USC does not have a dedicated special teams coach.
Some teams do. Some don’t.
Lincoln Riley doesn’t believe in it. If you have good kickers, that part takes care of itself. The coaches make their mark the kickoff teams, punt teams, etc. That’s where John Baxter tended to self-destruct.
It’s too early to say how Riley’s approach will work. We’ll see over time.
But I will mention again I don’t like Jordan Addison returning punts. USC has too many talented receivers and running backs who can return punts. It doesn’t need to put its star receiver at risk.
Pete Carroll famously had Greig Carlson return punts. Carroll just wanted someone to catch the ball and not fumble it. That’s priority No. 1.
I’d even prefer Travis Dye returning punts. He’s a tough back, he’s reliable. He’s smart. And if he gets hurt, USC still has some other tailbacks.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
Past USC special teams couldn’t have been any worse had there been no special teams coach.
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I like the Dye instead of Addison idea. Or Raleek.
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Let’s not injure Raleek. I like using someone else.
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….or Gary Bryant.
WR generally have better hands than RB’s.
For this team with a high powered offense, the “fair catch” and a subsequent 90 yard drive is a higher probability than breaking the “Adoree Jackson” punt return TD.
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ugh,good piont john,he probaly shudnt be on the feild evr espeshulley on ofence to cuz he cud get hirt,we shud onley play the playurs that we dont cair abowt,smdh
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LOL!!!
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We need the punter and field goal kicker to come up big. Addison doesn’t need to return punts, let Gary Bryant do kickoff with Prophet Brown so they can use their speed to make plays, we have too many athletes so we need 2 spread out their opportunities which is better for team chemistry. GB is too talented to be limited to just special teams duty. Watch his body language at the farm.
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Eric,
I am sorry but you said you answered my question about you playing college ball. I never saw your answer. If you would not mind, let me know. Thank you.
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He answered it. Go back a couple of threads.
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Hey CalSeventyFive I never played college ball I ran track for ECC, I worked in a family business, instead of pursuing my scholarship opportunities in football and basketball, track Graduated in 82 sir. I only had offers to Big Sky schools with partial scholarship. I knew those schools were to cold.
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Dye’s a talented guy, but will be a middle- or late-round NFL draft pick. He’ll be expected to play special teams in NFL. Judging from his comments today, he seems to have a sense of humor and would be popular among his teammates.
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Travis Dye is good dude through and through. I hope he does brilliantly. I rooted for him even at Oregon. Hard working, smart, tuff. You can always tell a real back. The dudes that can pick up the blitz no matter were it’s coming from. He man handled that hoss saturday. Complete back. You will be able to rely on him not for the flashy yards, but the crucial yards, the ones that make the difference be it on the ground or through the air. The key block that springs another back or give Williams the time to find the open guy or get out on foot to the flat. You will see him grab an onside kick this year, recover a fumble or create one on special teems this year, have a Barry Sanders 15 cut 12 broken tackle run or return. He’s just that kind of tuff guy and all with a great youthful smile on his face. Of all the transfers that migrated this year, he was the one that pleasantly surprised me when it happened. Because I new just how tuff he was and knew it would help turn the culture of the organization around on the field and amongst all the other bullshit that goes on in the hype machine that is the athletic department.
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‘Ol Mule Shoe needs to focus on fixing that crap defensive line of his
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Okay this explains it, here’s the problem with that Trojan D Line
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What’s YOUR problem?
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This is good.
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ugh,may be he shud cal ol’peenus breth direckly,that ladey got som searius problums,smdh
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Ed, don’t know which lady you’re referring to, but some listerene would clear up that C-breath straight-away.
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ugh,may be he shud cal ol’peenus breth direckly,that ladey got som searius problums. i wish some body wld put their peenus in mi posterior cavity so i feel good
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Trojans defensive line coach needs to go, they haven’t improved, they’ve regressed from last year
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There it is
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Lincoln Riley definitely reads this blog.
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Maybe Riley has Scottie on retainer as genius consultant.
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I respect Riley too much to think he reads what we’re writing….
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Good then he can take what makes sense and quickly learn whose posts are the ‘joke of the day’.
