We understand that we'll always see our opponents at their best. Matt Leinart, Jr. Michael McDonald, Rs. Fr., SNP Mario Danelo, Rs. [26] The Trojans had lost in their previous visit to WSU, a 3027 overtime game in 2002; since then the Trojans had gone 281. 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). (213) 740-4204. But he was not selected because of a judicial stay on that ruling, which was then overturned. 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. ", RUNNING BACKS Jody Adewale, Rs. 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. The 2004 season featured a win over No. football@usc.edu. 2004 Pacific-10 Conference football standings, "The 10 Best College Football Teams of All Time", 2004 Virginia Tech Hokies Football Schedule, Southern passion propels SEC to top of conference ladder, "USC Now Will Recognize Its 1939 Football Team As A National Champion", Notre Dame (64) at No. "The competition in the wide receiver group will be critical," said Carroll. 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. Fr. His 65 PATs last fall were a Pac-10 season record and his 19 field goals tied the USC season mark. [43], Coach Pete Carroll was named the National Quarterback Club College Coach of the Year, as well as a finalist for the Bear Bryant and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Awards semifinalist, and was named the ESPN.com Pac-10 Coach of the Year. Each offers something different: Hershel Dennis brings stability, LenDale White brings power and Reggie Bush brings speed.". Walk-on redshirt freshman Sean Kelly, another former tailback, also is available. USC has its new head coach after a two-and-a-half-month search, delivering a resounding kaboom to a process that had been impressively quiet with no leaks coming from the school before the news broke Sunday that the Trojans had hired Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley. The 2004 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season, the 110th season of Sooner football.The team was led by two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award winner, Bob Stoops, in his sixth season as head coach.They played their home games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. And the Trojan defense-whose +1.33 turnover margin and +111 takeaways in Carroll's first 3 seasons are best in the nation-topped the country in 2003 in rushing defense. LOS ANGELES New USC football head coach Lincoln Riley has named his full-time assistant coaching staff. LB Rey Maualuga. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? So senior Lee Webb (9 tac, 1 FF in 2003, plus 4 tcb, 0 yds)-he started 5 times at fullback last year after seeing action at linebacker (where he played in 2001 and the first half of 2002)-will take over the starting job. Matt Grootegoed, Sr. Oscar Lua, So. "Obviously, it would be great to get Mike Williams back," said Carroll. Both were named co-winners of the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. Both are weapons for us. [18] Beyond the 2004 season, the game marked a turning point in terms of crowd participation at the Coliseum, which thereafter garnered a reputation as a loud and difficult place to play for opposing teams. Additionally, Bush is the only Heisman winner to have forfeited his trophy. 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. The True Hiring Score or THS is compiled by a complex formula bringing together many different factors. USC coaching candidates: Luke Fickell, Bob Stoops, Chris Petersen among names to replace Clay Helton There is an obvious top candidate, but the Trojans may have their pick of quality coaches (Alonzo Adams / Associated Press) Grinch has worked in Norman for the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. [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. But things can still be shored up a bit in 2004, as opponents blocked 4 Trojan kicks (2 punts and 2 PATs) and returned a kickoff for a touchdown last year. [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. ", Head Coach Pete Carroll, 2023 University of Southern California Athletics, United Airlines Field at L.A. Memorial Coliseum, Allyson Felix Field at Loker Track Stadium & Colich Center. [21] USC quickly put the game out of reach, scoring 42 points in the first half behind 4 touchdown passes Matt Leinart and school single game record-tying 3 scoring grabs by Dwayne Jarrett. On June 6, 2011, the BCS officially vacated USC's 2004 National Championship. LOS ANGELES New USC football head coach Lincoln Riley has named his full-time assistant coaching staff. Phone. He gave an early indication of his talent when his first career pass went for a touchdown at Auburn in last fall's opener. And USC blocked 7 kicks (6 field goals and a punt). PLACEKICKERS Senior Ryan Killeen (19-of-24 FG, 65-of-57 PAT in 2003) ranks among the nation's top placekickers. 