FOOTBALL

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

New athletic director Mike Bohn looked a people person at USC on Thursday.

That alone seperated him from Lynn Swann and is one reason for optimism at USC. Swann never cared about the fans.

Bohn’s first tweet at USC was with an employee who works at one of the entrances to the campus. You think Swann ever talked to someone he didn’t have to?

Maybe the difference is Swann was always a star at USC and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fans fawned over him.

By contrast, Bohn completed 5 of 19 passes for 70 yards with no TDs and two interceptions in his only season at Kansas in 1982.

  • Bohn and USC president Carol Folt were supposed to go to Thursday night’s women’s volleyball game vs. Utah. The Trojans lost in five sets and dropped to 13-10 overall. Bohn needs to fix women’s volleyball too.
  • Always the optimist, Clay Helton said this Thursday:

“To win five of the last six, with the injuries and the youth, you’d see a team grow,” Helton said.

That sounds like a case being made to show Bohn. Now Helton just needs to win the next three games.

  • With Michael Pittman bothered by a sprained ankle this week, it just reminded me that two USC coaches reportedly got into an argument on the sideline with John Baxter during the Oregon game because Baxter wanted to insert an injured Pittman on special teams.
  • If Bohn is making more than $1 million per year, he would still make $2-3 million less than what Swann reportedly made as athletic director.
  • Michael Smith of Sports Business Journal wondered how the USC athletic director’s job was only conisdered fifth-best in a recent analysis by AthleticDirectorU.

“How did USC drop so far? The best answer I’ve heard is when Commissioner Larry Scott convinced USC and UCLA to accept an even revenue distribution plan in 2010, which meant the Trojans and Bruins would take home the same conference revenue as Washington State and Arizona. From a league perspective, it was the right thing to do, but it also took away any leverage USC and UCLA had from the days when they received more of the revenue.”

Thanks, Haden!

  • When Howard Jones was USC’s coach from 1925-40, he was known for being a teetotaler. When USC would go on road trips, they would often take a train and his assistant coaches would sneak into another railroad car so they could drink.
  • In 1963, No. 1-ranked USC played No. 3-ranked Oklahoma at the Coliseum before only 39,345 fans. One reason was the heat: It was 120 degrees on the field. Canopies were erected on the sidelines for both teams.
  • One story from the game involved Oklahoma’s big tailback, Joe Don Looney, who weighed 224 pounds.

Looney barreled down the field on one play and USC defensive backs Mike Garrett and Willie Brown were all that stood in front of him. Garrett used to say the pair looked at each other and Garrett said, “uh, uh.” Neither made the tackle.

Oklahoma won the game, 17-12, and rushed for 307 yards.

Garrett and Brown were obviously great USC tailbacks but in that season players went two-ways.

Looney played the following week against Texas and then was kicked off the team by Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson.

Mike Garrett carries the ball vs. Oklahoma on Sept. 28, 1963.

45 thoughts on “If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column”

  1. I wonder if Helton thinks he has a chance to stay the head ball coach? What he’s been through the past two seasons I wouldn’t wish on anyone, but I think after being retained last year he might think the new AD will give him one more to see his style of coaching come to fruition.

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    1. USC has the potential to win out the season, so if Mike Bohn’s going to make a change, it should be sooner, than later. Clay Helton should not be given the opportunity to possibly coach the team in whatever lower level bowl game they may get invited to.

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    2. A lot of what Gomer has been through is self inflicted, I don’t feel sorry for him one bit.

      He should have surrounded himself with better assistants, he didn’t.
      He should have fired some of the dullard assistants he has, he didn’t
      He should have gone to other programs and coaches to learn, he didn’t. He played favorites and played lesser players in front of better players. He ran off a QB
      He lied about what his offensive philosophy would be
      He’s ruining recruiting
      He’s been prison raped on national TV some many times it’s embarrassing
      He’s the worst head coach ever at USC, yes, even worse than Tollner and Hackett

      If he thinks he’ll keep his job he’s delusional, he should thank the Lord that he’s got enough money to live the rest of his life on in the south.

