I’ve even heard from a USC coach who was surprised John Baxter was given a dual role of tight ends and special teams coach. Wonders never cease. Of course, even dating back to the Lane Kiffin era, Baxter’s never been the most popular coach on the staff.
I really can’t say I understand USC’s “philosophy” regarding the linebacker coaches. New outside linebackers coach Joe DeForest has not coached linebackers since 2000. Inside linebackers Johnny Nansen had not coached linebackers since 2006 at Idaho before USC made him coach outside linebackers in 2016.
They might do a good job but is this really the best coaching scenario to present to recruits?
- A frequent topic of the football program is injuries and its strenghth-and-conditioning program. What about basketball? USC’s had eight healthy players for some games this season and freshman guard Kevin Porter’s been sidelined a month with a bruised thigh.
By the way, it sure looks like USC coach Clay Helton is going to do nothing about replacing any strength coaches. Helton must not remember USC had around 27 guys injured after the Utah game.
- USC future opponent, BYU, routed Western Michigan, 49-18, in the Idaho Potato Bowl.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
I saw Kliff Kingsbury being interviewed by espn’s Shelly Smith this morning, and to my surprise, he said he’s the one who reached out to Clay Helton for the Offensive Coordinations position . So I doubt if he’ll jump at a NFL offer anytime soon.
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Yep – he absolutely recruited USC.
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As ambitiously as Scottie wants to paint USC as a shi-hole, the top O-Coordinator in the nation actively sought out the school and Clay Helton. Go figure! Maybe he’s just DUMB? I don’t think so.
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Football is a collision sport…just lifting weights does not prepare one for violence of tackling a 230lb running back or 250 lb tight end…or a lineman running full speed to block or tackle…needless to say practicing in shorts all the time for a football game vs real football teams is asking for injuries….like a heavy weight boxing champ sparring feather weights, then stepping into the ring vs a real heavy weight…guess what happens next…
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As long as those collisions don’t involve your head which is pretty hard not to do.
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The harder u practice, easier the game in terms of physicality. Yelling at them helps as well. That gets ur attention.
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If we go back and look at the way Pete Carrol conducted his practices when SC had NCAA championships and producing Heisman Trophy winners and All Americans, it was clear and evident why SC was very physical and dominant in beating their scheduled opponents. The “shorts practice” was not seen very often. Now with the players being bigger, faster, and more physical, it’s important, as well as imperative, to have “smash mouth” practices in preparation for the weekend contest. Helton needs to look at how Bama, Ohio State, and Texas conduct their practices and see why they generate impressive wins and achieve high rankings in all three polls. I don’t think community college squads that are top shelf believe in “shorts practices”.
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It is very difficult if not near impossible for any of us to make a significant change from what we are to what we’d like to be late in life. Helton is not a ‘take charge’ nor a ‘commanding’ personality. Expect improvement perhaps in 2019 maybe some hope but he will never ever have the skill set to prepare for a top-tier opponent and his recent massacre losses to AL, OH St. and ‘the princess’ are what his peers and the 4th estate know about Helton.
The Pac-12 is a mess – it has always had its’ identity due to USC’s being the marquis program of the conference. When USC is tops it forces the rest of the program to step up their own game and thus produce decent match-ups against OOC. Look at the abysmal record in bowls and regular OOC match-ups the past 7 – 8 years.
Sam Darnold is what Helton and his admirers were able to hide behind – Darnold is long gone. Nothing significant will change until this totally out-matched incompetent head coach Clay Helton is tossed – nothing.
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Yawn.
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Just rent,
Yeah Thug U aka ruinville is a big yawn
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Insert a stick into the wasp nest….’Jonnie the peckerwood, was and always will be a colossal fraud!’
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In Commie Lush’s opinion. BFD!!!
SUCCX: 00000000000 forever.
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As opposed to former bozo Asst. HC Tony “Dollar Bill” Bland, who, as SW has reported, is negotiating a plea deal with Feds.
Andyain’twinning, of course, didn’t know squat, but he should have.
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Those kind of decisions mean the coach budget all went to hiring Kliff Kingsbury. The reality…this is Heltons make it or break it year. Offense will be exciting to watch though.
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If only Jonnie Cat were still with us….Jonnie Cat, guaranteed to get yur ‘feline’ to do he/she mess where it matters….JD Morgans gravesite..after all when the coward aka ‘the peckerwood’ tells the flunkies and gutless wonders, who can’t even secure that bronze bear from vandalism a mere 3 weeks ago, what else is there? Why levitate ‘Nellie’!
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Typical Commie Lush, chug a pint Auld Yellow Piss Volka or two, then rant so hysterically he can’t complete a simple sentence. Healy used to label such behavior as “taking the Leonard Tose route.”
UCLA 34 – SUCCX 27
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If anyone (let alone a coach) from the University actually spoke to Wolf … wonders indeed never cease. Wolf talking strength and conditioning is also a wonder in itself … has he ever seen the inside of a gym? Nansen has put together some impressive LB recruiting classes the last couple years.
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