SB Nation - Josh Pinkard

Revised Top 10 Prospects to Watch

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:30:31 -0000

The only reason I tune in to FSU games anymore.

The college football season is beginning to make it's home stretch run and it's time to once again look at players who may find themselves in Black and Teal this upcoming season. In an attempt to keep this is true to form as possible, main stays Ndumakong Suh and Eric Berry sadly make their departure as the Jaguars are not nearly bad enough to even sniff them in next April's draft.

The more I've been thinking about it, the more I think a quarterback make's sense in the first round of the draft. To that end, the current Top 10 to watch is as follows

1. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State, Jr

Anyone who can stomach to watch a full game of FSU football this season will come away utterly impressed with Ponder. The Junior QB has made a light year's worth of advances since his troubled sophomore campaign. Behind a now solid offensive line, Ponder has light up the NCAA, ranking in the Top 5 of virtually every relevant stat against BCS competition. If Ponder declares, expect him to have a Mark Sanchez like rise.

2. Jake Locker, QB, Washington, Jr

I went back and forth between putting either Locker or Tony Pike of Cincinnati at the #2 spot. In the end, Pike is injured and Locker has more upside, so I went with Locker. Locker may be something of a project for a first round pick, but I like the grit I see from him. Also, the last time the Jaguars had a scrambling QB from Washington, it worked out well.

3. Morgan Burnett, SS, Georgia Tech, Jr

Burnett may be the 2nd best safety in the draft with Taylor Mays' inconsistency. A big, strong, hard hitting SS, Burnett would be the 2nd coming of Donovan Darius for the Jaguars. If a QB isn't available, he may be the BAP in the 15-20 range.

4. Rolando McClain, MLB, Alabama, Jr

If the Jags are going to keep running the 3-4, they'll need to upgrade their personnel this offseason. McClain is a beast of a linebacker and may be the best natural 3-4 linebacker in the draft. Another tough decision here between McClain and Brandon Spikes, but I felt McClain works better in a 3-4.

5. George Selvie, DE, South Florida, Sr

Was it really just two years ago Selvie was the most feared pass rusher in college football? Injuries and lack of production have forced him off the map and out of the first round. Selvie projects as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL and unless he has an excellent offseason, may slide into the third round.

6.Matt Tennant, C, Boston College, Sr

A quality guy with a high motor, Tennant would fit the Gene Smith profile. Brad Meester isn't getting any younger, and some fresh blood in the interior is needed. Tennant is a 4th or 5th round prospect.

7.Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke, Sr

Oghobasse is one of the best DT in the country not named Suh or McCoy. He projects as either a 3-4 DE or a 4-3 defensive tackle. Henderson was linked to several trade rumors in the last offseason and his stock has risen since with his terrific play this season.Ogho would be an excellent replacement paired with Terrance Knighton.

8. Josh Pinkard, SS, Southern Cal,Sr

Pinkard can play both corner and safety, making him a versatile player for the Jaguars secondary. He has some medicial and injury issues that may cause him to drop and make him a value pick.

9. Mitch Petrus, G, Arkansas, Sr

Petrus is a solid guard who plays with a mean streak against the run. However, he is somewhat undersized and that could cause him to drop.

10. Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU, Sr

Pitta served on his two year mission, making him older and more mature than most rookies. He's one of the best receiving tight ends in college and would add another weapon on the team.

-Jonathan Loesche

Confirmed...Wright Ineligible for the 2009 season

Paragon SC — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:19:53 -0000

We alluded to this possibility last week but it is now confirmed...

Redshirt junior cornerback Shareece Wright was declared academically ineligible Monday after failing to raise his grade-point average to the required level.

Wright, who also has been battling a sore knee, will be able to practice with the team and regain his eligibility for 2010. However, he will have missed most of two seasons by then after sitting for 11 games in 2008 because of a neck injury.

Carroll had his contingency plan in place during Saturday's scrimmage, when he shifted senior Josh Pinkard from safety to cornerback and inserted senior Will Harris in Pinkard's spot.

Pinkard, who filled in for Wright last season, returned to USC for a sixth year in part to showcase his safety skills to the NFL. Now he's back at corner barring other injuries.

"I think if he had his way, he would like to play all the time at safety," Carroll said of Pinkard. "But more important, he wants to play all the time."

I don't want to be too critical here but come on...

