2007 USC TROJANS E NOTES GAM FOOTBALL SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE • HER 103 • LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90089-0601 TELEPHONE: (213) 740-8480 FAX: (213) 740-7584 WWW.USCTROJANS.COM TIM TESSALONE, DIRECTOR FOR RELEASE: Oct. 22, 2007 2007 USC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (6-1) NO. 9/8 USC FOOTBALL, LOOKING FOR 750TH WIN, PLAYS AT NO. 5 OREGON DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULT FACTS Sept. 1 Idaho W 38-10 USC (6-1 overall, 3-1 Pacific-10) vs. Oregon (6-1 overall, 3-1 Pacific-10), Saturday, Oct. 27, Sept. 15 at Nebraska W 49-31 noon PDT, Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Ore. Sept. 22 Washington State W 47-14 Sept. 29 at Washington W 27-24 THEMES Oct. 6 Stanford L 23-24 No. 9/8 USC goes after the 750th win in program history when it travels to No. 5 Oregon, a Oct. 13 Arizona W 20-13 team with an identical record. The Trojans remain on the road for the second week in a row Oct. 20 at Notre Dame W 38-0 as they make their sixth visit to Eugene since 1998. USC has won its past 2 times in Autzen Oct. 27 at Oregon Noon (FSN) Stadium, which is sold out (54,000) and guaranteed to be loud. Troy also is looking for its Nov. 3 Oregon State 5 p.m. (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) fourth consecutive win over the Ducks. This is the highest ranked Oregon team that USC has Nov. 10 at California 5 p.m. (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2) ever faced. Although USC has lost more than it has won when playing a ranked Oregon Nov. 22 at Arizona State 6 p.m. (ESPN) squad, it has been victorious in the last 3 such occurrences. This is the first of 3 ranked opponents Dec. 1 UCLA 1:30 p.m. (ABC) USC must face in its next 5 games. This is the 73rd consecutive game that USC has been in the PAC-10 STANDINGS AP Top 25. The Trojans also have returned to the AP Top 10 this week after a one-week absence following their school-record 63-game run. Three sets of brothers (the Matthews, PAC-10 OVERALL Rowes and Tupous) will be on opposite sidelines in Eugene. USC is coming off its most decisive W L W L win ever over Notre Dame ever and its first shutout of the Irish in South Bend since 1933. The ASU4070 Trojans, who have been hampered all season by injuries (with 23 key Trojans having missed at UCLA 4052 least 1 game), are getting healthier and could benefit this week by the continued return of ORE3161 some of the wounded. The question for USC’s offense is who will be at the controls this week, USC3161 as QB Mark Sanchez has filled in quite capably the past 2 weeks for QB John David Booty CAL2252 (he’s in the USC career Top 10 in passing and total offense), who is still recovering from a OSU2243 broken finger. TE Fred Davis, a Mackey Award candidate who leads the nation’s tight ends STAN 2334 in yards per catch, has jumped into USC’s career receiving Top 20. The Trojan running attack— ARIZ 1426 WASH 0425 with such tailbacks as Chauncey Washington, Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight—is much WSU0425 improved over a year ago. The USC offensive line, which has been hard-hit by the injury bug, could see the return of some key blockers, including 2-time All-American OT Sam Baker (a AP POLL USA TODAY POLL 2007 Lombardi Award semifinalist). USC’s defense has been its strength, as statistically the Trojans are in the national Top 10 in every category. It features All-American DT Sedrick Ellis 1. Ohio State 1. Ohio State and DE Lawrence Jackson (he has 24 career sacks) on the line, the nation’s premier 2. Boston College 2. Boston College linebacking corps led by LB Keith Rivers (a 2007 Butkus Award semifinalist) and a secondary 3. LSU 3. LSU with CB Terrell Thomas, S Taylor Mays and S Kevin Ellison. USC head coach Pete Carroll, the 4. Oklahoma 4. Oklahoma nation’s winningest active coach, has led his Trojans to 5 consecutive AP Top 4 finishes, BCS 5. Oregon 5. Oregon bowls, Pac-10 titles and 11-win seasons. Carroll has won 80% of his games against AP Top 25 6. West Virginia 6. West Virginia teams. Oregon, coming off an impressive win at Washington last Saturday, is guided by the 7. Arizona State 7. Arizona State th 8. Virginia Tech 8. USC Pac-10’s senior head coach, Mike Bellotti (13 year). The Ducks’ spread offense—which had 9. USC 9. Virginia Tech 661 total yards at Washington, including 465 on the ground—is one of the