Experience Trojan football in this special inside report from the locker room and on the sidelines before, during and after USC's 56-3 season-opening win against San Jose State on Saturday at the Coliseum:
Quoting Carroll
"As we go forward, let's remember the great performers and great performances that have come before us," Carroll said at the top of the peristyle steps as the team entered the Coliseum.
"Let's begin '09 right from the heart. Let's have a hell of a day," Carroll said with the team gathered around him at the 50-yard line, just minutes after arriving at the Coliseum.
---
Pre-game: Getting pumped
The banter in the locker room in the minutes before kickoff:
- Tight ends coach Brennan Carroll: "We all work so hard and for so long not to do this right today!"
- Offensive line coach Pat Ruel: "We're going to be relentless today!"
- Tailback Allen Bradford: "Don't let anyone come into our house and push us around!"
- Coach Carroll: "All day long, let's play with all our hearts! All our hearts!"
---
How's this for intimidation?
After warm-ups and at halftime, the Trojans sprint up the tunnel, while other teams, like San Jose State, slowly walk up to the locker room. Also, at the end of halftime on Saturday, the Spartans went down the tunnel first, but the Trojans weren't too far behind -- and they were chanting "War time!" the whole way down.
---
The first points of the year
After going scoreless for the entire first quarter, the Trojans finally got on the board with a Stafon Johnson rushing touchdown at the onset of the second quarter.
It felt like the team's self-inflicted pressure evaporated immediately after Johnson crossed the goal line.
Following an opening 15 minutes of futility, the Trojans were getting frustrated and annoyed. But the Johnson touchdown opened the floodgates for USC, which went on to score 28 points in the next 10-plus minutes. The Trojans were relieved after the first score, feeling good after the second, rolling by the third and partying after the fourth touchdown, which put the team up 28-3 at halftime.
---
No challenge necessary
After what appeared to be a San Jose State fumble in the second quarter, the officials waited to make a decision.
Linebacker Chris Galippo didn't want to wait.
While the referees were deliberating how to rule the play, an animated Galippo sprinted over to Coach Carroll and repeatedly yelled, "Challenge it!" Carroll told him to calm down and wait, and the linebacker's patience was eventually rewarded when the referee signaled a first down for the Trojans.
---
'Not Tebow'
When Matt Barkley rolled out and ran for one-yard gain on a busted pass play in the second quarter, his teammates had a field day.
As Barkley tumbled to the ground after getting smacked by two Spartans defenders, several Trojans on the sidelines chided the freshman quarterback, saying things like, "You're not Tebow!" and "You're not that fast!"
---
In the trenches
Seen and heard on the sidelines during the game:
- Near the end of the fourth quarter, two offensive linemen poured a Gatorade bucket filled with water on quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates in celebration of the play-caller's first game at USC -- one that produced a whopping 56 points for the offense.
- Linebacker Jarvis Jones wore a pull-over No. 61 jersey on the kickoff team in the second quarter because fullback D.J. Shoemate, who shares No. 10 with Jones, was on the same coverage unit. NCAA rules prohibit players with the same number from playing in the same play. In the third quarter, though, Jones was back in his No. 10 jersey on the punt return team since Shoemate was not on that unit.
- It's a good sign when the first-team players can remove their pads, put away their helmets and ice their bruises -- in the third quarter, like they did on Saturday.
- Players were entertained by the shade-producing effect the Goodyear blimp had on the crowd Saturday. When the blimp flew over the west part of the Coliseum during the second half, it provided shade for a good chunk of the crowd, which would cheer loudly when receiving the respite from the hot sun.
- Sixty-nine players played at least one snap in the game -- nearly every healthy and non-redshirting player -- though none as worthwhile as kicker Joe Houston, who kicked an extra point in his only play Saturday.
---
At the half
Coach Carroll gave a typically inspiring halftime speech:
"Can you believe it? We get to play another 30 minutes!" Carroll exclaimed as the players cheered. "This is what we love. Let's not give them nothing. Don't back off for nothing. We're just getting warmed up, boys!"
---
Like a point guard
After the Trojans posted their fifth touchdown of the day at the start the second half, Matt Barkley returned to the sidelines in awe of his tailbacks, who had scored all of the team's points on the ground up to that point.
"How do you like those assists?" a grinning Barkley said on the sidelines. "That's five of them now!"
---
Looking ahead
As the fourth quarter wound down, quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates turned to his players and had some powerful words.
"It's Ohio State now," Bates said as he patted the pads of his players. "Let's get our minds right."
---
Closing it out
Coach Carroll's post-game speech was characteristically chipper.
"We did it exactly like we wanted to," Carroll said, with his giddy players encircling him in the locker room after the 56-3 win. "We performed how we're capable of performing. This is the way we wanted to start the season and represent who we are. That's an awesome day today!"
