USC has not played Oregon at the Coliseum since 2016 and the Ducks are ranked No. 7 in the nation with a quarterback projected to be one of the top picks in the NFL draft. So why isn’t the game being discussed as a hot ticket this week? I’m told some USC officials will be happy if 60,000 show up for the game. Now when … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Will Marquee Game Bring Big Crowd?
Who didn’t practice today? Drake Jackson, Talanoa Hufanga, Stephen Carr, Juliano Falaniko, Vavae Malepeai and Palaie Gaoteote. There was never any hope some of these guys would be back this week but Jackson will be the big loss if he doesn’t play vs. Oregon. The Trojans were very ordinary on the edge last week without Jackson. Continue reading Wednesday Practice Report
Let me give an example of why I criticize USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. I have mentioned he blitzes too much and leaves his cornerbacks in one-one coverage too much. Last week, he blitzed and left redshirt freshman cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart by himself on Colorado’s top receiver, Laviska Shenault. The results were predictable: Shenault caught a slant pass and raced 71 yards for a touchdown. The … Continue reading USC Afternoon Notes: Clancy Pendergast Spotlight
Ron Fairly, a star of USC’s 1958 national championship baseball team, died from cancer Wednesday in Indian Wells, Calif. He was 81. Fairly played center field and hit .348 with 9 home runs and 67 RBI in 1958, his lone varsity season with the Trojans. He then spent 12 seasons with the Dodgers, where he won World Series titles in 1959, 1963 and 1965. Fairly … Continue reading Former USC Baseball Player Ron Fairly Dies At 81
Are stats getting overemphasized with college football? Every time I turn around, USC is citing a new PFF stat: Offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker has not allowed a sack; John Houston is the highest-graded linebacker the past two games in the Pac-12; Kedon Slovis is . . . well look at the graphic below: I like Slovis A LOT more than JT Daniels. But do these … Continue reading Are Stats The Whole Story?
Is the USC coaching staff respected in the coaching community? If you know coaches, you can ask around and get opinions. I asked someone who coaches an AFC East Division team that I was referred to by an ex-USC coach. “You have a head coach that doesn’t know what he doesn’t know,” the NFL coach said. (Clay Helton) needs to look at the defensive coordinator … Continue reading Morning Buzz: Do USC Coaches Know What They Don’t Know?
