FOOTBALL

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

Are you excited for the football season?

This is usually the time when I am most bullish on USC, especially because the Trojans have not yet played an actual game. That’s when the warning signs kick in.

  • USC has won 25 straight games when it is favored by 10-or-more points. I’ve mentioned before that Clay Helton is a flat-track bully which is actually a problem for the program because he cannot compete with the nation’s elite teams.
  • The Pac-12 is just 18-13 against the Mountain West Conference since 2017 but none of these numbers pertain to USC. The Trojans are 34-1-1 vs. Mountain West teams since losing to Fresno State in 1992. USC has won its past 21 games vs. Mountain West opponents.
  • Former USC coach George Raveling asked Martin Luther King for the original copy of his “I Have A Dream” speech as King left the podium at the March on Washington in 1963. I remember Raveling showing me the speech when he was at USC.

Raveling received offers for the speech over the years but decided last week that his alma mater, Villanova, would be the next steward of the speech.

  • The Colts signed wide receiver Tyler Vaughns to the practice squad. The Colts also waived former USC safety Marvell Tell.
  • Mike Bohn showed the USC basketball team what its rings would look like for making the Elite Eight. The funny part in 2001 was an assistant coach decided to get “Bibby’s System” inscribed on the rings as tribute to Henry Bibby. One player told me he didn’t want the ring after seeing that.
  • Former USC tailback Stafon Johnson, who is now at Dorsey High School, was named the Chargers’ Los Angeles County High School Coach of the Week.
  • USC water polo player Maud Megens became the eighth Trojan woman to win the Peter J. Cutino Award, which is the top award in the sport.
  • I guess LSU survived and can put out a hype video without the guys USC hired (who subsequently left).
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  • Now for an experiment regarding the quality of publishing within the Pac-12: Which depth chart is from a national traditional power and which is from one of the run-of-the-mill schools? The answer is shocking, really.
  • And now for some history:
  • When John McKay was also USC’s athletic director, you never knew what he might say. He certainly didn’t give pablum answers like Mike Bohn.
  • In 1974, before the Trojan Classic basketball tournament, McKay told the Los Angeles Times, “You know what a basketball classic is? That’s when the home coach invites three clubs he knows he can beat to come to town.”
  • The previous year, when USC coach Bob Boyd tried different promotions to get fans like T-shirt giveaways, McKay was overheard saying, “Why doesn’t Boyd try winning some bleeping games?”
  • McKay wasn’t exactly engaged with football either. After he announced he was resigning and going to Tampa Bay, this incident took place, relayed by a USC player on the 1975 team.
  • “We had a bowl practice and McKay wasn’t there and the ball boys said he was asleep in his office,” the player said. “We said (forget) it and didn’t listen to him after that. Even when he was at practice, he wasn’t there.  We played for ourselves.”
  • Below is a picture of tailback Dwight Ford from Bell High School. Ford had a lot of speed and was a possible starter at tailback until a converted linebacker/fullback named Ricky Bell started playing tailback.
  • Bell gained 1,957 yards in 1975 while Ford had 157 yards.
Tailback Dwight Ford was a candidate to start at tailback in 1975.
  • Don’t bother me, I’ll be at the Redd Foxx Show in 1975.
  • And finally . . . here’s actor Jack Oakie, who sometimes still has an award named him at the USC football banquet. I gave his history a couple weeks ago and how he donated his ranch to USC.

Oakie, who knew all the USC football coaches and presidents in his lifetime, was a Trojan. Especially compared to some of the player-parent trolls on social media that think they are Trojans.

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

  1. USC is lucky that it’s fan base is laid back because if Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, etc. had Clay Helton as their head coach they would be rioting in the streets to get rid of him…or at least picketing at the gates outside the stadium.

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    1. Put UP or SHUT Up No one has done anything to get Gomer Claydo HE’ll ton FIRED.. All Talk means Shii. Just like America has a CRiminal blood on his hands Senile dementia Joe Biden getting away with Murder. .. letting are Marines leave Ammo HemiVechicles Helicopters marine uniform s. In Afghanistan for the Taliban to take over While leaving Americans to be Killed. Also letting the Taliban let out of Prison ISIS members CRiminal senile dementia Joe Biden Could have Bombed and Killed all them Then…. America has Open Borders has a PANDEMIC. Letting more Disease s IN….. CRiminal senile dementia Joe Biden is GETTING AWAY with Murder

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      1. Trump gave Russia classified information on Israel his first day in office and gave them U.S. military bases in northern Syria.

        Nice effort though

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  2. Granted it was 3 wins against cupcakes, but our 3 biggest Pac-12 Southern Division opponents (UCLA, ASU, Utah) looked like they can tote the rock… might be a long year if our front 7 turn out to be paper tigers/warriors.

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      1. To be sure. Should’ve said that for 1st game outta tbe box, their execution was crisp, minimal LOS pens, etc. Compare to a team who, uhh, let’s say can’t have their qb take snap under center by game 10… or a team who – despite having superior talent alongside a supposed 1st round qb with weapons that should keep an opposing d unable sell out against the run – can’t convert 4th and 1 late in the season.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. McKay was blunt because that is who he was, and he knew he wouldn’t lose his job if he was honest. Today, he either wouldn’t have the job or would have to hold his tongue.

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    1. These days instead of actual honesty we get soundbytes ala helton with his infamous “well if I’m being honest” or “to be honest with you” or some other sort of verbal flim-flamery… of course what immediately follows is usually the complete opposite of honesty.

