May 2010 Archives

It's the start of a hopefully restful 3-day weekend for most of the nation, but not for many USC athletes.

Here's what is on tap at Troy over the Memorial Day weekend:

-The baseball team concludes its season with a 3-game homestand against Washington at Dedeaux Field, with games on Friday (7:15 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.).

-The men's and women's track teams have already begun competing (through Saturday) at the NCAA West Regional in Austin, Tex., in hopes of qualifying athletes for next month's NCAA Championships in Oregon.

-Several Trojans (Robert Farah and Maria Sanchez in singles and Farah/Steve Johnson in doubles) are still alive in the NCAA tennis individual championships in Athens, Ga.

-The women's rowing team is at the NCAA championships, today through Sunday, near Sacramento.

And then starting next Tuesday, the men's golf team begins play at the NCAA Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn.

So, take a moment from your R&R this weekend to check up on the progress of these Trojan competitors.

Here is ESPN.com Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller's video analysis of USC's 2010 non-conference schedule.

The Trojans open at Hawaii on Sept. 2, host Virginia on Sept. 11, travel to Minnesota on Sept. 18 and host Notre Dame on Nov. 27.

USC center Kristofer O'Dowd has been named to the "Watch List" for the 2010 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation's top center.

Former USC All-American fullback Sam "Bam" Cunningham has been named to the 14-member 2010 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.

He will be inducted on Dec. 7 in New York City and then enshrined in the summer of 2011 in ceremonies in South Bend, Ind.

Cunningham, whose performance in USC's win at Alabama in 1970 helped integrate Southern football and whose 4-touchdown outing in the 1973 Rose Bowl earned him Player of the Game honors, was a member of USC's 1972 national championship team.

RipsIt just received a copy of Phil Steele's 2010 College Football Preview.

The magazine has USC ranked No. 8 nationally going into the 2010 campaign.  Center Kristofer O'Dowd made its pre-season All-American first team and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey was a second teamer.

At 328 pages (and using a small type size on every page), there is a ton of info for any college football fan in the Phil Steele publication.

For what it's worth, Phil Steele's preview has proven to be the most accurate college football team ranking prognosticator over the past 12 years (and No. 1 in three of the last six years), based on computations at stassen.com.

A reminder that in about 2 hours, at 12:30 p.m. Pacific, Trojan tailback Allen Bradford will stop by for a live chat right here on the RipsIt blog.

So get your questions ready for A.B.

Here's a complete list of USC's 113 men's and women's national team championships, along with the head coaches of each winning team:

USC Men's Team Titles (90)

Football (11)
1928    Howard Jones
1931    Howard Jones
1932    Howard Jones
1939    Howard Jones
1962    John McKay
1967    John McKay
1972    John McKay
1974    John McKay
1978    John Robinson
2003    Pete Carroll
2004    Pete Carroll

Baseball (12)
1948    Sam Barry
           Rod Dedeaux
1958    Rod Dedeaux
1961    Rod Dedeaux
1963    Rod Dedeaux
1968    Rod Dedeaux
1970    Rod Dedeaux
1971    Rod Dedeaux
1972    Rod Dedeaux
1973    Rod Dedeaux
1974    Rod Dedeaux
1978    Rod Dedeaux
1998    Mike Gillespie

Gymnastics (1)
1962    Jack Beckner

Indoor Track & Field (2)
1967    Vern Wolfe
1972    Vern Wolfe

Swimming & Diving (9)
1960    Peter Daland
1963    Peter Daland
1964    Peter Daland
1965    Peter Daland
1966    Peter Daland
1974    Peter Daland
1975    Peter Daland
1976    Peter Daland
1977    Peter Daland

Tennis (18)
1946    William Moyle
1951    Louis Wheeler
1955    George Toley
1958    George Toley
1962    George Toley
1963    George Toley
1964    George Toley
1966    George Toley
1967    George Toley
1968    George Toley
1969    George Toley
1976    George Toley (tie)
1991    Dick Leach
1993    Dick Leach
1994    Dick Leach
2002    Dick Leach
2009    Peter Smith
2010    Peter Smith

Track & Field (26)
1926    Dean Cromwell
1930    Dean Cromwell
1931    Dean Cromwell
1935    Dean Cromwell
1936    Dean Cromwell
1937    Dean Cromwell
1938    Dean Cromwell
1939    Dean Cromwell
1940    Dean Cromwell
1941    Dean Cromwell
1942    Dean Cromwell
1943    Dean Cromwell
1949    Jess Hill
1950    Jess Hill
1951    Jess Mortensen
1952    Jess Mortensen
1953    Jess Mortensen
1954    Jess Mortensen
1955    Jess Mortensen
1958    Jess Mortensen
1961    Jess Mortensen
1963    Vern Wolfe
1965    Vern Wolfe (tie)
1967    Vern Wolfe
1968    Vern Wolfe
1976    Vern Wolfe

Volleyball (6)
1949    Hans Vogel (USVBA)
1950    Hans Vogel (USVBA)
1977    Ernie Hix
1980    Ernie Hix
1988    Bob Yoder
1990    Jim McLaughlin

Water Polo (5)
1998    John Williams
           Jovan Vavic
2003    Jovan Vavic
2005    Jovan Vavic
2008    Jovan Vavic
2009    Jovan Vavic

USC Women's Team Titles (23)

Basketball (2)
1983    Linda Sharp
1984    Linda Sharp

Golf (2)
2003    Andrea Gaston
2008    Andrea Gaston

Swimming & Diving (1)
1997    Mark Schubert

Tennis (7)
1977    Dave Borelli (AIAW)
1977    Dave Borelli (USTA)
1978    Dave Borelli (USTA)
1979    Dave Borelli (AIAW)
1980    Dave Borelli (AIAW)
1983    Dave Borelli
1985    Dave Borelli

Soccer (1)
2007    Ali Khosroshahin

Track & Field (1)
2001    Ron Allice

Volleyball (6)
1976    Chuck Erbe (AIAW)
1977    Chuck Erbe (AIAW)
1980    Chuck Erbe (AIAW)
1981    Chuck Erbe
2002    Mick Haley
2003    Mick Haley

Water Polo (3)
1999    Jovan Vavic (NCWWP)
2004    Jovan Vavic
2010    Jovan Vavic

The 2010 USC men's tennis NCAA championship team...

