Punt returns steal show at USC scrimmage
LOS ANGELES - His team, in a word, looked "raggedy" in its first scrimmage Sunday at the Coliseum, USC coach Pete Carroll said.
Quarterback John David Booty agreed, saying, "We've got some work to do," although he liked the work of newcomers Ronald Johnson and Joe McKnight, "on the special teams."
Johnson returned punts 53 and 52 yards, and Joe McKnight had a 74-yard punt return TD.
The Trojans started three safeties with Josh Pinkard moving to left cornerback when Cary Harris couldn't go with a tight hamstring.
Despite a pass rush that had the quarterbacks often on their heels and receivers having trouble holding on to the ball, Booty (7 of 14, 53 yards) managed to throw touchdown passes to Fred Davis from 2 yards out and Patrick Turner from the 4. Michael McDonald hit Cooper Stephenson for a 50-yard touchdown, and freshman Aaron Corp hit Johnson for a 9-yard TD on the last play of the 78-play scrimmage. Mark Sanchez threw the lone interception to Marshall Jones.
With 240-pound freshman Broderick Green getting the bulk of carries (eight for 14 yards) in his first action in full pads, the highlights on the ground were Chauncey Washington's 78-yard run from scrimmage and Stafon Johnson's three runs for 51 yards.
David Buehler converted a 49-yard field goal in his only try. USC had trouble punting, with Greg Woidneck getting two of his blocked with a new protection group.
Freshman linebacker Malcolm Smith and Kaluka Maiava each had five tackles.
Late Scrimmage Starts
There's a reason USC scheduled Sunday's scrimmage at the Coliseum for a 7:15 p.m. start, the same as for the second Coliseum scrimmage Aug. 22.
The schedule features mostly evening starts, with only the Oregon, Notre Dame and UCLA games set for the traditional mid-day kickoff. The Trojans' opener against Idaho on Sept. 1 is the latest kickoff of the year with its 7:15 start time.
Graduation Updates
Two more Trojans with one-of-a-kind plans for using their educations are Dale Thompson, out of Corona Santiago High, and grad student Jody Adewale.
Thompson has completed all of his credits for a degree in sociology in three years with only two elective courses in the fall to finish. He said he plans to add a minor in real estate.
Adewale, with a degree in psychology, plans to finish his master's at USC, then move on to doctoral work in 2009.
[More at www.pe.com ]
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