USC quarterback situation remains unresolved after Kedon Slovis’ 3-INT game
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — As he tried to hurry USC through a comeback that was not to be, quarterback Kedon Slovis dropped back in the pocket and surveyed the scene in front of him. As an Oregon State pass rusher lunged at his legs, Slovis released a pass over the middle to Gary Bryant Jr. that never arrived at its target, as Beaver linebacker Jack Colletto leaped up for the interception.
The first play of USC’s next drive, when even the fantasy of a comeback couldn’t be entertained even more, Slovis scrambled to his right and tried to force the ball to K.D. Nixon on the sideline. Again, Oregon State came down with the pick.
It was the last gasp of USC’s 45-27 defeat, and another head-scratching data point in the evaluation of Slovis.
Looking just at the stat line, it was clear this wasn’t the junior quarterback’s finest night: 31-for-49 for 355 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He was 5-for-9 on third down, but did show some signs of modest improvement.
His yards-per-attempt went from 6.1 the first three games to 7.2 against the Beavers. And he completed nine passes of 15 yards or longer, as many as he did in the first two games of the season combined.
But the third-year starter still held onto the ball too long on some possessions as he waited for receivers to get open instead of trying to fit the ball into tight windows, leading to two Oregon State sacks.
As for the three interceptions, the first came on a dropped pass by Tahj Washington that bounced up into an Oregon State defensive back’s hands, while the other two were explained away by the USC coaching staff as Slovis pressing with the team trailing.
“He started seeing us get down, I think he started making some errant throws that he wished he could have back,” interim head coach Donte Williams said. “And he started rushing through a couple things as far as his progressions.”
Added offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, “I thought he spun the ball pretty well. The late two picks was just a bad situation, you know what I’m saying? The first pick wasn’t on him either. I thought the ball was coming out of his hand well, he was making good decisions.”
Williams officially put Slovis on notice after USC’s win over Washington State two weekends ago. Slovis injured his neck at the end of the Trojans’ first drive and was not cleared to return. In his stead, backup Jaxson Dart threw for 391 yards and four touchdowns to lead USC to an inspired win.
Following the game, Williams declared an open quarterback competition, and he maintained that stance into the week leading up to the Oregon State game. But Dart had meniscus surgery during the week, and watched USC’s home loss Saturday from the sideline in street clothes with a brace on his right knee.
While recovery times for those types of surgeries typically last several weeks, Williams said both after the game Saturday and in his Sunday press conference that Dart is week-to-week, continuing his trend of trying to shroud injuries in mystery since his appointment as interim head coach.
“I have no idea exactly the date that he will be back. The trainers have to release him. So it’s still week-to-week,” Williams said. “The moment that he gets clearance and he can move around, then he’ll be back.”
So with Dart out indefinitely, Slovis will have more time to prove he deserves to keep his job.
“He still did some great things in the first half,” Williams said of Slovis. “And some of the things he did in the second half, it wasn’t just Kedon struggling, we were struggling as a team.”
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The Irish beat WIS at Soldier Field 41-13 and get no respect. I’m not doing well in betting my TDB dollars, so I’m no one to talk, but I don’t think I’m taking CIN to beat ND even straight up in South Bend.
The search, or perhaps pursuit fits the occasion more appropriately. Have any of those here, including you Allen, taken the time to analyze the situation? This endeavor is in its nascent stage, me, you, all of us are witnessing multiple dynamics affecting the football program, let me explain, there was immediately the cry for Donte to be the new coach…that quickly withered. Slovis-Dart controversy, Caruso’ grandiose statement, Caruso and the BOT’s esoteric direction and interest of all things Football. Folt’ feminist prerogative and disinterest in all things masculine, Bohn’ questionable competence and foresight. Then comes the parade of candidates, why… Read more »
My “inside sources” tell me Franklin would be seriously interested in the USC job because he wants to see how he can do at a recruiting powerhouse, or at least a place that used to be a recruiting powerhouse.
One of Frankln’s strengths is he surrounds himself with good people. I am told Franklin’s longtime SR Director of Football Operations, Michael Hazel, is an awesome “relentless, effective and efficient” grinder.
I have no idea if Franklin is really interested in USC as it is. But some people better connected than me think he is.
Well, you need to ask you friends and confidants If Caruso and crew are willing to match or increase Franklins current compensation.
I doubt he or his agent are going to take a hit so Franklin can achieve his ‘Recruiting Dreams’ in L.A.
“Were I a CFB coach, I’d choose the USC job any day of the week over PSU and so would many others. That’s not even debatable”
Of course you would.
”Since you have no idea how much USC is willing to pay its next coach, how do you know how much they will offer?”
And likewise neither do you !
Let’s just say I’ll take a stab at it… To get a REAL COACH at USC, the floor is 7 Million with bonuses…every agent in the known world knows SC is desperate.
“What difference does it make if every agent knows USC is desperate? Absolutely none.” Huh….? It’s obvious with that statement, you’ve never had to navigate the competitive Business World! ”Every single school looking for a new HC is desperate. That’s exactly why they are looking for a new HC.” Not necessarily the correct premise. Most schools look for a better coach that can give them winning seasons, hopeful that the could win their Conference and maybe go further and maintain their fan bases. ”Everyone also knows USC is going to have to pony up big bucks to get the coach… Read more »
Just read the LA Times article on Fickell. I really like what I read, and consider him now neck and neck with Franklin on my list of “reasonable favorites”. Love that he’s a trenches guy, and many other things about him. But, the article also suggests that it will be a tough sell due to his family considerations. I think Franklin would get USC back quicker due to his more charismatic nature that would draw recruits and attention. It might take Fickell a year or two longer, but once USC starts winning, the recruits would come. Fickell certainly has had… Read more »
I was not a huge advocate of him before reading the article but after reading it I think he should be a top consideration, the only problem is he will not want to leave the midwest to come to California.
“Everyone thinks football, I think about my kids, my family. ‘Do I want to raise my kids in this place?’” Luke’s wife Amy says. “So you kind of look at those things first. We pray a lot about it, and you go from there.” I searched for a reason to conclude Fickell will end up at USC and couldn’t find it. Sure, anything’s possible, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I’d offer him $9-10 mil a year were I USC and see if he and Amy (who will obviously have the final word) want to finish raising their kids in… Read more »
Total guess. I doubt he comes. Cincinnati just joined the Big 12 and he can compete for NCs there, particularly if he beats ND. And Cincy will match any offer from SC. He will also have no problem with assistants in Cincy. My guess is he would leave Cincinnati for ND, but not SC. In addition, he is a white male who is Christian. He will not sit well with Madame President Mao. My guess Franklin has the job if he wants it. I hate that race matters, but to our present President, I think it does. I would think… Read more »
Ya, I simply refuse to believe Bohn has allowed himself to be tortured all this time so he can go cheap with another coach and pretend to the USC fanbase that he did his job.
