No. 18 USC Looks To Regroup Against Arizona

Oct. 1, 2000

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THE FACTS--USC (3-1 overall, 0-1 Pac-10 for seventh place tie) vs. Arizona (3-1, 1-0 for second place tie), Saturday (Oct. 7), 12:30 p.m. PDT, Los Angeles Coliseum.

THEMES--USC returns home to the Coliseum looking to regroup after its first loss of 2000 (and its first loss in 33 years to Oregon State). The Trojans will host dangerous Arizona, which is coming off an impressive road spanking over Stanford. The Wildcats feature a defensive unit that is ranked in the national Top 20 in rushing defense, scoring defense, total defense and turnover margin. This will be UA's first visit to Coliseum since 1996. The game will be shown live regionally on ABC-TV.

RANKINGS--USC is ranked 16th by USA Today/ESPN and 18th by AP. Arizona is not ranked.

SERIES--USC holds a 19-5 lead in its series with Arizona, with 4 of the losses coming in the 1990s (including last season). Eight of the last 15 games have been decided by 7 points or less (including 3 by a field goal or less), including last year's outing. USC, which won the first 9 games in the series and 15 of the first 16, has won 3 of the last 4. In Los Angeles games, USC is 13-2, most recently a 14-7 win in 1996 (USC RB LaVale Woods scored on a pair of 1-yard runs on Troy's opening drives of both halves).

Last year in Tucson, Arizona defeated No. 22 USC, 31-24. The Trojans gained just 271 total yards (including ?20 on the ground) and allowed 7 sacks, while the Wildcats had 550 total yards. The game was tied at 10-10 at halftime. After Arizona QB Keith Smith raced 57 yards for a TD in the first quarter, USC LN Zeke Moreno stripped Smith of the ball and CB Antuan Simmons went 44 yards for a score early in the second quarter. The teams then traded field goals (with USC PK David Newbury hitting a 40-yarder). USC went up in the second half when QB Mike Van Raaphorst hit WR Windrell Hayes on an 18-yard TD pass. But UA scored 3 unanswered touchdowns (a 17-yard Smith pass to WR Dennis Northcutt, an 11-yard run by TB Trung Canidate and a 24-yard fumble return by CB Kelvin Hunter). Van Raaphorst then hit WR Marcell Allmond for a 21-yard TD with 28 seconds to go. Van Raaphorst was 23-of-41 for 291 overall, Hayes had 9 catches for 115 yards and WR Kareem Kelly gained 100 yards on 6 receptions.

IN THE COLISEUM--USC has a 358-115-27 (.743) all-time record in the Coliseum since the stadium opened in 1923.

CONNECTIONS--While only 1 Trojan claims Arizona as his home--USC TE Doyal Butler prepped at Sabino HS in Tucson and then played at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College--44 Wildcats hail from California?USC OG-C Norm Katnik's father, Norman, started at center at Arizona for 2 yards (1978-79).

LAST GAME--Behind the running of TB Ken Simonton and an opportunistic defense that forced 4 turnovers, Oregon State ended 33 years of frustration when it upset No. 8 USC, 31-21, before a noisy sold-out crowd of 33,775 in Corvallis and a live FOX Sports Net West 2 local TV audience in the Pac-10 opener for both schools. The loss snapped USC's Pac-10 record 26-game winning streak over the Beavers (OSU's last win over Troy was in 1967). And it was Troy's first defeat after a modest 6-game winning streak. Simonton, Oregon State career rushing and scoring leader who entered the game as the nation's No. 5 rusher (158.3), ran for 234 yards (the second most ever against USC and the second most by a Beaver) on 37 carries (tied for the third most ever against Troy) and scored 3 times. And the Beaver defense, which was ranked in the national Top 20 in every category, picked off 3 passes by QB Carson Palmer, recovered a fumble (on the USC 6), and limited the Trojans to 63 rushing yards and 4-of-14 on third down conversions. USC squandered several scoring opportunities, including missing a field goal (after a touchdown was erased because of a penalty) at the start of the second half and throwing an interception at the OSU 9 late in the fourth quarter. Oregon State jumped off to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a 15-yard TD pass from QB Jonathan Smith to SE Chad Johnson (after picking off a Palmer pass) and then on a 20-yard Simonton TD burst. But USC tied it up quickly as Palmer hit WR Matt Nickels on a 12-yard TD pass and then LB Zeke Moreno scooped up a fumble and raced 80 yards for a score early in the second quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, OSU took a 10-point lead midway through the fourth quarter on a 2-yard Simonton TD run (after USC's fumble near the goal line) and a 41-yard field goal by PK Ryan Cesca. Despite throwing interceptions on its next 2 drives, USC pulled within 24-21 with 2:16 to play on a 1-yard Palmer TD pass to FB Chad Pierson (following a botched OSU punt attempt). But USC couldn't recover the ensuing onside kick and Simonton soon ran 36 yards for the final score. Oregon State ran off 14 more plays (82-62) and had 7 more first downs (23-16) than USC. The Beavers were particularly dominant in the first half, outgaining Troy 276-150. Palmer was 19-of-38 for 282 yards. USC played most of the second half without TB Sultan McCullough (33 yards on 10 carries), who slightly sprained his knee on the opening drive of the half. Moreno had a game-high 11 tackles, including 3 for losses (2 were sacks), while DT Matt Childers added 8 tackles (2 for losses). USC had 5 sacks. The win gave Oregon State its first 4-0 start since 1957.

SCHEDULE--Although USC plays 7 of its 12 games at home, its 2000 schedule began with a challenge as the Trojans traveled to East Rutherford, N.J., to play Penn State in the Kickoff Classic. Beyond that, Troy doesn't have a long road trip, going to defending Pac-10 champion Stanford, 1999 bowl teams Arizona State and Oregon State, and UCLA. Visiting the Coliseum are non-conference foes Colorado (the 1999 Insight.com Bowl winner), Notre Dame and San Jose State, plus Pac-10 opponents Oregon (the 1999 Sun Bowl champ), Arizona, California and Washington State.

FUN FACT--USC's amazing Olympic gold medal streak was continued at the Sydney Games: a Trojan has won a gold medal in every summer Olympics since 1912. Two of those gold medalists--high hurdler Fred Kelly in 1912 and discus thrower Ken Carpenter in 1936--were football lettermen.

