FOOTBALL

Sunday Buzz: It’s Obvious USC Needs A Special Teams Coach

USC does not have a special teams coach but it does have someone who handles the special teams.

Ryan Dougherty is the Trojans’ “special teams analyst.” He spent the previous 5 seasons (2017-21) as the special teams analyst at Oklahoma.
“He can’t wear headsets and do all the things that a regular assistant coach does (like recruiting and on-field coaching) but he does handle the special teams,” a USC coach told me. “He’s Lincoln’s guy.”

Analysts fall under a category of coach that isn’t considered “countable” by the NCAA, which means that they are prohibited from directly coaching players or going on off-campus recruiting trips.

Being an analyst is obviously not as lucrative, powerful or prestigious as being one of the 10 full-time assistant coaches. But it’s not nothing either.

We are 11 games into the season, though, and it is now clear USC needs a full-time special teams coach who can do everything that is required. The UCLA game is Exhibit A.

  • USC opens as a 6-point favorite over Notre Dame according to the Circa Sports book in Las Vegas.
  • USC moved into the top 5 of the Associated Press poll for the first time in five years. The Trojans are ranked No. 5
  • Who will USC play in the Pac-12 title game? Here are the tiebreakers.
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37 thoughts on “Sunday Buzz: It’s Obvious USC Needs A Special Teams Coach”

  2. Chip Kelly postgame presser: “Caleb Williams throws it as well as anybody I have seen.”

    “We played against as good a quarterback as I have faced in my college career. That is a heck of a quarterback. He’s really accurate. He has a great pocket presence. He keeps so many plays alive, to just extend plays. And I think that when he extends plays – he does a great job of extending plays. He is extremely athletic. He’s as accurate as you can be, throwing the football. I think it’s that combination – that rare dual-threat guy that can beat you with his legs and his arm. Sometimes guys are more of a runner, but he throws it as well as anybody I have seen.”

    Liked by 2 people

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      1. Chip was a class act at his presser…wish I could say the same for the dumb fuck reporters taking cheap shots at him [“what do you think of a team that gives up almost 700 yards?’]…
        Chip’sAnswer:”WeLostBy3Points”

        Liked by 3 people

      2. One more from Chip “The defensive coaches tried everything against them. 3 man rush, 4 man rush, 5 man rush, 6 man rush, zone, man, disguising schemes and dropping guys into coverage late. They ran through their defensive playbook. USC is an extremely talented team.”

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Our offense is humming…..& now only trails Tennessee in total yards. Our o-line is playing extremely well, our running backs can be counted on for 5 yards a pop, Caleb is phenomenal .. and the receiving corps is maybe the best ever as a group….
        #….CoachingMatters

        Liked by 2 people

      1. I didn’t see him —but 67 has a much better eye than I do and he saw him in for a couple of plays.
        P S
        The Pac 12 Commissioner just released the following statement: “Since USC is so fixated on joining the Big Ten I have decided they will face Ohio State for the Pac 12 Championship. The game will be played at midnight in Alaska”

        Liked by 2 people

  4. One more comment from Chip: “Our recently hired Defensive Coordinator and Opposing Team Offense Misinformation Identifier, Nina Jankowitz, has been placed on double secret administrative leave.”

    Liked by 2 people

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  5. — Don’t know if SC needs a Special Teams coach but I do know that home field matters with the Trojans 23-20 in the coliseum but a miserable 13-28 in South Bend, and the odds-makers say it will be a 34-28 type contest favoring SC which means Troy will find scoring against the Irish more difficult than against the bruins

    ND always draws well especially in the big cities, but the hope is that the SC fans will come out of the woodwork and pack in the coliseum giving the Trojans a well-deserved home field advantage

    Suddenly it seems if SC can best ND it will be favored against Oregon or any other Pac-12 team paving the way for the Trojans qualifying for the Final-4 where it probably doesn’t matter whether they play Georgia or likely Ohio St in the semi-finals

    Liked by 2 people

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      2. “South Bend is a miserable place,” writes Rushmore–

        Disagree in the Fall South Bend is a’bustling with trees a’coloring
        Agree when one October I felt I was watching the game in a refrigerator

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Notre Dame doesn’t have any quarterback that can pass they rely on the running game. Stop their running game and they’re done. There’s no way they can stop a Lincoln Riley power pack offense, not at the Coliseum anyhow.

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. They are gonna try to kill us with their tight ends …
        #ItLookedLastNightLikeWe’reBetterAtStoppingThatKindOfAttack…
        #..ThanWeWereInSaltLakeCityAgainstUtah…

        Like

      2. ND lost its first two games with Buchner at QB.

        In the next 9 games Pyne has lead them to an 8-1 record with a single (inexplicable) loss to Stanford. Top receiver is Mayer–a tight end.

        As would be expected, their run game is strong with about 1500 yards from 3 RB’s

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I’m impressed with how this staff has utilized this roster of players this season. You didn’t see this in previous coaching staffs. Players have earned their time to play. This should be the difference against Notre Dame who embarrassed USC last year. They can wear down and that loss to Stanford (at home!) shows a flawed team that is dangerous but beatable. Can’t wait for the end of this. Probably another nail biter!

    Liked by 2 people

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  9. USC missed that FG before the half and I’m like “pffft” and got up to take a leak. Come back and another USC guy sitting there explained there was a penalty and Denis made the re-kick. Funny that was the difference in the game. Gotta do better on ST than last night.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Better than Raleek stopping the ball from going into the endzone so we could take it on the 10 yard line? Better than kicking the ball straight in the air…for 20 yards….after a hard earned touchdown so that UCLA could get into the endzone with one pass? Better than that first field goal attempt…which was 10 yards short and 10 yards wide?
      #ThatShouldn’tBeATallOrder
      [Raleek hasn’t come close to returning one kick all season…we’d be better off telling him to leave the ball alone and let us start on the 25]….

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. Dorian Thompson Robinson put major shade on his coach for not protecting him more in the presser after the game. Referring to Caleb, DTR said “he looked clean.”

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. DTR played with incredible heart. Ricky Hundley was talented, but I’m not sure he had that much heart.

      One of the great things about this rivalry is appreciating the talent and heart of the opponents. I’ll remember DTR’s efforts forever.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I’ll remember the amazing guts he showed …. but I’ll remember how he disrespected our team …and his own o-line too…..

        Like

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