COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : USC : Ford Proves Adept at Booming Kickoffs

Cole Ford hasn’t proved himself as a field goal kicker, USC coaches say, but no one questions his kickoff capabilities.

A kickoff hang time of 4.2 seconds is considered good. Ford has had 4.3s on some of his kickoffs.

“There isn’t anyone in football who can put it up there longer than Cole can,” kicking coach Jeff Kearin said.

Ford, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior, was sidelined because of a back injury for seven games last season. A senior, he’s 20 for 40 on field goals but went only two for six last season.

This summer, Ford trained with Ray Pelfrey, who operates camps for pro, college and high school kickers.

“Cole has a great leg, he just needs work on control,” Pelfrey said.

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At the recent Pac-10 rules meeting for coaches, Verle Sorgen, chief of officials, was explaining the new rule on player fights, which calls for ejection of any player or coach who leaves the sideline and runs toward a fight.

This dialogue ensued between Sorgen and Stanford’s Bill Walsh:

Walsh: If a coach is ejected, does he have to leave the field?

Sorgen: Yes.

Walsh: Could he go to Carmel?

Sorgen: Yes.

Walsh: Could he go on a recruiting trip?

Sorgen: No.

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Antoine Simpson, the high school All-American defensive end from Houston who signed a letter of intent to enroll at USC, has instead decided to enroll at Minnesota, according to his attorney.

Simpson did not meet USC academic requirements, but told USC coaches he intended to enroll in junior college this semester and hopefully transfer to USC in January.

“He was going to go to Colorado when USC turned him down, but Colorado had no scholarships to give,” said Kent Schaeffer, Simpson’s Houston attorney.

“Minnesota then brought him in, and he’s decided to go there.”

Simpson was accused of sexual assault in May by a 15-year-old girl, but was cleared by a LaPorte, Tex., grand jury.