Here are a few post-match videos and a recap following the Trojan's 2010 National Championship in men's tennis.

The USC men's tennis team just beat Tennessee, 4-2, to win the 2010 NCAA team championship and repeat as national champs.

Congratulations to coach Peter Smith and his players who participated today in Athens, Ga.:  Robert Farah, Steve Johnson, Matt Kecki, Peter Lucassen, Jaak Poldma, JT Sundling, Jason McNaughton and Daniel Nguyen, whose win at No. 4 singles clinched the title.

That's USC's 18th NCAA team title in men's tennis, more than any other school.

It's been a pretty good last 9 days for Trojan athletics, with NCAA crowns in women's water polo and men's tennis and an NCAA runner-up finish (by just one stroke) in women's golf.  And don't forget the men's water polo NCAA title last fall.

Stay tuned, as the men's and women's track, men's golf and women's rowing teams are headed to the NCAA championships in coming weeks.

With players starting to file in now that summer classes have started and workouts are about to begin, and coaches soon to be wandering around Heritage Hall a bit more frequently, we're starting a new interactive element that allows you - the fans - to connect with the Trojan athletes, coaches and administrative staff.

Starting tomorrow at 12:30 PST, RipsIt will host the first of a periodic live chat segment. First up will be senior tailback Allen Bradford, who will be available for approximately 20 minutes to answer some of your questions and speak about his busy off-season and expectations for next year.

For those of you who joined us this past spring for the scrimmage live chats, you'll be familiar with the user-friendly CoverIt Live format.

So get your questions ready, as we'll try to answer as many of them as possible, and check back tomorrow at 12:30 for when we kick off the chat.

The USC men's tennis team will defend its NCAA crown on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Pacific when it plays No. 2-seeded Tennessee (31-1).  The championship match will be shown live on ESPNU.

Coach Peter Smith's Trojans just knocked off top-seed Virginia, 4-2, in an NCAA semifinal match.  Fifth-seeded USC (24-3) won the doubles point by virtue of wins from the teams of JT Sundling-Daniel Nguyen and Steve Johnson-Robert Farah, then got singles victories from Farah, Peter Luccasen and Nguyen.

USC has won 17 men's team titles in tennis, tied for the most in the nation.

The 2010 college football preview magazines are starting to hit the newsstands.

Here's a look at the covers of several of these pre-season publications. 

Lane Kiffin and Matt Barkley grace the regional cover of the Sporting News magazine, which has USC ranked 15th in the national pre-season poll.

Barkley appears on regional covers for Lindy's national and Pac-10 books.

Still to come is Lindy's and the always-comprehensive Phil Steele's College Football Preview.

The USC women's golf team finished as the runner-up at the 2010 NCAA Championship today, just one stroke behind Purdue.  It was the closest NCAA finish since 1996.

USC's score of 1,154 would have been good enough to win every NCAA championship except one dating back to 1982 when the NCAA first sponsored a women's golf tournament.

Head coach Andrea Gaston, in her 14th year at USC, has built the Women of Troy into a perennial challenger for the NCAA title.  This was the program's fifth consecutive Top 4 finish at the NCAA tourney (and sixth in the last eight years).  Gaston's Trojans won the NCAA crown in 2003 and 2008.  USC has been an NCAA tournament participant each of the past 13 years and has placed in the Top 7 all but 3 of those seasons, with those pair of titles and now with a pair of runner-up finishes.

To Andrea and her 2010 Women of Troy squad (Jennifer Song, Lizette Salas, Belen Mozo, Cyna Rodriguez, Inah Park, Stefanie Endstrasser and Caroline Kim), congratulations and thanks for another wonderful season!

The first two USC Coaches Tour stops--Wednesday night in Pasadena and last night in Westlake Village--are in the book...and reports are that the events were very well received by those who attended.

Emceed by television personality Lindsay Soto, coaches Lane Kiffin and Kevin O'Neill enlightened the audiences about their teams and shared anecdotes.  Both coaches mingled before and after the event with the attendees.

It's not too late join the coaches for dinner at one of the remaining five Tour stops:  May 24 (San Diego Marriott Del Mar), May 26 (Hyatt Regency Irvine), June 2 (Manhattan Beach Marriott), June 4 (Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells) and June 10 (San Francisco Airport Marriott).

Reservations are being accepted with a credit card here or by calling the USC Athletic Development office at (213) 740-4155.

Here's a brief video promo about the Tour.

Former USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, now the starter for the New York Jets, was among 200 guests of President Obama at a state dinner at the White House on Wednesday to honor Mexican president Felipe Calderon.

Check out this really cool video about USC and its incredible transformation under the leadership of outgoing President Steven Sample.

There are some amazing and wide-ranging comments from educators, politicians, alumni, students and staff.

