USC football: Pete Carroll takes Jake Locker over Vince Young

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Pete Carroll said it before the Washington game, after the game and continued saying it this week:

He really likes Washington quarterback Jake Locker, who led the Huskies to a 16-13 victory over the Trojans on Saturday. As The Times’ Chris Dufresne noted in his Pac-10 column, Carroll reiterated Tuesday during a teleconference that Locker was the best quarterback the Trojans had faced in his eight-plus seasons at USC.

Hmm.

I thought back to January 2006 when a Texas quarterback named Vince Young accounted for 467 yards and rushed for three touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 41-38 victory over USC in the Bowl Championship Series title game at the Rose Bowl.

So after practice I asked Carroll about Locker.

‘I’m not saying he played the greatest game ever against us,’ Carroll said chuckling. ‘I think the guy from Texas did.

‘But I just think he’s one of the really, really fine complete athletes. I don’t know why I’m blowing him up all the time, but I just really like the guy.’

So, Locker over Young?

‘I think this guy is the best quarterback we’ve played against,’ Carroll said. ‘I thought Vince played the best game I’ve ever seen anybody ever play.’

-- Gary Klein