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      1. Every trial attorney knows the phrase “to tell the truth” comes before a lie. Sark and Helton spit this phrase out EVERY time they speak to the press….
        #DoTheMath
        P. S.
        “McKay wasn’t EXACTLY engaged with football either.”
        A sentence which will live in infamy (which is EXACTLY why Scott typed it)…..

        Liked by 2 people

  6. Anyone watch Boise St implode last night ? It was grand, their new coach looked over his head after UCF made some halftime adjustments, kinda like Gomer does game after game against a quality opponent.

    Boise State is not close to what they used to be

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  7. I’ve seen people mention Chris Petersen as a replacement for Gomer.

    Where has anyone seen that he would even be interested in returning to coaching ?

    And he’s not a big city guy nor is he someone USC would like as the face of the program, he’s pretty surly with the media and he’s not going to kiss boosters asses, not a wine and cheese guy.

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    1. As HFBC, Petersen didn’t significantly improve U- Dub FB; and he abruptly resigned w/o completing his employment contract. His reasons for resigning weren’t properly revealed but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t because U-Dub’s BoT and Athletic Departments were imitating SUCC’s University wide “Who’s on First” disorder.

      So, I doubt Peterson is interested in coaching at Clown U.

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  8. “The Trojans are 34-1-1 vs. Mountain West teams since losing to Fresno State in 1992.”

    This phrase in the blogger’s post is false.

    After losing to Fresno State in the 1992 bowl game, USC had only two tie games – 1994 Notre Dame and 1995 Washington. Tie games were eliminated from college football the next year.

    The one tie game referred to in the record might be the 1992 SDSU game. But even then that was before the 1992 Fresno State game and was even when SDSU was a member of a different conference – the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

    The blogger’s phrase is simply wrong.

    #ANewSeason,TheSameBloggerProblems

    #TheBloggerNeedsAnEditorAndAFactChecker

    #SameSh*t,DifferentDay

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  9. Stafon Johnson, good player who got hurt and sued the school. I hope he doesn’t stick his neck out at this school. Some will say he had to do what he had to do, but I think it went beyond the pale. If he had blown his knee out in a game the school would have paid his medical and rehab but it might have ended his career. Then what? I don’t know if he had insurance, but most players with any chance of playing in the NFL do.

    Note to the mini Me’s running around; imitation is the sincerest for of flattery. Until you crack my log in you will never be the real Me and if you do get my email….
    Now you see Me… Now Fuck You.

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      4. Sorry to inconvenience ewe, but I teach middle school and juvenile twerps are in my face eight hours a day. I come here to get away from morons like you, not do battle with unarmed wits such as yourself.
        To that end I can only say you have won. I will stop posting here and stick to the adult blog. I don’t have time for your shit.
        This you’ve seen the last of Me.

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  10. If it’s Friday, it’s 24 hours away from Gomer getting his ass jack-hammered by the opposing coach. It’s a fact, Brent Brennan, head coach at SJSU, is far more accomplished a head coach than Gomer, head coach at USC.

    Put that in your glass pipe and smoke it.

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  11. Best head football coach in the Pac 12?

    My vote goes to Kyle Whittingham -UTAH
    His teams are very consistent, play tough physical defense, and their offense is balanced between the run and pass.

    Would he be the right fit for USC.? In my opinion no we need one of the top coaches in the country who competes for the playoffs each and every year or won a national title, not a guy who probably would never leave the State of Utah at 61 years old, and very contented just competing for Pac 12 titles while working in a small media market. Probably would be Larry Smith II if he came to SC.

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  13. Gomer is playing with house money. He has indoctrinated the masses to expect and accept mediocrity. Regardless of what transpires this season, SC has bought and paid for his compound in Lunada Bay. He is a punk and a charlatan, nothing more.

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  14. The sad reality is Gomer needs to lose to SJSU and then get blown out by Utah, ASU, Notre Dame, and UCLA in order to lose his job. Then again, that may not be enough for Folt to tell her yes man, Bohn, to fire Gomer.

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  16. Must have a Running Game. ….Already have the passing Play physical 4 Quarters of Football. ..and Hold onto the Football. …Also Tackling is most important on Defense….PUT Claydo gomer HE’LL Ton in Clown Costume…. have Donte Williams Take Over as Head Coach. ….

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      1. Bohn: You think you’re so smart, Karma?! We can win without running or tackling!
        #TacklingIsForLosers

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    1. Michael, sounds about right. Or if we get a “signature” ugly win, more like 26-20.

      LSU 41, Chip’s Donut Holes 20, large areas of the Rose Bowl remain abandoned. ucla calls it a “socially distanced fan experience”.

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  19. On Rodger Lodges show today, Ryan Abraham thinks that the db’s are the strength of the team. He says that SC has to go no more than 10-2 and win the PAC 12 South ot keep Helton. I am hoping Helton goes 6-6 and beats nd and ugly, stanford and asu. Hope Wash St. Az, Utah, Cal and other beat him. Get rid of this mess.

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    1. EVERYTHING this season depends on starters staying healthy…
      #AllBetsAreOffIfWeStartLosingGuys
      #Can’tAffordToLoseONERunningBack…
      #..ONEReceiver…
      #..ONEDefBack…
      #OneO-Liner
      #[We’reNotThatDeep]

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    1. I agree with that 😂😂😂. BYU proved teams with less talent just need to drop 8. Air raid has no counter punch. However, I will admit if Drake London is healthy then nobody can defend him on SJSU and he will be the reason USC pulls it out. Clay will be thoroughly out coached but you all know that.

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    2. If USC doesn’t win by 14 (the Vegas line), it’s gonna be a long season. [Arizona State, Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA will make it that way].

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