Further proof that it's great to be a Trojan!

It's been fairly quiet around the USC campus the past few days following last Friday's commencement.

But summer classes began today, so more students--and student-athletes--are around again.

The football team's summer conditioning workouts officially begin June 7.  Until then, the players are working out on their own, both in Heritage Hall and at their home base.

Tonight at 10 p.m. on Bravo, the "Top Chef Masters Season 2" contestants must prepare a meal for 100 USC tailgaters outside the Coliseum at last season's Stanford game.  Here's a preview of the show.

Center Kristofer O'Dowd has been named to the Phil Steele's 2010 College Football Preview pre-season All-American first team and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey made the second team.

Wide receiver Ronald Johnson and offensive guard Butch Lewis joined O'Dowd and Casey on the magazine's pre-season All-Pac-10 first team.

Former USC head coach Pete Carroll, now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, returned to campus last Friday for the graduation of his son, Nate.

He got an unexpected bonus when he watched so many of his Trojan players also go through commencement ceremonies.  On the Seahawks blog, he called it "one of my proudest moments."

USC head coach Lane Kiffin was on Scott Van Pelt's national ESPN Radio broadcast earlier today.  You can listen to a replay of it here.

A number of USC teams are headed to NCAA Championships in coming weeks.

- The No. 3-ranked USC women's golf team begins NCAA play this Tuesday through Friday at Wilmington, North Carolina.  The Women of Troy are coming off a title at the NCAA Central Region.  They are led by Jennifer Song, the nation's No.2-ranked golfer.  You can follow their progress here .  The NCAA will also provide live streaming coverage of the 16th, 17th and 18th holes in the third and fourth rounds, and it can be accessed here.

- The No. 10 Trojan men's golf squad heads to Bremerton, Wash., for NCAA Regional play this Thursday through Saturday in hopes of advancing to the June 1-6 NCAA Championships in Chattanooga.  Follow the men online here.

- Beginning this Friday through Monday, the defending NCAA champion USC men's tennis team is at Athens, Ga., for the NCAA team championship.  The No. 5-ranked men open with Kentucky in the Round of 16.  Live scoring and live video for the matches can be found here.  Following team play, from May 26-31, the NCAA individual tourney is held.  Pac-10 doubles champs Rovbert Farah and Steve Johnson will pull double duty with singles and doubles draws on tap.

- The USC track and field teams (the No. 5 men and No. 12 women) head to Austin, Tex, for an NCAA Regional meet May 27 to 29, then advance to the NCAA Championship meet in Eugene from June 9 to 12.

--The Women of Troy rowing team finds out tomorrow whether it will be a competitor at the NCAA Rowing Championships May 28-30 near Sacramento.

To avoid any confusion, the Trojans are in the white caps, and the Cardinal, appropriately, in red. Photos courtesy of staff photographer Pierson Clair.

Tune in to HBO's "Real Sports" at 10 p.m. on Tuesday (May 18) for a feature segment on new USC head football coach Lane Kiffin.

Remember, six football camps for high school and elementary school players conducted by new USC head coach Lane Kiffin and his staff­, including Ed Orgeron and Monte Kiffin­, will be held in June on the USC campus.

Registration for these camps can be done on-line via CampKiffin.com or by calling (213) 740-4204 for a registration brochure.

You can watch highlights and interviews from the USC women's water polo team's NCAA championship victory yesterday here and here and here.

Congratulations to the USC women's water polo team and head coach Jovan Vavic for winning the NCAA Championship this evening with a 10-9 victory over Stanford.

Coupled with the Trojan men's NCAA title last fall, that means USC is the current center of the college water polo universe.

On the eve of the Pac-10 men's and women's track and field championships in Berkeley, here's a nice story on the comeback of USC 400-meter runner Bryshon Nellum.

USC women's volleyball player Alli Hillgren graduated today from the Marshall School of Business.

She was highlighted today in a "Marshall Voices" communique email that was distributed widely to alumni and friends of USC's prestigious business school.

The first of the 7-stop 2010 USC Coaches Tour--featuring new head coach Lane Kiffin and men's basketball coach Kevin O'Neill--is this coming Wednesday (May 19) at Pasadena's Langham Huntington Hotel.

It's not too late to sign up to attend the dinner and always-popular insider's talk from the two coaches.

For more information, call the USC Athletic Development at (213) 740-4155, email athrsvp@usc.edu or click here. 

Among the thousands of proud parents of graduates at today's USC Commencement was former Trojan/current Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.  He and his wife, Glena, were on campus to witness their son, Nate, graduate.

Below is a photo of Carroll today in Alumni Park visiting with USC athletic department administrators Ron Orr (left) and Steve Lopes. 

Here's a link to a bunch of photos from Thursday's USC Student-Athlete Graduation Celebration held at Heritage Hall.

Scroll to the bottom to see a group shot of the 2010 graduating Trojans student-athletes.

Here are a couple video teasers for tonight's "Trojans Insider" show airing on FSN PRIME TICKET at 10 p.m.

First is a "miked up" piece with head coach Lane Kiffin during a spring practice.  And next is some analysis from the show's hosts, Lindsay Soto and John Jackson .

Here is a list of the 109 student-athletes who are eligible to march at Friday's USC Commencement ceremony.

This list includes not only the current spring semester graduates but those from last fall's and this summer's semesters, along with a handful of former Trojan student-athletes who returned to the university to complete their degree requirements.  Some of these student-athletes have completed their academic requirements for a degree but still have athletic eligibility remaining, so some of them will compete for the Trojans again next season.