He promised Helton he would provide him with everything he could to help him succeed. He did exactly that. By axing Helton immed after the meltdown against STAN, Bohn proved he/Folt/Caruso have a plan. That appears obvious to me, and IMO, that plan includes luring a big-time coach to USC to get fans back in the seats and USC back in the winners column.
Franklin? Charisma? Hmmm. Cristobal should be mission number one. You get a double benefit there — you help us and you hurt Oregon. He is due for a raise. He is a former o-lineman, and toughness is his middle name. He is magic with recruits. We should not be having any kind of discussion until he says “no” (maybe he already has).
I’d take Mario Cristobal tomorrow. But he’s not coming either (I see MIA or ALA in his future). I’m not a fan of Anthony Lynn getting the job. Hope that doesn’t happen. Franklin? A big meh.
I’d really like Matt Rhule, but were I him I wouldn’t leave Carolina for USC.
I see some bad losses in front of this team. Maybe those continued defeats will further educate Bohn about the exact direction he needs to go. Maybe he already knows.
Not a fan of Lynn either. It’s always amazing how many of the trendy names of up-and-comers fizzle after they get their big gig. Think Frost, Herman, Strong…the list goes on. I sure hope our next HC is not a trendy name that flames out like those guys. That’s why there’s so much more risk with the up-and-comers versus the been-there-done-that group. But that group is so much more unlikely to actually land. It’s quite a job Bohn has on his hands. Bohn has played his moves quite secretly so far as AD, and I don’t expect that will change.… Read more »
After seeing Cincy work ND, I could go for Fickell (again, only after Cristobal is offered a mint and says no). Hopefully, all Fickell’s reluctance is backchannel posturing to angle for a bigger deal. But probably not.
Many of these names being bantered about don’t exactly fit the description of “world class” and “experienced” in championships. I am all in on swinging for the fence, and those lofty goals stated by Caruso and the Admins may come back and bite them if we have to settle for “almost world class”.
I knew that question was coming since you like to pin us down to position, and it’s a really good one. Fact is, I’m not sure. Part of my point was what you stated, when a declaration of “world class” is made, that really narrows it down to only a precious few since by definition “world class” is a cut well above “good”, even “great” for that matter. As you say, the group who qualify per the Caruso/Bohn proclamation is very small. I’m an advocate of having the really big names say no to you, it never hurts to ask.… Read more »
Who knows, he may be one of the next great ones, just hard to tell at this point. I’d say that if his success has been due to a strong culture and talent evaluation/development, then I could get behind him too. He’ll have to translate his successful components from a small-time environment where winning in football is a bonus but not expected, to the intense spotlight and expectations of a big-time environment in all senses of the word.
I hope USC doesn’t offer guys who have no intention of saying yes. Then the programs (not so much the NFL) run around forever spouting off how their schools and coaches turned USC down.
There’s no reason for USC to be used by other schools and coaches here. I don’t think USC should offer someone unless they think there’s a decent, real shot at a future professional relationship. And I don’t think that’s very hard to find out in the CFB coaching world.
If you don’t start at the top offering the very best HC’ing candidates,, you’ll never know #1-If that coach is ready for a change in venue and has interest in USC football, and #2- you left no stones untouched in seeking the best candidate for your job opening. Look at Alabama and Ohio St., they didn’t worry more about being turned down as they did trying to get the best man possible. Doing anything less and you are admitting your program doesn’t deserve the best.
Just listened to podcast, turns out we had a huge group of recruits at the game. That’s great, lay an egg when all the guys we need are in the stadium. Can we just hire the new guy now?
This 2021 recruiting class is basically shot as far as the early signing period — I think it’s for three days beginning Dec. 15 this year, but not sure. USC is now ranked #29 (only 10 commits) per 247Sports, and that’s with 5-stars LB Domani Jackson from Mater Dei, and DL Mykel Williams from Georgia. Who knows if they will stick? The early signing period is where it’s all at nowadays. The new HC will have to be a total magician to fix USC football recruiting by mid-Dec. I don’t see that happening, so if it does somehow because of… Read more »
I’m going to try to “blur my vision” a bit on USC football until we get a new head coach in place. This is going to be an unpleasant limbo, but ultimately that will probably be healthier for us than the mirage of success we had during the Coach O and Helton interim tenures. This will keep our challenge well-defined before us, and keep us focused on what we really need. No short-sighted easy outs this time. I have come to see the last game in that light. Though I feel bad for the team, the worse this gets until… Read more »
I fear the whipping USC is about to take in South Bend will be monumental this season. Maybe by then, Dart will be starting if Slovis can’t recapture his old self. The game is right around the corner on Oct. 23. But for me, these 2021 games don’t count much and I expect little. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on the USC team now and what the players are really thinking. I’m just focused on who the next coach is and I can’t wait to watch the things he does to rebuild USC football. Helton was finally… Read more »
I agree Allen however if Slovis is still able to play, he deserves another shot at the Irish for all he has gone through. although I don’t want whoever is playing QB will become roadkill if our OL collapses which could very easily happen in that stadium. If that happens, Slovis will not take the chances Dart would in trying to escape tackles and get really banged up being reckless. This season is pretty much over as far as USC making a major bowl. I would like to see Dart kept somewhat healthy to begin next season with a new… Read more »
I don’t think DW will replace Slovis unless he simply fails to improve from here. You’re right. Slovis still deserves the nod. The Irish are right here, really
But he’s gotta get better to keep playing, or people will start looking at DW as a chump, just like we did with Helton over Browne/Darnold. Dart will end up playing because he is called upon IMO.
Rock, Feel exactly the same – feel bad for the kids on the team, but the worse this gets, the better is it for the future. One thing we can say, the “Donte for HC” bus has been put out of commission. It was a brilliant move to remove Clay early – it allows for the assessment of the team and the present coaching staff. It has not been pretty. Thus, 2021 is the year to remove Clay, evaluate what we have, and then move forward with a major rebuilt – from the ground up. It is clear that none… Read more »
All I know is if Bohn hires a non-Power 5 HC it will delay this program an extra year or two in winning the favor & confidence of 4 & 5-star talent when the Sabans, Cristbals, Days & Sarkisians are knocking at their doors. You have to match fire with fire in these gifted kids minds today.
I’m starting to hear the name Kalani Satacki some as possible USC HC material. He comes in to play USC in L.A. on Nov. 27, the week following our game with UCLA, also in the Coliseum. The Athletic — “Sometimes being a good fit isn’t so much past history as it is just the kind of job. Chris Petersen had never worked at Washington when he was hired in 2014, but he also proved to be the right fit. Petersen turned down USC because he didn’t want to deal with everything that came with that job, and was happy to… Read more »
Just my opinion but Kalani would not be a good fit. Yes he beat USC last time and will more than likely do it again this year, but look at what OSU just did to us.
I don’t think he’ll ever be a popular choice with the USC masses. It’ll be interesting to see if he ever even talks to USC people. I haven’t any idea where Bohn is actually headed with this. None.
He’s not coming here, they won’t let him go. He’s doing big things at BYU, they are moving to big 12. Also I’m pretty sure he’s Mormon. He’s all the right fit there, and all the wrong fit with us.
As I recall, Kalani was high on the coaches’ hot seat when he beat us last time. There is not enough of a track record of success to go that route. It would not match the promises Bohn made in his statement.
Everything Ken Burns documentary is special, and first rate. At the time, Ali’s bravado was a turnoff, and made me a Joe Frazier fan. I didn’t appreciate the brilliance of Ali and his self promotion skills until later in life. I came to have great respect for him. I’ll check it out, thanks. By the way, I’m sure you heard Cowherd throw out the name Raheem Morris, Ram’s DC, as a name being considered for the SC job. I really believe that there will be a concerted effort to make a minority hire, which could be a very good decision.
I didn’t spend any time on the Raheem Morris stuff. I just don’t know enough about him to take him seriously. If he’s great, let’s talk Raheem. But this Ken Burns Muhammad Ali doc has somehow made me appreciate Ali even more. He was such a beautiful athlete. That’s the one word that describes him best for me. Beautiful. His decimation of George Foreman was such a mental piece of art and the Thrilla in Manila against Frazier is never to be forgotten. Both men were never the same, either in or out of the ring. He was able to… Read more »
The Ken Burns documentaries on Ali are top rate no question. I have watched them and it was like a time travel. He was the greatest in my book, nobody has ever come close. The only one like him was Sugar Ray Lenard, who was also amazing to watch.
The heavyweight division during those years, including Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, and earlier Sonny Liston, made for must see TV. I was a kid, and all of us on my block would get together, with our dads, and it was always an event. What made it special, IMO, besides the talent, personalities, and different styles,is there wasn’t the over saturation and exposure of all of these fighters’s personal lives, by so many forms of media, like there is today. You knew just enough, Like Steve mentioned, the only other period that rivaled that for me, was the Welterweight/featherweight years of… Read more »
Like so many of us, I was a big fan of Cassius Clay when he was getting ready to take down The Bear, Sonny Liston. Clay just mesmerized us all with his poetry, his predictions, and all that floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. Clay represented the American Dream and all its glory. Liston, who I never saw smile I don’t think, was the mob, death and fixed fights. In repeatedly looking at the second Clay/Liston fight, it’s still impossible for me to buy into the fact it was legit knockout. I just don’t see the mystery… Read more »
I remember Howard Cossell doing the color at ringside, he was as much of a show as Ali was. He called Ali the greatest of all time back when he was still boxing. Then there was Don King with the electrified hair walking around the ring before and after the boxing matches.
We were fortunate growing up in the L.A. area getting to watch boxing every Thursday night from the Olympic Auditorium We would get some guys together, get some beers and watch the boxing every week. Made school rough on some Friday mornings.
This Saturday Cincinnati plays ND and is a two point favorite if I read the odds correctly. If they pull it off, Luke Fickel’s stock will rise drastically in the eyes of ADs needing a new HC.
apart from guys like Urban Meyer he should be at the top of our list. He’s a really good developer of talent. Id like to see a guy like that with all the high school talent in the world just a drive away.
An open ended question: Does Graham Harrell lack the mentality or maturity to have a balanced offense? The forward pass was first used in 1906. (according to Google and according to Abraham Lincoln, Google is never wrong) Anyway it is not a new toy. It is one weapon out of many. It is foolish to think you can pass your way into victory. It is stubborn to think you should not change, even when it isn’t working. Harrell’s brand of football is suited for 8 man ball at rural high schools in TX not for big boy football in America.… Read more »
Graham Harrell’s stock has quickly dropped down to the penny level. It’ll be interesting to see where he latches on. I hear he and his wife really like southern California. I have no idea if that’s true or not.
But I figure he’ll find a place somewhere lowly or mediocre that is impressed with his ability to help steer his receivers to “open ground.” Who knew it would all be boiled down to two-on-two sandlot football?
Maybe, if he’s lucky, he can hook back up with Leach at Miss State. That would no doubt be his only shot at a Power 5 school. He’s at best Group of 5 material, over rated in his current position….but…this shows the incompetence of those who hired him !
We are seeing the ramifications of air raid: recruit QBs & receivers #1 and then fill in depth needs with what scholarships leftover. The fallacy is unless you have a keen eye on areas of need AND what those positions will amount to in the next two seasons based on their talent, you will have an uneven offense & defense based on talent and it’s backup. Helton failed miserably on that as we see the program today. What Trojan football has to do to get itself back to a flagship program is #1- stack up top rated recruiting classes for… Read more »
Jamaica, I think you are partially correct. We are seeing, in part, the consequences of having GH run the O with his version of the Air Raid. The problem is not the Air Raid per se (OK runs it with great success), the problem is GH and Clay culture. GH was in essence the head coach of the O with no supervision. He was simply not ready for that much responsibility. I do not think we can understate the damage having Clay in charge for 6 years caused. He should have been terminated when Sam left.
After Oregon St. more or less limited the trojan rushing game, all they had to do was rush 4 and drop back the other 7. Seems to me that was the BYU gameplan a few years back that worked. Now that Stanford, OSU and for all intensive purposes, WSU, have identified & exposed where to attack this trojan offense, the rest of the season will be a matter of can our OL keep their DL from getting to Slovis or Dart. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised seeing Colorado attempting to do the same thing. Of course, OSU has a… Read more »
I think USC’s physicality has really suffered overall with the adoption of GH’s lame version of the Air Raid offense. I hadn’t anticipated this negative impact on the program overall. We tried the AR, and it simply didn’t work here because it also affected the program poorly overall. This is according to the words of other Pac-12 coaches, who know a lot more about USC’s problems than I do. USC needs to be able to get back to being able to run the ball and to defend against the run when it counts against the better teams. We’ve totally lost… Read more »
I wish we could see the numbers but we all know we never will one of the reasons they said they kept Helton’s was because it would be too expensive to get rid of him. How much money if they lost over the last couple of years and will they lose over the next couple of years because of Heltons incompetence.
Sadly, USC football deserves everything it is getting. Bohn insisted on living in a CFB fantasy world and now he looks like an idiot who lamely supplied Helton with all the tools he needed to become even a worse program. Folt and Caruso rescued him after the STAN game, but now Bohn is charged with finding the next Trojan right guy. Will he do it? Many think not per the TDB. Has USC football EVER hired more than three wrong NFC’s in a row? Kiffin might not qualify because no coach could have survived well under those insane NCAA sanctions.… Read more »
Does USC really want to offer anyone who will 99.5% say no? Not in my mind. I’d leave Saban alone unless he wants to give me the world’s best recommendation.
