NATIONAL CHAMPS.NET
Coach: Paul Hackett
14-11, 2 years
27-31-1, 5 years overall
1999 Record: 6-6
Sep 04 @Hawaii Won 62-7
Sep 18 San Diego State Won 24-21
Sep 25 @Oregon Lost 30-33
Oct 02 Oregon State Won 37-29
Oct 09 @Arizona Lost 24-31
Oct 16 @Notre Dame Lost 24-25
Oct 23 Stanford Lost 31-35
Oct 30 @California Lost 7-17
Nov 06 Arizona State Lost 16-26
Nov 13 @Washington State Won 31-28
Nov 20 UCLA Won 17-7
Nov 26 Louisiana Tech Won 45-19
1999 Final Rankings
AP-NR,  BCS-NR,  Coaches-NR
2000 Outlook

It's probably no surprise that Coach Hackett is already under pressure after two seasons left USC with a 14-11 mark and no bowl appearance last year. Needless to say, USC has overhauled the coaching staff during the offseason. Things will get better in 2000 with a defense that is as solid as they come. A major key will be the health of quarterback Carson Palmer after going down last year with an injury that caused the Trojans to struggle immediately afterwards. Especially, since the running back situation has not been so dominating as of late. USC will be favored to make a run for the Roses after a five year absence. Anything less than a New Years Day Bowl Game will be a disapointment. Coach Hackett will find out by the second weekend in September what type of team he has as Penn State and Colorado start the schedule off with a bang. The defense will lead the way.

Projected Record: 9-4

Southern Cal 2000 Schedule

SOUTHERN CAL
*POWER RATINGS
Offense
Defense
QB - 3.5 DL - 4
RB - 2 LB - 4
WR - 3 DB - 4
OL - 2  

 


SOUTHERN CAL
TROJANS
2000 FOOTBALL PREVIEW


2000 OFFENSE

Leading the charge will be quarterback Carson Palmer who completed 73.6 percent of his passes last year before going down with a broken a collar bone after the third game of the season. He is now completely healthy and will have some talent to throw to when the ball is snapped. The Trojans are extremely deep at wide receiver. Pac Ten Freshman of The Year Kareem Kelly is poised for a big season as he caught 54 passes for 904 yards in '99. The days of Tailback U. are gone and USC will figure to be a passing team if a running back doesn't emerge. Other than Palmer's injury, much of the Trojans offensive struggles last season had to do with the offensive line, which lost its best player Travis Claridge. Depth will be better in 2000 with 5 returning players having gained starting experience in the lineup. The kicking duties are still up in the air. Last year's starter, David Newbury, returns but was only 11-20 in field goal attempts last year.

OFFENSIVE DEPTH CHART
QB Carson Palmer 6-5 220 Jr. Mike Van Raaphorst 6-5 220 Sr.
RB Sultan McCullough 6-0 185 So. Malaefou MacKenzie 6-0 215 Jr.
FB Charlie Landrigan 6-0 225 Jr.   Chad Pierson 6-1 240 So.
WR Kareem Kelly 6-1 185 So.   Matt Nickels 6-2 200 Sr.
WR Marcell Allmond 6-1 190 So.   Steve Stevenson 6-2 200 So.
T Brent McCaffrey 6-5 275 Sr.   Derek Graf 6-4 275 So.
G Trevor Roberts 6-4 305 Sr.   Faaesea Mailo 6-4 330 Jr.
C Eric Denmon 6-1 280 Sr.   Lenny Vandermade 6-4 270 Fr.
G Zach Wilson 6-5 315 So.   Lenny Vandermade 6-4 270 Fr.
T Jacob Rogers 6-6 275 Fr.   Nate Steinbacher 6-6 320 Fr.
TE Antoine Harris 6-4 245 Sr.   Alex Holmes 6-2 295 Fr.
K David Newbury 5-9 170 Jr.   David Bell 6-0 190 Sr.
Returning starters in bold.

Key Losses:


2000 DEFENSE
Coach Hackett should have a big smile on his face when he thinks about the defense he has returning at USC this fall. There are ten returning starters forming a defense that should be able to dominate opponents with overwhelming speed. The front line is not the biggest group of guys but certainly has tons of skill and experience as all four started together last year. Look for rising senior star Sultan Abdul-Malik to turn heads as he moves from linebacker to defensive end where coaches feel he is more comfortable. USC has two of the best linebackers in the conference in Moreno and Steele so there is little reason to believe that stopping the run will be a problem. The Trojans may take a huge blow as it looks like third year starting cornerback Antuan Simmons may not be able to play this fall due to abdominal tumor surgery. But there is depth and talent in the backfield. JC transfer Chris Cash is good enough that he may find a starting spot. If Simmons can return USC may possess the best secondary in the country. Can there be another team in the league with such options at cornerback?
DEFENSIVE DEPTH CHART
DE Sultan Abdul-Malik 6-3 240 Sr. Lonnie Ford 6-3 250 Jr.
DT Ryan Nielsen 6-5 275 Jr. Bernard Riley 6-3 305 So.
DT Ennis Davis 6-4 300 Sr.   Bobby DeMars 6-4 250 Jr.
DE Matt Childers 6-4 260 Sr.   S. Abdul-Shaheed 6-4 250 Sr.
OLB Kori Dickerson 6-4 220 Jr.   Chris Prosser 6-2 225 Fr.
MLB Zeke Moreno 6-3 240 Sr.   Aaron Graham 6-1 225 So.
OLB Markus Steele 6-3 215 Sr.   Henry Wallace 6-2 210 Jr.
CB Antuan Simmons 5-10 190 Sr.   Darrell Rideaux 5-9 175 So.
CB Kris Richard 6-0 180 Jr.   Chris Cash 5-11 170 Jr.
SS Ifeanyi Ohalete 6-2 225 Sr.   Troy Polamalu 5-10 210 So.
FS Kevin Arbet 5-11 175 So.   Frank Strong 6-1 220 Jr.
P Mike MacGillivray 5-10 205 Jr.          
Returning starters in bold.

Key Losses: