September 3, 2007

Inside the game: Kristofer O'Dowd

Pat Ruel stepped in front of Kristofer O'Dowd, blocking the 6-foot-5, 300-pound center's path to the locker room exit. He was one of the last Trojans to leave, after USC's 38-10 victory against Idaho.

"Hey, I'm very proud of you," Ruel said, giving the true freshman a firm pat on his large back. "That was a very, very tough game. OK? The amount of calls you had to make - tough. OK?"

Tough? Idaho is considered one of the 10 worst teams in Division I-A. USC averaged five yards per carry, and John David Booty never got so much as a whiff of a Vandal defender in his nostrils.

As O'Dowd departed Saturday night to join his family, Ruel, his position coach, said, "You can tell he's beating himself up a little bit."