HACKETT--Energetic and innovative Paul Hackett, a one-time USC assistant coach who has been on coaching staffs that have won a national championship in college and a Super Bowl in the pros, made an immediate mark on the Trojan football program upon his return to Troy as its head football coach. In his first year at USC's helm, he led the Trojans to an 8-5 record in 1998 (5-3 in the Pac-10 for a third place tie) and a berth in the Sun Bowl. With his 1998 opening win over Purdue, he became the first head coach to win his Trojan debut since Jess Hill in 1951, and by starting off 3-0, he became only the third Trojan coach since 1915 to win his first 3 games (joining Hill in 1951 and the legendary Howard Jones in 1925). Hackett is one of only two USC head coaches to have won their first outing against Notre Dame (John Robinson is the other). Hackett, Robinson and Larry Smith are the only USC coaches to have guided squads to a bowl game in their first seasons at Troy. In 1999 in his second year at USC, Hackett's team went 6-6 overall (4-5 in the Pac-10 for a sixth place tie) as Troy won its final 3 games of the season and snapped UCLA's 8-game winning streak over the Trojans. USC was in every game, as it was the first time ever that Troy lost all 6 games by 10 points or less. The 53-year-old Hackett signed a 5-year contract to replace Robinson on Dec. 17, 1997. Regarded as one of the game's most progressive offensive coaches, he has 31 years of experience as a college and professional assistant and head coach. He has tutored some of football's top players--including Joe Montana, Marcus Allen, Jerry Rice, Andre Rison, Tony Dorsett, Steve Bartkowski, Charles White, Brian Sipe, Herschel Walker, Danny White, Dwight Clark and Vince Evans--and has worked under such head coaches as Bill Walsh, Tom Landry, Marty Schottenheimer and Robinson. Before coming to Troy, Hackett was the offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs for 5 years (1993-97). The Chiefs advanced to the NFL playoffs in 4 of those years, including 1997. Before that, he was at the University of Pittsburgh (1989-92), the first season as the quarterbacks coach and then 3 seasons as the Panthers' head coach (posting a 13-20-1 record). As a college coach, he has a 30-32-1 overall mark in 5 seasons, including 17-12 in 3 years at USC. Hackett began his coaching career for 3 seasons (1969-71) at his alma mater, UC Davis. He then was an assistant at California for 4 years (1972-75). Then, at age 29, Hackett moved to USC for 5 years (1976-80), where under Robinson he was in charge of the quarterbacks and receivers for the first 2 years and then the quarterbacks and passing game the final 3 years. During his Trojan tenure, USC was the 1978 national champion, won 4 bowl games (including 3 Rose Bowls), posted a 50-8-2 record and produced a Heisman Trophy winner (White). Hackett began his pro coaching career as quarterbacks coach with the Cleveland Browns for 2 seasons (1981-82). He next was the quarterbacks and receivers coach with the San Francisco 49ers for 3 years (1983-85). The 49ers won Super Bowl XIX in the 1984 season. He then became the pass offense coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys for 3 years (1986-88) before returning to the college ranks at Pitt. A 3-year starting quarterback at UC Davis (1966-68), Hackett collects old music juke boxes filled with 1950s and 1960s rock ?n roll music. A rock music fan, he sat in the front row at the final Beatles concert, held in 1966 in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Born on July 5, 1947 in Burlington, Vt., he shares a birthday with former USC head coach John McKay. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have 2 sons, David, 28, and Nathaniel, 20. David played on the 1988 Texas Division III state football champion while at Carroll High in Southlake, Tex., and then was an administrative assistant with the USC football program, while Nathaniel is a sophomore on UC Davis' football team. Hackett is 0-1 in his career against Arizona.

PALMER--There's little doubt that sophomore Carson Palmer (76-of-126, 60.3%, 982 yds, 5 TD, 5 int in 2000) is one of the nation's premier quarterbacks. How valuable is he to the Trojans? With Palmer at the reins, USC started off the 1999 season undefeated as he completed nearly 75% of his passes. But when he broke his collarbone 2 plays before halftime in Troy's third game (at Oregon), USC hit a tailspin from which it took a while to recover. After missing the rest of the 1999 campaign while rehabilitating the injury (he was allowed to redshirt because he was knocked out so early in the season), he is fully healthy now and has regained the form that has him already ranking eighth on USC's career passing ladder (with 245 completions) with just 12 starts under his belt. He is also 15th on Troy's all-time total offense chart (3,108 yards).

--In his first game after an 11-month layoff, Palmer was 10-of-20 passing for 87 yards (with an interception) against Penn State.

--He bounced back from that shaky debut against Penn State by hitting 25-of-30 passes (83.3%) for 275 yards and a TD (3 of his passes were dropped) against Colorado. On USC's game-winning drive--a 9-play, 72-yard drive that began with 1:14 on the clock and culminated with a game-winning field goal with 13 seconds to play--he was 6-of-6 for 68 yards.

--For the second game in a row (and the first time since Rodney Peete did it in 1987 against Arizona and UCLA), he led USC on a late game-winning scoring drive: this time against San Jose State, he brought Troy back from a 12-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter by guiding the Trojans to 22 unanswered points. Overall, he hit 22-of-38 passes for a career-high 338 yards with 2 TDs, including 10-of-12 for 148 yards and a TD in the fourth quarter (he had 6 passes dropped).

--At Oregon State, he was 19-of-38 for 282 yards and 2 TDs, but threw a career-high 3 interceptions.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT CARSON PALMER

Shana Newell, El Paso Times: "Rarely has a Trojan quarterback demonstrated as much promise as Carson Palmer. He could become USC's biggest name yet."

USC tailback Petros Papadakis: "Someday I can tell my kids that Carson Palmer handed me the ball once."

USC offensive coordinator Hue Jackson: "He makes good things happen?Two things I've notice about Carson now (after the injury). He's maturing and he has a burning desire to show everyone he's the player we all think he is."

USC wide receiver Kareem Kelly: "I knew he was good from watching him in high school. But I had no idea he was this good?He's the nucleus of the team. We need Carson. He's a playmaker?He just adds so much to the offense. It's a totally different team when he's in?On the first day of (2000) spring practice, you could tell right away how bad he wanted to be back because usually he would just be walking to practice, but now he was sprinting out there."

USC wide receiver Matt Nickels, Palmer's prep teammate: "In high school, the whole varsity would watch his freshman games and just stand around in awe. I knew this guy was going to be big-time some day."

Former USC safety David Gibson: "He has, by far, the strongest arm I've played against. And it's just not how hard he throws, either. It's his accuracy and touch, too. He can put the ball anywhere. You can have a receiver covered, but he's going to find a way to get the ball to him."

Former USC All-American quarterback Paul McDonald, now USC's radio analyst: "He's so far ahead of the learning curve, it's scary."

Former USC quarterbacks coach Ken O'Brien: "He is such a talented young man, with the potential to be as great as anyone I've seen."

Former UCLA cornerback Julius Williams: "If a receiver has a little bit of room and the defensive back is not covering him completely, Carson is going to throw the ball right there and there's no way the defensive back is going to get the ball."

Santa Margarita High coach Jim Hartigan: "Carson has the size of Troy Aikman and the arm strength of John Elway. He's got the super quick release of Dan Marino and the ability to put zip on the ball or touch depending on what the situation calls for. He is extremely calm and poised and he always makes the right decisions. He thrives on pressure. The bigger the game, the better he performs."

ALSO AT QUARTERBACK--USC might have the most experienced backup signalcaller in the nation in senior Mike Van Raaphorst. A 15-game starter in his career, he is 10th on USC's all-time passing list (232 completions) and 20th on the Trojans' career total offense chart (2,809 yards). He took over for 5 games in 1999 when Palmer went down before being replaced by John Fox. Against Stanford, he set USC single game passing yardage (415 yards) and total offense (390 yards) records. Also a star in the classroom, he has a team-best 3.72 GPA and is taking classes in USC's M.B.A. program this fall after receiving his bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and political science this spring. He is applying for a Rhodes Scholarship.

