[10] Jimmy Miller, In. "The tailback position is a strong one for us," said Carroll. Coming aboard this fall as freshmen are 3 prep All-Americans: former high school teammates Jimmy Miller and Michael Stuart (Westlake High in Westlake Village, Calif.), plus Dale Thompson (Santiago High in Corona, Calif.), "We have a lot of personnel options at tight end, which is good because we emphasize the position in our offense," said Carroll. 4 final ranking. One of the major focuses was improper gifts given to Reggie Bush. [6] The shutout was Washington's first since 1981, ending a national-best active streak of consecutive games without being shut out at 271. [6] It was Willingham's third consecutive 31-point loss to USC in three seasons at Notre Dame; the Irish fired him the following Tuesday. And, if that happens, Carroll could have USC primed to relive the glory days of the program, when Troy ruled the college football world in the '30s, '60s and '70s. The Trojan special teams in 2003 were much-improved from previous years. 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). USC Finally Announces Coaching Staff The USC coaching staff is official. After trailing 130 in second quarter, USC scored the next 28 points with a pivotal 65-yard scoring return by Reggie Bush in the 4th quarter with the game close at 1413. Both are weapons for us. He likely will start again, as could senior guard John Drake, if he's healthy. He had 35 touchbacks among his 99 kickoffs in 2003 (and he kept foes within the 20-yard line 58 times). [25] The game marked the first career start for Husky quarterback Isaiah Stanback. He was sixth nationally in receptions and 10th in receiving yards in 2003. He has an excellent staff of assistant coaches, including 8 from last year-offensive coordinator Norm Chow (the 2002 Broyles Award winner as the nation's top assistant), defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron (named the nation's top recruiter in 2004), Tim Davis (offensive line), Greg Burns (secondary), Lane Kiffin (wide receivers/passing game coordinator), Rocky Seto (he moved from safeties to linebackers this year), Brennan Carroll (tight ends) and Dennis Slutak (special teams)-and 3 newcomers in quarterbacks coach Carl Smith (he has 32 years of experience, including 11 years as an NFL offensive coordinator) and ex-NFL stars Todd McNair (running backs) and Ken Norton Jr. (linebackers). Reggie Bush will be a key in the Trojans' running game this season. We understand that we'll always see our opponents at their best. Fr. Despite all of its returning talent, skeptics surely will question USC's ability to replace such impact players as Udeze, Colbert, Rogers and Poole. "Gregg Guenther and Dominique Byrd were outstanding last season and getting Alex Holmes back really strengthens the position.". [14], ESPN's College GameDay program visited the Los Angeles Coliseum for the first time[3] in anticipation of a game between highly ranked and undefeated teams: 7th-ranked California had given USC its only loss in the 2003 season, resulting in the Trojans sharing the 2003 National Championship. Is Coach Philip Montgomery on the Hot Seat? USC's tallest player at 6-8, once football season concludes he changes into a basketball jersey and stars for the Trojan hoopsters. Dwayne Jarrett (New Brunswick High in New Brunswick, N.J.) and Derrick Jones (Long Beach Poly High in Long Beach, Calif.) come in this fall. In his first two years at . Six defensive starters return from 2003: end-tackle Shaun Cody, tackle Mike Patterson, linebackers Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu and safeties Darnell Bing and Jason Leach. [43], In conference, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were named 2004 Pac-10 Co-Offensive Players of the Year, while DE-DT Shaun Cody was Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year; it marked the first time teammates had ever shared the honors on one side of the ball, the third time a school had won both offensive and defensive players of the year, and it was Leinart's second consecutive year being named the Offensive Player of the Yearmaking him the fourth to do so. Walk-on redshirt freshman Sean Kelly, another former tailback, also is available. Also in the mix are sophomore ex-center Kurt Katnik (1 rec, 13 yds, 13.0 avg in 2003), plus walk-ons Nick Vanderboom, a sophomore, and senior Owen Hanson. He changes the dynamic of the game when he's on the field. USC's 2014 coaching staff is rare in that it features two coaches who won bowl games in 2013neither of whom are the head coach. . LB Brian Cushing. But Carroll speaks from experience when he says he is confident that his 2004 Trojans will respond well. USC has intercepted a pass in 22 of the last 23 games, held 20 of its past 26 opponents to less than 100 rushing yards (and allowed only 1 player to crack the 100-yard rushing barrier in the last 25 contests) and had a stretch of 22 consecutive quarters without allowing a rushing touchdown. After the regular season, the University of Mississippi hired USC Assistant Head Coach Ed Orgeron, who also served as Defensive Line Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, to be the new head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football team; although hired on December 16, 2004, he remained with USC through the Orange Bowl.