After recording three easy wins at home to open the season, the No. 10 USC women’s volleyball team heads to Honolulu for the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic for games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 5 p.m. Hawaiian time. With a challenging conference schedule on the horizon, this weekend’s non-conference games with quality opponents will reveal how ready the Women of Troy are to compete for a Pac-10 title as well as a national title.

Friday USC plays Michigan State (3-0) in their opener. In 2009, the Spartans clipped USC at the start of the season in East Lansing. Saturday the Women of Troy encounter New Mexico (2-1). Despite two victories, the Lobos were swept by No. 4 Stanford in dominating fashion and have yet to prove they can play with the nation’s elite.

While the first two games of the tournament are a focus, Sunday is the marquee matchup for USC. The Women of Troy square off with No. 4 Hawaii, who eliminated USC in the NCAA tournament a year ago. The Rainbow Wahine are already off to a fast start. In their opening weekend, they won all three of their matches, including two against ranked opponents in No. 22 San Diego and No. 16 UCLA.  

Even though Hawaii ended USC’s season last year, coach Mick Haley doesn’t see Sunday’s showdown as a revenge game. Instead, he sees it as a barometer. “Right now we know Hawaii is good. It’s an opportunity for us to get better by playing them on their home court,” said Haley, who recorded his 1000^th victory as a college coach last Friday against Loyola Marymount.  “It’s a chance for us to practice playing them in their facility with their crowd, see if we can weather that, and still see if we can win.”

Junior outside hitter Alex Jupiter echoed that sentiment. “This is a chance to see where we are. With six recruits, all of them are going to get to play so we get to see how much improvement we can get out of [this tough game].” Despite the team being filled with youth, Jupiter believes the 2010 squad is better equipped to tackle Hawaii than the one that lost to the Rainbow Wahine in 2009. “[We are] bigger, more aggressive. I feel we work better together. We help each other a lot better on the court so if I struggle I know someone will pick me up.  Our personalities match a lot better.”

Furthermore, USC’s vaunted recruiting class will be on the road in a hostile environment for the first time this season. Despite the magnitude of the match, Haley isn’t concerned about how the rookies will respond.  “This is a pretty experienced freshman group. They listen and do well in their preparation, and I have been really impressed,” Haley said. “They came here to play so they are ready to get after it.”

National titles aren’t decided in September, but three victories this weekend would go a long way for USC. In addition to a boost in the rankings, it would serve as a statement that this squad is ready to turn its sky-high expectations into reality.

You are bound to find hundreds of game recaps, so I will just throw up a few thoughts on tonights action.

First, and most importantly, it was thrilling to watch the Men of Troy in action again. What offseason? Now that football has started, the focus is right where it should be–on what happens between the lines. I am so glad football season is back. Furthermore, USC started off with a win. It may not have been pretty, but the Lane Kiffin era begins with a pristine 1-0 in the record books. 

Offense

-Matt Barkley looked stellar. Sure, he did it against Hawaii, but he threw some very precise passes and tied a school record with 5 TD passes. Reports of Barkley slimming down rang true tonight. He looked so much more mobile than in 2009. He completed passes on the run and extended some plays with his feet. Although it is game one, Barkley has put himself in the same class as Jake Locker and Andrew Luck, who are Heisman hopefuls.

-Ronald Johnson caught THREE touchdown passes tonight. After missing much of last year due to injury, Johnson made his presence felt. USC needs a deep threat and Johnson provides that with his excellent speed and hands. The offense ran smoothly in 2009 when Damian Williams was effective, and Johnson has a chance to be even better. For Johnson, this could be the beginning of a monster season.

-Marc Tyler hit it on the nail when he said to the camera, “I’m back!” He averaged somewhere around 9 yards per carry and had some very impressive runs. I love that Tyler hit the holes with authority and didn’t run tentatively. Tyler showed he is the number one back and earned another week atop the depth chart. When USC was determined to score again, Kiffin brought Tyler back in, and the back preceded to take it to the house. If the running game can stay this effective, the passing game will become wide open. That being said, USC got too pass happy in the second quarter, and it allowed Hawaii to gain momentum. 

-Robert Woods didn’t really look like a freshman. For his first catch, he dove and made a nice grab. He seems to have solid hands and is able to get open. Pretty soon, teams will start keying on Johnson and it will be up to Woods to pick up the load. At the moment, I have faith he will be capable. 

