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Away they go 09-05-2008 10:26 a.m.
While players get the weekend off, coaches will be hard at work on the recruiting trail, with some of them already en route to the airport. They’ll watch games today and Saturday before returning early Sunday morning for staff meetings, film sessions and other game preparations.
The entire team will reconvene Sunday night at 7 p.m. for a short film session, granting the Trojans a head start on the usual game-week agenda.
To conclude Friday morning’s practice, the Trojans conducted an hour-long scrimmage, pitting the first- and second-teamers against a hodgepodge scout team that nearly upset the top-unit players. The black-shirts eventually lost, 10-7, in the first overtime.
But it only happened with some late-game heroics — or miracles, depending on whom you ask — from the first-unit players.
With no timeouts, down 7-0 and the black shirts chanting “De-fense!” on the sideline, Mark Sanchez led a 91-yard touchdown-scoring drive in the final 1:35 of the scrimmage, connecting with Patrick Turner in the corner of the end zone for a clutch 19-yard score with 15 second remaining.
“That was an incredible post-corner he hit with Patrick,” Coach Carroll said of Sanchez.
That was set up by two huge receptions over the middle by tight end Blake Ayles and wideout Travon Patterson, who dove to catch the 4th-and-15 pass that immediately preceded the touchdown.
The ensuing extra point tied it and sent the game into overtime, where kicker David Buehler hit a 28-yard field goal to win it for the team consisting of first- and second-team players.
Defensive lineman Jurrell Casey had the only score for the spirited black shirts, as he caught a deflected screen pass and rumbled untouched for 56 yards and the touchdown, inciting a wild end-zone celebration by his black-shirted teammates.
Carroll called Casey the MVP of the practice, and added that the type of furious effort by the black shirts Friday only helps prepare the first-teamers for the next game.
“It sure would’ve been fun to see the black shirts pull it out,” Carroll said. “They were awesome for us today.”
Dispatch from Howard Jones 09-05-2008 9:15 a.m.
Thoughts from Friday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt…
- Even though the team practiced at 7 a.m., the energy was still there. In fact, it might have even been turned up a notch. Coaches and players bounded around the field, screamed and had noticeably more fun during the no-pads workout that started at the crack of a cool dawn and ended in the heat of a warm September day.
- Besides Jurrell Casey’s spectacular interception, which he returned for a touchdown, linebacker Ross Cumming had a pick of his own during the scrimmage.
- During the Trojans’ hour-long scrimmage at the end of practice, the black-shirted scout team ran Ohio State’s offensive and defensive schemes, giving the first-team offense its first official look at the Buckeye game plan.
Let’s go 09-05-2008 6:56 a.m.
Offensive line coach Pat Ruel just blew his whistle while scrambling around the office and excitedly screaming, “Let’s go!”
If it really is 7 a.m., the coaches sure aren’t acting like it.
We’ll be back from the Trojans’ morning practice with a report in a few hours.
Wake up everybody 09-05-2008 6:35 a.m.
The players and coaches aren’t the only ones waking up at dawn this morning.
Often lost in the Trojan football machine is the support staff, many of whom arrived this morning before the players and coaches. The athletic trainers, video staffers, equipment men and strength staff have all had their mornings come sooner than normal today thanks to the 7 a.m. practice.
And let’s not forget the student equipment managers and student athletic trainers — all volunteer college kids — who are checking in for work this morning when some students are going to bed.
Early morning 09-05-2008 6:33 a.m.
Coaches are filing into the office and sleepy-eyed players are shuffling into the locker room as the sun begins to rise at USC. Practice is up at 7 a.m.
Right back at you 09-04-2008 6:47 p.m.
The Trojans will return to work with practice at 7 a.m. Friday.
Album from Thursday 09-04-2008 6:45 p.m.
Here’s a photo album from Thursday’s practice, taken by USCRipsIt staff photographer Po-He Tseng:
Hospital visit recap 09-04-2008 6:44 p.m.
Check out this video from today’s hospital visit, produced by Mark Haas:
Photos from Thursday’s practice 09-04-2008 6:43 p.m.
