FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Kedon Slovis Needs Protection From Helton/Harrell

How much of a beating does the USC brain trust (Clay Helton, Graham Harrell) think it is OK for Kedon Slovis to absorb?

Slovis got knocked out of two games (Utah, Iowa) and left two other games (Arizona State, UCLA).

When you don’t run the ball and throw as many as 55 passes a game, this is probably a logical conclusion for a quarterback, especially when you have a porous offensive line.

What makes this worse is Slovis looks like he can take a hit, unlike JT Daniels. So it’s even more problematic that he has been subjected to so many hits.

All that gaudy stats and the backpatting some do of Harrell won’t amount to much next season if Slovis gets hurt because teams like Alabama figure out USC is not committed to any sort of running game.

If USC can’t run on Iowa, will it be able to run on Alabama?

  • Baylor coach Matt Rhule is getting mentioned for NFL jobs today. But he wasn’t good enough to get contacted by USC.

52 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Kedon Slovis Needs Protection From Helton/Harrell”

  1. From the Athletic

    On the defensive side of the ball, USC is looking to replace Clancy Pendergast, who was fired Saturday.

    Ryan Nielsen, Saints defensive line coach:

    In three seasons, Nielsen has cranked the Saints into a ferocious defensive front. New Orleans ranks No. 3 in sacks and No. 5 in run defense. The Saints were No. 27 the year before he arrived in sacks and No. 19 in run defense. Before joining Sean Payton’s staff, Nielsen had just as big an impact at N.C. State, where he was the Pack’s defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator and developed a front four that all got drafted and included first-rounder Bradley Chubb. Prior to that, he was the defensive coordinator at FCS Central Connecticut, where his team won a conference title in 2009. The ultra-high-energy former USC defensive tackle, an Ed Orgeron protégé, is considered to be a very intriguing option for the Trojans’ defensive coordinator vacancy. The program that has struggled to develop defensive talent of late and probably could use a lot more juice on the practice field.

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    1. What really makes me want to puke is the thought of Gomer being paid 3.5 million to f##k things up.

      F##k him and anyone who tries to tell me what a ‘nice guy’ he is. He doesn’t give a f##k about anybody but himself. He”s a f##king ball gargler (not to be confused with Pudly).

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    4. Yeah right boobykrap. Nielsen goes from a potential SB winner to the Clown U FB program mess – LOL. What are you drinking this morning BK?

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      1. Kris Richard is the guy if USC wants to start winning again. There would be no more soft ass Helton practices on the defensive side…that’s for damn sure!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Boobykrap, Richard Nixon was a big winner until he resigned.

        Mugging UCLA in FB is no big thing. Ding the Vic Bell as many timed as you low self-esteem requires.

        Gosh, boobykrap, why not apply for one of the Asst. FB coach vacancies.

        You’re so FOS you’ll fit right in with chimps running the bozo FB program.

        Fish or cut bait boobykrap; prove you’re not just a bad fart in a crowded elevator.

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    6. Certainly sounds great, but who in the hell thinks this accomplished guy would even consider leaving The League, to come work under the chaotic 3 ring circus at the firm of Folt,Bohn&Helton.

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      2. @MG… I got over that “holding out hope” boolsheet when the Boner “was happy to announce” that he’d decided to retain Claydough.
        Now, for me it’s totally hopeless “wait and see” as it applies to our once legendary team.

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  2. Why would Rhule be contacted by USC if we weren’t going to have a vacancy? SW can be almost as dumb as some of the posters sometimes. My favorites are the ones who continue to cry about Orgeron six years later. They’re the same losers who like Al Bundy continually live in the past and having scored “4 touchdowns in a single game” when they were in high school. LMAO

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    3. Yeah Troll the Trolls, poor guy has to be mentally deficient to even think his posts are amusing. Most would find jokes about tampax (& virtually all of his other stupid remarks) funny until around age 12. But some people never move beyond junior high. It’s pretty sad.

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  3. Didn’t Slovis just get cramped-up in the ASU game? I don’t think that is being “knocked out” of the game by another opponent or because of Helton and Harrell…

    And then there’s this gem:

    “All that gaudy stats and the backpatting…”

    English, Flow. English.

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    1. Calling Slovis a girl, that’s good stuff Tebow. You and BK should get together to practice this stuff. Don’t forget PJM, he seems to be another insightful homophobe.

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  5. Clay Helton’s football philosophy has never been to control the line of scrimmage, that’s why he’ll always be a loser. Mike Bohn is too stupid to realize Helton’s short comings, and probably thinks a new defensive coordinator is the answer.

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      1. By destroying the football program, the University is throwing away millions of dollars.. unbelievable

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      2. Yes the transformation is for political reasons, but Trojan fans are still thinking it’s just a correctable mistake.

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      3. PJM — So many bad decisions in a row sure makes it SEEM like our downfall has been orchestrated —–but maybe this bunch actually IS that dumb…
        #ListenToThemSpeak….
        #Wow,WTF…..

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    2. Bohn isnt stupid and was forced to keep Clay. There is some reason Clay is still head coach and it probably is really corrupt.
      Fans should stop directing their ire at Bohn. This problem goes higher.