Defense

-Dave Dulberg of the Daily Trojan wrote a touching piece on Nickell Robey in yesterday’s paper. I want to root for the guy, I really do. However, he looked undersized, overmatched, and missed so many tackles. If I had a dollar for every tackle he missed, I could pay for Fall tuition. Granted, USC missed a lot of tackles. Nevertheless, it seemed as though Robey was at the center of nearly every missed tackle in the first half. Kiffin might need to reevaluate who starts opposite Shareece Wright against Virginia.

-Tackling was a serious issue. It appears as though the lack of tackling hurt USC. Hawaii was breaking tackles left and right. They managed to put up 36 points and gained around 580 yards. USC needs to focus on tackling if they plan to contend for the Pac-10.

-The secondary and linebackers was abused. Wide receivers were so open. I would hate to see how many yards after the catch Hawaii had. In the beginning, the Hawaii quarterback couldn’t hit anybody even though they were open. Furthermore, Hawaii ran the ball well and the linebackers seemed out of position often. USC got lucky they weren’t facing a good opponent. Monte Kiffin has three more games against sub-par opponents to work out the kinks of the defense. If the unit that showed up today shows up for Pac-10 play, it will be a long, long year. The offense can’t score 50 points every game. I get chills just thinking of what Jacquizz Rodgers, LaMichael James, Andrew Luck, Jake Locker, and even Nick Foles will do to USC.

Special Teams

-Going for 2 a lot confuses me. I understand USC had kicking problems in fall camp, but take your chances with it. It seems silly to go for 2 when your kicker is booting touchbacks. Also, I hate the fake formation that turns into a field goal formation, but I guess that is just a personal pet peeve.

-Ronald Johnson’s punt return was spectacular. He made a nice play just to catch it cleanly, broke a tackle, and then got good blocking as he motored down the sidelines. At a time when Hawaii was inching closer, the punt return brought USC back to life.

-Punting looked good. I dreaded whenever the punting or field goal unit came on last year. So far, so good. Baxter has done a nice job coaching this unit up. 

Overall

The focus has to be on the defense. The offense played nearly flawless under Barkley’s direction. If the defense can step it up, USC will be a formidable force in the conference. Three easy games are coming up, so we won’t know much about how good USC is until the Washington game. Virginia is nothing special,  Minnesota just squeaked past Middle Tennessee State today 24-17, and Washington State is in the Pac-10 cellar. Hopefully things get worked out.

Fight On!

Special thanks to Don Povia of HHR Media Group for arranging the interview!

New York, NY- Capital One announced the inception of the inaugural Capital One Cup, which honors athletic programs for excellence in 13 different sports. Points will be awarded based on top 10 finishes–with an emphasis on national championships–and the top men’s and women’s program will receive a trophy and $200,000 in scholarships.

In creating this award, chief marketing officer Bill McDonald conveyed that Capital One is on a mission to change the way college athletics are perceived. The company wants to draw attention to sports other than football and basketball, which generally dominate the headlines and ratings. McDonald believes the award will make strides in boosting the profile of sports such as soccer, as well as foster a sense of community among the various sports on a college campus. Five former stars in college will serve as ambassadors for the award. They include: Doug Flutie (Boston College), Brandi Chastain (Santa Clara), Lisa Leslie (USC), Robin Ventura (Oklahoma State), and Clark Kellog (Ohio State). 

After the press conference, I had a chance to conduct a phone interview with USC alumnus and retired WNBA superstar Lisa Leslie.

Q: What made you get behind this award? Did you feel that attaching the USC name to the award was important?

Lisa Leslie: I am very proud of our university. I think that aside from this being a new, prestigious award, I think that USC is a very prestigious university to have attended. I’m very partial and biased to the Trojan family and this is a great opportunity when you talk about the Capital One Cup and the possibility for one of those trophies to sit on the USC campus. 

Q: How quickly do you think USC will be able to contend for a Capital One Cup?

