Posts tagged SteveSarkisian at FanHouse

In case you thought that the USC Trojans weren't going to take the University of Illinois seriously in its Rose Bowl match-up, just take a look at what Pete Carroll and the Coaching staff did on their first day off after the regular season ended, according to official Trojan blog USCRipsit. Something makes me think that offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will be asking Oj Mayo to join him and his colleagues next year.

Media sources report that the Men of Troy were nonplussed with playing the Illini on January 1st, least of which is because it eliminates any possibility that they'd have to lay a claim on a split "national championship" should Ohio State stumble against LSU in the BCS Title Game. Thanks Rose Bowl, indeed.

In what had to be one of the slipperiest, most miserablest evenings of football in California memory, the USC Trojans turned to the run game to defeat the California Golden Bears in Strawberry Canyon, 24-17.

When USC receivers were dropping the slippery balls during practice, you'd have thought that Trojan offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian would have come up with a mostly-running game-plan.

After a back and forth game, USC had several chances to send their fans back to the warmth and dryness of their San Francisco hotels in the third quarter but sloppy play and an insistence on trying to pass the ball left the Beard handing around until the fourth quarter.

It took three quarters of solid running by Chauncey Washington before the Trojan coaching staff decided they should just hand the ball off.And hand the ball off, they did, giving it to Chauncey Washington 29 times for 221 yards, while quarterback John David Booty threw but 20 times for a mere 129 yards.

Steve Sarkisian used an age-old public relations axiom in guiding his debut as the offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans Saturday againd Idaho: "Keep it Simple, Stupid."

Taking the reigns from Lane Kiffin, Sarkisian employed only the most basic offense to launch quarterback John David Booty's Heisman campaign. Sarkisian told the Los Angeles Daily News, "We had a game plan where a lot of young guys needed to play and we didn't want them to have to think a whole lot," Sarkisian said. "(Center) Kris O'Dowd, (wide receiver) David Ausberry, (tailback) Joe McKnight, (fullback) Stanley Havili, (tailback) Stafon Johnson, just to name a few. All those guys played their first games or got their first significant playing time."

Trojan fans are waiting to see how much Sarkisian remembers of Norm Chow's offensive strategy--that to set up the big play, you need to make the little ones--something that was lost on his predecessor Lane Kiffin. However, after a lackluster second quarter, Sarkisian looked almost Chow-like with his playcalling, using short, quick, high-percentage passes to build Booty's confidence in the receivers and march the ball down-field.

USC held the Trojan Huddle Saturday, bringing some ten thousand fans out to the Coliseum...and for about the first hour all they got was a show from the Song Girls...as the event kicked off about an our late. And not, it was not the kind of "show" they gave us at the Rose Bowl.

Notable highlights include great performances on the ground by running-backs Herschel Dennis and Chauncey Washington and some huge hits from the defense. Desmond Reed, injured by the ankle-high grass in South Bend two years ago, is looking better than ever and is being used in more versatile positions than last year--running and catching from scrimmage again, unlike in 2006, when you knew that Reed was the #1 receiver every time he entered the game.

Forgettable was the play of quarterbacks John David Booty and Mark Sanchez, who chased the record for most turnovers in the Spring game. Booty no longer has Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett on the field, so he has decided to lock in on Fred Davis and Patrick Turner--the receivers he has had the most experience with in practice over the years. Some things will never change--even if they put the shotgun to good use.

More pictures and more Song Girls after the jump...

USC quarterback John David Booty may be looking to the future and a possible Heisman Trophy campaign in 2007, but he is returning to his football roots during spring practice for the USC Trojans.

The USC Trojans were two tipped passes away from a perfect season in 2006. Although Booty had played from the shotgun for his entire high school career and his mechanics put the ball on a low trajectory, former offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was loathe to make any adjustments to his game plan.

Kiffin is gone and Booty is back in the shotgun under new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. A similar adjustment was made for backup Brandon Hance three seasons ago, the season before USC secured a Heisman Trophy and BCS Title bid.

Is this a harbinger for 2007? Let's hope so!

ESPN is reporting that both Steve Sarkisian and James Lofton have withdrawn their names from consideration in the Raiders' head coaching search. Sarkisian was considered the front-runner for the job, and Lofton was considered the second choice, so this seems to leave the Raiders in an awkward position of having been publicly spurned -- just as they were last year when Bobby Petrino turned Al Davis down.

So who's next? Dennis Green has also declined to be interviewed, and I think that leaves former Giants coach Jim Fassel and current Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan as the two most likely candidates. Fassel seems more like a Davis guy -- he runs the kind of offense Davis likes -- but personally I think Ryan would be a great choice. Ryan did solid work with the Raiders' defense this year, even as the offense was collapsing around them.

More importantly, though, this says a lot about the Raiders and the perception in coaching circles that Oakland is a place where careers go to die. If the Raiders don't hit a home run with this choice, they'll have a very hard time changing that perception.

It looks like USC will be joining cross-town rival UCLA in a search for a new offensive coordinator. Now that Steve Sarkisian has interviewed twice for the head coaching job for the Oakland Raiders rumors are swirling that he plans on taking co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin with him up to Northern California.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Sarkisian met again yesterday with the Raiders and asked Kiffin to join in the discussion as well.

Sarkisian has several fans among the Raiders team, including former Trojan safety Darnell Bing, who told the paper, "I think he can go up and change the whole environment and make the team a lot better."

Given the Raiders' 2-14 record making the team a whole lot better shouldn't be too difficult.

Steve Sarkisian, the less controversial half of the USC Trojans' "Sarkiffian" offensive coordinating duo was never considered for the head coaching job when Pete Carroll was runored to be going to the Miami Dolphins.

However, Sarkisian is being considered for the head coaching job...of the Oakland Raiders! In fact, he was not only the first to be interviewed by Al Davis' gang for the job, but he got a call back! Apparently, Sark interviews better than his boss.

Others under consideration for the job include Chargers' receivers coach James Lofton, former NY Giants coach Jim Fassel and Raider's defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

Regrettably for USC fans, however, Lane Kiffin was not offered the head coaching job at Minnesotta.