RUNNING BACKS--One tailback usually carried the ball for Troy in 1999: Chad Morton, a 2-year starter who ended his career as USC's No. 8 rusher (2,511 yards), including a dozen 100-yard outings, and now plays in the NFL. Last fall, he ran for 1,141 yards (the most at USC since 1990) and 15 TDs (the most by a Trojan since 1981). In 2000, look for a combination of speed burners and power runners to share the load at tailback. Sophomore Sultan McCullough (88 tcb, team-high 388 yds, 4.4 avg, 1 TD in 2000, plus 4 rec, 3.2 avg) is a legitimate speed merchant. He is averaging 22.0 carries a game in 2000 (the most since Ricky Ervins had 22.4 in 1989). The 1999 Pac-10 100 meters champion and eighth-place finisher in the 2000 NCAA 100 (he also ran a leg on USC's 400-meter relay which was fifth at the 2000 NCAA Meet), McCullough is the fastest Trojan footballer ever (10.17 in the 100, the best mark in the world in 1999 by an under-20 runner). He showed flashes of his gridiron potential last fall, even jetting 48 yards against UCLA for Troy's longest run of 1999. The power guys are senior Petros Papadakis (35 tcb, 107 yds, 3.1 avg, 4 TD in 2000, plus 1 rec, 11.0 avg), who ran for 365 yards and a team-best 8 touchdowns while starting 4 times in 1998 but missed all of 1999 and last spring's practice with a serious foot injury (he is healthy now) and junior Malaefou MacKenzie (15 tcb, 57 yds, 3.8 avg in 2000, plus 10 rec, 10.4 avg and 1 KOR, 20.0 avg), who has 538 rushing yards and 2 starts in a career that has been injury-plagued. Look for Papadakis is USC's short-yardage formations (his 4 rushing TDs in 2000 have all been 5 yards or less). A pair of Trojans appear at fullback, led by returning starter Charlie Landrigan (2 tcb, 7 yds, 3.5 avg in 2000, plus 2 rec, 7.5 avg), an unheralded junior who performed solidly in 1999, and sophomore Chad Pierson (3 tcb, 16 yds, 5.3 avg in 2000, plus 4 rec, 15.2 avg, 1 TD). Both are rugged blockers and good pass catchers, but none has been asked yet to prove his running ability.

--In his first-ever career start, McCullough ran for 128 yards on 29 carries (both career highs) against Penn State (he also caught 3 passes for 16 yards) to gain Kickoff Classic MVP honors, while Papadakis had 29 yards on 11 carries (with a 2-yard TD on his first carry of 2000 after missing the 1999 season with a broken foot) and Pierson had 16 yards on 2 carries and another 28 yards on 2 catches.

--Against Colorado, McCullough ran for a team-best 91 yards on 28 carries and had a 5-yard TD run, while Papadakis had 23 yards on 5 tries, MacKenzie caught 2 passes for 16 yards and Landrigan caught an 11-yard pass.

--McCullough had 21 carries for a career-best 136 yards, both game highs, against San Jose State, while Papadakis ran for 52 yards and a career-best 3 TDs (1, 5 and 3 yards) on a career-high 15 carries (his 5-yard score was the game winner with 2:34 to play).

--At Oregon State, McCullough had a team-best 33 yards on 10 carries before leaving early in the second half with a knee injury, MacKenzie added 28 yards on 9 tries and another 68 yards on 4 catches and Pierson caught 2 passes for 33 yards (including a 1-yard TD grab).

WIDE RECEIVERS--You'd think that USC would be in trouble at the wide receiver spots in 2000, since such high-caliber players as starters R. Jay Soward and Windrell Hayes are gone. After all, Soward finished his time at Troy as the school's No. 4 all-time pass catcher (161 grabs, including 51 last fall) and was an NFL first round draft pick. Hayes, another NFL draftee, caught 79 passes in his Trojan career, including a team-best 55 in 1999 with 4 TDs. But USC might have the best young wideout corps anywhere, led by experienced sophs Kareem Kelly (team-high 20 rec, 13.9 avg, 1 TD in 2000, plus 2 tcb, 1.5 avg), Marcell Allmond (13 rec, 16.4 avg in 2000, plus 2 tcb, 23.0 avg and 1 KOR, 16.0 avg) and Steve Stevenson (1 rec, 28.0 avg in 2000, plus 15.5 KOR avg). Kelly, the 1999 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American second teamer, was USC's second-leading receiver last fall. He set Pac-10 freshman records for most catches (54) and receiving yards (902) while starting twice. The only Trojan with a catch in every game in 1999, he had 4 outings with 100 receiving yards. He's on the 2000 Biletnikoff Award Watch List. He has caught a pass in every game since he arrived at USC (16 in a row) and has 6 100-yard receiving games in his career. With 74 career receptions, Kelly is 21st on USC's all-time pass catching list. Allmond started 3 times in 1999, while Stevenson's start at Oregon in 1999 marked the first time that a true freshman started at wide receiver for USC since 1984. Kelly (sprints) and Allmond (hurdles, decathlon), former California state prep champs in their specialties, also compete for the Trojan tracksters. Kelly owns the world junior record in the indoor 50-meter dash, while Allmond was second in the 110-meter high hurdles and seventh in the decathlon at the 2000 Pac-10 Meet. Other wideouts who contribute are senior Matt Nickels (5 rec, 12.2 avg, 2 TD in 2000), an ex-walk-on who earned a scholarship this season, redshirt freshman Sandy Fletcher, who spent the early part of last season as a safety and also briefly played point guard on the USC basketball team last season, and prep All-American Keary Colbert (7 rec, 16.1 avg in 2000), a freshman.

--Kelly had 2 catches for 15 yards against Penn State and Allmond added a 21-yard grab (Fletcher ran a blocked punt 6 yards for a TD on special teams).

--Kelly had a career-best 10 catches for 145 yards (both game highs) against Colorado, while Allmond (18 yards), Nickels (26 yards) and Colbert (34 yards) each had 3 grabs (Nickels caught an 8-yard TD).

--Against San Jose State, Kelly had a game-high 7 catches for 106 yards (including a 61-yard TD), Allmond made 4 grabs for a career-best 99 yards, Stevenson (28 yards) and Colbert (29 yards) each had big catches in USC's game-winning scoring drive (Colbert had 2 grabs for 40 yards in the game) and Nickels made a spectacular 2-point conversion grab.

--At Oregon State, Allmond had 5 catches for 75 yards (tying for game high and career best in receptions), Nickels had 2 grabs for 35 yards (including an acrobatic 12-yard TD on the side of the end zone, Colbert added 2 catches for 39 yards and Kelly had 1 for 11 yards.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT KAREEM KELLY

Former USC tailback Chad Morton: "He's going to be one of the game's greats. That's the Biletnikoff Award winner right there."

Karen Crouse, Los Angeles Daily News: "Kareem Kelly has more tools than a carpenter. Before he's through, he could add on another wing to Heritage Hall. He has height, heart, great hands, a gazelle's gait and as many gears as a Ferrari?He's just naturally equipped for success?He is an astute student of the game. On the field, the only thing churning faster than his legs is his mind."

Long Beach Poly track coach Don Norford: "His gait is so smooth and relaxed that you really can't judge how fast Kareem is. It's like when a cheetah attacks the gazelle. The gazelle doesn't realize how fast the cheetah is until it's right into him. With Kareem, a cornerback thinks he has an angle on him, then he shifts into another gear. And Kareem has about three or four more gears he can use."

TIGHT ENDS--Look for USC's tight ends to be more prominent in 2000. Senior Antoine Harris (7 rec, 10.0 avg, 1 TD in 2000), a reliable veteran, starts at tight end for his fourth season in 2000 and could be in for a big senior campaign. An accomplished blocker and able receiver, he has 38 receptions with 3 touchdowns in his career. Besides backup Scott Huber, a sophomore, a pair of top-quality recruits have entered the picture this fall: sophomore Doyal Butler, who spent 1998 at Purdue, and freshman Alex Holmes (2 rec, 8.0 avg in 2000).

--Against Colorado, Harris had 2 catches for 28 yards.

--Harris had 2 receptions for 21 yards against San Jose State, including an 8-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter to start USC's comeback.

--At Oregon State, Harris had 3 catches for 21 yards.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN--For the first time in Paul Hackett's 3 years, USC has solid depth on its offensive line. But, as has been the case the past 2 seasons, Troy's offensive success will depend heavily on the performance of these blockers. Dependable senior Brent McCaffrey starts for his third season at left tackle. Senior Trevor Roberts, who started 3 times at left tackle last year, entered the fall as the starting left guard, but has been slowed with a foot injury. So, redshirt freshman Lenny Vandermade, who can also play center, has stepped in there for the first 4 games. The right side of USC's line suffered the loss of 1999 All-Pac-10 first team tackle Travis Claridge, last year's Pac-10 Morris Trophy winner who started all 48 games of his USC career (the first Trojan offensive lineman ever to do so without redshirting) and is now in the NFL. But junior Faaesea Mailo, who started 5 times last fall at guard, has moved out to right tackle. He also was used as a fullback in short yardage situations at times last year and proved to be a devastating blocker, watch for him in the backfield again in 2000. Sophomore Zach Wilson, who started the final 7 games of 1999 at right guard and was impressive enough to earn Freshman All-American second team notice, starts there once again. Senior Eric Denmon returns at center after starting there most of last year at center, but his Trojan career has been marked by nagging injuries.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN--The defensive line is the most veteran unit on the entire USC team. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better pair of tackles than USC's returning starters: senior Ennis Davis (16 tac, 5 for losses, 3 sac, 1 dfl, 1 FF in 2000), a 2-year starter and on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy "Watch List," and junior Ryan Nielsen (11 tac, 2 for losses, 2 dfl, 1 FF in 2000). Davis, a 1998 All-Pac-10 first teamer, was never quite himself last season after suffering a knee injury in the 1998 Sun Bowl, but he still showed his big-play potential often, tying for the team lead in sacks (5) and even intercepting a pair of passes (returning one 30 yards for a TD as he hurdled his 300-pound body over an opponent to get into the end zone). The underrated Nielsen was named USC's Defensive Lineman of the Year in 1999. Sophomore Bernard Riley (4 tac, 1 BLK in 2000), who appeared mostly in short yardage situations last fall, will push this duo for time. USC's already-deep group of ends was bolstered by the return of senior Sultan Abdul-Malik (9 tac, 4 for loss, 1 sac in 2000) to the position. He was USC's sack leader in 1997 and 1998 while starting at end, but started at strongside linebacker last fall. He was moved back to the line to take advantage of his pass rushing skills (he has 20 sacks in his career). Abdul-Malik competes with junior Lonnie Ford (3 tac, 1 sac, 1 dfl in 2000), who started at end in 1999 after playing tight end earlier in his USC career. Ford's 5 sacks last fall gave him a share of the Trojan lead. The other end spot again is manned by seniors Matt Childers (16 tac, 4 for loss, 2 sac, 1 FF in 2000) and Shamsud-Din Abdul-Shaheed (6 tac, 2 for loss, 1 sac in 2000). They are an interchangeable pair as Childers started 7 times last season and Abdul-Shaheed had 5 starts. Childers tied for the team lead in sacks (5) in 1999.

--Davis had 4 tackles (2 for losses, with a 17-yard sack) against Penn State, Childers added 3 stops and Ford had 2 tackles (with a 4-yard sack) and a deflection.

--Against Colorado, Davis had 5 tackles (2 were sacks), Abdul-Malik and Childers each added 3 stops (with 1 sack apiece, Childers also forced a fumble which USC recovered), Nielsen had 3 tackles and Riley made 2 stops and blocked a field goal.

--Abdul-Malik had 3 tackles (2 for losses) against San Jose State, Davis and Childers added 2 stops each (1 for losses, with Davis also getting a deflection), and Nielsen and Abdul-Shaheed 1 each (Abdul-Shaheed's was for a loss).

--At Oregon State, Childers had 8 tackles (2 for losses), Davis and Nielsen both added 5 tackles and forced fumbles which USC recovered (Nielsen's was returned 80 yards for a TD by Zeke Moreno, he also deflected 2 passes), Abdul-Shaheed had 4 tackles (1 sack) and Abdul-Malik had 2 stops.

MORENO/STEELE--USC's 2 returning starters at linebacker are good enough to merit consideration for the Butkus Award (both are on the Butkus Award "Watch List"): seniors Zeke Moreno (30 tac, team-high 8 for losses, 2 sac, 1 dfl, 1 FR for a TD in 2000) in the middle and Markus Steele (team-high 31 tac, 7 for losses, 2 sac, 1 FR in 2000) on the weak side. Moreno, who is starting for his third year and is also on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy "Watch List," was USC's leading tackler in 1999. He was third in the Pac-10 in tackles (9.0), tied for first in forced fumbles (5) and tied for third in fumble recoveries (2). Steele, who made an immediate impact in 1999 after transferring from a junior college, topped Troy in tackles for losses last season and was second in total tackles. He was third in the Pac-10 in forced fumbles (3) and tied for third in fumble recoveries (2). Each found the end zone in 1999, Moreno twice (on an interception and fumble recovery against Oregon State) and Steele once (on a fumble recovery at Hawaii).

--Moreno led USC with 6 tackles (including 3 for losses) against Penn State, while Steele added 3 stops.

--Against Colorado, Steele tied for the game high in tackles with 9 (2 were sacks) and Moreno added 7 stops and broke up a pass.

--Steele had a game-high 12 tackles (4 for losses) against San Jose State and Moreno added 6 stops (2 for losses).

--At Oregon State, Moreno had a game-best 11 tackles (3 for losses, including 2 sacks) and returned a fumble 80 yards for a TD (the second year in a row he has done so against the Beavers), while Steele added 7 stops (1 for a loss) and also recovered a fumble.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT ZEKE MORENO & MARKUS STEELE

San Jose State head coach Dave Baldwin: "The best pair of tandem inside linebackers that I have ever seen. We've watched film and one moment you'll think Zeke Moreno is the better one, then you watch Markus Steele and think he looks better. They are tremendous together."

Penn State fullback Mike Cerimele: "A great linebacking corps. They fly to the ball."

Tom Reynolds, USC Report: "On the field, Moreno--USC's ferocious inside linebacker--stalks every play, searching for a ball carrier to pounce on. He is like a cat searching for prey. Off the field, Moreno couldn't be any more the opposite of his on-field demeanor. He is a soft-spoken, God-fearing momma's boy (by his own admission). But don't call him soft."

David Cisneros, Daily Trojan: "Ask anybody who knows him. They'll tell you what a wonderful guy he is. They might tell you how he has become a role model. And they'll tell you he's a hell of a middle linebacker?Moreno displays character rarely seen in sports."

Arizona head coach Dick Tomey: "He's an incredible player. There was nobody in our conference who was as outstanding at linebacker in 1999."

USC cornerback Kris Richard: "Markus can play. He had a lot of hype coming in and he backed it up. When you watch him on film, it's pretty amazing. To be as fast as he is at that position. He plays fast and he hits hard. And he is so intelligent on the field."

Former USC tailback Chad Morton: "He's fast, real fast. People try comparing him to (ex-USC Butkus Award winner) Chris Claiborne, but they're not the same type of players. Chris would run through people and rough you up. Markus' game is to get to the ball and cover well. He's very fast. He'll catch you if you're not running your fastest."

USC safety DeShaun Hill, Steele's junior college teammate: "The first time I saw him with pads on, I knew what the deal was. I started calling him ?freak' because he has freaky athletic ability. He's fast enough to play defensive back but strong enough to take on offensive tackles. He's just amazing. He's just scratching the surface."

Phil Collin, South Bay Daily Breeze: "He makes numerous highlight film-type plays with his relentless pursuit and ability to slither away from blocking schemes designed to slow him down."

Scott Wolf, Los Angeles Daily News: "His speed and size make him attractive. He could probably even play strong safety in the NFL because of his athleticism."

Former USC linebackers coach Shawn Slocum: "He's a guy with the ability to make plays all over the field. He's just plain fast. He comes off the edge and slithers through. What stands out is his range and that he plays with violence."

USC football television analyst Craig Fertig, a former Trojan player and assistant coach: "People are starting to run away from him. But, hey, go ahead. He'll catch them."