LL: I would really need to look over all of our sports. The beautiful thing about the Capital One Cup is that it even has caused me to be interested in what happened last year. How many championships did we win on the men and women’s side? This is what its about. Being on the advisory board, my job is to educate the fans and the media. In order to do that, I have to first educate myself on exactly what did all of our sports do. I would like to find out how many championships we won last year so I can get a good sense of how possible it is. I know Stanford has been the most dominant. Stanford’s women’s team, if this Cup had existed last year, would have won it so they are probably our biggest competition right now. 

Q: Pat Haden has come in as the athletic director and has shown this affinity for women’s athletics as well as men’s. Do you like the direction he is taking?

LL: Absolutely. I think Pat Haden is a refreshing addition to our athletic department just with the fact that he is cognizant of the women’s sports and is really inclusive. That’s something we may have missed before. Not that Mike Garret didn’t include the women, but I don’t know how much he truly cared about the women. It’ refreshing to see that [Haden] recognizes them. Even for Capital One, the way it is run with this new award for these Division I athletic programs is really also going to benefit the smaller programs–the lacrosse, tennis, soccer, and sports that don’t get as much attention as they deserve. Pat’s going to do a great job and I am hoping when it is all said and done I am sincere in my hopes that the Capital One Cup will be sitting somewhere in Heritage Hall.

Q: You played for Michael Cooper with the Los Angeles Sparks and he is now the head coach here at USC. What are your thoughts on the direction of the program under him?

LL: I like it. I have had an opportunity to come up and talk to the girls two or three times this summer already. I’m excited about the turnaround, and obviously the team started off very well last year and then hit some bumps on the road. They really fell flat at Stanford and it was tough for them in the [conference] tournament to really get far but overall they have improved with new recruits and they are going to continue to get better. It’s going to take Coop a few years just to get the recruits in that he needs and the commitments that he wants. The summer camps that they’ve had on campus were very successful, and I’ve talked to a few other athletes that are interested coming out of high school. USC will have a chance and there are opportunities to get better and better every year. 

Q: You seem pretty involved still. Would you have any interest in joining the coaching staff at USC?

LL: Yes, that’s something coach Cooper and I have discussed, and I decided not to do it right now since I have another small baby at home. I have two small children, one is three and one is four months. I don’t think it was the right timing for me. I believe the girls at the university deserve 100% of your time and effort when it comes to coaching and giving them all that they need and I felt I couldn’t do that just yet.

Q: Back to Michael Cooper. He stirred up the pot with UCLA when he used an expletive talking about them. What do you think of his reaction and how do you feel about UCLA?

LL: UCLA gives us great motivation to win and try to be the best in our shared city. I’ve always used them as motivation. When you face the Bruins there is an added incentive to win, but I do think coach Cooper went a little far with the things he said about UCLA. It’s important to always keep it professional and at the end of the day we recognize that you are a Bruin for four years but a Trojan for life. 

Q: You grew up in this area and attended USC. How connected do you still feel to the university?

LL: I’m really passionate about USC. Growing up in LA I always grew up aspiring to attend a university, and once I honed my skills enough to have the opportunity I really took full advantage of it. For the most part, I had a great experience at USC. There were some rough years. Going into my senior year my head coach was fired, and that was the toughest part of my life on campus. Overall, I still have love for the school and I’m happy to be an alumnus. I try to give back as much as possible, including helping out with the women’s basketball team.

Q: Are you expecting your children to be Trojans?

LL: Absolutely! 

To learn more about the Capital One Cup and to follow the standings, be sure to check out capitalonecup.com throughout the year.

No. 14 USC Trojans at Hawaii Warriors

Head Coach:  Greg McMackin (13-14, 2 years)                 

Conference: WAC                                                        

Record: 0-0 (6-7 in 2009)                                        

Stars: QB Bryant Moniz, WR Greg Salas              

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Time: 8:00 PM PDT

TV: ESPN

Radio: KXSC (listen at kscr.org), 710AM

Spread: Hawaii (+21.5)

Matchup: No. 14 USC heads to Honolulu to open the season on Thursday night against the Hawaii Warriors. After a tumultuous offseason to say the least, the Trojans find themselves on the gridiron with the AP national title as the only possible tangible reward. Nevertheless, the Trojans are 21.5-point favorites in this nationally televised game as Lane Kiffin makes his debut as the head coach amidst questions of whether or not he can actually coach. 

