link LOS ANGELES -- Quarterback <font color="#000000">Mark Sanchez</font> will make his first career start for No. 10 Southern California on Saturday, replacing the injured <font color="#000000">John David Booty</font> against Arizona.</p> USC coach Pete Carroll made official after practice Thursday what had been expected since the beginning of the week, when Booty was unable to throw because of the soreness and swelling in the broken middle finger on his throwing hand.</p> "We're counting on him to play a heck of a game," Carroll said of Sanchez, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound redshirt sophomore. "He had a great week. He's been around this offense for years. I know how excited he is -- I've got to calm him down.</p> "He's ready for this. He's waited for this. He's been in games," Carroll said.</p> Sanchez hasn't started a game since 2004, when he was a senior at nearby Mission Viejo High. He took first-team snaps Thursday for the fourth straight day.</p> Sanchez has completed 2-of-3 passes for 23 yards with one interception this season and is 5-of-10 for 86 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions in his career.</p> "I'm excited about the opportunity," Sanchez said. "I'm approaching it the same way I have all week, with focus and preparation. The coaches have prepared me well for this."</p> Booty, a fifth-year senior, was hurt in the second quarter of last Saturday's shocking 24-23 loss to Stanford. He played the rest of the game and passed for 364 yards but threw four interceptions after being injured when his hand hit a helmet.</p> "J.B. will be available to us," Carroll said. "He can throw the football a little bit. We'd love for him to not have to play."</p> Booty said his finger swelled up again after he threw about 50 passes on the side Tuesday. He has passed for 1,239 yards and 12 touchdowns with eight interceptions in five games this season after throwing for 3,349 yards and 29 TDs with nine interceptions in 13 games last year.</p>
I don't know, Sanchez was a highly touted QB coming out of HS and has had a chance to learn the system. I think he'll do pretty well. He's got better physical tools than Booty, who I was never sold on, as a Heisman candidate or someone who could lead USC to a National title. Booty limited what USC could do also offensively, too. Butin this game, theirrun game and WRs need to step up more than they have though.</p>
Agree, I never thought Booty would keep USC at the top. But yeah, now they need to get wins as a team if they want a chance back at the top 5.</p>
Yeah, they better get wins while they can and improve, because they've gotta go on the road to Oregon and Cal soon.</p>
I believe Sanchez will do fine and that Booty has been holding this USC team back the past season and a half.</p>