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USCDude Riley does read the blog because, I collaborative gave the DC on how to maximize Gentry playmaking skills he is a Unicorn, look he was responsible for 2 pic 6. I don’t remember the posts but he was used just like I posted a couple days ago regarding the the prediction of the Rice game.
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Just imagine if Addison hit a seam on a return. The results would be fun to watch and calls for more. If we give Riley the leeway he needs, he might just win a couple of games. Addison isn’t complaining.
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I hear ya , Ghost…..but….it’s up to the ref, not the fighter, to stop the fight…..
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Hey MG, some intel on this site USC has social media department who is charge of listening to talk radio and they get a feel of how us fanboys really feel about the team. Now do they actually follow our suggestions about who should be playing or how their talents should be maximized for the good of the team. I say yes and no. We will call the collaborative coaching or a sports CO-OP.
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Eric —there is probably an intern somewhere who, among many other things, is charged w/skimming USC sports sites —and whoever that person is might just pay attention to your commentary ….but I can say [with 100% confidence] Ed and I are on the “Don’t Bother” List……
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…on second thought…….
#…..MakeThatThe”Please,Can’tYouJust…Die”List…..
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MG, we have a moral obligation to tell the truth. Unfortunately the University of Spoil Children don’t believe in people who are for right. They just want they want and you know they beat to their own beat. Ditto Folt & Bohn.
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Can you make that “ESPECIALLY Folt and Bohn”? [Most of the SC grads I know aren’t spoiled — although many of the lawyers are]….
#….OfCourseTheUCLALawyersAreWorse….
#…WayWorse
#[TheCalLawyersAreJustCrazy]…
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DISAGREE- THE PUNT RETURNER SHOULD BE BRANDON RICE- SON OF JERRY RICE. HE HAD A GREAT YEAR RETURNING PUNTS AT CU last year, and is very explosive with great quickness.
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Nice addition, Tommmyd.
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Teams are only allowed 10 assistant coaches.
I don’t much care if a team has a ST coach or not. But in USC’s case, I do want to question why they have these two assistants – an Inside Receivers coach and an Outside Receivers coach.
If that’s what Riley wants, fine but I had never seen that before. Is it worth it to forego a ST coach so you can have an Inside Receivers coach?
#USC’sInsideReceiversCoachIsLukeHuard
#USC’sOutsideReceiversCoachIsDennisSimmons
#InquiringMindsWantToKnow
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If we don’t punt all year…
and we don’t need an on-sides kick all year….
and we don’t need to try FG’s all year….
and we don’t need to block a FG all year…
…..then maybe we don’t need a ST coach.
(look, I understand that it WAS ONCE an important part of football and occasionally still wins a game. Just don’t think we need a dedicated coach who only does ST. In the NFL, it wins games).
Just Fair Catch the Punt and KR and get this offense rolling.
CFB and the NFL are passing game leagues.
The inside WR–Welker, Edelman, Jimmy Graham, etc–are a key part of the game plan now. Superspecializing on O and D is “de rigueur” now.
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ST can still win games in college football. I don’t think it’s become an afterthought.
Just check out the end of the LSU-Florida State game this past week.
#BlockedPATAsTimeExpired
#2002USC-WSU-KilleenMissesExtraPt.andFGIn30-27OTLoss
#1981USC-UCLA-GeorgeAchicaBlocksUCLA’sFGAsTimeExpiresToBeatTheBruins22-21
#1989USC-UCLA-UCLABouncesFGOffCrossbarAsGameEndsToEndGameIn10-10Tie
#2013&2014-USCBeatsStanfordOnLastSecondFG’sThanksToKHeidari
#2011USC-Utah-KalilBlocksFGThatIsReturnedForTDToBeatTheUtes
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…it was a joke, fer cripesake.
When I played, Gil Haskell was our ST coach and coached the WR’s.
He landed a gig in the NFL as the Packer’s ST coach.
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People want the d-line coach fired after a 52 point win. . . folks believing that the head coach listens to them on coaching decisions on an Internet blog. . . People ranting about the AD or school president when the students graduate with worse opportunities than they’re parents. SMH.
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