterback John David Booty (10) and offensive guard Alatini Malu (70) discuss second-half plans in the locker room during halftime.
Coach Ken Norton Jr. (right) coaches up his linebackers in the waning minutes of halftime.
Sounds from the sideline in the first half
09-30-2007 2:53 am
- As the Trojans gathered in their huddle before the game, they bounced around and chanted, “War time, let’s take it outside!”
- After USC’s touchdown that tied the game at seven in the second quarter, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian walked up and down the bench and high-fived all the players. “Let’s go! Let’s go!” he shouted with excitement.
Reaching a new low
09-30-2007 2:53 am
To put it bluntly, it was cold at Husky Stadium on Saturday night. Blustering winds and rain didn’t help the matter either.
To fight the nippy temperatures, several players had hip pouches to keep their hands warm during breaks. Many players held hand warmers throughout the game. Snapper Will Collins even had oversized yellow mittens for the sideline.
Getting pumped
09-30-2007 2:52 am
There’s only about 12 minutes in the locker room from the time the Trojans finish warm-ups to the time they return to the field for the game, but they’re the most jam-packed 12 minutes imaginable.
The locker room is in utter chaos before the game as players scramble to get last-minute medical treatments and coaches run around making final adjustments. And then there’s the screaming, yelling and pounding on the walls that goes on incessantly until Coach Carroll’s final speech.
“Let’s show ’em who we are,” Carroll animatedly told his players in the overcrowded locker room. “Let’s stay together, all day.”
~Coach Carroll and the Trojans walk down the tunnel to the field. It was game time.
On the field during warm-ups
09-30-2007 2:50 am
Kicker David Buehler takes some warm-up kicks as Michael McDonald holds before the game.
Backup snapper Brad Walker snaps some balls to punter Greg Woidneck during pre-game warm-ups.
As the large American flag shows, strong winds filled Husky Stadium, presenting some challenges for the kicking game.
The Trojan Marching Band came dressed appropriately for the elements as the famous band went through its usual pre-game routine at Husky Stadium on Saturday evening.
At the start
09-30-2007 2:49 am
The Trojans left their hotel a little after 3 p.m. Saturday under a thick drizzle. The highways were very congested from the hotel to the stadium, but the police escort knifed through the traffic to guide the three team buses to Husky Stadium, where they arrived at 3:28.
A USC-biased crowd welcomed the Trojans as the players walked from their buses to the entrance to the visitors’ locker room. It was time to prepare for battle.
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