No. 1 rankings disguised a glaring weakness. And a police probe that prompted a program’s thorough investigation by fans who wondered what, if anything, went wrong also hid a major concern.
There’s a catch about top-ranked USC, or, rather, there are too few catches coming back for one of the most dynamic offenses in the nation to be comfortable.
Less than a week before the Trojans open their season this Saturday against Virginia Tech, they have a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback but no one who had more than 17 receptions last season.
That share of a national championship they won? It had a lot to do with two of the best receivers in school history, but one is in the NFL and the other is in limbo until the NCAA decides his fate.
“I think we’re going to be fine everywhere else, but we’ve got a lot of questions with our receivers,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “We just don’t have anybody who’s had to carry the load before.”
The Trojans not only lack experience, but they also lack bodies.
USC practiced Saturday night with only four healthy scholarship receivers. Three scholarship receivers who were supposed to be in training camp were missing because of minor-to-major academic issues, one was moved to tight end last week and another suffered a knee injury.
“Yeah, we’re getting a little thin,” said Trojans wide receivers coach Lane Kiffin, who picked up the title of passing game coordinator in the offseason. “But what that’s done is made some of our guys step up their games because they know they’re going to play a lot.
“The freshman is looking very good, and we have guys here who would’ve played a lot more last season if we hadn’t had those two in front of them.”
Those two are what the Trojans could miss more than anything else from last season. Keary Colbert finished his four years as USC’s career receptions leader and was every bit as dependable as Mike Williams was dominant.
Williams could be back if the NCAA restores his amateur status, grants him a progress-toward-degree waiver and reinstates him for this season. USC, however, won’t send Williams’ summer school grades to the NCAA until Monday (Aug. 23), and an answer might not arrive until just before or even after the Trojans play the Hokies.
Even then, Williams could face a suspension or might not be reinstated at all, so the Trojans have to be ready for life without him.
“I really hope for the best for him and that he’s back with us soon,” said freshman Dwayne Jarrett, a touted 6-foot-5 receiver who appears more advanced but far less physical than Williams was upon his arrival at USC. “If he’s not, I’m ready to do whatever I can. It should be fun because I don’t think people know what to expect from us.”
“It’s a challenge, and I’d love to show we still have a lot, even without Keary and Mike,” sophomore Steve Smith said.
Of course, Smith had those 17 catches last season, so he’s the Trojans’ relative go-to receiver unless Williams returns or someone else establishes himself.
“Steve would’ve started for almost any other team in the country, so we know he’ll be fine,” Kiffin said.
After Smith, however, the answers seem apparent but need to be proved. Third-year sophomore Chris McFoy has had by far his best training camp and could edge Jarrett for the starting spot at split end, but Jarrett also will see a lot of action at Williams’ position.
McFoy clearly is talented and occasionally made moves toward the top rotation last season, but he inevitably got hurt just as his moment arrived.
“I’ve been so close before,” said McFoy, who can slip into any of the receiver spots. “Now with this opportunity here, I can sense that this is my time, finally.”
Quarterback Matt Leinart didn’t get much opportunity to work with any receivers in the summer because he has tendinitis in his left (throwing) elbow and rested his arm. Still, Leinart has shown an increasing trust in McFoy in the past week.
He also quickly grew comfortable with Jarrett, whom USC’s coaches had live with Leinart in training camp much the same as Williams roomed with him last season.
“We spent a lot of time talking about routes and things to look for,” said Jarrett, who is USC’s youngest player and won’t turn 18 until Sept.11. “It was really helpful to be right there and be able to find out what he’s thinking.”
Trojans offensive coordinator Norm Chow and Kiffin regularly praised Jarrett’s ability to make spectacular plays but said his main improvement has come in how he executes every-down assignments. In USC’s precision offense, Jarrett’s value not only will come in catches but also in blocking and drawing attention away from the action.
After all, Chow plans to make up for his dearth of receivers by taking advantage of his talent at tailback and tight end, where freshman and former receiver Fred Davis joined big target Alex Holmes (29 catches in 2002) last week.
“We’re not going to sit here and worry about what we don’t have,” said Chow, whose unit ranked fifth in the nation in scoring and 13th in passing offense last season.
“We can do some things to make up for it like go to our tight ends or move (tailback) Reggie Bush all over the place, but the receivers we have need to deliver, too.”
c 2004, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).

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