Field will be dampened, but what about Trojansā spirits?
The field will be wet and rain could be falling.
Those are the conditions USC expects to face today when it begins practice on campus for its game against Boston College in the Dec. 26 Emerald Bowl at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
It remains to be seen whether the inclement weather further dampens the Trojansā enthusiasm for their first non-Bowl Championship Series bowl appearance since 2001.
USC has not practiced since its season-ending defeat to Arizona last Saturday at the Coliseum.
Early this week, players insisted they would be motivated despite playing in a second-tier bowl game.
After three days of final exams, sophomore tight end Rhett Ellison said the Trojans were ready to get back onto the field.
āThe bowl games have always been about a lot of energy and a lot of fun,ā Ellison said Friday. āI donāt think itās too hard to get up for that.ā
NCAA rules allow for 15 pre-bowl practices.
USC, however, will work out only nine times because of final exams, which continue next week.
āYouād always like to have more,ā Coach Pete Carroll said of workouts. āBut thatās the way it broke so weāll make the most of them.ā
Carroll said Saturday and Sunday practices would include increased opportunities for younger players.
The Trojans will begin installing their game plan when practice resumes Wednesday.
Garrett on season
USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett, appearing on āThe Petros & Money Showā on 570-AM, said he was āvery dismayedā by the Trojansā 8-4 regular season.
āI donāt think we played very well,ā Garrett said. āI was very dismayed by our whole season. I donāt think we had one good game. I think we sloppily won some and sloppily lost four, and it was not a picture-perfect kind of a season. . . . We were very inconclusive the whole year so [it was a] very painful year.ā
New rival
Carroll praised new Notre Dame Coach Brian Kelly, who was introduced Friday as the replacement for the fired Charlie Weis.
Kelly guided Cincinnati to a 12-0 record and a berth in the Sugar Bowl this season.
āHeās done everything you could ask him to everywhere heās coached,ā Carroll said.
āIāve watched [Cincinnati] a little bit. It looks like a wide-open spread offense.ā
Carroll is 8-1 against Notre Dame.
Kelly will be the fourth Fighting Irish coach whom Carroll will face, following Bob Davie (2001), Tyrone Willingham (2002-2004) and Weis (2005-2009).
Wright hopeful
Junior cornerback Shareece Wright, who was academically ineligible this season, said he has been told by USC compliance officials that he would be eligible to play in the Emerald Bowl, pending the posting of fall semester grades.
Wright is hoping to earn playing time on special teams or as a nickel back.
āItās two years of frustration, of not playing,ā said Wright, who redshirted in 2008 because of a neck injury. āI feel sorry for anybody that has to get hit by me.
āIām happy to get back out there. It gives me some real motivation.ā
twitter.com/latimesklein
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.