Ellis tackles issue head-on

The mood was subdued, the usual cacophony of spirited banter absent as a USC team still staggering from its shocking loss to Stanford concluded its first practice after the embarrassing defeat.

“Bring it in, bring it in tight,” Coach Pete Carroll commanded, his players closing in around him.

Carroll could neither be seen nor heard outside the inner sanctum of the gigantic huddle. Neither could nose tackle Sedrick Ellis, who unexpectedly seized the circle-the-wagons moment and addressed his teammates.

“You notice little things and the way people are acting and going about things -- and changes that need to be made,” Ellis said later. “I felt it was my responsibility to bring those things to light.”

Ellis is neither a team captain nor typically a vocal presence for the Trojans. But his stature as a fifth-year senior and a potential first-round NFL draft pick commanded respect.

Ellis’ words -- and his stellar play -- helped USC rebound from the Stanford debacle with victories over Arizona and Notre Dame, rejuvenating hopes that the Trojans could climb back into contention for a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

“Some of the players did not want to admit it, but we were in a state of shock” after Stanford, defensive back Mozique McCurtis said. “The fans seemed like they were against us, the media was dogging us out.

“Sed’s not much of a talker, so when he talked everyone was, ‘OK, let’s get together and do this.’ ”

In the buildup to the ninth-ranked Trojans’ game against fifth-ranked Oregon on Saturday, most of the popular discussion has focused on USC’s quarterback situation and the Ducks’ high-powered offense.

But 6-foot-2, 305-pound Ellis could figuratively, and literally, be at the center of deciding the outcome.

Ellis has stuffed the run, recorded a team-best seven tackles for losses -- including 5 1/2 sacks -- and is credited with five pass breakups for a defense that ranks third nationally and has limited opponents to 64 yards rushing per game.

“You can tell he’s a little better with his hands this year, just overall hands technique,” one NFL scouting executive said. “He’s seeing things a little bit quicker, reading and reacting a little quicker.

“I think he’s a solid first-rounder. Interior defensive linemen are hard to find, especially when you have a big guy with a good motor like that.”

Ellis’ development into one of college football’s top defensive players is particularly gratifying for Carroll, who prodded, cajoled and disciplined Ellis during the player’s first few seasons.

“He was a screwball,” Carroll said, shaking his head. “He was one of the guys you wondered if he ever was going to make it. He took everything lightly and was always struggling with everything so he was in and out of the doghouse.”

Said Ellis: “Coach Carroll never gave up on me. . . . He could have very easily just written me off and went on to the next guy, but he stuck with me through the hard times and now we’re seeing some good ones.”

Ellis began developing his football skills at age 10 when his weight forced him to play against kids four and five years older. His parents were concerned he might be overwhelmed by the older boys, “but after I saw him out there, I wasn’t too worried about that,” his father, Dwayne, recalled, chuckling heartily at the memory.

Ellis gained 20 pounds each year thereafter and was not allowed to play in youth football leagues. Instead, he spent much of his time on the basketball court, developing agility and nimble footwork that helped him become a star two-way lineman at Chino High.

Ellis arrived at USC in fall 2003 as part of a star-studded class that included future Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush. While Bush displayed uncommon commitment and focus on his goals, Ellis struggled for two years as understudy to All-Americans Mike Patterson and Shaun Cody.

“Coming from high school, you think you’re the best defensive tackle ever in the world and you realize you really ain’t much of anything,” Ellis said.

Patterson and Cody moved on to the NFL after the 2004 season and Ellis saw the light. He established himself by starting every game in 2005, and last season, despite missing three games while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, he was selected All-Pac 10 and won the Morris Trophy for being the best defensive lineman, according to the league’s offensive linemen.

Ellis was among several draft-eligible Trojans who decided to bypass entering the 2007 NFL draft and return for a final season of eligibility. And even after the Stanford defeat, which ended USC’s school-record 35-game home winning streak, he did not have second thoughts.

The Trojans were booed by fans at the Coliseum, and coaches and players at nearly every position were dissected in the media and on Internet message boards.

Along with criticism of their performance, fans questioned player leadership in the wake of a defeat by a 41-point underdog.

So when Carroll called players together after that first post-Stanford practice, Ellis stepped up unannounced.

“No one said, ‘Why don’t you say something?’ I just figured as a person who’s been here for five years that I have that leeway or that ability to do that,” Ellis said. “Some of the guys and coaches came up to me and said, ‘That was needed.’

“I felt like we got something done.”

The question now is whether USC has done enough to right itself for the challenge that is Oregon. USC is coming off a 38-0 victory over Notre Dame, but the Ducks’ spread offense might be the nation’s best.

“We’ve won games against the scheme before,” Ellis said. “They have great players, but as long as we play defense like we did last week, we’re going to be just fine.”

Times staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.

gary.klein@latimes.com

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