Michael Stuart, In. [41], Leinart, the game's MVP, threw an Orange Bowl record (and at the time a USC record-tying) 5 touchdowns, including 3 to wide receiver Steve Smith, tying both an Orange Bowl and USC record; Ryan Killeen set the USC career scoring record with 329 career points; USC's 55 points tied its most ever in a bowl and were the most ever allowed in a bowl by Oklahoma. Matt Grootegoed, Sr. Oscar Lua, So. 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. [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. Of course, Carroll-who doubles as the defensive coordinator-isn't the only one responsible for the success of these players. 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. [15] By halftime, USC found itself down 11 points after the Cardinal caught them by surprise with an 82-yard run final play while trying to run out the clock to end the half. 2 in the AP poll at one point late in the season. Fr., TB Brandon Hancock, Jr., FB Sean Kelly, Rs. Lincoln Riley is doing a lot of great things. Best Players on the 2007 USC Trojans Football Team. He's good enough to merit All-American consideration (he was a Butkus Award and Lombardi Award semifinalist last season). The team also won the AP title for the second year in a row. He ended up as the Trojans' leading tackler in 2003. "Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson are the best defensive linemen in college football," said Carroll. Other key defenders returning with starting experience include linebacker Dallas Sartz (6 starts), end Frostee Rucker (5 starts), and cornerbacks Ronald Nunn and Kevin Arbet (he missed 2002 and most of 2003 with a foot injury). "But because of our accomplishments the past two seasons, we know we'll be challenged to the max each game now. "It starts with a big-time opener against a premier program and never lets up. The big disappointment is Donte Williams is not only coaching the cornerbacks, he got a fake title: Defensive passing game coordinator. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is still putting the finishing touches on his coaching staff with the Ducks while he prepares to coach Georgia's defense in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Michigan on Dec. 31. The Trojans returned a kickoff for a TD for the first time since 1998. Carolina earned 2016 NSCAA South Regional Coaching Staff of the Year laurels, and McCaskill and Kurtz were selected as NSCAA First-Team All-Americans. KICKERS/PUNTERS/SNAPPERS Will Collins, Rs. On the inside, there is senior walk-on Marco Chavez (he sat out 2003 after transferring from Hawaii), plus sophomore Oscar Lua, who was sidelined most of last season because of a knee injury (he missed some of 2004 spring drills while recuperating). Fr., DE Lawrence Jackson, Rs. [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. Troy led the nation in net punting (43.7 avg.) [24] The victory put USC's winning streak at the Coliseum at 19, tying the school record set from 193133. . LINEBACKERS USC's strength on defense will be its linebacking corps. "Gregg Guenther and Dominique Byrd were outstanding last season and getting Alex Holmes back really strengthens the position.". The tight end corps is deep, with Gregg Guenther Jr. (17 catches and 2 TDs in 2003)-also a star on the Trojan basketball team-back after starting the last half of 2003, along with Dominique Byrd (14 catches and 6 early starts in 2003) and Alex Holmes (58 career catches), USC's starter in 2002 but injured last season. The 2004 AP title, however, remains in place. The kicking game returns intact, except for the snapper. Both of 2003's starting cornerbacks are gone: Will Poole, an All-Pac-10 first teamer and NFL fourth rounder whose 7 interceptions (the most at USC since 1994) and 19 deflections last year ranked him in the top 10 nationally in those categories (he also had 80 tackles, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries), and Marcell Allmond, who helped Troy to an 18-1 record when he started in the secondary (he had 3 picks and 48 stops in 2003). 2004 USC Football Outlook - USC Athletics 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. USC then hosts Colorado State and travels to BYU and Stanford before having a trio of home games (California, Arizona and Washington) followed by a pair of road contests (Washington State and Oregon State). 1 Usc (100) 8:00 pm EST, Junior QB passes for career-high 400 yards, https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/recap?gid=200412040064, Sugar Bowl leaves Auburn with bitter taste, College Football: USC ends doubts as to who's No. 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. 7 Clemson, the Gamecocks' first win over a ranked opponent since 1998, as well as a 6-3 mark in non-conference action. Providing that safety depth will be twin redshirt freshmen Brandon Ting (3 tac in 2003) and Ryan Ting (1 tac in 2003), and senior walk-ons Greg Farr (6 tac in 2003) and Chris Bocage (1 tac in 2003), who missed 2004 spring practice while recovering from a knee injury. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. "That talk is beyond our control," said Carroll, the National Coach of the Year in 2003 after his team was named the national champion by Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, New York Times, ESPN.com, SI.com, CBS.SportsLine.com, Collegefootballnews.com and several other organizations. He was named to the fulltime staff in January of 2018. 