SPIN CITY WHILE THE CITY GNASHES ITS TEETH OVER THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THE USC FOOTBALL TEAM, COACH PETE CARROLL CLAIMS HE'S ENJOYING THE CHALLENGES POSED BY THE TEAM'S MYRIAD INJURIES.Byline: STEVE DILBECK He's excited because, boy, is this a challenge. Really fun stuff. All these problems to overcome. Who knew a team struggling mightily to resemble expectations could create so much joy? It's the Pete Carroll Peter C. Carroll (born September 15, 1951, in San Francisco, California) is the current head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans football team, having held that position since 2001. Spin, and if he wasn't actually so consistent, it would be laughable. All those injuries? Just incredible opportunities for the next in line. That struggling offense? Running back Joe McKnight Joe McKnight (born April 16, 1988 in River Ridge, Louisiana) is an American football tailback for the University of Southern California (USC) Trojans football team. High school career had a breakout game, quarterback Mark Sanchez Mark Sanchez (born November 11, 1986 in Long Beach, CA) is a college football quarterback attending the University of Southern California (USC). High school career found a way to win his first start, the O-line is going to get healthy. The disappointing defense? Really bore down in the fourth quarter against mighty Arizona, linebacker Brian Cushing Brian Cushing is a strongside linebacker for the University of Southern California Trojans football team. College career Cushing shares the #10 with starting quarterback John David Booty. is ready to return, the line is bringing pressure and is so close to getting sacks. That disappointing 14th ranking in the debut BCS (1) (The British Computer Society, Swindon, Wiltshire, England, www.bcs.org) The chartered body for information technology professionals in the U.K., founded in 1957. standings? It's only the middle of the season and all kinds of stuff can happen, mostly great and fantastic stuff. "This is an exciting time," Carroll said. "This is really calling on us to do some great stuff in the staff room and in preparations and using our people well and finding ways to make this a successful team. "We're challenged by it." Why, another tight game and a couple of injuries and he'll just be giddy. "We're feeling pumped by the opportunity," Carroll said. To the outside world, of course, this sounds like a lot of coaching bunk. With the possible exception of LSU's Les Miles Les Miles (born November 10, 1953 in Elyria, Ohio) is an American college football coach and the current head coach of the LSU Tigers. Prior to holding that position, he was head coach at Oklahoma State. , USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. opened the season as everybody's No. 1. It had 18 starters back from an 11-2 team. Had a leading Heisman Trophy Heisman Trophy Annual award given to the outstanding college gridiron football player in the U.S. The trophy was instituted in 1935 by New York City's Downtown Athletic Club and was officially named the following year for the club's first athletic director, the player-coach candidate in quarterback John David Booty John David Booty (born January 3, 1985, in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.) is the starting quarterback of the University of Southern California (USC) football team. He is called "John David", and sometimes referred to as J.D., because his father's name is John. . Ten prep All-Americans at tailback to choose from. What was considered the best linebacking corps in the country and possibly Carroll's best defense ever. Throw in USC's almost unparalleled success the past five years and that Carroll annually recruits the first- or second-rated prep class in the country, and expectations were off anyone's charts. Then they started the season. The Trojans were unimpressive against little Idaho. Supposedly scored a signature win at Nebraska, a team now beaten by 40 points on a weekly basis. Beat Washington State soundly, but alarms went off the next week when they were fortunate to escape Washington with a victory. That was followed by "the biggest upset in college football history," a shocking loss to Stanford that snapped a 35-game home winning streak Noun 1. winning streak - a streak of wins streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" . So last week the Trojans were supposed to come out snorting 'snorting' Substance abuse A popular method for consuming cocaine and opiates–one nostril is held closed, the other inhales pulverized cocaine. See Cocaine, Crack. fire against 2-5 Arizona ... and needed a fourth-quarter comeback to win at home. "It's not about style points for us," Carroll said. "It's about getting wins right now. One of the benefits of this time is that a lot of guys get to play and find their level of play." Carroll is the Norman Vincent Peale Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was a Protestant preacher and author (most notably of The Power of Positive Thinking) and a progenitor of the theory of "positive thinking". of coaches. But the selling is a little rough now, given what people around Heritage Hall are used to and the expectations surrounding this team. Carroll shrugs if off, or at least pretends to. It's out of his control. It's the outside world. The Trojans are on a journey of rediscovery and can't get wrapped up in those disappointed that they're not crushing people like they were Team Transformers. "It's not that I don't care
"Don't Care" is a 1994 (see 1994 in music) single by American death metal band Obituary. about the people," Carroll said. "I don't care about the opinion. I can't do anything about the opinion right now. "They have to wait like we have to wait and see where we are. I think part of the issue is people would like to be eased into understanding more clearly, but we don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. . So I can't help anybody on that. If I could I would. So we have to go play." Naturally, he actually does care. He's proud of his program and should be. He built the most respected college football program in the country. Raised his own expectations right along with everyone else's. And right now, everything is a struggle. Every team has injuries (see: UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX ), but USC has seemed to suffer an unusual number. Starting tailback C.J. Gable (11 yards per carry) is out for the season. Leading rusher Stafon Johnson is out with a sore foot. Booty has a broken finger. The offensive line is a group of strangers. Cushing has been out, and now Rey Maualuga Rey Maualuga (born January 20, 1987 in Oklahoma) is an american football middle linebacker for the University of Southern California Trojans football team. Early life has a hip pointer. The defensive backfield plays third- stringers. "We're really not the same guys we were when we started the season," Carroll said. Still, the Trojans will take a 5-1 record into Notre Dame on Saturday. If nothing is certain for this team, actually neither is anything unattainable. Right now it may be hard to see this underachieving team winning out, but if it does, the Rose Bowl still awaits, and a slim chance at the BCS title game. Yet everything is a struggle and figures to be for awhile, if not the rest of the season. Doubters are everywhere now, from frightened boosters to the poll voters. What is up with USC? "I totally understand the questions," Carroll said. "I really don't have a way to make everyone feel at ease on this one. "I think right now we're enduring the season and enduring what happened to us." This team has almost unexpectedly become Carroll's greatest challenge, his biggest test. Naturally, he seems very up for it. Last year it wasn't all blowouts for USC. The Trojans won plenty of close games, and at the end of the season were called Rose Bowl champions. Still had a memorable season. "That's still out there for us," he said. "That could still happen. In my mind that's a likely scenario if things come together, if we have good fortune and our guys hang. "We're putting it together. Like I said, this is an exciting time." stephen.dilbeck@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 USC SATURDAY at Notre Dame, 12:30 p.m., Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame at Notre Dame, Indiana, just north of the city of South Bend, Indiana, USA. . TV/Radio: Ch. 4, 710-AM. CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- color) USC quarterbacks Mark Sanchez, left, and John David Booty watch the action against Arizona on Oct. 13. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer (2 -- color) Chilo Rachal, left, and Kristofer O'Dowd are carted off the field after being injured against Washington on Sept. 29. Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images (3) After losing to Stanford, Vidal Hazelton and USC continued to struggle against Arizona on Saturday at the Coliseum. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer (4 -- color) Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh celebrates after defeating USC on Oct. 6. Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images (5 -- color) no caption (Pete Carroll) Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer |
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