Today's football opponents — top-ranked Southern California and 36-point underdog Hawai'i — have tried to reduce the importance of this meeting into a play-'em-one-at-a-time game.

In truth, each has paid special attention. USC has practiced on artificial turf to get used to Aloha Stadium's FieldTurf, and head coach Pete Carroll scheduled a beach day in training camp to jade his players to Hawai'i's distractions.

The Trojans also reportedly have made the interesting choice of studying videotapes of the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers to try to anticipate the strategies of defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, who had not coached since 1993 before joining UH in April.

The Warriors, in turn, began crafting a game plan since April. Parts of each practice in spring training were devoted to USC.

Glanville, who spends the offseason in Georgia, returned to Hawai'i two times for dawn-to-dark strategy sessions. UH's custodians are fearful of cleaning Glanville's office because plays are scribbled on napkins and pizza boxes. In the past two weeks, the Warriors have practiced recovering fumbles and setting up interception returns.

"You have to be ready for anything," said Glanville, who as a television football analyst used to watch 34 hours of videotapes in preparation for a telecast. "Working hard is the one thing you can control."

Here's a look at today's game:

USC OFFENSE

SE—8 Dwayne Jarrett 6-5 210 So.

LT—79 Sam Baker 6-5 305 So.

LG—71 Taitusi Lutui 6-6 365 Sr.

C—67 Ryan Kalil 6-3 285 Jr.

RG—51 Fred Matua 6-2 305 Jr.

RT—74 Winston Justice 6-6 300 Jr.

TE—86 Dominique Byrd 6-3 260 Sr.

FL—2 Steve Smith 6-0 195 Jr.

QB—11 Matt Leinart 6-5 225 Sr.

FB—37 David Kirtman 6-0 230 Sr.

TB—5 Reggie Bush 6-0 200 Jr.

TB—21 LenDale White 6-2 235 Jr.

Returning starters: 8.

Key stat: Of USC's 78 offensive scoring drives last year, 50 took less than 3 minutes, including 32 under 2 minutes.

Outlook: Imagine being a landlord and — knock, knock — the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner is at your door, answering the apartment-for-rent ad. "I'm pretty sure that helped a little bit," wideout Jarrett said of his influential roommate, Leinart.

Leinart has opened other doors for his teammates, using his accurate passes to find Jarett (13 of his 55 catches went for TDs), Smith (three touchdowns in the Orange Bowl) and Byrd, or set up the running attack. Jarrett succeeded his body double, Mike Williams, using speed (4.4 seconds over 40 yards) and a 40-inch vertical jump to create nightmarish mismatches for cornerbacks. The top reserve receiver is 6-5, 220-pound freshman Patrick Turner, who also has 4.4 speed. "He's the real deal," Leinart said of Turner. "He's going to be in the mix right away."

Here's a pop quiz: Who was USC's leading rusher last year? (Hint: It wasn't Bush, a Heisman Trophy finalist who averaged 10.3 yards every time he touched the football last season.) White rushed for 1,103 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, mostly in the lanes between the tackles. Bush, who can run 100 meters in 10.42 seconds, aligns in the backfield, at slot or wide. "Bush is an awesome player," UH safety Lono Manners said. "You have to ground him and pound him."

USC DEFENSE

DE—96 Lawrence Jackson 6-5 265 So.

NT—49 Sedrick Ellis 6-1 285 So.

DT—98 LaJuan Ramsey 6-3 290 Sr.

DE—90 Frostee Rucker 6-3 260 Sr.

SLB—42 Dallas Sartz 6-5 230 Sr.

MLB—45 Oscar Lua 6-1 240 Jr.

WLB—55 Keith Rivers 6-3 220 So.

CB—24 Justin Wyatt 5-10 185 Sr.

FS—29 Scott Ware 6-2 215 Sr.

SS—20 Darnell Bing 6-2 220 Jr.

CB—28 Terrell Thomas 6-1 195 So.

Returning starters: 5.

Key stat: In 2004, the Trojans allowed 26 fourth-quarter points.

Outlook: Last year's starting defensive tackles, Mike Patterson and Shaun Cody, are now employed by the NFL, and All-America linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Matt Grootegoed also completed their eligibility. But starting ends Jackson and Rucker are back, and the Trojans still use a 4-3 system that gives fits to opposing quarterbacks. USC relies on its down linemen to create chaos in the backfield, while the cornerbacks alternate between pressing up on the wideouts or dropping back to hinder deep pass patterns. Wyatt (4.5 tackles for losses) is the shut-down corner, and Thomas replaces Eric Wright, who quit the team. Thomas can run 100 meters in 10.5 seconds. Bing hits like a linebacker.

USC SPECIALISTS

PK—19 Marlo Danelo 5-10 185 So.

P—14 Tom Malone 6-0 205 Sr.

KR/PR—5 Reggie Bush 6-0 200 Jr.

Key stat: Of Malone's 153 career punts, 51 traveled at least 50 yards, and 80 were pinned inside the opposing team's 20.