      Goodbye and good riddance.

      Liked by 6 people

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      1. When it’s all said and done he’s going to walk away having made 17 million dollars for the above-mentioned idiocy.

        If you feel sorry for him, you’re a fool.

        Liked by 4 people

      3. Hey, ya know what, karma? Thank you for going to the trouble of compiling that list of horribles. Every once in a while I need to take that trip down memory lane so I don’t feel a touch of sympathy for Helton as he whines about “the fates.” The “failure to attract good assistants or fire proven bad ones” bullet point is —all by itself —enough justification to say adios.
        #Thanks.INeededThat

        Liked by 3 people

      5. Bohn appears to be professional, responsible, clear, honest, principled, high achieving, and aims for the top. I imagine he expects the same in the people who work for him.

        That means Helton is gone, even if they win out. There simply is no excuse for the performance, the choice of assistant coaches, the rookie mistakes we have seen.

        It is common knowledge that Helton should not be HC of SC.

        Liked by 2 people

      1. George Carlin– nothing like him. A true messenger from another world who reminded us that we are not necessarily permanent inhabitants of earth. Better watch out!

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      1. Since the planet was once covered in ice you could say global warming has been around for a billion years or more, but we’ll be dead in 10-12 years if we don’t act now, hahahahahahah

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      1. Nah’ it was when JFK got inaugurated and all the power began to emanate from his back end….Jack our Jack….why?
        The sweetest con the left ever created – total control of everyone’s life
        Who’ll show us the way…if only….

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  4. In recap, Bohn doesn’t have the ego of the previous AD’s and isn’t much of a football player. Helton is still thinking like a Peewee football coach. Howard Jones had a stick up his bum and it was hot in the coliseum once.
    We might not have Pittman tomorrow, and that is a shame but because of our Peewee coach he might be held out anyway to boost his message of gutty little…oh sorry wrong school

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  5. Well, Wolf seems to have landed on the side of liking Bohn and his initial impression made yesterday to alumni, fans etc. I wonder how long it will take for that worm to turn? To recap, can anyone remember anyone in the last decade that Wolf has liked from USC? I can’t. He turned on Carroll after Carroll realized he was a doofus. My prediction: if Bohn hires UM Wolf will cry that UM is an advocate of child beating and runs a dirty program. If Bohn picks someone else, Wolf will cry UM should be hired. Both Folt and Bohn denied saying UM was radioactive, so who started that story? Watch and wait….

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  6. As a Head Football Coach of a Div 1 school….Clay Helton is an impostor !
    Validated by his latest utterances.

    He was hired by an incompetent idiot, tolerated by the uninterested and justified his presence through a litany of excuses. He resembles a “Snowflake” more that a Football Coach, he whines and mealy mouths his way through a period of consistent mediocrity with one excuse after another, and it’s accepted, which only validates he is watched by idiots and disinterested Administrators.

    These are the same group who will march and prance around the University in their fancy robes and resplendent garments proclaiming how intelligent, accomplished and gifted they are…please…

    If it isn’t obvious now to even the most dull-witted of the College community after 4 years of his incompetence, then there is no hope for any of you.

    And to Mr. Bohn…if you have any bones in your spine, you need to end this disgrace of USC tradition and excellence in Football immediately !

    Ceterum autem censeo Carthaginem esse delendam’
    nil illegitimi carborundum

    Liked by 5 people

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    2. It seems SC’s image suffered more due to medical and business improprieties than anything the football team failed to do.

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      1. Lawyer John,

        Which effected the income stream to the University MORE !!!

        Did the University recently invest $300+m in Keck or Marshall….does the Academics garner the same level of Publicity nationally per week the Football program does? Tell me the last time a discourse or lecture from Keck, Marshall or even Gould put 70,000 asses in the Coliseum.
        Everything is compartmentally organized, like billable hours, expense accounts etc. in a Legal setting. You can’t look at one and ignore the other!

