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USC Morning Buzz: A Big Difference Between 2021 And 2022

I spoke to a USC player and asked the biggest difference between Lincoln Riley being in charge compared to Clay Helton and Donte Williams.

“Everyone is listening now,” the player said. “Last year, the players weren’t listening. Positions are up for grabs and Riley said it’s a clean slate.

“Before it felt like starting positions would get decided and nothing would change it. Especially for younger players who never saw the field.”

  • Former USC defensive backs coach Keith Hayward is expected to become defensive coordinator at UNLV.

90 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: A Big Difference Between 2021 And 2022”

  1. Translation: This year the team is thinking about competition, hard work and winning football games.
    #LastYearItWasAllAboutFearOfHeltonGettingIntoTheirHotTub

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  2. What a difference new management can make. Competence, accountability, competition, expectations to perform at a high level, players respecting the coach, no more free for all, no more hugs to a guy who can’t long snap, no more lack of respect on the sidelines, no more grandstanding after almost getting a sack when you are already down by 21 in the 4th quarter.

    What took so long? It is not as if the rotten apple wasn’t noticeable years ago.

    #NewDay

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    1. Crap, 67 —when I read your precision list of The Helton Horribles, it makes me madder than ever that Helton was allowed back after the thrashing Iowa gave him in the Holiday Bowl…
      #Oh,Well…All’sWellThatEndsWell…

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      1. Remember what Helton said after getting beaten by underdog Iowa by THREE touchdowns —“We were good but not great.”
        #ThenHeCongratulatedTheirCheeringSection
        #PoorGeorgiaSouthern

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      2. It is one thing to compete and lose. It is another to get your ass kicked totally, be incompetent, and then say “this team is on the verge of doing something special”, which is what he said at his past Holiday Bowl presser. SMDH What a fraud he was (is).

        Liked by 5 people

  3. Clay Helton is a full blow imbecile, prior to being named head coach he was the clipboard holder for Lane Kiffin, and Steve Sarkisian, who made sure he had no input into the program. I’m not sure who’s more of an idiot, Lynn Swann, or the current athletic director at Georgia Southern 😂.

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    1. Pat, do you remember your presser when you hired him as full time coach? “Choosing a coach is an inexact science, but in this case, we had an exactness, and we found our guy, Clay Helton! He is a great leader of young men!

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  4. Watching Biden on Ukraine. I really wish he sounded convincing and strong as he read his prepared speech. But despite his best efforts, Biden speaking showcases him to be doddering and way past his sell-by date. Not being partisan. Just sad to see a POTUS as what appears to be a feeble guy.

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    1. That’s what happen when imbeciles treat a national election like a high school election for class president. So we’re left with a bumbling fool who is nothing but a puppet, being told when he can speak and when he can’t. This is all on the people who were dumb enough to vote for him.

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      2. Thanks for displaying more of your ignorance.

        MG, these are the type of uninformed fools who put him in office.

        Biden has on more than one occasion said that he’s not supposed to take questions or is going to get in trouble if he does. The fool who posted above also wasn’t paying attention when Senator Risch from Idaho asked Blinken what many of us have wondered: “Who controls Biden’s microphone and live video streams?” (In other words, who turns them off when Joe is about to embarrass himself and our country?) If the dimwit were paying attention, he wouldn’t have called my post a conspiracy theory. People that dumb should not be allowed to vote.

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      3. You know what is scarier, So Cal? The “false” GT isn’t blind or stupid —he’s not big enough to say “I’ve been mistaken.”
        #ByNowHeKnowsBidenIsAnIllegitimateMessAsWellAsWeDo…
        #HeJustWon’tSayIt

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      4. No, it IS incredibly stupid the way they immediately refer to anything that makes him look bad as a conspiracy theory or misinformation. The facts are staring them right in the face. But they cover their eyes and ears, yelling “La, la, la, la la!! I can’t hear you!!! La, la, la, la, la, la!!”

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      5. They are not nearly as dumb as those who voted for the corrupt pathological liar, malignant narcissist, serial adulterer, grifter/conman & according to Tillerson his Secretary of State a fu–ing MORON & Kelly his Chief of Staff among others called him an IDIOT.

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      6. The current state of not only the union, but of the world, proves to anyone with a functioning brain that JB voters are much dumber. You are in serious denial if you think we are better off with this bumbling fool. You can say what you want about him as a person, I’ll probably agree. But you are seriously retarded to even TRY and claim Biden is a better President.