While I agree that USC has almost no chance with either of those two I also believe you can’t hit any shots you don’t take. Who knows maybe urban’s already tired of the beating he’s taking in the NFL
If Caruso, who is talking about reaching for the stars in football, would open his checkbook and fill in the right numbers, and he can d*mn-well afford it, maybe we could get a big name’s attention?
In Pete Carroll’s book, WIN FOREVER, Pete stated on page 158,” PRACTICE IS EVERYTHING. Our practices were where we made ourselves into the team we needed to be. It was by practicing that we developed our ability to perform regardless of the circumstances.” USC coaches please read and apply these principles.
I’ve said it before, Helton entered the world of Troy under the sanctions mentality where you had pillow fight practices because the scholarship count was low. He never stopped what he learned from Kiffin.
This is an extremely unfair article. To pick on a 20 year old kid for a mess not of his making is plain irresponsible. The title should have been “What happened to Kedon?” He was a brilliant frosh, whose star has faded. Why? GH should have protected him, like Mike Gundy protected his kids. The blame for what happened to Kedon sits directly on GH (as Rialto correctly points out below) and on the Administration that allowed The Cat to run SC’s football program into the ground for 6 years (and made him a wealthy man for his efforts). GH… Read more »
The coaching hire will have some instant effects on the players. Some may leave and I am sure some will transfer in. Attitudes will change, work ethic will change, and over time the talent level will get higher. I doubt any assistants will remain, which is a good thing for the culture of USC football. Perhaps Donte will stay, but that is it that I can see. One question I have is would Slovis stay another year under a new HC and OC? It could help him or ruin him, either is possible. I know he has nfl desires, but… Read more »
By the time Donte gets done with his interim gig, who knows how he will be regarded, especially after his disastrous first week. I truly wish him the best of luck in trying to pick off whatever victories against mediocre teams that he can. But remarks by current players about the continued lack of accountability, at least as the players see it, show what Donte is up against in the short term and it isn’t pretty. Since USC’s DBs have often looked so deplorable this season, I’m unsure how much of that falls on Donte. It seems he should bear… Read more »
All good points Allen. The problem, as I see it, was that Clay Helton was on the “bubble for several years after he should have been fired. So he was under tremendous pressure to take the highest starred recruits he could get, regardless of whether they were well suited for USC’s schemes. So kids were encouraged to make poor choices about where they should go to maximize their talents, and USC did not have the luxury of recruiting a “philosophy.” Clay needed numbers so he could blow sunshine at the signing day podium (and he often fell short there too).… Read more »
Caruso as quoted by a Bill Plaschke article posted here, stated “He” and the administration were going to get a “World Class Head Coach” so, how much of that is Political Hubris and how much is truth….?
Well, Rick is a lawyer; heavily involved in real estate; and I believe will be seeking political office in the future. That adds up to some BS in the big picture when evaluating Caruso’s comments about our next coaching hire. I, therefore understand Rock’s pessimism.
By the way, to Allen and the other lawyers or recovering lawyers on our site here, don’t assume that I think all lawyers are bullschitsers. But some definitely are!😎
So you think Caruso can’t be trusted for various reasons. I understand. Point taken.
You know me. I’m just trying to pin TDB people down, always part of my role here on the TDB.
As far as lawyers go, I’m proud of the fact I was an attorney and tried to help people who had sometimes royally screwed up their own lives or were just in a bad spot.
I always compared good lawyers with good doctors. Maybe I’m way, way off base there, but when you really need one or the other, no substitute will do.
I know some people feel that USC needs to somehow prove to candidates that it is still a job worth taking. I don’t really see it that way. I think the HFC candidates we should focus on are only those who understand that USC will be fine once that new guy installs a new culture. That’s key. Whatever the new coach excels at cannot be placed above the need to bring in a guy who knows that X/O decisions, schemes, recruiting prowess, etc., all mean nothing unless USC absorbs a complete football culture transfusion. It’s obvious to all that the… Read more »
Really, if you stand back and look at reality of the situation…USC having a great legacy, the Pete Carroll years and all the media hype might not be enough to get the “guy that knows how to fix it” Josh Pate, 247 Sports ‘Late Kick’ posted regarding a head coach hire. He went on to explain that there possibly will be several SEC and B1G head coaches positions open at seasons end. If so, many of the candidates SC may be hot on will look more favorably to the SEC and B1G openings, reasons, SC is obviously a train wreck,… Read more »
“Massively I would say.” Okay, if you say. But maybe not…there is a tremendous difference in circular discussions, which most here entail, accountability, poor game strategy, who needs to play etc. These are great if you’re at the sports bar or the 19th hole, they’re fun but the solve nothing. Unfortunately most fan boards and blogs like to discuss items that give relief or satisfaction or stroke our pride…kinda like standing at the railing singing God Save The Queen while the ship sinks. im sure you get the metaphor. Our ship is sinking the Administration send 5 sec media blurbs… Read more »
I simply have more faith in USC football than you do, regardless of all the possible limitations you have very accurately pointed towards. By nature, I’m an optimist, which clearly affects much of my thinking about life in general. Caruso is one of the richest, most financially successful people in the world, for all intents and purposes. He knows all the negotiating and contract angles and exactly what USC needs to do to sign the big cheese we need to fix this mess. Based on his recent very public declaration: Caruso — “We have a proud football tradition of excellence, and… Read more »
I never meant to insinuate in any way that you are anti-USC football @alfa1. Hardly. Never even crossed my mind.
You are simply not nearly as optimistic as I am that USC will fix this problem and become dominant again with this next hire.
I have little to no doubt that USC will be able to bring aboard the right coach to return the school to gridiron greatness. In that respect, you and I are VERY different.
People love to blame Folt, a total outsider who has been USC’s president just over two years. She’s basically still a “newbie” as the woman in charge of USC.
I could much more accurately blame full-on Trojans Nikias and Swann, the two people most responsible BY FAR for USC’s horrible football situation. Oh, and Clay The Cat Helton too. I’ve almost managed to erase him from my mind.
With regard to frankness and your tolerance, it can be very enlightening…imagine if you will, discussions of the structure and content of the U.S. Constituion by the 13 states representatives, I’m positive there was an abundance of give and take.
I’ve been watching the Senate conduct its intense questioning of the USA military big wigs about our withdrawal from Afghanistan.
As a long-ago attorney, I have especially appreciated the back-and-forth cat and mouse games played between these very powerful Americans. Amazing stuff.