Wideout Ronald Johnson soars over cornerback Shareece Wright for a catch.
Receiver Jordan Camperon readies to receive the pass on a slant route.
Linebacker Luthur Brown gets in Mark Sanchez’s face after he releases the pass.
Aaron Corp throws just before the rush completely collapses the pocket.
Dispatch from Howard Jones 09-04-2008 6:20 p.m.
Thoughts from Thursday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt…
- During the final team period of the half-pads practice, tailback Broderick Green took a screen pass, barreled up field and clipped Rey Maualuga, who stunningly fell to the ground and lay flat on his back, almost lifeless. For once, after all the helpless offensive players he’s leveled through the years, Maualuga was flattened himself. Offensive players came over to Maualuga and jokingly patted the ground like a wrestling referee. “Rey was very gracious with it, letting Broderick have his moment,” Coach Carroll said.
- Receiver David Ausberry dove for an astounding one-handed catch along the sideline during team period. “Nice catch, D.A.!” receivers coach John Morton yelled out.
- Never at a loss for competition, Carroll called for one last snap after the final 20-play team period ended in a 10-10 tie. The defensive rush was killer on the play, as several defensive linemen collapsed the pocket and sacked Mitch Mustain, granting the overall practice victory to the defense.
- Cornerback Shareece Wright had an impressive blocked punt.
Time to play 09-04-2008 4:01 p.m.
Today’s practice is getting started, and the coaching staff is enthusiastically preaching Coach Carroll’s one-day-at-a-time mentality this afternoon.
“If you want to be great down the road, you’ve got to be great today,” Carroll said during the team meeting.
We’ll be back with a report in a few hours.
Matchup Thursday 09-04-2008 3:26 p.m.
With no game this Saturday, Coach Carroll is pulling another fun theme out of his pocket for today’s practice, hailing the workout as “Matchup Thursday.” Opposing players will be pitted against each other in one-on-one segments throughout the practice, adding an extra element of competition to the workout. The highlighted matchups, as chosen by the coaches, are:
- Wideout David Ausberry vs. cornerback Josh Pinkard - Offensive tackle Tyron Smith vs. defensive end Everson Griffen - Offensive guard Alex Parsons vs. defensive tackle Armond Armstead - Wideout Jordan Cameron vs. cornerback T.J. Bryant - Tight end Blake Ayles vs. linebacker Jordan Campbell - Fullback Stanley Havili vs. linebacker Luthur Brown - Wideout Ronald Johnson vs. cornerback Shareece Wright
Sleeping in 09-04-2008 2:27 p.m.
Friday morning’s practice has been pushed back one hour to 7 a.m. because of the lack of 8 a.m. class conflicts for the players.
Get going 09-04-2008 2:25 p.m.
The afternoon meetings just got started with the special teams portion, with the kickoff return and punt return units getting the spotlight today. The team, offense/defense and position group meetings follow before practice at 4 p.m.
A mutually beneficial visit 09-04-2008 2:13 p.m.
Read about and see photos from the Trojans’ visit to the USC Women’s and Children’s Hospital today in the latest feature from USCRipsIt.
Cool new gear 09-04-2008 1:06 p.m.
Last year, Nike made a special “Respect” shirt for the team that was eventually sold in the bookstore. This year, Nike has produced cool new “Finish” shirts that will be available soon in the bookstore. Here's a sneak peek:
Back to Heritage 09-04-2008 12:55 p.m.
The Trojans just returned from their visit to the USC Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and we’ll have a report coming shortly.
Coaches are now back to preparing for today’s meetings, which start at 2:15, and practice, which hits the field at 4 p.m.
Heading to the hospital 09-04-2008 10:50 a.m.
A contingent of Trojans, including Coach Carroll and several players, is heading to the USC Women’s and Children’s Hospital now to spend time with the patients there. We’ll be back in a few hours with a report from the event.
Don’t stop believing 09-04-2008 10:49 a.m.
Today’s song of the day is “Don’t stop believing” by Journey, as Coach Carroll makes a shout out to the Republicans and Democrats battling for the upper hand during this election season.