2008 Rose Bowl #13 Illinois (9-3) vs #6 USC (10-2) 1st half. They comprise what many are saying is the school's second consecutive No. Fr., DE Travis Tofi, So., DT Ryan Watson, Rs. Ryan Powdrell, In. Nose tackle Mike Patterson (55 tac, 13.5 for loss, 7 sack, 3 FR with 1 for a TD in 2003), who last fall had the most tackles for a loss of any Trojan tackle since 1996, will be starting for his third season. Cody's move to end means promising sophomore Manuel Wright (8 tac, 2 for loss, 1 sack, 3 dfl in 2003) will assume his tackle spot. [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. [6] It was Willingham's third consecutive 31-point loss to USC in three seasons at Notre Dame; the Irish fired him the following Tuesday. He had 35 touchbacks among his 99 kickoffs in 2003 (and he kept foes within the 20-yard line 58 times). "I am very excited to formally announce our coaching staff," said Riley. "Our goal always will be to win the Pac-10 championship and the Rose Bowl. Fr., CB Brandon Ting, So., S Ryan Ting, So., S-CB Justin Tolliver, Jr., CB John Walker, Jr., CB Scott Ware, In. We'll have a very competitive environment each day to determine playing time and starting roles. Because of the controversy that ended the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season with a split national title between LSU and USC, the motto for the Trojans' 2004 season became "Leave No Doubt. 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. [22] The decisive victory helped USC dispel concerns over its ability to dominate opponents. I'm really looking forward to watching the competition there and seeing how it shakes out. 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. He also had stops as wide receivers coach at Richmond (2004) and Western . The leading candidates for both roles are redshirt freshman Will Collins, a one-time walk-on who earned a scholarship this spring, and junior walk-on linebacker Collin Ashton. He's more than capable, as he started there the last 6 games of 2003 when Grootegoed was bothered by an ankle sprain. "Linebacker is the great strength of our defense," said Carroll. The Irish had been inconsistent during the season, coming into the game at 64 having defeated strong teams and lost to weak teams. QUARTERBACKS John David Booty, So. And USC's rushing offense (155.9), though not nationally ranked, was its best since 1991. [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. The team also won the AP title for the second year in a row. It's possible he'll concentrate solely on basketball in his senior season. Junior Dallas Sartz (60 tac, 6 for loss, 2 sack, 4 dfl, 1 blk P in 2003) assumes the starting strongside job. USC's defense last season posted a national-best 55 sacks, forced 42 turnovers and scored 8 touchdowns (and had 2 safeties). Michael Stuart, In. USC wound up being stripped of all wins in 2004 and 2005 and its BCS national championship in 2004. Senior Gregg Guenther Jr. (17 rec, 167 yds, 9.8 avg, 2 TD in 2003, plus 1 blk FG) became the starter by mid-2003 and performed well. 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. Reggie Bush will be a key in the Trojans' running game this season. [24], USC became the first top-ranked team to visit Pullman, Washington, as the Trojans took on the Cougars at a sold-out Martin Stadium. 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. 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. We had tremendous fan support last year and we'll need all of them again in our quest to be the best in 2004.". [8] [9] Bush, who had one year left of eligibility, announced his plans to skip his senior season a week after the team's loss in the Rose Bowl. The undefeated, top-ranked Trojans met the also undefeated, second-ranked Sooners in the 2005 BCS National Championship Game held at the FedEx Orange Bowl at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. But Carroll speaks from experience when he says he is confident that his 2004 Trojans will respond well. 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 First, a starting wide receiver must emerge and we must reconstruct the line. Junior middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu (98 tac, 11.5 for loss, 3 sack, 10 dfl, 4 int with 1 for a TD, 1 FF in 2003) returns after making the improbable jump from starting at Maine in 2001 to doing so at USC last fall. His 164.5 passing efficiency rating ranked third nationally and was a USC record (he's the nation's top-rated returning passer). "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. "With Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed and Dallas Sartz, it's like we have 3 returning starters. "They're both really hard to block and are relentless in how they play the game. Wil Smith, So. Whitney Lewis, So. The Trojans then return home to host Arizona and Notre Dame before concluding their season on "Championship Saturday" (Dec. 4) at UCLA. Junior Dominique Byrd (14 rec, 268 yds, 19.1 avg, 1 TD in 2003) started the first half of 2003 and was impressive before suffering a season-ending knee injury (he missed 2004 spring drills while recuperating). Find out more. USC has intercepted a pass in 22 of the last 23 games, held 20 of its past 26 opponents to less than 100 rushing yards (and allowed only 1 player to crack the 100-yard rushing barrier in the last 25 contests) and had a stretch of 22 consecutive quarters without allowing a rushing touchdown. [28], USC clinched its third consecutive conference championship with a victory over the visiting Arizona Wildcats. 