FOOTBALL

Discuss The USC-ASU Game

Was this a typical USC game or what?

Up 28-7 in the first quarter and holding on for dear life in the final minute with a 31-26 lead. Against a backup QB making his first career start.

What happens if the ASU tight end doesn’t drop that pass in his hands in the final minute?

Clay Helton said this after the game: “Some people want to write us off. Don’t write us off quite yet.”

A friend listening to the game on the radio sent this: “The Trojans survive and talk about championship dreams for at least another week.” – Pete Arbogast

Can Mike Bohn earn his paycheck by continuing this sloppy show on a weekly basis into 2020?

It might have been a win but was it really?

It was a great chance for Bohn to see what the Clay Helton era is all about.

Here is Christian Rector on his interception at the end of the game.

I knew the ball was going to be coming out. So I saw it come out, tipped it and made a play on it. Called game.”

68 thoughts on “Discuss The USC-ASU Game”

  2. Another UGLY win. Rector saved Clay from being tarmaced. Sloppy play on both sides of the ball. Special Teams are a joke. Love to know the average of where ASU got the ball on kickoffs. How can you not fix kickoff returns? Typical Clay win for the last two years, ugly and barely.

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    1. I always enjoy your input, but no way is Helton getting Kiffin’d. He’ll finish out the season and USC will let him walk into the sunset with millions in his pocket. End of story.

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      1. Yeah u are probably right. But if that ASU guy catches the ball and doesn’t drop it and USC loses again, how long can u put up with this crap? USC got screwed on that roughing call that led to AZ TD, but it was an inept performance as usual.

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    2. The average starting point for Arizona State off our kicks was the 42 yard line. What other “special team” in college football lets the opposition start ONE FIRST DOWN away from 4 down territory?
      #UnbelievableToRecallThatWeOnceHadCallawayANDBaxter…
      #Helton’sPowerfulDeathWishMustBeGrantedByBohn..
      #ItWillBeAnActOfMercy….

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      2. The Cavs had James, Irving, & Love. The Lakers had Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, & Worthy. The Celtics had Bird, McHale, & Parrish,
        but USC has had(enough of) Helton, Baxter, & Pendergast..

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      3. This is the Pac-12, and even in this weak conference, Pendergast’s D can’t create a pass rush. ASU’s frosh QB had tons of time on most of his throws.

        An offense with a really good O-line would totally carve up Pendergast’s schemes. It would be ‘Bama ’16 again.

        I can’t even look at Helton anymore. Particularly in his form-fitting cardinal t-shirt.

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  3. My heart sank when Rector made that int … and I am a lifelong, impassioned Trojans fan. I think that says all that needs to be said about the Helton era.

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  4. Not only that why does he invoke god after every win”Glory to God”, he says. Does he say that when he loses? I wish he would stop that. Glory to the kids is much better. Amy way, this game was typical. He is a struggler not a coach. he is most of the time hanging on for dear life. I am tired of this torture.

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    1. Helton absolute fell into a bed of roses thanks to Haden being lazy and stupid. Ed O is now the #1 coach of LSU. Clay was not smart enough to know he wasn’t qualified to be in the position he fell into and hired crap for assistants. Remember his stupid brother? If u are in over your head, u have to be smart enough to look for help and cover your deficiencies. Clay is NOT that smart.

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    2. He does say that when he loses. He is a man of faith.

      As a fellow believer it is our purpose to know God and make Him known.

      And, you’re correct. This game is so typical, he is a struggler, and he needs to go.

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      1. I am a believer, as well.

        However, I have always doubted that God was overly concerned with the outcome of a sporting event. With such turmoil and trouble in the world as a whole, and on a more personal level, in the lives of individual families and persons, It always has seemed inappropriate to me to pray over the result of a football game — as much as I love football. But, that is just me.

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      2. I am a believer as well. I appreciate the fact that he credits God “faith” for what has happened in his life. I also appreciate his devotion to “family “ either his or the team. However, he is a LOUSY and totally INEPT as a coach of football. Totally clueless as to team organization and strategy and the role of competent assistants. He has a public persona of whistling past the graveyard and avoiding the reality of the situation. He has dragged USC down with him. Enough….

