48 wins out 50 games

[smazza]

usc's freshman  are trying to save day with both senoir receivers out in 2nd half

[smazza]

washinton has a chance to beat usc on last series

[smazza]

what acrazy ending

usc lucked out today

\

29 straight at home

50 wins out of 52 games

incredible ride

[smazza]

USC REPORT

Kicker Danelo Is Building on Success

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 10, 2006

Mario Danelo's record-setting performance last season went largely unnoticed for a USC team that scored touchdowns seemingly at will.

But after five games, the junior kicker from San Pedro has established himself as a prominent weapon for the unbeaten Trojans, who are still looking to hit their stride on offense.

ADVERTISEMENT

Danelo made all four of his field-goal attempts in a 26-20 victory over Washington on Saturday that kept third-ranked USC on track for a possible berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

Danelo, the son of former NFL kicker Joe Danelo, converted from 34, 25, 32 and 21 yards after drives stalled against the Huskies.

"I don't know when the games are going to be close and when they're not going to be," Danelo said. "You just have to go out with the same mind-set that you're going to make them all."

In 2005, Danelo made 11 of 12 field-goal attempts and established NCAA records for extra points (83) and attempts (86). He has made nine of 10 field-goal attempts this season.

"I definitely feel like I'm better," he said. "I'm more confident. I've been out there in different situations, I've matured and my leg is getting a little stronger."

USC (5-0 overall, 3-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference) plays Arizona State (3-2, 0-2) on Saturday at the Coliseum.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quarterback Michael McDonald has thrown two passes in his career, both for touchdowns.

"The coaches just call the right plays for me and guys make catches for me," McDonald said jokingly.

McDonald's 20-yard pass to flanker Steve Smith on a fake field goal in the first quarter against Washington gave USC a lead it never relinquished.

Smith had been in for a third-down play and stayed on the field near the sideline as the field-goal unit came on.

"I couldn't even see Steve as I was kneeling down; he blended into the whole sideline," said McDonald, the holder for field goals and extra points. "Once I got the snap, I saw him sprinting down the field and I was just like, 'Get it out there.' The throw was low but he went down and got it.

"It was cool."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freshman tailback Allen Bradford took a few snaps at fullback for the first time during Monday's short workout. Coach Pete Carroll said Bradford was not switching positions.

"As we always do, we're continuing to experiment to see where guys can help us," Carroll said.

Bradford started training camp at safety, switched to running back, returned to safety and switched back to offense last week.

"Anything to get on the field," Bradford said.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smith (ankle) said he would have an MRI exam today but expected to play on Saturday against Arizona State at the Coliseum…. Split end Dwayne Jarrett (shoulder) practiced and Carroll said he would play against Arizona State…. Linebacker Oscar Lua (leg bruise) did not practice, but he said he had his knee drained and would play in the game…. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart is scheduled to attend Saturday's game as part of the 2007 class of USC's Hall of Fame, which will be introduced at halftime.

[smazza]

what acrazy ending

usc lucked out today

\

29 straight at home

50 wins out of 52 games

incredible ride

what acrazy ending

usc lucked out today

\

29 straight at home

50 wins out of 52 games

incredible ride

[smazza]

USC REPORT

Moore Is Looking for More

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 19, 2006

USC's switch this season from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 hybrid scheme left defensive end Kyle Moore as the odd man out.

But Moore, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound sophomore from Georgia, played in passing situations against Arizona State and is making a push for more.

ADVERTISEMENT"The 3-4 cuts down some opportunities, but I just have to fight back in practice and make them play me," Moore said Wednesday. "This week is a great opportunity for everybody to get back, hopefully, into a 4-3."

In the Trojans' 3-4, sophomore linebacker Brian Cushing has played a rush-end "elephant" position opposite junior end Lawrence Jackson.

Coach Pete Carroll said the Trojans would continue to use a variety of looks, but he challenged Moore and junior ends Jeff Schweiger and Alex Morrow to step up this week.

USC ended a two-game drought by getting two sacks against Arizona State. The Trojans, who have an open date this week, have only nine sacks.