Long Beach City College head coach Larry Reisbig: "He's the best player I've ever had. Sure, he's got great athletic ability, but he's much more than just a great athlete. He has a real feel for the game and how the position is supposed to be played. He'd constantly talk to the coaches and watch as much film as he could. He's a great leader and a wonderful kid to coach."

OTHER LINEBACKERS--Even though one of 1999's starting linebackers--Sultan Abdul-Malik--moved to the defensive line, there's no cause for concern at the Trojans' strongside linebacker position in 2000. The new starter there is junior Kori Dickerson (7 tac in 2000), who played defensive end earlier in his career (even starting once there last fall). He also high jumps for the USC track squad, with a best of 6-8.

--Dickerson made 2 tackles against Penn State.

--Dickerson had 2 stops versus Colorado.

--He had 2 tackles against San Jose State.

--He made 1 tackle at Oregon State.

DEFENSIVE BACKS--If it's competition you're looking for, watch USC's secondary throughout the 2000 season. The Trojans are well-stocked here, particularly at the cornerback spots, so expect all the players to be going all out all the time to get into the lineup. Both cornerbacks who started in 1999 came back, although only one will see the field in 2000. Junior Kris Richard (4 tac, 3 dfl in 2000, plus 3 PR, 11.2 avg) led USC in interceptions (6, tied for 17th nationally) last season (he returned 2 for scores), opening some eyes in the process. Senior pre-season All-American Antuan Simmons, a 3-year starter who has blocked 6 kicks in his career (including 2 field goals and a PAT last year), missed spring drills while recovering from late-season back surgery. He then had surgery in May to remove a benign abdominal tumor and will redshirt the 2000 season while recuperating. He returned a fumble 44 yards for a TD at Arizona in 1999. Grabbing Simmons' corner spot are sophomore Darrell Rideaux (9 tac, team-high 4 dfl in 2000), who started USC's last 2 games of 1999 for an injured Simmons and was named a Freshman All-American second teamer, and junior Chris Cash (15 tac, 1 int, 2 dfl, 1 FF in 2000), a junior college transfer who enrolled at USC last spring and participated in spring practice. Rideaux doubles as a sprinter for the Trojan tracksters (in the spring of 2000, he was fifth in the 100 meters at the Pac-10 Meet and ran leadoff for the 400-meter relay squad which was fifth at the NCAA Meet). Sophomore Kevin Arbet (12 tac, 1 for a loss, 2 dfl in 2000, plus 21.4 KOR avg), a one-time walk-on who made such an immediate impression in 1999 that he earned a scholarship during his initial fall camp, is USC's nickel back (he can play either cornerback or safety). Arbet, who started twice in 1999 as an extra defensive back, returned an interception 75 yards for a TD against Louisiana Tech last season. Last season's starting free safety, senior Ifeanyi Ohalete (26 tac, 1 for a loss, 3 dfl in 2000) is back and joins with new starting strong safety Troy Polamalu (16 tac, 1 sac, 2 dfl, 1 int for TD, 1 FR in 2000), a sophomore. Ohalete led USC in deflections (15) and was third in tackles (84) in 1999, and also tied for first in the Pac-10 in forced fumbles (5) and fumbles recovered (3). Polamalu is looking to fill the shoes of USC's only departed defensive starter from last season, 1999 All-Pac-10 first teamer David Gibson, a 3-year starter who had 241 career tackles (81 last fall). Two other safeties see playing time: junior Frank Strong (4 tac, 1 BLK in 2000, plus 20.0 KOR avg), a one-time tailback who was moved to defense in the middle of last season, and sophomore DeShaun Hill (5 tac, 1 for a loss in 2000), who was able to redshirt last fall after suffering an early-season back injury.

--Ohalete had 5 tackles versus Penn State, Arbet and Rideaux had 2 apiece (Rideaux also broke up 2 passes), Polamalu had a 43-yard scoring interception return to go along with 2 tackles, Strong blocked a punt which USC returned for a TD, Cash forced a fumble and Richard broke up 2 passes.

--Against Colorado, Ohalete tied for the game high in tackles with 9, Polamalu made 5 stops and returned a fumble 19 yards to set up a USC TD, Arbet had 4 tackles, Cash made 3 stops and Richard had 2 stops and a deflection before leaving with a knee sprain.

--Cash, who made his first start in the San Jose State game, and notched 9 tackles and intercepted a pass late in the contest to seal the win, while Ohalete added 5 stops (1 for a loss) and a deflection, Polamalu had 4 tackles with a deflection, Hill made 3 stops (1 for a loss), Rideaux had 3 tackles and 2 deflections, Strong and Richard had a tackle each and Arbet broke up 2 passes.

--At Oregon State, Ohalete had 7 tackles and 2 deflections, Polamalu and Arbet had 5 stops each (Polamalu also had a sack), Rideaux and Cash had 2 tackles each, and Strong, Richard and Hill added 1 stop apiece.

SPECIALISTS--Junior Mike MacGillivray (42.5 avg in 2000) is back for his third season as USC's punter and is listed on the "Watch List" for the Ray Guy Award. An effective placement punter (61 of his 176 career punts have pinned opponents inside the 20) with an above-average leg (23 of his career punts have traveled at least 50 yards), he is looking to become more consistent in 2000. Although junior David Newbury (4-of-7 FG, 9-of-11 PAT in 2000) was USC's placekicker last fall, a 3-way battle for the job was waged this fall between Newbury, senior David Bell and 1999 prep All-American John Wall, a freshman. Newbury, who finally regained his job for 2000, began his first year at Troy by nailing a season-long 48-yard field goal on his first attempt at Hawaii in 1999, but then struggled with consistency the rest of the way. Bell, who is in his fourth season as USC's strong-legged kickoff man, has had touchbacks on 13 of his 20 kickoffs in 2000 (3 others were not returned past the 20, another 3 didn't advance past the 26 and 1 was an unsuccessful on-side kick). Last year, he took over the placement chores for Newbury in the third quarter of the season-ending Louisiana Tech game and nailed a 38-yard field goal and both extra point kicks.

--Newbury, who missed 9-of-20 field goals in 1999, hit all 3 attempts (47, 27 and 44 yards) against Penn State to tie a Kickoff Classic game record, MacGillivray averaged 46.3 yards punting (but had 1 blocked for a safety) and 5 of Bell's 6 kickoffs were touchbacks.

--Newbury, who had missed a pair of field goals earlier in the Colorado game, nailed a game-winning 24-yarder with 13 seconds to play (it was the latest in a game that a Trojan kicked a game-winnign field goal since Don Shafer did so at the gun at Baylor in 1986), for his performance, he was named the Pac-10 Special Teams Player of the Week. MacGillivray averaged 48.0 yards on his 2 punts against the Buffs and 3 of Bell's 4 kickoffs were touchbacks (the other was not returned past the 20).

--Against San Jose State, 3 of Bell's 6 kickoffs were touchbacks (2 others weren't returned past the 20) and MacGillivray averaged 40.0 yards on his 4 punts (but had another blocked for a TD).

--At Oregon State, MacGillivray averaged 40.3 yards on his 6 punts (2 were pinned OSU within the 20) and 2 of Bell's 4 kickoffs were touchbacks.

