University Southern California Trojans
Football Begins Spring Practice
June 21, 1999 | Football
March 19, 1998
LOS ANGELES - A preview of the Paul Hackett era at USC will take place on Howard Jones Field over the next several weeks as the 1998 Trojan football team begins spring practice on Saturday, March 28. (Note: All practices are closed to the general public.)
"Our coaches and players can't wait to get on the practice field," said Hackett. "Spring practice will be a period of discovery for the coaching staff. We won't do anything fancy. We'll teach basic football. Every player knows that they begin on equal footing with this new staff.
"I love our players, attitudes and willingness to do what it takes. I saw that right away in the winter conditioning program. If they are as receptive to our coaching as they were in conditioning, I'll be a very happy coach when all is said and done."
Hackett, the one-time USC assistant (1976-80) who most recently was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, will be trying to restore some of the luster on a Trojan program that has suffered through consecutive 6-win, no-bowl seasons.
Getting USC back into the Rose Bowl hunt is Hackett's mission in 1998. To do that, he'll call upon 15 returning starters (7 on offense and 8 on defense), plus the placekicker, from John Robinson's 1997 squad that went 6-5 overall (4-4 for a fifth-place tie in the Pacific-10 Conference). Back are 79 squadmen from 1997, including 47 who saw action last fall and 30 who have started at least once in their career. Thirty-two players on USC's 1997 season-ending 2-deep return.
Hackett also signed 17 high school and junior college recruits (13 were All-Americans), including 5 who already are enrolled at USC and will participate in spring practice. Despite being on the job less than a month, the class Hackett signed in February was ranked in the nation's Top 20 by many recruiting publications.
Hackett says USC's objectives in 1998 are clear. "First, we must earn back our respect," said Hackett. "Our next goal is to go to the Rose Bowl. When that happens, then you set yourself up for good things. Until we reach those goals, we won't be satisfied and we won't be able to rest.
"Rebuilding is not part of my philosophy. We are planning and expecting to win."
Hackett has a number of talented players to help in that quest. Three in particular are poised for All-American honors in 1998: Chris Claiborne is among the nation's premier linebackers. Now a Butkus Award candidate, he was an All-Pac-10 first teamer as a sophomore last season after being a Freshman All-American in 1996. In his career, he already has made 192 tackles.
Cornerback Daylon McCutcheon, a 1996 All-Pac-10 first teamer who was a pre-season All-American last fall, is a multi-dimensional player. Besides his superb coverage ability on defense (in his career, he has 7 interceptions, 31 deflections and 143 tackles), he is a dangerous kickoff returner (19.9 career average) and has also played wide receiver and tailback on offense. About to start for his fourth season, he is a candidate for the Thorpe Award.
Wide receiver R. Jay Soward might be the nation's most exciting player. He averages a touchdown every 5.6 times he has touched the ball (18 TDs on 107 plays) and those scores average 53.5 yards in length. In his 2-year career, this Biletnikoff Award candidate has 13 TD catches (including 8 in 1997 on 48 receptions) and has 3 scoring kick runbacks (halfway to the NCAA record).
USC has some other offensive weapons in 1998. Wide receiver Billy Miller led the team in receptions (56) last fall. Tight end Antoine Harris was the first true freshman to start at tight end at USC and earned Freshman All-American second team notice last year. Quarterback John Fox started 9 games in 1997 (fellow signalcaller Mike Van Raaphorst started the other 2).
Three offensive linemen~guard Travis Claridge, a 1996 Freshman All-American who is on the verge of all-star honors in 1998, and tackles Ken Bowen and Rome Douglas return after starting last fall.
Among the other noteworthy Trojan offensive players with career starts to their name are wide receivers Mike Bastianelli (58 career catches, including 33 in 1997) and Larry Parker (a 1995 starter with 49 career receptions, but redshirted last year because of injury), tailbacks Chad Morton (the converted defensive back averages 6.9 yards per carry and also is a threat as a punt returner) and Malaefou MacKenzie (he had 332 rushing yards in 1997 and became just USC's third true frosh to start at tailback), fullbacks Ted Iacenda and Marvin Powell III, and guard David Pratchard.
USC's defense features some key returnees in addition to Claiborne and McCutcheon. Linebacker Mark Cusano, who has 198 career stops, has played a pivotal role in USC's victories over Notre Dame the past 2 years. He is in line for 1998 all-star acclaim. Safety Rashard Cook topped the Trojans in tackles (79) and interceptions (3) last fall. End Sultan Abdul-Malik (26 tackles in 1997, including a team-best 7 sacks) and cornerback Antuan Simmons (71 tackles last season) are coming off campaigns in which they were named Freshman All-American first teamers. Safety David Gibson, who made 66 tackles last season, led USC in tackles for losses in 1997 (20) and the Pac-10 in forced fumbles (5). Tackle Marc Matock had 26 stops in 1997.
