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MARK SANCHEZ
Quarterback
University of Southern California
#6
6:03.1-225
Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo High School
Santa Margarita High School
OVERVIEW
Despite starting just one season for the Trojans, Sanchez etched his name in
the school record books, alongside Carson Palmer and Matt Leinhart, other blue
chip passers that came into their own during Pete Carroll’s tenure as the team’s
head coach. Known for his passion for the game, the junior hopes that even
though he lacks the experience of the other two, that MFL teams regard him in
the same class as the former All-American Trojans.
Having just sixteen games as a starter, Sanchez nevertheless managed to
complete 64.27% of his passes at Southern California. His 313 pass completions
rank ninth in school history and his 3,998 yards in total offense rank twelfth.
He registered 41 touch-down passes in only 27 collegiate games, including at
least two scoring tosses in thirteen of those contests (including seven games
with at least three scores, four with four TDs and one with five). He gained at
least 200 aerial yards in nine 2008 appearances.
Sanchez received excellent tutoring as the heralded quarterback at Mission
Viejo High School, where his coach was Bob Johnson, the father of former USC and
NFL quarterback Rob Johnson. He was named 2004 Parade All-American Player of the
Year, Super Prep All-American Player of the Year, EA Sports All-American
first-team, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Student Sports
Top 100, Rivals 100, Prep Star All-American, Tom Lemming All-American and
Scout.com All-American first-team as a senior.
Sanchez also added Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach
Press-Telegram Best in the West first-team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100,
Orange County Register Fab 15 first-team, Gatorade California Player of the
Year, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Southern Section, All-CIF
Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Los Angeles Times All-Star
honors. The Los Angeles Times All-Orange County Back of the Year was also named
Orange County Register All-Orange County.
The All-South Coast League Co-Offensive MVP completed 151-of-245 (61.6%)
passes for 2,441 yards with 24 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2004,
despite sitting out the equivalent of four games (eight halves), because Mission
Viejo was winning handily on the way to capturing the CIF Division II
championship. He would finish his career with a 27-1 record as a starter.
As a junior in 2003, he made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass
second-team, All-CIF Division II, Orange County Register All-Orange County
first-team and All-South Coast League first-team. That year, he connected on
161-of-211 passes (76.3%) for 2,460 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven
interceptions. He also ran for 90 yards and caught a touch-down pass in 2003. In
one game, he was 12-of-12 for 326 yards and four scores.
Sanchez also played basketball and baseball at Mission Viejo. He spent his
freshman and sophomore years at Santa Margarita High in Rancho Santa Margarita,
where his first varsity pass as a 2002 sophomore went 55 yards for the
game-winning touchdown.
Sanchez enrolled at Southern California in 2005, red-shirting as a freshman.
That year, he was the recipient of the team’s Service Team Offensive Player of
the Year Award. In 2006, he took over starting chores for an injured John David Booty throughout the preseason, but was relegated to six games of reserve action
once the schedule began. He was limited to 3-of-7 passes for 63 yards and one
interception, but drew praise from Booty, who stated, “Mark is going to have an
awesome career at USC. I promise you, Mark is going to do well at USC. Waiting a
while to play is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Sanchez again served as the second-string quarterback in 2007. He appeared in
eight games, including replacing an injured Booty in the Arizona, Notre Dame and
Oregon clashes. He went on to gain 695 yards with seven touchdowns and five
interceptions, as he completed 69-of-114 attempts (60.53%), proving that he has
the high caliber arm to “air” the ball out in USC’s vertical attack.
"There's no doubt Mark has that gunslinger mentality, said his father, Nick Sanchez. “He wants to come out and make a play. The last thing you want to do is
to take that out of him. You don't want to give him a 'gunslinger-otomy.' But
it's got to be tempered to a degree. He has to learn when to and when not to."
Sanchez worked hard during the 2008 off-season, beating out highly regarded
Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain for the starting job. He suffered a dislocated
left knee cap prior to the season opener, affecting his mobility, but proved to
be capable of handling the team’s high powered offense. “Once you get the
[starting] nod, your mentality totally changes, Sanchez noted. “It’s like a
heavyweight fighter—you win the title and that’s it, you don’t want to look back
and you don’t want to change. That the way I feel and I’m working to keep the
job.”
The junior passer was a finalist for the Manning Award (nation’s top passer)
and semi-finalist for both the Davey O’Brien Award and Maxwell Award (nation’s
top player). He led the Pac-10 Conference in total offense (247.92 ypg) and
passing efficiency (164.64), as his 34 touchdown passes rank second among
quarterbacks (Matt Leinhart had 38 in 2003) during the Pete Carroll era.
Sanchez generated 3,207 yards with ten interceptions on 241-of-366 attempts
(65.85%), adding three more scores on the ground. His 2008 performance prompted
head coach Pete Carroll to note, “Mark has shown he has the ability to be a
really big-time quarterback in our system. He has the strongest arm we’ve had
since Carson Palmer. He is a resourceful quarterback, able to take off and move
and make some plays with his legs and our players really respond to him. Once he
was named the starter, he came out more energetic, more demonstrative and took
on more of a leadership role, which is what we expected.”
After the 2008 campaign, Sanchez surprised everyone, including family and his
head coach, when he announced that he would forgo his senior season and enter
the 2009 NFL Draft. Carroll tried to convince his quarterback that another year
of college experience would help him in the pro game, but Sanchez said he had
carefully weighed all the considerations before deciding to leave.
"It has been my dream since I was just a little kid to play in the NFL and
thanks to this great academic institution and football program, I have the
opportunity to realize that dream," said Sanchez. "It was with a heavy heart
that I say goodbye to this university. But I can't tell you how excited I am for
this dream to come true."
Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, along with John David
Booty, all returned for their final year of eligibility with the Trojans. Palmer
was the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft and Leinart was selected 10th
in 2005. Carroll, who said he considers Sanchez as talented as any of those
three, discussed the pros and cons with him. "We've talked at great depth and
great length. We've covered this from A to Z ... going until late last night,"
Carroll said. "We don't see this decision the same. (But) I'm thrilled for Mark.
For any of our kids to live the dream and do what they want to do with their
football career, this is a great place to do this."
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
2008 Best Games
Virginia, Ohio State, Oregon, Washington State, Notre Dame, Penn State.
2008 Worst Games Arizona State, Arizona,
UCLA.
2007 Best Games Notre
Dame, Oregon.
2007 Worst Games Arizona.
SCOUTING REPORT
GENERAL REPORT…GRADE-6.80
Body Structure
Sanchez shows good upper and lower body bone structure, with solid chest,
shoulder and arm thickness. He has a strong bubble and thighs, with well-defined
calves and a frame that could develop to 240 pounds with no loss in quickness.
Athletic Ability
Sanchez displays good quickness and mobility for his position. He is equally
effective throwing on the move as he is standing in the pocket. He has good
flexibility and leg drive moving back from center to his past set point. He has
functional playing speed and while he won’t win many foot races, he does show
good balance to break arm tackles on the move. While not fast, he does show
adequate change of direction agility and good strength. He runs with a normal
stride and shows good movement retreating in the pocket. His balance and body
control allow him to throw on roll-outs and he displays good lateral agility,
evident by the way he slides to avoid pocket pressure. While more of a drop-back
passer, he has the arm strength to throw on the move. With his feet, he did
produce 17 first downs on his 52 carries in 2008, scoring three times…GRADE-7.2
Football Sense
Despite having just one season as a starter under his belt and a bit of
inconsistency in his play calling, he is a good student of the game, raised in a
pro style passing attack during both his prep and college playing days. There is
no question that he could have greatly benefited with another year in college,
but he is a smart passer with keen eyes scanning the field, doing a nice job of
making reads and following through with his progressions, evident by the minimal
amount of his passes that were intercepted (2.73% in 2008). He has those innate
instincts, along with developing decision making skills that makes one feel he
can handle a pro offense in a short time (with patient coaching). He can’t be
called a “student of the game,” as he is not the type who will shut off the
lights in the film room, but he does well in school and should not have problems
digesting a complicated play book. Sanchez reads coverages well and makes proper
checks, showing football savvy and field smarts. He is quick to retain plays and
takes the plays from the board to the field with no problems…GRADE-7.0
Character
Sanchez is well-liked by his teammates and is a “yes sir, no sir” type, but
did draw the angst of head coach Pete Carroll, who feels that Sanchez made the
wrong decision to enter the draft, feeling he would have greatly benefited with
another year as a starter. He gets very good family support, as one of his
brothers also serves as his agent. He did have one off-field issue of concern,
as he was arrested in June, 2006 after being accused of sexually assaulting
another USC student, but prosecutors decided not to file charges against him,
citing a lack of sufficient evidence…GRADE-5.9
Competitiveness
Sanchez might play an elite position, but he takes pride in his blue-collar
work ethic. He is a good team leader, serving as captain in 2008. He has good
huddle command and is both mentally and physically tough in the trenches. He is
not really considered a coach on the field, but he does keep his mistakes to a
minimum. He is confident in his leadership role and is rarely rattled,
especially under pressure. He does the little extras to improve and shows good
emotion on the field. He will step up and stand tall in the pocket rather than
force the ball into traffic, a trait that shows he is maturing (most young
players, given that opportunity to start, try to do too much, only to press on
the field)…GRADE-7.3
Work Habits
Sanchez works hard in the off-season, but unlike other USC quarterbacks, was
not one that you had to kick out of the film room or see him spending all his
spare hours with his position coach. He does have good work ethic and is a good
student, and is a good vocal leader in the huddle and locker room. He will play
with pain and continues to gain poise and confidence working within a pro-style
system. He has a team-first attitude and his leadership ability, takes control
in the huddle and is a good leader-by-example type… GRADE-6.6
ATHLETIC REPORT…GRADE-7.11
Set Up
Sanchez shows good balance and body control driving back from center,
displaying the quick feet to get into position to make all of his throws. He has
good upper and lower body mechanics, as he also displays enough functional
strength to break arm tackles on the move. He is a classic drop back passer,
most comfortable in a five-step drop. He does a nice job of scanning the field
and looks comfortable setting up in the pocket and executing his follow-through.
He shows good fluidity and quickness when he sets up and is a pretty athletic
mover. Despite a lack of sustained speed to go long distances, he sets up
quickly and is ready to throw in an instant. He shows the ability to reach his
throwing point while maintaining body control and his balance allows him to
stand tall in the pocket…GRADE-7.2
Reading Defenses
Even though he had just one season as a starter, Sanchez proved to be very
capable of handling the mental aspect of the game. He is a quick decision maker
and even when he makes the wrong move, he does not allow his mistakes to linger.
He is a good field technician, knowing how to operate within the framework of
the offense, which is predicated on him making quick reads and getting the ball
out to his receivers even before his targets are able to break, as this prevents
the opponents from getting into position to defend. It is rare to see him force
the ball into a crowd, or hold on to it too long that it leads to a costly sack.
