The Fight Is On for Carroll Already

Pete Carroll sure said all the right things in his interview with The Times on Wednesday. And darn it if he doesn’t have me optimistic about the upcoming season. However, because I’ve sat through more frustrating USC football seasons than he has, I am willing to point out a few areas of concern for him. A cheat sheet, if you will.

1. Play-calling. I suspect teams have caught on to run-run-pass. Just a hunch. And hopefully our former offensive coordinator took the “three-yard out on third and 10” play with him.

2. Penalties. We hold. A lot. At crucial times.

3. Quarterback. Our guy was a high school phenom. But unless we’re scheduling Long Beach Poly this season, someone needs to work with him. At a minimum, teach him two words that will make him want to stay after practice an extra hour: Ron Powlus.

4. Running back. Sultan McCullough can run the ball 20 times a game or more. Give him a shot.

5. Receivers. Kareem Kelly drops too many easy passes but looks great celebrating the ones he doesn’t.

6. Quality kicking game. That’s easy, we don’t have one. Any time we’re fourth and whatever inside the 30, go for it.

7. Quality athletic director. That’s easy too, we don’t have one. Just keep him out of the locker room.

Coach Carroll, all Trojan fans want is a team that is intelligent and disciplined. The wins will follow. In fact, there’s only one team that we cannot be beaten by from now on: ourselves.

Jim Patton

Hermosa Beach

*

“Basic Instinct” might not have been the best headline for a story about Trojan football and the upcoming season with the new coach, Pete Carroll. After last season, any word with “stinct” in it probably should have been avoided.

Robert H. Williams

Monterey Park