[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. . 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. Phone. It is widely considered one of the greatest college football teams of all time. Then, enrolling in the fall is J.C. All-American Scott Ware (Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa, Calif.), who is a junior, and prep All-American Josh Pinkard (Hueneme High in Oxnard, Calif.), who is a freshman. Joining the tackles in the fall as a freshman is prep All-American Lawrence Miles (La Quinta High in La Quinta, Calif.). [6] Matt Leinart passed for a career-high 400 yards and a school record-tying five touchdowns Saturday, leading the top-ranked Trojans to a 4110 victory and adding a highlight performance to his ultimately successful Heisman campaign. The game against the Bruins was later vacated as a result of NCAA sanctions. Fr. [39], The Sooners scored first, having stopped an opening USC drive. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. A pair of prep All-Americans-Thomas Herring (Fremont High in Los Angeles, Calif.) and Jeff Schweiger (Valley Christian High in San Jose, Calif.)-have a chance to make a contribution as freshmen when they arrive in the fall. In March, he took over as interim inside wide receivers coach while Dave Nichol was away from the program for a personal matter . "Gregg Guenther and Dominique Byrd were outstanding last season and getting Alex Holmes back really strengthens the position.". But all is not lost, as 2 starters returnand they're among the nation's best. [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. USC later vacated 2 wins (1 in conference), as well as the BCS and Pac-10 Championships, due to NCAA sanctions. 2004 USC >> 2003 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll (12-1) Offensive Coordinator: Norm Chow Defensive Coordinator: Other Assistant Coaches: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) Lane Kiffin (WR Coach) Ed Orgeron (AHC/RC/DL Coach) Best Players on the 2003 USC Trojans Football Team QB Matt Leinart QB John David Booty RB Lendale White RB Reggie Bush Fr., DE Shaun Cody, Sr., DE-DT Sedrick Ellis, Rs. [17] The Cal Golden Bears, led by Coach Jeff Tedford, were already ranked their highest since 1991 and looking to earn one of the biggest victories in program history. The bull-like White, who had a trio of 100-yard games last season, was the first true freshman to lead USC in rushing (his 754 yards were the second most by a Trojan frosh behind Charles White's 858 in 1976) and his 13 rushing TDs were a USC freshman mark (his 14 total TDs tied the USC frosh record). football@usc.edu. [40] The turning point in the game came early in the first quarter, with the game tied 77, Sooner Mark Bradley made a critical special teams error that resulted in USC gaining possession on the Oklahoma 6-yard-line; after that the game turned into a USC rout. 2004 USC Trojans Stats Previous Year Next Year Record: 13-0 (1st of 120) ( Schedule & Results ) Rank: 1st in the Final AP poll Conference: Pac-10 Conference Record: 8-0 Coach: Pete Carroll (13-0) Points For: 496 Points/G: 38.2 (6th of 120) Points Against: 169 More Team Info USC School History 2004 USC Statistics Schedule & Results Roster Game Logs Both have a knack for creating havoc. We'll attempt to continue to play defense fast and aggressively, looking to take away the football.". ", 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. His underrated, yet steady, ability-remember his highlight reel touchdown grabs against Michigan in last season's Rose Bowl-made it unwise for teams to double-cover Williams. "It starts with a big-time opener against a premier program and never lets up. Quarterback Matt Leinart was awarded the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding collegiate football player in the United States, with teammate Reggie Bush coming in 5th place. [6] The shutout was Washington's first since 1981, ending a national-best active streak of consecutive games without being shut out at 271. Fr., DT Thomas Herring, In. Defensively, Troy should be strong at linebacker and up the middle from front to back, while the ends and corners must be replaced. [6], The Trojans made their first visit to LaVell Edwards Stadium, on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. 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. A lot of the key players from that offense return this year. USC fielded record-setting punt and placekicking squads. 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. Fr., DE Lawrence Miles, In. "The reconstruction of our offensive line will be critical," said Carroll. Fr., CB Justin Wyatt, Jr., CB. Fr. Obviously there are emotional swings with sports and so the mathematical ratings do not always line up with the emotional expectations from a team. (213) 740-4204. 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. "Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson are the best defensive linemen in college football," said Carroll. LB Brian Cushing. The Trojans then return home to host Arizona and Notre Dame before concluding their season on "Championship Saturday" (Dec. 4) at UCLA. And USC blocked 7 kicks (6 field goals and a punt). After all, his Trojans have won 20 of their last 21 games (and their past 15 home contests) and have been dominant on both sides of the ball. 