Tag: Joe McKnight

Three USC players ineligible for Emerald Bowl

December 22, 2009 /

According to SI.com, USC will be without three of their players for the Emerald Bowl because of academic issues. Tailback Joe McKnight will also miss the game due to an investigation.

“He has some paperwork he needs to do and it’s best for him to stay in LA so he can be available to finish it,” Trojans coach Pete Carroll said.

Carroll did not have a timetable for McKnight’s return.

“We don’t know right now how long this will take,” he said.

USC has previously said it was said it was investigating whether McKnight used an SUV registered to a Los Angeles businessman. The Trojans also declared three players academically ineligible on Monday.

Tight end Anthony McCoy and tackle Tyron Smith, both starters, and defensive end Averell Spicer, a key reserve, will not play Dec. 26 in San Francisco.

What a nightmare of a season for USC. It’s bad enough that they find themselves playing in the Emerald Bowl at this time of year, but to have three of their players become illegible and one more under investigation is embarrassing.

Pete Carroll is already viewing this as the “forgotten” season.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

College Football

USC abuses Cal 30-3

October 3, 2009 /

Was it that long ago that Cal was a sleeper national title contender and Jahvid Best was the chic pick to win the Heisman Trophy?

For the second straight week, the Bears were stomped at home. Just seven days after Oregon took it to them in a 42-3 route, Cal was once again manhandled on Saturday night, this time by a superior USC team.

In their 30-3 victory, the Trojans held Best to only 47 yards on 14 carries. Of course, it’s kind of hard to get the ball to your best player when you find yourself down 23-0 at halftime. USC controlled this game from start to finish by holding the ball for 36 minutes and 46 seconds, compared to Cal’s 23 minutes and 14 seconds. Without Best churning out big plays in the running game, the Bears’ offense was helpless.

Looking back, Cal’s issues started in the second half of a 35-21 win over Minnesota three weeks ago. After rushing for 114 yards and three scores in the first half, the Gophers held Best to only 17 yards in the second half. Granted, Best still finished with five touchdowns and 131 yards, but is it possible that Minnesota provided a blue print on how to slow the talented running back down?

That said, Best’s issues the past two games can be attributed to Cal’s opponents jumping out to comfortable first half leads and taking the Heisman candidate out of the game. It’s clear that quarterback Kevin Riley can’t win games on his own, although he’s hardly to blame for the Bears’ defense allowing USC to rush for 174 yards.

This was a much-needed win for Pete Carroll’s team, especially since it came on the road in a prime time game. Freshman Matt Barkley threw for 283 yards and continues to mature as a passer, while Joe McKnight finished with 119 yards and two scores, including an incredible 38-yard run in the first quarter.

USC is off next week before hosting Notre Dame on October 3.

College Football

2009 CFB Preview: USC Trojans

August 29, 2009 /

Check out our other 2009 college football previews.

Preseason Ranking: No. 4 in AP Top 25; No. 4 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Aaron Corp (QB); Mitch Mustain (QB); Stafon Johnson (RB); Joe McKnight (RB); C.J. Gable (RB); Damian Williams (WR); Charles Brown; Anthony McCoy (TE); (OT); Butch Lewis (OT); Jeff Byers (G); Alex Parsons (G); Kristofer O’Dowd (C); Taylor Mays (S); Everson Griffen (DE); Drew McAllister (S); Kevin Thomas (CB).

Key Losses: Rey Maualuga (LB); Brian Cushing (LB); Fili Moala (DT); Mark Sanchez (QB); Kevin Ellison (S); Cary Harris (CB); Kaluka Maiava (LB); Clay Matthews (DE); Kyle Moore (DE); Patrick Turner (WR); David Buehler (K); Greg Woidneck (P).

Player to Watch: Matt Barkley, QB.
Barkley is the much-ballyhooed freshman who rather surprisingly beat out sophomore Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain (a redshirt junior transfer from Arkansas) for the Trojans’ starting quarterback job this summer. Barkley will be the first freshman starting quarterback at USC during head coach Pete Carroll’s era, so the pressure is on. He’s a gunslinger in every sense of the word, which can be both good and bad. He has the arm strength to make every throw, but the knock on him is that he’ll try to force the ball into tight coverage and therefore has the penchant for throwing interceptions. The notion is that Corp (who is battling a leg injury) isn’t healthy enough to start the opener and therefore Carroll named Barkley the starter to instill confidence in the young signal caller. It’s unclear at this point if Carroll will stick with Barkley if he struggles early in the season, or if Corp will eventually take over.

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College Football

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