Remember how Clay Helton was going to focus on things like penalties this season? USC ranks 110th in penalty yardage this season. The Trojans average 6.9 per game for 69.9 yards. “I think sometimes you look up and you have two penalties at Notre Dame, and I think we’ve had a three-penalty game, a five-penalty game, a two-penalty game and then all of a sudden … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Penalty Problem

Clay Helton said today he was frustrated by decision-making penalties against Arizona. For example, linebacker Kana’i Mauga threw the ball after his interception vs. Arizona. Helton said if players commit similar penalties the rest of the season, they will be on the sideline next to him for one series. He is just now deciding this after seven games? I thought there was a culture change … Continue reading Clay Helton Just Discovered Discipline

Clay Helton said Chris Steele “tweaked” his knee and did not practice today. A game-time decision will be made on if he plays. Who else can get hurt? “Just a little bit of a sprain,” Helton said. There is some positive news: Greg Johnson (shoulder) will start while Olaijah Griffin and and Isaac Taylor-Stuart are probable. Christian Rector (ankle) will travel but is 50-50 or … Continue reading Now Chris Steele Is Hurt?

USC has almost 20 players still on the injury list but you didn’t get a word out of Clay Helton on Tuesday about it. Why? Because he doesn’t speak to the media once a week. It is apparently too taxing to perform basic media duties. Instead, the highest-ranking coach to speak on Helton’s day off is Clancy (no personality) Pendergast. Do you think he has … Continue reading Did USC Tackle? Who Is Hurt? Who Knows?

I suggested USC call Florida when the Gators’ A.D. said he was looking for game. The USC arguement against it is that USC cannot handle two marquee out-of-conference games (Notre Dame, someone else) plus nine Pac-12 games and contend for the CFP. Why not? Look at this season’s Pac-12 schedule: USC already played Stanford (awful) and Arizona (terrible). It plays Colorado this week. It still … Continue reading Why Can’t USC Handle A Better Schedule?

First off, be sure to check out this week’s podcast below. It includes a hard-to-believe recruiting nugget that sort of says it all about USC recruiting now. Have you read anywhere else skepticism about Clay Helton‘s comment that Clancy Pendergast and some defensive coaches watched NFL film last week to put in a game plan to stop Khalil Tate? Think about it. Tate has played … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Beware The Coachspeak Of Clay