        Liked by 2 people

      8. Frank M L.
        It is SO SO important that we don’t have a serial womanizer in the White House now…
        #ThanksForKeepingYourEyeOnTheBall

        Liked by 1 person

      9. That is what happens when you have a media that are cheerleaders for one party instead of asking tough questions and digging into the real truth of the person we elect as president. in the previous election they focused on making Trump the Republican candidate because he seemed to be the only guy Hillary (the chosen one) could beat. And then she went and lost it.

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      10. MG,
        Since you claim to know what I really think. I’ll return serve. You think Biden is a disaster but you know he won the election.
        Mess, yes
        Illegitimate, no

        Liked by 1 person

      11. GT
        The election was so badly compromised by corruption that, of the 63 cases alleging 2020 fraud, not ONE court has held an evidentiary hearing —out of fear of the results. All the cases have been thrown out on standing grounds…or due to laches. The courts have found no citizen, no candidate, no state attorney general has the right to sue. And that all the cases have been brought either too late (damage already done) or too early (no damage yet).
        The election was stolen…. and the dems would like to do the same thing again in 2022 and 2024 by increasing the mail in vote with no checks on voter I. D. —so that there is no chain of custody for the ballots being counted.
        If I tried to introduce a fricking blood sample in justice court on Catalina Island I’d get thrown out if I couldn’t show chain of custody. But it’s just fine if there is no showing of chain of custody in national elections…
        #….Nice

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      12. The election wasn’t stolen and deep down, you know it. Wisely, things are done on local levels to make it impossible to commit large scale fraud.
        63 cases and not one courtroom with a conservative or bipartisan judge with the balls to stand up to the fears you suggest? Quite the conspiracy!
        Trump said without evidence that Hillary didn’t actually win the popular vote in 2016 and produced zero evidence to back that claim.
        Trump claimed the 2020 election was rigged and produced zero evidence to back that claim.
        Trump then climbed last year the Newsome recall election was rigged BEFORE it even took place. How the fuck would he know that? He maybe should have left that one alone.
        The man lies and you (kind of) believe those lies.

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      13. The sad truth is that there was not much of a choice – a bumbling fool or a lying imbecile. You lose either way. Surely the country can do much better!

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    2. I hear both sides saying Biden wasn’t and isn’t tough enough [“his weakness caused this”]. But it wasn’t his weakness (although he’s as weak a prez as we’ll likely ever have) that led to this mess — it was his lack of statesmanship. Putin put several plans for a federated Ukraine before the U.N. and Biden ignored them. If we had engaged on this question we could have prevented the need for this invasion.

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      3. Biden might have negotiated and said, “Mr. Putin, Sir, if you don’t pretty-please invade the Ukraine you can have Detroit.”
        (or was that joke already said)

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      4. MG,
        What is it going to take for any of you guys to point the finger at Putin? Biden offered repeatedly to meet with him and resolve this and was refused. Now you guys want to go the U.N. route? After what Trump said about them? This was a time for the two world leaders to meet and one refused. I never said I thought Biden is even a competent leader. He and trump are too old and far from razor sharp, Biden more so. I will however side with our President over a Russian dictator, especially when the reasons for doing so are obvious.

        To my name calling friend So Cal, The world has been laughing at us for five years now, not one. Both of them are an embarrassment. The fact that it came to a choice between these two is pathetic. I didn’t vote against Trump because of the mean tweets, I did because he’s a pathological liar. I can’t condone that.
        Sorry to inform you but I get a vote, just like stupid rednecks who think Trump cares about them.

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      5. WTF are you trying to say?? We could have prevented the need for this invasion? There was a need for this invasion by Putin?? Were do you people come up with this drivel?

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      6. GT — Years ago Putin submitted an actual plan to the U. N. for the federation of Ukraine …all typed up with full color maps and everything….
        Obama, Trump and Biden refused to even offer a counter plan –they ALL kept the option of Ukraine joining NATO [meaning becoming a beneficiary of NATO’s military pact] on the table. Worse, Biden encouraged Ukraine to take a hard line against Russia by making statements about their readiness to fight. Now that Russia has taken the fight to Ukraine Biden is seen as an empty suit. Countries led by empty suits undergo change — imposed from the outside.