Wright missed most of last season because of injuries (and some legal trouble) so how could he not have the time to make sure his grades were up to snuff. It can't be that hard to maintain the minimum standards.

This is really disappointing, Wright was going to be one of the big pieces to the puzzle this season. SC has enough issues right now with a new QB, new starters on defense and other injured players so this just adds more crap to the pile.

Thank god we have some depth...

USC Roundtable

TwistNHook — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:00:10 -0000

via www.ballslist.com

TwistNHook: DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES???

Could this be the year? Could this be the year, we finally break through. For all of our ups and all of our downs, we've played USC really hard. Only in 2005, during the Era of Ayoob, did we get crushed. All the other years, Cal is right in it. In 2006 and 2008, USC pulled away late to make it look not as close as it really was. But even in that rough 2007 year, we were right in it up until....wait for it....wait for it, stunningly, a late 4th quarter Longshore interception. Did not see *that* one coming?

So, what are your guys thoughts? Can Cal beat USC? Or will Taylor "I crush the dreams of babies on a daily basis" Mays be enough to play every position on the field????

Avinash: Let's go over this point: It's not a "miracle" for Cal to beat USC. This isn't 2003 anymore. We are not huge underdogs and haven't played like huge underdogs. We've played the Trojans like equals, USC has just managed to outlast us each time.

The Bears have played the Trojans tightly in four of their five previous matchups; USC has been slightly better than us each time we've faced them. They've won the 4th quarter both ways, by getting the big stops and/or putting the points on the board. Good for them.

But if we beat USC this season, it's not a monumental upset, like Oregon State playing perfect football and the Trojans playing like dogs, or the Furd with their dorky voodoo. We will have to be the better team to pull it out. USC is not going to sleep on us. They will hit us hard and we'll have to swing back.

TwistNHook: If it is not going to be a miracle for Cal to beat USC, why do you keep praying upon Danzig, the Patron Saint of Awesomeness? He will grant us a miracle this year!

via images.athlonsports.com

Avinash: One of the most fearsome matchups will be USC's ridiculously experienced offensive line that should steady Aaron Corp's hand. Three seniors, one junior. I'd say they have a good chance to be as good as Cal 2007 in terms of pass protection.

The 3-4 gave them problems last year, but our best pass rusher is now gone. Not to mention the running back corps (Gable, Johnson and McKnight, along with Havili and his annoying fullback wheel route) all return a year older and stronger.

So where beating USC last season depending on scoring on their defense, this year it probably means stopping their offense. Which means taking apart the Trojan offensive line. What will be the key to beating USC's O-line?

TwistNHook: If we are sticking with the 3-4 this year, then it would seem to me that the key is our linebacker play. So, it is up to Young, Bishop, Kendricks, Holt, guys like that to make the key stop. It sounds like our DLine will have its hands full with their OLine!

But what about their D? Sounds as powerful as ever. Especially with All-Galaxy Taylor Mays making baby Jesus cry every Saturday. There are a few positions still up in the air. The LA Times has some info:

Nose tackle -- Sophomore Jurrell Casey and junior Christian Tupou are battling for the starting job, but both will play a lot. Senior Averell Spicer, who lost the starting job last season after committing two costly penalties in the loss at Oregon State, is atop the depth chart at the other tackle spot. Junior college transfer Hebron Fangupo could figure in at both positions.

Strong safety -- Sixth-year senior Josh Pinkard and fifth-year senior Will Harris will compete to start alongside All-American free safety Taylor Mays. The savvy Pinkard has started at safety and cornerback. Harris proved his value last season by playing very well in place of injured Kevin Ellison.

Avinash: The Trojan defense is not going to be as strong as it was last year. That was one of the greatest defenses ever to suit up on a college football field, and they would've gotten their due had they not tripped up in Beaver Land. They lost seven starters. You don't stay the same losing seven starters.

So even if there is a load of talent up front, they're going to have trouble getting it into shape for prolonged periods this season. It should still be enough to win 10-11 games, but they will be vulnerable to the run and short pass game, two places where Cal has been able to exploit the Trojans in the past.

HydroTech: I still think the Trojans are the team to beat in the Pac-10 despite their personnel losses from last year, but like Avinash said, it's not a miracle to beat U$C any more.

