What’s next for USC? Rivalry game vs. Notre Dame
USC and Notre Dame are coming off bye weeks, with some uncertainty about each team’s QB status, and the Trojans looking for a coach…
USC at No. 13 Notre Dame
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
TV/Radio: NBC (Ch. 4) / 790 AM
Records: USC 3-3 overall, 2-3 in Pac-12; Notre Dame is 5-1
USC update: The Trojans are coming off their bye week, which was spent trying to gather up the pieces after another demoralizing loss, this time to Utah at home. … The big storyline for USC entering the week is whether true freshman QB Jaxson Dart (meniscus) will be fully cleared to return, thus setting up a competition for the starting job with Kedon Slovis. … USC held a young-player scrimmage Thursday, with the hope of giving some freshmen and sophomores the chance to prove they deserve more playing time. LB Raesjon Davis and CB Jaylin Smith were expected to get a heavy look from the coaching staff. … DT Ishmael Sopsher (compartment syndrome surgery) is nearing a return to action, with the primary question at this point being if he has the stamina for extended play.
Notre Dame update: The Fighting Irish are also coming off a bye week following a 32-29 win over Virginia Tech. … Notre Dame’s season-long quarterback conundrum was on full display in the win, with senior Jack Coan being benched after the first quarter for his shaky performance. But Coan came back to replace freshman Tyler Buchner following his two interceptions, and Coan led two fourth-quarter scoring drives to complete a comeback win. … The Irish have won three straight against USC, and four in a row in South Bend. …This game will be a renewal of the storied rivalry after the two programs did not play in 2020 due to the shortened season in the midst of the pandemic. It was the first time USC and Notre Dame did not play in a season since the 1943-45 hiatus due to World War II.
Adam Grosbard (OC Register)
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USC Wide Receiver Drake London Named 2021 Midseason All-American First Teamer
“LOS ANGELES — USC JR WR Drake London has been named to the 2021 Midseason All-American first teams by AP, ESPN.com, The Athletic and On3.com.
“London — a leading candidate for the Biletnikoff Award who is also showing up on some Heisman Trophy lists — has 64 receptions for 832 yds (13.0 avg) with 5 TDs through USC’s first 6 games. He currently is second in the nation in receptions (10.7) and receiving yds (138.7). His 64 receptions and 832 receiving yds currently are second-most in the nation…”
usctrojans.com
Stewart Mandel’s (The Athletic) Pac-12 bowl picks:
Jan. 1. Rose Penn State (Big Ten) Utah (Pac-12)
Dec. 18. LA Bowl. Washington State (Pac-12 No. 6) Fresno State (MWC)
Dec. 22. Armed Forces Stanford (Pac-12 No. 7) Air Force (ESPN pick)
Dec. 28. Holiday Arizona State (Pac-12 No. 4) Pittsburgh (ACC)
Dec. 29. Alamo Baylor (Big 12 No. 2) Oregon (Pac-12 No. 2)
Dec. 30. Las Vegas UCLA (Pac-12 No. 3) Minnesota (Big Ten No. 4)
Dec. 31. Sun Oregon State (Pac-12 No. 5)Virginia (ACC)
theathletic.com
We just got back from a week in Louisiana. We were there when Orgeron’s exit was announced. In a crowd of about 40 people I would have to say it was 50/50 either way to keep him or fire him. Several guys told me they did it now to protect themselves from USC getting their top pick. I told them it doesn’t matter, USC will get the best guy, LSU can have seconds. They wanted to feed me to the alligators.
Chris Arledge (WeAreSC) on the USC coaching search: “Some have asked whether Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning should be a candidate for the USC job. Anybody who has watched Georgia’s defense this year – Georgia seems to be the last team in the NCAA that consistently plays defense – has to be impressed with what they see. And Lanning is considered by some to be the top recruiter in the nation. “But the most important qualification is one most people don’t mention: Lanning played at William Jewell College. It is a poorly kept secret in the football community that former… Read more »
I’m somewhat confused by Arlege’ post, does he allege William Jewell the MIT of football, is it there considered more a discipline than a sport?
I have never bet on the USC/ND game. A lot of emotion is involved, you just never know what will happen. I go back to the Bush push, you just never know.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having!”
USC Football’s Oct. 30 home game against Arizona at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will kick off at 4:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2 or ESPNU. The game is part of the Trojans’ annual Homecoming/Reunion Weekend celebration.
