2004 USC TROJANS FOOTBALL

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1 GAME NOTES 2004 USC TROJANS FOOTBALL SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE HER 103 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TELEPHONE: (213) FAX: (213) TIM TESSALONE, DIRECTOR FOR RELEASE: Dec. 20, USC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE (12-0) DATE OPPONENT TIME/RESULT Aug. 28 vs. Virginia Tech W Sept. 11 Colorado State W 49-0 Sept. 18 at BYU W Sept. 25 at Stanford W Oct. 9 California W Oct. 16 Arizona State W 45-7 Oct. 23 Washington W 38-0 Oct. 30 at Washington State W Nov. 6 at Oregon State W Nov. 13 Arizona W 49-9 Nov. 27 Notre Dame W Dec. 4 at UCLA W Jan. 4 Oklahoma 8:20 p.m. (ABC-TV) (Orange Bowl) PAC-10 STANDINGS PAC-10 OVERALL W L W L USC CAL ASU OSU UCLA ORE WSU STAN ARIZ WASH AP POLL 1. USC 2. Oklahoma 3. Auburn 4. California 5. Utah 6. Texas 7. Louisville 8. Georgia 9. Virginia Tech 10. Boise State 11. Iowa 12. LSU 13. Michigan 14. Miami (Fla.) 15. Tennessee 16. Wisconsin 17. Florida State 18. Virginia 19. Pittsburgh 20. Florida 21. Arizona State 22. Texas A&M 23. Texas Tech 24. Ohio State 25. Boston College USA TODAY/ESPN POLL 1. USC 2. Oklahoma 3. Auburn 4. California 5. Texas 6. Utah 7. Georgia 8. Louisville 9. Virginia Tech 10. Boise State 11. LSU 12. Michigan 13. Iowa 14. Miami (Fla.) 15. Florida State 16. Wisconsin 17. Tennessee 18. Virginia 19. Florida 20. Pittsburgh 21. Texas Tech 22. Ohio State 23. West Virginia 24. Arizona State 25. Texas A&M USC FOOTBALL 10 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 27 BOWL VICTORIES 135 ALL-AMERICANS 6 HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS 380 NFL PLAYERS 22 ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS NO. 1 USC MEETS NO. 2 OKLAHOMA IN ORANGE BOWL BCS CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FACTS USC (12-0 overall, 8-0 Pac-10) vs. Oklahoma (12-0, 8-0 Big 12), BCS Championship Game, FedEx Orange Bowl, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 8:20 p.m. EST/5:20 p.m. PST, Pro Player Stadium, Miami, Fla. THEMES What a high-powered, star-studded match-up this BCS Championship Game in the 2005 Orange Bowl will be: top-ranked and defending national champion USC versus No. 2 Oklahoma, which played in last year s BCS contest. It s a meeting of 2 of college football s most historic programs. These teams have met just 8 times, and it s been a dozen years since the last faceoff. Each USC-OU game has featured a ranked team and oftentimes a highly-ranked team. In fact, it s not the first time the No. 1 Trojans met the No. 2 Sooners (in 1981, USC won in the last seconds). Oklahoma is one of only 2 teams to ever beat a No. 1 Trojan team. And OU is the last team to hold the No. 1 ranking before USC s current run of 17 consecutive polls. This is a familiar trip for USC, which won the 2003 Orange Bowl, and Oklahoma, which has played in 17 Orange Bowls (it won the 2000 national title there). This is the second time Pete Carroll has coached against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. The teams are mirror images: Heisman winners at quarterback and finalists at running back, deep receiving corps, staunch defenses with a Cody anchoring the line, exciting returners, and the game s top head coaches in USC s Pete Caroll and OU s Bob Stoops. The teams also are very similar statistically. Questions abound: Can USC s stingy defense stop Oklahoma s balanced offense? Can USC s potent multidimensional offense have success against OU s testy defense? Will the game turn on special teams? Can anybody halt USC s Matt Leinart or Reggie Bush or LenDale White or Dwayne Jarrett? Or OU s Jason White or Adrian Peterson or Mark Clayton or Antonio Perkins? How do you contend with the likes of Troy s Shaun Cody or Mike Patterson or Matt Grootegoed or Lofa Tatupu? Or Oklahoma s Lance Mitchell or Dan Cody or Donte Nicholson? The game in Miami s 72,230-seat Pro Player Stadium is sold out and it will be shown live nationally in prime time on ABC-TV. RANKINGS USC is ranked first by AP and USA Today/ESPN. Oklahoma is second in both polls. SERIES USC holds a lead in its series with Oklahoma, with all contests occurring in the regular season. The Trojans have won the last 4 meetings (23-7 in 1988 in Los Angeles, 12-0 in 1982 in Norman, in 1981 in L.A. and most recently in 1992 in Norman when Troy scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter) and they are unbeaten in the last 5 contests (a 7-7 tie in 1973 in the Coliseum). In every meeting, at least one of the teams was ranked by AP. In fact, USC was No. 1 in 3 of its games against the Sooners ( ). Also, USC has twice beaten a No. 2 Oklahoma squad (in 1981 and in 1964 in Norman), while Oklahoma has gone against top-ranked USC squads (winning in 1963, 17-12, in the Coliseum while ranked No. 3, then getting the tie in 1973 and losing in 1981). That 1981 contest saw No. 1 USC score the game-winning touchdown with 2 seconds to play (a 7-yard pass from QB John Mazur to TE Fred Cornwell) to beat No. 2 Oklahoma, 28-24, in the Coliseum. USC s only other loss to Oklahoma was in 1971, 33-20, in Norman. The Sooners have scored only 24 points against USC in the last 14 quarters. USC s 1982 shutout snapped Oklahoma s then-ncaa record consecutive game scoring streak at 181 games. RADIO-TV Live national TV : 5 p.m. (PST), ABC-TV, Brad Nessler, Bob Griese, Lynn Swann, Todd Harris. Live national radio: 5 p.m. (PST), ESPN Radio, Ron Franklin, Mike Gottfried, Erin Andrews. Live local radio: 1:30 p.m. (PST), KMPC-AM (1540 The Ticket), Pete Arbogast, Paul McDonald, John Jackson, Mark Willard, Suzy Shuster and Harvey Hyde (includes 3-and-a-half hour pre-game and 2-hour post-game shows). Eight other stations are included on the USC radio network: KSPA-AM 1510 in Ontario/ Orange County, XEMM-AM 800 in San Diego, KGEO- AM 1230 in Bakersfield, KXPS-AM 1010 in Palm Springs, KVEN-AM 1450 in Ventura, KSZL-AM 1230 in Barstow, KSFB-AM 1220 in San Francisco and KFSN-AM 1140 in Las Vegas. Fans also can hear the live KMPC broadcast on on SIRIUS satellite radio or by dialing ext Live local Spanish-language radio: 5 p.m. (PST), KMXE-AM (830), John Laguna, Pepe Mantilla. USC Insider Show : 7 p.m. (PST), Tuesdays, KMPC- AM (1540), Pete Arbogast, Petros Papadakis. USC Trojan Talk: 7 p.m. (PST), Sundays, KDWN- AM (720), Harvey Hyde, Chuck Hayes. Fans also can hear the live KDWN broadcast on USC ONLINE The USC athletic department has an official home page on the World Wide Web, featuring current and historical information about Trojan sports. For access, type IT S NOT SOUTHERN CAL Note to the media: In editorial references to athletic teams of the University of Southern California, the following are preferred: USC, Southern California, So. California, Troy, Trojans and (for women s teams) Women of Troy. PLEASE do not use Southern Cal. PAC-10 ONLINE Pac-10 information, press releases, statistics and links to all league schools are available online at TROJAN FOOTBALL

