Aug. 30, 2004

Columbia, SC –
The following are opening comments from USC Football Head Coach Lou Holtz at the first press conference of the season:

“First of all, injury-wise, everybody should be ready to go that started fall camp on our two-deep depth chart. Jerod June suffered a thumb ligament and he won’t be ready, but everyone else is.”

“I think it’s been a good fall camp. I think we made a lot of progress this fall. I really don’t know. We’ve scrimmaged an awful lot, but an opening game’s mistakes are always scary.”

“The biggest question I have is not whether we’re going to play well or not, but how well we’ll react when things go against us, particularly on the road. There’s no doubt that a football game has the ups and the downs and things along that line. “

“Kicking game is always critical in anything that you do and once again we’ve got some question marks there. But I think we’re ready to play. I think we can practice three more weeks and not be any more ready than what we are at the present time. You just have to go play and see where you are and go from there.”

“We do need to take a complete team to Vanderbilt. By a complete team I’m talking about we have to play well on offense, defense, kicking game, but I expect us to do that.”