Quoting Carroll
"As we go forward, let's remember the great performers and great performances that have come before us," Carroll said at the top of the peristyle steps as the team entered the Coliseum."Let's begin '09 right from the heart. Let's have a hell of a day," Carroll said with the team gathered around him at the 50-yard line, just minutes after arriving at the Coliseum.
---
Pre-game: Getting pumped
The banter in the locker room in the minutes before kickoff:
- Tight ends coach Brennan Carroll: "We all work so hard and for so long not to do this right today!"
- Offensive line coach Pat Ruel: "We're going to be relentless today!"
- Tailback Allen Bradford: "Don't let anyone come into our house and push us around!"
- Coach Carroll: "All day long, let's play with all our hearts! All our hearts!"
---
How's this for intimidation?
After warm-ups and at halftime, the Trojans sprint up the tunnel, while other teams, like San Jose State, slowly walk up to the locker room. Also, at the end of halftime on Saturday, the Spartans went down the tunnel first, but the Trojans weren't too far behind -- and they were chanting "War time!" the whole way down.
---
The first points of the year
After going scoreless for the entire first quarter, the Trojans finally got on the board with a Stafon Johnson rushing touchdown at the onset of the second quarter.It felt like the team's self-inflicted pressure evaporated immediately after Johnson crossed the goal line.
Following an opening 15 minutes of futility, the Trojans were getting frustrated and annoyed. But the Johnson touchdown opened the floodgates for USC, which went on to score 28 points in the next 10-plus minutes. The Trojans were relieved after the first score, feeling good after the second, rolling by the third and partying after the fourth touchdown, which put the team up 28-3 at halftime.
---
No challenge necessary
After what appeared to be a San Jose State fumble in the second quarter, the officials waited to make a decision.
Linebacker Chris Galippo didn't want to wait.
While the referees were deliberating how to rule the play, an animated Galippo sprinted over to Coach Carroll and repeatedly yelled, "Challenge it!" Carroll told him to calm down and wait, and the linebacker's patience was eventually rewarded when the referee signaled a first down for the Trojans.
---
'Not Tebow'
When Matt Barkley rolled out and ran for one-yard gain on a busted pass play in the second quarter, his teammates had a field day.
As Barkley tumbled to the ground after getting smacked by two Spartans defenders, several Trojans on the sidelines chided the freshman quarterback, saying things like, "You're not Tebow!" and "You're not that fast!"
---
In the trenches
Seen and heard on the sidelines during the game:
- Near the end of the fourth quarter, two offensive linemen poured a Gatorade bucket filled with water on quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates in celebration of the play-caller's first game at USC -- one that produced a whopping 56 points for the offense. - Linebacker Jarvis Jones wore a pull-over No. 61 jersey on the kickoff team in the second quarter because fullback D.J. Shoemate, who shares No. 10 with Jones, was on the same coverage unit. NCAA rules prohibit players with the same number from playing in the same play. In the third quarter, though, Jones was back in his No. 10 jersey on the punt return team since Shoemate was not on that unit.
- It's a good sign when the first-team players can remove their pads, put away their helmets and ice their bruises -- in the third quarter, like they did on Saturday.
- Players were entertained by the shade-producing effect the Goodyear blimp had on the crowd Saturday. When the blimp flew over the west part of the Coliseum during the second half, it provided shade for a good chunk of the crowd, which would cheer loudly when receiving the respite from the hot sun.
- Sixty-nine players played at least one snap in the game -- nearly every healthy and non-redshirting player -- though none as worthwhile as kicker Joe Houston, who kicked an extra point in his only play Saturday.
---
At the half
Coach Carroll gave a typically inspiring halftime speech:
"Can you believe it? We get to play another 30 minutes!" Carroll exclaimed as the players cheered. "This is what we love. Let's not give them nothing. Don't back off for nothing. We're just getting warmed up, boys!"
---
Like a point guard
After the Trojans posted their fifth touchdown of the day at the start the second half, Matt Barkley returned to the sidelines in awe of his tailbacks, who had scored all of the team's points on the ground up to that point.
"How do you like those assists?" a grinning Barkley said on the sidelines. "That's five of them now!"
---
Looking ahead
As the fourth quarter wound down, quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates turned to his players and had some powerful words."It's Ohio State now," Bates said as he patted the pads of his players. "Let's get our minds right."
---
Closing it out
Coach Carroll's post-game speech was characteristically chipper.
"We did it exactly like we wanted to," Carroll said, with his giddy players encircling him in the locker room after the 56-3 win. "We performed how we're capable of performing. This is the way we wanted to start the season and represent who we are. That's an awesome day today!"
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