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). Ryan Powdrell, In. Fr., DE Travis Tofi, So., DT Ryan Watson, Rs. He likely will start again, as could senior guard John Drake, if he's healthy. Nazel, the defense's vocal leader, was a 2-year starter who last year notched 27 tackles, including 6.5 for loss (with 4 sacks), 2 fumble recoveries and an interception. As an indication of just how prolific USC's offense has become under coordinator Norm Chow, consider that the Trojans have scored at least 20 points in their last 26 games (a school record), including a stretch of 11 consecutive 30-points games (also a USC mark) and 7 straight 40-point contests (a Pac-10 record). He was named to the fulltime staff in January of 2018. "The past 2 years, we were really good on defense and we played just how we drew it up," said Carroll, the team's defensive coordinator. He went on to throw a Pac-10 record 38 TDs (1 shy of the NCAA sophomore mark). Twitter. (Simon Park | Daily Trojan) [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. Most of USC's specialists from 2003 return, including perhaps the nation's premier punter (Tom Malone) and placekicker (Ryan Killeen), plus an exciting kickoff returner (Reggie Bush), a dependable punt returner (Greig Carlson) and a steady holder (Malone). A new center must emerge, with the candidates coming from sophomore Ryan Kalil, incoming freshman prep All-American Jeff Byers (Loveland High in Loveland, Colo.), who was the national high school player of the year in 2003, and junior walk-on Ross Burruel. The 2021 Gamecocks football coaching staff is complete. . 2020 Seattle Seahawks Season 12 4 Lost in Wild Card to LAR, (Win Expectations: Make Div. Fr., OG-OT Drew Radovich, Rs. [35] USC scored next 28 points en route to a 3810 halftime lead. The tight end corps is deep, with Gregg Guenther Jr. (17 catches and 2 TDs in 2003)-also a star on the Trojan basketball team-back after starting the last half of 2003, along with Dominique Byrd (14 catches and 6 early starts in 2003) and Alex Holmes (58 career catches), USC's starter in 2002 but injured last season. Colbert was selected in the NFL's second round. "Our kicking game, under the expert guidance of coach Dennis Slutak once again, should be very strong. After trailing 130 in second quarter, USC scored the next 28 points with a pivotal 65-yard scoring return by Reggie Bush in the 4th quarter with the game close at 1413. But Carroll speaks from experience when he says he is confident that his 2004 Trojans will respond well. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. LOS ANGELES New USC football head coach . Wil Smith, So. Do you have a blog? We have some talented players among our other ends, but we need some to emerge. "Can the USC football team defend its national championship in 2004?". [6] With the victory, USC sealed a bid for the BCS National Championship Game in the Orange Bowl.[34]. He averages a touchdown every 6.1 times he touches the ball. 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). [36] The game also featured four out of five of the 2004 Heisman finalists with Leinart, White, Reggie Bush and Sooner running back Adrian Peterson, the Heisman runner-up. But I was pleased with the line's progress in this past spring's practice. USC belongs at the top of college football, and this coaching staff is going to be instrumental in making that happen. The team also won the AP title for the second year in a row. Only 2-year starting weakside linebacker Melvin Simmons is gone (he had 55 tackles and 3 fumble recoveries last season). Former standout USC and NFL wide receiver Keary Colbert has spent 3 years on USC's fulltime staff. 2001 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll (6-6) Offensive Coordinator: Norm Chow Defensive Coordinator: Other Assistant Coaches: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) Lane Kiffin (TE Coach) Ed Orgeron (AHC/DL/RC) Best Players on the 2001 USC Trojans Football Team QB Carson Palmer QB Matt Cassel RB Sunny Byrd RB Sultan McCullough WR Kareem Kelly (213) 740-4204. We are constantly tweaking our formula so that we can find the sweet spot of when a coach is technically on the hot seat. [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. "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. Alex Grinch, defensive coordinator. RUNNING BACKS USC is loaded once again at the running back spots. Inside Wide Receivers Coach. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. 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). ", DEFENSIVE BACKS Kevin Arbet, Sr., CB Darnell Bing, So., S Chris Bocage, Sr., S Greg Farr, Sr., S Alex Gomez, Jr., CB Jason Leach, Sr., S Ronald Nunn, Sr., CB Josh Pinkard, In. But a new snapper (for both short and long snaps) must be developed. We had tremendous fan support last year and we'll need all of them again in our quest to be the best in 2004.". . USC's tallest player at 6-8, once football season concludes he changes into a basketball jersey and stars for the Trojan hoopsters. [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. There's a lot of leadership in this group. 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. 