Pete Carroll teams with Will Ferrell for another prank

Pete Carroll, famous for increasingly complicated pranks involving people falling from high places and even law enforcement, kicked it up to another level when he brought USC alum Will Ferrell into the mix and added some pyrotechnics. Check out the video of what went down on Thursday near the end of the Trojans' practice.

You could say Carroll has been on fire, figuratively, but he had a stuntman lighted on fire -- literally.

Previous pranks pulled during USC practices and team meetings:

• A couple of months ago, Carroll told the team that a player was in trouble for Internet piracy, then revealed it was just a gag and the team was skipping practice to go bowling.
• On April Fools Day this year, he had police come into a team meeting to arrest a player for abusing a freshman. Then he showed a video of the alleged abuse -- defensive end Everson Griffen knocking a teammate on his back during a routine drill.
• Around Halloween of 2005, Carroll staged a fake fight with LenDale White, causing the star tailback to run up to the top of a nearby building and jump off the edge. Turns out it was just a mannequin. Minutes later, when players went to the locker room, free safety Scott Ware placed a 3 1/2 foot alligator in the shower and turned off the lights.
  
• Before playing the Bruins in 2001, a staff member caught and wrestled with a UCLA "spy," throwing him from the roof of a 7-story building. It was also a mannequin.

Will Ferrell has also done a tribute video to Pete Carroll and played a strength and conditioning coach in this parody with former USC lineman Ryan Kalil.

Nice job, as always, by Mark Haas, Rich Rodriguez and the USC video department.

-- Adam Rose

Homecoming signs

Walking around USC this week has been a throwback to the 1950s ... or at least what I'd imagine the '50s were like.

Besides the great civic discourse (remember to vote!), there are homecoming decorations and signs all around the center of campus. All that's missing are the crew cuts. Sh-boom.

Check out the photos after the jump.

-- Adam Rose

Nevermind. Beer NOT returning to the Coliseum.

An earlier report that a beer garden would be available for ticket holders during the USC-Washington homecoming game Saturday was incorrect.

It was open for the last two home games, but that was a mistake. A Coliseum representative  confirmed that security wasn't supposed to allow people inside while the game was being played. It was only supposed to be open before kickoff and possibly after the conclusion of the game. Whoops.

So now, instead of allowing alcohol to be dispensed in a profitable way with security who can check IDs and bartenders to cut off the intoxicated, a good number of fans can be expected to continue binge drink and sneaking in alcohol. I am not condoning that activity, just predicting the obvious.

I'm also questioning the business acumen of anybody who thinks fans will pay $7 for a beer before the game while adjacent tailgates have a much better selection that costs, on average, less than $1 per drink.

Presumably, beer and wine will still be available during the game to VIPs in designated areas near the press box and peristyle. That practice never stopped after alcohol sales were banned in 2005. Those who find $7 beer overpriced are cut off, but those who are well connected get an open bar.

-- Adam Rose

2008 Homecoming Lowdown

From hip-hop to bar-hop, USC has a lot of entertainment ready to welcome alumni back for Saturday's homecoming game against the Washington Huskies. You probably missed the parade and a couple of rallies, but there's still plenty on the agenda. All events are free except for the games.

NOTE: You may want to print the map/guide listed below.

Thursday

• A big pep rally is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Galen Center. Football players will be there to pump up the crowd, along with the Trojan Marching Band and a hypnotist (appropriate for Halloween).
• At 8 p.m., Common will be performing in McCarthy Quad. The Knux will open. Seriously. Sweet. Lineup.

Friday

• The defending national champion USC women's soccer team will host Cal at 3 p.m. at McAllister Field.
• The top 15 ranked USC women's volleyball team will host Oregon at 7 p.m. at the Galen Center.
• It's Halloween, but try not to party too hard. There's a full day Saturday.

Saturday

• The football game kicks off 3:30 p.m. The ticket office was sold out a while ago, but the school's official resale partner is StubHub, and it has seats as low as $35 as of this posting.

Pac-10 media picks USC hoops #3

While joking that he wants to learn how Arizona State's Herb Sendek keeps his underclassmen from jumping to the NBA, USC basketball Coach Tim Floyd said he was surprised the Sun Devils didn't get more first-place votes in the Pac-10 media poll. Then he added, "I don't know where we're picked in the league. It really doesn't matter."

Much like last season, the Pac-10 is deep and could send a large number of teams to the NCAA tournament. If USC can finish anywhere near where it is projected -- third -- the Trojans would be set up for a deep run.

Here's the full poll from media day, with first-place votes in parenthesis and total points afterward.