        Liked by 1 person

      7. WTF gives Putin the right to dictate what happens within a sovereign nation that is not his?
        It’s amazing the lengths you guys go to defend this man.

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      8. gotroy22 – weak minds have to join one political party and then parrot everything they hear from the media that serves that party. that is the real problem with our country.

        both parties suck. Trump and Biden both sucked, in different ways. but the current democratic party has taken things to new levels of absurdity. our world is on fire and the people in charge are only looking for lifeboats for themselves.

        when is an analyst going to ask Tim Cook on a conference call how it is smart to get so deeply in bed with China, a repressive communist country? cook makes hundreds of millions and sells our American future to the chinese.

        Liked by 1 person

      9. finally someone that knows the truth of the worst president and especially vice president this country has ever had. We are in trouble with Russia. Putin feels Biden is a puss.

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  5. Big difference between Clay Helton and Lincoln Riley is an understatement. I guess the best comparison is Gomer Pyle’s intensity vs. Sgt. Carter. Ukraine could really use Sgt. Carter at this very moment, but perhaps they need to call John Wick who defeats all odds in a battle despite being out numbered. God bless the people of Ukraine politics suck.

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    1. Yes. God bless the people of Ukraine. Biden’s encouragement to play tough and take a hard line has placed Kiev in the crosshairs. This could have been averted if we simply declared our desire to see Ukraine as an independent state rather than the furthest reach of NATO.
      Biden & NATO talk tough, Ukrainians die.

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  6. I recall Johnny Carson saying no one knows his political views (otherwise he might have lost half his audience)

    I am in the same boat, but with no audience.

    The choice in 2020 for prez was Biden or Trump.
    I would rather have voted for the cartoon character Goofy.
    (Oh, I guess that is what we would have gotten with either Biden or Trump)

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    2. I don’t like Trump’s personality either. I probably enjoy watching him on cable less than Woody Woodpecker [especially the old ones ones where Woody didn’t have the straight crest and was cross eyed and had buck teeth —but I digress]… The point is Trump’s policies made us safer and more energy independent. Biden’s government is more of a wrecking crew.

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      2. What policies are you talking about? The Wall Mexico was going to pay for, the better health care for less he implemented, the great infrastructure plan he put in place, the trade policies that caused him to re-imburse our farmers to the tune of 28 billion more than the federal govt. spends on maintaining our nuclear arsenal & having to back off a number of other tariffs once the MORON realized the negative consequences of said tariffs. Maybe you are referencing his genius saying Covid would disappear like a miracle & bleach or UV light, Hydroxychloroquine, & Ivermectin should be used as a treatment. Promising to pull all of our troops out of Afghanistan months before Biden actually did. Maybe his policy of raising the national debt to almost $7.8 Trillion during his time in office is what you think is commendable. Calling our fallen suckers & losers must be something you are particularly proud of. You no doubt have some facts to support your claim that Biden’s government is a wrecking crew. Can you post them?

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Looks like everything Frank knows about the world he read in the Washington Post. Get involved. Take a look out the window some time.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Frank MI – Trump was ineffective in a number of ways, but in many ways, he was limited by what he was allowed to accomplish.

        The Abraham Accords were a stellar achievement for Trump.
        Moving the embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was smart and important for our best ally in the middle east.
        Trump was right that Iran was the greatest threat to the middle east and to partner with Saudi Arabia.
        Trump was right that China was a growing economic threat, but his tariffs were completely ineffective in bringing jobs home.
        Trump’s trademark legislation to lower corporate taxes was important to stop off-shoring, but it failed to create incentives to bring manufacturing and technology back to America, so it become just a give-away to corporations, without getting anything back.
        Trump was right that we need to enforce border security, but prevented from doing anything meaningful, or maybe he was inept.
        Trump forced NATO members to pay more, but he didnt form good relationships with them.
        Trump was considered a little dangerous by our enemies (Putin and Xi) and that is a good thing.

        Trump’s biggest problem is that he cares about what is good for Trump and not for the country. He is not perfect. But he was also a president that was attacked relentlessly with a false and deceitful press corp that was literally trying to find a way to remove him. They just made shit up. I think we can all finally acknowledge that the Russian allegations against him were a lie and the media still have not taken a hit for telling that lie over and over again.

