TIGHT ENDS Dominique Byrd, Jr. GREGG GUENTHER JR., Sr. Owen Hanson, Sr. Alex Holmes, Sr. Kurt Katnik, So. Henson, 46, spent the past 3 seasons (2019-21 . Colbert was selected in the NFL's second round. 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. [16] The crowd was USC's largest crowd for a non-UCLA/Notre Dame rivalry game since the 1952 Cal game. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. All rights reserved. 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]. [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. 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. Fr., OT Matt Spanos, Rs. The Trojans returned a kickoff for a TD for the first time since 1998. Rd. Michael Stuart, In. First, a starting wide receiver must emerge and we must reconstruct the line. Joining the signalcalling corps this fall as a freshman is prep All-American Rocky Hinds (St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey, Calif.). Join our linker program. [10] The Trojans dominated the Rams en route to a 490 shut out, led by running back LenDale White who ran for 123 yards on 14 carries, scoring three touchdowns. Phone. Ronald Nunn (40 tac, 4 for loss, 3 sack, 1 int for a TD, 4 dfl, 1 FF, 3 FR with 1 for a TD in 2003), known for his big plays, started 3 times in 2002 and played often in extra defensive back formations last year. Orgeron had two stints with the Trojans. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Key losses from the offense are wide receiver Keary Colbert, a 4-year starter who set the USC career receptions record (207), and a trio of experienced linemen: All-American tackle Jacob Rogers (a 3-year starter), All-Pac-10 center Norm Katnik (a 3-year starter) and guard Lenny Vandermade (a 4-year starter). 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. USC belongs at the top of college football, and this coaching staff is going to be instrumental in making that happen. Enrolling this fall is J.C. All-American Ryan Powdrell (Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, Calif.), who is a junior, and prep All-Americans Keith Rivers (Lake Mary High in Lake Mary, Fla.) and Eugene Germany (Pomona High in Pomona, Calif.), who both are freshmen. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. 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. He was sixth nationally in receptions (7.3, second in Pac-10) and 10th in receiving yards (101.1, third in Pac-10) in 2003. ", DEFENSIVE LINEMEN Chris Barrett, Rs. So he sought to have his collegiate eligibility restored (as of mid-July, the NCAA hadn't ruled). One of the major focuses was improper gifts given to Reggie Bush. [40] USC gained 525 total yards, averaging 8.3 yards per play, to the Sooners 372; OU ran off 13 more plays, 76 to 63, and held the ball for 35:06; however, Oklahoma had 5 turnovers to USC's none.[6]. He has a good arm and is a leader. Fr., CB Justin Wyatt, Jr., CB. [5], USC and Virginia Tech opened the 2004 college football season with the Black Coaches Association Football Classic at a sold out FedExField in Landover, Maryland. [5] The university filed an appeal of the sanctions which was later denied by the NCAA. "[4] Ironically, the changes made to the BCS due to the 2003 season did not resolve issues with multiple undefeated teams, as Auburn and Utah finished undefeated, yet they did not get to play USC or any other team for the title. Troy scored 68 touchdowns and 534 points last year, both Pac-10 records, and its 6.5 yards per play average was a school record. The 2004 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. He also had stops as wide receivers coach at Richmond (2004) and Western . Despite all of its returning talent, skeptics surely will question USC's ability to replace such impact players as Udeze, Colbert, Rogers and Poole. "But because of our accomplishments the past two seasons, we know we'll be challenged to the max each game now. Obviously there are emotional swings with sports and so the mathematical ratings do not always line up with the emotional expectations from a team. His 164.5 passing efficiency rating ranked third nationally and was a USC record (he's the nation's top-rated returning passer). Both are weapons for us. Fr. 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. Jr., S Eric Wright, Rs. Last season, he had 95 catches for 1,314 yards and a USC record 16 TDs. KICKERS/PUNTERS/SNAPPERS Will Collins, Rs. "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. 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. ", 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. for the first time ever. And USC's rushing offense (155.9), though not nationally ranked, was its best since 1991. Losing that duo might not be as much of a concern as it appears, however, because their possible replacements are experienced seniors with plenty of starts under their belts. Fr., OG-OT Drew Radovich, Rs. Fr. Wil Smith, So. 1 recruiting class in the nation. He assumed control of the job immediately and soon was playing like a veteran. Fr., DE Mike Patterson, Sr., DT LaJuan Ramsey, Jr., DT-DE Frostee Rucker, Jr., DE Jeff Schweiger, In. [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. 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. There will be an entirely new left side and middle, as 10 years of starting experience must be replaced now that 2003 All-American first team left tackle Jacob Rogers (3-year starter), who was a second round NFL pick, plus All-Pac-10 first team center Norm Katnik (3-year starter) and left guard Lenny Vandermade (4-year starter) are gone. 