He is good at reading defenses and when he shows patience, he can pick apart
zones. When he forces some into coverage, it is because he holds the ball too
long, but he is learning to look for his secondary targets. The thing that
stands out is his ability to throw with touch and good timing. When flushed out
of the pocket, he has enough agility to throw on the run, but will more often
throw the ball away than force the pass into traffic…GRADE-7.5
Release
Sanchez has that classic over-the-top, smooth delivery with a high release.
As soon as he gets to his throwing point, he is ready to throw. His overall
throwing mechanics are very good and he shows good quickness and snap in his
release. Because of his solid mechanics, he can launch the ball with accuracy,
even when he does not have his feet set. With his compact, quick delivery over
the top and a smooth motion getting rid of the ball, defenses have little time
to settle under his throws, as he excels at hitting his receivers before they
come out of their breaks…GRADE-7.5
Arm Strength
Sanchez has good arm strength to make all his throws, even when firing on the
move or throwing off his back foot. He is very good at varying the speed on his
tosses, showing good zip firing into tight areas. His ball speed is excellent,
as it comes off his fingertips easily and receivers don’t have to make too many
adjustments, as he leads his targets well. He generates a lot of velocity and
ball speed, doing a nice job of throwing the ball across his body while
displaying good hip flexibility. He has very good accuracy going long (50-of-241
pass completions were for 20 yards or longer in 2008) and a lively snap on the
short tosses. He demonstrates very good arc on his long outs, as receivers
settle over those throws to effortless secure over their outside shoulder. The
thing he does best is to generate velocity behind his long throws, as he has a
very easy and smooth release…GRADE-7.4
Accuracy
Sanchez not only completed 65.85% of his passes in 2008, 147-of 241
completions produced first downs. He has very good touch and velocity on short
and intermediate throws. When playing the vertical game, he leads the receivers
well, giving them the space they need to adjust. He is accurate at all levels
both from the pocket and on the move. He throws a catchable ball with zip or
touch, making it easy for his receivers to be successful without breaking off
their routes. He will generally throw a tight spiral with good zip on his deep
throws and does a nice job of hitting his receivers in stride, as he knows how
to adjust the velocity on his short tosses so his target does not have to work
back for the ball. He gets good touch and has improved his trajectory on his
deep throws, along with showing the ability to stick the ball in tight
areas…GRADE-7.5
Touch
Sanchez excels at anticipating the receivers routes and knowing when they
will come open. He has very good overall timing and knows when to throw the
ball. He will not hesitate to tuck and run with it when his receivers are
covered. He knows when to take some heat off his short throws, resulting in
better accuracy. His timing is good from the three- and five-step drop backs,
but when he holds on to the ball a little too long at times, it will result in a
sack (see 2008 Arizona, Stanford and California games). He gets good trajectory
on his deep throws and displays the ability to anticipate and made adjustments
at the line to challenge the soft areas on the field…GRADE-7.3
Poise
Sanchez is cool under pressure and will never be confused for a player with
“happy feet” (won’t run at the first sign of pocket pressure). He is never
flustered, even when having to hold the ball and throw in the face of a fierce
pass rush. He does a nice job of setting his feet so he would not sail his deep
passes high. He knows he does not have the foot speed to tuck the ball and run
with it, so he stands tall in the pocket and will absorb the hit. He keeps his
cool when forced to roll out and will throw the ball away if it takes too long
for his targets to get open rather than force the pass into a crowd…GRADE-7.3
Leadership
In the short time he took snaps under center as USC’s starter, Sanchez showed
that he has good command in the huddle. He is a vocal leader, but not one that
will scream just to make a point. He has a strong desire to win and the team
seemed to respond well to him, especially when he struggled early, but rallied
the team in the 2008 Arizona game…GRADE-6.8
Pocket Movement
Sanchez moves well in the pocket, but even though he scored three times and
generated 17 first downs on 52 carries in 2008, he will never be confused for
being a scrambler. He has a good feel for pocket pressure and knows when to step
up or escape when his protection breaks down, as he does a nice job of buying
time with his feet. He was sacked 17 times in 2008, mostly due to protection
breakdowns behind a young offensive line, but he also coughed up the ball seven
times and needs to do a better job of securing the pigskin when on the move. He
maintains his focus downfield, feeling the pressure well. He is more comfortable
when dropping back, but has enough arm strength to roll out and throw…GRADE-6.3
Scrambling Ability
Sanchez shows good movement, but is really not a great scrambler. He moved
around gingerly early in the 2008 season while recovering from a dislocated knee
cap, but did show he has the ability to throw on the move. He just can run for
big yardage. He has the anticipation skills to know when to step up in the
pocket and buy time. With his strong lower frame, he can break tackles and move
the chains, but isn't a fast or elusive threat to run. He has good body control
rolling out in either direction and can throw with decent accuracy on the
move…GRADE-6.3
Compares To
TRENT EDWARDS-Buffalo…Sanchez, like Edwards, is just starting to come into
his own. He was groomed in a pro-style offense since his prep days and while he
might lack the game experience of Matthew Stafford or the Georgia passer’s
incredible arm strength, he does show a lot of moxie on the field, along with
good patience and excellent timing and touch. He needs to be in a strong
vertical attack, as he is best when firing the ball deep, where he does a great
job of anticipating his receivers before they come out of their breaks.
