Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp … remember them?
We paid so much attention to USC’s backup quarterbacks when it appeared one of them might start the season opener. Then, when Mark Sanchez returned, they disappeared from view, relegated to minimal practice reps and scout-team snaps.
Now, with USC on bye and not yet game-planning for Notre Dame, Mustain (right) and Corp are getting more reps and more attention.
“Being a backup quarterback’s tough,” offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said. “This has been a good opportunity for these guys to come out and showcase their stuff, play good football, make good decisions and show that they’re still understanding what we’re doing.”
Sarkisian said Mustain and Corp’s training-camp experience — when they were battling daily while Sanchez recuperated from a knee injury — “was a really good learning experience for them – how to handle it, how to deal with it. It was probably a little exhausting for them. Then they got a chance to take a little bit of a deep breath, and now they’re getting that hunger and itch again. They want it. They want that attention back.”
Corp — who connected with Ronald Johnson on a pretty back-shoulder pass down the right sideline during Wednesday’s practice — considers this week a chance to “reprove” himself. His biggest goal?
“Staying consistent,” Corp said. “There’ll be a time where I’ll make a good play, then I’ll make a dumb mistake. Just eliminating all the little mistakes.”
Mustain, who lost a duel with Sanchez in the spring for the No. 1 job, isn’t satisfied with his backup role.
“Most people would say I have the most to lose and the least to gain out of this deal … for this year,” Mustain said, referring to the perception that he can’t catch Sanchez but could fall behind Corp. “I don’t believe that’s true at all. We’re all vying to make a move, to make a mark heading into this last month, month and a half.
“Right now I’m No. 2. I don’t believe that’s it. Every year carries over into the spring.”
That competitive spirit is exactly what Pete Carroll wants to hear. Referring to all of his young players, Carroll said of the bye-week showcase: “This isn’t just about this week coming up, this is about the future.”
The future could sneak up on Mustain and Corp faster than they think. Although it’s unlikely Sanchez will declare for the 2009 draft, his family has explored the possibility. With NFL labor uncertainty looming, more underclassmen might declare than usual. Plus, the senior QB crop isn’t exactly bountiful.
Who knows — we might be microanalyzing Mustain and Corp again soon.
More from the USC blog:
- USC football: Fili Moala’s anguish
- USC football: Pete Carroll’s lap stance
- USC football: Ellison on track for Notre Dame week
- USC basketball: NCAA rejects Stepheson’s bid
- USC basketball: DeRozan does not appear NBA-ready
- USC football poll: Which are Carroll’s best games?
- USC football: Carroll’s top-10 USC victories
- USC football: Sanchez curbing his enthusiasm
- USC football: Is USC changing the way it runs?
