FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Defensive Shortcomings Have Common Problem

The more I watch USC’s defense and listen to defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, I actually think he’s done a pretty good job this season.

The shortcomings are more talent related and maybe there is some question if Lincoln Riley was able or willing to go as hard after defensive talent as his offensive stars. Linebacker Shane Lee is a leader but his struggles in pass coverage make it clear why Alabama stopped playing him. Linebacker Chris Thompson from Auburn was hurt for most of the season but has he made a play the past two games? The other Auburn transfer, Romello Height, got hurt before he could make an impact.

It tells you something about the linebacker position that Eric Gentry is not 100 percent and the coaches are immediately decrying the depth.

“Guys have got to step up and the guys around them have to step up as well,” Grinch said Wednesday.

Instead of all the wide receivers and other skill players, USC needs more linebackers and defensive ends this season. Plus, there’s not been great player development. Solomon Byrd comes from Wyoming and seizes a rush-end spot earmarked for five-star Korey Foreman. Does any coach ever mention four-star linebacker Julien Simon? This week was the first time anyone mentioned Raesjon Davis. How has cornerback Joshua Jackson disappeared?

Grinch hasn’t been perfect. The coverage of the tight end in the Utah game was a disaster. But by-and-large, USC’s defensive problems are talent issues more than scheme issues.

63 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Defensive Shortcomings Have Common Problem”

  1. I agree with much of what the Wolfman said. That front 7 is not exactly talent rich. Simon was a really good player in high school. He seems to have gotten lost in the sauce since he came to SC. Solomon Bird was looking great for a game or two. Haven’t heard much from him lately. Solomon Tuliaupupu was the best defensive player in the country his senior year in high school. So far he hasn’t excelled(maybe because he was injury prone). We’re still waiting for Foremen to break out.
    They had better find a solution to the tight end coverage. If the tight end worked for Utah, you can bet that the other teams that we play are going to be going to the tight end against us too.

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    1. ‘Ol Mule Shoe doesn’t give two shits about defense because if he did he wouldn’t have hired those three clowns Grinch, Nua and Donte Williams.

      Maybe those are the only clowns ‘Ol Mule Shoe could ger who knows? Coaches know ‘Ol Mule Shoe doesn’t care about defense so why would good defensive coordinator’s and coaches want to work with him.

      USC is stuck with shit defensive coaching, that’s all there is to it.

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      1. Inner Tebowobama: I hope everyone notices my brilliant insights. Caring! It is all about caring! Ya know folks, this world would be whole lot better if people cared…we all need to get together and have a group hug while singing Kumbaya. I think this would help our defense. Then they can all sit around the campfire to bond, roast marshmellows, and listen to Perry Como.

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      3. ooh….someone liked me! JustOwns, thank you sooooooooooo much. Would like to meet for an ice cream date?

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    2. Why is everyone shocked at the lack of defense with Lincoln Riley’s USC team? His teams at Oklahoma never played defense, because his philosophy is, just out score the opponents. That’s who he is, and that’s what you’re going to see as long as he’s the Trojans head coach. So don’t ever expect to see SC advance in the playoffs, because they’ll eventually face a team that will destroy them at the line of scrimmage.

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      1. Because he has not cared about defense in the past doesn’t mean he will not re-evaluate. H could have stayed in Oklahoma and kept winning by outscoring the other teams but never really having a balanced team that can win a NC. But he came to SC because he wanted to win a NC(those were his own words). If he wants to win a NC that bad that he would leave a comfortable job at Oklahoma, you would think that he would sooner or later come to the conclusion that his teams need to play great defense to win a NC. As long as he is coach they will always have a great offense. So it isn’t a huge problem to make his teams more balanced(offense and defense). All he has to do is hire a great DC. He’s got the clout to do that and SC has the money. CH didn’t have that clout.

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    3. Chip loves the TE pass game.
      (Hard to believe that Dulcich–from UCLA–is one of Russell Wilson’s better targets here in Denver).

      ND has always loved the TE pass game.

      So, yes, Grinch needs to scheme this better or it will be “Utah all over again.”

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    4. Hey John, why is it that me ‘n Ed ar gettin ads hear on yur blog from “Days Inn” and “Walmart”? We only stay at the 4 Seesons and we only shop at Tiffunys. Maybee thees ads were ment fur sumbudy else like timmy teboe obma

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      1. tebow’s on an entirely different list —- Ukrainian mail order brides.
        #…IKnowItSoundsBad…
        #…ButTheAdsAreDoneInTheBestPossibleTaste…

        Liked by 1 person

      2. i suck balls and chew ass at cheap motels 4 mony , N missus let men violate her posterior cavity 4 Jollie Bee fried chicken meal

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  2. I have been watching/attending football ,SC, games since 1951. Very few linebackers can cover receivers incl tight ends. PERIOD
    This yr SC put together players from all over with coaches they never played for,and in my opinion they have done a good job, not great or very good…just a good job,beyond expectations. Would be undefeated except for Pac12 refs doing their evil best…

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    1. Hi Tim. Guess what? Rice agrees with you. While being interviewed about the Utah game he basically said the following words: “I think I played a good game. But I can be better. We all can be better. But….oh, I’m not supposed to say this…. well, I’ll say it anyway: we got jobbed by the refs. If we started the game on the 50 like we should have —we woulda won the game.”
      The players know the officiating is rigged. Riley knows it too. That’s why he told Rice not to say it Everybody knows it….
      #…ExceptFolt&Bohn

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    2. I mean goddamn, Grinch, Nua and the other idiot Donte Williams couldn’t get one stop against Utah when they needed it? How fucking pathetic is that?