[42]. Since the vacated games included the Trojans' Orange Bowl win, the Trojans were later stripped of the 2004 BCS title in June 2011. Phone. Fr. Then there's senior Brandon Hance (4-of-9, 44.4%, 44 yds in 2003), who started 9 games at Purdue in 2001 and was No. It's no wonder, then, that the Trojans likely will enter the 2004 campaign as a pre-season favorite to repeat as national champs. "But because of our accomplishments the past two seasons, we know we'll be challenged to the max each game now. [18] Beyond the 2004 season, the game marked a turning point in terms of crowd participation at the Coliseum, which thereafter garnered a reputation as a loud and difficult place to play for opposing teams. [6] After an energetic and emotional halftime in the locker room, the Trojan defense shut down the Cardinal while the offense put together the drives that gave the Trojans the lead and the victory. LINEBACKERS USC's strength on defense will be its linebacking corps. And USC blocked 7 kicks (6 field goals and a punt). He became the wide receivers coach in 2019 after handling the tight ends and inside receivers in 2018. But fourth-year USC head coach Pete Carroll is having none of it. Rd. 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. [8] The game marked the emergence of running back Reggie Bush, who often lined up at wide receiver, catching five passes for 127 yards and scored three touchdowns in a tight game. Fr., TB Brandon Hancock, Jr., FB Sean Kelly, Rs. [26] The Trojans had lost in their previous visit to WSU, a 3027 overtime game in 2002; since then the Trojans had gone 281. The kicking game returns intact, except for the snapper. WIDE RECEIVERS William Buchanon, Jr. Greig Carlson, Jr. Fred Davis, Fr. The season before that, USC fired offensive coordinator Tee Martin and three other assistants, while quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis took the offensive coordinator job at Western Kentucky. 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. [20], The 15th-ranked Sun Devils, under Coach Dirk Koetter, were out to prove that they were a part of the national title picture and USC was out to prove it deserved its top-ranking after a series of close games to the Bay Area schools. Fr., TB Chauncey Washington, So., TB Lee Webb, Sr., FB LenDale White, So., TB Andre Woodert, Jr., TB. In the hunt for the tackle jobs are sophomore Kyle Williams, redshirt freshmen Sam Baker, Drew Radovich and Matt Spanos, plus incoming 370-pound junior Taitusi Lutui (Snow Junior College in Ephraim, Utah), a J.C. All-American. The 2004 AP title, however, remains in place. The 2004 USC Trojans finished the season 13-0 (8-0 in the Pac-10), | Pete Carrolls Record with Seattle Seahawks. Nazel, the defense's vocal leader, was a 2-year starter who last year notched 27 tackles, including 6.5 for loss (with 4 sacks), 2 fumble recoveries and an interception. ", RUNNING BACKS Jody Adewale, Rs. Defensively, Troy should be strong at linebacker and up the middle from front to back, while the ends and corners must be replaced. LINEBACKERS Collin Ashton, Jr. Mike Brittingham, So. "But we must overcome several obstacles on the offensive side of the ball. Fr., DT Alex Morrow, Rs. He has a good arm and is a leader. [46][47] However, USC lifted the restrictions related to Reggie Bush in 2020, welcoming him back to the program.[1]. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Only 2-year starting weakside linebacker Melvin Simmons is gone (he had 55 tackles and 3 fumble recoveries last season). Of course, Carroll-who doubles as the defensive coordinator-isn't the only one responsible for the success of these players. He was last a . Wil Smith, So. QUARTERBACKS USC has perhaps the nation's top quarterback in record-setting All-American first teamer Matt Leinart (255-of-402, 63.4%, 3,556 yds, 38 TD, 9 int in 2003), a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. USC's top 2 tacklers (and 4 of its top 5) return from a 2003 defense that was first nationally in rushing defense (a school-record 60.2), second in turnover margin (+1.5) and tied for 17th in scoring defense (18.4), all Pac-10 bests. [6], The