His 164.5 passing efficiency rating ranked third nationally and was a USC record (he's the nation's top-rated returning passer). DEFENSIVE BACKS The good news in the secondary is that both starting safeties return. . 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). It'll be fun to see who steps up.". As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. But he was not selected because of a judicial stay on that ruling, which was then overturned. Fr., CB Justin Wyatt, Jr., CB. He also had stops as wide receivers coach at Richmond (2004) and Western . for the first time ever. The Ray Guy Award candidate broke the USC season punting average record by 3.4 yards last fall (his 49.0 mark was just 0.3 off of the Pac-10 standard). Fr. RB Chauncey Washington. [6] However, in the key final series, under heavy crowd noise, the USC defense caused an incomplete pass, a sack by defensive tackle Manuel Wright, and two more incomplete passes to cause a loss of possession and effectively end the game. [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. A new center must emerge, with the candidates coming from sophomore Ryan Kalil, incoming freshman prep All-American Jeff Byers (Loveland High in Loveland, Colo.), who was the national high school player of the year in 2003, and junior walk-on Ross Burruel. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. This page was last edited on 18 October 2022, at 20:43. 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. Tackle Winston Justice and guard Fred Matua return as starters on the line (John Drake, who started 7 times last year at guard and tackle, is back as well). But there's a host of talented players hoping to fill the void: promising sophomores Steve Smith (17 rec, 319 yds, 18.8 avg, 2 TD in 2003), who was USC's No. Junior Dallas Sartz (60 tac, 6 for loss, 2 sack, 4 dfl, 1 blk P in 2003) assumes the starting strongside job. football@usc.edu. Orgeron had two stints with the Trojans. Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley is the new football coach at USC, and he's bringing several of his assistants with him to Los Angeles. "We had a lot of weapons and scored lots of points. SNAPPERS It might not sound like a big deal, but USC must replace both of its long-time snappers: 4-year short snapper Joe Boskovich and 3-year long snapper Matt Hayward. [35] The game was the first time two Heisman Trophy winners had faced each other in a college football game with Sooners quarterback and 2003 winner Jason White facing 2004 winner Matt Leinart. Walk-on redshirt freshman Sean Kelly, another former tailback, also is available. Fr., PK Ryan Killeen, Sr., PK Tom Malone, Jr., P. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. On paper, USC appears to have the ingredients to deal with those shots. [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. Marques Tuiasosopo, Tight Ends. The talk will be inevitable, and understandably so. Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron joined Colin Cowherd's podcast on Feb. 10, and discussed the future of USC football. "I truly believe we have put together an elite group of coaches that will help build this football program back to national prominence. "We understand how to handle personnel losses and move on," said Carroll. Troy scored 68 touchdowns and 534 points last year, both Pac-10 records, and its 6.5 yards per play average was a school record. 2004 USC >> 2003 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll (12-1) Offensive Coordinator: Norm Chow Defensive Coordinator: Other Assistant Coaches: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) Lane Kiffin (WR Coach) Ed Orgeron (AHC/RC/DL Coach) Best Players on the 2003 USC Trojans Football Team QB Matt Leinart QB John David Booty RB Lendale White RB Reggie Bush The junior finished sixth in last year's Heisman Trophy and was only the second sophomore (along with Stanford's John Elway) to win Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year honors. But we'll throw open the competition for those two corner spots and see how it unfolds. How much are Football Coaches Really Worth? "Darnell Bing is headed for greatness and Jason Leach does such a solid job back there," said Carroll. Fr., TB Brandon Hancock, Jr., FB Sean Kelly, Rs. Fr. It's no wonder, then, that the Trojans likely will enter the 2004 campaign as a pre-season favorite to repeat as national champs. [45], The NCAA found that Bush had received gifts from sports agents Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels from at least December 2004 in violation of NCAA rules of amateurism. [46][47] However, USC lifted the restrictions related to Reggie Bush in 2020, welcoming him back to the program.