usc

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11 national championships

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USC Can't Stand Back Today

Trojans may get lost if they hesitate in pursuing Washington's Stanback, whose mobility is scarily reminiscent of a certain Texas quarterback.

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 7, 2006

The USC defense walked off the field last January disappointed after losing to Texas and exhausted from chasing quarterback Vince Young, who helped the Longhorns end the Trojans' 34-game winning streak.

USC saw the last of Young when he made himself available for the NFL draft, but the third-ranked Trojans have prepared for a reminder of sorts today.

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Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior, has passed and dashed the Huskies to a surprising 4-1 start that includes a 2-0 record in Pacific 10 Conference games.

"He's as good a big-time threat as we're going to face all season," said USC Coach Pete Carroll, whose Trojans are 4-0 overall, 2-0 in conference play. "In the style of offense that they feature him, he's the whole show."

In his second season as the full-time starter, Stanback has helped lead second-year Coach Tyrone Willingham's revival of a Washington program that crumbled after Rick Neuheisel's firing before the 2003 season.

Keith Gilbertson succeeded Neuheisel and compiled a 7-16 record. Willingham, who was fired by Notre Dame after the 2004 season, took over in Seattle last year and the Huskies finished 2-9.

Now, Washington could be bowl-bound for the first time since 2002.

"I would believe that most people that looked at our football team would never have thought that at this time we would be at this place, so that is an accomplishment in itself," Willingham said. "I think the word that is often used is 'buy-in.' I think there is a lot more buy-in into what we're doing in our system."

Washington's offense revolves around Stanback, one of the best athletes in the Pac-10.

Last spring, Stanback finished fifth in the 100-meter event at the conference track and field championships. He has not played college baseball, but that did not stop the Baltimore Orioles from selecting him in the 45th round of the June draft.

This season, Stanback has accounted for 251 yards a game.

Carroll, recalling Young's 467 yards of total offense against the Trojans in the Bowl Championship Series title game, said the quarterbacks are similar.

"Both are real fast and both have the same inclination to take off when things break down in the passing," Carroll said. "[Washington's] offense is a little bit different. This is a more varied offense."

USC players say controlling the elusive Stanback is the key to beating the Huskies.

"You've got to be in the right places at the right time," defensive end Lawrence Jackson said. "It's discipline. You've got to be patient and when it's your chance to make a play, you've got to make a play. If you're supposed to be in a certain place, you've got to be there."

Stanback's unpredictable style could especially challenge a Trojans secondary coming off its worst performance of the season against Washington State.

"He's going to be able to run around back there and maybe avoid some sacks and throw the ball downfield," said freshman safety Taylor Mays, who played at Seattle O'Dea High. "So we need to be able to cover well and then when he does run we need to come up and be able to swarm tackle him."

Stanback has performed progressively better since making his first start against USC in 2004.

In that game, USC beat Washington, 38-0, at the Coliseum, ending the Huskies' streak of 271 games without being shut out. Stanback completed only three of 16 passes for 27 yards.

Last season, Stanback completed 14 of 18 passes for 201 yards and passed and ran for touchdowns in a 51-24 loss to the Trojans at Seattle.

Carroll said Stanback does not look much different, but the Huskies do.

"This team around him is much farther along," Carroll said. "Their offensive line is just much better than they were a year ago. All the rest of the players are basically the same, but they've just grown and they've matured and they're confident now they've had a lot of success in a quick amount of time."

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Washington began the season by defeating San Jose State, then lost at Oklahoma. The Huskies needed a blocked extra point to hold off Fresno State but overcame a 16-point deficit to beat UCLA and then defeated Arizona on the road last week.

Stanback accounted for 340 yards against Arizona

"He's put in a lot of time and dedication to studying the game, and not only just the football game and the Xs and O's," Willingham said.

"He's also put time into understanding how to be a more effective leader and I think those are really showing in the way the team plays around him."

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gary.klein@latimes.com

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Double trouble

Washington senior quarterback Isaiah Stanback can attack opposing defenses through the air and on the ground. His yearly stats with the Huskies, including the first four games of this season:

PASSING      

YEAR CMP. ATT. YDS. TD INT.