Trojans made their first visit to LaVell Edwards Stadium, on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. ", DEFENSIVE BACKS Kevin Arbet, Sr., CB Darnell Bing, So., S Chris Bocage, Sr., S Greg Farr, Sr., S Alex Gomez, Jr., CB Jason Leach, Sr., S Ronald Nunn, Sr., CB Josh Pinkard, In. [28], USC clinched its third consecutive conference championship with a victory over the visiting Arizona Wildcats. Michael Stuart, In. The 122 points he scored in 2003 were the second-most ever tallied at USC. Opponents averaged just 1.8 yards per carry against the Trojans last fall, a school record and 2003 national low. He went on to throw a Pac-10 record 38 TDs (1 shy of the NCAA sophomore mark). He led the nation in punting for 5 consecutive weeks in the middle of the 2003 campaign and would have finished as the leader (by 1.0 yards), but the efficiency of USC's offense left him 5 punts shy of having the NCAA-required minimum 3.6 punts per game. [6] The game marked the return of USC Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow to the program where he spent 27 years as an assistant under former Coach LaVell Edwards. LB Rey Maualuga. [23], The struggling Washington Huskies visited the Trojans for the 75th meeting in the series, with the Trojans dominating 380. A new center must emerge, with the candidates coming from sophomore Ryan Kalil, incoming freshman prep All-American Jeff Byers (Loveland High in Loveland, Colo.), who was the national high school player of the year in 2003, and junior walk-on Ross Burruel. Joining them will be 20 new scholarship players, including 3 who enrolled at USC this past spring and participated in spring practice. You won't find anyone better than Tom Malone or Ryan Killeen. "We lost one of the greatest receivers in USC history and it will be a challenge to replace him. But, in my. But I was pleased with the line's progress in this past spring's practice. [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. [32] The Trojans set a record for home wins (including pre-Coliseum), with their 21st victory; coincidentally, the previous team to defeat them at home were the Stanford Cardinal then-under Coach Willingham. [35] USC scored next 28 points en route to a 3810 halftime lead. [22] The decisive victory helped USC dispel concerns over its ability to dominate opponents. LOS ANGELES New USC football head coach Lincoln Riley has named his full-time assistant coaching staff. Is Coach Rick Stockstill on the Hot Seat? [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. 2 (wire-to-wire), respectively, in the AP and Coaches polls. The electrifying Bush earned Freshman All-American first team honors as he set the USC freshman all-purpose yardage record (1,331 yards) and, as a hold-your-breath-when-he-gets-the-ball runner, had 24 plays of 20-plus yards in 2003. He was named to the fulltime staff in January of 2018. Only the second sophomore (along with Stanford's John Elway) to be named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, Leinart threw for 3,556 yards and a Pac-10 record 38 touchdowns (with only 9 interceptions) last fall while finishing third nationally in passing efficiency (a USC record 164.5 rating). [13], USC had what would be its closest game of the season against the unheralded Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium in their Pacific-10 Conference opener. 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 Alex Grinch. It's always difficult to lose a player the caliber of 4-year starter Keary Colbert, USC's career receptions leader (207) who had 1,000-yard receiving seasons the past 2 years (including 1,013 yards and 9 TDs on 69 catches in 2003). "They're both really hard to block and are relentless in how they play the game. "With Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed and Dallas Sartz, it's like we have 3 returning starters. 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. USC's punter (All-American Tom Malone, whose 49.0 average in 2003 was a school record) and placekicker (Ryan Killeen, whose 65 PATs last year set a Pac-10 record and 19 field goals tied the USC mark) are back, as well as USC's top kick returner (Bush) and punt returner (wide receiver Greig Carlson) from 2003. So we must take our game to the next level and be ready for everyone's best shot.". football@usc.edu. "I am very excited to formally announce our coaching staff," said Riley. The vacated games included the Trojans' Orange Bowl win. Fr., DE Travis Tofi, So., DT Ryan Watson, Rs. The NCAA also forced USC to permanently disassociate itself from Bush. Shaun Cody (26 tac, 10.5 for loss, 6 sack, 1 FF, 1 dfl, 3 blk FG in 2003) will be starting for his fourth year, this year sliding out to end after spending his career at tackle.