USC’s training camp might be a lot of things but no one will ever accuse Clay Helton of overworking the players. The Trojans got a day off after two practices. They had their first full pads practice Wednesday and went back to shorts Thursday. Today will be a lighter practice because of the scrimmage Saturday and Sunday will be off. USC will actually take 3 … Continue reading A Leisurely Start To Training Camp

Thursday’s practice was a good illustration of JT Daniels‘ inconsistent nature. He went 6 for 6 during a 7-on-7 period but 0 for 3 in an 11-vs.-11 drill. What was the difference? How about a live pass rush during 11-on-11. How he handles pressure will be the key this season because he didn’t like it last season. But he has always been a 7-on-7 All-American. … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC will scrimmage Saturday for the first time in training camp. All four quarterbacks will get even reps, according to Clay Helton. Helton said he would he would through at least Aug. 17 before eliminating quarterbacks from the alleged race. Helton spoke glowingly about the offensive line and secondary, two perceived areas of weakness. After its first day in full pads Wednesday, USC returned to … Continue reading USC Thursday Practice Report

USC secondary coach Greg Burns is getting good reviews inside the program for his coaching of the defensive backs. Let’s hope his group’s actual performance fares better than his recent teams because this is how they ranked in passing yards allowed the past decade: 2010 ASU: 101 2011 ASU: 108 2012 Purdue: 63 2013 UMass: 42 2014 Cal: 128 2015 Cal: 92 2016 Cal: 84 … Continue reading USC List Of The Day

Here’s Graham Harrell on the QB race: “I think you’ve got to let them go at least for a week or a week and half, and then at that point, hopefully, we’ll kind of, if not narrow down to one, at least narrow down to two,” Harrell said. “Start to weed it out as we probably get closer — because it’s not about who’s playing … Continue reading Graham Harrell On QB Race

You might think the USC quarterback derby is closer than ever after yesterday’s practice, where JT Daniels had an uneven day at best. But I would just say this: When Jack Sears had a strong performance against Arizona State, several team captains went to Clay Helton and asked for Sears to start the following week against Oregon State. Helton, according to sources, said his hands … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: How Close Is QB Derby?