Allen, I like both your and Alfa1’s comments. SC Football is a major grease fire. It is fixable, but it going to take (1) an elite Coach who savors the challenge, (2) the administration giving that Coach what he wants, (3) a complete housecleaning, and (4) then at least two years (probably 3 years) to rebuild. This year was the assistants (particularly Donte) chance to show what they could do. I think OSU answered that question. CO is so awful that I do not think that is going to be a good test. Utah did not look that good either,… Read more »
I don’t really care about USC’s record in 2021. The teams I’d really like to beat will have to have very bad days to lose to us.
It’s all about USC now for me. What Bohn decides and effectuates is the whole ball of wax. Many think he’s not up to it. Come December, we’ll know. I’m in the minority and think he is. Yippeee!
Perhaps with a new head coach it will change the way players look at USC and the people Donte recruits will be better to begin with. Somehow he got Flow to go to Oregon, and then he got Foreman to come to USC. His expertise at recruiting is phenomenal and should not be overlooked. Would the presence of say Fickell, Ruhle, or some other top line HC make that much difference? I say yes it would and we are all pulling for it, so why not put Donte to the task of dealing with the top recruits and see what… Read more »
So far Foreman hasn’t done diddly squat. He may be really good in the future, but he certainly didn’t come in ready to play, like some frosh do. Whoever comes in will bring in all his new guys. If he keeps Donte, great. If he feels he can do better, great. That’s where I am now. So much needs to be changed. If Donte thinks he can do better, he’s not who we want anyway, going forward. ORE has been much better than USC for quite a while now, so I’m not surprised Donte could take potential USC targets to… Read more »
The picks are squarely on the shoulders of Graham Harrell. The fact that Oregon State, Oregon State(for god’s sake) was able to cover all the open receivers and still harass the quarterback is proof that his offense is too predictable. Any quarterback would have had problems in the scheme Harrell is running. When Slovis first showed up he was running on pure adrenaline. Now he’s running on orders from Harrell and the other teams have figured him out. Dart had success because he was unpredictable. Instead of following orders, he was following instinct because Helton and Harrell hadn’t coached him… Read more »
I like that phrase, “coach them down.” Expresses what has happened during the Helton years. The player talent he has brought in has stagnated and regressed during their time as SC football players. Sad.
Slovis to me appears afraid of the rush, not sure about himself and his ability. He has it, but for some reason he lacks self confidence. If anyone needs to have swagger, it is him. I wonder how PT against a good team would do the same thing to Dart with this O line unable to protect him. On another note, I do not think I saw USC run straight ahead even once during the OSU game, everything went off tackle. Vavae is fun to watch catch a pass and you see the determination in him as he turns upfield.… Read more »
On June 25, we published this statement on the TDB about USC recruiting:
“There’s a palpable buzz about USC again,” says Brandon Huffman, the national recruiting editor at 247Sports.com. “They flipped the narrative completely.”
It was “All hat, no cattle.” Donte now needs to worry about his reputation becoming the same. His statement that he will fix this was, I think, not reassuring. I do not see how this team is going to improve. His only hope is that he is playing weak to awful teams in CO, AZ, Utah and Cal. His problem is he is playing a good to elite teams in ND, UCLA, BYU and ASU. I think both ND and UCLA rout this team.
It’s humbling (our rivals would say laughable) to be thought of as a “weak to awful” team like CU, ARIZ, UTAH and CAL. I figure USC goes 2-2 amongst this group and fits right in. People can talk all they want about how anything can happen in a “rivalry game” like ND, UCLA, and to a lesser extent, CAL. It will be interesting to see how that plays out in the remainder of 2021, as it already has against STAN (thank you Cardinal!). USC even gets ARIZ in the Coliseum, but playing at home seems to do nothing but embarrass… Read more »
I agree. There’s something mental going on making him tentative and indecisive. He played as a Freshman as if there was nothing to lose. Now he’s playing like there’s everything to lose.
Poor Slovis plays now like he’s a true freshman getting his first starts. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. He’s obviously gained little, if anything, from his coaching. Maybe USC’s coaches are literally that bad. So we should start playing Dart as much as possible, before he is ruined!
Crazy times at USC football. Hopefully, USC’s transition to a new HFC won’t follow the horrifyingly inept example set by the U.S. in its tragic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The grilling the generals have been taking has been very interesting to witness. Larry, Moe and Curly Joe come to mind.
It was the last gasp of USC’s 45-27 defeat, and another head-scratching data point in the evaluation of Slovis.
But the third-year starter still held onto the ball too long on some possessions as he waited for receivers to get open instead of trying to fit the ball into tight windows, leading to two Oregon State sacks.
I just noticed Cincinnati is now a two point favorite over ND. Did ND lose someone for the game?
Gambling house trying to even the bets
The Irish beat WIS at Soldier Field 41-13 and get no respect. I’m not doing well in betting my TDB dollars, so I’m no one to talk, but I don’t think I’m taking CIN to beat ND even straight up in South Bend.
Alway follow your gut feeling, it seldom lets you down.
I just hear Coan had a hand problem, dislocated finger. I heard Kelly Coan will be the starter this week.
Coan suffered a severe sprain to his left ankle in the third quarter of Saturday’s 41-13 victory over WIS at Soldier Field per the Sun Times.
The search, or perhaps pursuit fits the occasion more appropriately. Have any of those here, including you Allen, taken the time to analyze the situation? This endeavor is in its nascent stage, me, you, all of us are witnessing multiple dynamics affecting the football program, let me explain, there was immediately the cry for Donte to be the new coach…that quickly withered. Slovis-Dart controversy, Caruso’ grandiose statement, Caruso and the BOT’s esoteric direction and interest of all things Football. Folt’ feminist prerogative and disinterest in all things masculine, Bohn’ questionable competence and foresight. Then comes the parade of candidates, why… Read more »
My “inside sources” tell me Franklin would be seriously interested in the USC job because he wants to see how he can do at a recruiting powerhouse, or at least a place that used to be a recruiting powerhouse.
One of Frankln’s strengths is he surrounds himself with good people. I am told Franklin’s longtime SR Director of Football Operations, Michael Hazel, is an awesome “relentless, effective and efficient” grinder.
I have no idea if Franklin is really interested in USC as it is. But some people better connected than me think he is.
Well, you need to ask you friends and confidants If Caruso and crew are willing to match or increase Franklins current compensation.
I doubt he or his agent are going to take a hit so Franklin can achieve his ‘Recruiting Dreams’ in L.A.
Were I a CFB coach, I’d choose the USC job any day of the week over PSU and so would many others. That’s not even debatable.
Since you have no idea how much USC is willing to pay its next coach, how do you know how much they will offer?
“Were I a CFB coach, I’d choose the USC job any day of the week over PSU and so would many others. That’s not even debatable”
Of course you would.
”Since you have no idea how much USC is willing to pay its next coach, how do you know how much they will offer?”
And likewise neither do you !
