Editing Carson Palmer (section)

===Sophomore seasons===

{{See also|1999 USC Trojans football team|2000 USC Trojans football team}}

Going into his sophomore year in 1999, he was named the starting quarterback of the Trojans. The season opener was against [[1999 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team|Hawaii]] and Palmer played in a little more than two quarters. He finished the game with 14/16 completions (87.5%), 167 passing yards, 1 touchdown pass, and a 9-yard rushing touchdown. The next week against [[1999 San Diego State Aztecs football team|San Diego State]] he completed 16/24 passes for 188 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. On September 25, Palmer started the game against [[1999 Oregon Ducks football team|Oregon]], throwing 9 completions for 135 yards. Before halftime, he broke his collarbone while scrambling for a 3-yard gain. This injury effectively ended his season. In only three games he had 39/53 completions (73.6%), 490 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a single rushing touchdown. The NCAA let him use his redshirt, although he had already played in 3 games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1999 USC Trojans Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/southern-california/1999.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105180459/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/southern-california/1999.html |archive-date=January 5, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

After being sidelined for the last 11 months, Palmer returned to his starting role in 2000. He made his return in week 1 against #22 [[2000 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]], going for 10/20 completions for 87 yards and an interception.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USC vs Penn State Box Score, August 27, 2000 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-08-27-penn-state.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722121435/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-08-27-penn-state.html |archive-date=July 22, 2017 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The following game, Palmer led the Trojans 72-yards down the field with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. This set up the game-winning field goal against [[2000 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]], putting USC up 17–14. He threw for 25/30(83.3%), 275 passing yards, and a touchdown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Colorado at Southern California Box Score, September 9, 2000 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-09-09-southern-california.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105180537/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-09-09-southern-california.html |archive-date=January 5, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The very next week he led another comeback win against [[2000 San Jose State Spartans football team|San Jose State]], bringing USC back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Palmer ended the game with 22/38 completions, a career-high 338 passing yards, and 2 touchdowns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=San Jose State at Southern California Box Score, September 23, 2000 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-09-23-southern-california.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105180548/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-09-23-southern-california.html |archive-date=January 5, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> After 5 consecutive losses, he started in week 10 against [[2000 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]] and end the game with 22 of 37 completions, for 279 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in the double overtime victory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USC at Arizona State Box Score, November 4, 2000 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-11-04-arizona-state.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105180604/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-11-04-arizona-state.html |archive-date=January 5, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> Palmer started the first half the next game against the [[2000 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] and was benched the second half for Mike Van Raaphorst, after going 12 of 26 for 145 yards and an interception. After being benched, he returned against [[UCLA–USC rivalry|rival]] [[2000 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]] the next game, and had a career-high 350 yards, and 4 touchdowns while throwing 26/37 completions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USC at UCLA Box Score, November 18, 2000 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-11-18-ucla.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105180529/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-11-18-ucla.html |archive-date=January 5, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> His performance against the Bruins won him PAC-10 Offensive Player of the Week and USC's Game MVP. In the regular season finale, against [[2000 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]], he completed 17 of 35 passes for 251 yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and lead USC with 22-yards rushing and 1 rushing touchdown.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Notre Dame at Southern California Box Score, November 25, 2000 |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-11-25-southern-california.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105180533/https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/boxscores/2000-11-25-southern-california.html |archive-date=January 5, 2018 |access-date=January 5, 2018 |website=[[Sports Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> USC finished the season with a 5–7 record and Palmer finished with 228 completions, 414 attempts(54.9%) 2914 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.<ref name="Toeknee44" />