OVERALL GRADE-7.06
CAREER NOTES
In 27 games, Sanchez completed 313-of-487 passes for 3,965 yards, 41
touchdowns and 16 interceptions, gaining 3,998 yards in total offense while
being responsible for 45 touch-downs…His pass completion percentage of 64.27
ranks third on the school career-record list, topped by Matt Leinart (64.82%,
2002-05) and Rob Johnson (64.63%, 1991-94)…His 41 touchdown passes rank sixth on
USC’s all-time list behind Leinart (99), Carson Palmer (72, 1998-2002), Johnson
(58), John David Booty (58, 2003-07) and Rodney Peete (54, 1985-88)…Also ranks
ninth in school annals in pass completions (313), eleventh in yards passing
(3,965) and 12th in total offense yardage (3,998)…Threw for 3,207 yards in 2008,
joining Carson Palmer (3,942 in 2002), Rob Johnson (3,630 in 1993) and Matt
Leinart (3,815 in 2005; 3,556 in 2003; and 3,322 in 2004) as the only players in
Trojans annals to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season…Only Leinart (38 in
2003) had more touchdown passes in a season than Sanchez’ 34 in 2008, as his 34
scoring strikes also rank second in Pac-10 annals…His 241 pass completions as a
junior rank seventh on the school season-record list…His 3,223 yards in total
offense in 2008 rank sixth on the USC annual record chart behind Matt Leinart
(3,851 in 2005; 3,494 in 2003), Carson Palmer (3,820 in 2002), Rob Johnson
(3,425 in 1993) and John David Booty (3,294 in 2006)…Threw for five touchdowns
vs. Washington State in 2008, tying the school game-record that is held by
Rodney Peete (in 1987 vs. Stanford); Carson Palmer (vs. Oregon in 2002); Matt
Leinart, (in 2003 vs. Oregon State and in 2004 vs. Notre Dame and Oklahoma,
Orange Bowl).
2008 SEASON
All-American Dream Team third-team choice by The NFL Draft Report…Added
All-American honorable mention from Pro Football Weekly and Sports
Illustrated…All-Pac 10 Conference first-team selection…Finalist for the Manning
Award and semi-finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, both given to the nation’s
top quarterback…Semi-finalist for the Maxwell Award (nation’s top
player)…Suffered a left kneecap dislocation during preseason camp, but went on
to start all thirteen contests…Led the conference and ranked sixth in the nation
with a 164.64 passing efficiency rating…Also led the league and finished 13th in
the nation in points responsible for (17.08 ppg)…His 3,207 yards passing also
paced the Pac-10…Completed 241-of-366 passes (65.85%) for 3,207 yards, as his 34
touchdowns rank second in both school and league season annals…Threw ten
interceptions, but scored three times on the ground, as he was responsible for
37 touchdowns and a league-best 247.92-yard average in total offense (3,223
yards)…Produced 147 first downs among his 241 completions, as 50 of those throws
were good for 20 yards or longer…In addition to his ten interceptions, Sanchez
had 35 passes deflected, as he fumbled seven times, losing the ball three
times…Threw for over 200 yards in nine games, including three contersts for over
300 yards and one for over 400…Helped the team rank eleventh nationally and
second in the Pac-10 with an average of 454.69 yards per game in total
offense…The Trojans also led the conference in passing offense (259.85 ypg, 22nd
in the nation) and finished third in rushing (194.85 ypg, 22nd
nationally)…Helped convert 69-of-149 third-down plays (46.31%).
2008 GAME ANALYSIS
Virginia…Seeing action for the first time and the Trojans’ true starting
quarterback and only three weeks removed from a dislocated kneecap, Mark Sanchez
proved to USC’s faithful that the program will see no drop-off in production at
the quarterback position… Sanchez completed 26-of-35 passes for 338 yards and
three touchdowns, with just one interception, in USC’s 52-7 throttling of the
Cavaliers…Said Sanchez: "It's exciting to know I got one under my belt with this
whole knee deal. I'm back to 100 percent. I feel good and we're ready to start
preparing for Ohio State"…On a drive that began with 9:04 remaining in the first
quarter, Sanchez completed passes of 10 and 11 yards to tight end Anthony McCoy
over the middle, before dumping off a pass to running back Stafon Johnson for
10-yard touchdown that put the Trojans on top, 14-0…Later in the first quarter,
Sanchez completed seven passes, including one third-down conversion, on a drive
that set up kicker David Buehler’s 20-yard field goal, increasing USC’s lead to
24-7…On the first drive of the second half, the USC quarterback connected with
Patrick Turner on two big pass plays, a 42-yarder on 3rd-&-6 and a 20-yard
touchdown in the middle of the end zone, capping a 7-play, 82-yard drive and
increasing USC’s lead to 31-7…At the 3:28 mark in the third quarter, Sanchez
ducked an oncoming pass rush, stepped up, and hit Ronald Johnson, who was wide
open in the end zone for a 49-yard touch-down…After getting the ball back
quickly via Kevin Thomas’ interception of a pass from Virginia QB Peter Lalich,
Sanchez returned the favor, throwing a pick to Cavalier linebacker Antonio Appleby…At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Sanchez led the Trojan offense
on an 8-play, 46-yard drive, during which the USC quarterback completed a
28-yard pass to wide receiver Damian Williams on a 3rd-&-10 play to set up a
2-yard touchdown run by tailback Allen Bradford.
Ohio State…Despite all of the hype, the No. 1 Trojans easily defeated the No.
