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USC Morning Buzz: Let’s Analyze The QB Position

USC did not lose to Stanford because JT Daniels struggled.

But the game was revealing when you factor in all the hype that accompanied Daniels’ arrival at USC. The first thing a writer told me when Daniels signed with USC was, “he never faced a pass rush at Mater Dei.”

So what happened Saturday? The first big hit Daniels took, he started watching the rush. His eyes would watch the defense and then go downfield. Stanford hit him several times and Daniels clearly didn’t like it.

That’s a big difference from Sam Darnold. Frankly, I doubt Darnold would have come out with a bruised hand.

Daniels does show promise. When he has time, he is very accurate. But Texas is going to try and come after him. The problem for USC is an offensive line that has yet to demonstrate it can properly protect him.
If USC truly understands its problems, it should not use more than three wide receivers because it needs more blocking for Daniels. And that’s a dilemma becuase Tyler Vaughns and Michael Pittman have not been better.
Another big difference from Darnold: I don’t see the same arm strength or release. Is that a huge deal? No. But it tells me these constant comparisons (some from USC) were unfair to Daniels.

29 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Let’s Analyze The QB Position”

  2. This is the first time ever I wish we went to more of a wishbone look. Run, devastate, misdirect, boom, pass!…hit’em again….hit’em again…..harder harder…..we like it, we like it…

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  3. The problem is he’s NOT a running QB playing in a running QB system. The defense doesn’t have to worry about him running so why pretend he will ? Get him in an offense that plays to his strength, but that thought never occurred to Gomer or Tee IQ 11, it’s full steam ahead into the iceberg !

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    1. Fitting your game plan in with your personnel requires courage and understanding, true…..but, we have some running QBs, now more than ever, and it’s clear we’re better run blocking than pass blocking…..it’s why I wanted to see a “Jack.” But they’ve shelved him, so he’s probably not going to be ready, even if he gets a chance ….get under center, two backs, 3 backs, whatever….just don’t sit there and tell us it’s going to be a while, so eat it…Purdue and Northwestern might see Jack as useful. Puzzles me why he just sits there…

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      2. Maybe Jack stays because the allure of the USC Business School…he’s either already in, or trying to get in, depending on admissions. Fink is in the Communications school. Don’t know JT’s, but I’ve been in both. Both are fantastic schools! However, the math and business law requirements alone in the Business school are more difficult than the Communications School….If Jack seems preoccupied in the off season, compare their classes, not to mention the academic competition within….maybe he’s a late bloomer of sorts…I don’t know, but it’s interesting.

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      3. In Fink’s defense, if Tyler Petite could pass block, maybe he completes his pass instead of a blindside sack. #82 needs a gut and pride check to say the least omg….

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    1. Darnold was a great quarterback. However, he still had the advantage of being in USC’ s system almost a year and a half before he took the keys to the offense. He also had an rash of turnovers with this same oline last years. That is why he split. Now we know why. I place the blame of the performance of the offense squarely on the shoulders of the coaches who should have game planned to have JT as a game manager until he gets a rhythm. We know what we have with so many players getting time against two levels of competition. He has the skills to have a great short game and can strike long if need be. Finally, Helton will have to become a run first team as he promised.

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      1. Gomer ain’t running the ball first, never. Daniels will be running for his life every time SC plays a decent defense and a DC with a brain.

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      2. You watch Helton in that post-game presser? After his initial replies, the questions went to the player seated to his (Helton’s) right. Immediately Helton took off his baseball cap, wiped his head and then kept spinning the hat vertically over and over. He looked and acted as if he didn’t know where he was or what to say – it was telling. Problem is I don’t think Swann has the ability to make a smart hire but something has to change soon.

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  5. It’s weird how you argue against points no one is making. You’re preaching to the choir. We’re in for a rough season. But if it leads to getting rid of Helton, there’s light at the end of the tunnel!

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    1. Chuma should be benched for a quarter for letting that Stanford player blow right by him and he didnt even make an effort to go help JT. I am a believer in JT. He is a gamer.