"We're stressing that a lot with a different combination of rushes and the things that we're doing," Carroll said.

With Jackson and other starters taking fewer repetitions during the bye week, Moore, Schweiger and Morrow have practiced with the first unit. All are expected to play extensively when the Trojans scrimmage today.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rey Maualuga acknowledged he had been disciplined by Carroll for an off-the-field incident but declined to comment about the specifics.

"It was a misunderstanding," Maualuga said.

According to a published report, Maualuga was punished for unruly behavior at a fraternity party near campus after the Oct. 7 home game against Washington.

Carroll would not confirm the report or the specifics of the disciplinary action but said the incident did not involve police.

"I'm always disappointed when I have to take action," Carroll said.

In May, Maualuga, 19, was charged with one misdemeanor count of battery for punching a man at a 2005 Halloween party near campus. Maualuga agreed to take part in an arraignment diversion program that included anger management counseling, attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and community service.

Under the agreement, the charge would be dismissed if no new charges were filed against Maualuga in a year.

Frank Mateljan, a city attorney's office spokesman, said Wednesday that the latest incident probably would not affect Maualuga because no complaint or report had been filed by a law enforcement agency.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Offensive tackle Kyle Williams did not practice and said he would sit out the rest of the week because of sprained ligaments in both knees. Williams said he was told by doctors that there were no tears…. Former football players Matt Leinart, Mark Carrier, Charles Young, Earl McCullouch, C.R. Roberts, Charley Ane, Pat Cannamela and Manuel Laraneta are among 24 athletes who will be inducted into USC's Athletic Hall of Fame at a black-tie dinner on May 5 at USC's Galen Center. Cannamela and Laraneta are among those who will honored posthumously. Tickets are available by calling the USC athletic department at (213) 740-4155

[smazza]

[smazza]

For more options, simply hit 'pound'

USC may have discovered a new identity, or an old one, with run-dominated drive against Sun Devils.

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 24, 2006

Pete Carroll watched as the USC tailback took handoff after handoff and pounded his way down the field.

It was late in the fourth quarter. The game was on the line and the Trojans had put the ball, and their fortunes, in the hands of a punishing runner led by a determined offensive line.

ADVERTISEMENT

Carroll had witnessed such a scene before, though his vantage point and allegiance along the USC sideline two weeks ago against Arizona State was markedly different than it was on Jan. 1, 1980.

That's when Carroll, a young secondary coach at Ohio State, watched helplessly from the Rose Bowl press box as USC's Charles White ground up the top-ranked Buckeyes during one of the most famous drives in Trojans history.

"They ran it every down," Carroll recalled, slowly shaking his head at the memory.

White, the Heisman Trophy winner, carried six times for 71 yards during the eight-play, 83-yard drive that gave USC a 17-16 victory and foiled Ohio State's bid for a national title.

In its last game, USC kept its national championship hopes alive with a similar march against Arizona State.

The Trojans went 74 yards in 14 plays  13 runs and one pass attempt, which was incomplete  with Chauncey Washington carrying 10 times for 64 yards, including the final two for a touchdown.

Recalling the drive on Monday, Washington said he remembered turning to guard Drew Radovich and saying, " 'C'mon, let's finish 'em.'

"You ever heard of the video game Mortal Kombat?" Washington said. "You gotta finish. So I was telling him that every time we went down there and huddled up.

"I kept on saying that over and over. 'Finish 'em.' "

To Carroll, it also marked a possible beginning.

"It demonstrated the element of our offense that we've always coveted  a real physical side of the running game that complements the rest of the offense," he said. "I'm really pleased about that. Now we need to do something with it from this point forward."

Washington, who appears healthy after nursing a hamstring injury through the first five games, offered a suggestion.

"Hopefully it will give coaches ideas to start running the ball more," he said.

But a run-dominated attack that harks back to the 1970s does not appear likely when USC resumes its schedule on Saturday at Oregon State.

At least not yet.