Let’s just say I’ll take a stab at it…
To get a REAL COACH at USC, the floor is 7 Million with bonuses…every agent in the known world knows SC is desperate.
What difference does it make if every agent knows USC is desperate? Absolutely none.
Every single school looking for a new HC is desperate. That’s exactly why they are looking for a new HC.
Everyone also knows USC is going to have to pony up big bucks to get the coach they want. No mystery there either.
“What difference does it make if every agent knows USC is desperate? Absolutely none.” Huh….? It’s obvious with that statement, you’ve never had to navigate the competitive Business World! ”Every single school looking for a new HC is desperate. That’s exactly why they are looking for a new HC.” Not necessarily the correct premise. Most schools look for a better coach that can give them winning seasons, hopeful that the could win their Conference and maybe go further and maintain their fan bases. ”Everyone also knows USC is going to have to pony up big bucks to get the coach… Read more »
Thanks for the lecture on my business acumen. You crack me up! 😂
you frequently make me smile as well.
Touché -))
Just read the LA Times article on Fickell. I really like what I read, and consider him now neck and neck with Franklin on my list of “reasonable favorites”. Love that he’s a trenches guy, and many other things about him. But, the article also suggests that it will be a tough sell due to his family considerations. I think Franklin would get USC back quicker due to his more charismatic nature that would draw recruits and attention. It might take Fickell a year or two longer, but once USC starts winning, the recruits would come. Fickell certainly has had… Read more »
Terrific article. You be the judge…
I was not a huge advocate of him before reading the article but after reading it I think he should be a top consideration, the only problem is he will not want to leave the midwest to come to California.
“Everyone thinks football, I think about my kids, my family. ‘Do I want to raise my kids in this place?’” Luke’s wife Amy says. “So you kind of look at those things first. We pray a lot about it, and you go from there.” I searched for a reason to conclude Fickell will end up at USC and couldn’t find it. Sure, anything’s possible, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I’d offer him $9-10 mil a year were I USC and see if he and Amy (who will obviously have the final word) want to finish raising their kids in… Read more »
Total guess. I doubt he comes. Cincinnati just joined the Big 12 and he can compete for NCs there, particularly if he beats ND. And Cincy will match any offer from SC. He will also have no problem with assistants in Cincy. My guess is he would leave Cincinnati for ND, but not SC. In addition, he is a white male who is Christian. He will not sit well with Madame President Mao. My guess Franklin has the job if he wants it. I hate that race matters, but to our present President, I think it does. I would think… Read more »
The best loss was when we lost the Cat.
Someone should come up with a little song about USC and The Cat. Rick Neuheisel is good at that stuff.
Or maybe just a simple poem to celebrate his removal from the USC campus.
I can’t wait to see what Pop Warner program picks him up.
Ya, I simply refuse to believe Bohn has allowed himself to be tortured all this time so he can go cheap with another coach and pretend to the USC fanbase that he did his job.
He promised Helton he would provide him with everything he could to help him succeed. He did exactly that. By axing Helton immed after the meltdown against STAN, Bohn proved he/Folt/Caruso have a plan. That appears obvious to me, and IMO, that plan includes luring a big-time coach to USC to get fans back in the seats and USC back in the winners column.
Franklin? Charisma? Hmmm. Cristobal should be mission number one. You get a double benefit there — you help us and you hurt Oregon. He is due for a raise. He is a former o-lineman, and toughness is his middle name. He is magic with recruits. We should not be having any kind of discussion until he says “no” (maybe he already has).
Well….not in the mold of PC, but few are. Certainly more so than the majority of the bland coaches out there. I think he connects with kids well.
You make a good case for Cristobal. I could get on that train for sure.
I’d take Mario Cristobal tomorrow. But he’s not coming either (I see MIA or ALA in his future). I’m not a fan of Anthony Lynn getting the job. Hope that doesn’t happen. Franklin? A big meh.
I’d really like Matt Rhule, but were I him I wouldn’t leave Carolina for USC.
I see some bad losses in front of this team. Maybe those continued defeats will further educate Bohn about the exact direction he needs to go. Maybe he already knows.
Not a fan of Lynn either. It’s always amazing how many of the trendy names of up-and-comers fizzle after they get their big gig. Think Frost, Herman, Strong…the list goes on. I sure hope our next HC is not a trendy name that flames out like those guys. That’s why there’s so much more risk with the up-and-comers versus the been-there-done-that group. But that group is so much more unlikely to actually land. It’s quite a job Bohn has on his hands. Bohn has played his moves quite secretly so far as AD, and I don’t expect that will change.… Read more »
After seeing Cincy work ND, I could go for Fickell (again, only after Cristobal is offered a mint and says no). Hopefully, all Fickell’s reluctance is backchannel posturing to angle for a bigger deal. But probably not.
Robert Kraft calls Bill Belichick the ‘biggest f***ing a**hole in my life’ in new Patriots tell-all book
Yahoo Sports
Ah…Terms of Endearment from Mr. Kraft
Wow. Talk about dropping the hammer. How do those two go on?
They may not. The ball is in Belichiks court !
I can’t believe how Belichick was so totally trashed by his owner. Nobody gets out alive, do they?
Kinda resembles the beginning of the ‘Jones, Johnson’ friendship collapse in Dallas…
Many of these names being bantered about don’t exactly fit the description of “world class” and “experienced” in championships. I am all in on swinging for the fence, and those lofty goals stated by Caruso and the Admins may come back and bite them if we have to settle for “almost world class”.
Who in your mind is actually “world-class” VT?
I gotta know, because if it’s only 2-3 guys, I would say you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment. JMHO.
I knew that question was coming since you like to pin us down to position, and it’s a really good one. Fact is, I’m not sure. Part of my point was what you stated, when a declaration of “world class” is made, that really narrows it down to only a precious few since by definition “world class” is a cut well above “good”, even “great” for that matter. As you say, the group who qualify per the Caruso/Bohn proclamation is very small. I’m an advocate of having the really big names say no to you, it never hurts to ask.… Read more »
Wouldn’t you really like Matt Ruhle? Talk about a total pipedream!
Oh yeah!
If Luke Fickell beats Notre Dame this weekend in South Bend, I’m all in on the guy. Really sticking my neck out with that one, huh?!
Who knows, he may be one of the next great ones, just hard to tell at this point. I’d say that if his success has been due to a strong culture and talent evaluation/development, then I could get behind him too. He’ll have to translate his successful components from a small-time environment where winning in football is a bonus but not expected, to the intense spotlight and expectations of a big-time environment in all senses of the word.
That would be fantastic, but there is no chance Ruhle leaves Carolina
I hope USC doesn’t offer guys who have no intention of saying yes. Then the programs (not so much the NFL) run around forever spouting off how their schools and coaches turned USC down.