It's quite an impressive list, stacked with Olympians and All-Americans and national champions and record holders.  But no matter the accolades, each is a winner on and off the field and they all represented their university in great style.

Congratulations to all on a job well done!  And best wishes in your future.

Although your time at USC might be over, remember, you are a TROJAN for life!


BASEBALL:  Keith Castillo, Kevin Couture, Adam Dedeaux, Mike O'Neill

MEN'S BASKETBALL:  Kasey Cunningham, Mike Gerrity, Marcus Johnson, Dwight Lewis

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL:  Hailey Dunham, Jacki Gemelos, Aarika Hughes, Heather Oliver, Daniela Roark

FOOTBALL:  David Ausberry, Allen Bradford, Charles Brown, Jordan Cameron, Preston Cavignac, Omari Crittenden, Dan Deckas, Robert Erickson, C.J. Gable, Nick Garratt, Will Harris, Justin Hart, Stanley Havili, Zack Heberer, Joe Houston, Butch Lewis, Michael Morgan, Omar Nazel, Garrett Nolan, Billy O'Malley, Alex Parsons, Travon Patterson, Mike Reardon, Derek Simmons, Malcolm Smith, Averell Spicer, Scott Stephens, Cooper Stephenson, Kenechi Udeze, Christian Tupou, Spencer Vigoren

WOMEN'S GOLF:  Caroline Kim, Jill McGill, Belen Mozo

WOMEN'S SOCCER: Kate Gong, Jacquelyn Johnston, Brittany Massro, Ashley Nick, Kristin Olsen, Jamie Petrossi

WOMEN'S ROWING:  Carin Andersson, Alexandra Tapley, Ewelina Nowak, Andrea Vehovec

MEN'S SWIMMING:  Vanni Mangoni, Evan Marcus, James Martin

WOMEN'S SWIMMING:  Alexis De Mond, Kristine Forelli, Kathryn Houston, Kristina Rigterink

MEN'S TENNIS:  Abdullah Magdas

WOMEN'S TENNIS:  Sarah Fansler

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD:  Nate Anderson, Benjamin Brown, Colin Campbell, Putchong Dispanurat, Desmond Hamilton, Jason Price, Duane Solomon, Manjula Wijesekara

WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD:  Ekene Anene, Shalina Clarke, Kira Davis-Quarrie, Katherine Ellis, Chanel Fischette, Myra Hasson, Bridget Helgerson, Jasmine Leija, Katalin Mate, Elizabeth Olear, Judith Onyepunuka, Eva Orban, Brysun Stately, Jennifer Wells

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL:  Hunter Current, Jon Hackett, Tyler Stevens

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL:  Jessica Gysin, Alli Hillgren, Emilie Stewart

MEN'S WATER POLO:  Anthony Artukovich, Shea Bucker, Kevin Coyne, Justin Rappel, Matt Sagehorn, Nico Sardo, Kyle Sterling, Jordan Thompson, Kyle Wooten

WOMEN'S WATER POLO:  Tumua Anae, Kami Craig, Tekla Beckmann, Forel Davies, Shauna Letvin, Rebecca McCall

Today is a good day if you're a USC student. 

Why?  It's the last day of finals for the spring semester!

It's also move-out day in the dorms, so the campus is becoming less populous for the impending summer months.

But it'll be quite crowded again on Friday when the annual Commencement ceremonies take place. 

We'll post a list soon of all USC student-athletes who'll be "walking" on Friday. 

They'll also be honored with a special Graduation Celebration luncheon at Heritage Hall on Thursday hosted by the athletic department.  The annual USC senior student-athlete awards (the Trojaneer Diamond Award, Gimble Award and Willis O. Hunter Award) will be presented then.  Among the speakers at the event will be men's basketballer Mike Gerrity, women's trackster Shalina Clarke and former football All-American defensive end Kenechi Udeze.

Congratulations to the Trojan baseball and women's golf teams for their NCAA Public Recognition Awards today.

This week's video features new special teams coach John Baxter takes you inside the game of Survivor Troy as the team talks about how the difference in a game can come down to special teams play. To download the USC app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, click here.

USC "nickel" season ticket package went on sale today on USCTrojans.com.

The always-popular package includes tickets for USC's first 5 home games:  Virginia, Washington, California, Oregon and Arizona State.

USC's football season tickets for the 6-game 2010 home schedule (including the Notre Dame contest) already are sold out to the general public.

The only way now for fans to get some form of season tickets to watch the Trojans in 2010 is either by purchasing the nickel package or by joining a USC athletic support group.  Support group memberships include football season tickets (call 213-740-4155 to become a member).

Individual game tickets for all Trojan home games except Notre Dame will go on sale June 1.

This is the time of year when the pre-season football magazines--such as Lindy's, Athlon, Sporting News, Phil Steele et al--start hitting the newsstands, complete with their team rankings and All-American picks.

Although Lindy's won't be on sale for a few more weeks, the publication did release its pre-season lists.  USC is ranked 12th nationally (tops in the Pac-10) and Kristofer O'Dowd is named a second team All-American. 

Alabama, by the way, is picked by Lindy's to repeat as national champion, with Boise State ranked second.  The only other Pac-10 team that is ranked is Oregon, at No. 15.

Several of the major online sports sites have released their early ranking projections, as well. USC is ranked 15th by ESPN.com and CBSSports.com and 20th by SI.com.  Like Lindy's, each of these sites has Alabama No. 1 and Boise State second.

The kickoff times and television plans for 10 of USC's 2010 football games have been determined.