Carroll and the offensive brain trust, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian, preferred balance even when Heisman winner Reggie Bush and LenDale White shared time in the backfield.

And entering the second half of the season, the Trojans have mostly achieved it.

USC has run the ball 215 times for 978 net yards. The Trojans are averaging 163 yards rushing a game, 4.5 yards per rushing play and have run for eight touchdowns.

USC has passed 212 times for 1,386 yards, averaging 232.7 yards per game and 6.5 per attempt. Quarterback John David Booty has thrown 13 of the Trojans' 14 touchdown passes.

"It's more the knowing that you have it," Carroll said of the running game. "We're not going to just run the ball now that we were successful. We're going to do what we have to do to try and keep the game moving and score."

ADVERTISEMENT

USC, which averaged 49 points a game in 2005, is scoring 30 a game this season. Though the Trojans' output is down, their national-record streak of scoring at least 20 points is at 58 games.

"Do you know how difficult that is to do for that long?" Carroll said.

Before the Arizona State game, with USC's offense struggling some, Carroll asked Washington to step up his game and run strong, reminding him of the great USC tailbacks who came before him. USC has produced five Heisman-winning runners  Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, White, Marcus Allen and Bush. Anthony Davis and Ricky Bell were Heisman runners-up, and Justin Fargas and LenDale White have been effective power runners during the Carroll era.

During the drive against the Sun Devils, Washington said, "I just got energy, a burst of energy and I got real emotional. If you watch me play I don't really get emotional … but I was really mad and pumped up because they were in our house and I didn't want them to take that away from us."

After the game, Garrett, now USC's athletic director, compared the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Washington to a horse and said he knew the junior would have a breakout game "if they just gave him the ball."

Other former Trojans felt the same way.

"That was a public knighting," said Brad Budde, the 1979 Lombardi Award winner as the nation's top offensive lineman. "The coaching staff was saying, 'He's not a guy anymore. He's the man.' "

Pro football Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, watching the game at his home in Ohio, sat up and could barely believe his eyes as USC's march down the field unfolded.

"Maybe this is the drive where all these guys grew up," he said. "We can't say we have a young team anymore. Hopefully, this is the time to take off."

Budde and Munoz know something about defining, game-winning drives.

It was Budde, a strong-side guard, and Munoz, a weak-side tackle, who teamed with guard Roy Foster, tackle Keith Van Horne, center Chris Foote and fullback Allen to clear the way for White during the historic Rose Bowl drive.

USC had blown a 10-point lead and trailed, 16-10, when it got the ball back with 5 minutes 21 seconds left in the game.

"I think everyone just sort of said, 'Who are we kidding here? We're a power football team. We should shove it down their throat,' " said Paul McDonald, the quarterback that season, who now works as a broadcaster on USC games.

White carried a few times and it was immediately clear to Carroll that any strategy involving the Buckeyes secondary was moot.

"I'm thinking, 'I wish they'd throw it.' We might have got one off McDonald if he had thrown it," Carroll said.

Instead, White kept pounding.

"I was thinking, 'Give it to me again! I got 15 or so this time. Lord knows what's going to happen the next time,' " recalled White, who started the drive with gains of 32 and 28 yards and ended it by diving one yard into the end zone with 1:32 left.

White finished with a Rose Bowl-record 247 yards in 39 carries.

The Trojans' victory that day moved them from No. 3 to No. 2 behind national champion Alabama. USC finished 11-0-1, a midseason tie with Stanford costing it a second consecutive national title.

USC begins the second half of this season 6-0 and No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings. If the Trojans win the rest of their games they will probably earn a shot at playing for their third national title in four years.

ADVERTISEMENTThe game-winning drive against Arizona State might have been the real start of a drive to that goal.

"It just kind of became an attitude … and just saying, 'This is how we're going to win the game, come try to stop us,' " Trojans center Ryan Kalil said. "See who's more physical, see who wants it more. Basically, that's what it came down to."

Carroll, however, will reserve judgment about the drive's long-term impact on the Trojans.

