[43] All three players made the All-Pac-10 first team, with Bush making the team as both a running back and punt returner; they were joined by Mike Patterson, Matt Grootegoed, Lofa Tatupu and P Tom Malone. They'll take this challenge on with great excitement this year. Last year, USC allowed just 1.2 sacks a game (its lowest average since 1987). [44], In June 2010, the NCAA imposed sanctions on USC as a result of an investigation into the football program. 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. Fr., OG-OT Drew Radovich, Rs. The leading candidates for both roles are redshirt freshman Will Collins, a one-time walk-on who earned a scholarship this spring, and junior walk-on linebacker Collin Ashton. QUARTERBACKS John David Booty, So. Jr. Keith Rivers, In. And the Trojan defense-whose +1.33 turnover margin and +111 takeaways in Carroll's first 3 seasons are best in the nation-topped the country in 2003 in rushing defense. He had 35 touchbacks among his 99 kickoffs in 2003 (and he kept foes within the 20-yard line 58 times). A mix of players with experience and youth will contend for both vacant end jobs: junior Frostee Rucker (26 tac, 4 for loss, 1.5 sack, 1 int, 1 dfl, 1 FF, 2 FR in 2003), who started 5 games last year when Nazel was injured, and redshirt freshmen Chris Barrett, Lawrence Jackson and Alex Morrow. Backing him will be junior David Kirtman (5 tcb, 23 yds, 4.6 avg in 2003, plus 5 rec., 28 yds, 5.6 avg), a rugged blocker who has starting experience and is a key special teamer, and redshirt freshman Jody Adewale, a converted tailback. ", USC will defend its national championship against a schedule that features 6 opponents who played in bowls last season. He set a Pac-10 season mark with 212 consecutive passes without an interception (just 4 throws short of the league's career record). Offensively, Troy has scored at least 20 points in the past 26 outings, with stretches of 11 consecutive 30-point games and 7 straight 40-point performances, and last year scored a Pac-10 record 534 points. The 122 points he scored in 2003 were the second-most ever tallied at USC. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. "With Ronald Nunn, Kevin Arbet and Justin Wyatt, it's really like we have four returning starters in the secondary," said Carroll. The 2004 AP title, however, remains in place. [16] The crowd was USC's largest crowd for a non-UCLA/Notre Dame rivalry game since the 1952 Cal game. [21] USC quickly put the game out of reach, scoring 42 points in the first half behind 4 touchdown passes Matt Leinart and school single game record-tying 3 scoring grabs by Dwayne Jarrett. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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. [6] The game marked the return of USC Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow to the program where he spent 27 years as an assistant under former Coach LaVell Edwards. << 2004 USC 2006 USC >> 2005 USC Coaching Staff Head Coach: Pete Carroll Offensive Coordinator: Lane Kiffin & Steve Sarkisian Defensive Coordinator: Pete Carroll Other Assistant Coaches: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) Lane Kiffin (PGC/OC) Best Players on the 2005 USC Trojans Football Team QB Matt Leinart QB John David Booty RB Reggie Bush It's no wonder, then, that the Trojans likely will enter the 2004 campaign as a pre-season favorite to repeat as national champs. In March, he took over as interim inside wide receivers coach while Dave Nichol was away from the program for a personal matter . Junior middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu (98 tac, 11.5 for loss, 3 sack, 10 dfl, 4 int with 1 for a TD, 1 FF in 2003) returns after making the improbable jump from starting at Maine in 2001 to doing so at USC last fall. QB John David Booty. He averages a touchdown every 6.1 times he touches the ball. "Our goal always will be to win the Pac-10 championship and the Rose Bowl. He's good enough to merit All-American consideration (he was a Butkus Award and Lombardi Award semifinalist last season). The first from 1988-2004, and second . "I'm excited about this coaching staff," said Carroll. The kicking game returns intact, except for the snapper. PLACEKICKERS Senior Ryan Killeen (19-of-24 FG, 65-of-57 PAT in 2003) ranks among the nation's top placekickers. A lot of the key players from that offense return this year. WIDE RECEIVERS This past February when a court ruled that players didn't have to wait until after their third year out of high school to enter the NFL draft, All-American first teamer Mike Williams quickly decided to give up his final 2 seasons at Troy and go pro. They comprise what many are saying is the school's second consecutive No. He was 10th nationally in kickoff returns (27.3, first in Pac-10) and had a scoring runback. Three of the nation's top recruits could make an immediate impact as freshmen (all were prep All-Americans). Headlining the offense will be quarterback Matt Leinart and wide receiver Mike Williams, All-Americans who should figure prominently in this year's Heisman race (they were sixth and eighth, respectively, in last season's voting). DEFENSIVE BACKS The good news in the secondary is that both starting safeties return. He has 12 100-yard receiving games in his career. Walk-on redshirt freshman Sean Kelly, another former tailback, also is available. Providing that safety depth will be twin redshirt freshmen Brandon Ting (3 tac in 2003) and Ryan Ting (1 tac in 2003), and senior walk-ons Greg Farr (6 tac in 2003) and Chris Bocage (1 tac in 2003), who missed 2004 spring practice while recovering from a knee injury. He's a smart quarterback who understands our offense. 