Through his first four starts, it's safe to say Matt Barkley is off to pretty strong start.
But when you compare Barkley's stats to the first four starts of his predecessors, the numbers look even better. Barkley's completion percentage and passing yards are all roughly equal to the numbers of Mark Sanchez, John David Booty and Matt Leinart -- a trio that ultimately led the Trojans to seven Pac-10 titles and two national championships -- during their opening quartet of starts. The freshman's interception total is tied for the lowest among the group, and his passing efficiency mark is second-best. And to top it all off, his team's record of 4-0 in his starts is rivaled by only Booty's start in 2006.
Check out the full line of stats for the first four starts of the four quarterbacks who have made their debuts during the Coach Carroll era:
Name                  C-A      Percent  Yards         TDs       INTs      P.E.      Team's record
Matt Barkley        63-107  58.9%    958 yards   3 TDs    2 INTs   139.60   4-0 record
Mark Sanchez      92-145  63.4%    980 yards  10 TDs   5 INTs   136.08   3-1 record
John David Booty  96-142  67.6%   966 yards  10 TDs   2 INTs   145.17   4-0 record
Matt Leinart          72-124  58.0%   924 yards  8 TDs     6 INTs   132.27   3-1 record
[C-A: Completions-Attempts; P.E.: Passing efficiency]
- Research by Ricky Cambier, USCRipsIt student assistant
University Southern California Trojans
Tuesday, June 23
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