As good as U$C's OL may be, you can't help but wonder if perhaps it won't matter if Corp doesn't pan out. AT LEAST ONE U$C QB HAS TO SUCK, RIGHT?!?!?! RIGHT??? A bit more seriously now, Corp is what? A red-shirt sophomore with a total of 4 pass attempts in his career. I mean, this guy truly lacks experience. And despite being like the #1 rated QB or something a couple of years ago, and behind the Great Wall of China U$C offensive line, the dude still has to be able to make his reads and throws. Every great football program has some QB duds. Corp could be U$C's dud. You never know. Or he might light up the Pac-10 with a brightness unknown to Pac-10 defenses and win the Heisman or something in typical U$C fashion.

Btw, I totes found myself in Las Vegas not too long ago and I think I saw 100,000 people there wearing U$C gear and 2 people wearing Cal gear.

TwistNHook: How many people were wearing Washington State gear?

Well, now Corp is out for the next 1-2 weeks. Do you think that'll have any noticeable impact on this team or not really?

HydroTech: Probably not. Corp will be back before the seasons starts and he'll get reps with the first team prior to their first game. I see his injury having little impact on the team. If the team were a less talented team, I could definitely see a starting QB's injury having more of an impact. But when a team as talented as U$C loses their starting QB for a few weeks during fall camp, I don't see it impacting them that much.

Avinash: What would be the best strategy for Cal to expose USC this season?

TwistNHook: Are you getting paid by Big Bold per bolding or something? Why are you always bolding stuff???

Yellow Fever: Back to Corp for a second, I just wonder if this pushes up the timetable for Matt Barkley at all. Everyone's been saying how impressive he is, and his stated goal is to be the starter by the end of the year. So even if Corp's injury does linger for a while, it might not have the effect on the team as a whole that we think it will.

TwistNHook: Heres some more injury news on USC:

With all eyes on the USC quarterback race while starter Aaron Corp rests his ailing leg, the Trojans got more bad news at their scrimmage Monday night at the Coliseum. Southern Cal starting center Kristofer O'Dowd, the team's best offensive lineman, went down on the first drive and needed to be helped off the field.

Their best OLineman, Kris O'Dowd, went down in practice. For right now, not too much is known, but he had to be helped off the field. Of course, their backup is a senior, so they have depth. But we all know that the key to any team's success, including USC, is their OLine. So, keep an eye on how this turns out.

Anyway, Anybody else think the 2004 National Championship trophy falling from its perch is a delightful omen for USC disaster in the coming year? I can't the only one who thinks a glass object falling can affect hundreds and hundreds of plays over the course of months, right? Right??

Ragnarok: Well, superstition aside, I think there's very good reason to think that Cal can win this game. For one thing, the 2009 edition of the Bears will almost certainly be the best team USC has faced in Berkeley since about, oh, 1991. The 2004 and 2006 teams were both great, but both had to play the Trojans on the road. The last 3 teams to travel down to the Coliseum? A combined 29-9 record, 2 Holiday Bowl berths, and a share of a Pac-10 title. All three played USC close, but all three ultimately fell short. On the flip side, however, the last three Bears teams to face USC at home had a combined record of just 23-16, going on to win the slightly less-prestigious Insight, Las Vegas, and Armed Forces Bowls. Getting the Trojans at home without the handicap of either a) Joe Ayoob, or b) an injured Nate Longshore should portend great things for our Bears.

Yellow Fever: I'm just happy to find out that both Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel think college 40 times are a load of shit. It's reassuring to know that Taylor Mays is not, in fact, faster than Usain Bolt.

Avinash: Depending on how the Trojans perform against Ohio State, it wouldn't be that much of a shocker to see the Bears favored against USC assuming (and that's a BIG assumption) Cal starts the season 4-0. Even so, the line would be very close I expect. That opening season line makes me believe Vegas takes Cal very seriously this season.

TwistNHook: So, then, how do you see this ending up? Cal 17-14. Can I believe??

Ruh roh!

CRYSTAL FOOTBALL STRIKES AGAIN:

USC's first-team defensive end Armond Armstead broke a bone in his foot Thursday morning and will be out six weeks, according to the school.

Armstead, a talented 6-foot-5, 295-pound sophomore, will have surgery on Friday. He broke his fifth metatarsal (outer most bone) in his left foot when someone stepped on it during practice.

Yellow Fever: I'll be honest, I've never heard of this guy until now. But I guess that's not surprising since I can't name anyone on their defense except Taylor Mays, and they end up fielding a top five defense every year anyway. I assume they have another five star recruit lined up behind this guy on the depth chart anyway.