2 USC VS. OKLAHOMA (5-2-1) YEAR AP RANK RESULT PLACE L H 1964 NR - 2 W A L A T 7-7 H W H NR W 12-0 A W 23-7 H 1992 NR-13 W A USC s Rose Bowl Record 1923 USC 14, Penn State USC 47, Pittsburgh USC 21, Tulane USC 35, Pittsburgh USC 7, Duke USC 14, Tennessee USC 29, Washington USC 25, Tennessee Alabama 34, USC Michigan 49, USC USC 7, Wisconsin Ohio State 20, USC USC 42, Wisconsin Purdue 14, USC USC 14, Indiana Ohio State 27, USC USC 10, Michigan USC 42, Ohio State Ohio State 42, USC USC 18, Ohio State USC 14, Michigan USC 17, Michigan USC 17, Ohio State USC 20, Ohio State Michigan State 20, USC Michigan 22, USC USC 17, Michigan USC 41, Northwestern USC 28, Michigan 14 USC s Record in Other Bowls 1924 USC 20, Missouri 7 (Christmas Festival) 1975 USC 20, Texas A&M 0 (Liberty Bowl) 1977 USC 47, Texas A&M 28 (Bluebonnet Bowl) 1982 Penn State 26, USC 10 (Fiesta Bowl) 1985 Alabama 24, USC 3 (Aloha Bowl) 1987 Auburn 16, USC 7 (Florida Citrus Bowl) 1990 Michigan State 17, USC 16 (John Hancock Bowl) 1992 Fresno State 24, USC 7 (Freedom Bowl) 1993 USC 28, Utah 21 (Freedom Bowl) 1995 USC 55, Texas Tech 14 (Cotton Bowl) 1998 TCU 28, USC 19 (Sun Bowl) 2001 Utah 10, USC 6 (Las Vegas Bowl) 2003 USC 38, Iowa 17 (Orange Bowl) FUN FACT I This is the first time that a pair of Heisman Trophy winners (USC s Matt Leinart and Oklahoma s Jason White) will face each other in a game. FUN FACT II USC has never played a game on Jan. 4. This is also the latest USC has ended a season since the 1891 campaign (Feb. 22, 1892); Troy s debut 1888 season also ended late (on Jan. 19, 1889). FUN FACT III Between them, USC s staff has coached in 77 bowl games at the major college level. FUN FACT IV In years that USC beat UCLA and Notre Dame and then played in a bowl game, the Trojans are 10-1 (wins in and the loss in 1981). FUN FACT V This will be the fifth time that USC enters a bowl game ranked No. 1 by AP. The Trojans were victorious in the previous 4 such bowls ( ), winning national championships each season. FUN FACT VI Under Pete Carroll, USC has allowed its 3 bowl opponents to average just 13.7 points. FOOTBALL POWERS USC and Oklahoma have 2 of the top gridiron heritages in the country. USC has won 10 national titles ( ) and Oklahoma has 7 ( ). Oklahoma is third in career winning percentage among Division I-A schools (.714), while USC is ninth (.697). In all-time victories, Oklahoma is eighth (749) and USC is 10 th (719). USC has appeared in 42 bowls (with 27 wins), while Oklahoma has been in 37 bowls (with 23 wins). Five Trojans have won Heisman Trophies (Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Carson Palmer) and 4 Sooners have (Billy Vessels, Steve Owens, Billy Sims and Jason White). Both have had legendary coaches (USC s Gloomy Gus Henderson, Howard Jones, John McKay, John Robinson and now Pete Carroll, and Oklahoma s Bennie Owen, Bud Wilkinson, Chuck Fairbanks, Barry Switzer and now Bob Stoops). Both even have distinctive songs: Fight On and Boomer Sooner. USC VERSUS BIG 12 USC is against Big 12 opponents. The Trojans have won 7 of the last 9 such meetings, but have dropped the last 2 (most recently losing at Kansas State, 27-20, in 2002). On the other hand, Oklahoma is against the Pac-10, having won the last 2 meetings. USC NO. 1 VS. 2 An AP No. 1-ranked USC team is 2-0 when playing a No. 2 team. USC defeated Wisconsin in the 1963 Rose Bowl, 42-37, and USC defeated Oklahoma in 1981, USC IN BOWLS USC has a remarkable record in bowl games. The Trojans have the nation s fourth highest bowl winning percentage (.643) among the 65 schools which have made at least 10 bowl appearances (behind only Oklahoma State s.667, Georgia Tech s.656 and Penn State s.649). USC is just 2 wins behind Alabama for most bowl victories, 29 to 27. Troy s 42 bowl appearances rank fourth behind only Alabama (51), Tennessee (44) and Texas (43), and are tied with Nebraska. USC once won 9 consecutive bowl games (the Rose Bowls and 1924 Christmas Festival); only Florida State has won more in a row (11). USC s overall post-season record is The Trojans were a bowl participant each year they were eligible from 1972 to Troy has appeared in an unprecedented 29 Rose Bowls, where it has a 21-8 mark. That s not only the most Rose Bowl wins of any team, but also the most wins by a school in a single bowl. USC has won 8 of its last 10 Rose Bowls. USC has also appeared in 11 other bowls the Christmas Festival, Liberty Bowl, Bluebonnet Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Aloha Bowl, Florida Citrus Bowl, Sun (John Hancock) Bowl (twice), Freedom Bowl (twice), Cotton Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl and Orange Bowl. USC IN ORANGE BOWL USC will be making its second appearance in the Orange Bowl (on the other hand, this will be Oklahoma s 17 th Orange Bowl trip). In the 2003 FedEx Orange Bowl (following the 2002 season), No. 5-ranked USC behind a balanced offense and a stingy defense staked its claim as one of the nation s top teams as it swamped No. 3 Iowa, It was Pac-10 co-champion USC s eighth win in a row (giving Troy its first 11-win season since 1979) and it snapped Big Ten co-champ Iowa s 9-game winning streak. It was the first meeting between the teams in 26 years and the first trip to the Orange Bowl for either school. It also was Troy s first win ever in Florida in 5 tries and came against the ninth APranked squad the Trojans played in the 2002 season. And USC scored at least 30 points for a school-record eighth consecutive game. USC dominated the Hawkeyes statistically, getting more total yards ( ), first downs (30-18), plays (80-58) and possession time (38:06-21:54). It was the ninth game in a row that USC had at least 400 yards of total offense. Despite facing an Iowa defense that was second nationally against the run (68.2), Troy rushed for a season-best 247 yards and scored 4 TDs on the ground. And USC playing without 2-time All-American S Troy Polamalu, who was held out with a sore hamstring kept in check a Hawkeye offense that was sixth nationally in scoring (38.9). At the start, it looked like Iowa would provide a stiff challenge as WR C.J. Jones ran back the opening kickoff an Orange Bowl-record 100 yards for a TD. But USC responded quickly as QB Carson Palmer s 65-yard bomb to WR Kareem Kelly on Troy s first play set up TB Justin Fargas 4-yard scoring run just 3 plays later. Then, after Iowa had to settle for a 35-yard field goal by PK Nate Kaeding after advancing to the USC 2-yard line on the ensuing drive, USC reeled off 31 unanswered points. First, PK Ryan Killeen atoned for an earlier missed field goal by nailing a 35-yarder late in the half (DT Bernard Riley then blocked Kaeding s 28-yard field goal try at the end of the half to keep the score knotted at 10-10). Next, USC scored on its first 3 possessions of the second half, first an 18-yard Palmer TD pass to WR Mike Williams, then a career-long 50-yard TD run by Fargas (to cap a 99-yard drive) and a 5- yard run by TB Sultan McCullough at the top of the fourth quarter. FB Sunny Byrd added a 6-yard scoring run late in the game before Iowa added a touchdown against USC s reserves on an 18-yard pass from QB Brad Banks to WR Maurice Brown. Palmer proved his Heisman Trophy was no fluke as he hit 21-of- 31 passes for 303 yards to earn Orange Bowl MVP honors, while Heisman runnerup Banks the nation s passing efficiency leader was just 15-of-36 for 204 yards and an interception (his first pick in his last 104 attempts). Fargas ran for 122 yards on 20 carries and McCullough added 76 yards on 12 tries, while Iowa RB Fred Russell 12th in the nation in rushing was held to just 45 yards on 9 carries. Florida native Williams (game-high 99 yards) and WR Keary Colbert (81 yards) each had 6 receptions, while Kelly had 3 for 74 yards to set an NCAA record for consecutive games with a catch (47) en route to becoming USC s career reception leader (204). Williams set NCAA freshman records for receptions (81), receiving yards (1,265) and receiving TDs (14). Brown had 6 catches for 63 yards for Iowa. LBs Mike Pollard and Matt Grootegoed each had a team-best 6 tackles for USC, while S Jason Leach had an interception and fumble recovery filling in for Polamalu. Iowa hurt itself with 13 penalties and turned the ball over twice. CARROLL, ORGERON IN ORANGE BOWL This will be the third Orange Bowl visit for both USC head coach Pete Carroll and defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron. Both were with USC for the 2003 game. Also, Carroll was the secondary coach at Arkansas when it beat Oklahoma in the 1978 Orange Bowl. Orgeron was an assistant at Miami when it beat Nebraska in the 1989 and 1992 Orange Bowls and at Arkansas when it lost to Oklahoma in the 1987 Orange Bowl TROJAN FOOTBALL

3 ORANGE BOWL HISTORY This will be the 71 st version of the Orange Bowl, held in 75,540-seat Pro Player Stadium (home of the Miami Dolphins). This will be just the third time that a Pac-10 team has played in the Orange Bowl, following Washington s victory over Oklahoma in 1985 and USC s win over Iowa in the 2003 contest. Oklahoma will be making its 18 th Orange Bowl visit Bucknell 26, Miami (Fla.) Catholic 20, Mississippi Duquesne 13, Mississippi State Auburn 6, Michigan State Tennessee 17, Oklahoma Georgia Tech 21, Missouri Mississippi State 14, Georgetown Georgia 40, Texas Christian Alabama 37, Boston College Louisiana State 19, Texas A&M Tulsa 26, Georgia Tech Miami (Fla.) 13, Holy Cross Rice 8, Tennessee Georgia Tech 20, Kansas Texas 41, Georgia Santa Clara 21, Kentucky Clemson 15, Miami (Fla.) Georgia Tech 17, Baylor Alabama 61, Syracuse Oklahoma 7, Maryland Duke 34, Nebraska Oklahoma 20, Maryland Colorado 27, Clemson Oklahoma 48, Duke Oklahoma 21, Syracuse Georgia 14, Missouri Missouri 21, Navy Louisiana State 25, Colorado Alabama 17, Oklahoma Nebraska 13, Auburn Texas 21, Alabama Alabama 39, Nebraska Florida 27, Georgia Tech Oklahoma 26, Tennessee Penn State 15, Kansas Penn State 10, Missouri Nebraska 17, Louisiana State Nebraska 38, Alabama Nebraska 40, Notre Dame Penn State 16, Louisiana State Notre Dame 13, Alabama Oklahoma 14, Michigan Ohio State 27, Colorado Arkansas 31, Oklahoma Oklahoma 31, Nebraska Oklahoma 24, Florida State Oklahoma 18, Florida State Clemson 22, Nebraska Nebraska 21, Louisiana State Miami (Fla.) 31, Nebraska Washington 28, Oklahoma Oklahoma 25, Penn State Oklahoma 42, Arkansas Miami (Fla.) 20, Oklahoma Miami (Fla.) 23, Nebraska Notre Dame 21, Colorado Colorado 10, Notre Dame Miami (Fla.) 22, Nebraska Florida State 27, Nebraska Florida State 18, Nebraska Nebraska 24, Miami (Fla.) Florida State 31, Notre Dame Nebraska 41, Virginia Tech Nebraska 42, Tennessee Florida 31, Syracuse Michigan 35, Alabama Oklahoma 13, Florida State Florida 56, Maryland USC 38, Iowa Miami (Fla.) 16, Florida State 14 OKLAHOMA BOWL HISTORY Oklahoma has a (.635) record in bowl games, including 12-5 in the Orange Bowl (it s last appearance there was 13-2 win over Florida State in the 2001 game. Its 23 overall bowl victories is tied for third most ever (behind Alabama s 29 and USC s 27). MIRROR IMAGES Statistically, USC and Oklahoma match up very closely in USC Oklahoma Rushing Offense Passing Offense Pass Efficiency Offense Total Offense Scoring Offense Rushing Defense Passing Defense Pass Efficiency Defense Total Defense Scoring Defense Turnover Margin Among the other statistical similarities in 2004: Each has a running back who has scored 15 TDs (USC s LenDale White and Reggie Bush, OU s Adrian Peterson). Both starting quarterbacks (Heisman winners USC s Matt Leinart, OU s Jason White) have thrown for 2,900 yardsand-change with only 6 interceptions. Both teams have returned 2 punts for touchdowns. Both kickers have missed nearly the same amount of field goals (9 by USC s Ryan Killeen, 8 by OU s Trey DiCarlo). USC has allowed opponents 182 first downs, OU has given up 184. USC averaged 85,229 fans per home game, OU was at 84,532. WIN STREAKS The Trojans have captured their last 21 home games (with 4 shutouts), which is a school record (the Pac-10 mark is 26 by California, ). Besides that Pac-10 leading 21- game home winning streak, USC also has the longest current Pac-10 win streaks for overall games (21), Pac-10 home games (a schooland Pac-10-record 15), Pac-10 games (15) and road games (9). Troy s 21-game winning streak is the second longest in the nation (behind Boise State s 22) and is USC s longest since a school- and Pac-10-record 25 consecutive from 1931 to The 15-game Pac- 10 win streak is USC s longest since a schoolrecord 19 consecutive