CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, September 14, 2006 7:00 pm
This one’s not just about Rey Maualuga, but for all the Southern California linebackers.
“Everyone here is good enough to start. The threes could be starters,” said the sophomore Maualuga, the Trojans’ No. 2 middle linebacker who, with senior Oscar Lua nursing a hamstring injury, will make his first start on Saturday against Nebraska. “It’s a lot better (to have) someone pushing you, and I feel I’ve come a long way with Oscar leading.”
Maualuga had six tackles in USC’s 50-14 season-opening win at Arkansas on Sept. 2. He played the majority of the contest after Lua, the team’s leading tackler in 2005, left following the first series.
Maualuga’s performance was hardly a surprise, since USC’s depth at linebacker is considered to be better than at any other position.
Along with Maualuga, weakside starter Keith Rivers and strongside players Dallas Sartz and Brian Cushing were among the Trojans’ top five tacklers at Arkansas. Rivers forced and recovered a fumble, while Sartz also knocked a ball loose. Third-team weakside backer Thomas Williams had an interception.
“Our philosophy is always go after the ball,” Maualuga said. “We’ve got a package scheme, 3-4, and we just swarm to the ball.”
There was a time when the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Maualuga could have pictured himself playing for Nebraska. He took a recruiting visit to Lincoln and said he fell in love with the Huskers’ program.
But after visiting Oregon and USC, the Eureka, Calif., product decided he’d be better off becoming a Trojan. Part of his reasoning stemmed from the fact that he wanted to stay closer to home because his father was battling cancer.
Last season, Maualuga showed promise of a bright future, earning Freshman All-American honors. Backing up Lua and playing on special teams, he made 37 tackles, forced two fumbles, deflected a pair of passes and intercepted another.
But his rise didn’t come without setbacks.
In November, Maualuga was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery after punching a student at a Halloween party (he later agreed to take part in an arraignment diversion program). And in January, his father died.
Maualuga has moved his life forward and, at least on the football field, he’s set the pace for his fellow linebackers — full speed ahead.
He’ll tell you he was impressed by how the Trojans came up with five turnovers against Arkansas. In the next breath, though, he’ll be talking about mistakes that need to be cleaned up.
“It’s too early to tell,” Maualuga said of USC’s defensive strength. “No one really knows what we can do. We get a couple more (games), and we’ll know.”
The one against the Huskers ought to help.
“Every game we play is a big deal,” Maualuga said. “Nebraska, I know, is 2-0, so they’ve got some confidence.”
Maualuga then cautions that the Huskers might not want to get too comfortable. Southern California, after all, has played in the last three national championship games, winning two, and has won its past 27 home games.
“Nothing negative on Nebraska’s part, but they played Nicholls State and some team from Louisiana,” Maualuga said. “It’ll be intriguing. They did what they did — but we aren’t Nicholls State. We’re SC.”
Where a lot of second- and third-teamers have starters fighting to keep their spot.