FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Offensive Line Takes Shape

USC practiced Monday night at the Coliseum and it’s first scrimmage period was characterized by penalties, including one that called back a touchdown.

Lincoln Riley said the second scrimmage period had less penalties.

  • Offensive tackle Bobby Haskins, a transfer from Virginia, is making a smooth transition.

“You can tell he’s played a lot of ball,” Riley said. “He’s getting close to 100 percent physically (after missing spring practice).”

Said offensive line coach Josh Henson: “(He is) just a seasoned operator. He doesn’t make things hard on himself.”

That’s something the line frequently lacked in recent seasons as it made things a lot tougher on itself with mistakes and penalties.

  • Henson said offensive tackle Jonah Monheim is the most capable lineman of playing guard and tackle because he has a thicker body. Haskins and Courtland Ford are considered leaner bodies better suited just for tackle. The fourth tackle appears to be Mason Murphy, a redshirt freshman from JSerra in San Juan Capistrano.
  • Tight end Jude Wolfe has his foot in a boot and will be out at least a few days.
  • Australian punter Aadyn Sleep-Dalton was at practice Monday night after spending a week in London as he waited for a visa to come to the United States.

39 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Offensive Line Takes Shape”

    1. Yeah —we have sufficient talent up front. We’ll see whether all that talent plays nasty & mean enough to help us win a championship by midway through the 1st quarter of the Stanford game.

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    1. I hear you loud and clear, Eddie-boy, more SC Big-Boy recruits are needed. But for now the Trojans must play the hand they were dealt. It is a hand that has too many 2s and 3s and not enough aces, but at least Troy got rid of the joker when they exiled it to Georgia-Siberia.

      But for football squads across the nation, hope reigns in August before any games have been played. Even sucla might be thinking of a possible national championship because for the first time in its sordid football history in 2022 it is presently undefeated — In your dreams, suclas!

      Now if only that SC offensive line can live up to its title of being offensive, offensive as in nasty-and-filthy, the Trojans might be on to something here. I will be N-95ed up to my gills because I have to be at Stanford on September 10 for SC’s first real 2022 test. For as Coach Mckay once lovingly proclaimed of the Cardinal-Indians, to paraphrase his quote, if we score late and are up 98-0, go for the 100!

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      2. LJ,

        Stanford will always be the Injuns to me. None of this commie shut your pie hole and do as I say woke crap. I had a sister that was one of these political carp followers and told me not to say certain words. I told her to stuff it, it is a free world. BTW, it is still the Clevelan Indians and the Washington Redskins for me. I will not acknowledge their political crap names.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Watch your mouth Pasadena Trojan. We’ve had the Nazi Gestapo, the East German Stassi, the Soviet KGB and now the Mar a lago american FBI. Keep talking and they will be knocking at your door.

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  5. I would sure love to hear Riley’s response to the Gundy happenings in OK. I would bet they were good friends. If only Carol would lighten up perhaps LR could rescue him. Fat chance.

    Liked by 5 people

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    1. You know that Cale Gundy’s a good guy who played with and coached many blacks. Too bad they’re not speaking up for him.

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  6. Scooter,

    To gel an oline real fast, all you have to do is run the ball 20 to 30 times in practice. Let them get used to calling blocks and blocking angles. Then you work the passing game in with about five to ten passes. You do this for a few days. then you get into the passing game and run about 20 to 30 passes with about 10 run plays. Do that for a few days. Let them get use to how they are to block and become familiar with the plays. Also, have them hit the sled for about 30 minutes by going up and down the field with a fat guy on the sled. Have them push it for about 5 to 10 yards. That will get their legs ready. By the end of week three, they should be ready to go.

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  7. Seems like the offensive line still has alot of questions. My guess is that Haskins takes over one of the tackle positions. And then Monheim will get pushed back from starting. The biggest question on this line will be Cortland Ford. Can he improve from last year? Could he be pushed over to the right tackle position, or maybe with Haskins at left tackle, Ford and Monheim fight for right tackle.

    If I had to place a bet it would be Ford, Vorhees, Neilon, Dedich, Haskins as the starting 5 from left to right.

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  8. O-line will be solid. Riley’s offense is 50/50, which means he runs the ball more often than ‘Bama. The offense should be able to create 35 points or more per game. Defensive backfield is the question mark.

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    3. Hope it’s closer to high 30’s or even low 40’s a game, 67 [along the lines of Pete’s offensive units in 2002-2008] — we’re gonna be facing some teams with strong QB/Receiver combinations ….and I really don’t want to see us nursing less than touchdown leads late in the 4th quarter….
      #…TooRiskyWithDonte’sUnitStandingB/WVictory&Loss

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      1. Michael, I agree with SteveG that the upside of the team is going to really show. The team has a top 3 QB (Stroud and Young would be the other 2 top QBs in country), two of the best WRs in the country in Williams and Addison, an excellent RB in Travis Dye along with good backups, lots of talent at TE, the O-line is going to be just fine, and they should be hitting the 500 yard mark on offense. Need some ball control from that offense, but Riley knows that as well and he runs the ball frequently and averages 6 yards per carry.

        #Punter?WeDon’tNeedNoStinkinPunter

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Small Amendment to 67’s Bill Before It Hits The Floor For A Vote: We should average over 500 yards a game …and hopefully that translates into 38 -42 points a game …BUT… we still might need a punter to kick us outta trouble once or twice a game.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Michael, you just know there will be a game or two when bad luck might strike the team, or penalties, or fumbles, or the quarterback is just off a tad, which could result in Troy only scoring in the 20s. Can SC’s defense then hold the opponent to less than 30?

        A football offense can have an off-day because it largely depends on finesse and correct timing. The defense should have no off-days because their position depends more on all-out effort than skill-and-finesse.

        If I owned a team, if I were that rich, I would sell it and buy an L.A. golf course that could house the 50,000 or more homeless. But if I were to honestly try to build a football team, I would begin by poaching great defensive players. If you can shut-out the opponent, you don’t need an offense

        Liked by 1 person

  9. UTAH LOST A LOT OF GUYS

    ON A NEUTRAL FIELD THE IRISH WOULD KICK THEIR BUTT

    THE BAD THING IS WEGOT UTAH ON THE ROAD
    I HOPE WE GET DECENT WEATHER

    AND WE GET THE IRISH AT HOME IN A GAME THAT VERY WELL COULD HAVE HUGE PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS !!!!

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    1. …only one thing, G. T. —Notre Dame’s new coach is no joke…
      #HopeWe’reHealthyUpFrontInLateNovember..
      #..AndALLOurSkillGuysAre100%

      Liked by 1 person

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  10. Woody Hayes was asked why he went for 2 points after a TD when he was up by a lot and there was only a minute or so left.
    His response: “…Because I couldn’t go for 3…”

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      1. Thomas More, Socrates and Gandhi are so far down the Holiness Ladder from Carol it’s not funny…

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  11. This morning Adam Grosbard’s article is about the strength and conditioning regimen an how well it’s working. I know I’ve read a lot of promises about getting physical, but this time it seems different. It’s not draconian as in the Kiffin era, unsupervised as in the Dark era, or worthless as in the Helton era. It sounds more balanced and tailored to individuals. There is even adjustments for injured players. Just because one part of the body is hurt doesn’t mean the rest can’t work.
    I just hope that it isn’t the same verbiage without physical football.

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