5 Buckeyes, 35-3, thanks in large part to USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, who
finished the game 17-of-28 for 172 yards and four touchdown, with only one
interception…Sanchez got the scoring started on USC’s second offensive series of
the game, when he completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to fullback Stanley Havili
with 0:33 left in the first quarter, a play that was made possible by a 5-yard
pass completion from Sanchez to wideout Patrick Turner on a 3rd-&-4 play earlier
in the drive…With 11:00 remaining in the second quarter, and following a
successful conversion of a 3rd-&-6 play via a 9-yard pass to receiver Patrick
Turner, Sanchez found freshman tight end Blake Ayles open in the end zone for a
1-yard touch-down, capping a 7-play, 63-yard drive and increasing USC’s lead to
14-7…With just seconds remaining before halftime, Sanchez was picked off by
Buckeye defensive back Chimdi Chekwa one third down in the Ohio State end zone
to keep USC from putting up more points before heading to the locker room…At the
6:02 mark in the third quarter, on 3rd-&-10, Sanchez connected with wide
receiver Damian Williams on a 24-yard touchdown toss that increased USC’s lead
to 28-3…Sanchez’s final touchdown toss of the game occurred with 1:33 remaining
in the third quarter, when the junior quarterback connected with Williams again,
this time for a 17-yard touchdown completion and a 35-3 lead.
Oregon State…Sanchez continued his torrid touchdown pace vs. Oregon State,
hitting on 18-of-29 passes for 227 yards and three touchdown, but his one
interception would prove costly, as the top-ranked Trojans fell to the Beavers,
27-21…In the early minutes of the third quarter, Sanchez completed a 14-yard
pass to receiver Damian Williams on a 4th-&-9 play and, on the next play, tossed
a 26-yard touch-down to wideout Ronald Johnson to narrow the OSU lead to
21-7…Later in the third quarter, after having completed passes of 15 and 11
yards, Sanchez connected with Williams, who flew down the sideline and into the
end zone for a 29-yard score, narrowly avoiding safety Greg Laybourn’s attempt
to push him out of bounds, and trimming the Beavers’ lead to 21-14…With less
than three minutes left in the game, Sanchez was intercepted at the USC 30-yard
line by Laybourn, who return the ball 28 yards to the Trojans’ 2-yard line,
leading to a short touchdown run by Beaver tailback Jacquizz Rodgers and
increasing OSU’s lead to 27-14…While attempting to bring the Trojans back from a
13-point deficit, Sanchez completed a 14-yard touchdown toss to Patrick Turner
with 1:19 left on the game clock, decreasing OSU’s lead to 27-21, but time
eventually run out on USC and the Beaver faithful rushed the field in triumph.
Oregon…For the fourth straight game, Sanchez threw at least three touchdown
passes, finishing the game 19-of-28 for 332 yards and three touchdowns, as part
of the Trojans’ 598-yard offensive explosion…"It was a good victory for us and
I'm excited about the way this offense and defense bounced back and how special
teams played," said Sanchez…On USC’s first drive of the game, Sanchez converted
a 3rd-&-1 play with a 5-yard run and completed 5-of-6 passes, including a
24-yarder to tailback Joe McKnight, to set up kicker David Buehler’s 21-yard
field goal, which narrowed the Ducks’ lead to 7-3…On the first play of the
second quarter, Sanchez fumbled the ball on a run play that was recovered by the
Ducks’ Ra’Shon Harris at the USC 38-yard line, setting up field goal that
increased Oregon’s lead to 10-3…Sanchez atoned for his mistake by hitting Damian
Williams on 4th-&-1 with a 34-yard touchdown toss with 7:47 left in the second
quarter, a play that was preceded earlier in the drive by a 1-yard rush by
Sanchez that converted a 3rd-&-1 play… On the next USC possession, Sanchez
needed just two plays for the Trojans to take the lead for the first time in the
game, 17-10, completing a 17-yard pass to wideout Patrick Turner, followed by a
63-yard touchdown toss to receiver Ronald Johnson…With less than two minutes
remaining in the first half, Sanchez orchestrated a drive that set up Buehler’s
36-yard field goal to give USC a 20-10 lead, completing a pass of 18 yards to
McKnight and a pass of 19 yards to Williams…Following a fumble recovery by USC
defensive back Josh Pinkard, Sanchez need just one play, an 11-yard touchdown
toss to Patrick Turner, to give USC a 27-10 halftime lead…On USC’s first
offensive series of the second half, Sanchez set up tailback Stafon Johnson’s
22-yard touchdown run by completing a 30-yard pass to Tuner and converting a
3rd-&-4 play with an 8-yard completion to McKnight…On the Trojans’ next drive,
Sanchez completed an 11-yard pass to Turner and a 14-yard pass to Williams, both
of which converted third-down plays, and hooked up with McKnight for a 32-yard
completion to set up Buehler’s 42-yard field goal and push USC’s lead to 37-10.
Arizona State…Despite throwing a touchdown and rushing for another in USC’s
28-0 victory over the Sun Devils, quarterback Mark Sanchez was disappointed in
his personal performance, which, along with completing 13-of-26 passes for 179
yards, included three interceptions and a fumble…"It was a tough outing for me
and the offense as a whole. I think that we beat ourselves. We didn't see
anything that we weren't prepared for. We just didn't execute the way we would
have liked," said Sanchez…On the first possession of the game, Sanchez sneaked
into the end zone from the 1-yard line on third down for a 7-0 USC lead, a play
that was set up by the quarterback’s 34- and 19-yard completions to receivers
Ronald Johnson and Damian Williams, respectively…Midway through the second
quarter, Sanchez completed a 22-yard pass to wideout Patrick Turner, a 29-yard
pass to Johnson on 3rd-&-3, and a 4-yard scoring toss to Williams, Sanchez’s
only touchdown pass of the game, to increase USC’s lead to 14-0…On USC’s first
drive of the second half, the USC quarterback was sacked by Sun Devil defensive
end Dexter Davis and lost control of the football, which was recovered by
linebacker Morris Wooten at the Trojan 21-yard line…On the second play of the
next series, Sanchez was intercepted by ASU linebacker Mike Nixon, who returned
the ball to the USC 14-yard line…The turnovers kept coming for Sanchez, whose
third-down pass on USC’s next possession was picked off by ASU cornerback Omar Bolden…Sanchez’s nightmare third-quarter was capped with his fourth straight
turnover of the frame, an interception by Sun Devil free safety Troy Nolan of
the quarterback’s third-down pass.