For USC, new faces are at the top of the depth chart. Freshman Robert Woods is starting opposite of Ronald Johnson at wide receiver and Marc Tyler won the tailback job from Allen Bradford in fall camp. Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley returns after an up and down freshman season. The offense should put up big numbers against a porous Hawaii defense that allowed over 400 yards per game a year ago.Defensively, USC’s front seven has been dominant and wreaked havoc. Defensive end Nick Perry won’t be available to come in when one of the starters needs a breather, 

Offensively, Hawaii runs a pass-happy offense that mainly utilizes the shotgun formation. This could pose a matchup problem for USC, who will start four new players in the secondary, including a true freshman at cornerback (note: Shareece Wright has playing experience). In addition, the Warriors will likely start all upperclassmen on that side of the ball, so there is some continuity. However, the Warriors don’t have the potent offense that took them to a BCS bowl game a few years ago. The Warriors ranked 89th in scoring offense a year ago and will likely struggle moving the ball against a superior USC defense. 

Although the Warriors have the most seniors of any team in the country on their roster, the power and athleticism of USC appears to be too daunting for Hawaii to overcome. The Trojans have a lot of pent up frustration to air out after receiving penalties for transgressions committed by others. Motivation might be a factor later on in the season, but USC will begin the season fired up. Trips to Hawaii are never gimmes, but USC is in a favorable position to win this game and walk off the island with a 1-0 record.

A quick trip around Troy to see what happened today.

Football Two big notes came out of practice today. Surprisingly, Kyle Prater is likely to redshirt according to multiple USC practice reports. Prater enrolled early last spring and his big frame (6′5″, 205) made him a nightmare for cornerbacks to match up with. However, health issues and consistent play by fellow freshman Robert Woods and Markeith Ambles has placed Prater down on the depth chart.

Also, Lane Kiffin announced his captains today. Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley, senior fullback Stanley Havili, senior linebacker Michael Morgan, senior linebacker Malcolm Smith and senior defensive back Shareece Wright earned that distinction. Although Barkley is the only non-senior on this list, he has proven on and off the field to be a mature and capable leader. Of note, Wright and Havili have overcome adversity to be captains. Wright missed the entire regular season in 2009 because of academic issues, and Havili was disciplined earlier this fall for injuring T.J. Bryant. Finally, the Trojans will leave tomorrow for their opener against the Hawaii Warriors.

Via Twitter, @USCPsycho posted a link to Pat Haden’s email to boosters about the state of Troy. Check it out to see what Haden has to say about the direction of USC.

Volleyball

I attended volleyball practice today and had a chance to talk with coach Mick Haley and All-American Alex Jupiter afterwards (for direct quotes check out this Friday’s edition of the Daily Trojan). Throughout practice, Haley kept stressing his team needs to get better if they want to win the national title. When one of the teams surrendered a point during a scrimmage, he told them that they should be so stingy that they never ever concede a point.

The Women of Troy head to Hawaii for a tournament that includes a marquee matchup with the Warriors. Last year, USC was eliminated by Hawaii in the NCAA tournament at Galen Center. Despite the tough loss, Haley doesn’t see this as a revenge game. He believes this will be a great test in an adverse environment that will serve as a barometer as to how good his team is.

For the first time, the vaunted freshman class will be on the road, but Haley isn’t concerned. He said that the recruiting class was very talented and experienced, and they respond well to his coaching so he doesn’t have too many reservations. Jupiter echoed the sentiment that this isn’t really a revenge game. When asked to compare this year’s team to the one that lost to Hawaii last year, Jupiter said that the chemistry was better this year and that the team was faster, bigger, and more aggressive than in 2009. 

Reign of Troy

Via Twitter, I saw that the Spirit of Troy (aka the USC Trojan Marching Band debuted a song last Thursday at the opening of the Ronald Tutor Campus Center entitled “Reign of Troy”, which is written by USC alumnus Mark Watters. Check it out here. It is pretty cool that our blog shares a name with a song that the band plays. Perhaps in the future it can serve as our theme song when a recording becomes available.

“Here are provided seats of meditative joy, where shall rise again the destined reign of Troy.” -Virgil

Troy Talk resumed today, hosted by Joey Kaufman of Conquest Chronicles. The twitter conversation focuses on USC athletics (mainly football) and attempts to foster discussion among Trojan fans from throughout the twitterverse. Here’s a recap of the topics and our thoughts on them.

