Through his first four starts, it's safe to say Matt Barkley is off to pretty strong start.

But when you compare Barkley's stats to the first four starts of his predecessors, the numbers look even better. Barkley's completion percentage and passing yards are all roughly equal to the numbers of Mark Sanchez, John David Booty and Matt Leinart -- a trio that ultimately led the Trojans to seven Pac-10 titles and two national championships -- during their opening quartet of starts. The freshman's interception total is tied for the lowest among the group, and his passing efficiency mark is second-best. And to top it all off, his team's record of 4-0 in his starts is rivaled by only Booty's start in 2006.

Check out the full line of stats for the first four starts of the four quarterbacks who have made their debuts during the Coach Carroll era:

Name                   C-A       Percent   Yards          TDs        INTs       P.E.       Team's record
Matt Barkley         63-107   58.9%     958 yards    3 TDs     2 INTs    139.60    4-0 record
Mark Sanchez       92-145   63.4%     980 yards   10 TDs    5 INTs    136.08    3-1 record
John David Booty   96-142   67.6%     966 yards   10 TDs    2 INTs    145.17    4-0 record
Matt Leinart           72-124   58.0%     924 yards   8 TDs      6 INTs    132.27    3-1 record

[C-A: Completions-Attempts; P.E.: Passing efficiency]

- Research by Ricky Cambier, USCRipsIt student assistant