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). 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). [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. But I was pleased with the line's progress in this past spring's practice. ", DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Chris Barrett, Rs. OFFENSIVE LINEMEN A key to USC's success in 2004 will be the play of the partially-rebuilt offensive line, which could be the biggest in Trojan history (there are 8 linemen who weigh at least 300 pounds). [39], The Sooners scored first, having stopped an opening USC drive. The first from 1988-2004, and second . They'll take this challenge on with great excitement this year. In the process, Leinart has thrust himself to the front of this year's Heisman race and is also a leading candidate for the Davey O'Brien Award. There's a lot of leadership in this group. But a new snapper (for both short and long snaps) must be developed. Fr., DT Alex Morrow, Rs. Losing that duo might not be as much of a concern as it appears, however, because their possible replacements are experienced seniors with plenty of starts under their belts. Mike Williams, Jr. John Zilka, Rs. Or write about sports? It would be USC last win at Oregon State until 2013. 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. Williams came out of 2004 spring drills as the frontrunner on the right side and Baker was the starter on the left. [2] Despite low expectations, the Bruins were able to shut down Leinart and give the Trojans a close game that was not decided until the final minutes. Senior tight end Matt Cassel could be his backup. The 2004 AP title, however, remains in place. As a 2002 freshman, he set NCAA frosh records for receiving yards (1,265) and TD catches (14) and the Pac-10 frosh mark for receptions (81). Making the second team where RB LenDale White, OT Sam Baker and S Darnell Bing, and honorable mentions to TE Dominique Byrd, TE Alex Holmes, WR Dwayne Jarrett, S Jason Leach, LB Dallas Sartz, DT Manuel Wright and CB Justin Wyatt. [6] Days before the game, the NCAA declared star Trojans wide receiver Mike Williams ineligible to play after a failed attempt to join the NFL early, creating concern over whether the defending 2003 National Champions were prepared to try for another title. And we have the potential to be explosive in the return game.". football@usc.edu. 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. He changes the dynamic of the game when he's on the field. Gable; WR Steve Smith; WR Dwayne . 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. Fr. The challenge starts right away, as the Trojans open on Aug. 28 against perennial power Virginia Tech in the Black Coaches Association Football Classic in Landover, Md. Ronald Nunn (40 tac, 4 for loss, 3 sack, 1 int for a TD, 4 dfl, 1 FF, 3 FR with 1 for a TD in 2003), known for his big plays, started 3 times in 2002 and played often in extra defensive back formations last year. "While we've been effective rotating these young players, it will be interesting to see if any of them can take over a leadership role this season. Others back with starting experience include cornerbacks Ronald Nunn and Kevin Arbet, linebacker Dallas Sartz, end Frostee Rucker and linebacker Collin Ashton. Only 2-year starting weakside linebacker Melvin Simmons is gone (he had 55 tackles and 3 fumble recoveries last season). Finally, senior leadership must surface even though we might not have more than two or three seniors starting on offense.". (Simon Park | Daily Trojan) [2] The team captains were Shaun Cody, Matt Grootegoed and Matt Leinart.[3]. Matt Cassel, Sr. Brandon Hance, Sr. Billy Hart, Jr. Rocky Hinds, In. So he sought to have his collegiate eligibility restored (as of mid-July, he was awaiting word from the NCAA). Each player must bring his best every day. In 2003, 24 of his 42 punts traveled at least 50 yards and 28 pinned opponents within the 20-yard line. I really like what our returning defensive players bring. 1 recruiting class in the nation. This is not one of them. ", "Once again, this is a tremendously challenging schedule," said Carroll. Fr. On offense in 2004, USC's entire backfield, its star wide receiver and the tight ends are back, but a new wide receiver must be developed and most of the line must be rebuilt. [9] "He's an impact player because of his size, speed and ability. 