There’s no reason for USC to be used by other schools and coaches here. I don’t think USC should offer someone unless they think there’s a decent, real shot at a future professional relationship. And I don’t think that’s very hard to find out in the CFB coaching world.
Make him say no, or make him say yes.
If you don’t start at the top offering the very best HC’ing candidates,, you’ll never know #1-If that coach is ready for a change in venue and has interest in USC football, and #2- you left no stones untouched in seeking the best candidate for your job opening. Look at Alabama and Ohio St., they didn’t worry more about being turned down as they did trying to get the best man possible. Doing anything less and you are admitting your program doesn’t deserve the best.
Keep in mind the mini the name is been bantered about out there are because their own agents are doing is trying to get them more money
I love that we haven’t a clue who Bohn really wants, if anyone yet. Perfect.
Could be a real barnburner. Could be a huge dunk! Probably somewhere in the middle.
Anticipation is killing me
Just listened to podcast, turns out we had a huge group of recruits at the game. That’s great, lay an egg when all the guys we need are in the stadium. Can we just hire the new guy now?
This 2021 recruiting class is basically shot as far as the early signing period — I think it’s for three days beginning Dec. 15 this year, but not sure. USC is now ranked #29 (only 10 commits) per 247Sports, and that’s with 5-stars LB Domani Jackson from Mater Dei, and DL Mykel Williams from Georgia. Who knows if they will stick? The early signing period is where it’s all at nowadays. The new HC will have to be a total magician to fix USC football recruiting by mid-Dec. I don’t see that happening, so if it does somehow because of… Read more »
I’m going to try to “blur my vision” a bit on USC football until we get a new head coach in place. This is going to be an unpleasant limbo, but ultimately that will probably be healthier for us than the mirage of success we had during the Coach O and Helton interim tenures. This will keep our challenge well-defined before us, and keep us focused on what we really need. No short-sighted easy outs this time. I have come to see the last game in that light. Though I feel bad for the team, the worse this gets until… Read more »
I fear the whipping USC is about to take in South Bend will be monumental this season. Maybe by then, Dart will be starting if Slovis can’t recapture his old self. The game is right around the corner on Oct. 23. But for me, these 2021 games don’t count much and I expect little. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on the USC team now and what the players are really thinking. I’m just focused on who the next coach is and I can’t wait to watch the things he does to rebuild USC football. Helton was finally… Read more »
I agree Allen however if Slovis is still able to play, he deserves another shot at the Irish for all he has gone through. although I don’t want whoever is playing QB will become roadkill if our OL collapses which could very easily happen in that stadium. If that happens, Slovis will not take the chances Dart would in trying to escape tackles and get really banged up being reckless. This season is pretty much over as far as USC making a major bowl. I would like to see Dart kept somewhat healthy to begin next season with a new… Read more »
I don’t think DW will replace Slovis unless he simply fails to improve from here. You’re right. Slovis still deserves the nod. The Irish are right here, really
But he’s gotta get better to keep playing, or people will start looking at DW as a chump, just like we did with Helton over Browne/Darnold. Dart will end up playing because he is called upon IMO.
Major bowl? We won’t even make a minor bowl
Agree completely. I don’t see how this team gets to 6 wins.
Rock, Feel exactly the same – feel bad for the kids on the team, but the worse this gets, the better is it for the future. One thing we can say, the “Donte for HC” bus has been put out of commission. It was a brilliant move to remove Clay early – it allows for the assessment of the team and the present coaching staff. It has not been pretty. Thus, 2021 is the year to remove Clay, evaluate what we have, and then move forward with a major rebuilt – from the ground up. It is clear that none… Read more »
All I know is if Bohn hires a non-Power 5 HC it will delay this program an extra year or two in winning the favor & confidence of 4 & 5-star talent when the Sabans, Cristbals, Days & Sarkisians are knocking at their doors. You have to match fire with fire in these gifted kids minds today.
I’m starting to hear the name Kalani Satacki some as possible USC HC material. He comes in to play USC in L.A. on Nov. 27, the week following our game with UCLA, also in the Coliseum. The Athletic — “Sometimes being a good fit isn’t so much past history as it is just the kind of job. Chris Petersen had never worked at Washington when he was hired in 2014, but he also proved to be the right fit. Petersen turned down USC because he didn’t want to deal with everything that came with that job, and was happy to… Read more »
Just my opinion but Kalani would not be a good fit. Yes he beat USC last time and will more than likely do it again this year, but look at what OSU just did to us.
I don’t think he’ll ever be a popular choice with the USC masses. It’ll be interesting to see if he ever even talks to USC people. I haven’t any idea where Bohn is actually headed with this. None.
He’s not coming here, they won’t let him go. He’s doing big things at BYU, they are moving to big 12. Also I’m pretty sure he’s Mormon. He’s all the right fit there, and all the wrong fit with us.
As I recall, Kalani was high on the coaches’ hot seat when he beat us last time. There is not enough of a track record of success to go that route. It would not match the promises Bohn made in his statement.
If you’re interested in Muhammad Ali, you’ve got to see Muhammad Ali (4 parts), on KCET.
Wow. Sometimes I forget how totally amazing some of our athletic superstars were and are.
Everything Ken Burns documentary is special, and first rate. At the time, Ali’s bravado was a turnoff, and made me a Joe Frazier fan. I didn’t appreciate the brilliance of Ali and his self promotion skills until later in life. I came to have great respect for him. I’ll check it out, thanks. By the way, I’m sure you heard Cowherd throw out the name Raheem Morris, Ram’s DC, as a name being considered for the SC job. I really believe that there will be a concerted effort to make a minority hire, which could be a very good decision.
I didn’t spend any time on the Raheem Morris stuff. I just don’t know enough about him to take him seriously. If he’s great, let’s talk Raheem. But this Ken Burns Muhammad Ali doc has somehow made me appreciate Ali even more. He was such a beautiful athlete. That’s the one word that describes him best for me. Beautiful. His decimation of George Foreman was such a mental piece of art and the Thrilla in Manila against Frazier is never to be forgotten. Both men were never the same, either in or out of the ring. He was able to… Read more »
The Ken Burns documentaries on Ali are top rate no question. I have watched them and it was like a time travel. He was the greatest in my book, nobody has ever come close. The only one like him was Sugar Ray Lenard, who was also amazing to watch.