Washington State…Sanchez became the first USC quarterback to throw five
touchdown passes in a half, which contributed significantly to the Trojans’ 69-0
throttling of the lowly Washington State Cougars…The quarterback finished the
game 15-of-20 for 253 yards and five touchdowns before being benched after
two-and-a-half quarters…"It's supposed to look that way when you prepare that
way," said Sanchez, who leads the PAC-10 in passing efficiency, with 19
touchdowns and six interceptions…Sanchez was 3-of-3 for 50 yards on the Trojans
opening drive, which culminated in the quarterback’s 23-yard touchdown pass to
receiver Patrick Turner…He followed his first touchdown toss with a relatively
short 14-yard touchdown strike to Turner on the Trojans’ next drive, a play that
was set up by a 29-yard completion to wideout Ronald Johnson earlier in the
drive…Sanchez made it three straight possessions with a touchdown toss when he
found Johnson open for a 4-yard score on 3rd-&-goal, a play that was preceded by
a 35-yard completion on third down to Johnson earlier in the drive…Though
Sanchez failed to throw a touchdown on a fourth consecutive drive, he did set up
tailback C.J. Gable’s 17-yard touchdown run with a 32-yard pass completion to
fullback Stanley Havili and a conversion of a 3rd-&-1 play with a 3-yard sneak
earlier in the drive…At the 10:59 mark in the second quarter, Sanchez converted
a 3rd-&-2 play with a 3-yard completion to Havili, threw a 32-yard pass to
Damian Williams, and finished off the drive with a 16-yard touchdown toss to
Johnson on 4th-&-7 that increased USC’s lead to 34-0…Sanchez’ fifth, and final,
touchdown toss of the afternoon occurred at the 4:51 mark in the second quarter,
when he found tight end Anthony McCoy open for a 21-yard score on a 3rd-&-3
play.
Arizona…Southern Cal had to lean on its dominant defense on a night when its
offense and star quarterback, who finished 21-of-36 for 216 yards and one
touchdown, struggled to put points on the board in the Trojans’ narrow 17-10
victory over the Wildcats… Sanchez’s night also included one interception and
one fumble…On the Trojans’ second offensive series of the game, Sanchez’s
third-down pass was picked off by Arizona cornerback Marquis Hundley, who
returned the ball 5 yards to the USC 33-yard line… Sanchez help to set up
tailback Stafon Johnson’s 2-yard second-quarter touchdown that capped a 17-play,
80-yard drive and increased USC’s lead to 10-3 by converting three third-down
plays, twice through the air and once with his feet…On USC’s first drive of the
second half, Sanchez was sacked on a third-down play by Wildcat defensive end
Brooks Reed, who caused the quarterback to cough up the ball, which was
recovered by defensive tackle Donald Horton at the USC 15-yard line and led to a
Wildcat touchdown that tied the game at 10-10…Sanchez atoned for his mistake on
USC’s next drive, converting two third-down plays through the air before
throwing a game-deciding 30-yard touchdown toss to fullback Stanley Havili to
cap a 9-play, 80-yard drive and give the Trojans’ a 17-10 lead. On the play,
Sanchez avoided the blitz, stepped up in the pocket, and hit Havili, who was
caught the pass at the 15-yard line and rumbled the rest of the way to the end
zone.
Washington…Sanchez completed 15-of-19 passes for 167 yards and two touchdown,
and added four rushes for 15 yards and one touchdown, before hitting the showers
early in USC’s 56-0 rout of the Washington Huskies…With 10:14 remaining in the
first quarter, Sanchez found wide receiver Patrick Turner open in the end zone
for a 4-yard touchdown on 3rd-&-goal and a 7-0 USC lead…Sanchez increased the
Trojans’ lead to 14-0 with 4:29 remaining in the first quarter when he completed
a 32-yard touchdown toss to Turner, a play that was preceded one play earlier by
a 4-yard pass from Sanchez to wideout Ronald Johnson that converted a 4th-&-1
play…He was 6-of-6 for 54 yards on a drive that he capped with a 1-yard
quarterback sneak for a touchdown on 4th-&-1 with 10:37 remaining in the second
quarter, increasing USC’s lead to 28-0…Later in the second quarter, the USC
quarterback scamper for a 15-yard gain in the red zone, setting up tailback
Stafon Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run…Sanchez set up another touchdown, this
time via a 28-yard completion to Turner on 3rd-&-5 that led to running back C.J.
Gable’s 6-yard scoring run and capped a 9-play, 71-yard drive with 3:04
remaining in the first half.
California…The USC quarterback finished the game 18-of-29 for 238 yards and
two touchdowns, as the Trojans held off No. 21 Cal for a 17-3 victory…On USC’s
first offensive drive, Sanchez completed a 25-yard pass to tight end Rhett Ellison and a 14-yard pass to receiver Damian Williams to set up kicker David
Buehler’s 27-yard field goal and give the Trojans a 3-0 lead…Midway through the
second quarter, Sanchez completed a 20-yard pass to tight end Anthony McCoy, a
30-yard pass to Williams on 3rd-&-6, and a 19-yard touchdown toss to wideout
Patrick Turner, who made a diving catch, to give USC a 10-3 lead...Midway
through the fourth quarter, Sanchez completed a 6-yard scoring pass to wide
receiver Ronald Johnson on 3rd-&-2 from the Cal 6-yard line, capping a 13-play,
73-yard drive. Sanchez came up big early in that drive when he connected with
Tuner for 16 yards on a 3rd-&-3 play that set up the Trojan offense at midfield.