Early birds get the worms 09-04-2008 10:43 a.m.
The Trojans will practice at 6 a.m. tomorrow, giving the coaches the rest of the day to recruit and the players almost three full days off from football before reporting back for meetings and practice on Monday. The team did the same pre-dawn practice last season during the first bye week.
The Trojan Coaching Tree 09-04-2008 10:23 a.m.
A spectacular list of former Trojan players now fills the coaching fraternity, and find out all about it in the newest feature from USCRipsIt, written by student assistant Ricky Cambier.
Making change 09-04-2008 9:30 a.m.
Besides the 10-yard touchdown pass that was credited to Mitch Mustain (instead of a 10-yard rush by Marc Tyler), here are two other stat changes from Saturday’s game at Virginia:
- Scott Stephens was given a tackle on USC’s second kickoff of the third quarter (not Jordan Campbell) - Cary Harris was credited with a pass breakup on the second play of Virginia's third drive in the first quarter
Now you know: USC jerseys 09-04-2008 9:21 a.m.
Here are a couple of questions regarding USC’s jerseys from reader Jack Schafer: “Does the team get new jerseys for each game? Are there backup jerseys in case the jersey gets ripped or torn during the first half? Are there any differences between the game day jerseys and the practice jerseys?”
Players wear their same jersey all season and get to keep the one they wear in the bowl game. Many times, the non-bowl game jerseys are re-used the next season (several players sported their pre-worn white jerseys during Saturday’s game at Virginia). But since the Trojans wore cardinal during last season’s Rose Bowl, meaning players got to keep those, the entire team will be decked out in brand new jerseys for next Saturday’s home opener.
For back-up jerseys, football equipment coordinator Tino Dominguez packs a trunk full of replacements for every game for linemen, tailbacks, linebackers and quarterbacks — “guys who are getting pulled at during a game,” Dominguez said. Kickers, for instance, don’t have a back-up jersey. Dominguez said he’s had to pull out a replacement only once in his 17 years at USC.
“Most of the time we just sew tears up right on the sideline,” Dominguez said.
And lastly, practice jerseys are quite different than game jerseys, as they’re looser fitting and not as ornate as the game-used versions.
Here’s the sweet-looking offensive playbook cover for last week’s Virginia game. We plan on posting the playbook covers in the week leading up to the game from now on:
Photo album from Wednesday’s practice 09-03-2008 6:42 p.m.
An album of images from Wednesday, taken by USCRipsIt staff photographer Po-He Tseng:
Photos from Wednesday’s practice 09-03-2008 6:37 p.m.
Receiver Jordan Cameron soars for the catch during 1-on-1 drills.
With safety Taylor Mays defending in 1-on-1s, wideout D.J. Shoemate reaches for the catch.
Kicker David Buehler connects on a field goal.
Defensive lineman Armond Armstead collapses the pocket as Aaron Corp gets a pass off.
Defensive end Everson Griffen and Mark Sanchez watch a pass that Griffen batted into the air.
Dispatch from Howard Jones 09-03-2008 6:12 p.m.
Thoughts from Wednesday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt…
- The defense popped several balls loose and cornerback Shareece Wright had a soaring interception during team period, officially making today “Turnover Wednesday” for the second straight week. “No doubt it was Turnover Wednesday — no doubt,” Coach Carroll exclaimed in the post-practice huddle.
- Receiver Jordan Cameron had another big-time catch down the sideline Wednesday, and he was one of many inexperienced players who got extended looks throughout the half-pads practice. Offensive lineman Tyron Smith, safety Drew McAllister and cornerbacks T.J. Bryant and Brian Baucham also got extra reps with the top units. “We’re experimenting with guys and seeing how far they can take it,” Carroll said. “We don’t have results right now but it helps us out in the long run.”
- Safety Kevin Ellison had an impressive fingertip interception during 1-on-1s.
- Tailback Allen Bradford had a huge rush up the middle in an 11-on-11 drill, setting off a wild celebration by his offensive teammates. Carroll even yelled out, “Oh baby! It’s like a car running through there!”
Got to go 09-03-2008 4:07 p.m.
