FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Special Teams Under Radar

Did we hear much about USC special teams in the spring?

USC had the worst special teams in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus, which ranked the Trojans No. 131. Now I wouldn’t say USC was the worst in the country but the special teams definitely had plenty of poor moments.

The big addition in the offseason was adding Eddie Czaplicki, a transfer from Arizona State, who will handle punts and  kickoffs. That’s great but was punting a big problem last season? Aadyn Sleep-Dalton, last year’s punter, had only 30 punts in 14 games last season. With Caleb Williams, punting is less important.

I’m more surprised USC didn’t bring in a kicker to challenge Denis Lynch (15 of 22 FG’s last season).

But the bigger issue are the punt, punt return, kickoff and kickoff return teams. That’s where Lincoln Riley’s refusal to have a dedicated special teams coach becomes a talking point. I didn’t notice this coming up during spring practice (of course). The fanboys went wild over whatever freshmen returned punts because that’s their way. They don’t realize the most important of returning punts is not fumbling the ball.

What would the reaction be if John Baxter’s special teams committed this play?

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  • A USC coach of a different spring sport texted me after reading my complaints about UCLA not having its announcer give score updates at the dual track meet Sunday.

“Nobody knew who was winning. They didn’t announce anything. But they did introduce their seniors, which took a long time. You can check your phone (for results too) but you’re supposed to entertain the fans in the stands and build up the event. It was not done well.”

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94 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Special Teams Under Radar”

  1. Actually, Aadyn Sleep-Dalton averaged 40.3 a punt on 30 punts which isn’t bad and he has another year left. Eddie Czaplicki has 2 years left but is it worth wasting a scholarship on a punter when you already have a pretty good one and SC hardly ever punts?

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    1. That’s 5 yards worse per punt that Tom Malone averaged 20 years ago. Why do we accept such mediocrity now?

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      2. Says the loser who uses someone else’s avatar, showing how jealous he is.

        Yeah, yeah, make excuses and lie about it, as you do regarding just about everything.

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      3. You senile troll! ….. you’re responding to a fake Gabby(focus)

        Why would I be jealous of a mental midget who was a tuba player in a marching band?
        I feel sorry for the people that have to deal with you on a daily basis. Go find something productive to do and stop whining and crying about the way you’re treated. you earned it!

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      4. Fake Gabby admitted he didn’t even go to USC and he has the nerve to attack a member of The Spirit of Troy, the Trojan Marching Band, the greatest marching band in the nation?

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      6. LOL! Just as I stated, excuses and lies.

        And no, the reply was to you. But as usual, needing to have the obvious explained.

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      7. All butt-hurt again! Dude, you sound like an idiot who suffers from a short-man complex. I am sure the people at the nursing home felt the same way.

        So Cal: “I don’t take shit from anyone” (even though I am the root of the problem)

        go fix your shack!

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    2. Damn! ‘Ol Mule Shoe looks like hell in that picture above. Looks like Vin Scully just before Scully passed.

      Maybe Alex Grinch gave ‘Ol Mule Shoe H.I.V. or vice versa…holy hell!

      ‘Ol Mrs. Mule Shoe should go get herself checked out.

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      1. Psychological projection is a defense mechanism people subconsciously employ in order to cope with difficult feelings or emotions. Psychological projection involves projecting undesirable feelings or emotions onto someone else, rather than admitting to or dealing with the unwanted feelings.

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      3. Calling the Wolfman
        Calling the Wolfman
        Wolfie…come in
        Houston, we have a problem
        Nobody knows who anyone is anymore
        Too many impostors
        I might be talking to Gabby
        I might be talking to Michael Guarino
        I might be talking to the Spaghetti Monster
        Who knows
        Awake from your sleep
        Rise from your coffin
        Let’s set up some rules here and bring some order back to the universe

        Liked by 1 person

      8. It’s interesting how you seem to be the expert on all things related to “trans”…..quit acting like a fucking idiot

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      13. Fake Gabby must be a Google Bot, (s)he always repeats the same stupid phrases over and over.

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  2. An event was not run well at ucla? What an utter surprise. They are such a high class school it is hard to believe they could screw up an event. Thing is they didn’t just choke, they totally fucked up. Que: Send in The Clowns.

    Liked by 3 people

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      2. ROTFLMAO! HER actually telling someone else they look like an idiot.

        Freaking hilarious. Always accusing others of something she’s guilty.

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      3. Go do something productive. Quit being a fucking instigator. If I need any shit out of you I’ll squeeze your head.

        I see why the people at the nursing home thought you were a fucking idiot.

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      4. since you got all butt hurt over the band avatar. I re-dedicated a new one in your honor….Looks like you’re dropping a dunce while trolling the blog….it’s more fitting

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      5. Making shit up in her head again. Her alternate reality. As others have suggested, she really should be on meds.

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      6. Stop the pouting!….. you sound like a scorned little bitch….who said I need to be on meds….looks like you’re the one making shit up. Go do something productive instead of stalking me….creepy!

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      12. You’re trolling yourself… Toooo funny… And I though slo troll was the only blog dunce… Not anymore.

        Keep it up!

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    1. Good morning Ed! You’re too much of a Fucc-Tard for a job like that. Go back to the 1st grade and learn how to spell, or I can come over and turn on your spellcheck, you Dumb Azz, Fucc-Tard .. ok ? 😀.

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    2. ….with Ed aboard we’d go from “not hearing much about special teams in the spring” to “hearing about nothing but special teams in the fall”….