"I would never say that one drive did this or that because I don't know that," he said. "We'll have to look back and see, when it all gets clear after we're done with the season, if there's a moment here."

*

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

gary.klein@latimes.com

*

Begin text of infobox

Carrying capacity

A look at Chauncey Washington's 10 carries for 64 yards during USC's 14-play drive that led to a 28-21 win over Arizona State:

Drive begins at the USC 26-yard line with 11:27 remaining.

•  Ball on USC 26: Six-yard run.

•  USC 32: 23-yard run, 1st down.

•  ASU 46: Four-yard run.

•  ASU 42: Six-yard run.

•  ASU 33: One-yard run.

ADVERTISEMENT

•  ASU 32: Seven-yard run.

•  ASU 25: Three-yard run, 1st down.

•  ASU 22: 10-yard run, 1st down.

•  ASU 4: Two-yard run, 1st down.

•  ASU 2: Two-yard run, touchdown.

[smazza]

usc will have their work cut out for them in corvailes

[smazza]

USC REPORT

Week off has helped Jarrett's shoulder heal

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 24, 2006

Dwayne Jarrett was up in the air Monday, a rare feeling for the junior split end and a welcome sight for USC.

Jarrett's leaping attempt to grab a pass from quarterback John David Booty with a cornerback in tow marked one of the few times during this injury-plagued season that the 6-foot-5 All-American showed the vertical game that made him so dynamic in 2004 and 2005.

ADVERTISEMENT

"We have six games left so the season is just starting for me," said Jarrett, who was slowed by a quadriceps strain throughout training camp and separated his shoulder against Arizona. "I've been so beat up, but I'm feeling good and getting the timing down with J.D. so he can trust me to go up there. Like, 'Hey, I'm feeling better. You can just throw it up and hopefully things work out.' "

USC, which is unbeaten and No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, had an open date last week. Jarrett was among the Trojans who benefited.

"This bye week definitely helped out tremendously; I did not have to take any blows to my shoulder," said Jarrett, who has caught 27 passes, four for touchdowns. "I got a chance to watch a lot of football on Saturday. It's cool being a spectator at times."

Jarrett viewed a full schedule of games, including Notre Dame's last-minute victory over UCLA.

The situation harkened memories for Jarrett, who stretched a mid-range pass from former quarterback Matt Leinart into a 61-yard gain on a fourth-and-nine play with less than 90 seconds left at Notre Dame Stadium last season. The play set up Leinart's game-winning touchdown.

Nevertheless, Jarrett was stunned when Notre Dame receiver Jeff Samardzija eluded several Bruins players and scored on a 45-yard touchdown pass play with less than 30 seconds left.

"I was just like, 'Wow, how many times are they going to miss?' " Jarrett said. "It was like five defenders were right there trying to tackle him and they all missed.

"He was close to the sideline and somebody could have just pushed him out or tackled him. I put my hat off to Samardzija. That was a great play and just shows the kind of competitor he is."

Jarrett is eager to display his own set of skills on Saturday when the Trojans resume their schedule at Oregon State.

After struggling in the opener against Arkansas, Jarrett rebounded with an 11-catch, two-touchdown performance against Nebraska. But the shoulder injury against Arizona forced him to miss the next game at Washington State, slowed him in a brief appearance against Washington and still bothered him against Arizona State.

"This is the best I've felt, physically since the Nebraska game," he said. "I'm ready to finish the season strong."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tailback Chauncey Washington said he did not attend practice because he was making up a midterm examination. Washington said he would return today…. Flanker Steve Smith, offensive linemen Chilo Rachal and Kyle Williams and linebackers Oscar Lua and Thomas Williams returned after sitting out all or part of last week's practices because of injuries…. The Trojans worked on the artificial turf at Cromwell Field to prepare for a similar surface at Oregon State's Reser Stadium. They also will practice there Thursday, according to Coach Pete Carroll…. Receiver Chris McFoy (shoulder) said he had a bone scan Monday and hoped to return in the next week or two…. USC's Nov. 4 game at Stanford will kick off at 4 p.m. and will be shown live nationally on FSN cable.