1. UCLA (37) -- 379
2. Arizona State (1) -- 325
3. USC -- 292
4. Arizona -- 241
5. Washington -- 217
6. Washington State -- 188
7. Oregon -- 147
8. California -- 143
9. Stanford -- 115
10. Oregon State -- 40

-- Adam Rose

Hitting the Zzzzzzz gap

Where does a football player sleep?

Anywhere he wants.

USC players tend to nap in the main lobby of Heritage Hall while waiting around for meetings. It's a tradition that dates back as far as anybody can remember. The thing is, there are no benches or chairs -- just a plush carpet. It's a funny visual, but sleeping among the Heismans looks pretty serene, no?

-- Adam Rose

Trojans in the NFL: Week 8

Matt Cassel (QB, New England) has started to acquit himself well, when he isn't being sacked. So long as the Pats can protect him this might not be a bad year in Beantown. On Sunday he was 21 of 33 for 267 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He also gained 22 yards in seven carries in a 23-16 win over St. Louis.

LenDale White (RB, Tennessee) was back to his usual style of play, getting only 13 yards in 10 carries -- but two of those runs were cut short when he hit the end zone. He also had a 1-yard catch in a 31-21 victory over Indianapolis.

Billy Miller (TE, New Orleans) made seven receptions for 82 yards in a 37-32 victory over San Diego in a game played in London.

Reggie Bush (RB, New Orleans) missed the game in London because of a knee injury. He already had surgery and should be back this season. As part of his recovery process, he was partying in Vegas instead of being with his team.

Matt Leinart (QB, Arizona) didn't play but gets a mention here because ye ol' Kurt Warner has started contract talks with the Cardinals and reportedly wants to play through 2010. Leinart may be looking for a new place to rest his beer bong.

Carson Palmer (QB, Cincinnati) isn't playing either, and his season is likely over. Playing for the Bengals, that's the best he could have hoped for.

Troy Polamalu (S, Pittsburgh) made three tackles in a 21-14 loss to the NY Giants. He played despite his seventh career concussion. This is a guy calling the NFL a pansy league?!?

Women's soccer sets Pac-10 record in loss

The USC women's soccer team lost to UCLA last week in the Coliseum but still walked away with something to hang its hat on.

The much-anticipated showdown was played before a crowd of 7,804. Although not quite what they were hoping for, it was the second-largest crowd to watch a women's college soccer game outside of the NCAA tournament and was the largest crowd for a Pac-10 game.

Kristina Larsen scored twice for the Bruins, sandwiched around a goal by USC's Megan Ohai.

Both teams were in the top 10 before the game and could very well cross paths again in this year's College Cup.

-- Adam Rose

Stat of the season (so far)

Here's a scary thought for USC opponents: The longest touchdown drive the Trojans have allowed this season is 70 yards. That means that if you want to score on USC, you have to stop its offense.

Remember that when placekicker David Buehler kicks it out of the back of the end zone (which he's done on several occasions), opponents have to go 80 yards. And they never have. Twenty-nine of his 38 kicks have been touchbacks, and on average opponents wind up on the 22-yard line. Only Virginia (62-ard drive) and Oregon (30-yard drive) have scored after a USC kickoff.

In the lone game in which USC allowed more than 10 points, Oregon State scored touchdowns off of two turnovers (drives of 2 and 58 yards) and two punts (60 and 62)

-- Adam Rose
Photo: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times

Dose of perspective for USC fans

My Internet access was about as inconsistent this weekend as USC's offense, so posting will ramp up in the next day. The Trojans have about five days to increase their own productivity. Anyway, it's been awhile and I've had few things on my mind ...

The USC-Arizona game was a sloppy affair that went late into the night. I've finally got an understanding for those on the East Coast (where I was) who miss a lot of the late Pac-10 games. Turns out that was a good things for the Trojans on Saturday. Or was it Sunday?

It's strange that a win could feel mildly disappointing for these guys, but expectations are very high. So "rah-rah" when it comes to a Pac-10 victory, but "uh-oh" considering USC also plays on the national stage. All this game showed is that the Trojans are still searching for an identity -- at least on one side of the ball. "Defensive grit" is an inadequate way to impress the BCS. We normally say that defense wins championships, but in the modern college football era it's critical to score style points. The offense must do that on the scoreboard.

USC managed just 17 points against a clearly less-talented opponent. Meanwhile, Georgia scored 52, Oklahoma 58, and both Florida and Texas Tech scored 63. TCU and Mizzou also had basketball-esque scores, each breaking 50. The only teams in the Top 25 who managed fewer points than USC were Penn State and Ohio State. They played each other in a slug fest that couldn't have turned out any worse for the Trojans.

But back to expectations at USC, where the offense was supposed to be defined this season by two electric players.