The start times and TV info for the remaining 3 games could be announced in June.

Here's the 2010 schedule:

DATE        OPPONENT              PLACE                    TIME/TV*
Sept. 2      at Hawaii                   Honolulu, Hi.            5 p.m. (ESPN) (8 p.m. L.A.)
Sept. 11    Virginia                      L.A. Coliseum          7:30 p.m. (FSN)
Sept. 18    at Minnesota              Minneapolis, Minn.   2:30 p.m. (ESPN) (12:30 p.m. L.A.)
Sept. 25    at Washington State   Pullman, Wash.       TBA
Oct. 2       Washington                L.A. Coliseum          5 p.m. (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
                (Parents' Weekend)
Oct. 9       at Stanford                 Palo Alto, Calif.        5 p.m. (ABC)
Oct. 16     California                    L.A. Coliseum          12:30 p.m. (FSN)
Oct. 30     Oregon                       L.A. Coliseum          5 p.m. (ABC)
                (Homecoming)
Nov. 6       Arizona State             L.A. Coliseum          TBA
Nov. 13     at Arizona                  Tucson, Ariz.            6 p.m. (ABC) (5 p.m. L.A.)
Nov. 20     at Oregon State          Corvallis, Ore.           5 p.m. (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
Nov. 27     Notre Dame                L.A. Coliseum          5 p.m. (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2)
Dec. 4      at UCLA                     Pasadena, Calif.       TBA
 
*Game times are subject to change
All times are local to game site

USC was named one of the nation's Top 10 "dream colleges" by both students and parents in a 2010 Princeton Review survey.

Tune in to FSN's PRIME TICKET this Wednesday at 10 p.m. (or after the conclusion of "Dodgers Live") to watch a special half hour "Trojans Insider" show about USC's just-concluded spring football practice.

There is some great behind-the-scenes footage of the Trojans during spring drills, including "miked up" segments with head coach Lane Kiffin and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron.

Lindsay Soto and former Trojan football/baseball star John Jackson host the show and provide analysis throughout.  They preview the team's 2010 prospects while keeping an eye on the standout performances of the spring.

Also, FOXSportsWest.com will be posting Trojan video this week, including extended "miked up" segments with Kiffin and Orgeron.

USC is the "most fertile NFL draft pipeline over the past three decades," according to an ESPN.com survey.

With graduation ceremonies taking place this Friday, white tents have been popping up all over campus to accommodate the receptions for the individual academic departments. Howard Jones Field is currently being prepped to host the students graduating from the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. Here are a few pictures of the massive tent that spans nearly the entire field.

Here is an insightful story in today's Los Angeles Times about one of USC's greatest basketball players, John Rudometkin.  In the story, the 69-year-old Rudo reflects on the challenges that cancer has presented to him for much of his life.

From everyone associated with the USC football program, we'd like to wish mothers everywhere--whether Trojan fans or not--a Happy Mother's Day!

You are all No. 1 in our view.  Thank you for all you've done for us.  Enjoy your special day.

USC football season tickets for the upcoming 6-game 2010 campaign are sold out for the general public.

USC support group memberships, which include football season tickets, are still being accepted.  To become a support group member, call 213-740-4155.

A 5-game USC ticket package (all home games except Notre Dame) will go on sale this Tuesday (May 11) on USCTrojans.com.

Individual game tickets for all Trojan home games except Notre Dame will go on sale June 1.

USC's 2010 home schedule:  Sept. 11 versus Virginia, Oct. 2 versus Washington, Oct. 16 versus California, Oct. 30 versus Oregon, Nov. 6 versus Arizona State and Nov. 27 versus Notre Dame.

When USC and the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission signed a 25-year lease in 2008, a number of phased-in improvements were part of the agreement.

There already have been upgrades the past two years to the sound and lighting systems and the video and score boards in the peristyle end.  A new press box elevator was installed.  The rim of the stadium was painted in cardinal.  The ticket booths on the south side of the facility were removed to improve foot-traffic flow.  More concession stands were added to the west end of the stadium.

The Coliseum is undergoing more improvements this summer.  The exterior fence line is being adjusted for crowd flow, access and security reasons.  A video board is being installed on the west side of the press box for viewing by fans sitting in that area whose sightlines to the peristyle-end video board are restricted.  A concession area is being added to the east end of the facility and some restroom modifications are being made.

Additional improvements will be made in successive years, all for the benefit and comfort of fans who come to the historic Coliseum.

The USC weight room is home to some of the best athletes on earth, and head strength and conditioning coach Aaron Ausmus is one of the main reasons why the Trojan football team consistently produces elite athletic talent. Don't believe us? Just check out this video, and make sure to crank up the volume for the full effect.

 

Here is a special alumni video tribute to retiring USC President Steven B. Sample and First Lady Kathryn Sample, commemorating their 19 years of remarkable service to the university. This four-minute tribute premiered at the 77th Annual USC Alumni Awards and was warmly received by more than 500 alumni and friends in attendance.

One of Dr. Sample's greatest passions was the USC Renaissance Scholars Program, which he launched in 2000. It encourages students to become "broad and versatile thinkers" by working "deeply and productively" in widely disparate disciplines. Members of the Trojan Family now have an opportunity to ensure that the Samples' extraordinary legacy lives on at USC by supporting the Steven and Kathryn Sample Renaissance Scholars Endowment.  To make a gift, go here.

 

The annual Pac-10 meetings of athletic directors, administrative staff and coaches tend to be rather humdrum, business-like affairs.  The just-concluded 2010 meeting in Phoenix was mostly more of the same.