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    2. ttrojan22— May I revise your very astute comment just a little?—-It’s all about Rose Bowls, Recruiting, Fans, Money ….and not making our university a laughing stock.
      When Helton was wobbling and weakly waving his arms on the sidelines in the 4th quarter he looked like King Kong —in his own 4th quarter —atop the Empire State Building.
      #”TwasBaxterThatKilledTheBeast”

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      1. Michael I postulated during the game that Baxter has CTE or maybe acute cirrhosis of the liver-whatever brain wasting disease and Helton is setting him up this year’s scapegoat. This notion isn’t as farfetched as it seems. He hopes a diagnosis would buy him another year. Baxter really was a good coach at one time. (Before Michigan)
        Let’s hope Bohn doesn’t buy this excuse

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      2. Rialto — Watching Baxter try to keep up with the game is like watching the 50 year old (and formerly great) Archie Moore get routinely beat up boxing…..
        #SadToWatch….
        [Note: It is a testament to how clueless Helton is that he can’t see that the communication gap between over the hill, burned out coaches like Callaway or Baxter and 18-20 year old players is insurmountable].

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      1. Nah —let’s save ALL our venom for Helton. The team deserves our support. It’a amazing how hard they play and how many games they’ve won when you consider the lousy special teams coaching, head coaching and strength and conditioning they obviously get….. When I looked at the injury list for USC coming into this game (a full team’s worth) and the injury list for Arizona State (2 players), it made me sick. Something about the Helton football culture is SO wrong.

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      1. In this particular game, we would HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF IF WE INTENTIONALLY KICKED THE BALL OUT EVERY TIME. How many special teams in the country can say that? I know it’s late in the season and he’s palsy-walsy with Baxter— but just for the sheer symbolism of it —Helton should can Baxter NOW and put a song girl in charge of Special Teams for the last 2 games.

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  7. Everybody —announcers, fans, opposing coaches, recruits —everybody but Helton sees the lack of discipline, the beyond terrible special teams coaching, the dumb penalties in the red zone, absence of adjustments and poor conditioning of the players. If this was Helton’s “audition” as another blog put it, I hope USC tells him “thanks for coming, don’t call us –we’ll call you.”
    #Scott’sRight:GameWasONEDroppedPassFromBeingLost….

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  8. Enough is enough…how many times do we have to watch this chaos……Fortunately for helton, only the rapidly diminishing Trojan fan base , rooting for his demise, was watching this nationally televised farce….everybody else was watching the Orgerons taking it to Alabama….

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  9. We lead by 21 at the half…but win by 5….and this is progress ?

    This is one of those times you hear a losing coach say “we ran out of time, if we just had another quarter” and you want to believe him !

    Coach ‘O’ had to be on pins and needles as well in the fourth quarter in Tuscaloosa. Almost slipped away from the Tigers !

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  10. Yes, it’s about the money. To put Helton out the door will be about $12 million, and to place Meyer inside the door another $40 million or so. Is SC willing to part with $50 million for a coaching change? We shall find out.

    I walked out of the place where I was watching the game at the end of the first quarter, 28-7, remarking how the game was over. Wrong, wrong. SC gets outscored 19-3 the rest of the way, and is on the ropes to lose it. Great 1/4 game; the other 3/4 was not much fun.

    Cal should be easier, but no sure-bet, and sucla will probably go down for an 8-4 record. I will be rooting for sucla next week against Utah, and hoping for a rematch with Oregon, when I know we will do much better. The Ducks are not 32 points better than SC. Maybe 10 or so.

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    1. Unless a LOT of USC money finds it’s way into the right Pac 12 refs’ hands, Oregon is more than 10 points better than a Helton coached team. The reason? Helton panics with a lead and starts thinking —-“Okay, only THREE quarters to go —I hope we can hang on for the win without staying aggressive!”
      #AndDoYouKnowWhatHappensToCoachesWhoThinkLikeThat?…
      #Hint:It’sNotGood…..

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  11. 193 yards given up on ST by Baxter and his minions, plus at least 2 key penalties.

    ST has declined, not improved this season. Similar to last season, if one recalls. There’s a reason Harbarf cut Baxter loose. No doubt he’s done good things with players and scholastic issues, but it’s time for him to retire. The game has passed him by.

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    1. Juan4SC,
      Just take a long, hard look at how lost Baxter appears on the sidelines. He’s no longer playing with a full deck. He should have retired BEFORE Helton hired him. His unit sucks all life out of the offense and defense —both of which have to live with his multiple dick head plays every game.
      #OnlyAStubbornIdiotLikeHeltonKeepsACoachWhoHurtsTheTeam

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  12. To Michael Link who I enjoy reading: Flow’s stupid blog won’t allow me to reply to you. So here’s this: Yes. Today was yet another ugly win. Did we even win? We’re all sick of this shit. The product is bad. But my feel is that USC will let Helton resign or step down because he does seem like a good dude who the kids can actually play for and that the admins actually like. Lastly, yes, you’re right. If ASU catches that pass over the middle, game over. But Helton still stays on as the head coach. Those are my thoughts.