TO THE RESCUE--Four USC players--DT Bernard Riley and Malcolm Wooldridge, WR Steve Stevenson and S Kyle Matthews--have received quite a bit of national attention for their role in coming to the aid of an injured USC student early in the season. In the early morning hours on Sept. 1, USC sophomore Danielle Dauenhauer accidentally fell head first out of the second floor window of her campus apartment, only to get impaled in the buttocks by a pair of spikes on a security fence. The players, who were in the downstairs apartment, heard her screams and rushed outside. For the next 20 minutes, they supported the 165-pound woman (her feet were sticking in the air, her head was pointed down) to relieve the pressure of the spikes while paramedics were summoned. They also kept talking with her to help calm her down. When the paramedics arrived, the bars were cut off the fence still sticking in her, she was taken to a local hospital where the bars were removed, and unbelievably she was released the following day in good condition. (If she hadn't been impaled, she likely would have landed on her head and broken her neck). The players subsequently appeared on such national television shows as NBC's "Today," ABC's "Good Morning America" and ESPN's "College GameDay." They also received a commendation from California lieutenant governor Cruz M. Bustamante.

STATS OF NOTE--USC is outgaining its opponents (400.2 total yards to 312.8)?USC is converting 45.8% (27-of-59) of its third downs and holding opponents to 26.7% (16-of-60)...USC has had 2 punts blocked in 2000 (one for a safety and another for a TD)?USC, which was penalized an average of 10.7 times for 91.1 yards a game in 1999, has cleaned up that area in 2000, where it has had 7.8 penalties for 72.5 yards per outing?USC, which had a national-best 39 takeaways in 1999 (3.3 a game), has just 5 in 2000 (1.3 average).

RANDOM NOTES

A pair of senior former walk-ons?WR Matt Nickels and LB Ryan Shapiro?earned scholarships in 2000.

Quarterback Mike Van Raaphorst has 15 career starts, is 10th on USC's all-time passing list, owns the USC single game passing record (415 yards), has a team-best 3.72 GPA, already earned his bachelor's degree and is taking courses in USC's M.B.A. program this fall. Not bad for a backup!

OT Brent McCaffrey, who worked on his grandfather's Fresno farm as a youngster, was named to the 2000 All-American Farm Team by Successful Farming magazine (he was similarly honored in 1999).

James Pursell, USC's oldest living football letterman, turned 100 on Aug. 20. He lettered in 1921-22-23 as a 156-pound guard and was a member of USC's first Rose Bowl team (Troy beat Penn State, 14-3, in the 1923 Rose Bowl).

Marcus Allen, USC's 1981 Heisman Trophy-winning tailback, will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this Dec. 12. USC has 29 representatives in the College Football Hall of Fame, including 22 players.

This year's San Jose State contest was USC's 500th football game in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The 2000 season is the 50th anniversary of the adoption of "Conquest" as USC's battle cry and the 100th anniversary of the birth of the song's composer, Alfred Newman.

This might be one of the fastest teams USC has fielded. In fact, the Trojan men's track team (which won the 2000 Pac-10 title and was seventh at the NCAA meet) has benefited greatly from the USC football squad. TB Sultan McCullough (bests of 10.17 in the 100 meters, 20.61 in the 200 meters) won the 100 at the 1999 Pac-10 meet, placed eighth in the 100 in the 2000 NCAA meet and 3 times has clocked 10.17 in the 100 to become the fastest Trojan footballer ever. WR Kareem Kelly (10.28, 20.53), who set the world junior record in the indoor 50-meter dash (5.67) and ran a best of 10.33 in the 100 in 2000, won the 100 and 200 at the 1999 California state meet after capturing the 200 in 1998. CB Darrell Rideaux (10.30, 21.03), who clocked a best of 10.37 in the 100 in 2000, won the California state 100 in 1998 (he was second in 1999 and third in 1997) and was fourth in the 200 in 1999. CB Miguel Fletcher (10.47, 20.94), who went a best of 10.61 in the 100 and 21.06 in the 200 in 2000, was the runnerup in the California state 100 in 1997 and 1998 and in the 200 in 1998. The Rideaux-McCullough-Fletcher-Kelly quartet even ran an early-season 400-meter relay in 2000, winning in 40.08. WR Marcell Allmond (13.54 in the 110-meter high hurdles) won the California state high hurdles in 1998 and 1999 (he was sixth in the 1999 intermediates), and also set a National Junior Olympics record in the decathlon in 1999. In 2000, he was second in the high hurdles in the Pac-10 meet and the U.S. Junior Nationals, and ran a best of 13.89. And speaking of track, another Trojan footballer contributes in the field portion of the sport. LB Kori Dickerson (6-8 high jump) placed third in the high jump at the 1999 and 2000 USC-UCLA dual meets.

OT-OG Faaesea Mailo, a 6-4, 330-pound Hawaiian, participated in the sumo club in high school, where he won the Hawaii state championship. He even went to Japan in 1996 to train with pro sumo wrestlers, who tried unsuccessfully to convince him to take up the sport as a profession. He missed the 1997 and 1998 USC seasons while on a Mormon mission in Sapporo, Japan (imagine opening your door and seeing him!). In short yardage situations last season, he lined up at fullback a la Refrigerator Perry and proved to be a devastating blocker (USC converted all but one try in that formation), he's doing that again in 2000.

LB John Cousins is deaf in one ear and impaired in the other. He wears a hearing aid. That handicap could present some unique challenges on the football field.

OT Phillip Eaves spent part of 1997 in the Army at Fort Jackson, S.C.

Four Trojans have fathers who played on national championship USC football squads: DE Sultan Abdul-Malik (father, Ed Powell (now Wali Abdul-Malik) was on 1972 and 1974 teams, OT-OG Derek Graf (father, Allan, was on 1972 team), OT Brent McCaffrey (father, Bob McCaffrey, was on 1972 and 1974 teams), and S Kyle Matthews (father, 1977 All-American Clay, was on the 1974 team). Matthews' uncle, Bruce, was a 1982 All-American offensive guard at USC. Two other Trojans have dads who lettered at Troy in 1970 and 1971: TB Petros Papadakis (father, John) and S John Morgan (father, Mike). And S-CB Kevin Arbet is the stepson of ex-Trojan (1980-82) Jeff Simmons. Papadakis also has a brother (Taso, 1994 and 1996) who played at USC, as does LB Darryl Knight (Ryan, 1984-87, and Sammy, 1993-96). Two Trojans have cousins who played at USC--WR Kareem Kelly (Rashard Cook, 1995-98) and TE-SNP Joe Boskovich (Martin Boskovich, 1993)--and two have uncles who were Trojan footballers: S Troy Polamalu (Kennedy Pola, 1982-85, now USC's running backs coach) and OG-C Norm Katnik (John Katnik, 1986-87).

Speaking of genes: DE Sultan Abdul-Malik's brother, Hassan, is a junior safety on Cal State Northridge's football team, while brother Saeed is a senior defensive end at UNLV. S-CB Kevin Arbet's cousin, Lamarr Arbet, is a freshman defensive lineman at San Jose State and his uncle, Darren Arbet, is the head coach of the San Jose SaberCats of the Arena Football League. TE Alex Holmes' father, Mike, lettered at defensive end at Michigan in 1974 and 1975. Besides his 2 brothers who played at USC, another of LB Darryl Knight's brothers, Greg, played defensive line at Colorado, and his father, Sam Sr., played on the California state championship basketball team in the early 1960s at Riverside (Calif.) Community College that was coached by Jerry Tarkanian. TB Sultan McCullough's brother, Saladin, was a tailback at Oregon, while his late father, Bruce, ran track at San Jose State in the 1960s. OT-OG Faaesea Mailo's father, James, played football at Hawaii, while brother, Anipati, is a sophomore linebacker at Hawaii and brother, Fulutusi, is a freshman linebacker at Montana State. LB Zeke Moreno's brother, Moses, was a 3-year (1995-97) starting quarterback at Colorado State who now plays for the San Diego Chargers, his mother, Arcinia Arenas, played fullback and linebacker with the Mighty Mommas in a San Diego women's tackle football league for a season when Zeke was little. PK David Newbury's father, Gerry, played professional soccer in England. S Ifeanyi Ohalete's half brother, Earl Simpson, played football at Texas A&M and another, Carl, plays pro basketball overseas. S Troy Polamalu's uncle is former USC fullback Kennedy Pola (1982-85), now the Trojans' running backs coach, while another uncle, Al Pola, played football at Penn State, a cousin, Nicky Sualua, was a running back with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys who attended Ohio State, another cousin, Leie Sualua, was a defensive lineman at Oregon, and another cousin, Joe Polamalu, played for Oregon State in 1987 and 1988. LB A.J. Single's father, Doug, played at Stanford, then was the Cardinal's offensive line coach before serving as athletic director at Northwestern and SMU. QB Mike Van Raaphorst's brother, Jeff, was a record-setting quarterback at Arizona State (1983-86) and the 1987 Rose Bowl MVP, his dad, Dick, was a kicker with Ohio State and the San Diego Chargers, while another brother, Bill, was an offensive lineman at San Diego State. TE coach Brian Schottenheimer is the son of ex-Kansas City Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer. DB coach Dennis Thurman's brother, Junior, was a USC defensive back (1985-86). LB coach A.J. Christoff's son, Rob, is an assistant football coach at Montana State.