The Trojans’ turnover-themed practice just got started. We’ll be back with a report in a few hours.
All about the ball 09-03-2008 3:13 p.m.
The afternoon team meeting began with highlights from Tuesday’s practice before secondary coach Rocky Seto showed clips of NFL players causing turnovers so that the emphasis will be on the ball during today’s Turnover Wednesday practice. The film incited a riot of playful trash talk from the coaches, who called out other position groups in anticipation of this afternoon’s 4 p.m. practice.
Touching lives 09-03-2008 2:31 p.m.
Members of the Trojan football team, including Coach Carroll and several players, will make their annual visit to the USC Women’s and Children’s Hospital on Thursday. The Trojan Marching Band and USC Song Girls will also attend the special event to spend time with ailing patients.
Coach Carroll's song of the day today is a tribute to “Turnover Wednesday,” since the Trojans are celebrating their four turnovers in Saturday’s game. Here’s “Celebration” by Kanye West (the song contains some adult lyrics, so don’t blast it at work or in front of children):
Stunt double 09-03-2008 1:54 p.m.
Coach Carroll and special assistant Ricky Rosas record a short promo that’ll air on the Coliseum screen during home games this fall. Carroll was originally supposed to do the clip himself, but he recruited Rosas to join him and recite the lines as part of the 20-second ad.
Fall Camp playbook cover 09-03-2008 1:35 p.m.
Here’s the offensive playbook cover for Fall Camp’s playbook:
Another honor 09-03-2008 1:23 p.m.
Mark Sanchez was named Davey O’Brien quarterback of the week for the opening weekend of the season.
Sweat it out 09-03-2008 1:09 p.m.
Here’s an interesting question from reader Brian Wildman: “I noticed in [Tuesday’s] practice that Pete Carroll was wearing a heavy sweatshirt. I know it’s been pretty warm outside, so why the heavy sweatshirt?”
It’s a rare sight when Carroll doesn’t wear a sweatshirt and pants, because he’s coming to practice straight from a workout in the weight room and wants to continue sweating as he runs around the field during practice. In fact, many coaches treat practice as their daily cardio workout since it’s so fast-paced and they can run around and sweat, all while merely doing their jobs.
Coach Carroll dresses in sweatshirt and pants on an 80-degree day at Tuesday’s practice. [Photo by Po-He Tseng]
Positive returns 09-03-2008 12:12 p.m.
We received a question from reader Torin Roher about the difference between punt and kickoff returns and why Joe McKnight and Ronald Johnson for those roles: “Why do the Trojans use McKnight for punts and RoJo for kick-offs? Are the returns that different? Or is it to just give 2 talented returners touches? Or is it to reduce the injury risk?”
Coach Carroll said first of all, the returns are vastly different. For punts, the ball arrives in various forms (wobbly, spiral, short, far, etc.) and players are rapidly approaching to make the tackle. Meanwhile, for kickoffs, the ball is coming in end-over-end and there aren’t any players closing in while the player receives the kick.
Also, Carroll said he likes being able to give several talented players opportunities to make spectacular plays.
“We have enough guys that we can share the load and let them master their trades,” he said. “They can each leave their marks on the game in special ways.”
Rally time 09-03-2008 11:42 a.m.
The Grove is hosting a USC Pep Rally next Thursday (Sept. 11) at 7:30 p.m., two days before the Ohio State game. The Trojan Marching Band, USC Song Girls, Traveler, USC Olympians and several Trojan football legends will gather for a magnificent pep rally put on by the USC Alumni Association and The Grove.
Study up 09-03-2008 11:03 a.m.
Even though practices, meetings and workouts don’t slow up during the bye, this week affords players a great opportunity to focus on academics — they don’t have playbooks to study, so they can turn their attention to studying textbooks.
Sign of the olden days 09-03-2008 10:31 a.m. Reader Joan Kahaleuahi e-mailed asking about the “I’m In” sign hanging in the locker room in Virginia: “Do they take the sign from the Coliseum locker room or do they have a traveling sign?”
There’s a traveling sign that is affixed above the locker room door at road games, while the Coliseum’s “I’m In” sign is part of the wallpaper in the locker room, so it’s immovable.