The exact channel designation will be determined at a later time. It is USC’s first appearance on an ESPN network this season.
usctrojans.com
The Athletic’s Antonio Morales (USC) on the Trojans and the big rivalry contest in South Bend this weekend: Morales — “There were years of neglect from USC’s previous athletic department leadership, which led to the program infrastructure falling far behind the rest of its peers. Then there was the complacency shown by previous assistants on the recruiting trail — and Clay Helton’s perpetual hot seat didn’t make it easy for the coaches who actually recruited. Now, the roster just lacks talent, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. That has resulted in three extremely embarrassing home losses, making clear this… Read more »
I remember getting a lot of blowback here in the preseason when I questioned the sufficiency of our receiver group. I wish I had been wrong (but I obnoxiously wasn’t going to let y’all get away without an “I told you so”)! Now it’s Drake London and then not much else. As to Graham Harrell, he does not have the “my receivers turned out to not be that good” excuse, as this article suggests. First of all, it’s his fundamental responsibility to assure the receivers that we have play better than they have. Second, when he was hired, we heard… Read more »
I actually really like both Bryant and Trigg. But nothing seems to go right with USC football these days, and that includes keeping guys healthy, which I thought our new S/C guy from Notre Dame would help out with. With this same player group, and a top-notch coaching staff, I think the Trojans could beat this average group in South Bend. But USC football just doesn’t seem to have any glue. Some USC players are just below-par, and a “softness”, both mentally and physically, has crept throughout the program. A rival Pac-12 coach said publicly that this was at least… Read more »
…and the only prescription is more football.
Rock, Turns out that you were correct on the WRs. Turns out I was correct on the DL and the LBs. Unfortunately, the DBs turned out even worse than I thought. And, as Allen notes, GH has bombed as an OC. The O has gotten worse every year under his leadership. It is not the Air Raid per se (as both Lincoln Riley and KK have shown). It turns out it was GH. He simply was not ready for this level of responsibility (due to having an incompetent as a HC) and obviously made significant errors. But, look at the… Read more »
Zachary Pekale (The Athletic) — “Given the history of this series, USC-Notre Dame is still a notable matchup. Except in 2021, the marquee has a few bulbs out. The lettering is slightly crooked, specifically where it would say ‘Trojans.’ While Notre Dame slotted in at 13 in the latest AP poll and remained in the hunt for New Year’s Six consideration, Southern California is coming off its bye week at 3-3 on the season, 2-2 under interim coach Donte Williams. “The Trojans have been reasonably predictable. When they get stops, they’re competitive. When they don’t, look away. USC has allowed… Read more »
What is nice is this week nobody is staying up late watching football, we should be all done by 8:00pm on the west coast.
Just browsed through Yahoo Sports schedule for next weekends college football games ….I noticed that Yahoo Sports attaches the current point spread for each game , Was a bit surprised (to me at least) that ND is only a 7 point favorite vs SC this weekend . I was feeling that ND would be about a 8 or 9 point favorite over SC .
ND opened up only a 4.5 fave in some places. I thought they’d be a 10-point fave based on how the teams have looked and the South Bend site, where ND has won four consecutive games.
Yea 10 points spread would not have been a surprise to me .
Report: WSU HC Nick Rolovich Fired After Not Complying with COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Washington State fired head football coach Nick Rolovich with cause after the state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate went into effect, according to the Oregonian‘s John Canzano and ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura.
Canzano reported unvaccinated staffers from the Cougars have been dismissed as well.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation requiring most state employees to be vaccinated.
bleacherreport.com
It’s one thing to stand up for what you think is right, it’s another to commit professional suicide, I wonder if he wasn’t happy there and was just looking for a way out? I wonder if he still gets paid? Wouldn’t it be something if they offered the job to Ed O and he accepted?
Following the trail of Ed O is gonna be mighty interesting. So much negative about him has come out lately. I don’t know how the guy is keeping it together right now, being the lame-duck at a super intense, football-crazed place like LSU.
I think he’s gonna have to get back in as an assistant. The problem is, wherever Ed goes, he seems to eventually take over. Kind of like the kiss of death for the HC who hires the guy.
Do I smell a lawsuit coming on?
I hope so. I am so tired of living in a world dominated by woke stupid nazis. Bankrupt the Washington University System, Coach Rolovich!
To borrow a cheer from the West Point Cadets during their agonizing 14 game losing streak to Navy (2002-2015): Go USC! Beat the spread!!
ARMY was really behind the 8-ball there for quite a while. I remember at least one of their losses being particularly agonizing. But I’m more of a Navy guy, though I’m always happy for either team that wins this one!
Dan Patrick has said that there is nothing like seeing an Army game at West Point. Have you ever had the chance?