2 (wire-to-wire), respectively, in the AP and Coaches polls. [10] "I am very excited to formally announce our coaching staff," said Riley. Sophomore Fred Matua started most of last season at right guard and brings a defensive lineman's mentality to the offensive front. Fr., FB David Kirtman, Jr., FB Desmond Reed, Rs. Fr. "The challenge is whether we can keep it up. How much are Football Coaches Really Worth? So we must take our game to the next level and be ready for everyone's best shot.". "Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson are the best defensive linemen in college football," said Carroll. LINEBACKERS Collin Ashton, Jr. Mike Brittingham, So. He has an excellent staff of assistant coaches, including 8 from last year-offensive coordinator Norm Chow (the 2002 Broyles Award winner as the nation's top assistant), defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron (named the nation's top recruiter in 2004), Tim Davis (offensive line), Greg Burns (secondary), Lane Kiffin (wide receivers/passing game coordinator), Rocky Seto (he moved from safeties to linebackers this year), Brennan Carroll (tight ends) and Dennis Slutak (special teams)-and 3 newcomers in quarterbacks coach Carl Smith (he has 32 years of experience, including 11 years as an NFL offensive coordinator) and ex-NFL stars Todd McNair (running backs) and Ken Norton Jr. (linebackers). But this year's offense has a high standard to live up to: in 2003, the Trojans were fifth nationally in passing efficiency (159.1, first in Pac-10) and scoring offense (a school-record 41.4, first in Pac-10), 13th in passing offense (291.6, second in Pac-10) and 14th in total offense (447.5, second in Pac-10). So the competition for playing time will be intense. Hanson, who served as a graduate assistant on Riley's Oklahoma staff in 2019, comes to USC after two years of coaching Tulsa's offensive line. Walk-ons Wil Smith, a sophomore, and redshirt freshman John Zilka are also available. [6] White threw for 24-of-36 for 244 yards with three interceptions and two touchdowns; Peterson ran for 82 yards on 25 carries. 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. [25] The game marked the first career start for Husky quarterback Isaiah Stanback. 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. "We had a lot of weapons and scored lots of points. After transferring from a junior college, Drake had moved into the lineup by mid-2003, where he split 7 starting assignments between rightside guard and tackle. [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. [46][47] However, USC lifted the restrictions related to Reggie Bush in 2020, welcoming him back to the program.[1]. 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. USC's top 4 rushers (and 14 of its 17 ballcarriers), its top 4 passers and 16 of the 17 players who caught passes last year return in 2004. [28] Although the fog was thick enough at times to interfere with pass plays, USC tight end Dominique Byrd caught two touchdowns. The game against the Bruins was later vacated as a result of NCAA sanctions. Is Coach Rick Stockstill on the Hot Seat? Do you have a blog? All the running backs return, also: starting tailback Hershel Dennis (661 rushing yards in 2003) and top backups LenDale White (his 754 yards last season made him the first true freshman to lead USC in rushing, while his 13 rushing TDs was a Trojan frosh record) and Reggie Bush (a Freshman All-American who set the USC freshman all-purpose yardage mark with 1,331 yards last fall), plus fullback Brandon Hancock (but he'll miss 2004 with a knee injury). Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Behind Leinart is a stable of very capable backups. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. A school-record 6 Trojans were awarded All-American first team honors in 2004: Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush, DE Shaun Cody, LB Matt Grootegoed, DT Mike Patterson and LB Lofa Tatupu. In the hunt for the tackle jobs are sophomore Kyle Williams, redshirt freshmen Sam Baker, Drew Radovich and Matt Spanos, plus incoming 370-pound junior Taitusi Lutui (Snow Junior College in Ephraim, Utah), a J.C. All-American. "Can the USC football team defend its national championship in 2004?". "Darnell Bing is headed for greatness and Jason Leach does such a solid job back there," said Carroll. QB John David Booty; QB Mark Sanchez; RB Chauncey Washington; RB C.J. RB Stafon Johnson. Fr., DE Lawrence Jackson, Rs. In all, 79 squadmen return from last year's national championship team, including 56 who saw playing time in 2003 (50 were lettermen and 31 were on the season-ending 2-deep). Fr., OT Matt Spanos, Rs. Despite all of its returning talent, skeptics surely will question USC's ability to replace such impact players as Udeze, Colbert, Rogers and Poole. Since the vacated games included the Trojans' Orange Bowl win, the Trojans were later stripped of the 2004 BCS title in June 2011. The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. He assumed control of the job immediately and soon was playing like a veteran.