TOPIC 1- Depth chart was released on Friday. What were your thoughts? Tyler at RB, Woods at WR, and Kennard over Galippo at MLB? 

With Allen Bradford a little banged up, I have absolutely no problem Tyler starting at tailback. Tyler is speedy and has shown he can run at this level. In the past, injuries have hampered his development, but if he can remain healthy he can be a real force. Meanwhile, the  Trojans can use the bruiser Bradford in goal line situations. Most of all, I like that Lane Kiffin is fostering a culture of competition at positions. Throughout camp, Bradford was the supposed starter but Tyler proved more consistent and Kiffin wasn’t afraid to make the change. Overall, the running game should be productive and really help open up the passing game for Barkley. I’m glad to see Woods starting at wide receiver but also a little hesitant. It seems as though every practice report contained tales of a fantastic catch by the true freshman. On the other hand, I am worried about the chemistry with Barkley and route running. USC has plenty of talent but there won’t be room for error in close games. The wrong route in the fourth quarter of a tight game would be very costly. At linebacker, I am not surprised to see Kennard start because of his athleticism and instincts. At cornerback, I have confidence in true freshman Nickell Robey starting opposite of Shareece Wright. Kiffin raved all through camp about this kid and he will see plenty of action as teams will look to avoid Wright.

TOPIC 2- Ok, we’ve covered this a little before, but the lack of tackling in practice is a huge story. What will the effects be?

In all honesty, I think the lack of tackling won’t be a huge factor. These players have been playing football for so long and at such a high level that they know how to tackle. USC tackled in practice last year and had issues tackling at times. The ability to tackle isn’t going to depreciate noticeably because Kiffin cut out tackling. This was a move the first-year coach had to make to cut down on injuries with one 70 players on scholarship for the opener. I applaud Kiffin for showing maturity and realizing that this was the best way to keep bodies fresh.

TOPIC 3- They’ve already begun preparation for the Hawaii. Will the Thursday date and 8:00 time throw them off?

Any trip to Hawaii is daunting. The Warriors are tough at home in front of that rabid crowd. That being said, the Thursday date and time will not affect the Trojans in any way. Even though it isn’t the normal date or time, it is the season opener. USC hasn’t established a routine yet that would be disrupted by playing on a short week. If this were week 3, I could see that being a factor because athletes are extremely superstitious and that might play into the mental game. Nonetheless, the Trojans will come out mentally prepared with an “us against the world” mentality that will lead to an inspired effort.

TOPIC 4- If you ask most ppl keeping up with USC what the best position is D-Line is the answer. But how good is it? Wild Bunch 3?

Getting a read on the defensive line is hard because the offensive line was banged up throughout the fall. Nevertheless, the defensive line dominated and showcased tremendous potential in camp. While it isn’t as good as the Wild Bunch 3, this defensive line should be among the the best in the conference (and even the nation if you ask ESPN Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller). On the ends, Armond Armstead, Nick Perry, and Wes Horton are a formidable rotation that will challenge the lines. Meanwhile, Jurrell Casey is a defensive tackle that is among the nation’s elite. Overall, the line will relieve some pressure on the secondary and be the heart of an elite defense coached by Monte Kiffin. 

TOPIC 5- The Sagarian Ratings, a component of the BCS standings, has USC ranked #4 already? Is that too high?

Ludicrous! Even as a diehard Trojan fan wearing cardinal colored glasses, it is impossible to see USC ranked any higher than 14 at this point. Too many other teams stand above them in terms of returning talent. While the Trojans have plenty of talent, there are questions abound about the lack of experience and lack of depth. It is nice to see USC placed that high, but a team ranked fourth shouldn’t have as much uncertainty as the Trojans do. Throughout the season, they will have ample opportunity to justify this, but as of right now the ranking is absurdly high.

Last night, USC released its depth chart for the opener Thursday at Hawaii. Marc Tyler emerged to unseat tailback Allen Bradford, who was the assumed starter. Elsewhere, two freshman made a huge impression on first-year coach Lane Kiffin to earn starting spots. True freshman Robert Woods will start opposite senior Ronald Johnson at split end, while Nickell Robey will start opposite senior Shareece Wright at cornerback. In the other highly contested position battle, Devon Kennard beat out Chris Galippo to start at middle linebacker. Absent from the depth chart is freshman running back Dillon Baxter, who has been suspended for Thursday’s game. It will be interesting to see where he fits in once he is eligible to play.