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      1. They only got an interception in the endzone…..which the refs took off the board…. and another big stop on 3rd and 12 —which the refs reversed too….
        #….That’sAll

        Liked by 3 people

      3. Inner Tebow: I really do mean that god damn’s their blasted eyes…Grinch and the the whole evil bunch. Sends them down the lowest rung in Dante’s Inferno.

        I hope they don’t think my “How fucking pathetic is that?” is rhetorical . Notice the clever take on this, not just pathetic but fucking pathetic. That is an order of magnitude worse than just plain ol’ vanilla pathetic. I have to make a note of that for my next posting….now time to grab the vodka bottle out of granny’s mitts.

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    4. Oh no, Leftwich drags out the ye auld bozo FB excuses, excuses, excuses, cry baby, loser whine. Tim, the ref’s didn’t score Utah TD’s or the winning 2 pt. conversion.

      Remind me Leftwich, how many SUCC players touched the Utah QB as he waltzed into the end zone for the winning 2 pt. conversion?

      Just asking for a friend.

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      1. JustOwns…you are so cute when you are angry!! How about a sleepover. We can have pillowfights, blow bubbles, and stay up after 10 PM. Such delicious fun we can have. Your chum and pal, Tweedy (as my friends call me-by the way, you would be my first friend)

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      2. Hey BruinRob, what is your excuse for the Cerritos McDonald’s, which you are the Assistant to the Manager, getting a grade of B on the recent LA Country Health Inspection?

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  3. I have to agree that perhaps Riley is a little to offense oriented, not going as hard after defenders. This must change. If they pinpoint a player they need they need to pursue at him 100%. The problem is some of the coaches are not good recruiters, and some of the recruiters are not really good coaches. I do believe Riley will have to deal with some coaching changes after the season ends. Not sure who or why.

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    1. Riley tried hard to pick up lineman and a better defensive staff. Nobody took him up on his offers. We’re lucky his reputation as an offensive genius got us where we are today. I mean there are only so many miracles a guy can pull off in his first year.
      Scott is 100% right. We do have a talent problem on defense right now. But Grinch is doing the best he can with what he’s got. And he’ll have more to work with next year. You can bet on that.

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  4. Whenever footballers get hurt and the position played has been weakened so that they might be down to a 4th or even 5th string guy and the coach cliches,
    “Guys have got to step up,” I picture Guarino or me finally getting our shot but instead of a ‘step up’ we get stepped on

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      4. My friend Owns vs. Teddy Roosevelt…..?
        #Okay,GiveMeAMinute….
        [btw, What about Mike Bohn vs. Teddy Roosevelt? I can get back to you sooner on that one]…..

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      5. “There’s no commercial viability for a network that doesn’t have some level of content moderation. Advertisers and users aren’t going to show up and post during their workday alongside pornography and extremism — and Twitter is already reportedly struggling with losing its most active users. So in deciding how “free” Musk wants speech to be, he may have to alienate users to get there.” Bloomberg.

        Wolfy would be wise to pay attention to this omen. The pron of one or two users kills his pocketbook. Did you ever notice the pron is on quickly following posts 24/7? So the troll(s) has INSIDE USC logged in 24/7.
        Either an unemployed troll(s) or another competing website.

        Liked by 4 people

  5. I think I’ve been “defending” Grinch and the D most of the season.
    Firstly, go back and look at the OU players drafted in 2022 by NFL teams. O line, D line, LB, and DB. None of the skill players were drafted (likely as they were mostly underclassmen).
    So, there is commitment on the part of Grinch and Riles for the Big Guys and the D.

    Another side bar story to the USC defense story is that the Pac 12–per usual–has some of the highest ranking offenses in CFB.
    Fully 7 of the top 36 (so about one quarter) highest ranked offenses (per FPI efficiency) are in the Pac 12, including the Beavs. These data can be skewed by the fact that maybe these offenses just haven’t played against good defenses, but don’t slow my roll, dammit.

    Maybe I am just comparing this D to the HORRIBLE D of the SarkiffinHelton years, but still I like the effort this year.

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    1. Agreed — our defense was fighting hard in Utah, even after getting jobbed on 3rd down stops that were reversed by iffy penalties —-until (1) they ran out of air and (2) Gentry went out….
      #This”D”Isn’tPerfect….
      #But…
      #…ItKeepsFighting…
      #…And…
      #…ThatCouldMakeTheDifferenceAgainstUCLA

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      1. all true…and glad I never called a certain person a friend…he must have voted ‘fjb’
        fight on…

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  6. Creating turnovers.
    Getting some 3rd and long situations.
    Better DB play (Pass interference could be called on every pass in CFB…)
    Occasionally creating stops and punts.