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 2004 USC Trojans Stats Previous Year Next Year Record: 13-0 (1st of 120) ( Schedule & Results ) Rank: 1st in the Final AP poll Conference: Pac-10 Conference Record: 8-0 Coach: Pete Carroll (13-0) Points For: 496 Points/G: 38.2 (6th of 120) Points Against: 169 More Team Info USC School History 2004 USC Statistics Schedule & Results Roster Game Logs Sophomore strong safety Darnell Bing (69 tac, 2 for loss, 1 FR, 2 int, 5 dfl in 2003) was a Freshman All-American first team selection last year and he has an unlimited future. [36] The game also featured four out of five of the 2004 Heisman finalists with Leinart, White, Reggie Bush and Sooner running back Adrian Peterson, the Heisman runner-up. "We use our fullbacks in a variety of roles, not only as blockers and runners but as pass catchers," said Carroll. Fr. Check out the detailed 2004-05 USC Trojans Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Senior Matt Grootegoed (41 tac, 4.5 for loss, 1.5 sack, 1 dfl, 1 FR, 2 FF), who has started the past 3 years at strongside linebacker (he'll be on the weakside in 2004), has a knack for always being around the ball. ", USC will defend its national championship against a schedule that features 6 opponents who played in bowls last season. Then, we need to continue developing those young players who contributed so much last year and hope that they can elevate their play. Fr., OT Matt Spanos, Rs. "He's an impact player because of his size, speed and ability. [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. He averages a touchdown every 6.1 times he touches the ball. Alex Grinch, defensive coordinator. [11] Matt Leinart went 20-of-31 for 231 yards in three quarters before being retired from the game, Dwayne Jarrett caught a touchdown on what was his 18th birthday, and the Trojans handed the Rams their worse loss in eight years and first shut out in 85 games. Joining the tackles in the fall as a freshman is prep All-American Lawrence Miles (La Quinta High in La Quinta, Calif.). Chris McFoy, So. 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. [28], USC clinched its third consecutive conference championship with a victory over the visiting Arizona Wildcats. LINEBACKERS Collin Ashton, Jr. Mike Brittingham, So. 2001 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll (6-6) Offensive Coordinator: Norm Chow Defensive Coordinator: Other Assistant Coaches: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) Lane Kiffin (TE Coach) Ed Orgeron (AHC/DL/RC) Best Players on the 2001 USC Trojans Football Team QB Carson Palmer QB Matt Cassel RB Sunny Byrd RB Sultan McCullough WR Kareem Kelly 2004 Oklahoma Sooners football team - Wikipedia 2006 USC Coaching Staff. WR Fred Davis. 2004 USC Trojans football team - Wikipedia Marco Chavez, Sr. Eugene Germany, In. [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. Reggie Bush will be a key in the Trojans' running game this season. The True Hiring Score or THS is compiled by a complex formula bringing together many different factors. 1 spot, so Matt will have to continue to work hard if he wants to hold them off.". "We know we can expect a high level of play out of our experienced returning players. Opponents averaged just 1.8 yards per carry against the Trojans last fall, a school record and 2003 national low. [7] This was the first time the two teams had competed in football;[7] and with the game held only three hours away from Virginia Tech, the crowd was dominated by Hokies fans. For a while, it appeared that Williams--who has 176 receptions for 2,579 yards and a USC record 30 touchdowns in his 2-year career--would not return in 2004 after taking advantage of a court ruling to leave after his sophomore year for the NFL. LOS ANGELES New USC football head coach Lincoln Riley has named his full-time assistant coaching staff. He has a good arm and is a leader. I'm really looking forward to watching the competition there and seeing how it shakes out. All of that came on the heels of USC's nearly-as-successful 2002 campaign that ended with an 11-2 mark, a victory in the Orange Bowl and a No. But I was pleased with the line's progress in this past spring's practice. He'd then give way to LenDale White (141 tcb, team-high 754 yds, 5.3 avg, 13 TD in 2003, plus 6 rec, 15 yds, 2.3 avg, 1 TD) and Reggie Bush (90 tcb, 521 yds, 5.8 avg, 3 TD in 2003, plus 15 rec, 314 yds, 20.9 avg, 4 TD and team-best 18 KOR, 492 yds, 27.3 avg, 1 TD), now both sophomores. Fr., SNP Mario Danelo, Rs. Is Coach Rick Stockstill on the Hot Seat? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The championship game against the Sooners was later vacated as a result of NCAA sanctions and USC was stripped of the 2004 BCS title. Matt Leinart, Jr. Michael McDonald, Rs. [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. "But we must overcome several obstacles on the offensive side of the ball. [44], In June 2010, the NCAA imposed sanctions on USC as a result of an investigation into the football program. [46][47] However, USC lifted the restrictions related to Reggie Bush in 2020, welcoming him back to the program.