in (the Pac-10 mark is 22 by Cal, ). The 9-game road winning streak (which does not include 2 neutral site victories during that span) is the Trojans longest since a school-record 12 in a row in (which did not include 2 neutral site wins). HIGH RANKING USC has been ranked in the AP Top 10 for its past 31 games, its longest string since 34 in a row in The Trojans have been in the AP Top 5 in 27 of the last 32 polls. USC has been AP s No. 1 team in the last 17 polls, which ties a school record ( ) and equals the third longest streak in AP history (the record is 20 by Miami from 2001 to 2002). RECORD WHEN NO. 1 USC has a (.907) record in games when it is ranked No. 1 by AP. When a No. 1-ranked Trojan team faced a ranked opponent, it has gone (.868), with the losses versus Oklahoma in 1963 and Alabama in 1977 and the tie with Oklahoma in When a No. 1 USC squad played an unranked opponent, it went (.929), with the losses at Oregon State in 1967 and versus Arizona in 1981 and the tie with Stanford in WIRE-TO-WIRE NO. 1 USC is looking to become only the second team ever to be ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll and hold that top ranking the entire season (Florida State did it in 1999). Four other teams Notre Dame in 1943, Army in 1945, Nebraska in 1971 and USC in 1972 were No. 1 in every regular season ranking, but either did not start off No. 1 in the preseason poll (Nebraska and USC) or there was no pre-season poll (Notre Dame and Army). BACK-TO-BACK AP CHAMPS If USC wins the 2004 AP national championship, it would be the 10 th time that a team wins consecutive AP national championships. The others: Minnesota ( ), Army ( ), Notre Dame ( ), Oklahoma ( ), Alabama ( ), Nebraska ( ), Oklahoma ( ), Alabama ( ) and Nebraska ( ). BEST START At 12-0, USC is off to its best start since the 1972 national championship team finished the season at A win would give USC its first-ever 13-win season. PERFECT SEASONS USC is looking for its eighth perfect (unbeaten, untied) season. The others: 1888 (2-0), 1889 (2-0), 1894 (1-0), 1920 (6-0), 1932 (10-0), 1962 (11-0) and 1972 (12-0). USC S WINNINGEST 3 AND 2 YEAR SPANS USC s 35 wins over the past 3 years (11 in 2002, 12 in 2003 and 12 in 2004) represent the winningest 3-year period in Trojan history. The previous best 3-year stretch was 31 victories, on several occasions. Also, USC s 24 wins during the past 2 years ( ) is its best 2- year span. SEASON ENDERS USC is (.590) is all season finales. USC IN FLORIDA USC is 1-4 in the state of Florida. The Trojans beat Iowa in the 2003 Orange Bowl, 28-17, but lost at Miami in 1966, at Florida in 1982, to Auburn in the 1987 Citrus Bowl in Orlando and at Florida State in OKLAHOMA TROJANS USC has had 9 lettermen in its history who prepped in Oklahoma: Calvin Clemens ( ), Stuart Gage ( ), Dwight McFadden (1992), Harry McKinney ( ), Robert Peoples ( ), Lynman Russell ( ), Scott Tinsley ( ), Mickey Upton (1965) and Ray Webha ( ). McKinney and Elbert Watts (1985) transferred to USC after attending Oklahoma. CARROLL S SECOND HALF SHOWING Fourth-year head coach Pete Carroll s USC teams have been nearly unbeatable during the second half of the regular season. Indeed, his teams are 17-7 in the first half of the regular season and then 22-1 in the second half (not counting 2-1 in the bowls) TROJAN FOOTBALL

4 2003 COMPARISON A 12-game statistical comparison between the No. 1-ranked Trojans of 2004 and the 2003 national championship USC team in key categories shows that this year s team has an offense almost equal to last year s, but the current defense is much more dominant Wins AP Ranking 1 st 1 st Turnover Margin Total Offense Scoring Offense Rushing Offense Passing Efficiency First Downs Total Defense Scoring Defense Pass Defense Pass Efficiency Defense Sacks By Penalties Home Attendance Avg. 78,592 85,229 HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS Here s a look at USC s offensive and defensive production (points and total yardage) by halves in USC USC OPP OPP 1 ST PTS/TO 2 ND PTS/TO 1 ST PTS/TO 2 ND PTS/TO VT 7/195 17/178 10/207 3/87 CSU 28/337 21/216 0/188 0/93 BYU 21/255 21/259 3/98 7/109 STAN 17/159 14/224 28/291 0/36 CAL 16/127 7/78 10/216 7/208 ASU 42/307 3/139 7/155 0/88 WASH10/181 28/272 0/55 0/58 WSU 35/289 7/132 0/54 12/102 OSU 7/181 21/234 13/153 7/211 ARIZ 14/228 35/357 3/98 6/157 ND 17/246 24/242 10/185 0/115 UCLA 20/268 9/209 10/72 14/223 TOTAL 234/ / / /1487 WHAT IF? A number of Trojans mainly offensive players projected as starters in 2004 are not on the USC roster or have missed significant action. They include WR Mike Williams (not eligible after signing with an agent), DE Kenechi Udeze (left early for the NFL), FB Brandon Hancock (out all season with a knee injury), OT Winston Justice (suspended all season), TE Gregg Guenther (playing basketball) and WR Whitney Lewis (ineligible). And several others have missed some contests this season: TE Dominique Byrd (missed USC s first 4 games of 2004 with a knee injury), TB Hershel Dennis (missed first 2 games while suspended), WR Steve Smith (missed 5 games midseason games with a broken leg), OG John Drake (missed 2 games late season with an ankle sprain), CB Kevin Arbet (missed a late game with a knee sprain) and WR Chris McFoy (missed a late game with a knee sprain). SELLOUTS USC has had 3 home sellouts in 2004 (California, Arizona State, Notre Dame), a school record. USC also will play before 7 regularseason sellouts home and away in 2004 (the 3 home games plus road contests versus Virginia Tech, Washington State, Oregon State and UCLA), also a school record. The Trojans also will play before 8 season sellouts (including a bowl), another school record. HOME, OVERALL ATTENDANCE RECORDS USC averaged a school and Pac-10 record 85,229 fans per home game in 2004, shattering mark it established last year (77,804). USC also broke its home attendance total record with 511,373 fans (the old mark of 504,000 was set in 1933 when there were 8 home contests). USC also is averaging 73,519 fans for all of its games, above the school record for overall attendance average (72,482, set in 2003). If at least 64,257 fans show up for the Orange Bowl in 72,230-seat Pro Player Stadium, USC not only will set that mark but it will eclipse its overall attendance total record of 946,482, set in 2003 (Troy currently is at 882,226). Troy s California and Arizona State home games were sold out, marking only the second time in Trojan history that there have been backto-back sellouts in the Coliseum (the other time was in 1947 for the UCLA and Notre Dame games). Those 2 crowds (90,008 for California and 90,211 for Arizona State) were USC s largest crowds to see a non-ucla/non- Notre Dame home game since 1952, when 94,677 fans attended the USC-California game when the Coliseum s capacity was greater than present. CONNECTIONS USC has no players from Oklahoma on its roster, while the Sooners claim 5 Californians Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Bo Pelini was an assistant for Pete Carroll at the New England Patriots ( ) USC wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator Lane Kiffin was the defensive quality control coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000 (his father, Monte Kiffin, is the defensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) USC associate athletic director in charge of student-athlete academic services Dr. Magdi El Shahawy was a 3-year ( ) letterman nose guard at Florida State, then he worked in the Seminole athletic department USC video coordinator Joe Schrimpl held a similar position at Miami (1998). USC S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS USC has won 10 national championships in football: In 5 other years ( ), the Trojans were picked by some as No. 1, but the selectors were deemed not all-encompassing enough to claim a legitimate national crown. USC S PAC-10 TITLES After sharing the Pac-10 championship in 2002, USC won the 2003 Pac-10 title outright (its first outright crown since 1989) and again in That s the first time that USC won 3 consecutive Pac-10 titles since USC has now won the league title 34 times, twice as much as any other school. LAST GAME TB Reggie Bush had a pair of electrifying touchdown runs among his career-best 335 all-purpose yards and PK Ryan Killeen kicked a school-record (and Pac-10 conference game record) 5 field goals as No. 1 USC held off pesky UCLA, 29-24, before a soldout crowd of 88,442 in the Rose Bowl and a national ABC- TV audience. The win giving Troy the outright Pac-10 title propelled USC into the BCS Championship Game in the Orange Bowl. It was USC s sixth consecutive victory over the Bruins (a Trojan best) and it gave Troy its third consecutive season sweep over traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame for the first time in school history. It also was USC s 21 st consecutive win, its 15 th straight Pac-10 victory and its eighth road win in a row. At 12-0, USC tied its best-ever start with the 1972 team. Bush ran for a career-best 204 yards (the most by a Trojan since Shawn Walters 234 in 1994 at Stanford) on 15 carries (he had 153 yards and both TDs on just 6 carries in the first half), plus he had 73 yards on a game-best 6 catches, 39 yards on 2 kickoff returns and 19 yards on 2 punt returns. He zig-zagged 65 yards for a TD run on the game s second play, then jetted a career-long 81 yards for another score midway through the second quarter. USC held a 10-0 lead after Killeen s 37-yard field goal midway through the first quarter, but FL Craig Bragg had a UCLA-record 96-yard punt return in the second quarter to give the Bruins life. However, 2 plays after a missed UCLA field goal (following a blocked Trojan punt), Bush had his 81-yard score. The teams then traded field goals late in the half, as PK Justin Medlock hit a 43-yarder and Killeen answered with a 42-yarder with 9 seconds to go. USC had a 268 to 72 edge in total offense in the half (and 10 first downs to UCLA s 3). Killeen added a 34-yarder midway through the third quarter, but TB Manuel White s 9-yard scoring run late in the quarter brought UCLA within Killeen added fourth quarter field goals of 36 and 34 yards in the final quarter before QB Drew Olson lofted a 4-yard TD pass to TE Marcedes Lewis late in the contest for the game s final points. USC had 477 total yards to UCLA s 295 (the Bruins had only 17 of those yards on the ground). Although Troy controlled the ball for 34:33, it converted just 1-of-13 third downs (UCLA made good on only 3-of-14). QB Matt Leinart was 24-of-34 for 242 yards and an interception (he completed his first 10 passes of the game and was 15-of-17 for 103 yards in the first half), but he was held without a TD throw for the first time in 25 games as a starter. TB LenDale White added 75 yards on 16 carries, WR Dwayne Jarrett had 5 catches for 44 yards and LB Lofa Tatupu had a game-high 10 tackles (with an interception). For UCLA, QB Drew Olson was 20-of-34 for 278 yards and 2 interceptions, while Bragg made 6 catches for 67 yards and SE Junior Taylor had 5 for 89 yards. It was the 75 th anniversary of the first USC-UCLA game in SCHEDULE USC is defending its national championship against a schedule that features 7 opponents who played in bowls last season and 7 who will appear in bowls this season. Troy s 2004 slate is currently ranked the nation s eighth most difficult, according to the USA Today/ Sagarin ratings. USC, which beat 3 of the current AP Top 25 teams (No. 4 California, No. 9 Virginia Tech and No. 21 Arizona State), is the only school in the nation with wins over a pair of current Top 10 teams. The challenge started right away, as the Trojans opened on Aug. 28 against perennial power Virginia Tech in the Black Coaches Association Football Classic in Landover, Md. USC then hosted Colorado State and traveled to BYU and Stanford before having a trio of home games (California, Arizona State and Washington) the first time since 1998 that Troy played 3 straight at home followed by another pair of road contests (Washington State and Oregon State). The Trojans who had 3 byes in 2004 for the second consecutive year then returned home to host Arizona and Notre Dame before concluding their regular season on Championship Saturday (Dec. 4) at UCLA. Troy now faces No. 2 Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game in the Orange Bowl. It s a schedule that helped USC better the average overall (72,806) and home (77,804) attendance school records it set last year and gave credence to the Trojan marketing department s 2004 slogan of Still The Hottest Ticket In Town TROJAN FOOTBALL