        In areas where Democrats are right about something, for example global warming being scientific fact, their policies to address the problem are absurd. Cutting off fracking in the US doesnt stop the emissions of fossil fuels, it simply pushes production to other countries, increases our trade deficit and increases inflation. The same amount of gas gets used, it just comes from another country. You cant get stupider than to listen to a democrat propose a solution to a problem.

        The core problem is the liberal media, which creates storylines about meaningless things (racism, sexism, defund police) while our country’s economy and power is decimated on a continual basis. It is simple diversion of attention from what is important to what stirs up emotions.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. If Putin now attacks Italy or Poland (poor Polish), the U.S. should fight to the end.
    However, if he invades France, we should let him have it. (Never was crazy about the French)

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      1. Rats– I forgot about them.

        Just kidding, folks, I have been nearly to the top of the Eiffel Tower (I was afraid to go to the top, but I did go to the top of the one in ‘Vegas), and Paris looks marvelous from afar.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. …but…did you ever cross the Golden Gate Bridge at Disney’s California Adventure?
        #I’mProudToSayI’veCrossedBOTHTheOneAtDisneyland…
        #..ANDTheOtherOne…
        #[Disneyland’sIsProbablyALittleBitBetter]

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      3. M. Guarino! Looks like everything I know I read in the WAPO? Really? How about responding to items cited. If anything I posted is incorrect post verifiable countermanding evidence. gametv says moving the embassy to Jerusalem was smart & important. I’m still laughing! What exactly has changed? Was this part of the Middle East peace promised by T-Rump getting the UAE & Israel agreeing to resume diplomatic relationships, countries that were not at war. Partnering with the Saudis from whence the 9-11 terrorists originated & the country that beheaded the journalist Khashoggi was the right thing to do? Really? T-Rump was relentlessly attacked by a false & deceitful press core trying to remove him. They just made shit up? No doubt you have plenty of verifiable evidence of all the false shit they made up in an attempt to remove him. Can you post it? I didn’t know the press core could remove a sitting president. You learn something new every day. I just hope since you folks are on an SC forum not discussing USC sports but politics, you did not graduate from USC since the quality of your missives belie a college education.

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    2. Baltic countries will be next. China might take the opportunity to grab Taiwan (there have been some rumblings over there).

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    1. Ohhh Shiittt —I forgot about that. Remember all the photos of our players sitting on the field with pumpkins and carving knives in their laps?
      #AlabamaPlayersWereSoJealous…
      #…AllTheyEverGotToDoWasPracticeFootball

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  9. Biden is impotent with Russia since he has been bought off by Russia and China. He is taking his marching orders from Putin. If Regan or Trump were in office, they would have military equipment ready on the west side of Ukraine and let the Ukranians use it. B-52’s, F-4’s, F-14’s and older equipment. Give them missles. At least let Ukrainia go down with a fight.

    May God have mercy on this world and May He stop this war!!!!!!!!!! God, please forgive and have mercy on us.

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    2. Bull Fucking Shit.
      As this has been unfolding, Trump has done nothing but praise Putin, just as he did when he was in office.

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      3. I read that too and I’m very disappointed in him and many Republicans. Allowing Russia to take over Ukraine is NOT about Ukraine, it is about letting a dictator start a process that wont stop there.

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    5. Regan.. yes. Trump, Yeah, sure he would have the arsenal but when told he would have to fight Puttin, he would say “no way he is a great man.”

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  11. –Just cannot leave this alone

    Putin said something to the effect that if the U.S or anybody else intervenes they will see repercussions the world has never seen before.

    Wasn’t that rhetoric uttered by Sad Hussein before the Iraq invasion?– What was that outcome.

    Since atomic warfare would presumably be off the table (mutual annihilation), what would he do– stop his women from migrating to the U.S.?

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      1. She’d divorce him the moment she could remain here legally without being married to him. Someone dumb enough to call DT a pathological liar while ignoring the DAILY lies from Joe & Little Red Lying Hood?!

        He campaigned on having a plan to defeat the virus, yet announced in Dec that there was no federal solution. He takes credit for people returning to pre-pandemic jobs as “jobs HE created”. He banned the media from the border and is OK with social media being monitored, yet claimed DT acted like a dictator! He hid throughout his campaign and even refused to debate Trump when they had an open date to make up for the one that had to be cancelled! They celebrated a 2 cent drop in gasoline prices from Nov 22-29 and even had big, beautiful graphs created that made a 7 day drop appear as if it were a slow reduction over several WEEKS!! (We’ve seen them say nothing about gas prices ever since.) Joe said he would never issue a mask or vaccine mandate!!!!!!!