Quarterback
7 Matt Barkley | 6-2, 220, So., 1V
16 Mitch Mustain | 6-2, 200, Sr., 2V
15 Jesse Scroggins | 6-3, 205, Fr., HS
18 John Manoogian | 6-0, 205, So., SQ

Running Back
26 Marc Tyler | 5-11, 230, Jr., 1V
21 Allen Bradford | 6-0, 235, Sr., 4V
2 C.J. Gable | 6-0, 205, Sr., 4V
22 Curtis McNeal | 5-7, 185, So., 1V

Fullback
31 Stanley Havili | 6-1, 225, Sr., 4V
48 Hunter Simmons | 6-3, 235, Fr., SQ

Wide Receiver
13 Robert Woods | 6-1, 185, Fr., HS
9 David Ausberry | 6-4, 235, Sr., 3V
10 De’Von Flournoy | 6-0, 185, So., 1V
85 Kyle Prater | 6-5, 215, Fr., HS

Wide Receiver
83 Ronald Johnson | 6-0, 185, Sr., 3V
8 Markeith Ambles | 6-2, 215, Fr., HS
19 Brice Butler | 6-4, 195, So., 1V
80 Brandon Carswell | 6-1, 190, Jr., 2V

Tight End
40 Rhett Ellison | 6-5, 245, Jr., 2V
84 Jordan Cameron | 6-5, 235, Sr., 2V
88 Blake Ayles | 6-5, 245, Jr., 1V
82 Randall Telfer | 6-4, 230, Fr., HS

Offensive Tackle
75 Matt Kalil | 6-7, 295, So., 1V
77 Kevin Graf | 6-6, 300, Fr., SQ

Offensive Tackle
70 Tyron Smith | 6-5, 280, Jr., 2V
72 Martin Coleman | 6-5, 335, Jr., SQ

Offensive Guard
68 Butch Lewis | 6-5, 295, Sr., 3V
74 Zack Heberer | 6-5, 295, Sr., 3V
63 Giovanni Di Poalo | 6-6, 295, Fr., HS

Offensive Guard
78 Khaled Holmes | 6-4, 300, So., 1V
67 Michael Reardon | 6-5, 290, Jr., 1V
59 John Martinez | 6-2, 290, Fr., SQ

Center
61 Kristofer O’Dowd | 6-5, 300, Sr., 3V
50 Abe Markowitz | 6-2, 280, So., SQ
67 Michael Reardon | 6-5, 290, Jr., 1V

Defensive End
94 Armond Armstead | 6-5, 295, Jr., 2V
90 Derek Simmons | 6-4, 300, Sr., 3V
56 James Boyd | 6-4, 245, Fr., RS
81 Kevin Greene | 6-3, 250, Fr., SQ

Defensive End
96 Wes Horton | 6-5, 260, So., 1V
8 Nick Perry | 6-3, 250, So., 1V
89 Christian Thomas | 6-3, 240, Fr., HS

Defensive Tackle
98 DaJohn Harris | 6-4, 305, Jr., 2V
92 Hebron Fangupo | 6-2, 310, Jr., 1V

Defensive Tackle
91 Jurrell Casey | 6-1, 305, Jr., 2V
95 George Uko | 6-4, 300, Fr., HS

Outside Linebacker
17 Michael Morgan | 6-4, 220, Sr., 3V
46 Ross Cumming | 6-1, 230, Jr., 2V

Outside Linebacker
6 Malcolm Smith | 6-1, 225, Sr., 3V
23 Shane Horton | 6-0, 220, Jr., 1V
36 Simione Vehikite | 6-0, 220, Fr., SQ

Middle Linebacker
42 Devon Kennard | 6-3, 250, So., 1V
54 Chris Galippo | 6-2, 250, Jr., 3V
51 Will Andrew | 6-2, 225, Fr., SQ

Cornerback
24 Shareece Wright | 5-11, 185, Sr., 4V
30 Brian Baucham | 5-11, 180, So., 1V
16 Anthony Brown | 6-0, 185, Fr., HS
40 Tony Burnett | 6-1, 195, So., RS