[1]. [5], USC and Virginia Tech opened the 2004 college football season with the Black Coaches Association Football Classic at a sold out FedExField in Landover, Maryland. USC Finally Announces Coaching Staff - InsideUSC with Scott Wolf On June 6, 2011, the BCS officially vacated USC's 2004 National Championship. "I'm excited about this coaching staff," said Carroll. [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. The 122 points he scored in 2003 were the second-most ever tallied at USC. And USC's rushing offense (155.9), though not nationally ranked, was its best since 1991. [6][14] Both USC and Stanford had just previously beat BYU in convincing fashion; however, Stanford had the added benefit of a bye week to rest and reorganize between games. TIGHT ENDS Dominique Byrd, Jr. GREGG GUENTHER JR., Sr. Owen Hanson, Sr. Alex Holmes, Sr. Kurt Katnik, So. Also a key special teams player, he led the Trojans in punt returns in 2001 with 25 for 225 yards (9.0 average) and earned All-Pac-10 first team honors as a special teamer that season. 2020 Seattle Seahawks Season 12 4 Lost in Wild Card to LAR, (Win Expectations: Make Div. "The key for us this year will be whether we can return to the work ethic that made it possible to have the success we've had the past few years. Ryan Powdrell, In. [37], There was some controversy in the final team selections as the Auburn Tigers had also finished the regular season undefeated and won their bowl game, the Sugar Bowl, against the same Virginia Tech team USC defeated in the season opener; Auburn began the season ranked outside the top 15 and perhaps because of this they were unable to secure a spot in the national championship game,[38] although they did tie Oklahoma at No. Obviously there are emotional swings with sports and so the mathematical ratings do not always line up with the emotional expectations from a team. In March, he took over as interim inside wide receivers coach while Dave Nichol was away from the program for a personal matter . He was sixth nationally in receptions (7.3, second in Pac-10) and 10th in receiving yards (101.1, third in Pac-10) in 2003. [9] "Our goal always will be to win the Pac-10 championship and the Rose Bowl. [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. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. The threesome combined for 1,906 rushing yards (146.6 yards a game) with 20 TDs in 2003; each rushed for at least 500 yards (the first time that had happened at USC since 1988) and averaged at least 4.8 yards per carry. . One of the major focuses was improper gifts given to Reggie Bush. 2006 USC Coaching Staff. QB John David Booty. Fr. "Our kicking game, under the expert guidance of coach Dennis Slutak once again, should be very strong. There's a lot of leadership in this group. It is widely considered one of the greatest college football teams of all time. 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. Competing for time at guard are senior Travis Watkins, sophomore walk-on John Lanza, sophomore junior college transfer Alatini Malu (Long Beach City College in Long Beach, Calif.), who enrolled at USC this spring, freshman Travis Draper (originally a 2003 signee, he didn't enroll at USC until this spring), and prep All-American Chilo Rachal (Dominguez High in Compton, Calif.), an incoming freshman who also can play tackle. We have some talented players among our other ends, but we need some to emerge. of Playoffs), Offensive Coordinator Los Angeles Wildcats, Still Laying the Foundation of the Program, Coach Pete Carroll Coaching Tree & Rating. Sophomore John David Booty (7-of-14, 50.0%, 90 yds in 2003), believed to be the first football player to graduate a full year early from high school and enroll at a major Division I-A university when he did so last year, became Leinart's backup by the middle of the 2003 season before breaking his wrist late in the year. Full-Time Assistant Coaching Staff Named by New USC Football Head Coach 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. He was named to the fulltime staff in January of 2018. And of Troy's 77 offensive scoring drives in 2003, 59 took less than 3 minutes. He has a good arm and is a leader. LOS ANGELES New USC football head coach Lincoln Riley has named his full-time assistant coaching staff. LINEBACKERS USC's strength on defense will be its linebacking corps. Fr., FB Reggie Bush, So., TB Hershel Dennis, Jr., TB John Griffin, 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. We also have some talented young players who can make a mark.". 