One of USC's most hotly contested position battles was still smoldering a bit Tuesday, three days after Everson Griffen surprisingly became the first true freshman defensive lineman in more than two decades to start a season opener for the Trojans.
Junior end Kyle Moore said Griffen supplanted him in the starting lineup against Idaho because Moore was 10 minutes late for the team bus Friday afternoon.
"Coach [Pete] Carroll told me, 'You're not starting if you're going to be late,' " Moore said. "I got caught up with my family -- it was my fault. . . . I won't ever be late again."
Moore's lapse allowed Griffen to become the first true freshman since Tim Ryan in 1986 to start an opener on the defensive line.
During training camp, Moore and Griffen had to be separated by teammates after Moore chided the freshman for being slow in drills because of back soreness.
The same week, Carroll summoned Moore to his office after an incident on the field with offensive guard Chilo Rachal.
The 6-foot-3, 265-pound Griffen said Carroll told him in the locker room before the game that he would start.
"It was a dream come true," said Griffen, who did not record a tackle. "Overall, I think I did pretty good for my first college game."
Moore made four tackles. He was credited with a sack, a forced fumble and fumble recovery after the ball slipped out of the hand of Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle with the 6-6, 275-pound Moore in pursuit.
"Everyone was saying 'scoop and score!' but I just had to drop to the ground for it," Moore said.
Fresh off a victory over Nevada, Nebraska officials Tuesday announced that Coach Bill Callahan's contract had been extended with incentives that could push his compensation to about $2 million annually.
Carroll, meanwhile, is believed to be among college football's best-compensatedcoaches.
"The university has always been awesome and has always been real thoughtful and dealt with me in a great way and great manner. Everything is great," Carroll said.
Carroll, who signed a five-year contract worth approximately $1 million annually when he was hired by USC to replace Paul Hackett in December 2000, earned nearly $3 million in 2004 when the Trojans won their second consecutive national title, according to sources. In December 2005, Carroll said he had finalized a contract extension that would keep him at the school "for the long haul."
