FOOTBALL

USC-Rutgers Report Card

QUARTERBACK

The Heisman frontrunner? Puh-leeze. People glaze Lincoln Riley for developing QBs but do you look at the footwork on some of Jayden Maiava’s passes?

Grade: D-

RUNNING BACKS

This is typical. The backs have maybe their best game of the season and Charles Nelson Riley doesn’t run the ball enough. His ego won’t let him.

Grade: B-

WIDE RECEIVERS

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt filled the absence of Trent Mosley admirably and the receivers played well enough to win. They just aren’t getting good enough leadership from Lord Lincoln.

Grade: C+

OFFENSIVE LINE

I’m getting tired of writing the same things every week. Can’t move the defensive line. Can’t play with any consistency. Can’t produce any big moments in the crunch.

Grade: D

DEFENSIVE LINE

Did you ever feel at any point they would consistently dominate the line of scrimmage Saturday? Is that a question that was even ponderable heading into the game? At least they shouldn’t be cocky heading into the Oregon game.

Grade: D+

LINEBACKERS

I might be a minority opinion but I see a lot of guys running around but few making plays. They were part of the problem in short-yardage players too. I’d settle for a player with less talent who can just plug up the middle.

GRADE: F

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Cannot cover anyone. Again. Nine different players caught passes. Rutgers players. It’s laughable.

Grade: F

SPECIAL TEAMS

Mike Ekeler was clearly asleep on the fake punt. That’s inexcusable when you hired to upgrade the special teams. I wonder if last year’s coach was laughing on the sideline (on the inside of course).

Grade: F

COACHING

Did Lincoln Riley have his team ready to play? That’s the big question. Once you realize that, you can focus on all the other poor decisions, like not kicking the field goal, having receivers run routes short of the first down on fourth-and-four. Does he even practice snapping the ball over center? It didn’t look like it. Does Gary Patterson make adjustments or is he too arrogant?

Grade: F

45 thoughts on “USC-Rutgers Report Card”

  2. 4 F grades, 5 Ds, one C+, and one B-…that Wolf is old school.

    RBs looked good, particularly Miller, it is not their fault the O line wasn’t better.

    Some DBs were good, some bad, the F grade doesn’t take into account the pick 6 won the game.

    Liked by 4 people

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    2. If the Rutgers kid picks the ball off in the end zone instead of bricking it, SC doesn’t score. SC has had the gift of playing QB’s would wouldn’t make a good JC team, that will change on Saturday.

      Let’s just admit that SC isn’t very good, period. Would a better coach help ? YES !!

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. LR has zero culture built into this team- the program needs someone that can elevate/ evaluate talent to the needs of the team. LR is incapable of doing that- he’s too focused on play calling- which is average. Sometimes great, sometimes head scratching- you cant be considered a great play caller when your end result is losses and lack of consistency.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Even the 48 hour beard doesn’t help…..

        #Lincoln:GoOutThereLookingLikeYourHero,MikeLeach…

        #…BeerBelly,TornZipper&CrackShowing….

        Liked by 2 people

  5. KAM: After SC fumbled the last snap we now know why the Trojans don’t take the ball off the center

    DON: Color me old school, but I cannot get used to the quarterback taking snaps in the shotgun formation. It looks too much like flag football

    Liked by 3 people

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  6. Last year it was 42- 28; 35-31 was likely if Riley hadn’t made bad play calls and clock management.

    Oregon is not as good as last year, the game is at home, USC is supposed to be better than last year. This really should be a win.

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      1. (1) No stupid mistakes [like nobody in place for a faked punt or us not being able to run out the clock in victory formation] and (2) no injuries to skill players during the first 3 quarters …and WE win.

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Michael, what say we take over coaching responsibilities? I will only need $1 million, provided that we can hire Urban as our adviser.

        Liked by 2 people

      3. MG-I agreed with your comment – initially! … zeroing in on ’67’s sly … or should I say Wiley? … use of “if,” “supposed to be,” and “should be” …

        ’67- Yeah, “if” only that “Urban” thing, right?!

        Hope you two are right and I’m wrong. I often am. But unfortunately, not where Charles Nelson $o’Riley is concerned …

        Daffys, Donalds, and Discos 45

        Team coached by < Gomer (how is that possible?) 34

        Liked by 3 people

    2. Before modern medicine, there was Theodoric of York, as depicted by Steve Martin on SNL.

      I fear that Saturday is going to be a good, old fashioned, blood letting inflicted upon the Trojans by the Ducks.

      Please Lord, let me be wrong on this one!

      Liked by 4 people

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  10. Ok St provides a blueprint to beat Oregon.

    Pressure, pressure and more pressure on Dante Moore, who was sacked 4 times. Keep Oregon defensive back 7 off the LOS, because once Ok State’s RBs got past the LOS, they were gone. OK State piled up 550 yards of offense, a couple of lucky picks by the quacks kept the game from being a blowout.

    Liked by 3 people

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    2. Is Moore still tipping plays ? My guess, no. OSU, saw that and exploited it.

      Do you think Oregon is equal to or worse than Rutgers ?

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  12. Scooter,

    Oline coach gets an F-. The two tackles are standing up thinking it is a pass play. But when the ball is snapped, they run block. They cant move anyone around since they do not have any leverage. uglies oline is in a three point stance and gets off the line. SC sucks and that is due to the Pencil Neck Geek Riley.

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    1. I have more of a problem with #6 on defense –who is not watching the line of scrimmage as the ball is snapped [he’s yelling instructions to the guys behind him — I get what’s doing…. but he needs to do it faster so he can get his own head in the play]…..

      Liked by 1 person

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