Drake, Wright to Play for USC

After working through ankle injuries, senior John Drake will start at left guard and sophomore defensive lineman Manuel Wright will play for top-ranked USC in the Orange Bowl, Coach Pete Carroll said Saturday.

Carroll also said that sophomore tailback LenDale White had his best day of practice since suffering a high ankle sprain against UCLA on Dec. 4. Carroll stopped short of announcing that White would start against No. 2 Oklahoma in the bowl championship series title game Tuesday, but the Trojans’ leading rusher has maintained that he is ready and will play.

Drake started the first eight games before he was injured against Washington State on Oct. 30. He supplants freshman Jeff Byers, who started the final four regular-season games.

“I feel great,” Drake said last week. “Starting off in the season, I used to love pulling, but it got to the point where I didn’t like pulling anymore.

“Now I can’t wait till they call my play and I get out there on that edge and show everybody I can move.”

The 6-foot-6 Wright has not played since Nov. 13, when he was injured against Arizona. His return enables the Trojans to resume a rotation that allows All-American Shaun Cody to play tackle and end.

“I was kind of scared a few days ago because I was sore, but getting through the last few days gave me a boost of confidence,” Wright said. “By coming back, we can keep more guys fresh.”

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What makes tackle Jammal Brown a force along the Oklahoma offensive line? Is it strength? Speed? Technique?

Try nastiness.

“Just mauling people,” center Vince Carter said. “In their face. Choking them. Whatever.”

Brown figures to play a significant role in the Orange Bowl matchup against USC. A consensus All-American and winner of the Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s best lineman, he is the cornerstone of the Sooner offense.

Not bad for a guy who came to Oklahoma five years ago as a defensive tackle and could not make the grade.

“What we saw is a guy that probably could play defensive line for many schools but, for us, we’re usually after some guys that ... have a little better foot speed,” Coach Bob Stoops said. “So we saw a guy that could make a great offensive tackle.”

Brown wasn’t that excited about switching at first. He says that learning blocking techniques was arduous work.

But his years on the other side of the ball ultimately helped.

“I’ve still got that defensive mentality,” he said. “Go out and do the pounding, don’t let anybody bring it to us.”

His attitude has rubbed off on the rest of the line.

“We’ve all kind of stepped up our nastiness,” Carter said.

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Brown isn’t the only star on a Sooner front that includes Carter, also an All-American, among a number of upperclassmen.

“They don’t have to schematically double-team a lot of people,” said USC defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, who is becoming the Mississippi coach after the Orange Bowl. “They can win their one-on-one blocks.”

Or, as Cody put it, “They’re going to try to pound us.”

But the Oklahoma coaches -- pointing out that USC has All-Americans Cody and Mike Patterson on the defensive line -- were quick to reject such praise.

“You bought that, didn’t you?” offensive line coach Kevin Wilson told reporters. “Trying to butter up the fat guys.”

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Dennis Slutak, 32, who has been a special teams graduate assistant for two seasons under Carroll, will join Orgeron’s staff at Mississippi as special teams coordinator.

“Professionally and financially it was a no-brainer,” Slutak said.

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USC freshman receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who left Friday’s workout because of chills, returned and completed the practice.... Shaquille O’Neal will conduct the coin toss before kickoff and singer Kelly Clarkson will perform at halftime Tuesday.... Several high school players who have committed to USC, including Mission Viejo quarterback Mark Sanchez, will participate in tonight’s CaliFlorida Bowl all-star game at the Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami.