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USC Morning Buzz: A Target Of Unfair Criticism?

I hear USC cornerbacks Donte Williams has been irritated by criticism this season?

Have I missed it?

And have the corners played well enough to avoid criticism? I don’t know who else (besides me) has written about how Williams’ corners seem to always grab the receivers. That’s poor fundamentals.

Now Williams could counter that he doesn’t have a lot of talent. But who recruited these guys? He’s been at USC for three seasons so that is plenty of time to revamp a secondary.

I’d say he’s lucky to not hear more criticism considering he makes more than $900,000 per season.

  • USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said 14 times a Trojans’ defensive player was unblocked by Arizona and did not make a tackle. USC missed 20 tackles vs. Arizona according to Pro Football Focus. The Trojans missed 18 tackles vs. Utah. That’s 38 vs. 44 missed tackles in the first six games.

That’s because Arizona and Utah had better offenses than what USC faced the first six games.

  • Does anyone think USC’s offensive line is this close to Alabama’s?
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47 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: A Target Of Unfair Criticism?”

    2. My problem with Donte is that he is supposed to be a great recruiter, but for our next recruiting class, the DB class is poor. How can you not get top recruits interested when they are going to be practicing against one of the best receiver rooms in the country?

      There are some fundamental problems at USC right now that need to be addressed by Riley. I am pretty sure the biggest problem is that Bohn-head will continue to handicap USC NIL efforts by crushing outside collectives. Just the stupidest move ever. An outside collective can focus money on key areas and USC has no accountability for it. Why would Bohn-head try to prevent this? Why would Bohn-head threaten donors to outside collectives? This is so typical of authoritarian regimes that care more about power and control, than about excellence.

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      1. I think that is a edict that came down from Folt. It’s a control issue. See the “unsanctioning/sanctioning of the Trojan clubs. The elimination of the donations to targeted areas like specific sports (other than football of course) unless of course its big enough to garner a title. Its a control issue. Bohn trying to be a good soldier. I think he wanted to do that before but knew it would have adverse effects but then when she (lil Napoleon) came in it was her call and there for he was off the hook if there is backlash.

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    3. That clown Donte Williams is lucky that anyone actually believes he’s a coach, he’s a recruiter.

      Donte Williams resume is shit, who the hell has he developed?

      Answer…no one!

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      1. Apparently, UCLA has been developing players in the Chip Kelly years because he is a terrible recruiter and has never brought in a lot of great players and yet they do have a lot of players drafted and also a lot of good offensive lines. That’s why their running game is always so good.

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  2. They are losing a lot of players on the O and the interior D lines after this year. The O-Line is bringing in a lot of good recruits but I only see one really good interior D-Line recruit so far(Sam Greene). If Grant Buckey is ever going to be more than a practice squad player, it won’t be for a couple of years. They are going to have to hit the transfer portal again to bring in people(especially on the interior D-Line). I hope their early season schedule next year is soft because both lines are going to be relatively inexperienced at the start of next year.

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    1. one must remember all that return have had a full year of better coaching,and rarely is a freshman ready to start,so portal transfers and good JC players are recruited by smart coaches like Saban,etc…

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    2. I think the o-line will be OK. Dedich can come back for another year and play center. Jonah Monheim at one guard position. Mason Murphy at right tackle. Gino Quinones at another guard position and then either Cortland Ford or a transfer portal guy at left guard.

      But the d-line is a huge problem.

      My guess is that USC’s weak NIL efforts are killing nationwide recruiting. Riley needs to demand change. Bohn/Folt need to have pressure applied. I would love it if Folt would be caught in a scandal and be sent packing. She is a disaster, UNC was smart to get rid of her.

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      1. they had no choice after she was involved in her third scandal at unc. Then she gets snapped up and gets a raise in under 3 months by a braindead, bloated board looking to check some boxes. Isn’t failing up a wonderful thing Carol?

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      5. If Dedich can come back I think that he will. But can Dedich come back? I thought he was a senior.

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  3. Murphy, Quinones are playing. Guys are getting experience on both lines. They’ll be fine. Players are executing the scheme. Notice how many one loss teams are high up on the list. This writer doesn’t know football for him to complain about blocking.

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  5. The democrats are saying the republicans will steal the election. What does that tell you? The dems are stealing it or they know they are losing badly and want to cover their butts. Remember “not my president, resist!”

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    1. What do you expect from people who are pushing yet another candidate in a vegetative state, simply because they know he’ll tow the party line? According to them, if it’s not in line with their beliefs it’s stolen, racist or a domestic threat.

      They don’t know the definition of “democracy”. Dementia Joe is not only the worst President in history, he is by far the most divisive.

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      3. I will leave the rest of your post alone, but it’s “toe” the party line. The phrase comes from starting a foot race and putting your toe to the starting line.

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      4. EAT SLEEP SHIT BIDEN ……rinse and repeat 24/7…..seek medical help…..

        It must suck to have Biden living in your head. Biden controls your thoughts 24/7 , your repeated love for him proves it….BLOG DUNCE

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    2. You another dumb-wit posting on this board of sports. Cry me a
      river over the last election. It is sad that people like yourself are
      so brain dead when it comes to politics.

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      1. “People like yourself…”

        Might want to learn how to speak/write in English at a 3rd grade level before calling others brain dead. Reflexive pronouns have limited CORRECT uses. This is not one of them.

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      3. slo cal is the blog dunce…… He knows absolutly nothing about football, so he makes us laugh with his political studipity.

        His one and only lame talking point(in his Elmer Fudd voice) “You voted for Dementia Joe”……He reminds me 10x times a day I voted for Biden, like it’s going to change the election results or shame me.

        The senile troll fails to address the disater this country was in when his king trump was fired. The fucking idiot can’t comprehend the issues we face today are the residual effects of trump’s incompentence.

        I have tried to debate this senile troll numerous times regarding political issues and all I get is the typical respnse…..”you voted for the guy”…… the true mentality of a dunce

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  6. The O-line has been good to very good for quite some time.
    Indeed, the only USC players in the NFL for the last 5 or so years are either O-linemen or WR. (Yes, Hufanga is doing a great job for the 49ers). The USC O-line over the past 5 years was hamstrung by lousy coaching and immobile QB’s who held onto the ball too long. There was one year where Ced Ware was our best RB, and Ced just wasn’t a great USC RB. Otherwise, we’ve had a good to great run game for quite some time.

    DB’s? Needs work.

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      2. Grinch said it well in yesterday’s presser –“Do I put somebody extra on the back end and leave the door open for the QB …or do I rush an extra guy? I try to mix it up to keep them guessing.”

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  7. Dante, let me explain things to you so that you fully comprehend what is going on. First, many on this blog, including the Wolfman, have been on to your act since you arrived at USC. You are nothing more than a professional bullshitter, which is why people view you as a “great recruiter” and nothing more. One of the sore spots of the Clay Helton Era was a severe lack of player development. Wasn’t the old adage; “USC, where Four and Five Star prospects go to die?” This applies directly to you and your coaching acumen of the Defensive Backs.
    Secondly, when you are a coach at a Power Five School, primarily football and basketball, you are in the cross hairs of public scrutiny. If you do not want to get criticized for the play of the position group you are responsible for then do a better job coaching them or quit.

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      1. But…to be fair… up until [but sure as hell not including] the UCLA game, Donte had the o-line playing closer to potential and he upped the running game [not much, but some]….
        #….AddToThatHeHadToStepInto”TheHeltonCulture”…
        #…HeDeservesSomeCreditFor”ProtractedGallantryUnderFire”

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  8. I have questions about Donte now, particularly the lack of elite talent recruiting for 2023. But Mekhi Blackmon is playing lights out and Ceyair has come a long way. I think Donte gets blamed for the pass coverage, but the core problem is the linebackers/safeties. Bryson Shaw will help out in the interior, but this defense is just not good.

    USC just isnt getting a whole lot of talent in positions other than QB or WR next year. These coaches are going to need to really develop talent and I’m not sure they can do it.

    Why doesnt Brian Odom get more criticism for the lack of linebacker development? Where is Raesjon Davis or Julien Simon? or someone else?

