Some rankings for USC football: Scoring offense No. 113 Rushing offense No. 117 Total offense No. 93 Net punting No. 121 Rushing defense No. 110 Forced turnovers No. 109 Continue reading USC Tale Of The Tape

In the offseason, there was a lot of chatter about how USC was stronger and working harder in the weight room than in the past. But as I watched the Stanford and Texas games, I never got the impression USC was especially imposing physically. I see a lot of big guys on the defensive line but not a whole lot of production. Porter Gustin always … Continue reading How Strong Is USC?

I’m not sure why anyone needed a Year 3 under Clay Helton to figure out what is happening with USC football.  Most coaches require time to improve the program. But USC is actually worse than it was in Year 1 under Helton. Let’s review: Year 1: USC only lost to Stanford (with Max Browne at QB) and narrowly to Utah because Helton decided to make … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC Going In One Direction

USC coach Clay Helton was his usual self tonight. “I see a team that plays with tremendous effort and tremendous competitiveness,” Helton said. “The thing that stands out is the need for more consistent play.” And then this: “At the end of the day, I believe in this team. I believe we have the men to compete for a Pac-12 championship.” What does that really … Continue reading Sunday Night With Clay Helton

Some things to consider the rest of the season: Lynn Swann gave Clay Helton and his coordinators new contracts after last season. What is Helton’s buyout? That has not been disclosed. Swann has shown no inclination to be anything other than a figurehead at this point. He might be unhappy with the football team but doing something about it seems like a foreign move for … Continue reading How Does USC Move Forward?

Here is what USC tailback Aca’Cedric Ware said after the Texas loss. “We gotta practice better. Period. Practice this week was kind of lazy, kind of slow. I feel like if we practice harder, we’re going to play harder. We gotta work on stuff like that.” How is practice slow and lazy the week of a huge, nationally televised game? Especially coming off a loss … Continue reading USC Practiced `Lazy’ Week Of Big Game