Cornerback
37 Nickell Robey | 5-8, 165, Fr., HS
4 Torin Harris | 6-1, 185, Fr., RS
26 Daniel Harper | 5-10, 180, Jr., 2V
38 T.J. Bryant | 6-0, 180, Jr., 2V

Safety
29 Jawanza Starling | 6-1, 195, So., 1V
27 Marshall Jones | 5-11, 185, Jr., 3V
19 Drew McAllister | 6-1, 195, Jr., 2V

Safety
7 T.J. McDonald | 6-3, 205, So., 1V
18 Dion Bailey | 6-1, 195, Fr., HS
14 Demetrius Wright | 6-1, 205, Fr., HS

Placekicker
30 Joe Houston | 5-8, 175, Sr., SQ
48 Jacob Harfman | 5-10, 195, Sr., 1V
46 Craig McMahon | 6-2, 180, Fr., HS

Punter
48 Jacob Harfman | 5-10, 195, Sr., 1V
30 Joe Houston | 5-8, 175, Sr., SQ

Kick Returner
2 C.J. Gable | 6-0, 205, Sr., 4V
13 Robert Woods | 6-1, 185, Fr., HS
37 Nickell Robey | 5-8, 165, Fr., HS

Punt Returner
83 Ronald Johnson | 6-0, 185, Sr., 3V
2 C.J. Gable | 6-0, 205, Sr., 4V
37 Nickell Robey | 5-8, 165, Fr., HS

Long Snapper
62 Chris Pousson | 6-4, 240, Jr., 2V
18 John Manoogian | 6-0, 205, So., SQ

Holder
16 Mitch Mustain | 6-2, 200, Sr., 2V
49 Robbie Boyer | 6-0, 180, So., SQ

*courtesy of http://usc.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp

The number 13 is the magic number for the USC Trojans heading into 2010. 13 games stand between them and an undefeated season; 13 teams stand between them and a the number one spot in the Associated Press rankings. 

If USC finishes atop the AP poll, an unlikely chain of events will have to occur.

First and foremost, USC must run the table and complete the season a pristine 13-0. Even in the best of times under Pete Carroll with vaunted defenses and prolific offenses, the Trojans had trouble navigating through the Pac-10 unscathed. With issues of depth along the offensive line and throughout the roster, USC will find themselves brawling with the likes of Arizona and Oregon State in hostile environments on the road. As much as I would love to see USC show up the NCAA and go 13-0, the lack of depth, increasing parity within the conference, and three tough road games won’t lend itself to that kind of success.

For the sake of argument, let’s pretend USC surprises me and compiles the magic 13 wins. Would they be able to surpass the 13 teams ahead of them?At 14, USC is in a position where they certainly could move up to number one. Over the course of the season, many teams will fall and it isn’t out of the realm of possibility for USC to win the AP title.In a recent survey conducted, respondents said they wouldn’t punish USC when casting their ballot simply because the school is on probation. One writer even has USC penciled in at number 6 to open the season.

Unfortunately, the circumstances don’t seem to lend themselves to such a climb. USC’s strength of schedule isn’t very impressive. The non-conference games don’t feature any marquee match-ups, and the Pac-10 is considered to be a tier below the SEC and Big XII. USC would have a chance to knock out No. 11 Oregon, but they would need help with the other teams. Looking at the teams ahead of USC, it isn’t impossible to think every team will incur one loss. Many of the thirteen teams ahead of USC meet and will incur at least one loss. For USC, the best-case scenario for the BCS title game would involve a two-loss team winning the title in a sloppy, unimpressive performance.

Even if every team currently ahead of USC has a loss, the Trojans won’t be allowed to play in a bowl game per NCAA sanctions. At the end of the year, I find it extremely hard to believe that the Associated Press would vote USC #1 after not having played in over a month as other teams get one final chance to showcase their talents.

In a year without a bowl game, all USC can do is charge on to the field and win every game on the schedule. However, that might not even be enough to secure a title to validate the season. Either way, 2010 will be an exciting year as football is just around the corner.

Kevin Liao of Fansided’s Spiked Up Psyched Up wrote a guest column looking at USC’s cross country team. For comprehensive coverage of the track world, head on over to the site.