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). Dwayne Jarrett (New Brunswick High in New Brunswick, N.J.) and Derrick Jones (Long Beach Poly High in Long Beach, Calif.) come in this fall. USC later vacated 2 wins (1 in conference), as well as the BCS and Pac-10 Championships, due to NCAA sanctions. [6] White threw for 24-of-36 for 244 yards with three interceptions and two touchdowns; Peterson ran for 82 yards on 25 carries. Fr., DE Travis Tofi, So., DT Ryan Watson, Rs. Other possibilities on the outside among the returnees are junior walk-on Collin Ashton (28 tac, 0.5 for loss, 1 FF, 1 dfl in 2003), who performed admirably while starting twice late last year when Simmons was injured, and redshirt freshman Thomas Williams, plus walk-on sophomore Mike Brittingham, who also can play fullback. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. Both are weapons for us. Looking to break into the tailback rotation are sophomore Chauncey Washington (19 tcb, 65 yds, 3.4 avg, plus 1 rec, 6 yds, 6.0 avg), another power runner who might have figured more prominently in 2003 had an early ankle injury not hampered him, and quick redshirt freshman Desmond Reed, who worked at wide receiver and in the secondary last fall, along with a pair of walk-ons in junior Andre Woodert (3 tcb, 19 yds, 6.3 avg in 2003) and redshirt freshman John Griffin. It was also banned from bowl games in 2010 and 2011 and lost 30 scholarships over three years. He assumed control of the job immediately and soon was playing like a veteran. His 65 PATs last fall were a Pac-10 season record and his 19 field goals tied the USC season mark. "We've made so much progress on special teams," said Carroll. 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. 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. 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. 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. [12] Running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White both broke 100 yards each en route to victory. Because of the controversy that ended the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season with a split national title between LSU and USC, the motto for the Trojans' 2004 season became "Leave No Doubt. Is Coach Ken Niumatalolo on the Hot Seat? Bush might also return punts. But we'll throw open the competition for those two corner spots and see how it unfolds. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Junior Dominique Byrd (14 rec, 268 yds, 19.1 avg, 1 TD in 2003) started the first half of 2003 and was impressive before suffering a season-ending knee injury (he missed 2004 spring drills while recuperating). [27] USC took the upper hand early on, taking a 140 lead before WSU's offense got on the field; by halftime, it was 350, as the Trojans had 289 yards and 16 first downs to the Cougars 54 and 4. Also in the mix are sophomore ex-center Kurt Katnik (1 rec, 13 yds, 13.0 avg in 2003), plus walk-ons Nick Vanderboom, a sophomore, and senior Owen Hanson. "The reconstruction of our offensive line will be critical," said Carroll. Others back with starting experience include cornerbacks Ronald Nunn and Kevin Arbet, linebacker Dallas Sartz, end Frostee Rucker and linebacker Collin Ashton. On June 10, 2010, USC was forced to vacate its two final wins from the 2004 season (December 2004 against UCLA and the BCS championship game), as well as all wins from the 2005 season, following an NCAA investigation into possible violations by the Trojans' football and men's basketball programs. The Ray Guy Award candidate broke the USC season punting average record by 3.4 yards last fall (his 49.0 mark was just 0.3 off of the Pac-10 standard). TIGHT ENDS Dominique Byrd, Jr. GREGG GUENTHER JR., Sr. Owen Hanson, Sr. Alex Holmes, Sr. Kurt Katnik, So. 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). Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley is the new football coach at USC, and he's bringing several of his assistants with him to Los Angeles. 1 recruiting class in the nation. "I am very excited to formally announce our coaching staff," said Riley. . QUARTERBACKS USC has perhaps the nation's top quarterback in record-setting All-American first teamer Matt Leinart (255-of-402, 63.4%, 3,556 yds, 38 TD, 9 int in 2003), a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Along the way, USC swept traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame for the second year in a row (only the second time it has ever done that in back-to-back seasons). Cody's move to end means promising sophomore Manuel Wright (8 tac, 2 for loss, 1 sack, 3 dfl in 2003) will assume his tackle spot. We also have some talented young players who can make a mark.". Fr., OT Ross Burruel, Jr., C Jeff Byers, In. 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. "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. Both performed flawlessly during their careers. Others back with starting experience include guard John Drake, tight end Dominique Byrd, fullbacks Lee Webb and David Kirtman, and wide receivers Chris McFoy and William Buchanon. Fr. In all, 79 squadmen return from last year's national championship team, including 56 who saw playing time in 2003 (50 were lettermen and 31 were on the season-ending 2-deep). Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive end Lawrence Jackson were named to the Freshman All-American first team. "But because of our accomplishments the past two seasons, we know we'll be challenged to the max each game now. Fr., SNP Mario Danelo, Rs. Jr., S Eric Wright, Rs. We'll have a very competitive environment each day to determine playing time and starting roles. Williams came out of 2004 spring drills as the frontrunner on the right side and Baker was the starter on the left. Senior Alex Holmes, who has 58 career catches, is back after sitting out last fall with a back injury. Fr., DE Lawrence Miles, In. Fr., OT Matt Spanos, Rs. Jason Mitchell, Sr. Steve Smith, So. He likely will start again, as could senior guard John Drake, if he's healthy. We had tremendous fan support last year and we'll need all of them again in our quest to be the best in 2004.". 