nation’s most potent 9. Florida 10. Kansas and highly ranked (averaging 550 total yards and 46 points), featuring the Pac-10’s top passer 11. South Florida 11. Florida and runner. Multi-threat QB Dennis Dixon, who leads the Pac-10 in total offense and passing 12. Kansas 12. South Florida efficiency, is at the controls. Talented RB Jonathan Stewart, who ran for 251 yards last weekend, 13. Missouri 13. Missouri is among the nation’s leaders in rushing, all-purpose running and kickoff returns. WR Jaison 14. Kentucky 14. Hawaii Williams is a big-play wideout. Oregon’s defense—behind the likes of FS Matthew Harper, 15. South Carolina 15. Kentucky ROV Patrick Chung and DE Nick Reed—specializes in negative-yardage plays. The game 16. Hawaii 16. Texas will be shown live nationally on FSN cable. 17. Texas 17. South Carolina 18. California 18. Virginia RADIO-TV—Live national cable TV: noon (PDT), FSN, Live internet streaming: TrojanTV All-Access on 19. Michigan 19. Georgia Barry Tompkins, Petros Papadakis, Jim Watson. usctrojans.com, live pre- and post-game show, live 20. Georgia 20. California Live national radio: noon (PDT), Sports USA game stats and delayed game telecast. 21. Virginia 21. Michigan Radio, Josh Lewin, Gary Barnett, Troy West. Trojan Talk: Noon-3 p.m. (PDT), Tuesdays, ESPN 22. Alabama 22. Penn State Live local radio: 7 a.m. (PDT), ESPN Radio 710 Radio 710 (KSPN-AM), Kevin Kiley, Steve Mason, 23. Auburn 23. Auburn (KSPN-AM), Pete Arbogast, Paul McDonald, John Brandon Hancock, Darrell Rideaux, Steve Bisheff 24. Penn State 24. Alabama Jackson, Steve Mason, Curt Sandoval, Dave (replayed on Saturdays, 8 hours before kickoff). 25. Rutgers 25. Wisconsin Denholm, Colin Cowherd, Brandon Hancock, Curtis Trojan Chat Room: 7-9 p.m. (PDT), Conway, Darrell Rideaux, David Newbury, Steve Wednesdays or Thursdays, ESPN Radio 710 (KSPN- Bisheff, Harvey Hyde (includes 5-hour pre-game and AM), Steve Mason, Dave Denholm, Brandon 2-hour post-game shows). Nine other stations are Hancock, Curtis Conway, Steve Bisheff (replayed included on the USC radio network: KSPA-AM 1510 on Saturdays, 7 hours before kickoff). in Ontario/San Bernardino County/Inland Empire, Trojan Brunch: 9-11 a.m. (PDT), Sundays, ESPN ESPN 800 in San Diego, KXPS-AM 1010 in Palm Radio 710 (KSPN-AM), Brandon Hancock, David USC FOOTBALL Springs, KVEN-AM 1450 in Ventura, ESPN 1280 in San Newbury, Harvey Hyde. Luis Obispo, KSZL-AM 1230 in Barstow, KGEO-AM Trojan Rewind: 10:30 p.m. (PDT), Tuesdays, FSN 1230 in Bakersfield, ESPN 790 in Fresno and KSFN Prime Ticket. 11 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Spike 1140 in Las Vegas. Fans also can hear the USC Football Press Conference: 11 p.m. (PDT), 29 BOWL VICTORIES live ESPN Radio broadcast on www.usctrojans.com, Tuesdays, FSN Prime Ticket, Lindsay Soto, Jeremy 146 ALL-AMERICANS on SIRIUS satellite radio (Channel 125) or by dialing Hogue. 7 HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS 1-800-846-4675 ext. 5933. USC Trojan Talk: 7 p.m. (PDT), Thursdays, KSHP- 408 NFL PLAYERS Live local Spanish-language radio: noon AM (1400), Harvey Hyde, Chuck Hayes. Fans also (PDT), KWKW-AM (1330) and KWKU-AM (1220), Mitch can hear the live KSHP broadcast on 22 ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS Zaralegui, Pepe Mantilla. www.kshp.com. 1 2007 TROJAN FOOTBALL RANKINGS sold-out crowd of 59,129 (a stadium and USC VS. OREGON (36-15-2) USC is ranked ninth (tied) by AP and eighth state record) in Autzen Stadium. The win was by USA Today. Oregon is fifth in both polls. Troy’s school- and Pac-10-record tying 25th 1915 L 0-34 H 1972 W 18- 0 A in a row, as well as its 16th straight Pac-10 1920 W 21- 0 N1 1973 W 31-10 H th th 1931 W 53- 0 H 1974 W 16- 7 A SERIES victory, 11 consecutive road win and 12 1932 W 33- 0 H 1975 W 17- 3 H USC holds a 36-15-2 record in its series with in a row over an AP Top 25 squad. Oregon 1933 W 26- 0 H 1976 W 53- 0 A Oregon, dating to 1915. In the last 26 scored twice early in the game following 1934 W 33- 0 H 1977 W 33-15 H meetings, Troy is 19-6-1 against the Ducks and USC turnovers (on a 37-yard field goal by PK 1936 W 26- 0 H 1978 W 37-10 A has won the past 3, but before that lost 4 in Paul Martinez and a 36-yard TD pass from 1937 W 34-14 H 1980 T 7- 7 A a row. In Trojan-Duck games in the state of QB Kellen Clemens to WR Demetrius 1938 W 31- 7 N2 1982 W 38- 7 H Oregon (Eugene or Portland), USC is just 12- Williams).