2006 72 127 951 8 3

2005 143 264 2,136 9 6

2004 23 68 389 3 3

2003 2 2 18 0 0

RUSHING      

YEAR ATT. YDS. AVG. LONG. TD

2006 64 306 4.8 36 2

2005 100 353 3.5 33 5

2004 41 66 1.6 26 2

2003 8 25 3.1 7 0

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Source: espn.com

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USC REPORT

New Seating System to Debut

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 7, 2006

In response to a dangerous situation at USC's first home football game, school officials will implement a revised system for student entry into the Coliseum for today's game against Washington.

The student entrance at Gate 28, located on the Northeast side of the stadium, will open 2 1/2 hours before kickoff. There also will be more security personnel and a larger entryway to a series of wider switchback chutes that lead to the gate, said John Henderson, assistant athletic director of game management.

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USC adopted the changes in the aftermath of the Sept. 16 game against Nebraska. USC had sold 12,000 spirit cards, which allow entrance and non-reserved general admission seating to various sporting events, but reduced the number of student seats from 12,000 to 8,000. Fearing they would not get in, more than 9,000 card-holders jammed the entrance to Gate 28, creating a crush of bodies. There were reports of minor injuries and at least one arrest.

USC announced last week that it will change its student ticket policy for next season and make reserved season tickets available to all undergraduates.

The school also increased student-ticket seating for this season to 9,200.

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Will Collins is hoping for smoother snapping after the Trojans narrowly avoided a potential game-altering mistake last week at Washington State.

On USC's final possession, punter Greg Woidneck leaped high for a ball that might have bounced into the end zone if he had been unable to grab it.

"I started analyzing it and thought to myself, 'You know, I've got to control this one,' " said Collins, a junior from Laguna Beach. "I tried too hard for it to be perfect. It came out of my hands and I was like, 'Uh-oh.' I thought I had launched it.

" … The guy made an amazing catch. I love the kid."

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Today's game is one of only two early afternoon games USC will play in the regular season.

Quarterback John David Booty welcomes the change.

"Sometimes you get too jacked up early in the morning and you waste a lot of energy during the day sitting in a hotel," he said. "Now, you just kind of get up and go play."

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gary.klein@latimes.com

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Keys to the Game

1 Leading men. USC quarterback John David Booty showed last week that he could engineer long drives and come through with clutch throws. He has completed 68% of his passes, with 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions. Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback is a strong runner and improved passer who produces two-thirds of the Huskies' yardage each game. He plays behind five offensive linemen who have been on the field for every snap this season.

2 Secondary importance. USC's cornerbacks and safeties are still smarting from last week's performance at Washington State, where Alex Brink picked apart the Trojans, who were penalized three times for pass interference. Washington's receivers are not as formidable, but Sonny Shackelford has caught five touchdown passes. If USC split end Dwayne Jarrett remains sidelined as expected, flanker Steve Smith could have another big game. Washington is ranked last in the Pac-10 in pass defense.

3 Field position. USC has benefited tremendously from Troy Van Blarcom's kickoffs, most of which have resulted in touchbacks. Van Blarcom suffered a groin strain in practice this week. If the sophomore cannot blast the ball to the end zone, Stanback could have a shorter field to work with. Washington punter Sean Douglas ranks fourth nationally, averaging 46.9 yards a kick.

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USC REPORT

Carroll Defends Decisions Made Near End of Game

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 9, 2006

USC's offense, defense and special teams were tested against Washington during a second consecutive Pacific 10 Conference game that was not decided until the final seconds.

The coaching staff's clock-management skills also got another workout.

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On Sunday, a day after his team escaped with a 26-20 victory over the Huskies, Coach Pete Carroll stood by his decisions in the final minutes and said his staff prepares for the unpredictable.

"We've been through the scenarios that we need to be through for the most part," Carroll said. "We think we're ready for about anything that can come down on us."