TwistNHook: Interestingly enough, the articles notes this:

Wes Horton and Nick Perry, both redshirt freshmen, will compete to replace Armstead, who had been playing very well since spring practices.

So, they have redshirt freshmen. Doesn't mean they weren't 5 star All-World recruits redshirt freshmen. But they are still redshirt freshmen.

HydroTech: USC has such a stockpile of talent that they can lose guys to injuries and still be very dominant. Unless we start getting reports that their entire first team offense and defense is getting injured, AND their second team offense and defense are getting injured, then perhaps I'll start getting optimistic.

One interesting question this year, is whether USC will continue their runningback by committee thing. Are they ever going to have a #1 guy? Or are they going to stick with running three different guys during the game? Ironically, despite many Cal fans saying Tedford should mimic whatever Pete Carrol does (because if Petey does it then that's the right way to do it and Tedford is an idiot for not doing like Petey), Cal fans haven't really been clamoring to adopt the whole runningback by committee approach.

Ragnarok: Well, Cal has done very well with its runningback tandems in the past, and frankly, it's the one position where there hasn't really been anything to complain about. USC does it their way, we do it ours, and it works for both of us.

If history is any guide, I expect this game to be a low-scoring, defensive struggle. Over the last 5 years or so, Cal's defense has (mostly) been able to stifle the Trojans' offense in a way few other teams have, holding them to 23, 35 (ayoob year), 23, 24, and 17 points. Other than 2005, every game was close, and every game was withing Cal's reach in the 4th quarter. Problem is, as good as Cal's defense has been, the Trojan's defense (combined with some offensive ineptitude on the Bears' part) has been better. Over those same five games, Cal scored 17, 10, 9, 17, and 3 points. 3! I really think the key to this game will be whether Cal can finally muster 20+ points vs. a green (but still very talented) Trojan defense.

via www.themightymjd.com

Avinash: I don't make many predictions. I will today. Cal is going to beat USC.

Yellow Fever: I don't think there's much doubt that the key to the game is going to be whether Riley can muster up enough of a passing game to let Best average at least two yards a carry. But then, that's basically the case for the whole season, isn't it?

I do think USC is more vulnerable this year than they have been in a while. Between losing eight of eleven defensive starters and breaking in a new QB, and with Cal having the consensus best RB in the country, it's tough not to point to this game as one that Cal should win. Then again, the QB train over at USC never seems to stop, so I'm still not going to get my hopes up.

Poll

How do you think Cal will do against USC?

Big win

35 votes

Close win

165 votes

Close loss

41 votes

Big loss

20 votes

261 votes | Poll has closed

Previewing the season: USC Trojans

jtlight — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:42:25 -0000

More photos » AP

Matt Barkley is a microcosm of this USC football team. Incredibly talented but inexperienced. Will this team have the consistency to go undefeated? (AP Photo/University of Southern California)

Browse more photos »

Another season, and USC starts right where they left off, at the top of the conference. As vulnerable as they may be this year, they are still the favorite to win the conference, and rightly so. The coaching staff has proven year after year that they can develop talent and they will no doubt contend nationally again this year.

This year, USC is coming to Autzen on Halloween night, which is sure to be quite the experience, especially if both teams live up to expectations up to that point in the season.

Oregon Offense vs. USC Defense

The last few seasons, the Oregon offense has struggled against USC. Even the prolific 2007 offense scored only 24 points and were actually outgained in the game. While some have attributed that to some sort of deficiency with the spread offense, the real culprit is the fact that over the past few years the USC defense has been sickeningly loaded with talent and experience. As Matt Hinton pointed out earlier this week, excluding Taylor Mays and Josh Pinkard as they are still playing at USC, every regular starter USC's defense over the past two years has been drafted, and nine of those players in the first two rounds.

The simply fact is, this type of talent will not be easy to replace, even for USC. And the across the board theme is inexperience. On the defensive line, they return tackle Christian Tupou, while having extremely talented ends in Nick Perry and Everson Griffen, though the knock on Griffen up this point in his career is that this talent has never been realized. At the linebacker spot, it's more of the same. The 2-deep has 8 "very highly touted" players, and the USC defensive coordinator has claimed this new unit is faster than last years dominant group. The only experienced unit is the USC secondary, which is led by Taylor Mays at safety and Josh Pinkard at cornerback. Mays is simply a physical freak that makes the entire unit better. Not only can he hit like TJ Ward, but has the speed to cover the entire field, which has helped makes USCs pass defense the best in the nation.

