For all the recent talk about Mark Sanchez’s NFL possibilities – one scouting service ranked the USC junior as the 12th-best prospect for 2009, and his family has met with a draft consultant – he remains a relatively inexperienced quarterback.

The Arizona game on Saturday night marked Sanchez’s 10th career start. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all of them, but also 11 interceptions.

He is still learning how to manage games, as a sometimes-shaky performance against the Wildcats illustrated.

“A couple decisions throwing the ball, we needed to be more conservative, dump the ball off, just move the sticks – that’s inexperience on Mark’s part,” USC coach Pete Carroll said Sunday, the day after USC’s 17-10 victory in Tucson.

“We haven’t gotten him comfortable enough in his decision-making. That’s what happens with a new quarterback.

“The choices of when to put the pedal to the metal and when to just make the first down … we have to work on that with hm. Most of them swing toward going for it. There are situations where you have to get rid of that thinking. We’ve got to get him in those situations more. It’s just a matter of time and experience. He’ll do everything right, eventually.”

Sanchez finished 21 of 36 for 216 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a fumble.

Related links:

• ‘Nothing’s changed’ with RB rotation
• Trojans still No. 5 in BCS, more or less