ESPN.com's Pac-10 blogger Ted Miller reported today on the event, mainly from the angle of any talk (or not) about expansion.

While the Pac-10 TV schedule is still being tweaked, the 2010 bowl schedule has been finalized and made public.  Most notably for Pac-10 fans, the Alamo Bowl (new to the Pac-10 mix this year) gets the league's first team after the BCS selections are made.  The Holiday Bowl used to be in that slot.

One interesting change that was enacted at this week's Pac-10 meeting:  upping the number of players who can travel on football conference-game road trips from 64 to 70.  That brings the Pac-10 in line with other leagues throughout the nation.

Also, the Pac-10 met with representatives from the Big 12 to explore ways the conferences could work together in a number of areas, including media rights.

Traditionally, the Pac-10 announces which games will be televised by ABC/ESPN and FSN on May 1 and then June 1, respectively.

The 2010 TV schedule is still being finalized, partly because of some fine tuning that occurred at the just-completed Pac-10 meetings, and therefore we're still a few days away from learning of the ABC/ESPN selections.

Once the Pac-10 releases the TV schedule, we'll let you know what time and on what network you can watch USC's games.  Stay tuned.

The injury news wasn't all good for the Trojans coming off of last Saturday's end-of-spring game. 

Senior starting defensive tackle Christian Tupou suffered a torn ligament in his left knee during the scrimmage and likely will miss the 2010 season while recuperating from the required surgery.  The freak injury occurred in the third quarter when he made a cut, untouched, and his knee buckled.

Tupou, USC's most veteran defensive lineman who has started at nose tackle the past 2 years, has yet to use a redshirt year at USC, so he will be able to return to the Trojans as a redshirted senior in 2011.

"It's unfortunate that it happened, but I'm okay," said Tupou.  "I'll deal with it.  It's part of the game.  I'm down, but I'm not out because I can come back in 2011.  Through training and rehab, I see a brighter light at the end of the road."

Tupou has done well in the classroom at USC--he's a political science major who has earned Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention notice in the past--and actually will walk with the graduating seniors in USC's Commencement ceremonies next week.  He said the injury will allow him to focus on graduate studies in the fall.

On the field, he was an All-Pac-10 honorable selection in 2009 as a junior when he was named USC's Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year.  He has 37 career tackles, including 25 last year (with 4 for losses).

The assistant coaches are on the road recruiting. 

The players are in finals. 

And even head coach Lane Kiffin is out of the office.  Yesterday and today, Kiffin is participating in the annual Pac-10 meetings being held in Phoenix.

So, yes, the pace in the football offices in Heritage Hall is much slower right now...unless you're one of the administrative staff or student workers who have plenty on their plates to stay busy.  After all, USC football is one of those 365/24/7 operations.

Quarterback Matt Barkley's bruised right hand, which he hurt in last Saturday's scrimmage, is nothing more than that...a bruise.  He sustained the injury after following through on his 41-yard third quarter scoring pass and hitting his hand on a defensive player's helmet.

Barkley saw USC's medical staff again this evening.  They told him there was no fracture and he could begin throwing again in a week.

"It's what I thought it was," said Barkley.  "It's nothing to worry about.  It sure hurt when it happened, but it's a whole lot better now.  I can squeeze my hand and make a fist.  There's no long term problem.  I'll be throwing again real soon."

The injury is unrelated to the surgery that Barkley had following the 2009 season on his right wrist to relieve stiffness and clean up inflammation.

It's that time of the week again - pop open that USC Athletics app on your iPhone or iPod and stream the latest exclusive features.

On the menu this week: a two-part feature on women's basketball coach Michael Cooper, which is also available to All-Access members on USCTrojans.com.

Check it out. And if you don't have the iPhone app, you can buy it here.

This is another installment in an occasional series, "From the Desk of the A.D." It allows you to hear directly from USC athletic director Mike Garrett, who gives you his thoughts on several topical and hot-button subjects for the Trojans and college sports. 


By Mike Garrett
USC Athletic Director


--This morning, I attended the Trojan Family Celebration in Bovard Auditorium honoring Steven and Kathryn Sample.  President Sample, who is retiring this summer, leaves behind an incredible legacy.  From an athletic director's standpoint, he has been a gem to work for.  He has been an advocate of our athletic department throughout his tenure and he has supported our cause faithfully.  He has been with us as a loyal Trojan in victory and defeat, and he has helped raise the athletic department to unparalleled heights.  During his 19-year presidency, our athletic program has thrived on the field (winning 22 national championships and producing scores of All-Americans and Olympians), in the classroom (two Rhodes Scholars, a USC valedictorian, a dozen NCAA Post-Graduate Scholars and eight Academic All-Americans), financially (with record fundraising levels) and facilities-wise (including the Galen Center).  Steve and Kathryn, thank you.  We wish you the best and we hope to see you at many USC athletic events in the future.
 