Outlook: As good as Bush is as a running back/receiver, he's even more elusive on special teams. Last year, he led the Pac-10 in punt (15.7 yards, two touchdowns) and kickoff returns (25.6 yards). Bush is "the one guy who looks like he's playing on a video game," UH assistant coach Rich Miano said.

Danelo, who recently was placed on scholarship, is succeeding Ryan Killeen, who handled all of the place-kicks and kickoffs the past three years.

UH OFFENSE

LWO—81 Ian Sample 5-10 1/4 183 Sr.

LSB—7 Davone Bess 5-9 1/2 187 Fr.

LT—70 Tala Esera 6-4 295 Jr.

LG—64 Samson Satele 6-2 1/2 305 Jr.

C—59 Derek Fa'avi 6-1 273 Sr.

RG—66 Brandon Eaton 6-2 295 Sr.

RT—72 Dane Uperesa 6-5 1/2 315 Jr.

RSB—2 Jason Ferguson 5-5 1/2 165 So.

RWO—82 Ross Dickerson 5-10 185 Jr.

QB—15 Colt Brennan 6-2 1/2 193 So.

QB—6 Tyler Graunke 5-11 1/2 184 Fr.

RB—3 Bryan Maneafaiga 5-8 1/4 195 Sr.

Returning starters: 4.

Key stat: UH has led the Western Athletic Conference in passing six years in a row.

Outlook: Replacing last season's four starting receivers might not be as daunting a challenge as it appears. Last year's quartet combined to drop 40 regular-season passes, including seven in the end zone. All-America receiver Chad Owens had a team-high 13 drops. While this year's starters lack game experience, they appear to be more sure-handed, thanks to scores of pass routes each day and coach June Jones' noose technique of catching passes. The conventional method is to catch a high pass with the thumbs touching and a low pass with the pinkies touching. Jones' method is for a receiver to use his hands to form a circle — a noose — with the thumbs touching and the index fingers touching. The technique forces the receivers to catch only with their hands. Ferguson and Bess are the best at making running catches without breaking their stride.

Jones has crafted simplified packages for Brennan and Graunke, both of whom have never played in an NCAA game. Although they do not possess their predecessor Tim Chang's quick release, they are more mobile. Neither is insecure.

"I don't think we're system quarterbacks," Graunke said. "We're both playmakers, and we can make things happen when things break down."

UH DEFENSE

LE—98 Melila Purcell 6-5 266 Sr.

NT—90 Tony Akpan 6-6 294 Sr.

NT—69 Reagan Mauia 6-0 330 Jr.

RE—91 Ikaika Alama-Francis 6-8 250 Jr.

E—1 Kila Kamakawiwo'ole 6-3 240 Sr.

LB—45 Tanuvasa Moe 6-0 220 Sr.

LB—51 Ikaika Curnan 5-10 235 Sr.

LB—43 Brad Kalilimoku 5-11 205 So.

LCB—35 Keao Monteilh 5-11 175 So.

FS—42 Leonard Peters 6-1 200 Sr.

SS/NB—15 Lono Manners 5-10 199 Sr.

S—20 Michael Malala 6-2 195 Jr.

RCB—9 Ryan Keomaka 5-10 168 So.

Returning starters: 7.

Key stat: UH allowed 29.0 points per home game; 57.75 per road game.

Outlook: The number of returning starters is skewed because Curnan and Manners missed significant time because of injuries, and Glanville is scrambling the duties in his multiple-scheme defense. UH's basic alignment will be a modified 4-3 — two ends and a nose tackle, with a fourth down lineman pulled from another position. Glanville said his famed blitz schemes begin with the nose tackle. "Our defense is only as good as the nose plays," he said. "If the nose doesn't play any good, the defense isn't any good." Trouble is, that position is unsettled after the top candidate, Renolds Fruean, injured a hip flexor. He will not play today. Akpan, who must stoop to avoid being upper-blocked by offensive linemen, and Mauia will get the first looks.

Kenny Patton and Turmarian Moreland entered preseason training as the top cornerbacks. But Patton is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, and Moreland has been slowed by a sore knee. When the Warriors use schemes involving five or six defensive backs, Malala enters as the safety and Manners moves to rover.

UH SPECIALISTS

PK—99 Daniel Kelly 6-3 199 Fr.

P—25 Kurt Milne 5-11 208 Jr.

KR—5 Michael Washington 5-7 160 Fr.

PR—2 Jason Ferguson 5-5 1/2 165 So.

Key stat: An opponent has returned only one kickoff for a touchdown in Jones' six years as UH head coach.

Outlook: After a nervous start to preseason training, Kelly has emerged as a dependable kicker. He converted a 53-yard field goal during an Aloha Stadium workout, and he remains confident from up to 45 yards. Kelly is helped by Tanuvasa Moe's return to long-snapping. Moe's quick snaps enable Kelly to meet the required 1.2 seconds from snap to kick.

Washington, who can run 40 yards in 4.27 seconds, is UH's fastest returner since Mike Akiu in the early 1980s.

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.