USC RB Austin Jones ready to face former team Stanford
Jones and his new team will travel to Palo Alto this weekend to face the school where Jones spent the first three years of his college career
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — Several times this week, Austin Jones’ cell phone has buzzed with a text message from a former teammate. Sometimes just in anticipation of the little reunion coming on Saturday, other times to talk trash.
“I don’t really do the back and forth, you know what I’m saying?” Jones said. “I give them all the same response, ‘See you this weekend.’”
Jones and his new team at USC will travel this weekend up to Palo Alto to face Stanford, the school where Jones spent the first three years of his college career.
“It’s kind of funny, you know, going back to a place you’ve been for three years,” Jones said. “It’ll be a fun experience. … It’s just another game for me, really.”
Jones played in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2019. His role evolved in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, starting six games and making Pac-12 honorable mention while leading the Cardinal to 550 rushing yards to go with nine touchdowns and 156 receiving yards.
And while he still received a team-high 107 carries in 2021, Jones’ production dropped in his last season at Stanford. He averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry and scored just two touchdowns in 12 games.
After the season, Jones made the decision to enter the transfer portal and ultimately chose USC for his last two seasons of eligibility.
“He’s definitely antsy this week. He’s definitely antsy,” fellow back Travis Dye said Tuesday. “He wants to get after it, and I can’t wait to watch him play against his old guys.”
He should continue to feature prominently against the Cardinal as USC moves forward with a running back committee.
Jones did not get the start in his first game as a Trojan, but had the best rushing performance of the running backs. His four carries went for 48 yards and he scored two touchdowns, matching his total from last season. He also added a 21-yard reception on his lone target.
Speaking after practice on Wednesday, Jones said he feels like USC’s offensive style, with receivers spread out wide, allows him more room to operate than Stanford’s I-formations. And he feels like he has improved at breaking tackles and in pass protection under the guidance of running backs coach Kiel McDonald.
“You come to a new spot, so it’s definitely a bunch of new opportunities and new experiences and everything like that,” Jones said. “I just take it upon myself to just maximize the opportunities that I get.
As USC has prepared for its Pac-12 opener against the Stanford, Jones has been having conversations with coaches on the other side of the ball. Defensive assistants will pick his mind and ask questions about certain formations and what terminology might mean.
He may have been with the Cardinal once, but he’s a Trojan now.
“I’ll give them what they want,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, it’s about winning the game.”
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