Two Trojans have Hollywood connections. OT Derek Graf's father, Allan, is a stuntman, stunt coordinator and second unit director who has been involved in many noted Hollywood films, most recently "On Any Given Sunday" and "The Replacements." TE Antoine Harris' late stepfather was comedian/actor Robin Harris, who appeared in movies such as "Mo' Better Blue," "House Party," "Do The Right Thing," and "Harlem Nights." The cartoon series, "Bebe's Kids," is based on characters in Robin's comedy routine.

USC head coach Paul Hackett is a rock music fan. He sat in the front row at the final Beatles concert, in 1966 in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. He still goes to concerts quite frequently. As a hobby, he collects old music juke boxes filled with 1950s and '60s rock 'n roll music.

CAPTAINS--USC's season captains, as elected by their teammates, are LB Zeke Moreno, DT Ennis Davis, TB Petros Papadakis and C Eric Denmon, all seniors.

ROSTER UPDATES--There are several personnel updates that are not listed in the 2000 USC football media guide: Malcolm Wooldridge, a 6-2, 300-pound first-year freshman defensive tackle (he'll wear #96), joined the Trojans midway through training camp as a scholarship player. He played at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., in 1999 after spending the 1997 and 1998 seasons at Olympic Heights High in Boca Raton, Fl. (he was a 1998 All-Palm Beach County Athletic Conference Class 5-A first teamer and made 80 tackles with 9 sacks in 1997)...OT Nate Steinbacher is now #71, SNP-TE Joe Boskovich is now #64 and S Danny Bravo is now #47...Ten walk-ons have joined the Trojan squad: #5, QB Richie Wessman (6-1, 195, San Clemente, San Clemente HS/Orange Coast JC), #13, CB Peter Polk (5-10, 175, Los Angeles, St. Bernard HS/West Los Angeles CC), #15, QB Matt Harris (6-4, 210, Las Vegas, NV, Meadows HS), #18, P Tommy Huff (6-1, 225, Bellevue, WA, Bellevue HS, U. of Michigan), #31, P-PK Drew Thomas (6-3, 200, Johnson City, TN, Westlake HS), #41, P-CB Matt Lemos (5-10, 165, Redwood City, St. Francis HS), #46, WR Forrest Mozart (6-1, 195, Los Altos Hills, St. Francis HS), #48, S Kyle Matthews (6-0, 170, Agoura, Westlake HS), #61, LB Aaron Orndorff (6-1, 235, Bakersfield, Stockdale HS), and #70, OG Spencer Torgan (6-1, 265, Calabasas, Harvard-Westlake HS). Wessman and Polk are sophomores, Huff is a redshirt freshman and the others are first-year freshmen...A trio of walk-ons?#40 Michael Torres, #47 Spencer McCroskey and #82 D. Hale?has quit the team, as has #57 Carlos Acosta...Freshman DT Sagan Atuatasi did not meet USC admission standards and is not with the Trojans in 2000.

USC: COLLEGE OF THE YEAR 2000--USC was named the "College of the Year" by the 2000 edition of the Time/The Princeton Review College Guide. USC was chosen because of the remarkable bonds the university has forged with local schools, community residents, police, businesses and community organizations. "More institutions might do well to emulate USC's enlightened self-interest," according to the guide's editors. "For not only has the 'hood dramatically improved, but so has the university." The editors cited the university's model of service learning -- the practice of applying academic theory to real-life situations through public service -- as their main reason for choosing USC as college of the year, saying USC has one of the most ambitious social-outreach programs of any university in the nation. USC also has seen its undergraduate applications nearly double over the last few years and enrolled the most academically accomplished freshman class in its history. And USC is the only university in history to have received three individual gifts of $100 million or more.

USC: "HOT SCHOOL" OF 2001--USC has been chosen as one of America's nine "hottest schools" by the 2001 edition of the Newsweek/Kaplan College Guide. USC was selected because it lives up to its reputation as a top-notch institution of higher education. "Just as East Coast students go for New York and NYU, the West Coast is gravitating to USC in Los Angeles," according to the guide's article. "USC has morphed from a jock school to a serious contender for top students." Students quoted in the article said Los Angeles' ethnic diversity, the offer of scholarships, the small classroom sizes and USC's standing in academe attracted them to the university.

ACADEMICS--USC's official 2000 NCAA football graduation rate is an all-time high 80%...and the 2001 rate will rise to 82%. That rate is more than 20 points higher than the national football average for Division I schools. Among the top scholars on the 2000 Trojan squad are QB Mike Van Raaphorst and LB Ryan Shapiro, who both sport a team-best 3.72 GPA. Both received their bachelor's degrees last spring and are taking graduate courses this fall (Van Raaphorst--who is applying for a Rhodes Scholarship--received his degree in broadcast journalism/political science and is now taking M.B.A. classes, while Shapiro was a business administration grad who is going after his master's in communication). Other USC footballers who star in the classroom are: FB Brennan Ochs (3.12, political science), TE Scott Huber (3.10, business), TE Chad Cook (3.00, business), OG-OT Trevor Roberts (2.96, public policy and management), OT Brent McCaffrey (2.82, planning and development), DT-DE Bobby DeMars (2.82, business administration) and OT Phillip Eaves (2.80, business). Van Raaphorst and Ochs made the 1999 Pac-10 All-Academic first team (Van Raaphorst was an honorable mention selection in 1997 and 1998 and Ochs was an honorable mention pick in 1998), while Huber was an 1999 Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention pick. In its history, USC football has produced 22 Academic All-American first teamers (tops in the Pac-10 and tied for fifth in the nation), 20 NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship winners, 12 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes, 4 NCAA Today's Top Six winners, 1 Rhodes Scholar and 1 Academic All-American Hall of Famer.

IN THE NFL--USC is always well-represented in the NFL. There were 31 ex-Trojans on 2000 opening day NFL rosters (tied for seventh among all schools), including players such as LB Junior Seau, OLs Tony Boselli and Bruce Matthews, DLs Willie McGinest and Darrell Russell, WRs Keyshawn Johnson, Curtis Conway and Johnnie Morton, QB Rob Johnson, and DBs Jason Sehorn and Mark Carrier. Six NFL head coaches have USC ties (either as former players or assistants): New York Giants' Jim Fassel, Tennessee's Jeff Fisher, Seattle's Mike Holmgren, San Francisco's Steve Mariucci, Washington's Norv Turner and San Diego's Mike Riley. Seven current USC players have relatives with NFL playing backgrounds: C Eric Denmon (cousin, Rod Jones), WR Kareem Kelly (cousin, Rashard Cook), LB Darryl Knight (brother, Sammy), S Kyle Matthews (grandfather, Clay Sr., father, Clay Matthews, uncle, Bruce Matthews), OT Brent McCaffrey (father, Bob McCaffrey, uncle, Mike McCaffrey), S Troy Polamalu, (cousin, Nicky Sualua), QB Mike Van Raaphorst, (father, Dick Van Raaphorst). Additionally, head coach Paul Hackett and assistants Dennis Thurman and Brian Schottenheimer were NFL assistants (Thurman also played in the NFL).