Not me. It wasn’t until I started to get older that I really began to appreciate the game.
Some of my experiences during the Pete Carroll years at the Coliseum and the USC campus were among the very best CFB experiences I have ever had, that’s for sure.
For quite a while there, Carroll’s teams were putting well over 90K fans in the Old Grey Lady every home game, regardless of how bad the opponent. We used to walk around among these stupendous crowds and revelry saying this just can’t last. Little did we know.
It was such a special and exciting time to be a Trojan. The games at the Coliseum were like Hollywood Productions. When it was happening, you just wanted and hoped it would last forever, but knew it couldn’t. I was surprised when Pete bailed, pending sanctions aside, because with no NFL team in town, his pick of recruits, and national notoriety and respect, he was king of the hill. And his Better LA work with gangs was really making a difference. I just misjudged the power that ego, and new, or unfulfilled challenges can have with certain people.
Everybody loves Pete and for good reason. He was awesome. I think even our rivals liked Pete, he was so popular and engaging. He also magically skipped out of town on the Trojans right when USC became the NCAA’s lack of institutional control punching bag. He made a clean break in the eyes of some. Others hold him responsible for leaving Lane Kiffin with a truly crippled program to work with. One thing that always stood out to me about Pete was how he literally crushed ND and UCLA every year, compiling an 8-1 advantage over each rival. He beat… Read more »
Went to just about every home game during the Carroll era. It was an amazing time. I still remember we took two of our young grandkids to the Stanford upset game. It was a night game and the kids started acting out. So we had to leave at half. Never took them again but they saved me seeing Stanford pull off the upset! I still remember having to get there four hours before kickoff. Loved the Lawry’s tailgate!
Now that Kliff Kingsbury is killing it in the NFL, who’s to say how he would have worked out leading USC’s O? Maybe he would already be USC’s HC? That whole deal was just pure bad luck for USC.
I truly didn’t think he was going to make it in the NFL. A flash in the pan guy. It just shows how luck and timing can be almost everything. He works for a GM who had no problem getting rid of Rosen after one year, and drafting Murray, and an owner that lets him spend the money to sign expensive free agents and character guys
Generally speaking, it seems best to fire sooner rather than later, if you can stomach the financial consequences. I wonder what Ed O will be walking away with, or if that issue has even been reckoned with yet?
“Mildly impressed” with ND says RialtoTrojan. I was heavily impressed with the ivy covered campus buildings, the turning of the leaves, the ND band playing John McKay’s favorite fight song and leading the way into the stadium, and feeling the entire campus vibe that this place was something special. Oh, and the fans are the best I have ever encountered. One year ND was trailing 20-3 in the second half, and that crowd willed their team back into the game. They were cheering and rooting for first downs as if they were touchdowns. And wouldn’t you know it, the Irish… Read more »
I have made the pilgrimage to Touchdown Jesus only once and I was mildly impressed. I don’t remember how old the stadium was, but improvements or keeping it modern was not a problem for the Catholic school, as opposed to having the State of California doing something. Many of my friends attended Damien High School and are ND fans, so it is especially important for me to not get stomped this year. I expect the Trojans took the time off to assess where they are as a team and might have some answers for the Sham Rocknes I’ll be watching… Read more »
Based on what you’ve seen USC do against STAN, ORE ST, and UTAH, just what “answers” are you expecting USC to suddenly come up with? Do you really feel USC has a chance? I give the Trojans a solid 5-10% chance to win on Saturday. I can see USC’s offense somehow coming alive and scoring a few points. I just haven’t seen from this Trojan team how they expect to stop anyone. USC’s LBs and DBs seem putrid to me. They can’t get off blocks and they can’t cover. Can USC fix that in a bye week that ND is… Read more »
No, you aren’t. There has been really nothing to hang our hats on except maybe they play better every other game. When I saw the spread was 6.5, I thought it was a typo. I just can’t bet against SC, but if I wasn’t emotionally attached, I would lay the points for sure. The only chance I think SC would have would be the energy boost, and performance that Dart would provide
The Jaxson Dart phenomenon at USC is quite amazing IMO.
We’ve hardly seen this kid play at all! Yet he was such a meteor-like savior against WSU, especially playing hurt the way he did. It’s almost like Dart is already a Trojan legend. He’s not of course. Not yet. Or is he?
That’s funny re:Damien High School. Both of my sons attended Damien (Class of ’09 and Class of ’18). There was far less ND love on campus than I expected. There were some hardcore Irish fans but I found more hardcore Trojan fans among the parents in both boys classes.