        ROI is an important issue at this juncture….this year ends any income stream from the Rams…SC is on the hook for the Coliseum now !

        There is only (in a properly administered organization) one person responsible for that task, that is the Athletic Administrator with a discerning intelligence.

        What in fact you allude to, is the exposure of systemic sleaze, perversion and lack of institutional oversight, their continued association and position at Keck, all vile. Football, rather is seen as Gross Incompetence of non other than the arrogant misdeeds of first class jerk Lynn Swann and his pet coach, There is a difference, whether you notice it or not.

        Thank You very much !!!

        Liked by 2 people

    3. factor13 –I see you’re all in on sending foot soldiers armed with torches & bags of salt into Clay’s office —I think that’s very nice. Now for your next project maybe you can write a little letter to a mostly unread— but awfully virtuous—newspaper called the Los Angeles Times. Direct it please to the in-love-with-death-columnist, Dylan Hernandez —who writes today that Folt and Bohn must resist the temptation to hire “a proven winner” like Urban Meyer. The reason? He’d start winning all his games —just like the evil Pete Carroll.
      #LATimes:BiggestCollectionOfLoserOddballsEverAssembled…
      #TheyDeserveAOneTimeVisitFromfactor13…..

      Liked by 4 people

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      2. karma — Dylan Hernandez is a fricking bruin grad. I mean, wtf?! Folt is supposed to take [moral] advice from a uclan on which direction we should go in our hunt for a head football coach?
        #smdh

        Liked by 1 person

      3. My email to D. Hernandez under the subject: Journalistic integrity.

        “Your connection to UCLA explains your aversion to USC and casts considerable doubt about your own integrity.”

        Liked by 3 people

      4. ttrojan22 —It’s funny when a newspaper —known worldwide for bias and bullshit — decides to lecture us on how to go about selecting a coach. As far as Dylan’s “warning” that we could get another “win at all costs Pete Carroll-type…”
        #..Yeah,WeShouldBeSoLucky.
        #[IfCrapLikeThisScaresFoltOffMeyerShe’sAPhonyAsALeader]..

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      2. James —The best answer to the Times’ attempt to shame USC into hiring ANOTHER church deacon is to hire Meyer today……
        #AndHangBannersAtColiseumSaying”EatIt!”

        Liked by 1 person

  7. There Helton goes again with his inane public relations pitch. I am so sick of him. So, it shows how great we are if we win or come close because of our difficulties he is responsible for? Is he crazy as well as incompetent. If Bohn falls for that he will fall for anything.. He thinks we are a bunch of yokels.

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  8. “New athletic director Mike Bohn looked [like? for?] a people person [in the eye?] at USC on Thursday.” This alone separates Scott from someone who proof-reads.

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    1. Scott doesn’t have an edit feature either. On InsideUSC first draft is final draft for all of us….
      #LifeCanBeRough

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    2. Scott doesn’t seem to have a spell checker either – “seperated” gets a squiggly line under it when I type it in…

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  9. I hope USC wins the next three games for the players and recruiting. Helton should be let go because he can’t win on the big field stage and the team shouldnt be in a downward slide because these are his players and coaches. The Oregon game was the last straw for me. He owns it and makes way too much money for me to feel sorry for him.

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    1. I really am hoping Wilcox gets one more shot at Helton & his top 5 recruiting class.
      I’ve got to believe that Helton is toast & knows it.
      Bohn to Helton: We support you coach until the end. Fight on.

      #TheEnd

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      1. I’ll bet Aaron Rodgers wishes he had ‘one more down’ when he and Cal were 1st and goal way back on – 9th October 2004….there it was ‘a glittering’ but alas (trust me after the 3rd down Rodgers 4th down was the pinnacle) the guy who has no time for his parents threw it away….

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