Usc rumors scott wolf12/8/2023 He is the one special wide receiver and best player on the team. Helton wants to spread the ball around and not depend on one receiver but Smith-Schuster definitely needs a larger role. The go-to guy is wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, but he has only eight receptions in two games. USC wants to be like Stanford but has struggled running the ball despite the experience at offensive line and tailback (Justin Davis, Jones). At this point in their head coach's system, what players have emerged as USC's "bread-and-butter," as in those called upon when all else fails? Does this team have an identity yet? It seems Helton has stressed physical/power football approach since taking over the team last year. The problem is the athletic directors are inexperienced so you never know who they might hire.Ĥ. USC continually has the best recruiting classes in the Pac-12, so there is always optimism that with the right coach things will turn around quickly. But there is already a lot of anxiety with Helton because of the 52-6 loss to Alabama. It decreases slightly with the coaching changes because people hope things will turn around. There has been a lot of restlessness among fans. Has anything along those lines occurred to you, or anyone else close to this program? Are the natives getting restless and growing tired of the losing (by USC standards) and off-field drama? From up here, I see a) Stanford enjoying the greatest five-year run in its history while b) the Trojans suffer coaching instability and approach the program's longest Rose Bowl drought. Talk about how much patience is left in the Trojans' enormous fanbase. Clay Helton might turn out to be a great coach but the coaching search was lacking that Haden conducted.ģ. He waited too long to fire Lane Kiffin and then made a poor hire in Steve Sarkisian. He did not want anyone who might challenge him. But Pat Haden, the former A.D., was awful when it came to hiring football coaches. If USC hired a proven coach, they would not have gone through the problems of the past four years. NCAA sanctions played a role but the bigger problem was poor coaching hires. The talent the past five years has been better than the period before Pete Carroll. USC always has talent because USC recruits USC no matter who the coach is. Is it fair to say USC has always owned talent in the years since Pete Carroll left, but has lacked the coaching expertise needed to become an elite team again? How did the talent compare during the mediocre years (1996-2000) to what Carroll had at his disposal? Aside from probation, what have been the biggest barriers to SC's success since Oregon and Stanford began taking turns winning the conference? Whether it can handle Stanford's offensive line is another matter.Ģ. It is considered the weakest aspect of the team but played better than expected so far. A lot of focus Saturday will be on the defensive line. If the offense struggles it would not be a surprise to see Darnold take over. I think Max Browne and Sam Darnold are an upgrade over Cody Kessler, especially Darnold, who is dynamic as a passer and runner. Ronald Jones is expected to be a breakout star but barely played against Utah State after bruising his ribs. The running game has also been disappointing. The offensive line, a supposed strength has had problems and center Toa Lobendahn is out for the season. That said, how do you like the Trojans' chances of exploiting those voids and taking advantage of some potential weaknesses? What are the biggest differences between USC team who visits Palo Alto on Saturday and the group Stanford saw twice in 2015?Īfter two games, I'm not sure there are huge differences for USC. Some of Stanford's biggest strengths from 2015 - Kevin Hogan, the left side of the offensive line, Blake Martinez at middle linebacker - are gone. Daily News beat writer made a timely visit to Opposing Views.ġ. If you seek USC football insights, Scott Wolf is your guide. USC’s current quarterback situation could be an upgrade over the Trojans’ all-time leader in career completion percentage. Pat Haden wanted coaches he could control.
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