5 2004 ALL-AMERICANS A school-record 6 Trojans won All-American first team honors in 2004: QB Matt Leinart (AP, Football Coaches, Walter Camp, ESPN.com, CSTV, Rivals.com), TB Reggie Bush (AP, Football Coaches, Cingular/ABC Sports, The Sporting News, ESPN.com, SI.com, CSTV, Rivals.com), DE-DT Shaun Cody (AP, Walter Camp, Cingular/ABC Sports, ESPN.com, SI.com, CSTV), LB Matt Grootegoed (AP, Football Coaches, Walter Camp, CSTV), DT Mike Patterson (The Sporting News, SI.com, Rivals.com) and LB Lofa Tatupu (SI.com). In history, Trojans now have made All-American first team 135 times. Leinart was the Heisman Trophy winner, as well as the Walter Camp and AP Player of the Year. Cody was a Lombardi Award finalist and Grootegoed was a Butkus Award finalist. Wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, offensive tackle Sam Baker and defensive end Lawrence Jackson were Freshman All-American first teamers ALL-PAC-10 QB Matt Leinart and TB Reggie Bush were named 2004 Pac-10 Co-Offensive Players of the Year, while DE-DT Shaun Cody was Pac- 10 Co-Defensive Player of the Year. It s just the third time that a Pac-10 school had both an Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, and the first time that teammates shared the award on one side of the ball. This is the second year in a row that Leinart won the league s Offensive MVP. He s the fourth player (and just the second quarterback) to win that honor twice, joining USC s Charles White ( ), Stanford s John Elway ( ) and Washington State s Rueben Mayes ( ). It s also the third year in a row that a Trojan has been the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year (quarterback Carson Palmer won it in 2002). Cody, who shared the honor with Oregon State defensive end Bill Swancutt, is USC s first All-Pac-10 Defensive MVP since linebacker Chris Claiborne in He is also the first Trojan defensive lineman so honored. Besides that trio, four other Trojans made the All-Pac-10 first team: DT Mike Patterson, LBs Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu and P Tom Malone. Bush made the first team as both a tailback (USC s first tailback first teamer since 1989) and punt returner, and the second team as a kickoff returner. Grootegoed and Tatupu were USC s first linebacker duo to make first team since Trojans on the All-Pac-10 second team were TB LenDale White, OT Sam Baker and S Darnell Bing. TB Desmond Reed made the second team as a special teams player. USC s honorable mention All-Pac-10 players were TEs Dominique Byrd and Alex Holmes, WR Dwayne Jarrett, S Jason Leach, LB Dallas Sartz, DT Manuel Wright and CB Justin Wyatt. LOOKING TO 2005 On USC s current 48-man 2-deep (including the punter and kicker), 34 players (16 on both offense and defense, plus 2 specialists) are non-seniors, including 17 starters (9 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist). And that does not include 3 usual underclass starters who are either injured or ineligible, but are expected back in Here s the schedule those returnees will play in 2005: Sept. 3 Sept. 10 Sept. 17 Sept. 24 Oct. 1 Oct. 8 at Hawaii TBA Arkansas at Oregon at Arizona St. Arizona Oct. 15 Oct. 22 Oct. 29 Nov. 5 Nov. 12 Dec. 3 at Notre Dame at Washington Wash. State Stanford at California UCLA PETE CARROLL It didn t take energetic and charismatic fourth-year USC head football coach Pete Carroll long to restore the glory of the Trojan football program and return Troy to national prominence. He is 41-9 (82.0%) as a college head coach (all at USC). His losses were by a total of 42 points (4.7 average) and only 1 was by more than a touchdown (it was by 11 points). After starting off his Trojan career 2-5, he has gone 39-4 (90.7%). He is 28-5 in Pac-10 games, giving him an 84.8% winning mark (a league record). He is 13-0 in November. His teams have posted 6 shutouts and have scored at least 20 points in the last 38 games (a school record). USC s 24 and 35 wins over the past 2 and 3 years represent the winningest 2- and 3-year periods in Trojan history. He also serves as USC s defensive coordinator. In 2004, he has guided No. 1-ranked USC to its first trip to the BCS Championship Game and, with a win, back-to-back national championships. If USC wins, it would be only the second team ever to hold its AP pre-season ranking all the way through a season. His team is 12-0 (USC s best mark since 1972) and went 8-0 in the Pac-10. He also has led the Trojans to their third consecutive Pac-10 title and their third straight season sweep of traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame (a first at Troy). USC is riding a 21-game winning streak (as well as 21 straight home games, a Pac-10 record 15 consecutive league home game, 15 straight Pac-10 games and 9 road games in a row). USC has been AP s No. 1 team for 17 straight polls. Troy is in the national Top 10 in every defensive statistical category (its total defense average is USC s lowest in 15 years), including second in scoring defens and rushing defense. USC is outscoring opponents by 24.3 points (including a schoolrecord 7 games with a margin of at least 30 points). A school-record 6 Trojans (Heisman Trophy quarterback Matt Leinart, tailback Reggie Bush, defensive linemen Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, and linebackers Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu were named All-American first teamers. He is a finalist for the 2004 Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award. He was the 2004 ESPN.com Pac-10 Coach of the Year. The 2003 season his third at Troy was one of the best in USC history. The Trojans won the AP national championship (USC s first national crown since 1978) and entered the Rose Bowl also ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN poll but weren t allowed to keep the top spot after winning that bowl because of a contractual agreement which required the coaches to vote the Sugar Bowl winner as their poll s champion (USC ended up second). USC was 12-1 overall (the only loss was by 3 points at California in triple overtime) and, at 7-1 in the Pac-10, Troy won its second consecutive league title for the first time since (and its first outright crown since 1989). His Trojans won their last 9 games and posted back-to-back seasons of double digit wins for the first time since 1978 and For just the second time in history (the other time also was 1978 and 1979), USC swept traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame in consecutive years. His 2003 squad featured a potent offense, a stingy defense and productive special teams. USC had a stretch of 11 consecutive 30-point games (also a school mark) and 7 straight 40- point contests (a Pac-10 record). USC s 534 points was a Pac-10 record. The defense led the nation in rushing defense and was second in turnover margin, forced 42 turnovers and scored 8 touchdowns. And the Trojans topped the nation in net punting. Five Trojans wide