The nine wins USC head coach Steve Sarkisian led the Trojans to in 2014 were the most by a first-year head coach in the program since John Robinson won 11 in 1976.
Howard Jones also won 11 in 1925, leaving Sark's mark as the third most in program history as a rookie head coach.
Year 2 gets underway with the first of 15 spring practices scheduled for Tuesday, with the spring game scheduled for April 11.
Everything was new this time last year. There was a tempo offensively unlike anything that's ever been seen before and the quarterbacks were in shotgun almost exclusively. Today, that's the norm and Sarkisian, in preparation for his second year, doesn't plan to deviate from what the Trojans did last season.
Here are some things to watch as USC gets set to open spring ball.
JuJu's ascension
With Nelson Agholor's early departure to the NFL, that leaves sophomore JuJu Smith as wide receiver option No. 1 for quarterback Cody Kessler. Smith was impressive as a freshman with 54 catches with 724 yards and five touchdowns. A Biletnikoff Award candidate heading into the 2015 season, Smith, a Long Beach Poly graduate, appears headed for a seamless transition from Agholor's sidekick to the No. 1 receiver.
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Thin Running Back U
You'll likely hear the name James Toland IV early and often this spring. Toland IV, a sophomore walk-on, has shown flashes in the past in practice and even carried the ball 29 times last season as a freshman. It's expected he'll get a lot of carries with USC only having two scholarship tailbacks this spring -- Justin Davis and Tre Madden. Davis is the leading returning rusher and needs to have a big spring after Buck Allen's early departure to the NFL. The junior was up-and-down last season with ball security being a major concern. As a freshman, Davis looked like he had the makings of a special talent before an ankle injury ended his season. As a sophomore last season, it took a while for Davis to get back to form. The spring will be a good time for Davis to take a leap forward. Madden's status this spring is up in the air following a toe injury that kept him out all of last season and there are a slew of running backs that will enter the fold during fall camp.
Tight end dearth
The tight end position took a big hit when Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick was ruled academically ineligible for the 2014 season. It forced then-true freshman Bryce Dixon into a larger than expected role, in which, he caught four touchdown passes. Cope-Fitzpatrick, according to the USC Spring media guide, is "working to regain his status." Dixon and Cope-Fitzpatrick are the only two scholarship tight ends until freshman Tyler Petite joins them in the fall.
Defensive line
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Sarkisian called Leonard Williams a "generational player." -- those types tend to hard to replace. The USC defensive line will be shorthanded this spring although there will be five additions to the unit in the fall. Antwaun Woods will not participate in spring drills still recovering from surgery to repair a torn chest muscle suffered in the days leading up the Holiday Bowl. Greg Townsend Jr. could be slowed this spring as well with a foot injury. A player to keep an eye on is Kenny Bigelow. He's entering his third season on campus but has yet to play in a game. He redshirted his freshman year in 2013 and missed all of 2014 with an injury. Bigelow was the No. 1 defensive tackle in the country in the class of 2013.
Adoree' the long jumper
If the Holiday Bowl was a prequel to what we may see from Adoree' Jackson in 2015, lookout. Jackson has already made a name for himself as one of the most exciting players in the country. He'll have to juggle spring ball with his status as a member of USC's Track & Field program. Last week, Jackson helped the men's team to a second place finish at the MPSF indoor championships in Seattle. Jackson was a part of the 4x400m relay team that finished second and posted a season-best 3:08.27. However, it's in the long jump that he's looking to make his mark. In high school, Jackson won a state championship in the event as a sophomore. At the MPSF meet, he finished 11th, jumping 22-09.25.