    With a better blitz package, this D could get some key stops.
    We will see on Nov 19 and 26.

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. Scooter,

    Thank God I was sitting down. I read your blog and it was fair and objective. Also, on a more positive side for Grinch. Are you feeling okay?

    Riley has to help Grinch in getting players. They need 4 lbers, 6 dtackles/de’s, 3dbs. !3 recruits for defense and 12 for offense. Total of 25 scholis.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. I’ve noticed too. Scott has been very fair to Riley and Grinch.
      #HopeUSCIsTakingNote…
      #..ItWon’tHurtToBringBackTheNew,Improved”GoodBoy”Scott

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    1. There were actually people on Yahoo saying they were glad he died for committing such a heinous crime….. I guess the Yahoo audience has more sympathy for Hunter….
      #..HeOnlySoldOutHisCountry….

      Liked by 4 people

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      1. I saw that, too. Rapists, pedophiles, sickos who abuse animals for the “fun” of it. No! We need to kill off anyone who thinks they should be able to their buy their way into things. Those are the true evil people among us.

        Wow!

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Daughter had a history of discipline and academic problems. Let me translate that for you. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and grew up to be a total asshole. So daddy tried to rig the system to get into a good school to “straighten” herself out. Didn’t Billy Madison’s dad try to do that?

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. I think it’s nuts anyone did prison time for this “scam” — USC was a “willing” participant….. This shoulda been a “fine plus 20% penalty assessment” case….
        #SaveThePrisonTimeForTheFolksSellingOutTheCountry

        Liked by 1 person

  9. All I know is…GO AUSTIN FC!!! BEAT LAFC!!! Sunday at noon on ABC.

    Sorry LAFC fans. Traffic & parking will be bad enough on Homecoming without having to deal with soccer fans. Should have scheduled that potential match for Sunday, Nov 6.

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. USC defense has major talent gaps but it feels like there could have been better development. I feel like Nua has done more to develop the talent on the d-line than other position groups. Donte and Grinch have not brought the secondary up to speed at all. In the Utah game, the lack of sacks and pressures was more a result of getting the ball out quickly to receivers running open than a lack of penetration by the d-line. Bullock has not progressed from last year. Max Williams has been out of place on field in so many key plays. Ceyair Wright is the one player that seems to have progressed, but he still isnt up to speed. There is a ton of other players that need to be competing for time.

    The linebacker corp seems to have not really progressed, both Raesjon and Julien were solid recruits and are not playing. Seems to me that Lee has been getting playing time, but simply is not capable of defending against the pass. I have also seen a huge number of missed tackles and poor attack angles from Lee on the playing field.

    If I were Riley, I would be telling my offense that they need to score practically every time they get the ball if they want to guarantee a win. Plan for very high scoring games through the end of the year. That means the offense needs to get more consistent. The goal should be to eliminate 3rd down by moving the ball 10 yards on 1st and 2nd down, every single time.

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    1. Eliminate 3rd downs? Easier said than done…. but, basically, yeah. And, yeah, we need to get points on every drive. Of course that’s what all teams want —but we actually have the offense to do it.
      #NoMoreWastedTripleOptionDowns…
      #..Kill’EmW/WhatWeDoBest—Dye,12YardThrows&CalebKeepers

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  12. Sorry SUCCster’s, but I won’t practice on a field where I’m liable to catch a stray cap or two. I would better serve Clown U FB on the sideline clownishly waving a white flag after the odd bozo tackle or whining long and loud about a game ref’s perceived incompetence after a SUCC FB loss.

    #Cue: “Hooray for Hollywood”

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    1. You’re on, my friend! Report to the USC Men’s Gym Towel Room for photo I. D. and equipment…
      #Warning:WatchOutForA5FootTallPersonNamedCarol

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. Inner Tebowobama: I wonder, does JustOwns really, really like me or was he just toying with me. He does like Hollywood, but does he like West Hollywood? I think he likes clowns because of all the makeup they use. What exactly does he mean by “whining loud..” Is this code? Why is he torturing me so! Can’t he just come out and tell me his true feelings!

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  13. Scott Wolf has never played football past high school because if he did then he’d know that facing a team that has two years of being together such as Utah would expose USC with only half a year of being together to know how to fix problems during a game. Sometimes, the other guy is better. I’m more concerned with the lack of attack by the offense in the middle of the field. Can’t the offense throw the ball more inside the hashmarks? USC doesn’t recruit defensive players? Really? Guys who were hurt last year and lack experience are supposed to show up and be All-Americans? Are you people sick or just silly like the trolls?

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  14. Our defense is what it is at this point we must see what our depth is at LB and see what we have for next year suppose Prophet Brown is like Ceyair Wright where is the development they have in college 2 years same as Davis Simon how about Gordon Beavers ditto development should be there if not we are screwed Branch Jackson battling knee issues, get healthy there the last mohicans that they need to step up next year..

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