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. You won't find anyone better than Tom Malone or Ryan Killeen. He has an excellent staff of assistant coaches, including 8 from last year-offensive coordinator Norm Chow (the 2002 Broyles Award winner as the nation's top assistant), defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron (named the nation's top recruiter in 2004), Tim Davis (offensive line), Greg Burns (secondary), Lane Kiffin (wide receivers/passing game coordinator), Rocky Seto (he moved from safeties to linebackers this year), Brennan Carroll (tight ends) and Dennis Slutak (special teams)-and 3 newcomers in quarterbacks coach Carl Smith (he has 32 years of experience, including 11 years as an NFL offensive coordinator) and ex-NFL stars Todd McNair (running backs) and Ken Norton Jr. (linebackers). In the process, Leinart has thrust himself to the front of this year's Heisman race and is also a leading candidate for the Davey O'Brien Award. Twitter. [8] The game marked the emergence of running back Reggie Bush, who often lined up at wide receiver, catching five passes for 127 yards and scored three touchdowns in a tight game. [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. for the first time ever. [8] Although Virginia Tech was not ranked going into the game, they ended the season ranked 9th, going 103 (71 in the ACC), becoming ACC Champions in their first year in the conference and were invited to the 2005 Nokia Sugar Bowl. Obviously there are emotional swings with sports and so the mathematical ratings do not always line up with the emotional expectations from a team. LINEBACKERS USC's strength on defense will be its linebacking corps. USC's tallest player at 6-8, once football season concludes he changes into a basketball jersey and stars for the Trojan hoopsters. The Lou Groza Award candidate was 12th nationally in scoring (9.4, second in Pac-10) and tied for 18th in field goals (1.5, third in Pac-10) in 2003. "We had a lot of weapons and scored lots of points. 3 wideout last fall, Whitney Lewis (3 rec, 27 yds, 9.0 avg in 2003, plus 3 tcb, 11 yds, 3.7 avg) and Chris McFoy (2 rec, 23 yds, 12.5 avg in 2003), senior Jason Mitchell (2 rec, 27 yds, 13.5 avg in 2003), and juniors Greig Carlson, who was USC's top punt returner last season (21 PR, 188 yds, 9.0 avg in 2003), and one-time cornerback William Buchanon (3 tac, 1 dfl, 1 int in 2003). Fr., CB Justin Wyatt, Jr., CB. And he punctuated USC's Rose Bowl victory over Michigan by catching a 15-yard scoring pass off a reverse. Defensively, Troy should be strong at linebacker and up the middle from front to back, while the ends and corners must be replaced. We were efficient and took care of the football. Fr. But I was pleased with the line's progress in this past spring's practice. The team also won the AP title for the second year in a row. The talk will be inevitable, and understandably so. Whitney Lewis, So. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press) Lincoln Riley isn't the. Fr. Fr., FB David Kirtman, Jr., FB Desmond Reed, Rs. Orgeron had two stints with the Trojans. [46][47] However, USC lifted the restrictions related to Reggie Bush in 2020, welcoming him back to the program.[1]. Is Coach Philip Montgomery on the Hot Seat? [43], In conference, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush were named 2004 Pac-10 Co-Offensive Players of the Year, while DE-DT Shaun Cody was Pac-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year; it marked the first time teammates had ever shared the honors on one side of the ball, the third time a school had won both offensive and defensive players of the year, and it was Leinart's second consecutive year being named the Offensive Player of the Yearmaking him the fourth to do so. Fr., DT Alex Morrow, Rs. On paper, USC appears to have the ingredients to deal with those shots. Senior tight end Matt Cassel could be his backup. Troy captured its second consecutive Pac-10 title (going 7-1) and beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl to secure its 10th national crown (its first in 25 years). The Trojans have done a superb job of getting turnovers under Carroll, as their +1.33 turnover margin and +111 takeaways the past 3 seasons are the best marks in the nation. So we must take our game to the next level and be ready for everyone's best shot.". Cody, Patterson and Grootegoed are All-American candidates. The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. 2006 USC Coaching Staff. [14], ESPN's College GameDay program visited the Los Angeles Coliseum for the first time[3] in anticipation of a game between highly ranked and undefeated teams: 7th-ranked California had given USC its only loss in the 2003 season, resulting in the Trojans sharing the 2003 National Championship. Former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron joined Colin Cowherd's podcast on Feb. 10, and discussed the future of USC football. It was the third consecutive year that Troy led the league in scoring defense. Former standout USC and NFL wide receiver Keary Colbert has spent 3 years on USC's fulltime staff. LINEBACKERS Collin Ashton, Jr. Mike Brittingham, So. But both snappers (short snapper Joe Boskovich and long snapper Matt Hayward) must be replaced. But fourth-year USC head coach Pete Carroll is having none of it. [2] The team captains were Shaun Cody, Matt Grootegoed and Matt Leinart.[3].

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