USC's game against Washington came down to the last two seconds, but the Huskies failed to get a play off from the Trojans' 15-yard line after the referee signaled for the clock to start. The miscue helped USC remain unbeaten and kept the Trojans on track for a possible berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

The close call did not hurt USC in the coaches' or Harris polls, which will be a part of the BCS standings equation. But the Trojans fell from second to third in the Associated Press poll as Florida jumped from fifth to second.

After the game, USC players said blowout victories that characterized the previous two seasons were probably a thing of the past.

"They have guys on scholarship that were high school All-Americans the same as we do," defensive end Lawrence Jackson said. "You've got to expect close games."

On Saturday against Washington, USC had a third-and-goal situation from the four-yard line with 1:42 left. Rather than running the ball, and possibly forcing Washington to use its final timeout, quarterback John David Booty threw an incomplete pass that was intended for tight end Fred Davis.

Asked if he had thought about running the ball, Carroll said, "Yeah, we could have, but it was worth going for the touchdown and seeing if you could score it there.

"We thought we had a call we could make."

Carroll said he did not consider running the ball on fourth down rather than kicking a field goal that gave the Trojans a six-point lead. After a touchback on the kickoff, Washington began its final drive on its 20 with 1:34 left.

"Kicking the field goal is exactly the right thing to do," he said.

"You make them have to score a touchdown with one timeout left. I don't know any other way to do that."

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Carroll was still dismayed by the delay that occurred before the referee signaled for the game clock to start with two seconds left.

"That was a real mistake. There's no reason for that," Carroll said.

Carroll also said he would ask Verle Sorgen, the Pac-10's coordinator of officials, to explain several crucial penalties.

A holding call against tackle Kyle Williams nullified a second-quarter touchdown pass from Booty to Steve Smith.

Tackle Sam Baker was called for an illegal block, nullifying a 61-yard run by Chauncey Washington in the third quarter.

"I couldn't find either one of those calls," said Carroll, who also described a personal-foul penalty called against safety Taylor Mays as "ridiculous."

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Smith, who suffered an ankle sprain, will be evaluated today and his status for Saturday's game against Arizona State will be determined as the week progresses. Split end Dwayne Jarrett (shoulder) is expected to practice, but he also is day to day. Linebacker Oscar Lua was kicked in the leg and Mays aggravated a shoulder injury, but both are expected to play Saturday.

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Trojans Winning, but Looking Vulnerable

By KEN PETERS, AP Sports Writer

2:18 AM PDT, October 9, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Southern California has a perfect record this fall and has been virtually invincible at home and in Pac-10 play in recent years.

Although they're ranked third behind Ohio State and Florida, these post-Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush Trojans still look vulnerable.

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For the second week straight week, heavily favored USC barely escaped being upset by an upstart from the Northwest.

This time, it was Washington. Coach Tyrone Willingham's improving Huskies (4-2, 2-1 Pac-1-) came up 15 yards -- and maybe a few ticks of the clock -- short of stunning the Trojans.

USC (5-0, 3-0) escaped with a 26-20 win on Saturday in a game that literally went down to the final seconds. After Isaiah Stanback moved the Huskies from their 20-yard line to a first down at the USC 15, the final 2 seconds elapsed without Stanback and the Huskies being able to get off another play.

The Trojans' previous game also went down to the final play, when they intercepted a pass near their goal line to preserve a 28-22 win at Washington State.

The USC offense has been inconsistent, and opponents have exposed some weaknesses in their defense.

John David Booty, trying to fill Leinart's shoes, has been efficient, passing for 11 touchdowns and throwing only three interceptions. But except for their season-opening 50-14 blowout of No. 17 Arkansas, Booty and his offensive mates haven't provided the fireworks typical of the past four years.

Part of that, of course, is that they no longer have the game-breaking Bush in the backfield. Their tailback-by-committee -- Chauncey Washington and freshmen Emmanuel Moody and C.J. Gable -- has had its moments, but hasn't made USC fans forget Bush so far.

The Trojans also have been hit by injuries, including having All-American Dwayne Jarrett hurt and absent from their thinning receiver corps.

The USC defense, meanwhile, gave up 379 yards to Washington, which outgained the Trojans on the ground 167 yards to 148. Booty did pass for more yards -- 243 to 212 -- than Stanback, but the Huskies' quarterback threw for two touchdowns and was not intercepted while the USC signal-caller had one touchdown pass and one interception.