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    3. Early on, Clay did seem to understand power football and clock management. I remember him correctly using the running game against Cal back in 2015 to wind down the clock and win the game. Back in those interim days, I kind of like the contrast he provided to Sark. But then the back-peddling started in 2016, and he’s never found his footing. I think Clay’s base issue is that he’s a political animal who doesn’t stick to any core principals. He keeps making reactionary moves that temporarily buy him time … like sacking Tee Martin, who was his only lifeline to recruiting. Knowing this, Clay never should have exposed him the way he did. But with Pendergast and Baxter gone, he’s finally out of cover. He won’t be here in 330 day. I’ll bet on this.

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      3. Daniel —You are 100% right on this one. Bad managers surround themselves with their own (bad) people for ONE reason —self protection. There won’t be one person in meetings who backs up Helton anymore. And there’ll be plenty of pushback. I don’t have to wonder what effect this will have on the team —it’s gonna create problems until Helton is escorted by security off the lot.

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  8. The scheme. It isn’t Helton, it’s Harrell. If you run everything from the shotgun, you don’t roll your QB out leaving him as a stationary target, and you have a single back offense with a non running QB, and no TE blocking, the QB gets beat up. If you don’t have a screen game middle screen game to make the other team think twice about a blitz, ditto… If you’re always 5 out, you’re always down in terms of numbers in your blocking.
    If your RB is five yards behind the line and out of place where the opponent has a DL advantage the RB can’t get over to help; and if you sent your RB out on a pass pattern and have no other blocking help, ditto. Seriously, this is like high school football level stuff.

    Some people don’t realize it, so much of the SC fan-base has changed and now are quite a few people that are unfamiliar with the game.

    Beating bad teams with talent was enough for them, and they get dazzled by a pass completion, and think that only OL blocks, and only the DL pressures, and that they just run at each other.

    Sigh…. Anyway, as Harvey Hyde said, Harrell has a Pop Warner level scheme, made for teams without talent for occasional wins that leaves your QB to get crushed by good teams. Bama will be one of them.

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    1. Poor, dumb Helton. Poor, dumb Bohn. Poor, dumb Folt. Waiting for September 5th (Alabama game date) must be like waiting to get hung at sunrise….
      #NoChanceNeckBeatsRope….
      #[ItCouldaBeenDifferent….
      #…IfHeltonHadTheHonorToResign…..
      #OrFoltOrBohnHadTheGutsToFireHim]….

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      3. Michael, I suspect Folt does have some regrets. I believe the rumors about her wanting to downsize the football program and shy away from big expensive coaching hires that move it out of her sphere of control. I think she got a little spun. There was a real pro-Helton narrative amid the UCLA game. Brian Griese and Todd McShay really tried to sell everyone on keeping Helton at the end. If you weren’t around last year, and didn’t have the context, you could maybe be sold on the idea that all the program really needs is an upgrade at defensive coordinator. And then there’s Helton’s political skills, which are top notch. It’s popular in this forum to call him “Gomer.” But he’s actually a sharp guy and an elite organizational survivor. The “glory to god” and “someone much more intelligent than me will make that decision” humble I-know-my-place stuff just works. It worked on Haden. It worked on Swann. Why was everyone, including Scott Wolf, so sure Folt and Bohn wouldn’t be equally smitten amid a 5-out-of-6 winning streak against Pac 12 backup quarterbacks? Nobody should have been surprised. I’m sure Flot’s interactions with Helton produce a much different impression of the man than you get from reading Inside USC, and the forum loses credibility with decisionmakers like her as a result. I think it creates a “they don’t see what I see” narrative around Helton, which has been part of his unfortunate perpetuation as head football coach at the University of Southern California. But Folt couldn’t have anticipated this backlash. No way. She has to know she has a problem now.

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      1. What fan base? Is there a fan base anymore? Thousands of empty seats don’t tell Folt and Bohn something?
        #AndTrendingDown…..

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  9. Harrell needs a run game to protect Slovis. That’s pretty much it. When the defense knows you are going to throw the ball every down, there is no way Slovis has a chance.

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    1. He doesn’t run the ball, it’s not how he was coached, it’s not how he coaches, it’s not in his DNA, he will never run the ball

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      1. Boobykrap, you keep mentioning Helton is 4 – 1 vs UCLA. Like this is some huge feat.

        You know like the huge bozo home victory vs Oregon this year. Are you also ringing the Vic Bell for the BYU and Iowa victories?

        You keep stating Helton is great ’cause he’s 4 – 1 vs UCLA, so why are you screaming for Helton’s scalp 24/7 365.

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  10. Wolf is nuts! He states that it looks like Slovis can take a hit… yet he was knocked out of two games and left two others for several series….
    Can’t have it both ways Scotty

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  11. When all your Running Backs are INJURED and there is no Fullback to Block Where is your Running Game this is the reason there is so much passing and throwing the football If USC had all there Running backs Healthy and put some one big in front to block then USC would be running this the reason they are Throwing the football which He’ll ton is CLUELESS USC used landele white and Reggie Bush in 2 back sets with some blocking

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