Carroll Wants Hustle, Not Bustle

Though more than 10,000 USC fans are expected to attend today’s game at 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, most will not have glimpsed a Trojan player here until the team runs onto the field.

Coach Pete Carroll steered clear of bustling Waikiki and ensconced his team about 25 miles away at a plush resort that annually headquarters the NFL Pro Bowl.

“It’s nice that we are away from downtown,” Carroll said Friday after the Trojans completed an early-afternoon walk-through at the stadium.

“You couldn’t ask for a better place to get prepared.”

Players awoke Friday to ocean sounds and views. Many made use of the pool or the facility’s private lagoon during the morning. After the walk-through, the team returned to the resort and later went through a short practice on the facility’s 60-yard field.

Asked after the walk-through if his players would have any more freedom before the game, Carroll said, “They won’t have any free time at all. They don’t need it.”

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USC usually does its stadium walk-through in the late afternoon or early evening. But with a high school football game scheduled for Friday night at Aloha Stadium, the Trojans were on the artificial turf at 1 p.m., the time of kickoff today.

Temperatures at game time are expected to be in the 80s with a chance of showers throughout the day.

Players anticipated the conditions before they left Los Angeles.

“We’ll have to fight through it, but with our great off-season conditioning we’re ready to do that,” nose tackle Sedrick Ellis said.

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Junior safety Darnell Bing, who did not practice Thursday because of flu symptoms, participated in the walk-through and practice Friday and will start today, Carroll said.... USC brought 88 players on the trip, according to Carroll.... The Trojans are 5-0 against Hawaii. USC defeated the Warriors, 61-32, at the Coliseum in 2003.

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WHEN USC HAS THE BALL

Matt Leinart studied various NFL defensive schemes this spring while recuperating from elbow surgery. That might come in handy against former NFL coach Jerry Glanville’s defense. Look for Leinart and coaches Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin to dissect what was the second-worst unit in the nation last season. That was before Glanville arrived as coordinator, but it probably won’t matter. Tailbacks Reggie Bush and LenDale White and USC’s talented receivers will be tough to run down on the turf.

WHEN HAWAII HAS THE BALL

Record-setting quarterback Timmy Chang and just about every offensive starter from last season are gone, but Coach June Jones’ run-and-shoot offense goes on. Quarterbacks Colt Brennan and Tyler Graunke each will play. Tackles Sedrick Ellis and LaJuan Ramsey (who replace Mike Patterson and Shaun Cody) and middle linebacker Oscar Lua are among USC’s new starters at key defensive positions.

KEYS TO USC VICTORY

1. Protect Leinart. USC could win today without the Heisman Trophy winner, but a three-peat might be impossible if he were seriously hurt.

2. Avoid turnovers. The Trojans need to take care of the ball as well as Pete Carroll’s last three teams.

3. Beat the heat. The afternoon game will be played on a sun-baked artificial surface in muggy weather.

HOW THEY COMPARE

*--* USC 2004 Hawaii 38.2 Scoring 35.9 13.0 Points allowed 38.4 271.7 Passing offense 338.6 177.4 Rushing offense 95.9 449.1 Total offense 434.5 199.9 Passing defense 235.2 79.4 Rushing defense 252.6 279.3 Total defense 487.8

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-- GARY KLEIN