I think it's safe to say that the offense runs much better when Jarrett and Smith are on the field. The premeir WR duo in the country has some flashes like we saw last year but they have yet to live to live up to that reputation this year. Patrick Turner is starting to pick up the slack and Vidal Hazelton will get into the game in due time. There's a great article in today's Press-Enterprise asking just that. If we can get the dynamic duo on the field at the same time and have them be productive it would go a long way to getting a convincing win against ASU, boost the confidence of the team as they go into a bye week and quiet the critics that have questioned whether or not SC is fit to be in the top 5 in the polls.
Hopefully, this time he will be ready
That still looks like a long shot for the third-ranked Trojans (5-0, 3-0 Pac-10) to pull off for Saturday against Arizona State (3-2, 0-2) in the Coliseum.
Jarrett said he's much better than he's been the past three games, when a painful shoulder separation has limited him to five catches and one touchdown. But he still estimates he's at no more than 85 percent.
"It's still sore," he said as he massaged his padded left shoulder. "But there's full range of motion. I'm much closer to 100 percent than I've been."
Booty said as long as Jarrett's in there, "I'm going to get him the ball as much as I can."
Smith practiced some on the sprained ankle that kept him out the second half of last week's Washington game, but Coach Pete Carroll said he wasn't sure "how much he got done."
So it's wait and see.
But "if Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith are able to get out there full-speed, we're improved," Carroll said.
Ain't that the truth!
The fact is until Turner, Johnson and Hazelton are fully up to speed with the offense we need Jarrett and Smith in the line-up or we won't have the spark that we are used to having and that means the offense will not run on all cylinders. An improved running game will also go a long way to helping JDB open up the offense. Opening up the offense will also give Booty the added confidence to not stare down his first option as he has been shown to do.
This is an important game in the sense that it will go a long way to getting us prepared for the last 4 games that will be here in three weeks. The team is starting to come together and the underclassmen are doing a great job in keeping us in the game. It's time for our veterans to help pick up the slack and help set the example that has that has been the staple of USC football over the last few years.