--Our academic year is coming to a close, with final exams about to begin.  We're looking forward to the university's annual Commencement ceremony a week from Friday and, with it, the graduation of many Trojan student-athletes.  It's a time of mixed feelings, as we're saddened to see these outstanding young people leave the university but we are genuinely excited for them as they step into their promising future.  Most importantly, it is a time of great pride;  the university, the athletic department, their families and all Trojan fans are so proud of each of these great Trojans.  It's important for us to recognize not only what they accomplished athletically while at USC, but the superior work they have done in the classroom.  There will be 109 student-athletes eligible to march at next week's Commencement (that includes not only the current spring semester graduates but those from last fall's and this summer's semesters, along with a handful of former Trojan student-athletes who returned to the university to complete their degree requirements).  Two of them Jon Hackett of the men's volleyball team and women's swimmer Kristina Rigterink have been invited to the university's prestigious Senior Recognition Awards Ceremony next Thursday.  They will be presented with either The Order of Troy or The Order of the Laurel and the Palm, which are bestowed upon a select few graduating seniors who have demonstrated extraordinary service and commitment to our campus community.  Then, later that day, the athletic department will host its inaugural Graduation Celebration for our student-athletes at Heritage Hall.  We will present our annual awards to our top seniors (the Trojaneer Diamond Award, Gimble Award and Willis O. Hunter Award).  We are expecting a nice turnout for this special reception and ceremony.  It's our way of saying congratulations, best wishes and thank you.
 
--Speaking of academics, I thought you'd be interested in the following statistics.  We have about 600 student-athletes at USC presently.  Last fall, nearly half of them (287) achieved a 3.0 grade point average, including 14 with a perfect 4.0.  Some 117 made the university's Dean's List.  Our department's average GPA approached 3.0.  We take pride in recruiting students who are achievers both academically and athletically.  Once they arrive at USC, we provide them with all the tools that they need to succeed, whether that be with some of the best coaches in the world or with our highly-regarded Student Athlete Academic Services department.
 
--I heard that last Saturday's Spring Football Game at the Coliseum was a fun day for our fans, allowing them a sneak peak at the 2010 Trojans.  I say "heard" because I wasn't there.  I decided to go across town and take in the day-long USC-UCLA dual meet in track and field.  It is one of the great sporting events in college athletics.  And it was a historic day for our Trojans.  We won both the men's and women's meets in dominating fashion, sweeping the Bruins for the second year in a row and the first time ever in Westwood.  I can't tell you how proud I am of Coach Ron Allice, his staff and his athletes.  To say that I enjoyed myself sitting in those stands, well, I think you know how I feel about that.
 
--Last Saturday's track success, coupled with our women's rowers beating the Bruins that morning, clinched the Crosstown Gauntlet.  That means we keep that spectacular trophy in the lobby of Heritage Hall for a third consecutive year.  Before this three-year run, neither school had ever repeated as champion.  I can tell you this:  every single coach, athlete and administrator at USC keeps close tabs on the year-long competition with our crosstown rival...and I guarantee you the same happens at UCLA.  So we take great delight in claiming the Crosstown Gauntlet.  I know our fans feel the same way.  What is particularly special about this award is that it is competed across the board in all of our sports, so each team here did its part in winning this year's battle.
 
--May marks the start of our annual USC Coaches Tour, featuring Lane Kiffin and Kevin O'Neill.  The tour makes seven stops throughout California in May and June.  It's always a fun evening, sharing a dinner with Trojan friends and fans and listening to both coaches talk about their teams.  This will be the first tour for both Lane and Kevin, so come out, welcome them and meet them.  More information is on USCTrojans.com.
 
--I get asked daily about when we'll be hearing from the NCAA regarding its findings in the pending investigation.  I don't have an answer;  the NCAA will release the results when its committee members have concluded their work.  We hope it is soon.

If you missed seeing freshman tailback Dillon Baxter's amazing 58-yard double-spin run in Saturday's USC Spring Football Game, you can go to the game recap on USCTrojans.com, then scroll down and click on the video player.

Baxter's run is shown at the 2:22 mark of the video.  But, heck, why not watch the entire video recap of the scrimmage, complete with interviews with Lane Kiffin and players.

In his brief time at USC, Baxter has already had several highlight-reel runs, including this YouTube sensation.

What's a Trojan fan to do these next few months to get their USC football fix?

Here are a couple ideas to hold you over until fall camp begins the first week of August.

- Attend one of the stops of the USC Coaches Tour.  You'll hear Lane Kiffin and basketball coach Kevin O'Neill discuss their teams' outlooks.  It's a fun setting among Trojan friends and fans.

- Sign up for one of the USC Football Camps.  There are camps for high school and elementary school players, a clinic for parents and fans and even a flashback fantasy camp for adults.

- Make reservations to attend USC's season-opening game in Hawaii on Labor Day weekend.

Quarterback Matt Barkley will have his throwing hand examined again on Tuesday by USC's medical staff.

He hurt it when following through on his 41-yard scoring pass during Saturday's USC Spring Football Game.  His right hand hit the helmet of defensive tackle Jurrell Casey.

The preliminary evaluation was a bruised hand.

So what does Lane Kiffin think of the NCAA rule that bars head football coaches from going on the road to recruit in the month of May (only assistant coaches can do so)?  In case you missed his comments about the subject from last Friday's press conference, it's safe to say he dislikes the rule:

"I've been very strong about that. Not that anybody listens but I have expressed myself to (SEC) Commissioner (Mike) Slive every meeting that we are in. I don't think he appreciated it after the first two times I did and I brought it up and every time I bring it up, it would piss off Nick Saban, because he would bring it up again because he thinks the rule was changed because of him.

"I think it's a ridiculous rule. I think that head coaches, remember, we are accountable for the kid that we sign when they come in here, so when they screw up and they make a mistake, we are held accountable as head coaches for it. But you don't let us go out there in May to go to the school to find out about the kid, to ask the counselors about the kids, to ask the teachers about the kid.

"So we may sign a kid, okay, and you have now let me as a head coach responsible for the guy go to the school one time and that may not be till the week we sign the kid; the kid may already be committed and we have never gone to the school and researched from a head coach standpoint. The argument is your assistant coaches can go, but they are not held as accountable as we are. It makes absolutely no sense to me."

