O'Dowd's in Front for Center

Then again, most schools don’t have a seasoned veteran masquerading as a true sophomore, ready to step in and become the centerpiece, both literally and figuratively, of the offensive line.

For the Trojans, second-year center Kristofer O’Dowd (6-5, 300) gives them a leg up on filling one those four vacancies along the line.  Last season, O’Dowd became the first USC Trojan to start at center as a true freshman in a season opener when he was called upon to fill in for Matt Spanos after the redshirt-senior suffered a torn triceps.

O’Dowd started two of the first three games at center (he sat out the first series of the season’s third game, against Washington State), and the Trojan running game piled up 734 yards in those three contests, including 313 yards on the ground at Nebraska.

In the season’s fourth game, though, O’Dowd suffered a dislocated right kneecap against Washington and missed the next six contests.  He eventually returned to play in the season’s final three games, but never regained his starting spot.  During the off-season, O’Dowd underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

Now fully healthy, O’Dowd is spending the summer working on getting into a rhythm with starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. O’Dowd acknowledges, though, that at USC, no starting spot is a given.  Despite being named to several post-season Freshman All-America teams, O’Dowd is treating the starting center position like it is up for grabs, even though most outsiders would tell him he has a firm grip on it.

“All the spots are open right now,” O’Dowd said.  “That’s how it always is here.  This whole team is about competition.”

O’Dowd certainly got a taste of the competition during spring practice when Trojan coaches challenged him to take on more responsibility along the line and become a vocal leader for his fellow linemen.  Never one to back away from a challenge, O’Dowd responded well.

“When you’re a center, you have to take on that vocal responsibility,” he said.  “During the spring, I tried to take that on as much as I could.  I’m planning on doing that throughout the summer, throughout camp and throughout the season as well.  I want the guys to believe in me and I’m going to believe in them.”

This summer O’Dowd has been part of the early morning workout group and has gotten a chance to work with Sanchez during team throwing sessions, though the center says the transition to a new quarterback won’t be an issue.  He said that there haven’t been any differences now that last year’s starting signal caller, John David Booty, is off to the NFL.

“I’ve been snapping with these three (Sanchez, Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp) my whole time here,” O’Dowd said.

“It’s not a big thing,” he said of snapping to a new pair of hands.  “We’re just trying to get closer together, figure out what we need to do and focus on the little things, because the little things matter.”

A few things that aren’t so little are the vacancies surrounding O’Dowd and Jeff Byers, the likely starters at center and left guard.  Though one could guess that Butch Lewis and Charles Brown will man the tackle spots and one of Alex Parsons, Zach Heberer or Thomas Herring will start at right guard, questions about the offensive line will remain until, and perhaps throughout, fall camp.  O’Dowd, however, remains unconcerned.

“Every year we’re a talented group,” O’Dowd said of the offensive line.  “I don’t believe anything will change.  We have phenomenal athletes on our o-line and whoever it might be, we’re still going to be good.”

Just how good is still anyone’s guess, but with O’Dowd leading the way, anything is possible.  With three starts under his belt already, the star sophomore was named to the Pre-Season Watch List for the Rimington Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s best center.  O’Dowd is one of only six sophomores among the 42 names that make up the list and if he can continue his pre-injury play from 2007, could make a case to be the first sophomore to win the award in its eight-year history.

O’Dowd maintains that being named the starter heading into last season has no bearing on 2008, but he also admits that the playing time will benefit him going into this year.

“It showed me what I need to look forward to,” he said of his time on the field.  “I now know what I need to do mentally and physically to prepare.  It gave me a notch up on this year.”