As an interesting side note, the “I’m In” sign used Saturday was actually the original version from Coach Carroll’s first season at USC in 2001. It had gone into retirement following that year and was replaced by a newer, more pristine version that had been hanging at road games for the last six seasons.
The old-school version, which football equipment coordinator Tino Dominguez revived Friday in Charlottesville to rave reviews, is autographed by USC legend Ronnie Lott.
Wearing white after Labor Day 09-03-2008 10:05 a.m.
Tuesday’s practice saw the return of something not seen on Howard Jones field in more than eight months.
The players’ practice jerseys changed for the first time since Dec. 30, the last padded practice before the Rose Bowl. You see, the offense wears white and the defense wears cardinal in advance of away games (and vice versa), so with all of Spring Practice and Fall Camp looking ahead to Saturday’s road contest, the players donned unchanging jerseys for eight months.
But with the team and its practices now turning to focus on the home opener, the offense wore cardinal jerseys and the defense wore white jerseys Tuesday for the first time in 2008.
Also, the helmets featured the classic Trojan decals at practice for the first time since the Rose Bowl, because the stickers are removed after every season and not reapplied until a day or so before the opener of the new season.
Status quo 09-03-2008 9:37 a.m.
We received a question for Coach Carroll from reader Jon Haugo about practices the next two weeks: “With such an extraordinary game coming up and since Jim Tressel keeps his practices closed, is there any chance you will do the same? Although fans like myself love practice reports, we would also be very happy if practices were closed for these next two weeks.”
Here’s Carroll’s response:
“We’re not going to do anything different for this game since we’re not treating this game any different than another game. Every game is a championship game for us, so we’ll treat this one, the last one and the next one exactly the same. And that goes for our practices leading up to it as well.”
National news 09-03-2008 9:20 a.m.
Mark Sanchez was named Rivals.com national player of the week following his 338-yard performance in Saturday’s 52-7 win.
Playing big 09-03-2008 8:48 a.m.
USC averaged 7.2 yards per offensive snap and had six plays of 20 or more yards Saturday, resurrecting the big-play capability the Trojans had frequently exhibited in recent seasons. Here’s a funny column about that return of the big play for USC, from today’s Daily Trojan.
Examine closely 09-03-2008 8:27 a.m.
The coaching staff just met in the War Room for their weekly recruiting meeting. They’ll watch film and discuss prospects from the class of 2009 for the next hour or so, like they do every Wednesday morning during the season.
London fog 09-03-2008 8:20 a.m.
The Trojans are waking up in a haze as thick fog has enveloped Howard Jones field and the rest of the USC campus this morning.
A photo album from Tuesday’s practice 09-02-2008 7:22 p.m.
Check out an album of images from Tuesday's workout, by USCRipsIt staff photographer Po-He Tseng:
The week ahead 09-02-2008 7:21 p.m.
The Trojans will practice Wednesday afternoon, Thursday afternoon and early Friday morning before taking the weekend off so that coaches can hit the road to recruit. The team will resume normal game-week preparations Monday afternoon.
Recruiting season
09-02-2008 7:20 p.m.
Tonight marks the first night of recruiting calls for the coaches, who pick up the phone for their allowance of one call per week to prospects of the recruiting class of 2009. They’ll be making calls off and on for much of the night following a lengthy quiet period.
Pictures from practice
09-02-2008 7:19 p.m.
David Ausberry leaps to catch a pass during 1-on-1s.
Mitch Mustain prepares to throw as defensive lineman Jurrell Casey (91) closes in.
Defensive end Kyle Moore grabs hold of Aaron Corp in team period.
Dispatch from Howard Jones 09-02-2008 7:02 p.m.
Thoughts from Tuesday’s practice, through the eyes of USCRipsIt…
- In a snappy 90-minute competition-themed workout at sunset, the offense captured the final five-play segment of the day, 3-2, technically awarding coordinator Steve Sarkisian and Co. the overall practice victory. But the defense dominated the rest of practice thanks to a killer pass rush and great downfield coverage. At one point in the last team period, with the defense winning 8-plays-to-2, Coach Carroll joked, “Oh Lord have mercy!”
