FOOTBALL

Remember Spring Practice?

I don’t really remember spring practice. But I do remember reading a lot about freshman safety Talanoa Hufanga.

But when the depth chart was released Sunday, he was No. 3 at strong safety and that was after Ykili Ross left the team.

Hufanga could easily move up the depth chart. He is a promising player. This isn’t about him. It’s about the spring practice reports that tried to overstate the importance of often lousy practices.

Some in the media get caught up in trying to inflate what happens at spring practice, when rosters are depleted. And as you can see, it rarely matters.

My big example from the Pete Carroll era was always wide receiver William Buchanon, who Carroll praised in the spring and then rarely played during the season.

33 thoughts on “Remember Spring Practice?”

  1. How about some sports coverage of issues that are relevant and maybe Trojan fans want to read about. Your posts are becoming redundant and uninteresting.

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  2. Making great plays anytime is good, doing it as an early entrant in spring is even better. How does it discount his spring being third string? Just means we have depth and talent and experience. Were he and Ykili even playing the same safety position? Does it matter?

    What’s your prediction for the season? Should be easier now that you know who the qb is.
    Come on Scott, come out and play with us.

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    1. I think Scott may just bite on your request, Pudly —-but get ready for a 7-5 answer….
      #…WhichCanGetRevisedUpwards…
      #…WhenOurOppositionTurnsOutToBe”Disappointing”

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      1. That’s why we have screen shots. To track our modifications. No one has to mean what they say. Haven’t you been following politics?

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      2. Pudly — All 21st century politicians —and all bloggers, too—-endorse Homer Simpson’s built-in ‘responsibility escape clause’, “Oh, Marge — don’t remind me of what I said 20 minutes ago.”

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      6. Pudly –Don’t you have the distinct feeling that what Herman described is the rule and not the exception in college football? It seems like every USC call that’s really gotten scrutinized over the last couple of decades
        (from the 4th and nine at South Bend right up to Pittman’s trick kickoff return against UCLA) winds up—after post game interviews with the staff—- looking like the product of a committee decision.

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      7. I agree Michael. But it goes beyond college, pro teams call plays by committee too, and depending on the down and distance and time the committee can expand or shrink. Bottom line though, as Herman said, the buck stops with the head coach.

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      8. That all makes sense, Pudly. [Hey! Look at me! I’m actually learning some of the dynamics of play calling this year].

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      1. Did you read the piece I referred to in the previous discussion. Alv put the direct link to it. Interesting stuff, some of which I didn’t know.

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      3. I’m not a blogger, I’m a prophet, like Jeremiah….I’m not allowed to negotiate just a delivery boy….

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      4. 5-0 baby!!!! A September to Remember….let’s go boys….you can do it but you’re going to have to get tough….have faith even when it looks bad and push through……

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      6. Pudly —I just read Dan Weber. Fricking great, balls out piece of writing (and, for what little it’s worth, pretty much exactly the way I see the season going down).
        #OneWayOrOther,AllWillBeClearBy2ndGameOfSeason…
        #…KickStanford’sButt&There’sNoStoppingUs

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      7. Sure hope what I’ve heard is so. There is talent here, we have experience at all levels of the defense and maybe the best qb to come to SC since Leinert (based on w-l record). Team seems stable again and roster depth is exceptional. As Magic Johnson used to say “Its winning time”.

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      8. Pudly —I feel like I did when Ray Leonard agreed to fight Hagler —-I had a real good feeling Ray could do it but I just couldn’t relax until I saw Ray easily take the first round…
        #HopeJ.T.TakesTeamIntoEndZoneOnNice,LongFirstDrive…

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      9. Hey Pudly! I finally found the piece you were referring to! Thanks so much. I was at the Coli the night Jones broke UCLA’s heart. I remember Jim Murray from the Times saying that just before he threw the winning touchdown, a gleam appeared on Jimmy’s helmet on television. And I remember McKay saying that, with Jones at qb, the plan against Notre Dame would be “to bomb the hell out of them early.” That was the game where USC went up 28 to zip in the first half …..and the announcers kept saying after every bomb, “Notre Dame looks stunned.”
        Wonderful article about a wise, talented, unselfish….and great man.

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  3. Scottie’s a big fan of the strawman argument. “Many say”, “I read a lot about”….. Convenient for your relative angst, which, I have to say, is not really compelling stuff. Sure, Hufanga looks solid. Perhaps some real reporting on why he’s now #3 at his position? Did he hit a wall? Is the safety position extremely strong? Is there bias among the coaching staff? Does he not pick up the playbook? We know you are INSIDE USC – so let’s get some meat on this story’s bones….

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    1. Give it a break – he’s not – Joey Kaufman is the ‘beat’ reporter for the DN. Tom Hoffarth also left the DN and now writes ‘periodically’ for the Times. Expenses are now paid by Scott ‘out of pocket.

      I am very grateful that what we all assumed was ‘gone’ has been resurrected for us to interact to news and see what the ‘source’ Scott has found as he does 3 – 4 times a day.

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      3. Are you kidding? I love Scottie. But I have to call him on some of his shenanigans…. What kid of a loyal reader would I be if I didn’t?

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  4. Okay so reading in this chat room I am amused at the number of people asking to stop bashing Scott Wolf. First he was and is better than the beat reporters at his old stomping ground because he reminds us to keep it real. Second he is right about spring ball. Often the top players are held out of spring ball to allow the coaches to see the new crop before we need them. So chill everyone football starts Saturday.

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  5. Gentlemen,

    I am not getting my hopes up too much for right now. SC got their a#s kicked in by Ohio St. The oline got eaten alive. The oline has not improved because we have not seen it play for the season. SC still has the same oline coach and players. The skill set has taken a step back with a new qb that has yet to play in live action. Receivers and and rb’s are the same. So in essence, this team is equal or less than last year’s offense. I will wait to see how they do against UNLV. After that game, there usually is vast improvement. Then you have Stanford and Texas. Those will be the games that will test SC. if SC comes out unscathed and shows improvement in blocking and delivering the ball, then I might start to believe. I am not a newby, I have followed SC football since the 60’s. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Right now, I would rate this as a caugmire.

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    1. I think you are gonna be very pleasantly surprised when we get around to Stanford, P. T. And Notre Dame. And the Pac 12 Championship. These “new” guys are ready to play some football. And, although —-you’re right— the o-line won’t be super, it’ll be good enough.

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  6. Michael,

    I hope you are right. I will say that you were right if they look good. That does not mean that they will be undefeated, but they have to look good.

    I am also pis#ed off by having our seats moved. I am taking that frustration out on the team. I know that is not fair, but it has been the entire set of circumstances that I have tied up into one big hissy fit. I will be fair on the assessment of the team though.

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