This will be a very good test for both the Oregon offense and the USC defense. Oregon's offensive line will hopefully have all its kinks worked out by the 8th game of the season, while USC will have to play very disciplined football to stop the Oregon offense. If Oregon's line does not get manhandled like it did in last year's game, then Oregon has a great shot to move the ball well.

Oregon Defense vs. USC Offense:

With all the hubbub over Aaron Corp vs. Matt Barkley, many seem to be forgetting the the strength of the USC offense is their offensive line, which is the best in the nation, and led by preseason all-americans Kristofer O'Dowd and Jeff Byers. The should be paving the way for the USC stable of running backs, which include Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, Joe McKnight, and fullback Stanly Havili. Meanwhile, whoever ends up under center will have a large amount of targets to pick from, including All Pac 10 WR Damian Williams.

At the QB position, my feeling is that Aaron Corp will end up taking the position. Matt Barkley has not seized his chance with Corp injured, and when he was around, Corp did not make mistakes, and with the talent on the line and at the skill positions, that could be all that USC will need.

The real question is, how will this unit respond in pressure situations? The knock on USC the past year years is that they never came through in those games they probably should have won. With some key inexperience as well as new coaches on offense, USC may struggle, but will like be just fine as they overcome their opponents with sheer talent.

Special Teams:

I really feel that this will be a wash. Both teams have talented returners, but at this point, the kicking games are solid but at this point, neither have reached that upper level. If Jackson Rice continues to impress, that could be a key advantage in this game

Conclusion:

USC is as vulnerable this year as they ever will be, and I think that Oregon and Cal will have a great chance to challenge them for the conference title. I believe USC will falter this year. I don't believe that they will be consistent enough on either side of the ball to get through it's schedule without a loss. And Oregon and Cal could be the teams to beat them. Let's not forget, the last team to beat USC when favored was Oregon in 2007.

But, USC is the favorite for a reason, and until either team can consistently challenge the Trojans, before the season, the chances are better for a loss than a win.

The Defense Dominates...

Paragon SC — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:35:14 -0000

Or did the offense just struggle?

I guess it depends on what you wanted to see...

USC defense was the only unit that scored yesterday when it concluded yesterdays scrimmage with a safety when Shane Horton tackled Curtis McNeil in the end zone.

Of course what everyone wants to know is how did Matt Barkley perform?

Barkley went into Saturday's scrimmage hoping to bounce back from last Monday's five-for-18 passing performance at the Coliseum.

Focusing mostly on shorter routes, the freshman was seven of 13 for 56 yards in five series against the first-team defense. Receivers, however, dropped several passes that would have kept drives going, and penalties stifled others.

Barkley, though, was responsible for throwing a long pass into the end zone that safety Josh Pinkard intercepted.

Nevertheless, Barkley said he was pleased with his progress since the last scrimmage.

"I felt really calm out there and confident," he said. "There were just a couple plays, a couple third downs that would have made a big change. . . . I really think we're just an inch away from being great."

Well, it is really hard to know when he didn't have Damian Williams on the field, but the next two weeks are really going to tell us a lot. I am not surprised that the defense went after it yesterday. They always have and they always will.

Barkley seemed happy with his performance but I would expect a competitor like him to not see the glass half full...

Barkley likes where he is positioned.

"I feel confident in where I am and feel like I did what I had to do to please the coaches and see what they wanted to see in a starting quarterback," he said.

Corp is now on the clock to return by Tuesday.

After running five plays in a full-team setting during Saturday's morning practice, he said his mobility was still somewhat limited. But Corp will spend the next two-plus days continuing to heal and rehabilitate his cracked left fibula.

"I'll be ready to go by Tuesday," he said.

It will interesting to see just how well Corp performs.

Pete Carroll seemed happy with Barkley's performance...

USC coach Pete Carroll said the defense was the main reason for the offense's woes.
"The hitting was game-like and the pursuit was excellent," he said. "I'd like to see (the offense) be sharp and clean. (The defense) kept covering us. There aren't a lot of guys getting open. It is what it is."

Carroll said he was pleased with Barkley's day and considered it a step forward from Monday night's scrimmage.

