FOOTBALL

My USC-Fresno State Analysis: The Good And The Bad (Yes, Bad)

First, let’s start off with a delusional take from Robert Griffin III.

Last night was a stark reminder how bad this guy is. You declare USC a title contender after beating Fresno State? Fresno State?!?!?

OK, let’s get to the game. The biggest positive was Gary Patterson got overall improvement from Week 1 to Week 2. That’s not something that happened often with D’Anton Lynn.

Patterson’s got a philosophy and is a teacher. That is a reason for optimism.

Now I will say there were plenty of open wide receivers but Fresno State had a quarterback completely incapable of getting them the ball and an offense completely baffled by any blitz. Let’s see how the secondary does against Dante Moore.

With Jide Abasiri and Luke Wafle, Patterson has two disruptors on the defensive line. Opponents will need to game plan for them. I don’t see anything close to that at linebacker or in the porous secondary.

  • Now for the offense: I have three main complaints that will go unnoticed by the fanboy media.

1.) The running game. It just looks different from last season and not in a good way. There hasn’t been a breakaway threat in the first two games. You can’t break any long runs against San Jose State or Fresno State? That’s disappointing. And now they are fumbling.

2.) The offensive line. Everyone else told you it was great that all five starters returned. I did not. USC got stuffed twice when it needed a yard. Against Fresno State. At home. They are not moving the pile against bad teams. What happens against Oregon?

3.) Coach Charles Nelson Riley. What is this clown doing having Jayden Maiava run a QB keeper with a 30-0 lead? Maiava got banged up on the play and never returned.

The play also highlighted (AGAIN) Riley’s poor decision making inside the red zone. It happened last week too when USC came up short inside the 10-yard line. Look folks, these things can be plastered over vs. the Tomato Cans that Riley loves to play but USC has some marquee teams on the schedule.

The problem with playing these teams is you can suppose USC is dominating in certain areas but you don’t really know until it plays a real team.

55 thoughts on “My USC-Fresno State Analysis: The Good And The Bad (Yes, Bad)”

  1. The Wolfster purloining my Charles Nelson nickname for the Wiley one! Nevertheless – his analysis is right on the money. Much must be reserved for a legitimate matchup (starting with Oregon) … then we may properly determine what has and has not progressed with respect to what should be the standard at USC (not in Charles Nelson’s world) … what we can say with confidence at this point is that the defense shows more bite than at any point since EdO was interim with Leonard Williams and the NCAA’d mini roster, and QB1 with time can hit open receivers consistently. That is progress.

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  2. Maiava looks infinitely better this season, even taking into account weaker competition.

    Running game averaged almost 6 yards per carry after the first quarter.

    D line seems legitimately a top 10 unit

    There is no decline among receivers from last year. Their big problem will be hanging on to them.

    Bowman at TE is like having an extra (smaller) OT on the field, and that could be huge against Quacks, OSU, Penn St, Indiana.

    Patterson (hopefully) is the man. Defensive performance was there for the entire game, and his players seem ready to walk into fire for him.

    Waymo’s fumble was after he was horse collared, which wasn’t called.

    Fingers crossed RJ Sermons will continue to grow, he could be an excellent DB.

    Did anyone see Miami – Stanford? Similar to the Trojan game. Miami didn’t run the ball at all well, and their defense didn’t look spectacular. And they are the number 7 team in preseason rankings.

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    1. Outstanding reminder of horse collar. I am giving him a pass on that fumble.

      We were screaming on the stands on that one.

      Outstanding experience last night and I think we saw a first in USC modern era, 2 safeties in 1 game.

      The defense is on the rise and the offense will be just fine.

      Fight On from one of the only season ticket holders on this blog.

