Trojans Aren’t Falling for This Opening Line

Training camp is fine for getting athletes in shape and teaching them the playbook but it doesn’t indicate the true talent of a team. First games aren’t always much better.

A year ago, USC opened with a victory over nationally-ranked Penn State in the Kickoff Classic. The Trojans rode that momentum to three victories, then collapsed at midseason and finished 5-7.

Now USC has won its opener again, defeating San Jose State, 21-10, but the players and their new coach, Pete Carroll, know better than to put too much stock in the victory.

Carroll, with 24 hours to reflect and watch film, offered this analysis Sunday.

“I think it would be a real mistake to be too high or too low,” he said. “It’s a long season with a lot of challenges ahead.”

Not that his players didn’t enjoy themselves Saturday.

With the memory of 2000 still fresh, they dumped Gatorade over Carroll’s head in the game’s waning seconds. They gathered before the band as if at the Rose Bowl. But offensive coordinator Norm Chow, leaving the field, sounded a warning.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Quarterback Carson Palmer rated his performance--21 of 28 for 213 yards and no touchdowns--a little below average. He was glad Chow’s offense allowed him to spread the ball around, throwing to seven receivers including the tight end and fullback, which USC has not done for a while.

Yet he kept mostly to short passes, “dinking “ he called it, and threw an interception on one of his rare tries downfield.

“I didn’t feel like myself for a while,” he said. “I just need more reps. The further we get into the season, the better this offense will get.”

Receiver Kareem Kelly gave the team a B-minus for its performance.

Penalties were a problem. The Trojans were flagged eight times for 69 yards. A holding penalty put them in a hole on their first possession, a chop block killed a later drive. There were false starts and an appearance by the ghost of seasons past: delay of game.

Punting also was a concern. Mike MacGillivray, hoping to put last season’s inconsistency behind him, wobbled his first punt 29 yards. The next one sailed 45 yards, the one after went 27.

USC won comfortably because there were no fumbles and the secondary showed that perhaps it has overcame a weakness for big plays. Senior Chris Cash, moving into the starting lineup, made a leaping interception on one deep pass.

The kicking game also was steady. David Davis, in his debut, made all three extra-point attempts. After last season, that ranks as a significant achievement for USC.

Just as important, Kelly said, was the enthusiasm on the sideline.

“Everyone was cheering,” he said. “The offense for the defense. The defense for the offense.”

So Carroll was talking about moving in the right direction. The offense could improve if Malaefou MacKenzie, who worked out Sunday afternoon, returns from a knee injury. The coach wants his defense to bolster its pass coverage inside and put more pressure on the quarterback.

The learning curve gets steeper because nationally-ranked Kansas State comes to the Coliseum on Saturday.

“I know where we are now,” Carroll said. “Obviously we’ve made some progress but we have more to do.”