The previous weekend, Washington State outgained USC 418 yards to 404.

"We're not getting any sacks, we're not getting any turnovers," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "Those are major changes we need, and we're just not doing it.

"We are not going to stop emphasizing it in practice, but until we make those things happen, games are going to be close."

The Trojans figure to be heavily favored again in their next three games, against Arizona State at home and Oregon State and Stanford on the road. Then their final four games should test them, although three, against No. 18 Oregon, No. 10 California and No. 9 Notre Dame -- are at the Coliseum, where USC has won 29 straight.

The Trojans' final regular-season game is "away" in nearby Pasadena, where they face crosstown rival UCLA on Dec. 2.

[Triple B]

No, the game has passed Spurrier by.

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one more recruiting class and spurrier will be fine

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Students to have Galen lottery

By Ben Bolch

October 12, 2006

USC athletic officials said Wednesday they have set aside 1,930 seats for students at the Galen Center, necessitating the use of a still-to-be-determined lottery system for men's basketball games.

Jose Eskenazi, an associate athletic director in business development, estimated that an average of 400-500 students attended men's basketball games last season at the Sports Arena. But he acknowledged increased interest in the team's new 10,258-seat home.

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"We will see what the ticket demands are and if we can open up more seats for students, depending on demand, we will," said Eskenazi, noting that roughly 20% of seats had been set aside for students, about the same percentage as they had at the 16,000-seat Sports Arena.

The only requirement for entry to tonight's volleyball match between USC and Stanford is a valid student ID, Eskenazi said.

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Galen Center Time Flies When They Have Funds

By Robyn Norwood, Times Staff Writer

October 12, 2006

Earlier this week, a wheelbarrow rested on bare concrete where the court will be tonight.

In the stands, sparks flew from a welder.

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The lavish but not-yet-finished Galen Center  the 10,258-seat arena USC has plotted to build for decades  is finally scheduled to open tonight with a women's volleyball match between No. 4-ranked USC and No. 6 Stanford.

An Al Green concert Oct. 21 will serve as the arena's grand opening as an entertainment venue, and the men's basketball team  finally liberated from the Sports Arena  will play its regular-season opener in the new building on Nov. 16 against South Carolina. The women's basketball and men's volleyball teams will also play in the Galen Center, which has an adjoining practice facility so large that all four teams eventually will be able to practice at the same time.

"It's a huge scramble," said Carol Dougherty, the USC senior associate athletic director in charge of the project.

Dougherty wore a hard hat on a tour this week of the facility at the corner of Jefferson and Figueroa, while construction continued nearly around the clock to finish the public part of the building.

The coaches' offices remain shells, only 11 of the 22 luxury suites are complete, the weight room has no weights and tonight's match will be played on a basketball court because the volleyball floor isn't ready yet, but those amount to small details to USC officials, who like to say an on-campus arena has been more than a century in the making.

It might not be built yet if not for Louis and Helene Galen, who have contributed $50 million to a project Dougherty said will come in at $125-$130 million, including the practice pavilion.

"It's been a dream for almost 100 years," said Louis Galen, who recalls watching USC play basketball on the stage of the Shrine Auditorium and at the old Pan Pacific Auditorium.

"When we broke ground, there was an older couple there, and a guy stood up. He was 6-5, and introduced himself and said, 'I was recruited by USC in 1935 and they said then they were going to build an arena.' "

Galen, 81, used $12,000 in World War II military pay to help found Lynwood Savings and Loan in 1946. It went on to become part of World Savings, merged with Golden West Savings in the 1970s and recently was acquired by Wachovia.

How he and his wife came to make three large gifts to the arena project is a study of the subtle persistence of Don Winston, USC's senior associate athletic director and longtime department fund-raiser.

"I don't remember Don ever actually asking," Helene Galen said in the living room of their Century City home. "You know what he needs. He doesn't have to ask. He's just a gentleman."

The Galens' initial pledge was $10 million. They added another $25 million in 2003 so that the building would be named in their honor.