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    1. Like I said above u r probably correct. The USC administration is so incredibly PC now they bend over backwards to do the woke correct thing. Helton is a nice, guy, apparently a good Christian, but he is a really lousy football coach. That didn’t matter to Haden or Swann. They want someone who is affable and can get along with everyone and won’t cause any problems. I can understand those thoughts after what USC has endured over the last couple of years with all the scandals. But the bottom line is he is a LOUSY coach and that is what matters.

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  13. I kept switching back and forth to the LSU game. And I must say, USC looked like a Mid American conference team, compared to Alabama or LSU. Clay Helton has really taken the program backwards, and is a transparent imbecile, along with his one track mind offensive coordinator. I was waiting for St. Brown to possibly blow his knee out by playing running back, what a stupid decision by Helton .

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  14. Gutsy win by the claymaker.

    The refs were doing everything they could to give asu that game. Clay overcame all the bs that was thrown at him. If the running backs were healthy this is a blowout.

    Fight on clay!

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      1. Cal looked really good today. That guy that Helton fired as his defensive coordinator (namely, Wilcox) is a WAY better coach than Helton will ever be.
        #WeReallyHaveOurWorkCutOutForUs….
        #BothHeadCoachesWeStillHaveToFaceAreWayBetterThanHelton….

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  16. Like Fresno St. and Colorado, this game was one individual play(er) away from being a loss. If Christian Rector doesn’t make that miraculous interception on ASU’s last drive, much like Pittman’s winning TD run two weeks ago and the Velus Jones never-to-be-repeated kickoff TD return in week one – the game is an “L”. Just think about that – remove 3 wins and add 3 losses. 3-7 v. 6-4. Sobering.

    This coaching staff in its entirety needs to be fired. Start from scratch with Meyer, and damn the costs. Anything else is not USC Trojan football.

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    1. Agreed have the P.S. storage guy magnet pick up the tab. All the money he saved on Swan for the next 2 years can go towards the coaching fund. Maybe this time he will get his moneys worth with buyout of Helton and the hiring of Meyer. Just remember to keep his name anonymous got it! 👍

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    1. I wonder if Coach ‘O’ could even do for us what he’s done for LSU —would the goofballs in charge interfere? Would they give him the support that LSU gives Orgeron?

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      2. That’s exactly the reason Haden wouldn’t hire him. Haden wanted to be a dictator when it came to football. Orgeron wouldn’t of let that be the case so Haden hired a fellow drunk in Sark and then when Sark started to fail to be a non-functional alcoholic Haden tossed the keys to Clay who he knew would let him carry-on as the king of football just like he was when he was a kid. It’s not hard to see how we’ve gotten to this point.

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  18. How did you like the game sport fans? What a crock of shit. First quarter on fire 28 pts ( like Oregon game) and then the crap for 3 quarters and 3pts. Almost get beat from a freshman 1st game quarterback. If not for the ASU dropped pass and our interception at the end we lose.
    Can’t tackle, can’t defend kick offs, have to squib kick and then can’t keep in bounds.
    Helton celebrating, smiling and hugging like he won the Natty. He has top go- kick him and Bax & Pendg the hell out.
    Wife says she is tired of me yelling at the TV ” Quote they can’t here you” What a embarrassment USC football has become. We used to own the 4th quarter, now we hang on for dear life. SICKING!!!

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    1. Rusoviet, I’d prefer the opposite sequencing, or winning both. I don’t think it will matter in terms of Helton’s future in any case. Bohn didn’t come here to watch this crap for another season.

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      1. You’re right ’67 I just so want this back end of a horse gone – sacked – fired- shown the door – I loath this overpaid moron – the first time he ever coached a team as head coach was the USC Trojans.

        ‘blank’: Haden, Sarkisian, Nikias, Swann and the village idiot Helton

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  20. Got the same treatment. “Why are you yelling so loud at the TV”? “Do you think they can hear you”? Yes! There not even playing in the Colosseum. There playing in Tempe Arizona lol, because Helton sucks and they should have over 40 points already and be up by 3 or 4 touchdowns. That’s why im yelling. That was in the 4th quarter. After Arizona St. Was down by 5 ready to make a comback.

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    1. I am v afraid that Clay stays. 8 and 4 is hard to justify a firing especially given the money involved. Another year and then see how it plays out is very likely the route that will be taken.

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  21. i have only one observation: the new AD has basically boxed himself in by essentially mandating that Hell-TON “finish strong” in order to save his job. if Hell-TON wins 2-3 including a good showing in the one loss, that saves his job. no way Bohn can go back on his word.

    #SoISayingThere’sAChance

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    1. Not even you, Chaz, all snuggled up next to Flow every night, can make enough sense to bring Helton back. Helton is gone. Enjoy trying to win 2 more shitty games. But he’s out.

      #feelingtinglyagain

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