receiver Mike Williams, offensive tackle Jacob Rogers, defensive end Kenechi Udeze, punter Tom Malone and quarterback Matt Leinart were first team All-Americans (Leinart and Williams finished sixth and eighth, respectively, in the Heisman Trophy voting). For all this, Carroll was named the 2003 American Football Coaches Association Division I- A Coach of the Year, Home Depot National Coach of the Year, Maxwell Club College Coach of the Year, ESPN.com National Coach of the Year, Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. Coach of the Year and All-American Football Foundation Frank Leahy Co- Coach of the Year. He also was the Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year (USC s first honoree since Larry Smith in 1988). In 2002, just his second season at USC, his Trojans thrived despite playing what was ranked by the NCAA, Sagarin and the BCS as the nation s most difficult schedule (facing 9 AP-ranked teams and 11 bowl squads). USC which beat Iowa in the Orange Bowl posted an 11-2 overall record and a No. 4 ranking in the final polls, and won the Pac-10 championship while going 7-1. The Trojans also won their last 9 home games. It was USC s first 11- win season since 1979 and its highest ranking since Troy won its final 8 games (scoring at least 30 points in each), including blowouts of traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame (the first time USC beat both in the same season since 1981 and the first time in back-toback games since 1978). USC led the Pac-10 in total offense (449.3) and total defense (284.9), as well as scoring offense (35.8) and scoring defense (18.5), and was in the NCAA s Top 25 in nearly every team statistical category on both sides of the ball. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Carson Palmer and safety Troy Polamalu were first team All-Americans. Carroll brought big doses of experience, enthusiasm and leadership in his quest to revive the USC football program when he was named the Trojans head football coach on Dec. 15, 2000 (he signed a 5-year contract). After USC started off his opening 2001 season slowly at 1-4, Carroll stayed the course and got his troops to rally by winning 5 of their last 7 games (including the final 4 regular season contests) to finish at 6-6 overall. USC, which won its last 5 Pac-10 games after beginning league play at 0-3, placed fifth in the conference at 5-3 and earned a berth into the Sega Sports Las Vegas Bowl. Putting an exclamation point on the regular season was a 27-0 blanking of No. 20 UCLA, USC s first shutout in the crosstown rivalry since 1947 and the series biggest margin of victory since The 53-year-old Carroll has 30 years of NFL and college experience, including 14 on the college level. He was the head coach of the NFL s New England Patriots for 3 seasons ( ) and New York Jets for 1 year (1994). He guided the Patriots into the playoffs in his first 2 seasons, winning the AFC Eastern Division title at 10-6 in 1997 and advancing to the second round of the playoffs. His overall record in New England was in the regular season and 1-2 in the playoffs. After serving as the Jets defensive coordinator for 4 seasons ( ), he became the team s head coach the following season. His 1994 Jets went He spent the next 2 years ( ) as the defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, who won the NFC TROJAN FOOTBALL

6 Western Division title both seasons. Carroll began his coaching career at the college level, serving as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Pacific, for 3 years ( ), working with the wide receivers and secondary. He then spent a season as a graduate assistant working with the secondary at Arkansas (1977), and then a season each as an assistant in charge of the secondary at Iowa State (1978) and at Ohio State (1979). That Buckeye squad lost to USC in the 1980 Rose Bowl. He next spent 3 seasons ( ) as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at North Carolina State, then returned to Pacific in 1983 as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He entered the NFL in 1984 as the defensive backs coach of the Buffalo Bills, then held a similar position with the Minnesota Vikings for 5 seasons ( ). Carroll spent the 2000 season as a consultant for pro and college teams, doing charitable work for the NFL and writing a column about pro football for CNNSI.com. Carroll was a 2-time ( ) All-Pacific Coast Conference free safety at Pacific and earned his bachelor s degree in 1973 in business administration. He received his secondary teaching credential and a master s degree in physical education from Pacific in He was inducted into the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame in He was born on Sept. 15, 1951 in San Francisco. He and his wife, Glena, who played volleyball at Pacific, have 3 children: sons Brennan, 24, who played tight end at Pittsburgh (he previously played at Delaware) and is now an assistant at USC, and Nathan, 16, and daughter Jaime, 21, a senior at USC who played on the Women of Troy s highly-ranked volleyball team which competed in the 2000 NCAA Final Four. In 2003, he helped develop A Better L.A., a non-profit group consisting of a consortium of local agencies and organizations working to reduce gang violence by empowering change in individuals and communities. LEINART USC has perhaps the nation s top quarterback in record-setting All-American first teamer Matt Leinart (251-of-377, 66.6%, 2990 yds, 28 TD, 6 int in 2004, plus 47 tcb, -33 yds, -0.7 avg, 3 TD). His statistics are comparable or better in 2004 than they were at the same point last year (see chart below), and he s doing it this year without 2003 s top 2 pass catchers WRs Mike Williams and Keary Colbert and behind a rebuilt offensive line. And at this point in 2004, he has fewer interceptions and a better completion percentage and passing rating and has led USC to more wins than Carson Palmer did after 12 games of his 2002 Heisman Trophy season (see chart below). Against USC s 3 opponents of 2004 currently ranked by AP (Virginia Tech, California and Arizona State), he threw for 660 yards and 9 TDs with only 1 interception. He won the 2004 Heisman Trophy (becoming the sixth Trojan to do so, along with Mike Garrett in 1965, O.J. Simpson in 1968, Charles White in 1979, Marcus Allen in 1981 and Carson Palmer in 2002). He was named the 2004 Walter Camp Player of the Year (joining 3 other Trojans to have been so honored, Simpson in 1967 and 1968, White in 1979 and Allen in 1981) and AP