Pre-Game Rose Bowl Notes from USC

Today Pete Carroll announced to his team that Stanley Havili was declared academically ineligible for the Rose Bowl.

As I noted in my earlier reports this week, D.J. Shoemate will replace Havili. Both Rhett Ellison and Adam Goodman also took turns at Havili’s spot in practices this week. Goodman, a redshirt junior, has apparently recovered from surgery earlier in this season.

However, one All Pac-10 and Senior Bowl cornerback did not recover from his injury. Coach Carroll officially announced what I had previously reported. The knee injury that Kevin Ellison suffered in the last regular season game against UCLA has not responded to rehab, and Ellison will be unavailable for the Rose Bowl.

On a brighter note, Carroll announced that both Damian Williams and Stafon Johnson are 100 percent and will play in Thursday’s game in Pasadena.

While I know the Trojans will definitely miss Havili, who gives them so many options with his versatility, I don’t think it will be a major blow to the offense.

After watching Mark Sanchez and his corps of receivers this week in practice along with the running backs, I can definitely say the offense has never looked quicker or crisper this season.

I think outgoing offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian and incoming offensive coordinator John Morton deserve all the credit for the intense work they have done with the quarterbacks and receivers this past month.

It is to their credit that the changing-of-the-guard did not become a distraction to them or to the team and that both were able to maintain their focus.

Although T.J. Simers was at it again, trying to stir up a controversy and embroil Pete Carroll in the middle of it, Carroll slammed the case shut and announced the end to the recent feud in the L.A. Times between USC linebackers coach, Ken Norton, and UCLA’s head coach, Rick Neuheisel.

"This is over," Carroll declared. "But I bet there will be more stuff. This is what happens when you are this close and stuff is going to go on. It’s part of it and I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. If it wasn’t like that nobody would care."

In a newspaper report, Norton complained that UCLA (he didn’t mention Neuheisel by name) was telling their recruits that Norton would replaced DeWayne Walker as defensive coordinator should Walker take a head coaching job.

Neuheisel responded that neither he nor any of his coaches had mentioned Norton to their recruits.

In his article in today’s Los Angeles Times, Simers claims it was a case of sour grapes on Norton’s part after UCLA received a verbal commitment from a player Norton was trying to recruit.

Meanwhile, after Oregon’s convincing win over Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl, 42-31, the Pac-10 is now a perfect 3-0 in post season games.

Oregon State, the only team to beat USC this year, hopes to make it 4-0 against No. 20 Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl on New Year’s.