Stanford…The Trojans atoned for last season’s shocking 24-23 home lost to the
Cardinal with a decisive 45-23 victory…Sanchez completed 11-of-17 passes 136
yards and two touchdown versus Stanford…After falling behind Stanford, 10-3,
Sanchez engineered a 12-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in his 5-yard
touchdown toss to wideout Damian Williams to tie that game at 10-10 with 6:47
remaining in the first half…Sanchez’s 8-yard rush in the red zone in the final
minutes of the third quarter set up tailback Stafon Johnson’s 7-yard touchdown
run that put USC out front, 24-17…Sanchez was able to put the game out of reach
midway through the fourth quarter, when he completed a 50-yard touchdown toss to
fullback Stanley Havili to increase USC’s lead to 38-17.
Notre Dame…On the strengths of its defense and Sanchez’s 267 yards and two
touch-downs, the No. 5 Trojans steamrolled Notre Dame on its way to an easy 38-3
victory… Sanchez completed 22-of-31 passes, with two interceptions…On the second
play of USC’s first offensive series, he was picked off by Notre Dame cornerback
Robert Blanton at the Fighting Irish 42-yard line…Sanchez atoned for his mistake
on USC’s next drive, engineering a 12-play, 79-yard drive that culminated in a
2-yard touchdown run by tailback Stafon Johnson. The score was set up by two
Sanchez passes that converted third-down plays on the drive, including a
24-yarder on 3rd-&-9…With 4:38 remaining in the second quarter, the USC
quarterback found wide receiver Damian Williams open for a 12-yard touchdown, a
score that was set up two plays earlier by a 39-yard completion from Sanchez to
fullback Stanley Havili…A couple of minutes before halftime, Sanchez found
wideout Patrick Turner open for a 30-yard completion on a 3rd-&-15 play, which
set up kicker David Buehler’s 35-yard field goal and increased USC’s lead to
24-0…Following completions of 17 and 20 yards early in the third quarter,
Sanchez was intercepted in Notre Dame’s end zone by strong safety Kyle McCarthy…Sanchez finished of the game’s scoring when he found an open Patrick
Turner for a 17-yard touchdown completion on a 3rd-&-10 play.
UCLA…Sanchez played a prominent role in the fifth-ranked Trojans’ easy 28-7
victory over crosstown rivals UCLA, completing 18-of-33 passes for 269 yards and
two touchdowns, with one interception, and adding 24 yards on four carries…After
falling behind UCLA, 7-0, early in the first quarter, Sanchez completed a
31-yard pass to receiver Damian Williams and converted a 4th-&-4 play with an
8-yard pass to tight end Anthony McCoy to set up tailback Joe McKnight’s 12-yard
touchdown run and tie the score at 7-7…With a couple of minutes remaining in the
first quarter, Sanchez completed passes of 25 and 23 yards to receivers Williams
and Patrick Turner, respectively, setting up the quarterback’s 12-yard touchdown
toss to Williams to give USC a 14-7 lead…In the opening minutes of the second
quarter, Sanchez was intercepted by Bruin cornerback Michael Norris at the UCLA
11-yard line…He atoned for his mistake by engineering a 16-play, 70-yard drive
that set up running back Stafon Johnson’s 2-yard touchdown run and increased
USC’s lead to 21-7. The score was set up by 13- and 12-yard completions by
Sanchez that converted third-down plays earlier in the drive…On USC’s opening
drive of the second half, Sanchez preceded his 18-yard touchdown toss to Turner
with a 23-yard completion to Ronald Johnson and an 11-yard rush that converted a
3rd-&-11 play.
Penn State (Rose Bowl)…Sanchez was named Offensive MVP and was selected to
ESPN’s All-Bowl Team, as he finished the 38-24 victory over the sixth-ranked
Nittany Lions with 413 yards and four touchdowns on 28-of-35 passing, becoming
just the third player to throw from more than 400 yards in Rose Bowl history…He
also added 16 yards and one touchdown on seven carries and was named the
Offensive Player of the Game…Sanchez passed for 276 yards in the first half
alone, which was 108 yards more than the Nittany Lions’ defense allowed on
average during the regular season for a full game…After Penn State had a Sanchez
sack-and-fumble overturned because of an offside penalty early in the first
quarter, the Trojan quarterback made them pay by connecting with Damian Williams
for a 27-yard touchdown and a 7-0 USC lead…Following back-to-back 26-yard
completions to wide receiver Patrick Turner and tight end Anthony McCoy,
respectively, Sanchez rushed into the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown on a
3rd-&-3 play, giving USC a 14-7 lead with 12:27 remaining in the second
quarter…Kicker David Buehler’s 30-yard field goal at the 7:00 mark in the second
quarter was set up by Sanchez’s 35-yard completion to wideout Damian Williams
earlier in the drive…Sanchez completed passes of 14, 15, and 17 yards, two of
which converted third downs, before tossing a 19-yard touchdown pass to wide
receiver Ronald Johnson with 1:24 remaining in the first half and increasing
USC’s lead to 24-7…Sanchez found running back C.J. Gable open for a 20-yard
touchdown completion with 0:36 remaining in the first half, a score that was
made possible by the quarterback’s 5-yard scramble on 3rd-&-1 earlier in the
drive…USC’s final points of the night came from Sanchez’s 45-yard scoring toss
to receiver Ronald Johnson with 12:02 remaining in the game, a play that was
preceded by completions of 15 and 27 yards to wideouts Damian Williams and
Patrick Turner, respectively.