        As I stated before MG, that IS stupidity, as much as someone wants to cry and call it name calling. A fact is a fact.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Quit calling Guarino an effing Morman. He’s not.

        Putin will not stop until he absorbs all the old Eastern bloc countries. They ceeded them to the West to pay for the cleanup of those environmental disasters and make the countries more prosperous. Now that the West paid for that, Putin wants them back.
        We lost this poker hand.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. You are all over the place So Cal,

        Am I the first to recognize a little something called Biden Derangement Syndrome?
        A lot of talk here about every single thing the President says or does or doesn’t do but nary a word about the Russian strongman invading a sovereign country. Whatever happened to “You’re either with us or against us”? It’s obvious which side you have chosen.
        I guess that thing about former Presidents staying out of current politics no longer applies.
        Where have you gone George W. Bush?

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      5. That’s right, Cal75 –Putin is marching on Poland next….[I bet he goes into France & Germany too]….
        #It’sInHisDNA…HeCan’tHelpItCuzHe’sEvil…
        [This all could have been avoided with a simple declaration from Mister Brain Dead he’d do all in his power to ensure NATO dropped plans to make Ukraine a member nation —problem solved]…..

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      6. MG, it could have also been avoided by not having a weak, senile old President. But fools want to pretend it wouldn’t have happened under DT. This is all just a coincidence.

        The fool calls out DT for being a liar and I present only a handful of the many lies perpetuated by this administration and he’s stupid enough claim I have a syndrome he’s concocted in his empty head. (He makes stuff up to suit his narrative, such as DT having called Putin a great guy.)

        He asks where W is, when anyone who’s PAYING ATTENTION knows that W issued a statement just this morning. The guy is clueless.

        Liked by 1 person

      8. GT22
        I was not aware that, ” I’m all over the place”. I’m talking about all those little satelite Eastern bloc countries that separate Russia from Europe. In fact it is my belief that Germany, Italy and France are not without some sympathetic views re Russia. Russia keeps them warm in the winter and provides energy for their businesses.
        But the bottom line is this: those countries that I’m referring to were an environmental mess and the West cleaned them up. Russia said thank you, now give them back. Or we’ll just take them. Russia and NATO are like oil and water. Russia couldn’t stand the thought of Ukraine joining NATO. The West/NATO saw the troop buildup and Putin saw very little countermeasures. Zelensky said, : ‘we’ll give you guns’ to his citizens. Why didn’t he?

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      9. CalSeventyFive,
        My comment was directed to So Cal, I say that in my first sentence. I did not disagree with what you said.

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    2. So Cal,

      I’ll go slow here so you don’t get lost again. I was paraphrasing with the great guy remark. Go back and notice the lack of quotation marks. Fact is Trump has done nothing but kiss Putin’s ass. (Another figure of speech)

      Yeah, W issued a statement. Did you even read it? He condemned Putin and called for solidarity against him instead of ripping our leadership. Sounds like he still puts America first.

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      1. W might have been a decent president if he hadnt had Cheney as his VP (or actually running things). W wasnt the brightest guy, but I think he is generally a decent guy.

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      2. Agree there. I wasn’t a fan of that administration and what happened on their watch but admired Bush, and McCain too, for graciously stepping aside when Obama took office instead of going with the birther bullshit propagated by the orange clown.

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  12. Is it true that some of the people of the Ukraine had seen the spoof movie, “The Russians are Coming, the Russians are coming,” and at first thought the invasion was the sequel to the movie?

    (P.S. I know this is a serious matter, but how better to deal with it than
    to be a smart-ass)

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. Positions were never up for grabs with Helton. Exhibit A was Week 1 2016 starting QB. Helton went with the former 5-star recruit 4th year junior over the redshirt freshman who became immediately obvious was much better.

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    1. …cuz Helton, the alleged QB coach, couldn’t tell the difference…. which demoralized the team in the Stanford game —leading to a loss that easily could have been a win …and probably would have placed us in the playoffs….
      #CuzSamWithOneGame’sExperienceWouldaBeatUtahToo

      Liked by 2 people

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