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    2. We’ll see how “improved ” he is against a team with a pulse. When he gets some pressure he makes horrible decisions, we’ll all know more when Nike U comes to town

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    2. No expert, but suspect it is the inevitable outcome of the negative (and there are positives as well) trends in the sport leading to the same as in other sports (ie 3 point/dunk in basketball, HR derby baseball) – all or nothing runs largely obtained by defensive mistakes (linemen running around locks and not controlling their assigned holes plus awful tackling) instead of consistent 3-6/7 yard runs obtained by good blocking? in addition to defenses having now adapted to the dumbed down offenses that are basically glorified single wing schemes with far advanced (the positives) athletes who can execute passing attacks when not forced to accelerate their decision making processes (in the NFL the Ravens with Lamar Jackson are the epitome of this – both good and bad) … why I loved another contributor’s Roger Staubach reference (since he was Lamar decades ago).

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      1. Exactly. Maiava, the Miami QB, Sayin, and others are completing over 80% of their passes, and every eligible guy is catching the ball.

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  10. Western Michigan 9, Michigan 7, six minutes left in the 4th. That expensive Michigan QB isn’t worth it…and what a welcome to Whittingham.

    “Inside Michigan” is going to be brutal tomorrow…

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    4. I saw so many horrid calls in the games I watched yesterday but the Michigan game was by far the worst. Facemask on a C Michigan player right in front of the ref, nothing, then that farce at the end.

      I thought Pac 12 refs were bad but they had nothing on the Big 10

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  12. KAM: I thought there were 8 or 9-seconds left when the 1st hail mary play first developed. That’s a long time for a pass play; usually you get 2 passes out of 8 or 9 seconds

    DON: Maybe Michigan is weak because the other Michigan beat them everywhere but the scoreboard

    KAM: The best games are when the Underdog wins

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  13. DON: With the game lost by halftime, Clemson’s Tiger has been kidnapped, oh how the recent 2-time National Champ has fallen

    KAM: Or can it be the ‘Kiffin Influence’ as the monstermind molds his LSU team to ‘Frankenstein’ levels

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  14. Oh, we had zero doubt, Joy Bells, that you would find the bad. You and Eeyore are twins. Your whole stik is to bash USC and especially its coach.

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  16. ‘Ken Hart,’ you are right, Wolf’s main thing is to knock SC and its coaches.

    But it still gives us a chance to throw our thoughts out there. The Blog is more the posters’ doing than anything

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    1. KAM: We already have Sunshine Pumper website devoted to pretending all is well. Ken doesn’t seem satisfied with those outlets for some unknown reason.

      DON: Sadly the last 20 years have seen a steady decline in USC football and tradition despite what the rah rahs pretend.

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  17. Would anybody bother reading Wolf’s opinions if he wrote like this–‘SC was startling as they continued their onslaught over poor Fresno St, 39-0, with superb performances from the M&M boys and the gang

    We would go, ‘That turncoat Wolf just went to the other side

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  18. DON:: They are still debating the finish of the ‘One-Second’ Michigan game. It seems they were operating with 2 clocks because the one used by the Network indicated time had run out

    KAM: Both sides have legitimate arguments but the score will not be changed. Still, it’s one of those few games you never forget, primarily due to the missing ‘One-Second

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  19. KAM: I was startled when they showed only 4-seconds left when Michigan released the ball. It seemed like there should have been more time than that

    DON: It did make for a sensational ending for Michigan, because up until then they were nothing to write home about

    KAM: The faces on the Michigan students looked as if they knew they were doomed, no chance at all. And then…

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  20. DON: Maybe they should stop calling it a hail mary because a lot of those passes are completed.

    KAM: It’s ok, it’s the only time they bring God into the game

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  21. DON: Not sure how good Cal is, but ucla handled them, and their quarterback-runner combo showed up

    KAM: SC-ucla is more exciting when it is a meaningful game with both teams having good records

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  23. KAM: They worry sick about the quarterback getting hurt when he is occasionally running but not the running backs who carry the ball many more times

    DON: If football were chess the quarterback would be the king. Lose him and game over

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  25. KAM: You ever wonder how Celeb’s 2022 season would have turned out had he not turned up lame against Utah?

    DON: That was a magical year for him and the Trojans; they were capable of going all the way

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