"He did what he could," Carroll said. "The one mistake he made he got a little frustrated. He played good solid football."

I really don't have much to offer on this...it will really come down to the next two weeks. I think Corp is the guy but Barkley looks like he could step in if Corp can't go and then there is of course Mitch Mustain. He has to have place in this somewhere.

- - -

Captains Named

From Ben's Blog...

Following this afternoon's players-only vote, the 2009 team captains were determined and announced tonight. They are:

Offensive lineman Jeff Byers

Safety Taylor Mays

Safety Josh Pinkard

Wideout Damian Williams

I am not surprised at all. All four of these guys have earned the right to represent the team.

- - -

Hear some other things of interest...

2009 SI Conference Report: Pac-10 - SI.com

Trojans have plenty of tailbacks to go around -- latimes.com

Pete Carroll gets his revenge
This is a great video...

Magic Johnson speaks to the team

USC-Texas national title rematch at Rose Bowl?
Doubt it...

Will the USC defense regress?

Paragon SC — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:30:11 -0000

I guess you never really look at it that way when you are used to seeing the defense just keep plugging along no matter who leaves for the NFL. We have been blessed (spoiled?) with the amount of talent that Pete Carroll and his staff have brought in. There is no other program that has consistently upgraded its talent year in and year out like USC.

But that is exactly the question asked by Doc Saturday...

The mind, it boggles at the talent on those two units, which produced 11 All-Pac-10 picks (not including back-to-back appearances on the first team by Taylor Mays and Rey Maualuga) and sent 13 players to the draft, nine in the first two rounds -- in two years. If safeties Mays and Josh Pinkard follow the same route next spring, every single regular starter from the 2007-08 Trojan defenses will be on the next level, an absurd ratio even for USC.

So as used as we are to writing off attrition here with the "USC doesn't rebuild, it reloads" cliché, it's worth considering that the core of those awesome defenses -- namely last year's seniors: Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Fili Moala, Kyle Moore, Kevin Ellison and Cary Harris -- was really a special group that won't be easily, or at least not immediately, replaced. This is an obvious concern when you put into perspective just how inexperienced this fall's defense is going to be by comparison:

OK, I can have some fun with this...

You gotta start somewhere, right?

With the high level at which this defense has operated the past few years it is easy to see where some would think that sooner or later the defense won't be as special as we have seen in the past. Doc points that out in looking at the defense in 2006. USC's heart breaking loss to Texas obviously came at the hands of a very special player in Vince Young but that is only half of the story...the USC defense that year was decimated by injury and a number of players on the field were freshmen in that game. That group of freshmen constituted what became the great defenses of 2007 & 2008.

But even with all of those losses a lot of people think that the defense will continue to function at a very high level. Maybe not at what we saw last year when the defense gave up an average of nine points per game but would anyone be disappointed if the defense kept it under seventeen points in 2009?

There were a number of players who have made their presence known on the field who are returning like Everson Griffen who has seemed to make the turn on his approach to the game. Then there is Armond Armstead who I can guarantee will be one of the best Defensive Linemen to come out of the Pete Carroll era...and he is only a sophomore. Junior Christian Tupou is another. The point is SC has all of these guys making contributions on the field even when they are not starting. That on only increases their experience and exposure so when the time does come for them to step into the starting role there is a seem less transition.

Doc makes this final observation...

It's almost a mathematical certainty that this defense must regress. Even if that only means two letdowns instead of one, that could be the difference between their eighth consecutive Pac-10 triumph and the long-awaited eulogies for the conference dynasty of the decade.

I would agree with this, sooner or later it will happen. The Pac-10 is getting better and no team can keep this up this type of production forever and it will be a big let down to masses.

Then again Doc asked us in the past...if not now, when?

Taylor Mays returning for his senior season!

Paragon SC — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:00:09 -0000

Hot of the presses from the Daily News...

USC coach Pete Carroll said Monday that All-American safety Taylor Mays, cornerback Josh Pinkard and tailback C.J. Gable would return next season.

All three were eligible for the NFL draft and considered turning pro following the Rose Bowl.

Mays, who is considered a top-20 pick, said after the Rose Bowl he was leaning toward going pro and was considered the most likely USC underclassman to depart.

"They are all returning," Carroll said.

In a sign that he would return, Mays just moved into an apartment with USC teammate Will Harris last weekend. Sources said he enjoyed college life and wanted to spend another year at USC before experiencing the demands of the NFL.