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    1. I wonder if Riley has asked Odom about Raesjon Davis. The kid has some speed. Perhaps he doesn’t stand out in practice enough to get into a game, although he is valuable on S Teams.

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      1. Here is his scouting report: One of the most versatile linebackers in the country. Covers like a safety but hits like a linebacker. Lacks ideal length for an outside ‘backer but does have long arms on his 6-1 frame and might not be done growing. Very good as an outside pass rusher showing the burst to get around the edge and the power to run through most high school tackles. Can break down in space and is an excellent open field tackler and shows the speed to run down plays from behind. Has a non-stop motor and plays with an aggressive edge to him. Projects as an impact, upper-tier Power 5 starter and future high-round NFL draft pick.

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  9. Here is the scouting on Julien Simon, kind of surprising he isn’t getting PT. Position versatility, can play linebacker or safety, and can play running back or receiver. Projects best, though, at linebacker, where he can play either inside or outside. Able to diagnose plays with instincts and quickness to jump routes and break on the ball. Tremendous ball skills and has high volume of interceptions from his linebacker spot. Can run and get into the backfield and drop the ball-carrier or run stride-for-stride in pass coverage. Able to cover backs, tight ends and receivers. Projects as multi-year Power 5 starter and second day NFL draft pick.

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  10. It is such an dumb excuse to say we do not have the guys to defend and therefore the defense is horrible. Grinch would still argue his defense sucks cause he doesn’t have the right guys even with the 1985 Bears players! It is coaching guys. Other lower tier teams do more with less as the coaching is much more elite.

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    1. Utah is a prime example. Although Witt didn’t do it overnight, and he has periods where they are just average. Grinch can’t do it in one season, nobody could with what they have, and what they have is an improvement.

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  11. Wolf, I salute your sedulous objective of brining SC football / athletics back to prominence. However, maybe just ‘picking’ away with rhetoric is not beneficial. I, as most SC fans, would enjoy having offensive lines (70’s) that just destroyed the defensive. Student body sweeps were a thing of beauty. But rules have changed and so has the strategy on O-line play. The RPO has done that.
    SC’s line could be as good as Bama’s, depends on how you look at it. Bama’s stats do not show anything special. Against teams where Bama rushed for over 200 yds, the opponents ‘rushing defense’ rankings were bottom level – Texas A&M #120, Utah State #118, ULM #109 Vandy #82, Arkansas #72.
    Bama’s rushing yds against the upper-level teams are not anything special either: 1) Tenn. – 114 yds on 31 carries, 2) Texas – 161 yds, 34 carries, 81 of those yds on ONE run, and another big QB scramble (where there was a MAJOR holding by right tackle, not called), and last but most noteworthy…….3) Miss St, 29 yds on 27 carries.
    Per rush, Bama is 6.04, SC is 5.54. rushing TD’s – Bama 17, SC 16.
    Of course, we could always look at a key stat…. 4th down conversions. SC is rated #12 (many teams rated higher are the teams rated higher in the CFB rankings). Oh, and Bama….? Well Bama is ranked #102.
    Wolf, I could go on and on, showing how SC’s line is worthy. Those guys are working their tails off to improve every day. Yes, I know CW has had to scramble a few times, but again, amazing how Bama QB gets all ‘this praise about his ability to ‘extend plays’, scrambling for his health. CW has definitely been a ‘Houdini’, ……. yet it’s all about how porous the SC O-line is. Maybe Bama’s is just porous too.
    We want to fully disclose, so… Bama has given up 12 sacks, avg 1.5 per game. SC has given up 16 sacks, avg 2.0 per game. In the top 50 teams with sacks, Bama has played 3 and SC has played 3. But SC’s passing offense leads Bama in every category, is rated #15, Bama’s #33.
    So, Wolf, maybe SC’s line does rank up there with Bama. Maybe it does not. Who knows. I haven’t researched all the other teams, and stats are well, just stats. But I can say this, you cannot have a top-rated offense without having a pretty good offensive line. They may not have been 5 star but coaching and strategy can help. And while Saban can earn all the accolades pundits want to pile on, I personally respect any coach that wins with 3 stars.
    You know who else is battling? The secondary. Of course, we all wish they played a little cleaner, but they may be playing almost as well as SEC teams. Have you ever actually watched SEC secondaries? The SEC just officiates a little differently (Pac12, please take notes).
    Tackling is a fair criticism. I believed SC had been doing so much better. At least better than past years. But Grinch’s comments are concerning. I am just curious …. how are players taught to tackle? Are they taught? – 1) to NOT leave their feet, and 2) to watch the offensive runner’s belly button. The head, arms, feet can all wave everywhere, but the belly button goes where the body goes. Keeping your eyes on the belly button also keeps the head up and away from ‘targeting’.
    Wolf, I am not ‘clued’ in as you, and appreciate your insights into Heritage Hall. But blind rhetoric is exactly the problem with society and does not command human beings to improve to be the best individuals they can be. It does not disclose ‘truth’. Let every one of us strive to be better. Fight On, SC.