- Drills were stocked with young Trojans on Tuesday as coaches began to generously give opportunities to inexperienced players at all positions, along with granting the starters some much-needed midweek rest. Until Sunday, the Trojans had played football on 24 of the last 25 days.
- Tailback Allen Bradford and linebacker Nick Garratt collided for the hit of the day during the 11-on-11 team period at the end of the half-pads practice.
- Mark Sanchez barely missed receiver Ronald Johnson on a deep route during 7-on-7 drills, and he immediately shouted downfield, “RoJo, let’s work on that after practice.” The two followed through on Sanchez’s word and worked on the deep throw for a few minutes following the workout.
- Former linebacker Dallas Sartz, a two-year captain for the Trojans in 2005-06, attended practice.
Sounds like practice 09-02-2008 5:04 p.m.
Two blasts of the air horn, signaling the start of practice, just went off, so we’ll be back from the competition-themed workout in a few hours.
Better and better 09-02-2008 4:49 p.m.
The positives outweigh the negatives from Saturday’s game — and we’re understating that one a little — but there’s always room for improvement, the USC coaches repeatedly said during meetings this afternoon.
“We’re just getting started,” Coach Carroll said during the team meeting. “This week, we’ve got to get better.”
So they will begin focusing on that improvement with an abbreviated practice this afternoon that will feature shorter periods and an introduction to Ohio State’s principals and schemes in a brief service team period.
“From this moment until next Saturday night, you have to prepare to beat Ohio State every day,” offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said during the offense’s meeting. “Stay hungry, remain humble and get better today.”
Always preparing 09-02-2008 4:48 p.m.
Preparation means everything to the Trojans.
Even when it comes to logistics.
Director of football operations Dennis Slutak flew to Tucson this afternoon to scout out a new hotel for the team to stay at during their trip to play Arizona on Oct. 24-25. He’ll return Wednesday morning after making sure the arrangements are suitable for the Trojans.
Willhoite passes away 09-02-2008 4:47 p.m.
Former USC All-American Elmer Willhoite died Aug. 19 in Nevada at age 78. Willhoite was a two-year letterman for the Trojans, earning consensus All-American honors as an offensive guard in 1952.
Here it comes 09-02-2008 4:32 p.m.
There’s a first time for everything.
Coach Carroll mentioned Ohio State — and the game that’s now only 11 days away — for the first time to his players during this afternoon’s team meeting.
That’s only about eight months after everyone else had started focusing on the Trojans home opener. Call Carroll behind the times, but that’s just the way he wants it.
“The media’s been talking about it since they realized it was a big matchup,” Carroll told the team this afternoon. “But we haven’t talked about it at all, because I wanted everyone to realize the importance of our first game. Every game’s a championship game to us, and this one coming up just happens to be the next championship matchup for us.”
A USC legend passes away 09-02-2008 4:24 p.m.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and USC professor Ed Guthman died of a rare disease Sunday at 89. In his illustrious career, Guthman served as the national editor of the Los Angeles Times and was Robert F. Kennedy’s press secretary, among many other unique vocations.
Coach Carroll expressed his sympathies for the family.
“Ed and I built up a great friendship over the years,” Carroll said. “I loved asking him not only about the history he lived through but also his perspective on things around campus and Los Angeles. He was always a kind and gracious man, and we will all miss him.”
In the stat book 09-02-2008 4:12 p.m.
Mitch Mustain’s 10-yard touchdown-scoring screen pass to tailback Marc Tyler in the fourth quarter, which was originally ruled a lateral, was changed to a forward pass, which credits Mustain with his first touchdown toss as a Trojan.
Telling the truth 09-02-2008 4:11 p.m.
Today’s both “Tell the Truth Monday” and “Competition Tuesday” for the Trojans, as their meetings focused on the truths from Saturday’s game while practice, which has been pushed back to 4:45, will be competition-themed.
“This was such a cool game for us,” Coach Carroll told the players during this afternoon’s team meeting, “because we played like we’re capable of playing.”
