Image from SCPlaybook.com. To see their full scrimmage gallery

Everything Spring practice has taught us so far seemed to point to Mark Sanchez as the starter come fall. But the first time Mitch Mustain released the ball at Sunday’s scrimmage, Sanchez must have been thinking ‘Oh Sh*t!’ That’s because Ronald Johnson, a.k.a “RoJo”, was on the receiving end…busting all the way to the endzone- some 70 yards away. Mustain has the big accurate arm that the Trojans seemed to lack under Booty. There’s a skill that’s definitely enticing to the USC coaching staff, and one that’s got to give Sanchez something to worry about. But Mustain, who completed 7 of 9 for 137 yards, didn’t just give Sanchez one reason to fret. He gave him three. Each in the form of a clean touchdown including two-deep to RoJo. As Mark Saxon reported on the OCregister, Pete Carroll had this to say of Mustain’s game:

“Mitch can make plays,” USC coach Pete Carroll said. “There’s no doubt about it. He’s got them in him.”

Yes, Mustain seemed on top of his game Sunday, ready to challenge Sanchez for the starting spot. That is until they pitched him against the strength and speed of the first team defense. Then Mustain uravelled a bit. And that’s when Sanchez seemed to get the ball rolling.

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Sanchez didn’t try to outdo Mustain, -it was Mustain’s scrimmage to prove himself. There was no need for Sanchez to show off. All he really had to show was that he could be productive and still protect the ball. And that’s what he did. Methodically. Safely. Sanchez completed 9 of 15 for 106 yards, leading three-scoring drives against the first team defense with which Mustain struggled.

Mark Sanchez’ biggest play came down with a bit of collamite. Sanchez threw a deep-middle 34 yard pass to TE Anthony McCoy. But he wasn’t about to show up safety Taylor Mays, who had something to say about it. Mays collided with McCoy with such force that both players were slammed-sick. LA Times claimed that Mays was briefly knocked unconscious. McCoy has about 30 pounds on Mays, and he used that rationale when explaining the hit to the OCregister:

“Anthony’s a big dude. I like to think I’m a big dude, too,” Mays said. “I’m just trying to bring it against him and hit him. It’s football. It makes us better and makes us tougher.”

I just can’t wait until they get to hit the “other guys.” And hopefully there will be enough of the Trojan offense left come fall, after playing all Spring and Summer against the first team defense. Guys that all have the same mentality as Mays. I would wager there’s not such punishing practices in all of the NCAA. And that’s why USC excells year after year after year.

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