Sorted by date Results 151 - 167 of 167
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor It’s been quite a start to USC’s football season. In the first game, before 76,000 in the Coliseum, new head coach Steve Sarkisian introduced a go-go offense that resulted in the Trojans running 105 plays, more than 20 more that they averaged last season as USC won, 52-13 In the second game, Stanford dominated play but had trouble getting into the end zone and USC won, 13-10. The drama occurred in the second half when Sarkisian was arguing with the officials and...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports editor The first weekend of the college football season brought a surprise to fans in Los Angeles. A heralded UCLA team looked ordinary in a 28-20 victory at Virginia, which had a 2-10 record last season. A troubled USC team, which had internal problems all week, trampled Fresno State, 52-13. UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, regarded as a Heisman Trophy candidate, struggled. In fact, UCLA had to rely on its defense for three touchdowns in the second quarter while the...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor With the college football season coming up, Lane Kiffin is my topic for the day. A brief resume: Kiffin has been head coach with the Oakland Raiders and with Tennessee and USC. The Trojans fired him last season after they got off to a slow start. Now Kiffin has become offensive co-ordinator at Alabama on Nick Saban's staff. "Considering everything I'm veryhappy to have this job before I reach 40," said Kiffin. "I thought this would be a great opportunity if it...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Speaking to several members of the media recently, the subject came up of outstanding college football coaches who had failed in the NFL. Lou Holtz was high on that list. His college teams won 388 games, including 132 at Notre Dame, but one year he went into the NFL and his New York Jets had a 3-11 record. When Pete Carroll was presiding over a collegiate dynasty at USC from 2000 to 2009 he seemed to find his niche. His Trojans were nationally prominent, so why...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Until Monday night, Texas' comeback win over USC in 2006 was considered the greatest championship game in the 16-year history of the Bowl Championship Series. But in the last game of the BCS, which will be replaced by a new system next season, Florida State's thrilling come-from-behind victory over Auburn, matched it. Florida State, seeking a perfect season, trailed 21-3 before taking command. Both teams scored a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. And Auburn,...
When several National Football League coaching openings became available last week UCLA's Jim Mora Jr. was prominently mentioned. His response was to say thanks but no thanks. Mora has concluded two spectacular years at UCLA. There were nine victories last season and 10 this season. UCLA beat USC both years. The Bruins routed Virginia Tech, 42-12 in last week's Sun Bowl, scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter. Mora said he's not one to hop onto a new job. He likes it here. And he's building som...
USC hired former Trojan assistant Steve Sarkisian as its head football coach Monday. Sarkisian was head coach at the University of Washington the last five years, compiling a 34-29 record, including 8-4 this season. At USC he had been offensive co-ordinator and tutored Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. Sarkisian talked with Trojan athletic director Pat Haden over the weekend....
Former UCLA head football coach Rick Neuheisel was probably one of the most satisfied people in America after UCLA beat USC 35-17 Saturday night. Neuheisel recruited Brett Hundley three or four years ago to play for UCLA. Hundley was supposed to be the player who was going to put UCLA football back in the national spotlight. Against USC he showed why he was so highly recruited out of Chandler High School in Arizona. His performance against USC will go down as one of the best games played by a...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor There hasn’t been a lot written about this, but I’ve been told there are an unusually high number of USC undergraduate football players eligible for the NFL draft. The number I’ve heard is 33. That’s a lot. Some aren’t likely to be high NFL draft choices but they provide depth at USC and they would be missed. Some have redshirted and that year counts toward NFL eligibility. If a player has been in the program for three years, even if one year he redshirte...
USC hired former Trojan assistant Steve Sarkisian as its head football coach Monday. Sarkisian was head coach at the University of Washington the last five years, compiling a 34-29 record, including 8-4 this season. At USC he had been offensive co-ordinator and tutored Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. Sarkisian talked with Trojan athletic director Pat Haden over the weekend....
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Arizona State Sun Devils will be playing in their first Pac-12 Championship, game as they defeated UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, 38-33. The Sun Devils got off to a quick start, running the ball six times for 67 yards on their first possession. QB Taylor Kelly scored the first touchdown in three minutes as he ran the ball in from the three-yard line to give his team a 7-0 advantage. On the Bruins first possession, they outdid the Sun Devils as QB Bre...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor After USC routed California Saturday, scoring 62 points, I began hearing from Trojan fans who asked the same question. They wanted to know if Ed Orgeron has a chance of remaining as the Trojans' coach beyond this season. I consider it a worthwhile topic because I've respected Orgeron since he became a Trojan assistant coach, became a head coach at Mississippi, then returned to the Trojans as an assistant and recruiting co-ordinator. It's obvious he's been an...
USC, Now An Underdog, Tries To Recover Can this really be happening? USC, so dominant on the football field in the recent past, enters the 2013 season trying to recover from a dismal year. Not only did USC lose to UCLA, it finished with a 7-6 record after being ranked No. 1 in the nation at the outset. The season ended with a loss in the Sun Bowl, and reports surfaced about a dispute in the locker room among players, with quarterback Matt Barkley among the peacemakers. Barkley, previously a...
Respect Builds For UCLA Football When the Pac-12 Conference football media day was held at the Sony Studios in Culver City last week the biggest news was UCLA being picked to win the conference’s South division. This has been USC’s territory for a long time. But UCLA beat USC last season, 38-28 and now the media has picked Arizona State second and USC only third. Oregon was picked to win the North even though highly successful coach Chip Kelly left for the Philadelphia Eagles. Stanford was pic...
LOS ANGELES-USC freshman Zachariah Branch has been named a First Team All-American. Branch is USC's first-ever true freshman First Team All-American. USC now has 176 First Team All-Americans. Branch was named to the USA Today All-American First Team as a returner. Additionally, he was named a Sports Illustrated Second Team All-American as a kick returner, a CBS Sports Honorable Mention All-American as a wide receiver/punt returner, a College Football News Honorable Mention Freshman All-American...
West Los Angeles College won its first conference football game of the season Saturday by stopping Santa Barbara on a two-point conversion try on the final play. The Wildcats won, 42-40 and now have a 2-5 overall record....
West Los Angeles College’s defense proved to be the difference in a non-conference 27-12 victory over Moorpark College last Saturday. The Wildcats, who lost their opener to Glendale, evened their record at 1-1. West LA’s defense did not allow a touchdown to Moorpark until late in the fourth quarter when several of the reserves were playing out the clock. “I feel that our team really stepped up to a big challenge against a formidable opponent on the road. This was a total team effort,” said Coach Marquay Miller. The Wildcats outgained their o...