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. Fr., TB Chauncey Washington, So., TB Lee Webb, Sr., FB LenDale White, So., TB Andre Woodert, Jr., TB. But he was not selected because of a judicial stay on that ruling, which was then overturned. [5] The university filed an appeal of the sanctions which was later denied by the NCAA. The NCAA also forced USC to permanently disassociate itself from Bush. DEFENSIVE BACKS The good news in the secondary is that both starting safeties return. [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. We'll have a very competitive environment each day to determine playing time and starting roles. But he was not selected because of a judicial stay on that ruling, which was then overturned. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. After the regular season, the University of Mississippi hired USC Assistant Head Coach Ed Orgeron, who also served as Defensive Line Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, to be the new head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football team; although hired on December 16, 2004, he remained with USC through the Orange Bowl.[42]. The team was coached by Pete Carroll in his fourth year with the Trojans, and played their home games in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He gave an early indication of his talent when his first career pass went for a touchdown at Auburn in last fall's opener. 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. Jr., OT Alatini Malu, So., OG Fred Matua, So., OG Chilo Rachal, In. But he was ineligible for this past spring's practice and will not participate in the 2004 season because of a student conduct violation. Coming aboard this fall as freshmen are 3 prep All-Americans: former high school teammates Jimmy Miller and Michael Stuart (Westlake High in Westlake Village, Calif.), plus Dale Thompson (Santiago High in Corona, Calif.), "We have a lot of personnel options at tight end, which is good because we emphasize the position in our offense," said Carroll. [44], In June 2010, the NCAA imposed sanctions on USC as a result of an investigation into the football program. The electrifying Bush earned Freshman All-American first team honors as he set the USC freshman all-purpose yardage record (1,331 yards) and, as a hold-your-breath-when-he-gets-the-ball runner, had 24 plays of 20-plus yards in 2003. And USC's rushing offense (155.9), though not nationally ranked, was its best since 1991. Find out more. "With Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed and Dallas Sartz, it's like we have 3 returning starters. 1, "Hammer falls: USC to vacate football, basketball wins", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2004_USC_Trojans_football_team&oldid=1116882498, 110, 2 wins vacated (70 Pac-10, 1 win vacated), Defensive line coach/ Recruiting Coordinator, Wide receivers coach/Pass game coordinator. The Bruins, having come off a three-week break of consecutive bye weeks, came into the game as serious underdogs in the Victory Bell. He proved to be a load at 350 pounds before breaking his ankle late in the year (he missed 2004 spring drills while recuperating). Dale Thompson, In. "They're both really hard to block and are relentless in how they play the game. Coach: Henry Bibby (2-2), Jim Saia (10-15) PS/G: 74.4 (55th of 330) PA/G: 76.8 (315th of 330) Zach Hanson, tight ends coach. Last year, USC allowed just 1.2 sacks a game (its lowest average since 1987). Dallas Sartz, Jr. Lofa Tatupu, Jr. Thomas Williams, Rs. It's possible he'll concentrate solely on basketball in his senior season. "We know we can expect a high level of play out of our experienced returning players. 2004 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll (13-0) Offensive Coordinator: Norm Chow Defensive Coordinator: Other Assistant Coaches: Lane Kiffin (WR Coach) Ed Oregeron (AHC/DL/RC) Best Players on the 2004 USC Football Team QB Matt Leinart QB Matt Cassel RB Lendale White RB Reggie Bush WR Dwayne Jarrett WR Steve Smith LB Matt Grootegoed 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 has 12 100-yard receiving games in his career. Fred Davis graduated a semester early from Rogers High in Toledo, Ohio, and enrolled at USC this past spring. The threesome combined for 1,906 rushing yards (146.6 yards a game) with 20 TDs in 2003; each rushed for at least 500 yards (the first time that had happened at USC since 1988) and averaged at least 4.8 yards per carry. 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. Join our linker program. "That's my fundamental approach to the game: control the ball on offense, go get it on defense and make things happen on special teams," said Carroll. Email. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Fr., DE Lawrence Jackson, Rs. Fr., C John Drake, Sr., OG Travis Draper, Fr., OG Winston Justice, Jr., OT Ryan Kalil, So, C John Lanza, So, OG Taitusi Lutui, In. Both of 2003's starting cornerbacks are gone: Will Poole, an All-Pac-10 first teamer and NFL fourth rounder whose 7 interceptions (the most at USC since 1994) and 19 deflections last year ranked him in the top 10 nationally in those categories (he also had 80 tackles, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries), and Marcell Allmond, who helped Troy to an 18-1 record when he started in the secondary (he had 3 picks and 48 stops in 2003). 