4 final ranking. But he was not selected because of a judicial stay on that ruling, which was then overturned. Wil Smith, So. 2004 USC Coaching Staff Football Coaches & Staff USC later vacated 2 wins (1 in conference), as well as the BCS and Pac-10 Championships, due to NCAA sanctions. PLACEKICKERS Senior Ryan Killeen (19-of-24 FG, 65-of-57 PAT in 2003) ranks among the nation's top placekickers. 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. The accurate and efficient left-handed Leinart came out of relative obscurity to more-than-capably fill the shoes of 2002 Heisman winner Carson Palmer. Coaching Staff - University of South Carolina Athletics "With Ronald Nunn, Kevin Arbet and Justin Wyatt, it's really like we have four returning starters in the secondary," said Carroll. Coach: Henry Bibby (2-2), Jim Saia (10-15) PS/G: 74.4 (55th of 330) PA/G: 76.8 (315th of 330) RUNNING BACKS USC is loaded once again at the running back spots. Fr. Jr., OT Alatini Malu, So., OG Fred Matua, So., OG Chilo Rachal, In. I think cornerback will be a strong position for us. [24] The victory put USC's winning streak at the Coliseum at 19, tying the school record set from 193133. [6] The shutout was Washington's first since 1981, ending a national-best active streak of consecutive games without being shut out at 271. Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive end Lawrence Jackson were named to the Freshman All-American first team. "The key for us this year will be whether we can return to the work ethic that made it possible to have the success we've had the past few years," said Carroll, who is 29-9 at USC (including 10-0 in November). [17], The game was highly touted by the media, with both teams earning praise for their performances. After trailing 130 in second quarter, USC scored the next 28 points with a pivotal 65-yard scoring return by Reggie Bush in the 4th quarter with the game close at 1413. 1 and No. Fr., DT Thomas Herring, In. Former standout USC and NFL wide receiver Keary Colbert has spent 3 years on USC's fulltime staff. 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). << 2004 USC 2006 USC >> 2005 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll Offensive Coordinator: Lane Kiffin & Steve Sarkisian Defensive Coordinator: Pete Carroll Other Assistant Coaches: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) Lane Kiffin (PGC/OC) Best Players on the 2005 USC Trojans Football Team QB Matt Leinart QB John David Booty RB Reggie Bush Josh Henson, who has 23 years of coaching experience primarily in the SEC and Big 12 and has been part of a national championship staff, joined the USC staff as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach in December of 2021. Other possibilities on the outside among the returnees are junior walk-on Collin Ashton (28 tac, 0.5 for loss, 1 FF, 1 dfl in 2003), who performed admirably while starting twice late last year when Simmons was injured, and redshirt freshman Thomas Williams, plus walk-on sophomore Mike Brittingham, who also can play fullback. (Alonzo Adams / Associated Press) Grinch has worked in Norman for the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. [43] Dating back to former Trojan QB Carson Palmer's 2002 season, it was the third year in a row that a Trojan was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. All rights reserved. 2 in the AP poll at one point late in the season. "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. Frank Suffel and Henry H. Goddard were playing coaches for the first team which was put together by quarterback Arthur Carroll, who in turn volunteered to make the pants for the team and later became a tailor. 2004 USC Football Outlook - USC Athletics Others back with starting experience include guard John Drake, tight end Dominique Byrd, fullbacks Lee Webb and David Kirtman, and wide receivers Chris McFoy and William Buchanon. So the competition for playing time will be intense. This is not one of them. He ended up as the Trojans' leading tackler in 2003. Fr. "Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson are the best defensive linemen in college football," said Carroll. The AP released a statement saying that USC will keep its 2004 AP title. His career average of 44.9 is nearly a yard above the school standard. "The competition in the wide receiver group will be critical," said Carroll. WR Fred Davis. Also pushing for playing time at the corner spots will be juniors Justin Wyatt (10 tac in 2003, plus 3 rec, 20 yds, 6.7 avg and 3 KOR, 41 yds, 13.7 avg), who also saw some action at wide receiver last fall, and John Walker (3 tac, 1 dfl in 2003), and redshirt freshmen Eric Wright and Terrell Thomas, plus junior walk-ons Alex Gomez and Justin Tolliver.