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    2. Come, come John, do you really believe Clown U could hang with Alabama at any venue regardless of your statistical analysis? I think not. I doubt Ore. St vs Alabama or vice versa would conclude Alabama 14 – Ore. St 13.

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      1. Your blind rhetoric buttresses my point. You automatically jump to a Bama vs SC assumption. Pick-Six Previews graded O-lines of Bama vs Bama opponents and SC vs SC opponents. AND includes only opponents to 11/1. BTW – SC has played 4 teams in the top 57 ‘total defense’. Bama has played one in the too 58. (Miss St #58).
        What they do going forward, obviously, remains to be played out. But for now, SC is grading out very well and I, for one, applaud their efforts.
        People make blind assumptions based on 5-star vs all other stars. But sometimes the stars do not align. And sometimes people see what they want to see based on those assumptions.
        Yes, I would enjoy watching the smaller but quicker SC lines vs the highly-ESPN-overrated Bama lines.
        Question – why has Bama not played Georgia in the regular season since 2016?
        Quick note – the Pac12 playing 9 conference games vs the SEC playing 8 provides a distinct and huge advantage to records, stats, ratings and rankings. When Florida won NC and when Bama won NC, they played the 2 bottom teams in their opposite divisions. They didn’t play the top, like the Pac12 winds up playing. So, for the SEC, there is a very high probability of getting two teams undefeated going into the SEC championship. Take note of bowl matchups…the SEC team most likely has a higher ranking than their bowl opponent. (The SEC #3 team plays the ACC #5 team). This all plays to ‘perceptions’.
        About the only perception of the SEC that I buy into is that they definitely have more rapid fans. Makes sense since no SEC team travels over 400 miles to a conference opponent. (UW traveling to Arizona is more miles than Bama travels in their entire season. In fact, in one season SC traveled 5688, Bama traveled 1489.).
        I understand your ‘Clown U’ sentiment, with the ex-head coach, past AD’s, and such. But the wording / phrasing is not edifying. If LR can recruit like I believe he will, there is no university who can keep pace with USC. LR will do his job. Question is, will the present AD do his? If he were to do his ‘smiling’ handshake, grabbing my elbow with his opposite hand, while shaking right hands, he would never do that to me again. He appears to be on constant power trips. But if people will just do their jobs, some pieces are taking shape to compete against anyone.

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      2. WOW!!!!! John, that was definitely a massive crotch kick(OUCH!!!!)….Looks like rents is down for the count. Hey, he earned it. You can’t go around popping off 24/7(like slo cal) without eventually getting the horns.

        Bama has/had three home cupcakes OOC games. The trip to Texas really took Saban out of his comfort zone, it shows, Bama should have lost at Texas.

        #FUCK-THE-SEC

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  12. Scooter,

    SC’s line has improved in terms of pass protection and not having as many for loss of yards behind the line of scrimmage. The counter RPO run by Dye usually picks up around 6 yards. It has rarely been stopped

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    1. PT…..With Caleb often ducking out of the pocket to improvise, it puts additional pressure on the O-line to sustain their blocks. The line play has improved incrementally over the season, agree. We did have a few small issues at the left tackle

      Caleb gets all the accolades, but Travis Dye has been my MVP to this point in the season……very solid at everything he does. He often doesn’t get enough credit for how well he pass-blocks!

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