2007 SEASON
Appeared in eight games, starting vs. Arizona, Notre Dame and Oregon for an
injured John David Booty…Completed 69-of-114 passes (60.53%) for 695 yards,
seven touchdowns and five interceptions…Also gained 22 yards on 14 carries (1.6
avg.)…Sat out the season opener vs. Idaho while recuperating from a broken right
thumb suffered in fall practice.
2007 GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Arizona…Sanchez made his first-ever start and completed 19-of-31 passes for
130 yards with a 25-yard touchdown (the first of his career) and two
interceptions.
Notre Dame…Started again and connected on 21-of-38 attempts for 235 yards and
four touchdowns (all career highs) with no interceptions, earning USC’s Player
of the Game honors.
Washington State…Was 2-of-3 for 23 yards with an interception while playing
the final series.
Oregon State…Completed his only pass attempt (a 30-yarder) while playing the
final series.
2006 SEASON
Sanchez saw limited action in six games, hitting on 3-of-7 passes (42.86%)
for 63 yards, no touchdowns and one interception…Also scored once on four
carries.
2006 GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Sanchez hit 1-of-2 passes for 19 yards at Arkansas…Played the entire fourth
quarter at Stanford and was 2-of-4 for 44 yards, as he also ran for a 4-yard
touchdown…His only pass attempt vs. Oregon was intercepted…Also saw action vs.
Arizona, Notre Dame and Michigan, but did not throw a pass.
2005 SEASON
Red-shirted as a freshman…Recipient of USC's Service Team Offensive Player of
the Year Award.
OFF-FIELD ISSUES
2006-In early June, prosecutors decided not to file charges against Sanchez,
who had been accused of sexually assaulting another USC student. Sanchez had
been arrested for investigation of assaulting a 19-year-old woman at an
apartment complex near the USC campus on April 26. Deputy District Attorney
Richard Tacklander, who reviewed the case, concluded there was "a lack of
sufficient evidence beyond a reasonable doubt." "From the outset of this
investigation, I've been confident that the facts would come to light and that
investigators would confirm that I was innocent of the allegations against me,"
Sanchez said in a statement issued by the university.
INJURY REPORT
2007-Sat out the season opener vs. Idaho (9/01) after he suffered right thumb
fracture in fall camp.
2008-Sanchez was carted off the field during fall camp (8/08) shortly after
the start practice with a left knee cap dislocation. Sanchez, who won the
starting job in the spring, fell to the ground before the Trojans began
stretching exercises. Witnesses reported seeing him doing a carioca shuffle. He
then went to throw a football, put weight on his left knee and collapsed.
Sanchez was helped to the trainers' table, where ice was administered and his
jersey and shoulder pads were removed. He was then carted to the locker room and
was then taken for x-rays. An MRI revealed the damage. The injury was called a
clean dislocation, with no complications (no ligament, cartilage or bone
damage). The knee was immobilized through the weekend. "They put (the knee) back
in (on the field)," said head coach Pete Carroll. "There are no other
complications. He's real encouraged and the doctors are, too. It will be
immobilized over the weekend, then he'll start rehab on Monday. It's day-to-day
and we'll see how it responds."
CAMPUS AGILITY TESTS
4.85 in the 40-yard dash…1.71 10-yard dash…2.82 20-yard dash…4.35
20-yard shuttle…
7.28 three-cone drill…29.5-inch vertical jump…8’8” broad jump…335-pound bench
press…470-pound squat…295-pound hang clean…31 ¾-inch arm length…9 5/8-inch
hands.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Mission Viejo (Cal.) High School as a junior and senior, playing for
head coach Bob Johnson, father of former USC and NFL quarterback, Rob
Johnson…Named 2004 Parade All-American Player of the Year, Super Prep
All-American Player of the Year, EA Sports All-American first-team, Super Prep
Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, Rivals 100, Prep
Star All-American, Tom Lemming All-American and Scout.com All-American
first-team as a senior…Added Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long
Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first-team, Tacoma News Tribune Western
100, Orange County Register Fab 15 first-team, Gatorade California Player of the
Year, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Southern Section, All-CIF
Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year and Los Angeles Times All-Star
honors…The Los Angeles Times All-Orange County Back of the Year was also named
Orange County Register All-Orange County…The All-South Coast League Co-Offensive
MVP completed 151-of-245 (61.6%) passes for 2,441 yards with 24 touchdowns and
four interceptions in 2004, despite sitting out the equivalent of four games
(eight halves), because Mission Viejo was winning handily on the way to
capturing the CIF Division II championship…
Would finish his career with a 27-1 record as a starter…As a junior in 2003,
he made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second-team, All-CIF Division II,
Orange County Register All-Orange County first-team and All-South Coast League
first-team…That year, he connected on 161-of-211 passes (76.3%) for 2,460 yards
with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 90 yards and caught
a touch-down pass in 2003…In one game, he was 12-of-12 for 326 yards and four
scores…Also played basketball and baseball at Mission Viejo…Spent his freshman
and sophomore years at Santa Margarita High in Rancho Santa Margarita, where his
first varsity pass as a 2002 sophomore went 55 yards for the game-winning
touchdown.
PERSONAL
Communications major, attaining a 3.14 grade point average, as he earned
Pac-10 Conference All-Academic honorable mention…Brothers, Nick (Yale in
1992-93-94) and Brandon (DePauw in 1997) played football in college…Born
11/11/86…Resides in Mission Viejo, California.