All-Access Passes for Opening Night

John David Booty could only imagine how it would feel.

He skipped his senior season in high school to experience it, then waited three years at USC as his predecessor developed into one of the biggest stars in college football history.

Tonight, when the sixth-ranked Trojans open their season against Arkansas at sold-out Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Booty finally gets his chance to lead USC as the starting quarterback.

“It’s time,” the 6-foot-3, 210-pound fourth-year junior said. “Everything I’ve been through has prepared me for this. I’m ready for it.”

Booty and USC’s coaching staff are hoping for the kind of debut that Matt Leinart experienced when he succeeded Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer.

Leinart, who had never thrown a pass in a college game, played nearly error-free as the Trojans won at Auburn, 23-0, in the 2003 opener.

Steve Sarkisian, USC’s quarterbacks coach, said Booty would receive the same pregame speech he delivered to Leinart, the 2004 Heisman winner who finished his career with two national titles and a 37-2 record as a starter.

“Don’t try to go win the game, just let the team play and do your job,” Sarkisian said. “That was the biggest message. It wasn’t his best game ever; he just kind of played the game. He didn’t force anything.”

Sarkisian is confident that Booty will perform similarly.

“It’s not like all of sudden he’s in a foreign land,” Sarkisian said. “He knows what it’s like to be under center.”

Booty, 21, had hoped for a chance to start when he arrived at USC in 2003 from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La. But Leinart blossomed and Booty threw only 14 passes in four games as a reserve. Booty injured his right elbow and redshirted in 2004 with hopes of ascending to the starting role last season if Leinart opted to enter the NFL draft. But Leinart returned for a final season of eligibility and Booty again was relegated to a backup role, passing 42 times for three touchdowns with two interceptions.

Anointed the No. 1 quarterback at the start of spring practice, Booty aggravated a back problem during the first workout and had surgery that prevented him from throwing until midsummer. Coach Pete Carroll, citing experience in the system, said Booty was still ahead of redshirt freshman Mark Sanchez entering training camp, and Booty held the advantage.

All of those experiences, Booty said, prepared him for the challenge of facing an Arkansas team that is out to avenge last season’s 70-17 loss to the Trojans at the Coliseum. Booty completed four of nine passes for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Razorbacks.

“I’m as ready as I can be without previous experience as a starter, but I feel I know the offense and I understand their defense and, hopefully, I’ll pick it up more as the game goes along,” he said.

USC’s coaching staff also is hopeful that Booty’s back can absorb a hit without injury. Though he was bumped a few times during training camp, Booty has not been tackled since the 2005 regular-season finale against UCLA.

“That’s something we’re not going to know until it happens,” Booty said.

A rebuilt offensive line with three new starters, and a young running back corps that includes C.J. Gable, the first freshman to start an opener for USC at tailback, will try to establish a running game and protect Booty.

Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring has described last year’s game against USC as the most humiliating experience of his life. Coach Houston Nutt said his players were stunned when the Trojans scored four touchdowns in 92 seconds of possession time in the first quarter.

“I can remember looking in their eyes, there were some bombs going off with long runs and long passes,” Nutt recalled.

Arkansas prepared all spring and summer for a better result tonight, but the Razorbacks could be without one of their main weapons.

Sophomore running back Darren McFadden, who rushed for an average of more than a 100 yards a game last season, dislocated his toe during a fight in July and had surgery. He practiced during the week but is questionable and not expected to play a prominent role.

Sophomore Felix Jones is expected to do the bulk of the running for an offense under the direction of first-year coordinator Gus Malzahn, who led Springdale High to an Arkansas state title last season.

Junior quarterback Robert Johnson also started last season against USC and completed eight of 16 passes for 91 yards, including a touchdown to 6-foot-6 receiver Marcus Monk, before suffering a back injury in the second quarter.

Linebacker Sam Olajubutu, who made 14 tackles last season against USC, leads a defense that will try to keep the crowd in the game and unnerve Booty.

Carroll is not worried.

“I’ll tell John he has a lot of really good guys around him and he’s in a good system to just lessen the pressure he might put on himself,” Carroll said. “The main idea is trust the preparation.”

Booty is happy the preparation finally is over. He cannot wait to run onto the field tonight as the starter.

“I know they’ll be booing and it’s going to be loud, but I almost kind of want to enjoy that,” Booty said. “This is what it’s supposed to be like. It’s college football at its best.”

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gary.klein@latimes.com