Later, they quietly added $15 million more to fund the practice pavilion when they learned USC was looking for a naming-rights gift for the attached facility.

"I talked to Mrs. Galen at a party and she said, 'I don't think Lou really wants somebody else's name on his building,' " Dougherty said.

Winston, who sought private donations while Dougherty worked with corporate donors, isn't the vision of Hollywood glamour associated with USC in recent years as the football program won national championships and Heisman Trophies.

"He's very low key," said Louis Galen, a 1951 graduate of USC's law school who signaled his interest to Winston during a breakfast on a trip to New York when Carson Palmer won the 2002 Heisman. He made the largest donation the next fall.

"I was following the arena very closely with Don, and we got the idea maybe we could do something," he said. "This is something you can't sell. It was just a mutual interest. We recognized it was a one-time opportunity."

Dougherty, who, like Winston, has worked at USC more than 30 years, joined the athletic department in 1999 when Athletic Director Mike Garrett put her in charge of the arena project. She praised Winston's long relationships.

"He isn't a classic fund-raiser. He doesn't pressure you," she said. "He talks about our programs and our plans. When people reach a stage in life where they're able to donate or thinking about their estate, they remember Don."

Besides the arena, the Galens have contributed to an athletic dining facility, a ceramics studio and a fine arts multi-media center at USC.

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In 1997, Galen suffered complications after heart surgery to replace a valve and was in a coma for 42 days.

"I should have died," he said.

This summer, he had health issues concerning a rapid heartbeat, but he visited the construction site as often as he could, awaiting the planned September opening even after weather delays and a steel strike put the project behind schedule.

"I was determined to make it," he said.

He'll be there tonight, and next week they'll gather with a family that includes five children and 11 grandchildren for the opening concert in Galens' honor.

"We tell them it's their building, they paid for it," joked Louis Galen, adding that while he has provided for his family he would like to give most of his money away before he dies.

The Galens are football fans and weren't often among the mere 3,300 or so who turned out for men's basketball last season. The school has sold 5,100 season tickets this year.

But the first beneficiaries of the Galens' gift will be volleyball players who will enjoy well-appointed locker rooms with handsome wood stalls and mirrors in each locker, along with a player lounge that Wednesday was still awaiting furniture and a large-screen TV.

"In my whole lifetime, I wished we could have this kind of setup," USC volleyball Coach Mick Haley said. "I'm very appreciative and I know the players will be.

"Being the first ones in the facility, holy cow. … This is the ultimate for women's sports."

The Galens said they look forward to seeing the city lights shine tonight through the large bank of windows on one wall of an arena that feels rather intimate for its size.

"We're just going to go down for a 7 o'clock game," Helene Galen said.

Times staff writers Ben Bolch and Helene Elliott contributed to this

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USC Is Feeling the Pressure on Turnovers

Defense lags in forcing steals, especially in last two games. But the team has avoided losses by limiting its own mistakes on offense.

By Gary Klein, Times Staff Writer

October 11, 2006

As USC players and coaches walk today from the locker room in Heritage Hall to practice at Howard Jones Field, one subject will dominate their thoughts:

Turnovers.

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"Turnover Wednesdays," have been a staple for the Trojans since Pete Carroll took over the program before the 2001 season. The focus on getting the ball  and taking care of it  has spurred the Trojans to unparalleled success.

But while undefeated USC appears on track for a possible third consecutive Bowl Championship Series title-game appearance, the Trojans haven't been playing to the script.

With the exception of a game-ending interception at Washington State, they have not caused a turnover or recorded a sack in two games.

"We've never had a dry spell like that," said linebacker Oscar Lua, a fifth-year senior.

Not coincidentally, USC's last two games were nail-biting, six-point victories that were not decided until the final seconds.

Freshman safety Taylor Mays picked off a desperation pass at Washington State and USC escaped with a victory at the Coliseum when Washington failed to snap the ball after the clock started with two seconds left.

"It's been a little bit of a drought, but I'm not worried about it," Carroll said. "The main thing is we haven't been turning the ball over at an alarming rate. If we had been, we'd have lost."

Fans may lament the loss of instant offense from the likes of Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White, but a bigger factor in the Trojans' struggles of late is the lack of turnovers and the scoring they used to generate.

USC has finished no lower than fifth nationally in turnover margin in each of the last five seasons and was first or second in each of the last three. Along the way, they compiled a 54-10 record, made four straight appearances in BCS bowl games and won two national championships.

However, after its performance against the Washington schools, USC began the week ranked a woeful-for-the-Trojans 25th in turnover margin.

USC has lost two fumbles and three of its passes have been intercepted. The Trojans have recovered four fumbles and intercepted five passes for a plus-4 margin.

Not only that, but USC isn't scoring as much after stealing the ball. In 13 games last season, the Trojans forced 38 turnovers and scored after 26 of them. In five games this season, USC has scored seven times after turnovers.

"We have to find out ways to pressure the quarterback and find out ways to get the ball knocked around or it's going to be hard to separate from teams," Carroll said. "It's so obvious. Look at the Arkansas game and look at the rest of 'em."

USC's season-opening 50-14 victory at Arkansas was built on turnovers  and scoring after them. The Razorbacks fumbled twice and three of their passes were intercepted, with the Trojans capitalizing by scoring after each in their most impressive victory of the season.

USC recovered a fumble against Nebraska. The Trojans intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble against Arizona. But Washington State and Washington avoided costly miscues and each was positioned for an upset.

"We just have not been real effective with any consistent kind of pressure at all the last couple of weeks," Carroll said.

USC, which adopted a hybrid 3-4 scheme on defense this season, has registered only seven sacks  five against Arizona  and no player has more than one. Defensive end Lawrence Jackson, who had 10 last season, has none.

"People in the Pac-10, especially, have done their homework," junior nose tackle Sedrick Ellis said. "They know what we do and they've spent years trying to figure out a way to beat it."

Washington State had quarterback Alex Brink mainly use a three-step drop that allowed him to release the ball before the Trojans could get deep into the backfield. Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback worked mainly out of the shotgun formation and took advantage of his scrambling ability.

"If the quarterback is dropping back and getting the ball off, Michael Johnson could not get back there with his world-record speed," Jackson said, referring to the Olympic gold medalist. "We have to put the quarterback in tough situations and make him go through all of his progressions.

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"If he has a guy that he wants to throw to and he gets it to him, everything is on rhythm and we can't get any sacks."

Despite the absence of turnovers or sacks, USC avoided defeats by limiting its own mistakes on offense. Washington State intercepted a pass on the final play of the first half and Washington also picked off a pass. But the Trojans did not lose a fumble in either game.

USC's defense, however, could use some help from an offense that has failed to score from long or even medium range. The Trojans' two longest touchdown plays of the season both came Saturday against Washington. The longest was on a trick play, a 20-yard pass after a fake field goal. The other was on a 17-yard pass from John David Booty to Patrick Turner.

"Last year's offense could strike you dead in a second," Lua said. "This year's offense eats the clock. We went from high octane, with Reggie and Matt and their big-play mentality, to some young guys that are going to be really good and are working hard to get there."

So is a defense that has missed some opportunities at interceptions and fumble recoveries.

Arizona State, this week's opponent, might be just what the Trojans need. The Sun Devils are at minus-4 in turnover margin after losing six fumbles and throwing nine interceptions.

Secondary coach Rocky Seto echoed the statements of his players when he said, "It's been kind of dry. Hopefully, we're due for a big downpour."

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gary.klein@latimes.com

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Forcing the issue

Turnovers have been key to USC's recent success:

Turnovers caused by and sacks credited to USC defense through five games: Year Int. Fumbles Sacks

2006 5 4 7

2005 10 2 16

2004 10 7 21

2003 9 8 21

Previous season totals: Year Int. Fumbles Sacks

2005 22 16 32

2004 22 16 59

2003 22 20 55

National ranking for turnover margin: Year Margin Ranking

2005 +1.62 2nd

2004 +1.46 1st

2003 +1.54 2nd

2002 +1.38 5th

2001 +1.27 5th