USC FOOTBALL: As camp starts, happy days appear to be here again

USC holds its first football practice tonight in a different position than the past two years.

The Trojans finally are bowl eligible again and ranked in the top two in most preseason polls.

But players also feel a new embrace from their supporters with expectations back to where they were during the Pete Carroll era.

"Ever since last year, we've started to gain our fans back," All-America safety T.J. McDonald said. "We've discovered how it was before.

"We're winning our fans back and we know what it used to feel like."

The fans might be excited, but the Trojans are hungry. Marquee players such as McDonald and quarterback Matt Barkley returned for their senior seasons to try and win a national title. Their only postseason experience is the 2009 Emerald Bowl, thanks to a two-year bowl ban.

"There's nothing about USC I would change," Barkley said. "I wanted to be here since I was a little kid. (But) my goal for this year is to play the highest quality of football (and contend for a title).

"Quality football is most important."

The question entering training camp is whether USC needs to worry about any unit other than the defensive line. Coach Lane Kiffin lamented his team's depth at tailback, but Penn State tailback Silas Redd then transferred and immediately solved that issue.

Redd arrived at USC over the weekend and is immediately eligible under the terms of the NCAA sanctions against Penn State.

It would be foolish for anyone to underestimate senior tailback Curtis McNeal, the current starter, but Kiffin now has insurance if anyone gets hurt.

Redd also places more pressure on the defensive line, which starts two new tackles. Sophomores George Uko, J.R. Tavai and freshman Antwaun Woods will rotate at the tackle spots; none of them started last year.

If that isn't enough, senior Devon Kennard underwent surgery last week for a torn chest muscle and could miss the season. He will be replaced by the untested redshirt freshman Greg Townsend Jr., true freshman Leonard Williams or junior-college transfer Morgan Breslin. Senior defensive end Wes Horton is the only returning starter from last season. Still, Kiffin knows no coaches across the country will offer sympathy.

"We're two years removed from what was handed down as people saying `SC is over' and being a preseason No. 1 team two years later is extremely exciting," Kiffin said.

The defense is a perceived weakness, but the Trojans return all three linebackers and four secondary starters.

"I feel like our defense as a whole is a lot better," McDonald said. "In spring ball, you could tell we were better. I can't (say) we have one specific strength but we have a lot of experienced players."

Perhaps the other issue for the Trojans will be playing under a microscope. With no postseason hopes the previous two seasons, this year will be considerably more stressful. Especially for Barkley, considered the preseason frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.

If Barkley experiences a poor game, it will raise much more scrutiny than a bad performance last season.

"We have all of this hype going into this year. It's great for our program, our school, for our fan base to have that toward USC," Barkley said. "But for us it doesn't mean anything, and any high, any preseason, that opportunity to play for a game, it's not going to win any games or score any points.

"We can play for a national championship and bowl games, but we can't forget how we got here. You were playing for your buddy (before), as our coaches say, and I think especially this year we can't forget to do that."

Source: http://www.dailynews.com/ci_21244400/usc-football-camp-starts-happy-days-appear-be?source=rss_viewed

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