[1]. 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). [39], The Sooners scored first, having stopped an opening USC drive. USC fielded record-setting punt and placekicking squads. [34] Reggie Bush scored on a pair of touchdown runs and totaled a career-best 335 all-purpose yards and placekicker Ryan Killeen kicked a USC and Pac-10 Conference game record 5 field goals. Both performed flawlessly during their careers. The talk will be inevitable, and understandably so. Fred Davis graduated a semester early from Rogers High in Toledo, Ohio, and enrolled at USC this past spring. 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. [6], The game was tightly fought: Cal dominated the statistics, more than doubling USC's first downs (2812) and total yards (424205) while getting more plays (7950) and possession time (37:1122:49); Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a career performance, tying an NCAA single game record by completing his first 23 passes and guiding the Golden Bears to a first-and-goal at the Trojan 9-yard line with 1:47 to play. As a result, USC was placed on four years' probation and forced to vacate its last two wins of the 2004 season as well as all of its wins in the 2005 season. Fr. Fr., DE Shaun Cody, Sr., DE-DT Sedrick Ellis, Rs. "Our kicking game, under the expert guidance of coach Dennis Slutak once again, should be very strong. You won't find anyone better than Tom Malone or Ryan Killeen. I think cornerback will be a strong position for us. [19], The quality of play met expectations and had major ramifications for both programs that season: It would be the only game the Bears would lose in the regular season, costing them a shot at the national title and their first BCS bowl appearance, including what could've been their first appearance at the Rose Bowl since 1959; and it was the Trojans' toughest game of the season on their way to winning the national championship in the Orange Bowl. [5] The university filed an appeal of the sanctions which was later denied by the NCAA. [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. USC and Oregon both aim for youth on their football coaching staffs (213) 740-4204. Matt Cassel, Sr. Brandon Hance, Sr. Billy Hart, Jr. Rocky Hinds, In. It's a schedule that could help USC better the average overall (72,806) and home (77,804) attendance school records it set last yearand gives credence to the Trojan marketing department's 2004 slogan of "Still The Hottest Ticket In Town. USC later vacated 2 wins (1 in conference), as well as the BCS and Pac-10 Championships, due to NCAA sanctions. The Lou Groza Award candidate was 12th nationally in scoring (9.4, second in Pac-10) and tied for 18th in field goals (1.5, third in Pac-10) in 2003. We are constantly tweaking our formula so that we can find the sweet spot of when a coach is technically on the hot seat. 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 It's possible he'll concentrate solely on basketball in his senior season. "With Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed and Dallas Sartz, it's like we have 3 returning starters. Colbert was selected in the NFL's second round. Playing its first game on November 14 of that year against the Alliance Athletic Club, USC achieved a 16-0 victory. "The challenge is whether we can keep it up. "That's how we're looking at it. The Trojans return 15 starters (7 on offense, 6 on defense, plus both kickers) from last year's record-setting team that won its last 9 games en route to a 12-1 overall mark. For a while, it appeared that Williams--who has 176 receptions for 2,579 yards and a USC record 30 touchdowns in his 2-year career--would not return in 2004 after taking advantage of a court ruling to leave after his sophomore year for the NFL. RB Chauncey Washington. He might sprint for the USC track team this spring (he has a best of 10.42 in the 100 meters). 1 recruiting class in the nation. Each of them had very productive seasons last year and we're hoping for more of the same this year. [27] USC took the upper hand early on, taking a 140 lead before WSU's offense got on the field; by halftime, it was 350, as the Trojans had 289 yards and 16 first downs to the Cougars 54 and 4. USC Trojans football - Wikipedia [22] It was the second time the Trojans played before consecutive sellout crowds in the Coliseum, the first was in 1947 when the UCLA and Notre Dame rivalry games sold out, and the first against non-rival opponents. ", DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Chris Barrett, Rs. Joining the signalcalling corps this fall as a freshman is prep All-American Rocky Hinds (St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey, Calif.). Williams came out of 2004 spring drills as the frontrunner on the right side and Baker was the starter on the left. As a sophomore in 2003 when he placed eighth in the Heisman balloting, he had 95 catches for 1,314 yards (his second consecutive 1,000-yard season) and a USC record 16 TDs. But we have a lot of players fighting for playing time, including some exciting young guys who will be fun to watch.". 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.