5 key numbers from USC’s 30-7 win over San Jose State: penalties, turnover points, down & distance, the Drake London Show, yds per reception…
4
That’s how many penalties USC had on the game. That’s an impressive number for the first week of the season, and for a USC team that’s been criticized for discipline issues for years.
14
That’s how points USC scored off turnovers, first a Drake Jackson interception that turned into a touchdown pass and the second Greg Johnson’s pick-six. With the way the USC offense struggled to move the ball for much of the game, it’s not hard to see this game going a different direction if not for these turning-point plays by the defense.
7.3
That was the average down-and-distance for USC on third down. It was a major factor for why so many USC drives stalled in the second and third quarters, and in the red zone.
2
That’s how many pass attempts went to receivers not named Drake London or Tahj Washington. K.D. Nixon and Joseph Manjack IV got exactly one target each, neither able to come down with the ball, albeit Manjack never got the opportunity given the ball was batted down at the line of scrimmage the one time QB Kedon Slovis threw his way. USC needs a more balanced attack to be able to thrive this season.
10.7
That’s how many yards per reception USC averaged. That’s right in line with last year’s average, but below the 12 per catch that USC averaged in 2019. It might have had something to do with San Jose State’s predilection for dropping eight in coverage, but it’s a number USC would like to see go up as the season progresses.
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The USC offense is the worst of two worlds. Consider the fact that while Graham Harrell set records in college, he was undrafted in the NFL. This is because he was so one dimension, he wouldn’t fit on the worst of teams. What you learn in college is supposed to be how you work professionally. Harrell learned to pass and that’s all he does. Then you have Clay Helton, second string quarterback on his father’s team. When I played football in high school I was second string behind the kid whose dad was coach. It makes sense, he just wasn’t… Read more »
Did you see that Sark’s O did very well last week. Ours was mediocre but his team did very well. Kiffin’s Ole Miss team looked good also. It is a shame we got Kiffin and Sark two jobs too soon. Both needed to coach for Saban (Sark also coached in the pros) and Kiffin needed to coach for a lesser program on his own for a couple of years.
I think it’s totally amazing that Kiffin and Sark landed so well after USC. As you say, I wonder how things would have worked out for them if the Saban Coaching Rehab Project weren’t in existence? Saban simply seems to be a total career launcher/redirector. I’ve never seen anything like it before.
Saban is truly a dynamic leader. He makes all around him better. What shouldn’t be under stated is that he is as demanding, if not more, of himself than he is of others. I think a common denominator with Sark & Kiffin, is they both have coaching skills. What they were lacking was a bit of focus and maturity. Saban helped develop both those weaknesses. Not everybody that goes through the Saban rehab center become NC coaches, but they sure improve.
Kiffin truly had to coach with one (if not both) hands behind his back. No bowl games his first two years and chopped off at the knees with scholarship reductions and players being allowed to immediately transfer away to other competitors and play right away.
I would have loved to see Kiffin coach USC under regular, non-probation conditions.
The pressure Kiffin had to be under as HC following PC was enormous. The sanctions but still the high expectations and the man who hired him was then replaced by a new AD who wasn’t going to put his stature on the line to defend Kif and didn’t. And yet the program didn’t fall on its face as most experts predicted under Kiffin. It struggled, looked ugly, but there was a feeling when the sanctions ended, Kiffin would get the program back where it belonged. Kiffin was still recruiting top-5 top-10 classes. But he had to be a mess going… Read more »
@Jamaica I would have liked for Kiffin to stay. Smart, dedicated, super focused guy. (Helton is a total idiot compared to Kiffin).
But Kiffin really did make things difficult for himself at USC because of his personal relationship issues with his own staff (getting punched out before a bowl game isn’t good) and others in the athletic dept. At that stage in his life, Kiffin always thought and acted like he was the smartest guy in every room. That usually doesn’t work with other headstrong adults and it didn’t work with Kiffin and USC either.
The penalty number was encouraging, and the way the defense is coached is encouraging, and shows they can keep the games close. The discouraging thing is that in Harrell’s three years of coaching, there is no consistent rythym, no pre snap movement or innovation to confuse a defense that rarely has to scheme for anything than a predictable offense, and give me zero confidence that they could ever come back from a two score deficit against a really good team, like FSU did against ND last night. It looks exactly the same year after year. It’s not just O Line… Read more »
By the way, how great was it to see the FSU QB Milton, who came back after three years with an Alex Smith type injury, bring the team to within a missed field goal of beating ND. Great story
True. I thought FSU had ’em there for a minute!
“It looks exactly the same year after year. I’m grateful for any win, but tired of the feeling that this year will look like every other. “
My sentiments exactly.
Another wide left moment for Florida State….
I thought the same thing. Bobby Bowden was tormented by wide lefts. The least FSU could have done was honor his passing by discontinuing that horribly deflating habit. However, some habits (traditions) just aren’t that easy to break!
Not to nitpick, but I think BB’s heartbreaks were due to wide rights.
I wonder if those hurt more than wide lefts? Shank vs Hook — you be the judge.
Ha, I remember watching them, I think they all hurt equally. Those were some great games.
Bobby didn’t deserve those wide rights IMHO. I really felt for him when they were going down. He was such a very nice man.
Depends on where you were sitting, Vol-T! 😂
Nice one! 😅
I recall the coach stating that if SJS dropped 8 into coverage USC would run “a lot.” Obviously that was simply a bait and switch by chess grand master baiter Helton who ordered pass plays regardless of whether SJS was in a drop 8 defense. Bohn, get the hook.
Rushmore, I do not think Helton is calling the plays at all. I think what we are seeing is GH controlling the O and he is very much learning his craft.
I would question the “learning” part. I don’t think he has learned anything and is continuing to do the same things today that he did on day one. He is too stubborn and believes it will ultimately work.
Utah, I did see some changes in the run game. They did run against 3 man fronts (and many times successfully) and run away from the DE that was crushing runs at him. But, I agree, for the most part, GH runs a simplified version of the Air Raid believing he can out execute the opponent. I am not willing to write him off yet, but the evidence so far favors your interpretation of him rather than mine. We all know that Clay has no clue and simply never will
The first number is the most impressive. SC actually had more rushing yards than penalty yards. That is a rarity in the Helton era. All I can figure is the co-ordinators are doing an much better job of teaching technique and discipline. I thought it was the best performance by the DBs I can recall. They were phenomenal. As to the other numbers, this by far the best opening game of the Helton era. Clay is still incompetent and should not be coaching a Pop Warner team, but I will take what I can get. Maybe he is learning to… Read more »
One the number of plays a tight end appeared in. It would probably help the ground game of there were more blockers. Zero the number of red zone running touchdowns. Statistics don’t lie but liars do statistics.
Rialto, Remember what Chris told us. The O scheme is designed to run between the 20’s when the other team is not expecting the run. It is not designed to run in the red zone or when the other team is expecting it. This team will succeed or fail based on the pass and D turnovers.
Having the QB under center inside the 10 might help but we will never see it.
Exactly my thoughts. With all of us fans/alumni wanting to see the QB under center, GH will never get his head out of his *ss and put in some plays. It’s the SOS we’ve seen out of him from day one. So tired of it.