      Liked by 2 people

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      2. hi Michael, i shld b on a special teams skool bus wit a white helmet, Cuz I a fucc-Tard . Da bus driver say i play wit my peenus 2 much so he sit me in da back wit 2 other Fucc-Tards

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  4. The great John Madden used to say that people don’t realize that special teams plays are actually a large percentage of the overall plays in a game. But think about that – after an eight or ten play scoring drive, there’s either a field goal attempt or a point after conversion attempt. And then there’s a kickoff. So that equates to 20-25% of the plays being a special teams play. If the drive stalls, then there’s a punt. The point is that special teams plays make up a significant portion of the game. But yet, some teams don’t put much emphasis on that aspect of the game. Whether it’s best to use a first round pick on a punter, I don’t know, but Ray Guy was a special talent.
    If you recall during the Pete Carroll era, special teams were always important and they were very good. A special teams play that leads to a score can turn a game around.

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    1. Don’t tell us, Bryan —tell whoever sent Mario Williams in to replace Raleek Brown in the last few seconds of the Cotton Bowl….

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. P. S.
        Coach Riley’s weakness is he uses your “special teams can turn the game around’ theory in reverse…

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      1. …little known fact: Ed. G secretly taught Tom Malone how to average 40 yards a kick…
        #…ALotOfPete’sSuccessIsDueToEd.G…
        #..TimeToBringEdBack&PutSpecialTeams”OnTheRadar”Again

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Pete could afford to give special teams short shrift coaching-wise— Reggie Bush was returning punts and kicks….
        #RaleekDoesn’tKnowWhatHe’sDoingBackThere…
        #…AndLet’sNotEvenGetIntoTheSubjectOfMarioWilliams

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  5. Maybe, just maybe instead of having a dedicated special teams coach Riley believes all of the coaches should coach their divisions in football smarts. Perhaps, as has been reported, the whole team practices special teams play.
    With complicated offensive and defensive schemes time and effort are being spent perfecting those areas.
    The ointment which draws flies to this theory is high school football. Traditional high school football teams put their least used players in on kickoffs and punts. Most high school teams do not find good kickers in their stables and rarely attempt a field goal beyond an extended extra point. So college coaches who assume their players were exposed to football smarts in high school are making mistake. Riley might point out that 30 punts in 14 games is very little over 2 punts a game, but in actual numbers the better the opponent, the higher number of punts in the game. So what does it all mean? Riley gives away special teams so Scott has reason to criticize.

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      4. Poor Fake Gabby can’t handle the truth that Lincoln Riley has a blind spot when it comes to 1/3rd of college football, namely special teams.

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      7. What an awesome defense we had. The only thing that stopped our opponents last year was the back of the end zone.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. I must agree with Wolf on this one. Riley is a bit stubborn in some areas and the lack of special teams competence is one of those areas.

    It may not matter if the offense is as good as it could be.

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      2. The play in question resulted from a bonehead decision made by a player. Coaching would not have changed the outcome.

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      3. Fake Gabby, you missed the SC special teams breakdown resulting in a Green Wave 40 yard kickoff return after SC took the 45-30 lead with only 4:30 left in the 4th quarter.

        Maybe you better stick to a subject you know something about, like Trans fashion.

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      5. Totally cold returner, Mario Williams, didn’t put himself in the game…..
        #..TheBrainFartCameFromTheCoachWhoSentHimIn…
        #….MightaBeenNiceToHaveSpecialTeamsCoachOnThatOne

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      6. poor decision-making at the goalline is a mistake by the player. I don’t see how a coach is responsible for a player’s actions. Why would you consider Mario cold, he played the whole game. Plus, Tulane only punted twice. So all are punt returners were cold.

        I am just not sold that a coach is responsible for a player’s mistake.

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      8. you senile troll. Coaching was not the cause of the mistake Mario made. Yes, it was a special team blunder but not one you pin on a coach….nice try! Even a half-wit like yourself should comprehend what actually took place. Go get a real job. Trolling to generate clicks is pathetic!

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      9. I see your point of view, Gabby…. and I don’t think you’re 100% wrong…
        #…ButIThinkMaybeYou’reLettingTheStaffOffTheHookTooEasily..
        #Last2MinutesOfCottonBowlWasPressureCookerTime…
        #..&MarioIsOneOfTheLastPeopleI’dWantPlacedInPressureCooker..
        #HeLacksMaturity&Confidence…
        #OnTopOfThatHe’sNotARegularReturner…
        #SpecialTeamsCoachMightaHelpedHere

        Liked by 1 person

      10. Fake Gabby, you missed the SC special teams breakdown resulting in a Green Wave 40 yard kickoff return after SC took the 45-30 lead with only 4:30 left in the 4th quarter. That’s the coaching staff’s fault.

        Maybe you better stick to a subject you know something about, like Trans fashion.

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    2. gametv — we may score close to 50 points a game in 2023 [that is Riley’s goal and with Caleb at quarterback it’s within reach]. No team scored 50 points on us last year —[so….the extra points he expects on offense this year will be the difference maker]….
      #Riley’sPlayingHighStakesPoker

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. Ha! So true. [It was almost as though Joe Biden was in charge]….
      [Remember,67 —it was also Helton who said he didn’t know some of the people admitted during the admission scandal were listed as walk on’s on his football team]…
      #”Wow!ThatFiveFootTwoGuyOnScolarshipNeverComesToPractice!”

      Liked by 2 people

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  10. hi John, hi John , hi John, hi John, hi John, hi John, hi John, hi John.. dooo i sounds like a Fucc-Tard? U n mee can play Peenus sword 🗡️ later… ok ?

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  11. It’s 4 months until the San Jose St. game. It would be nice but Riley likes position coaches over a special teams guy. His team, his rules.

    Liked by 1 person

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      1. Thank you for your comment Gabby……or is it Michael Guarano?……of is it Pasadena trojan?….or is it trojan 1967?….or is it GameTV? or is it Tebowama? or is it ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

        Liked by 2 people

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