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. [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. 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. 4 final ranking. Joining the tackles in the fall as a freshman is prep All-American Lawrence Miles (La Quinta High in La Quinta, Calif.). See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. "That talk is beyond our control," said Carroll, the National Coach of the Year in 2003 after his team was named the national champion by Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, The Sporting News, New York Times, ESPN.com, SI.com, CBS.SportsLine.com, Collegefootballnews.com and several other organizations. 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 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. On the inside, there is senior walk-on Marco Chavez (he sat out 2003 after transferring from Hawaii), plus sophomore Oscar Lua, who was sidelined most of last season because of a knee injury (he missed some of 2004 spring drills while recuperating). [32] USC set both a school home attendance (511,373) as well as the Pac-10 home per game average attendance (85,229) records. Fr., FB David Kirtman, Jr., FB Desmond Reed, Rs. [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. Title. Frank Suffel and Henry H. Goddard were playing coaches for the first team which was put together by quarterback Arthur Carroll, who in turn volunteered to make the pants for the team and later became a tailor. Jr. Keith Rivers, In. [26] The Trojans had lost in their previous visit to WSU, a 3027 overtime game in 2002; since then the Trojans had gone 281. He gave an early indication of his talent when his first career pass went for a touchdown at Auburn in last fall's opener. [16] It was the first time since 1968 that the teams met when both were ranked and it also was the highest-ranked Cal squad USC had faced since 1952,[6] also the last time the two programs were ranked in the top ten. He's good enough to merit All-American consideration (he was a Butkus Award and Lombardi Award semifinalist last season). "He far exceeded our hopes. The 41-year . LB Rey Maualuga. 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. But I was pleased with the line's progress in this past spring's practice. 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. (213) 740-4204. Former standout USC and NFL wide receiver Keary Colbert has spent 3 years on USC's fulltime staff. [36] Both USC and Oklahoma started and ended the season ranked No. But there's a host of talented players hoping to fill the void: promising sophomores Steve Smith (17 rec, 319 yds, 18.8 avg, 2 TD in 2003), who was USC's No. USC's 2014 coaching staff is rare in that it features two coaches who won bowl games in 2013neither of whom are the head coach. "The competition in the wide receiver group will be critical," said Carroll. "Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson are the best defensive linemen in college football," said Carroll. [12] Running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White both broke 100 yards each en route to victory. We'll attempt to continue to play defense fast and aggressively, looking to take away the football.". So we must take our game to the next level and be ready for everyone's best shot.". Gable; WR Steve Smith; WR Dwayne . But fourth-year USC head coach Pete Carroll is having none of it. Fr., DE Travis Tofi, So., DT Ryan Watson, Rs. USC has its new head coach after a two-and-a-half-month search, delivering a resounding kaboom to a process that had been impressively quiet with no leaks coming from the school before the news broke Sunday that the Trojans had hired Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley. Last year, 2 Trojans finished in the Top 10 in the Heisman Trophy balloting, 5 were All-American first team selections and 9 were All-Pac-10 first teamers. And he punctuated USC's Rose Bowl victory over Michigan by catching a 15-yard scoring pass off a reverse. At fullback, fleet junior Brandon Hancock (1 tcb, -2 yds, -2.0 avg in 2003, plus 13 rec, 160 yds, 12.3 avg, 2 TD), a tough blocker and excellent receiver, was expected to return as the starter, but he'll miss 2004 while recuperating from knee surgery. 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). Sophomore John David Booty (7-of-14, 50.0%, 90 yds in 2003), believed to be the first football player to graduate a full year early from high school and enroll at a major Division I-A university when he did so last year, became Leinart's backup by the middle of the 2003 season before breaking his wrist late in the year. 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. Senior Gregg Guenther Jr. (17 rec, 167 yds, 9.8 avg, 2 TD in 2003, plus 1 blk FG) became the starter by mid-2003 and performed well. Ryan Ting also can play cornerback. [15] By halftime, USC found itself down 11 points after the Cardinal caught them by surprise with an 82-yard run final play while trying to run out the clock to end the half. However, the Associated Press still recognizes USC as 2004 AP title winner. 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. USC coaching candidates: Luke Fickell, Bob Stoops, Chris Petersen among names to replace Clay Helton There is an obvious top candidate, but the Trojans may have their pick of quality coaches Sports Reference Baseball; Football; Basketball; Hockey; Futebol; Blog; Stathead . [28] Although the fog was thick enough at times to interfere with pass plays, USC tight end Dominique Byrd caught two touchdowns. Marques Tuiasosopo, Tight Ends. 