The quarterback competition is finally over at USC—temporarily final. Pete Carroll said Mark Sanchez will start the opener against the Virginia Cavaliers tonight.
There had been some doubt that Mark Sanchez would be ready in time for Saturday’s opener. On August 10th, Sanchez dislocated his kneecap in a warming up drill and missed the last two weeks of Fall Camp, including two controlled scrimages and the annual Mock Game at the Coliseum.
A top recruit four years ago, the redshirt junior returned Monday to quarterback the first unit. There were questions about Sanchez’ conditioning and bringing his skills back up to speed. He threw two interceptions at Tuesday’s practice. But Tuesday evening, the team doctor officially cleared Sanchez to play Saturday.
After watching Sanchez perform as the team went through drills in half pads today, "Turnover Wednesday," Coach Carroll made the announcement.
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"We’re official that Mark’s going to start."
But with his conditioning still in question, Sanchez may be on a short leash. Should he appear to struggle on Saturday, the No. 2 quarterback needs to be ready.
But who is the No. 2 quarterback? Ever since Sanchez dislocated his knee, the competition between Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp intensified. Coach Carroll held off making a decision to give the two quarterbacks as close a look as possible.
Today, Carroll gave the nod to redshirt freshman, Aaron Corp. Carroll felt that Corp had a better command of the Trojan offense than Mitch Mustain, the much-heralded transfer from Arkansas. Also, Corp’s mobility and speed gave him an edge over Mustain.
However, Carroll made it quite clear that the decision was a temporary one. The competition between Corp and Mustain will continue over the coming weeks.
The injury bug is quickly vanishing at least for the moment. The Trojans are now the strongest they have been all during Fall Camp.
Earlier in the week, cornerback Cary Harris returned from a sprained shoulder. Today cornerbacks Shareece Wright and Brian Baucham returned for a full practice. Wright is expected to play on Saturday and may even start.
Full credit is due to the athletic medicine staff at USC for the quick recoveries of Mark Sanchez and the other first unit players. Also, strength and conditioning coach, Chris Carlisle, deserves some mention for his work with place kicker, David Buehler, who has been kicking 50-yard field goals with consistency.
On Thursday, the Trojans will put in a 90-minute workout before boarding their charter flight to Virginia. Thunderstorms and showers are expected in Charlottesville Thursday. A partly cloudy day is the forecast for Saturday.
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2 months ago
All the SEC fans labeled me a hater when I said Mustain looked like a third stringer at the Spring Game. Looks like I was spot on.
Corp is unreal, and if Sanchez got hurt, I would have no problem with him starting. The kid is amazing. Mustain needs to learn how to be a leader and needs more mobility.
Nice job, Paul!
from 2 months ago
Yep, right again, Lisa! I've really liked Corp since watching him at Notre Dame H.S. The only problem is - and it is a problem the conditioning staff has tried to solve - the kid is as thin as a rail. One solid hit from a blitzing linebacker, and he might break in two.
2 months ago
I wonder where Mustain's headed to next. I hear UCLA needs a QB. Maybe he can convince Hawaii that he's their next 5,000 yard passer.
from 2 months ago
Mitch is staying put for now. He said, "A lot can happen in three years." And he's right. Look at Coata up at Oregon and last year with Dennis Dixon. And, UCLA is down to a JC transfer. If he truly has the talent and believes in himself, he'll get his shot to prove what he can do somewhere down the line.
2 months ago
Mustain has fallen by the wayside like a lot of other top-notch QB recruits, including but not limited to Anthony Morelli and Kyle Wright.
Nice, informative article that should not go unseen.
from 2 months ago
Actually, Mustain's in the same situation as Pennsylvania's leading all-time prep passer, Pat Devlin, at Penn State. He just lost out to Daryl Clark in a photo finish.
2 months ago
Kudos to Corp for nabbing that #2 spot. I can't wait to see USC at full strength against UV. Good article!
from 2 months ago
This is the first time since Fall Camp began that the entire first unit is healthy on both sides of the ball.
2 months ago
Mustain = Brandon Hance 2.0
He is good, just not better than Corp, a player most have slept on.
I would like to see Corp get a couple of series to give defenses a different look to have to deal with.
from 2 months ago
If Sanchez's conditioning isn't 100%, Corp may get more than just a couple of series. I hope they have installed some plays for Garrett Green possibly lining up in the slot or even in the backfield for a direct snap. But they will probably save something like that for the OSU game - unless they want to give old sweater-vest something additional to think about.
2 months ago
Hopefully Sark is smart enough to have a set of plays for Virginia, then a different set from the same formations for our visitors from Ohio.
Small doses of Garrett Green as an assistant coach's mind altering substance would be a good thing (This statement is very hard for me to type as his high school was a blood rival of mine).
2 months ago
Mustain was duped into going to Arkansas and then benched after going 8-0 because Nutt was determined to bench him once Casey Dick was healthy again. Mustain had no way of knowing Nutt would be fired the next year and had to make a move as Casey Dick had 2 more years of eligibility at the time. Mustain's bad decision wasn't leaving Arkansas (as much as it pains me to say that as a Razorback fan). His fatal flaw was thinking he was good enough to become a starter at a school known for producing Heisman quarterbacks. He's good and would start for many teams but USC has not just one but two QB's that are better than he is. His overconfidence cost him dearly as he (and his gold-digging mother) thought he would be in the NFL one day and be the meal ticket. He will never see the NFL now. He may not even see the playing field again.
from 2 months ago
One more thing, I think Pete Carroll is giving lip service when he says that the competition for backup will continue because it is a sad situation that Mustain has endured with Arkansas and then sitting out and now this. OC Sarkisian made many comments over the last couple of weeks that let it be known that Corp was his choice and that doesn't seem very likely to change. The reason I think Carroll may be giving lip service is because he wants to let Mustain down easily by letting him slowly conclude that it's over for him. Otherwise, they might have to put him on watch.
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