Player of the Year. He was named to the 2004 All-American first team by AP, Football Coaches, Walter Camp, ESPN.com, CSTV and Rivals.com, and to the second team by SI.com and Collegefootballnews.com. He was the 2004 Pac-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year (along with teammate Reggie Bush), becoming just the fourth player to be win that honor twice (and the second quarterback, along with Stanford s John Elway). He currently is ninth nationally in passing efficiency (154.5, second in Pac-10). His 251 completions, 2,990 passing yards, 28 TD passes and 2,957 yards of total offense in 2004 are all fourth on USC s season lists (the TD passes is tied for 10 th on the Pac-10 list). He is fourth on USC s career completions (506), passing yardage (6,546) and total offense (6,451) charts. He already has thrown 66 touchdowns (second most in USC history behind Palmer s 72) in just 25 career starts, with at least 1 TD in all but 1 game he has started (the first 24) and at least 2 TDs in all but 3 games (he had a string of at least 2 TDs in 15 consecutive games). He also has thrown at least 3 TDs 12 times (and at least 4 TDs 6 times, including 5 TDs twice). He is averaging a TD pass every 11.8 career attempts. During USC s current 21-game winning streak, he has thrown 58 TDs and just 9 interceptions (his career TD/interception ratio is 66/15). His 66 career TD passes already eighth on the Pac-10 career ladder are the most ever in back-to-back seasons by a Pac-10 quarterback. His 65.0% career passing percentage is above USC s career record of 64.6% set by Rob Johnson ( ). His 1.93% career interception rate is lower than the USC and Pac-10 career record of 1.95% set by Brad Otton ( ). USC is 24-1 when Leinart starts (his 96.0% winning percentage is the highest of any USC quarterback ever). He is attempting to be just the third quarterback in the last 30 years to lead his team to back-to-back national championships. In his 2 starts against Notre Dame (2003 and 2004), he has completed 73.5% of his passes (50-of-68) for 751 yards and 9 TDs. He was a finalist for the 2004 Davey O Brien Award, Maxwell Award and Cingular Wireless/ABC Sports All-America Player of the Year Award. He also was named the 2004 ESPN.com and Rivals.com All-Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was USC s 2004 Player of the Game versus Notre Dame and a team captain. The junior finished sixth in the 2003 Heisman Trophy voting and was only the second sophomore (along with Stanford s John Elway) to win Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year honors. The accurate and efficient lefthanded Leinart came out of relative obscurity to more-than-capably fill the shoes of 2002 Heisman winner Carson Palmer. He hit 63.4% of his passes (255-of-402) for 3,556 yards with just 9 interceptions in He gave an early indication of his talent when his first career pass went for a touchdown at Auburn in last fall s opener. He went on to throw a Pac-10 record 38 TDs (1 shy of the NCAA sophomore mark). His passing efficiency rating ranked third nationally and was a USC record. His 255 completions was third on the USC season chart. He set a Pac-10 season mark with 212 consecutive passes without an interception (just 4 throws short of the league s career record). His 3,494 yards of total offense in 2003 was second in USC history. And he punctuated USC s Rose Bowl victory over Michigan by catching a 15-yard TD pass off a reverse. In the opener against Virginia Tech while breaking in a new receiving corps, he hit 65.5% of his passes (19-of-29, despite missing on his first 4 throws) for 272 yards and 3 long TDs (he was 11-of-13 for 170 yards and 2 TDs in the second half, with 11 consecutive completions at one point). He was 20-of-31 for 231 yards and 2 short TDs (with 4 drops) in just 3 quarters of action against Colorado State (he also ran for a career-high 46 yards on 7 attempts). At BYU, he hit 22-of-34 passes for 236 yards and 2 TDs with an interception (breaking a streak of 102 pass attempts without a pick) and he also ran for a 1-yard TD (his first career score). He hit a career-best 76.7% of his passes (23- of-30) for 284 yards with a TD at Stanford and he also scored on a 1-yard sneak to earn Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week honors. He was 15-of-24 for 164 yards and 2 TDs (with a pick) against California. In just 3 quarters of action against Arizona State, he threw 4 TD passes on 13-of-24 passing for 224 yards with no interceptions and also had a 1- yard sneak for a touchdown to earn The Sporting News National Player of the Week honors. He was 24-of-43 (a career high for attempts) for 217 yards and 2 scores (with a pick) against Washington (he came out after the first series of the final quarter). He hit a career-best 82.1% of his passes (23- of-28) for 235 yards and 2 TDs at Washington State (he was 18-of-21, 85.7%, for 203 yards and a TD in the first half). In the fog at Oregon State, he completed 17-of-31 passes for 205 yards with 2 TDs and an interception. He completed a career-best 27 passes in 35 attempts (77.1%) for 280 yards and 3 TDs against Arizona despite sitting out most of the fourth quarter (he hit 11 consecutive passes in the first half and was 12-of-14 for 273 yards in the second half). Against Notre Dame, he equaled a USC and Notre Dame opponent single game record with 5 TD passes (the second time in his career that he has thrown that many) as he completed 24-of-34 aerials for a career-best 400 yards (the second most ever against the Irish) with no interceptions to earn both The Sporting News College Player of the Week and Cingular Wireless/ABC Sports All-America National Player of the Week honors. He was 24-of-34 for 242 yards and an interception at UCLA (he completed his first 10 passes of the game and was 15-of-17 for 103 yards in the first half), but he was held without a TD throw for the first time in 25 games as a starter. LEINART 2003/2004 COMPARISON THROUGH 12 GAMES PA PC PI PCT YDS TD LG RAT GRUSH TD W * *Without Mike Willams and Keary Colbert and behind a rebuilt offensive line MATT LEINART S 2004 VS. CARSON PALMER S 2002 HEISMAN SEASONS THROUGH 12 GAMES PA PC PI PCT YDS TD LG RAT GRUSH TD W ML CP USC CAREER PASSING LEADERS (Based of Number of Completions Includes bowl games) PA PC INT NYG Pct. TD 1. Carson Palmer Rob Johnson Rodney Peete Matt Leinart USC CAREER TOTAL OFFENSE LEADERS (Includes bowl games) PLAYS RUSH PASS TOTAL 1. Carson Palmer Rodney Peete Rob Johnson Matt Leinart TROJAN FOOTBALL