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. In his 2-year Trojan career, Williams has 176 receptions for 2,579 yards and a USC record 30 touchdowns. Fr. This is not one of them. Email. "He's an impact player because of his size, speed and ability. 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. Jason Mitchell, Sr. Steve Smith, So. Head Coach: Pete Carroll (11-2) Offensive Coordinator: Steve Sarkisian (QB Coach) & Lane Kiffin (PGC) Defensive Coordinator: Nick Holt Other Assistant Coaches: Best Players on the 2006 USC Trojans Football Team. 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). "I am very excited to formally announce our coaching staff," said Riley. We understand that we'll always see our opponents at their best. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. 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). 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). It's no wonder, then, that the Trojans likely will enter the 2004 campaign as a pre-season favorite to repeat as national champs. [24] The victory put USC's winning streak at the Coliseum at 19, tying the school record set from 193133. Luke Huard, who comes from a family of outstanding quarterbacks, joined the USC staff in February of 2022 as an offensive analyst. The 2004 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season, the 110th season of Sooner football.The team was led by two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award winner, Bob Stoops, in his sixth season as head coach.They played their home games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Irish had been inconsistent during the season, coming into the game at 64 having defeated strong teams and lost to weak teams. He started all of 2002 and could win back his job in 2004. As a 2002 freshman, he set NCAA frosh records for receiving yards (1,265) and TD catches (14) and the Pac-10 frosh mark for receptions (81). (Alonzo Adams / Associated Press) Grinch has worked in Norman for the last two seasons as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach. This page was last edited on 18 October 2022, at 20:43. DEFENSIVE BACKS The good news in the secondary is that both starting safeties return. 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. But both snappers (short snapper Joe Boskovich and long snapper Matt Hayward) must be replaced. [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. Hard-hitting senior free safety Jason Leach (88 tac, 5.5 for loss, 1 sack, 6 dfl, 1 FR, 1 FF, 2 int with 1 for a TD in 2003) was USC's No. football@usc.edu. 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. In 2003, 24 of his 42 punts traveled at least 50 yards and 28 pinned opponents within the 20-yard line. [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. 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. The defense features 6 starters from a year ago: a pair of returning All-Pac-10ers in end-tackle Shaun Cody and tackle Mike Patterson (both are 2-year starters who combined for 81 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 blocked field goals in 2003), always-around-the-ball linebacker Matt Grootegoed (a 3-year starter), 2003 Freshman All-American Darnell Bing and fellow safety Jason Leach (his 88 tackles were second on USC in 2003), and 2003 USC tackle leader Lofa Tatupu (98 stops) at middle linebacker. In the hunt for the tackle jobs are sophomore Kyle Williams, redshirt freshmen Sam Baker, Drew Radovich and Matt Spanos, plus incoming 370-pound junior Taitusi Lutui (Snow Junior College in Ephraim, Utah), a J.C. All-American. Jimmy Miller, In. . Fr., SNP Mario Danelo, Rs. It's possible he'll concentrate solely on basketball in his senior season. Or write about sports? Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. He'll long be remembered for his spectacular one-handed, Frisbee-like TD grab against Oregon State last fall. 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. Both are battled-tested seniors and are All-American nominees after winning All-Pac-10 first team honors last fall. Jr., OT Alatini Malu, So., OG Fred Matua, So., OG Chilo Rachal, In. Marco Chavez, Sr. Eugene Germany, In. He proved to be a load at 350 pounds before breaking his ankle late in the year (he missed 2004 spring drills while recuperating). 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). Matt Grootegoed, Sr. Oscar Lua, So. Dwayne Jarrett, In. "We use our fullbacks in a variety of roles, not only as blockers and runners but as pass catchers," said Carroll. (Simon Park | Daily Trojan) Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. I'm really looking forward to watching the competition there and seeing how it shakes out. Dale Thompson, In. SNAPPERS It might not sound like a big deal, but USC must replace both of its long-time snappers: 4-year short snapper Joe Boskovich and 3-year long snapper Matt Hayward. His 65 PATs last fall were a Pac-10 season record and his 19 field goals tied the USC season mark. Zach Hanson, tight ends coach. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is still putting the finishing touches on his coaching staff with the Ducks while he prepares to coach Georgia's defense in the College Football Playoff semifinals against Michigan on Dec. 31. Is Coach Philip Montgomery on the Hot Seat? USC fielded record-setting punt and placekicking squads. The 2004 Trojans football team won the 2004 BCS National Championship by winning the 2005 Orange Bowl, that year's BCS National Championship Game.