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 has accomplished this with a multi-pronged offensive attack that stresses efficiency and ball control, an aggressive defensive approach that thrives on getting turnovers and an effective, mistake-free kicking game. Also pushing for playing time at the corner spots will be juniors Justin Wyatt (10 tac in 2003, plus 3 rec, 20 yds, 6.7 avg and 3 KOR, 41 yds, 13.7 avg), who also saw some action at wide receiver last fall, and John Walker (3 tac, 1 dfl in 2003), and redshirt freshmen Eric Wright and Terrell Thomas, plus junior walk-ons Alex Gomez and Justin Tolliver. 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. [25] The game marked the first career start for Husky quarterback Isaiah Stanback. It's no wonder, then, that the Trojans likely will enter the 2004 campaign as a pre-season favorite to repeat as national champs. Matt Leinart, Jr. Michael McDonald, Rs. "The competition in the wide receiver group will be critical," said Carroll. Mike Williams, Jr. John Zilka, Rs. Bush might also return punts. He ended up as the Trojans' leading tackler in 2003. Three of the nation's top recruits could make an immediate impact as freshmen (all were prep All-Americans). It was also banned from bowl games in 2010 and 2011 and lost 30 scholarships over three years. [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. The True Hiring Score or THS is compiled by a complex formula bringing together many different factors. Behind him is walk-on redshirt freshman Mario Danelo, the son of ex-NFL kicker Joe Danelo. [33], The top-ranked Trojans visited the Bruins for their annual crosstown rivalry game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on the 75th anniversary of the first USC-UCLA game in 1929. Marques Tuiasosopo, Tight Ends. I think cornerback will be a strong position for us. But we'll throw open the competition for those two corner spots and see how it unfolds. He has a good arm and is a leader. All rights reserved. "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," said Carroll, who is 29-9 at USC (including 10-0 in November). His career average of 44.9 is nearly a yard above the school standard. Is Coach Ken Niumatalolo on the Hot Seat? Fr. HOLDERS Junior punter Tom Malone will be the holder for his third season. LOS ANGELES New USC football head coach Lincoln Riley has named his full-time assistant coaching staff. of Playoffs), Offensive Coordinator Los Angeles Wildcats, Still Laying the Foundation of the Program, Coach Pete Carroll Coaching Tree & Rating. He received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA because he was out of action for most of the past 2 seasons with a foot injury (he'll miss 2004 spring drills while recuperating). Gone from the defense are All-American end Kenechi Udeze, a 3-year starter who left after his junior season to enter the NFL draft (he was the nation's sack co-leader in 2003 when he had 16.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss and 5 forced fumbles), and fellow end Omar Nazel (a 2-year starter), plus both starting cornerbacks (All-Pac-10er Will Poole, who had 7 interceptions and 80 tackles in 2003, and Marcell Allmond, who led USC to an 18-1 mark when he started in the secondary) and 2-year starting outside linebacker Melvin Simmons. In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy, Matt Leinart also won the Walter Camp Award and was named the AP Player of the Year. [43] Dating back to former Trojan QB Carson Palmer's 2002 season, it was the third year in a row that a Trojan was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive end Lawrence Jackson were named to the Freshman All-American first team. And we have the potential to be explosive in the return game.". Alex Grinch. [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. The season before that, USC fired offensive coordinator Tee Martin and three other assistants, while quarterbacks coach Bryan Ellis took the offensive coordinator job at Western Kentucky. "We had a lot of weapons and scored lots of points. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. You won't find anyone better than Tom Malone or Ryan Killeen. Matt Cassel, Sr. Brandon Hance, Sr. Billy Hart, Jr. Rocky Hinds, In. 2 (wire-to-wire), respectively, in the AP and Coaches polls. Marco Chavez, Sr. Eugene Germany, In. He has had a great career here already and we would expect more of the same in 2004.". "The challenge is whether we can keep it up. ", RUNNING BACKS Jody Adewale, Rs. First, a starting wide receiver must emerge and we must reconstruct the line. USC's punter (All-American Tom Malone, whose 49.0 average in 2003 was a school record) and placekicker (Ryan Killeen, whose 65 PATs last year set a Pac-10 record and 19 field goals tied the USC mark) are back, as well as USC's top kick returner (Bush) and punt returner (wide receiver Greig Carlson) from 2003. "He's an impact player because of his size, speed and ability. The talk will be inevitable, and understandably so. RB Chauncey Washington. "Matt Leinart is coming off a great year," said Carroll. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He was sixth nationally in receptions and 10th in receiving yards in 2003. Fr. Fr. But nobody else has seen significant action at this level yet. "I truly believe we have put together an elite group of coaches that will help build this football program back to national prominence.