Inside the numbers: USC's returning starters

By Jordan Moore on August 9, 2009 11:56 AM | No Comments

Much has been made of the fact that USC has just three starters returning from last year's record-setting defense.

But that stat is highly deceptive.

Five key players in various position battles have at least three starts each, making the defense surprisingly experienced considering the oft-used and misleading -- though technically correct -- "three returning starters" stat that's repeated in newspaper articles and on TV.

The three official returning starters on defense are safeties Taylor Mays and Josh Pinkard and defensive lineman Christian Tupou, but five more players add some lesser-known experience to the defense.

Safety Will Harris and defensive end Everson Griffen have five previous starts each, cornerback Kevin Thomas has four, cornerback Shareece Wright has three and defensive tackle Averell Spicer has three previous starts. So, along with Mays and Pinkard, Harris, Thomas and Wright make a fully experienced defensive backfield, and Griffen and Spicer join Tupou to form a veteran frontline.

Even linebacker Michael Morgan has one previous start, meaning the defense is definitely not as depleted as the media is making it seem.

So the more realistic statement should read, "USC returns nine players on defense who have previous starting experience."

That stat is definitely much less worrisome -- and a lot more truthful.

University Southern California Trojans

Inside the numbers: USC's returning starters

Inside the numbers: USC's returning starters

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