USCFootball.com - The War Room

September 18, 2009

Ryan Abraham
USCFootball.com Publisher

Another busy week in the USCFootball.com War Room, as we discuss what the Ohio State front four did differently to confuse the Trojan offensive line.

We also talk about injured stars Matt Barkley and Taylor Mays, update some "soft" verbal commits, explain why Garrett Green is one of the busiest Trojans and connect USC special teams to the movie Ace Ventura.

More details of what is inside:

The USC offensive line is one of the best and most experienced in the country, but the Ohio State front gave them a lot of trouble, especially in the first half. We have the inside scoop on what exactly the Buckeyes did to try and confuse the Trojan front and who helped them do it.

Two of USC's biggest stars did not practice this week, quarterback Matt Barkley and safety Taylor Mays. While both have yet to be ruled out for the Washington game, playing them before a full recovery could be risky.

What is in a "soft" verbal? We talk about a couple of USC soft verbal commits that are still looking around and the story behind five-star defensive end Chris Martin, a Notre Dame commit, and his interest in USC.

One of the busiest guys on the practice field is utility man Garrett Green. He plays quarterback, receiver, holds for field goals, covers kickoffs and is the up-man for punts. We have an update on what he was doing this week to help the team get under the strict player travel limits for Pac-10 games.

We have an update on the USC service, or scout, teams, and the two things each of them keep in mind during game weeks. Pete Carroll puts a lot of his faith in these guys to give the starting offense and defense good looks at practice.

Speaking of scout teams, this week was a unique opportunity for the Trojans to practice against their true selves. Instead of preparing for a foreign offense or defense, they are preparing for Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt, USC's offensive and defensive coordinators from last season.

Want to know which quarterback has the strongest arm on the team? You may be surprised to find out who it is.

The Trojans were working hard this week to improve the punting game, but there was more going wrong than just the ball coming off of the foot of Billy O'Malley. We have the details in the War Room.

How can a USC special teams play have a connection to a Jim Carrey movie? The Trojans have had plenty of stars come to games, but Carrey isn't one of them. We reveal the connection and how the players learned from it this week in practice.

Quarterback Mitch Mustain practice punting this week, something he had not done since high school. We have an update on his situation and if he would really be used to help fix USC's punting woes.

Plus plenty more!

Enjoy the USCFootball.com War Room by clicking here

The one rule we have for the War Room is simply that everything that is reported here should stay here and on The Peristyle. Sometimes the info is sensitive enough that it simply does not need to be passed on beyond the doors of this thread.

Please honor this request and we will continue to do our best to provide all of our subscribers with a great perspective on the program.

This is a special feature for USCFootball.com subscribers only. The reason why it is posted on the premium board is that it is the only way to ensure that the info stays exclusive to the Trojan fans.

This will only work if everyone helps make it work by not copying or reprinting the information.

If you are not a subscriber, you can click here to subscribe now and get a 7-day free trial.

To go to the USCFootball.com War Room click here.

USC NEWS

[More]

Latest Headlines:

Resources:

FEATURED PRODUCT