2002 Statistics

written by Dave Bagchi

Sophomore WR Mike Williams and senior Keary Colbert form one of the best receiving duos in the nation, combining for 152 receptions, 2,294 yards and 19 touchdowns a year ago. The 6'5 Williams has the NFL scouts drooling with his physical style and tremendous hands. He does not have blazing speed but is a long strider with deceptive quickness. His move into the starting lineup launched the Trojan offense into another gear. At times, Colbert benefited from the attention defenses paid to Williams and departed speedster Kareem Kelly. However, Colbert is faster than Williams and at 6'1, no physical slouch. Both guys will be relied upon heavily because no other returning receivers had receptions last season. Back also is senior TE Alex Holmes and his backup 6'8 junior Gregg Guenther. They will help shoulder the burden (combined for 36 catches), as well as any others who rise out of their talented coffers, to make the Trojan receiving corps tough to match up against.

Four of five starters return along the Trojan offensive line. Possibly the most versatile of the group is Torres, as he has/can play(ed) both guard and tackle. Torres was a key reserve last year, but an injury in the Orange Bowl will make it difficult for him to crack the depth chart in time for the opener. The coaches are extremely excited about Justice -- 6'6, 305 pounds and still growing. The unit struggled early in the year, but seemed to improve as the year progressed. Still, they will improve this year on the 25 sacks allowed (still best in the Pac Ten) and meager 3.6 yds/rush average. The run-blocking problems improved when the backs learned to be more patient. The front's domination in the Orange Bowl is proof of this units ability to achieve a higher level.

What will offensive coordinator Norm Chow do for an encore now that departed Heisman trophy winner Carson Palmer has graduated? Well it starts with answering any and all QB questions. It is a wide open race -- Chow and head coach Pete Carroll say they want to narrow it down to one or two players by August. USC likes to run the I-formation but will move to one-back, three-receiver spreads often during the games. Right now the challenge of making this offense work is open to four guys. Junior Matt Cassel saw limited time as a backup, attempting only four passes. He seems to have the early edge on sophomores Billy Hart and Matt Leinart. All three are tall and big, in the mold of Palmer. Do not rule out Purdue transfer Brandon Hance. Only 6'1, Hance is smaller than his competition but he has more game experience (started for Purdue and threw for 1,529 yds in 2001.) Hance is also a better athlete (4.65 40-speed) and is a smart kid who has picked up on the offense fast.

How depleted is the USC backfield? Try five out of seven lost to graduation. The returning players do not turn heads, nor do they have much experience. Sophomore Hershel Dennis (5-11, 175) is expected to take over at TB. He is light and very fast but lacks the strength to be an every down back. Junior Darryl Poston would have challenged, but it appears Poston's USC days are over after a career ending injury. Look for incoming recruit Reggie Bush to make noise. Bush's lofty potential already has USC fans thinking back to the days of running back U. Sophomore Brandon Hancock should get the nod at fullback. A Norm Chow-offense loves to throw to its fullbacks, so expect Hancock to have a fast learning curve.

WR Keary Colbert

written by Dave Bagchi

While the USC offense received all the accolades, it was the defense whose late season play turned the Trojans from a good to dominant team. USC allowed only 83 yds/game rushing (2.79 yds/rush), a national best 27% third-down conversions, created 36 turnovers (T-7th I-A) and limited opponents to only 25:49 time of possession per game. It all starts with one of the best front sevens in the nation, and five of them are back. Lined up mainly in the 4-3, the Trojans use speed and aggressiveness to stretch opponents east to west for easy finishes. At defensive end is pure speed and power in junior Kenechi Udeze and senior Omar Nazel. The duo combined for 14 sacks and 30 TFL. Udeze is a bull rusher, while Nazel is truly an OLB stepping up to the line (to make it a 3-4). The tackles will be junior Mike Patterson and probably junior Shaun Cody, who has been sidelined due to knee surgery. Patterson is quick and moves well to the ball. If Shaun Cody can rebound from injury, he could develop into one of the conference's top tackles. This line should come together well.

Junior All-American candidate Matt Grootegoed will lead the LB trio. He led the team in tackles, solo tackles, tackles for loss and sacks. Grootegoed will be the team's leader. Senior OLB Melvin Simmons will flank him. The duo is very under-sized but both have exceptional speed and tackling ability. The LBs rely on the line to push the action to the sidelines so they can then run you down. Stud sophomore replacement Oscar Lua (245 lbs) is coming off of knee surgery. Look for Lofa Tatupu (son of Mosi) to fill the hole should Lua not be available for the opener. This trio compliments one another and should be special by season's end.

The missing ingredients on the USC defense will be leadership and experience, especially in the secondary. Then again, in defense of the Trojans, you could hear that same argument heading into last fall. Nonetheless, gone are three of four starters including one of the best defensive players in the nation, SS Troy Polamulu. Polamalu's size allowed SC's under-sized linebackers to take risks and his leadership cannot be replaced. Junior Jason Leach will do his best. The early jury is that Leach is a special player. In primarily a backup role he had 30 tackles and a team-leading four INTs. The other safety spot is open. Rumor is that sophomore William Buchanon will earn this spot if he can bulk up on his 6'4 frame. Buchanon played corner last year. Stay tuned here for more on this one…

Until proven, much will have to take place to change USC's 42nd pass defense ranking. The talent is there to make the secondary work; it is just a matter of game experience. Senior DB Marcell Allmond does return at one corner. Allmond is a very physical corner, as the Trojans love to play bump coverage. Several players could jockey for the other corner spot. Keep an eye on the return of CB Kevin Arbet as he returns from an MIA 2001 disappointment. Another name you may want to toss into the mix is transfer Willie Poole, a top player from Boston College, who earned a few Freshman of The Year honors before heading into the JUCO ranks.

DE Kenechi Udeze