Palmer Feeling Comfortable, Confident

With training camp over, one Trojan who can’t wait to get the season started is quarterback Carson Palmer.

After questions over who would be the starting quarterback surrounded USC the first half of last season, that Palmer is this season’s starter, hands down, has the sophomore’s confidence booming.

“I can’t compare myself to last year,” Palmer said after camp broke Friday morning at UC Irvine. “What I’ve gone through from spring ball to camp, there’s no comparison.

“I’m just extremely excited and can’t wait to get out there.”

And there’s reason for that confidence.

Palmer has looked good throughout camp, including an 11-for-14, 133-yard performance in a scrimmage earlier this week, and has bulked up a little to help absorb the hits he’ll take this season. Now he’s ready to be a leader on offense.

“I think this year the offense is more comfortable with me,” he said. “We know we have an established quarterback.”

Coach Paul Hackett also likes where his team is a little more than a week away from next Saturday’s opener at Hawaii.

Hackett said his team accomplished all it set out to do in the two weeks.

“We’re a more cohesive team,” he said. “Unlike last year, we were more intense.

“We’re a more mature team. If we can [get off to a good start with a victory at Hawaii], then we will continue to progress.”

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While there are no questions about quarterback this season, the same cannot be said about kicker.

The depth chart lists David Bell and David Newbury as the No. 1 kicker, a problem Hackett plans to resolve before the Trojans leave for Hawaii on Thursday.

Neither has been able to separate himself from the other during camp, and Sunday night’s practice at the Coliseum will go a long way in determining who will handle the field-goal and extra-point duties.

“The one thing we are pretty certain about is David Bell will do kickoffs,” Hackett said. “The rest of it’s too close to call.”