Here are the “truths” that coaches are preaching regarding the game:
Positives: - Four takeaways - Defense: quarterback pressure, attacking the line of scrimmage, holding Virginia to 1.5 yards per rush, holding Virginia to 2-of-12 on third downs - Two recovered fumbles by Clay Matthews Jr. - Superb deep-ball coverage from cornerback Cary Harris - Defensive end Malik Jackson forcing a fumble and recording a sack in his first game - Offensive line paving the way for 218 rushing yards and allowing no sacks - Five touchdowns by five different tailbacks - Damian Williams catching seven balls - Ronald Johnson’s catch along the sideline - Wide receiver blocking downfield - Mark Sanchez’s performance; Pac-10 player of the week - 27 first downs - 3-of-4 on fourth downs
Negatives: - Two turnovers - Seven penalties
Big time 09-02-2008 2:24 p.m.
Mark Sanchez was named Pac-10 offensive player of the week after going 26-of-35 for 338 yards in Saturday’s 52-7 win.
Looking back 09-02-2008 2:15 p.m.
The afternoon meetings are getting started now with a special teams film review of plays from Saturday’s game. Practice is up at 4:15 p.m.
Moving on up 09-02-2008 1:43 p.m.
Coach Carroll just heard the news about USC’s new No. 1 ranking in both polls, so he’s adding another song of the day for today — Curtis Mayfield’s “Move on Up:”
Song of the day 09-02-2008 12:24 p.m.
Coach Carroll’s going with the Boss for today’s song of the day. Here’s “Rosalita” by Bruce Springsteen:
Making the cut 09-02-2008 12:17 p.m.
Rookie linebacker Thomas Williams made the final 53-man roster for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and you can read about the big news through his blog.
Monday Morning Quarterback 09-02-2008 12:08 p.m.
Coach Carroll’s first Monday Morning Quarterback event, during which he leads fans through film of the previous game and does a Q&A, will be next Monday. Learn more about it and sign up here.
Students with a valid USC ID can attend for free.
Pressing on 09-02-2008 11:29 a.m.
The Trojans will be taking advantage of the bye in the weight room this week.
Head strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle said the team will get extra leg work in because there’s no game this weekend, and players will get the option of having an added workout in addition to the usual two per week for upperclassmen and three per week for freshmen and walk-ons.
“We’ll keep aggressively attacking our strength this week so we can maintain our strength levels through the season,” Carlisle said.
Linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. does some bench presses in the weight room this morning, with linebacker Nick Garratt spotting.
Media appearance 09-02-2008 10:38 a.m.
Because of the bye, Coach Carroll doesn’t have a press conference or most of his other media commitments this week, but one appearance isn’t escaping him. His weekly 10-minute stop on the Pac-10 media conference call is in a few minutes, giving non-beat reporters a few minutes to ask Carroll questions about Saturday's win and, undoubtedly, the upcoming Ohio State game.
Overtime 09-02-2008 10:16 a.m.
The equipment staff worked past 3 a.m. Sunday morning after the Trojans returned from Virginia, and then put in a full day Sunday as they unpacked and did laundry following the team’s two-day road trip. The brutal clean-up work had to be done as quickly as possible after arriving back in L.A. or else the jerseys, pants and coaches’ gear would’ve been stained by leaving the clothes untouched for days.
Highlights 09-02-2008 9:42 a.m.
Coach Carroll’s plays of the game from Saturday’s 52-7 win:
Offense: C.J. Gable’s 33-yard touchdown on the sweep right on 4th-and-1 in the first quarter Defense: Clay Matthews Jr. causing a fumble by punching the ball out from behind in the fourth quarter
Back from the weekend 09-02-2008 9:17 a.m.
The coaches just gathered for their first staff meeting since the game, so they’ll watch film from Saturday’s win and begin looking ahead to this week’s practices before splitting into offensive and defensive staff film sessions.
Put your feet up 09-02-2008 8:54 a.m.
The week’s first staff meeting will get started soon, but Coach Carroll, with his feet up and the music blaring, has been watching film from Saturday’s game in his office for much of the morning already.