ON TV--USC is one of America's most televised teams. The Trojans have appeared on live national, regional or local telecasts 276 times, including all 12 games in 1998 and 1999. In fact, USC had an amazing streak of 111 consecutive games on some form of live television from 1988 to 1997.

SCOUTING ARIZONA--Arizona, under 14th-year head coach Dick Tomey (the school's winningest coach), opened Pac-10 play last Saturday (Sept. 30) with a 27-3 win at Stanford. Senior QB Ortege Jenkins (45-of-89, 50.6%, 546 yds, 3 TD, 2 int in 2000) directs the offense, with freshman RB Clarence Farmer (33 tcb, 211 yds, 6.4 avg, 1 TD) and sophomore RBs Larry Croom (38 tcb, 174 yds, 4.6 avg, 1 TD in 2000) and Leo Mills (40 tcb, 163 yds, 4.1 avg in 2000) sharing the carries and soph WR Bobby Wade (11 rec, 14.9 avg, 1 TD in 2000) and freshman WR Andrae Thurman (11 rec, 11.2 avg in 2000) catching most of the passes. The Wildcat defense--which 3 times in 2000 has allowed only a field goal in a game--is fourth nationally in scoring defense (9.0, first in Pac-10), ninth in rushing defense (75.3, second in Pac-10), tied for seventh in turnover margin (+1.8, second in Pac-10) and 20th in total defense (288.0, third in Pac-10). Soph ILB Lance Briggs (team-high 38 tac, 4 for losses, 1 int in 2000) is among the Pac-10 tackle leaders (9.5) and seniors ILB Antonio Pierce (26 tac, 5 for losses, 1 FR in 200) and senior DE Joe Tafoya (18 tac, team-best 6 for losses, 1 FR in 2000) have been forces.

HACKETT SAYS--"It was a very difficult loss for us at Oregon State. To be a contender, you have to win on the road and we weren't able to do it. We had many, many opportunities, all the way up to the onside kick at the end of game. We just couldn't make the plays when we had to make them. The red zone continues to haunt us and our special teams continue to hurt us. We've just got to put this behind us, regroup and get ready for Arizona?The Wildcats are on the move. They have momentum and had a big win at Stanford. Winning on the road is so important in the Pac-10. Ortege Jenkins appears to be coming into his own. But it's their defense and the unorthodox style that is the key for Arizona. They really held Stanford down. Arizona seems to be gaining confidence and momentum. This will be a very difficult task for us on Saturday."

GAME PROMOTIONS--Computer screensavers featuring USC athletics will be handed out after the game, compliments of America West?Senior Amber Buhl, a member of the USC women's rowing team who has a 3.31 GPA, will be recognized during the Verizon Academic Salute?The USC men's volleyball team, which has been 1 victory away from advancing to the NCAA Final Four the past 2 years, will be saluted during the Team Trojan Spotlight.

INJURY UPDATE--OUT: S Matt Grootegoed (mono), Joe McGuire (back), Gregg Guenther (back), TB Chris Howard (knee), LB John Cousins (finger), CB Antuan Simmons (abdominal tumor), TE Chad Cook (knee), DE Jamaal Williams (leg), S John Morgan (knee). PROBABLE: WR Kareem Kelly (quad, ankle), TB Sultan McCullough (knee), TB Petros Papadakis (concussion), OG-OT Trevor Roberts (foot), DT Bernard Riley (ankle).

A LOOK AT USC'S
DAVID BELL
Placekicker-Punter
6-0, 190, Senior
Anaheim, Calif. (Western)

It's easy to take kickoffs for granted. Sure, they signal the start of a football game and they occur after every score, but they are soon forgotten--a mere formality until the real game resumes.

But for USC placekicker David Bell, kickoffs are a matter of pride. The strong-legged senior from Anaheim, Calif., has nailed 13 of his 20 kickoffs this season for touchbacks. Three more have failed to be returned past the 20-yard line by Trojan opponents. Bell has suddenly become a special teams weapon.

"It's (kicking a touchback) something I certainly shoot for," said the 6-0, 190-pound Bell."If I kick it in the end zone every time and they start on the 20 every time, there's no chance of a big return against us. It keeps the pressure off the kick-off team."

As the backup field goal kicker to David Newbury, Bell hasn't had much of a chance this season to show his wares that way, but he did hit a 38-yarder last year against Louisiana Tech and added two extra points. Bell knows he must be ready if called upon.

"I still practice field goals a lot just in case something was to happen to Newbury," Bell said. "I'd be prepared to step into that position, but most of my preparation goes towards kick-offs now.

"My main focus right now is doing the kickoffs and putting the opposing offenses as deep in their territories as possible. If we could get them to start on the 20 every time, I would feel like I'm doing my job pretty effectively."

As a senior at Western High in Anaheim, Bell hit 34-of-39 extra points, eight-of-15 field goals and put 42-of-54 kickoffs into the end zone as touchbacks. The last signee from USC's 1996 recruiting class, Bell handled the Trojans' kickoff duties in the last 10 games of his freshman season and proved effective, but the transition to becoming a college placekicker was a tough one.

"Probably the biggest adjustment coming from high school was going from a tee to the ground on field goals," said Bell. "A lot of kickers kick off a two inch block during high school which makes it a lot easier to kick balls, so when they come into college it's a big adjustment."

With the field goal duties firmly in the hands (or feet) of Adam Abrams when Bell arrived at USC, kickoffs became Bell's focus. Now in his third year of kickoff duty, he has the process narrowed down to a science.

"I pretty much try to kick through the ball," Bell explains. "As I'm approaching the ball, I try to find a spot beyond the ball to kick through. A lot of times if you hit too far under the ball you get a real fast rotation and the ball won't travel as far. I have a little spot on the ball that I aim at and I try to kick through that spot. A lot of it is mental, because if you're going to the ball thinking that you're going to kill it, then on your last step you'll really jump at the ball and it really throws everything off."

Bell used his kickoff expertise to great effect against Penn State at the Kickoff Classic, as five of his six kicks sailed into the end zone for touchbacks. Penn State's offense seemed to get demoralized each time it realized that an 80-yard drive was the prerequisite to scoring a touchdown. For Bell, it was a gratifying experience to be such an integral part of a team win.

"It's definitely different being a kicker," notes Bell. "You have to look at things differently. You see all the guys out there on the field working hard and you want to do something. You want to work hard, too. But you can't go out there and kick 200 balls a day because by the time it came down to it, you're leg would fall off."

Bell certainly doesn't have the stereotypical kicker's mentality. He enjoys getting the chance to make tackles on kickoffs, though he admits that the allure has faded somewhat this season.

"Last year, I had six tackles," said Bell, who also played running back and linebacker in high school. "I liked running down there, but I guess I might be getting a little lazy in my old age. I figure it would be a lot easier if I just kick it in the endzone and not have to run down as much."

A public policy and management major, Bell is due to graduate in January. After taking some time off, he might go to work for the appropriately-named Pacific Bell, where he interned this past summer.

"I worked for the engineering department," said Bell. "My main responsibility was filling orders and helping customers with their service."

In the meantime, USC can count on David Bell to continue his long distance kickoff service--free of charge.

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