After a summer of hard training, the USC women’s cross country team returns to campus this week with some big goals in mind. After back-to-back ninth place finishes at the Pac-10 meet, Coach Tom Walsh and the Women of Troy look to rise up the conference ranks with a mixture of strong young talent and veteran leadership.

Leading the charge is one of the top distance runners in school history, Zsofia Erdelyi. The native of Godollo, Hungary holds school records on the track at 5000 meters (16 minutes, 12.42 seconds), 10,000 meters (33:18.75), and the 3000 meter steeplechase (10:03.73). She was also a finalist at the NCAA championships over 10k on the track this last spring and in 2008 was USC’s first qualifier to the cross country national meet since 2003. After battling a foot injury and sickness throughout last fall, Erdelyi looks to bounce back strong for her senior season and make a return to the national championships in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Three other scorers from last year’s Pac-10s return in 2010. Senior Christine Cortez, originally a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College, was 60th a year ago but did not compete in the spring track season. Kathleen Moloney returns for her sophomore year after a strong 63rd place showing as a freshman and setting personal bests of 4:46.94 for 1500 meters and 17:29.33 for 5000 meters on the track. Senior Zara Lukens was the Trojans’ fifth runner in 2009 in 68th place.

Headlining the group of newcomers is redshirt sophomore transfer Shelby Buckley. Buckley left UCLA after her freshman year in 2008 when she was among the top four Bruins in each meet. She hails from Southern Californian high school powerhouse Corona del Mar where she was a Foot Locker Nationals finalist in 2006 and California state cross country champ in 2004. The top incoming freshman is Katie DeYoung from JSerra High in San Juan Capistrano. Her top performance was a seventh place finish at the Division 4 CIF state meet in 2009.

Due to a traditional focus on the sprints, USC has not typically been strong in the distance running events. But with the school’s ever growing academic reputation and a knack at pulling in strong foreign and domestic talent, the Trojans have a strong shot at improving on previous Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional finishes.

After a hectic move in weekend, I finally had a chance to sit down and read last Wednesday’s edition of the Daily Trojan, USC’s student newspaper. As usual, the sports columnists participated in a feature called “Best Bets”, where they peer into their crystal ball and provide answers to questions and handicap games. This year, we have decided to play along and see how we stack up. To the questions…

Numeber of Matt Barkley TD passes: 

22. A year ago, Barkley had 15 touchdown passes to go with 14 interceptions. With a year of experience comes better decision making. Add to that a deeper rotation of talented receivers than last year, and Barkley ups his touchdown total by seven.

USC’s leading rusher:

Allen Bradford. Every columnist picked Allen Bradford, and it is hard to argue against that. USC has a nice stable of backs, but it would be surprising if Bradford didn’t shoulder the majority of the load. He is a tough, bruising back with good speed that showed signs of excellence in 2009. Now, it’s his turn to lead the rotation at Tailback U.

USC’s 2010 record:

11-2. For about a month now, I have been thinking USC will reach 11 wins. Even without much to play for, the schedule sets up nicely for the Trojans. The non-conference slate isn’t very tough and USC has the luxury of traveling to Pullman to play the Cougars. Overall, it looks as though USC has four tough matchups, with a split likely. They will be pushed to the brink–and perhaps over the cliff–at Stanford, at Arizona, at Oregon State, and at home against Oregon. When all is said and done, USC should fall between 9 and 13 wins, with 11 the most likely scenario. If the total is anything less than 9, Kiffin will be under further scrutiny.

NCAA surprise team:

Navy. Coach Ken Niumatalolo has done an excellent job of turning this team around and making Navy a force to be reckoned with. With the starting quarterback returning, the triple option offense poses many problems for opponents. Navy will rise through the ranks to surprise many in 2010.

The Heisman goes to….

Tyrelle Pryor. After a dubious start to 2009, Pryor showed maturity in poise down the stretch as he led the Buckeyes to a Rose Bowl victory. If he continues to carve up defenses like he did against Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Pryor is well on his way to securing the Heisman trophy.

AP No. 1 end of season

Ohio State. Jim Tressel, in his sweater vest, will lead the Buckeyes to the national title behind Tyrelle Pryor. The Buckeyes have flatlined in championship games in recent memory, but this team is different. The mental makeup seems to be in place after beating Oregon last year and ending the BCS bowl losing streak.