And just like that, spring football practice is over.

After five well-paced weeks of drills, in which Lane Kiffin and his coaches got an up-close look at his 2010 Trojans (minus the incoming recruits), things are dramatically quieter around the Heritage Hall football offices today.

Not only are spring drills finished, but the players are now focusing on the start of finals, which begin at USC on Wednesday.

And the assistant coaches are all on the road for the all-important spring recruiting period.  Some of them might not return to Heritage Hall for the entire month.  Each coach went armed with a care packet (actually, a large plastic bin) of supplies and resource material prepared for them by director of player personnel Scott Thompson.

Only Kiffin remains behind, per an NCAA rule that prohibits collegiate head football coaches from going on the road to recruit at this time of year.

The only real activity on the football side of Heritage Hall is happening in the coaches' war room.  Floor-to-ceiling white erase boards are being installed on all the walls, giving the coaches more room to write down in grease pen the game plans, plays and recruiting lists that they are constantly revising.

With USC's victories over UCLA in women's rowing and men's and women's track and field on Saturday (May 1), the Trojans have scored enough points to clinch the 2009-10 version of the Crosstown Gauntlet.

It's an unprecedented third consecutive win for USC in the head-to-head all-sports competition with crosstown rival UCLA.

USC now has 65 points in the year-long competition to UCLA's 42.5, with only the outcome of 3 mid-May baseball games remaining in the point total.  There also is the possibility that some already-awarded points could be exchanged in post-season meetings in women's water polo and men's tennis.  But there is no scenario where UCLA can score enough points to prevent the Gauntlet Trophy from remaining on display in USC's Heritage Hall for a third straight year.

"This is another great day to be a Trojan," said USC athletic director Mike Garrett.  "For the third year in a row, I'm proud to proclaim that we are the Crosstown Gauntlet champion. This is a credit to the hard work and talent of all of our coaches and student-athletes in our 19 sports.  They are to be congratulated because I know how much this crosstown rivalry competition means to each of them and to our fans."

Before USC's current 3-year run, the winner of the Crosstown Gauntlet Trophy had alternated every year.  After USC captured the inaugural trophy in 2001-02, UCLA won it in 2002-03, USC recaptured it in 2003-04, UCLA won it back in 2004-05, USC claimed it in 2005-06 and then UCLA won it in 2006-07.

Points are awarded to the winner of each Trojan-Bruin contest throughout the year and the Gauntlet Trophy is presented to the school with the most points at year's end.  A minimum of 57.5 points is required to win the trophy outright.

Here are the  spring game stats.pdf

Here's is a recap of today USC Spring football game at the Coliseum.

Courtesy of USC Staff Photographer Pierson Clair

With approximately 15,000 fans in attendance, USC wrapped up spring ball with a scrimmage at the Coliseum that was chock-full of highlights. On a perfect, 70-degree day, RipsIt took in the game from the the press box high above the field. A few observations and stats...

- Defense dominated the first half, allowing only one touchdown and recovering a fumble. The front seven had great pressure and generally kept the running game in check, while the secondary forced incompletions with tight coverage and active hands. The Cardinal (defensive) squad held a 17-7 lead at halftime.

- The second half was a different story for the White (offensive) squad, which racked up 47 more points, to finish with 54. We saw an arsenal of offensive plays, including some wildcat formations, a mixture of deep, mid, and short passes, and solid running. The White squad finished the day with a win, taking the game by the final score of 54-30.

- Dillon Baxter impressed, in front of his largest audience as a Trojan (not including the nearly 2 million people who have watched his YouTube highlight from a recent USC practice). The tailback racked up 129 yards on 13 carries with a long of 58 and a touchdown. He also completed a pass to Mustain on a trick play which went for a first down.

- In the air, Mitch Mustain had an outstanding day, completing 19 of 29 for 299 yards and five touchdowns. Matt Barkley finished 7 of 16 for 87 yards and a score, although his day was cut short after throwing a beautiful deep touchdown pass to Travon Patterson in which he injured his hand.

- Patterson grabbed two touchdown passes on the day, displaying his blazing speed on both. In addition to the bomb from Barkley, he also caught a pass from Mustain just inside the 30 and scooted past defenders down the near sideline, just making it inside the pylon. He added 101 receiving yards to go with his two scores.

- Stanley Havili caught touchdown passes of 28, 33 and 50 on his way to amassing 129 receiving yards.

- Defensively, Shareece Wright continued to prove why he's a leader in the secondary. The senior cornerback had five tackles and three deflections while covering USC's top receivers all day long.

- Malcolm Smith also notched six tackles and a deflection, and Nick Perry had a nice all-around performance with 5 tackles, a sack and a deflection.

Check back later for a full story recap of today's scrimmage, as well as a photo slideshow. If you want to read some of the live play-by-play, scroll down to the live blog to read the full transcript of what took place earlier today during the action.

 

Well, we've reached the finish line. Sort of.

Although today marks the end of spring ball, it really only represents the conclusion of preparation for next year. We're excited to see how the team fares in its final competition before the two-and-a-half month lull that is summer break. We're sure you are as well.

Unlike past Saturday live blogs, you can also hear audio play-by-play of today's action on USCTrojans.com, in addition to pre- and post-scrimmage videos. But if you're sticking to the live blog as your source for information, feel free, as always, to ask questions and discuss various topics with your fellow USC fans.

But enough jibber jabber. Let's get rolling.