That is awesome news!

Pinkard has still not heard back from the NCAA about a sixth season but if he gets it the defense looks a whole lot different. The senior leadership will go a long way to stabilizing the transition and helping the young guys mature quicker.

Playing for Pete Carroll and USC is fun and a lot of these guys just don't want to walk away from that. Now all we need is Sanchez to stay and we will really be in great shape!

Q&A With Conquest Chronicles: USC Invasion Edition

Cory Williams — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:54:39 -0000

Thanks goes out to the gentlemen at Conquest Chronicles. You can see my answers to their questions at this link.

1. We all know USC has the richest recruiting program in the country, rivaled only by SEC powerhouses such as LSU. Is there anyone hidden on the depth chart that you are excited to see play in the future?

I really want to see what T.J. Bryant and Chris Galippo can do. Galippo was a redshirt last year because of back surgery and he missed the first three games of the season also because of back surgery. Galippo is the heir apparent at MLB and with SC losing the three starting linebackers after this season he will have a lot of responsibility placed on his shoulders.

Bryant is another player who will have a major impact in the secondary with players like Josh Pinkard, Cary Harris, and Kevin Thomas graduating Bryant will be put in a position to become a leader real fast so he needs to get on the field to start getting some experience.

2. Lets say QB Mark Sanchez can't go on Saturday, which is unlikely considering his toughness. Mitch Mustain would get the start. How do you feel about Mitch, and what does he bring to the table that Sanchez doesn't?

It is not clear what Mustain brings to the table that Sanchez doesn't because we haven't seen enough of him yet. Mustain certainly has the talent; you don't go 8-0 in the SEC without talent. I think if Mustain had regular playing time we would see him progress at a much faster rate then we would see what he does different than Sanchez.

Mustain's biggest problem has been at mastering the USC playbook. The schemes are different than the ones he was used to at Arkansas. I thought it took a lot of moxie on Mustain's part to want to come to USC where there are no guarantees at starting. He clearly understood that he was expected to compete but just competing isn't enough you need to perform.

3. In practice, Mustain is showing weakness against the blitz. When asked about it, Pete Carroll said, "spotty," describing Mustain's performance during the drill. "Guys have to protect him better." Is this the fault of the O-line, or do you worry that Mustain just hasn't been getting enough reps lately?

I would say probably a little bit of both…Our offensive line, while having some great games against Ohio State and Oregon is still coming together, their play against Oregon State showed that. They also have to go up against one of the best defenses in the country on a regular basis in practice so it doesn't surprise me that the defense sometimes gets the better of the offensive line putting pressure on the QB.

I do think that Mustain is probably a little rusty as far as not getting regular reps as the back-up so his timing could be a little off.

4. Lets talk tailbacks. C.J. Gable and Joe McKnight are ridiculously good players. How do they compliment one another in the backfield?

Gable is the most complete running back on the team. He can run between the tackles, a catch pass out in the flat and he is a superb run blocker. There isn't too much that he can't do.

McKnight has an explosiveness that can take a defense by surprise and because of his speed you will see SC put him in all different types of formations. He still needs to work on his ball handling though, too many fumbles. If he gets that part of the game addressed you will see a lot more of what he is capable of.

Don't forget Stafon Johnson either, he has some explosive moves: His TD run against Oregon was reminiscent of Reggie Bush's TD run against Fresno State.

5. LB Rey Maualuga might not be able to make as big of an impact on Saturday due to his knee sprain. Should he be on the sidelines, who steps in, and what can you tell us about him?

Oh Rey is going to play but if for some reason he can't Brian Cushing will move to MLB with Galippo rotating in. There are a lot of people who think that Cushing is actually a better linebacker that Maualuga. I am one of them. I had the pleasure of seeing Cushing play high school ball here in NJ at Bergen Catholic. He is natural MLB but can easily play SLB. His game seems more polished as at time Rey gets a little too aggressive and over runs the play.

6. Finally, what is the biggest deficiency that USC currently exhibits? I know they were tested heavily against the speedy running game of Oregon State, leaving coverage openings for QB Lyle Maevao to throw into.

The Offensive line still needs a little more time to come together. The was no excuse for Sanchez being under pressure against a team that was replacing their whole front seven that seemed to have no difficulty at pushing back out offensive line.

Good luck on Saturday!

Same to you.

My answers will be up on their site this evening.