Idaho-Bound Holt Is Back With Trojans

After being introduced as head coach and hiring most of his new staff at Idaho this week, Nick Holt returned to Los Angeles on Friday and immediately hunkered down at USC to study film of Michigan.

Holt, who will coach USC’s linebackers through the top-ranked Trojans’ Rose Bowl game against fourth-ranked Michigan, said the transition from assistant to head coach has been smooth.

“It’s going great,” Holt said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but we’ll get it done.”

Holt said he would be at every USC practice but would return to Idaho when the Trojans take a two-day break next weekend. He will return on Dec. 21 and remain with the Trojans through the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.

“The Trojan gods are looking out for me,” Holt said. “Coach [Pete Carroll] wants as much continuity as possible and the way the schedule works out is a blessing in disguise.”

Among the assistants Holt hired at Idaho was Jonathan Smith, a former Oregon State quarterback who played at Glendora High. Smith, a graduate assistant at Oregon State the last two seasons, will coach Vandal quarterbacks.

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Freshman running back Chauncey Washington, who experienced several setbacks while trying to recover from an ankle injury suffered Sept. 13 against Hawaii, is scheduled to return to practice today.... Fullback Brandon Hancock, who sat out the last two games because of knee sprain, also will practice and is expected to play against Michigan.

-- Gary Klein

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Oklahoma’s Teddy Lehman won the Butkus Award, given to the top linebacker. He is the third Sooner linebacker to win the award, following Rocky Calmus in 2001 and Brian Bosworth, who won it in 1985 and ’86.... Arkansas’ offensive tackle Shawn Andrews, a finalist for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award, has a sinus condition that could keep him out of the Dec. 31 Independence Bowl against Missouri.

Texas A&M; quarterback Dustin Long, who lost the starting job to Reggie McNeal, will transfer to Sam Houston State for his senior season.... The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics is calling for bowl eligibility reforms, saying teams should graduate at least 50% of their players as a prerequisite for bowl game eligibility. The Commission said only the Houston Bowl between Navy and Texas Tech, and the Capital One between Purdue and Georgia match teams with 50% graduation rates or better.

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