FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: What Would QB Depth Be Today?

I heard again at Saturday’s scrimmage that Clay Helton would like to make freshman Kedon Slovis the backup QB.

But actually doing it is another matter. If JT Daniels gets hurt, would Helton have the guts to insert a freshman over two quarterbacks who have actual game experience?

Here is what an assistant coach told me the depth chart would be if the season started today. This is what he thinks Helton would do, not how the assistant coach ranks the quarterbacks:

  1. JT Daniels
  2. Matt Fink
  3. Jack Sears
  4. Kedon Slovis

My personal prediction is if USC even releases a depth chart (which Helton might not do), the spineless coach might list it as “Matt Fink OR Jack Sears” at the backup spot to avoid taking a stand.

  • USC ran the ball only 15 times for 17 yards in the scrimmage. The run-blocking was the culprit for the anemic rushing stats. You know who had the longest run Saturday? Sears. But it almost seems like the coaches don’t want a mobile QB.

Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell called at least 66 pass plays. Did he do this just to see the quarterbacks? Or is this an indictation he is not overly interested in running the ball, which was one complaint heard at North Texas.

The North Texas offense did run the ball, but that could also be the influence of head coach Seth Littrell, who had a hand in play calling.

Hasn’t Helton always preached balance too?

25 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: What Would QB Depth Be Today?”

  1. “USC ran the ball only 15 times for 17 yards in the scrimmage. The run-blocking was the culprit for the anemic rushing stats.”

    #Three and out, three and out, three and out, etc.

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    1. Against the teams that can press cover and pass rush…yes, you are right…and I hope you are more than right…the worse this season goes, all the better…some years you wonder/hope about the ceiling…some years you wonder/hope about the pain threshold for regime change…USC football 2019 – Almond Joy or Mounds?

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      1. James: I say U-No bar —as in you know we’re in serious trouble if the Air Raid can’t get us past our half of the field before it runs into a 3rd and ten. With NO running game, we’re gonna be pretty easy to figure out in those situations…
        #..WhichIsWhyIHopeTheyOccurOnOtherTeam’s35YdLine….

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      2. MG
        As we’ve bandied this about over the past nine months or so, the mental imagery that my reasoning is rooted in is many years of watching Oklahoma lay eggs in big games outside of the Big 12 (which is the primary cradle of this style of play at least in the Power 5…obviously, it has a long lineage going back through Schnellenberger/Miami, Edwards/BYU, back maybe even to Coryell/SDSU), and recently watching the Huskies thrash Wazzou…the rare times where the Air Raid or like offenses have showed up in big games almost invariably involves the presence of a mobile QB who can buy the extra time for receivers to beat press coverage or run to keep the chains moving…
        JM

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      3. Mobile Quarterback? Check!
        Guy who can buy extra time? Check!
        Guy who can move the chains with his legs? Check!
        We’re talking ’bout J.T. !!!
        [Helton is taking Barry Switzer’s advice: “If you’re gonna get fired anyway, get fired for going with what ya believe in”]…..

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  2. The only fools who thought Tim Drevno would Wave a Magic wand over the offensive line to make them productive, were the USC Rah Rah’s 😂😂 . Dominating up front is a culture, that doesn’t exist under Bozo Helton, so don’t expect it this season either. Physical tough football went out the window when Pete Carroll left… Period

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    1. I think it is over rated talent. Although, I think the front 7 on defense had something to do with it. They know what plays are coming for the most part. What I am curious about is how Mr, Skinny Jeans, Justin Wilcox could create a suppressive defense at Cal but not as USC. I think it has something to do with overrated talent. Thoughts?

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      1. It’s partially overrated talent. (But) Overrated talent (or, to put it another way, lazy recruiting based on stars) doesn’t have to kill you. Carr plainly doesn’t have it —he’s averaging less than a yard per carry. We’ve got other lesser rated players who could contribute if Helon would only let them. But he won’t —he’s gonna let Carr (who has never broken a tackle in his life) put the offense in 3rd and 10 situations which every defensive coordinator in the Pac 12 will know EXACTLY how to defend.

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      2. This pretty much summarizes the state of our union…

        Liked by 3 people

      3. James —The only way out of this mess is for the team to fight it’s way out —-one game at a time. Votes (lots of ’em) come with wins over Fresno State and Stanford and, especially, Utah….
        #[FromNowOnIWantToBeKnownAsMisterRogers]
        #Won’tYouBeMyNeighbor?

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      4. Yes sir – just to reiterate (since we’ve both been clear on this in the past) – we’re cheering for the team defined as the players, without reservation…would be beyond ecstatic to cheer them on while eating a lot of words…and in the absence of this, cheering for decisions by leadership that will restore the program to its former place…which some of us think take one shape, while others of us…

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      5. Yep. That covers it, James. Very well stated.
        #We’llKnowWhichOfThoseTwoScenariosWe’reInVerySoon….

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  3. With such a close quarterback competition you have to go with JT Daniels. He has experience with the flow of quarterbacking for four quarters against in difficult situations. I think the close qb race is due to the Air Raid being a great equalizer with a simplified offense. The other factor for JT is his connection is his bond with Amon Ra.

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    1. Daniels doesn’t run, so the defense doesn’t have to scheme for him running which makes him USELESS in today’s game.

      But like I said before, as long as Gomer Bozo is the head coach it won’t matter who the QB is, this ship has sunk.

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  5. The QB depth chart is ridiculous. Matt Fink was long gone in the
    transfer portal a few months ago. He would not have wasted the
    other three reps now. Daniels should start and go from there if he
    is a winner stats are irrelevant. Sears better off the bench to energize
    team. Alabama used Hurts in certain situations. Look at their tapes.

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    2. Exactly. The old “under the radar” strategy. Helton’s been cleverly laying the groundwork for a sneak attack on the 2019 Pac 12 Championship for over a year…….
      #BruceWillisInPulpFiction:”That’sHowYou’reGonnaBeat’Em”….
      #”…They’reAlwaysUnderestimatingYa…”

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      1. I hear ya MG! But you’ll forgive me if I prefer my USC football to be played more like Samuel L. Jackson (“I’m the baddest MF’er in the Valley…”) in the diner…with a touch of “Check out the big brain on Brad” Hollywood humor!

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      2. Idea for a Screenplay: “Once Upon A Time At USC.” Butch and Jules become friends. They’re relaxing at home smoking cigarettes laced with LSD when Helton and Drevno break into their house…….
        #TarantinoFansCanTakeItFromThere…..

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  7. You have to question the author’s integrity here. North Texas was in a rebuild mode and really a true Air Raid team to benefit their offense, They still finished at 153 yards a game which was good for #79 in the nation. Better than USC, Stanford, WSU, Oregon State, to name a few. Yet, because Harrell doesn’t run the ball he assumes there’s no running game based on one NT fan expressing dismay in Bleacher Report that the Mean Green should of run more? Lol

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  8. I agree with Heltons QB chart: 1) Daniels 2) Fink 3) Sears 4) Slovis. As far as the running game is concerned, the coaches are all being a bunch of sunshine pumpers when it comes to the run game. It stinks. Maybe that defensive front is really great this year. I don’t know. But I’ve always questioned how much of a run game you can have with these types of spread offenses. The coaches keep saying that “our running game will be fine…..NTS had a outstanding running game last year using this same offense”….yada, yada, yada!
    You can’t keep saying that forever. When the games start and you are getting 50-60 yards a game running the ball, it’s going to be obvious what already seems to be the case….that the running game stinks.

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