Other defenders who have started during their career include safety Grant Pearsall (he redshirted with an injury last fall, but had 66 tackles as a 1996 starter), end-tackle Aaron Williams, end Lawrence Larry, cornerback Ken Haslip (a 1996 starter) and safety Darnell Lacy.
Placekicker Adam Abrams, who was the Pac-10's most accurate field goal kicker in 1997 (90.9% on 10-of-11 field goals), is back for his fourth season handling the kicking duties. His field goals beat Notre Dame last year and Northwestern in the 1996 Rose Bowl. He also stars in the classroom (he was named to the 1997 Pac-10 All-Academic first team) and could be in line for Academic All-American honors with his 3.32 GPA in business administration.
"We will play to our strengths,0/00 said Hackett, who has been coaching in the college and pro ranks for 29 years, including 3 seasons as the head coach at Pitt and 3 as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers when they won the 1984 Super Bowl.
"Our main strength is our experience on defense, particularly in the secondary. Offensively, there is an excitement of the unknown, of who will come to the front in key positions. And on special teams, I,m excited about the attacking, pressing style we'll deploy."
The Trojans will be without several top players whose eligibility has expired. Starters gone are cornerback Brian Kelly, a 1997 All-Pac-10 first teamer who had 7 career interceptions as a 4-year starter; tailback Delon Washington, USC's leading rusher in 1997 (444 yards) who is 10th on Troy's career rushing list with 2,093 yards; punter Jim Wren, who owns USC season records for punting average (45.6) and yards (3,216); defensive tackle Cedric Jefferson, USC's 1997 team MVP; offensive guard Chris Brymer; center Jonathan Himebauch; fullback Rodney Sermons; and defensive end George Perry. Others missing include fullback-tailback LaVale Woods (973 career rushing yards) and offensive tackle Phalen Pounds, who had 20 career starts.
The 1998 schedule presents the challenges that USC fans have come to expect (the Trojans have played slates ranked among the nation's Top 5 in 4 of the past 5 years), but it is a bit more palatable than past years. That's because Troy plays 7 home games (including 5 of its first 6) in the Coliseum in 1998, the 75th anniversary of Trojan football in that historic stadium. Playing so many games in familiar confines could be critical to this Trojan squad as it gets used to a new coaching staff.
Hackett's debut will come in front of a national audience as USC opens the nation's 1998 college football season by hosting Purdue on Aug. 30 in the Pigskin Classic. Other home contests see Troy playing Notre Dame (which USC has defeated the past 2 years), likely Pac-10 favorite Washington, Arizona State, California, Oregon State (as former USC assistant Mike Riley makes his return to the Coliseum), and San Diego State (coached by ex-USC head coach Ted Tollner). USC doesn't take to the road until its fourth game of the year, but it'll be demanding~at Florida State. The other away games are at UCLA (which owns a 7-game winning streak over Troy), defending Pac-10 champion Washington State, Stanford and Oregon.
RETURNING STARTERS (15) OFFENSE (7) WR R. Jay Soward OG Travis Claridge WR Billy Miller QB John Fox TE Antoine Harris OT Ken Bowen OT Rome Douglas DEFENSE (8) LB Chris Claiborne CB Daylon McCutcheon LB Mark Cusano S Rashard Cook S David Gibson CB Antuan Simmons DE Sultan Abdul-Malik DT Marc Matock KICKERS (1) PK Adam Abrams OTHERS WITH CAREER STARTS S Grant Pearsall (12) WR Larry Parker (11) CB Ken Haslip (8) TB Chad Morton (7) WR Mike Bastianelli (4) FB Marvin Powell III (4) FB Ted Iacenda (4) S Darnell Lacy (3) OT-OG Faaesea Mailo (3) TB Malaefou MacKenzie (2) QB Mike Van Raaphorst (2) OG David Pratchard (2) DE Lawrence Larry (2) DE-DT Aaron Williams (1) 1998 SCHEDULE Aug. 30 Purdue (Pigskin Classic)* Sept. 12 San Diego State Sept. 19 Oregon State Sept. 26 at Florida State Oct. 3 Arizona State Oct. 10 California Oct. 17 at Washington State Oct. 24 at Oregon Oct. 31 Washington (Homecoming) Nov. 7 at Stanford Nov. 21 at UCLA Nov. 28 Notre Dame *At Coliseum, 11:30 a.m. PT, ABC-TV