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      1. I said the same thing during the game. Totally blows the block and doesn’t even attempt to help his young QB up. I hope someone blew his shit up for that while watching film, but probably not.

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      1. He got the coffee and doughnuts for both Kiffin & Sark, he was no threat to either of them which is why they hired him and kept him around, he’s an amiable dunce.

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  6. It is so simple to fix but T Martin can’t coach or see the tendency. On passing downs put one or two backs in the backfield to help block. That would be 6 or 7 blockers on 6 to 7 pass rushers. That leaves three receivers. If there is no pass rush that heavy, the backs can go to the flats or over the middle for five yards. I have been saying since the last Texas game to run a fullback and tailback together. If Darnold goes down for an injury, then USC will go down in flames. Fire Calloway, Fire T Martin, Fire the db coach.

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    1. Gomer thinks Tee IQ 11 is a ” great play caller ” , so he sees noting wrong with what Tee IQ 11 does.

      If Gomer had a clue he would have fixed his coaching staff long ago, but he still has the same idiots coaching the OL, DB, special teams etc.

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  7. Scottie, historically, has liked to dwell on such things as: “USC wasted Adoree Jackson” in a given year. Well, Sam Darnold wasted Sam Darnold last season. So many turnovers – close to the worst in FBS – that we never had a chance to see where SC could go with his immense talents. It’s a shame, but true. Something Scottie won’t want to admit.

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    1. Darnold was trying to hard last season, he made mistakes, but a lot of what happened to him is on this pathetic staff. The OL was awful, the play calling was worse, Sam was right to bail on the Goodship Gomer before it hit the iceberg.

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  8. So, I saw some of the coaches being interviewed and I think some of their comments were interesting. Coach Blair indicated that that CH always speaks in terms of taking the defense’s greatest strength away with regard to a general offensive philosophy. It struck me as something I would hear from a defensive coach and seems like a mindset better suited for that side of the ball. In my opinion, “attacking weaknesses” is better than “taking away strengths” as an offensive philosophy or mindset. I think if I’m game planning, I’m generally playing away from strength, but I’m much more focused on how I exploit weaknesses and that’s my primary mindset.

    Also, Dan Weber asked TM what his thinking was at 3rd and 2 and 4th and 2 From his answer, it seems that it basically came down to whether to run or pass. I think that was literally the extent of his thinking. Given the play call that we got, I don’t see that there was any real thought beyond that. Count the number of people in the box, decide to pass based on your calculation and then call a pass play out of the playbook. I honestly think that is the level of detail we’re getting to. You should have a gem in your back pocket for that instead of a route we’ve already thrown to a couple times. I actually said, “that’s it” after I saw that playcall as it was over so fast. So, the question for everyone in the stadium at the time was run or pass, did we think about running something with some real play-action? That’s just one level of detail, did we get even that? I’m not going to go back and look, but I doubt it.

    Tee said that we have to adjust to what the defense is doing. I know that you have to be mindful of what the defense is doing, you’re not going against air. However, we’re on offense, we have the initiative, why doesn’t the defense have to adjust to what we’re doing? You know why? Because they know what we’re doing. They know our sets, they know what we’re doing and we have to rely purely on great execution because we don’t outsmart anybody. How many times is your freshman QB and his squad going to execute consistently enough to go 80+ yards every time you have the ball? Well, Stanford is going to make you do that in order to win. Frosh QB, first time on the road, shaky O-line…what are the chances? Texas is going to give you the ball, a lot of field and wait for the breakdowns in execution. You guys gotta help these kids and you should be able do better than run or pass. Don’t CALL a play for St Brown to get him involved, set one up for him.

    I’m going to leave the kid alone until I see more. They say the hand is good now and we’ll see. He’s not the problem.

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    1. Chuma should be benched for a quarter for letting that Stanford player blow right by him and he didnt even make an effort to go help JT. I am a believer in JT. He is a gamer.

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      1. He didn’t have a lot to think about on that play either. I just think he was getting beat outside so much that he wasn’t ready for the inside move.

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