The heavyweight division during those years, including Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, and earlier Sonny Liston, made for must see TV. I was a kid, and all of us on my block would get together, with our dads, and it was always an event. What made it special, IMO, besides the talent, personalities, and different styles,is there wasn’t the over saturation and exposure of all of these fighters’s personal lives, by so many forms of media, like there is today. You knew just enough, Like Steve mentioned, the only other period that rivaled that for me, was the Welterweight/featherweight years of… Read more »
Like so many of us, I was a big fan of Cassius Clay when he was getting ready to take down The Bear, Sonny Liston. Clay just mesmerized us all with his poetry, his predictions, and all that floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. Clay represented the American Dream and all its glory. Liston, who I never saw smile I don’t think, was the mob, death and fixed fights. In repeatedly looking at the second Clay/Liston fight, it’s still impossible for me to buy into the fact it was legit knockout. I just don’t see the mystery… Read more »
I remember Howard Cossell doing the color at ringside, he was as much of a show as Ali was. He called Ali the greatest of all time back when he was still boxing. Then there was Don King with the electrified hair walking around the ring before and after the boxing matches.
We were fortunate growing up in the L.A. area getting to watch boxing every Thursday night from the Olympic Auditorium We would get some guys together, get some beers and watch the boxing every week. Made school rough on some Friday mornings.
This Saturday Cincinnati plays ND and is a two point favorite if I read the odds correctly. If they pull it off, Luke Fickel’s stock will rise drastically in the eyes of ADs needing a new HC.
apart from guys like Urban Meyer he should be at the top of our list. He’s a really good developer of talent. Id like to see a guy like that with all the high school talent in the world just a drive away.
OMG. Can you imagine what Fickell’s star power would shoot to if he beats Kelly in South Bend? Too crazy.
I’m not leaning in his direction this time and expect ND to win. Great matchup IMO.
Luke Fickel’s audition for the SC job.
Thank Goodness!
Report: NCAA May Reconsider Ejecting Players for Committing Targeting Penalties
bleacherreport.com
Agreed. So many guys getting thrown out for just making a routine football play.
An open ended question: Does Graham Harrell lack the mentality or maturity to have a balanced offense? The forward pass was first used in 1906. (according to Google and according to Abraham Lincoln, Google is never wrong) Anyway it is not a new toy. It is one weapon out of many. It is foolish to think you can pass your way into victory. It is stubborn to think you should not change, even when it isn’t working. Harrell’s brand of football is suited for 8 man ball at rural high schools in TX not for big boy football in America.… Read more »
Graham Harrell’s stock has quickly dropped down to the penny level. It’ll be interesting to see where he latches on. I hear he and his wife really like southern California. I have no idea if that’s true or not.
But I figure he’ll find a place somewhere lowly or mediocre that is impressed with his ability to help steer his receivers to “open ground.” Who knew it would all be boiled down to two-on-two sandlot football?
Maybe, if he’s lucky, he can hook back up with Leach at Miss State. That would no doubt be his only shot at a Power 5 school. He’s at best Group of 5 material, over rated in his current position….but…this shows the incompetence of those who hired him !
Okay I just had a silly thought; what if Bama is looking for an offensive coordinator next season….?
Headlines — Saban Goes After Harrell!, followed by Saban Lands Harrell! I’d truly pay to read those headlines.
Allen, you’re allowing Disney to warp your logical thinking processes -))
O’Brien is currently there as OC, The course is generally 2 years.
MMMmmmmmmmmmmMBWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! If that happens, we’re going to learn there are limits to the Saban Trojan-Coach Rehabilitation Project.
It was Rialto’s idea. I’m blaming him.
We are seeing the ramifications of air raid: recruit QBs & receivers #1 and then fill in depth needs with what scholarships leftover. The fallacy is unless you have a keen eye on areas of need AND what those positions will amount to in the next two seasons based on their talent, you will have an uneven offense & defense based on talent and it’s backup. Helton failed miserably on that as we see the program today. What Trojan football has to do to get itself back to a flagship program is #1- stack up top rated recruiting classes for… Read more »
Jamaica, I think you are partially correct. We are seeing, in part, the consequences of having GH run the O with his version of the Air Raid. The problem is not the Air Raid per se (OK runs it with great success), the problem is GH and Clay culture. GH was in essence the head coach of the O with no supervision. He was simply not ready for that much responsibility. I do not think we can understate the damage having Clay in charge for 6 years caused. He should have been terminated when Sam left.
Perhaps Both. One thing for certain he is not a people person.
After Oregon St. more or less limited the trojan rushing game, all they had to do was rush 4 and drop back the other 7. Seems to me that was the BYU gameplan a few years back that worked. Now that Stanford, OSU and for all intensive purposes, WSU, have identified & exposed where to attack this trojan offense, the rest of the season will be a matter of can our OL keep their DL from getting to Slovis or Dart. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised seeing Colorado attempting to do the same thing. Of course, OSU has a… Read more »
Who would’ve ever thought that USC football had to pin their hopes on the other team be less physical
I think USC’s physicality has really suffered overall with the adoption of GH’s lame version of the Air Raid offense. I hadn’t anticipated this negative impact on the program overall. We tried the AR, and it simply didn’t work here because it also affected the program poorly overall. This is according to the words of other Pac-12 coaches, who know a lot more about USC’s problems than I do. USC needs to be able to get back to being able to run the ball and to defend against the run when it counts against the better teams. We’ve totally lost… Read more »
I wish we could see the numbers but we all know we never will one of the reasons they said they kept Helton’s was because it would be too expensive to get rid of him. How much money if they lost over the last couple of years and will they lose over the next couple of years because of Heltons incompetence.
Sadly, USC football deserves everything it is getting. Bohn insisted on living in a CFB fantasy world and now he looks like an idiot who lamely supplied Helton with all the tools he needed to become even a worse program. Folt and Caruso rescued him after the STAN game, but now Bohn is charged with finding the next Trojan right guy. Will he do it? Many think not per the TDB. Has USC football EVER hired more than three wrong NFC’s in a row? Kiffin might not qualify because no coach could have survived well under those insane NCAA sanctions.… Read more »
Kiffin needed time, but he is a good coach.
I’d take him back in a heartbeat. He’s sure not perfect, but he’s got talent. moxie, makes headlines, and apparently still loves to recruit.
I think he can really coach too and wish he had taken on the USC job 5-6 years later than when he did.
He had to go through the Saban car wash.
I couldn’t have written it better myself -))
I really have no idea at this point who we will get, but I would like to see us swing for the fence with offers to Saban and Urban.
also just read an article claiming that USC boosters contacted Anthony Lynn the ex-charger coach. He has never coached in college before.
Does USC really want to offer anyone who will 99.5% say no? Not in my mind. I’d leave Saban alone unless he wants to give me the world’s best recommendation.
While I agree that USC has almost no chance with either of those two I also believe you can’t hit any shots you don’t take. Who knows maybe urban’s already tired of the beating he’s taking in the NFL
If Caruso, who is talking about reaching for the stars in football, would open his checkbook and fill in the right numbers, and he can d*mn-well afford it, maybe we could get a big name’s attention?
The ability to get an NC at another school cannot be overlooked
In Pete Carroll’s book, WIN FOREVER, Pete stated on page 158,” PRACTICE IS EVERYTHING. Our practices were where we made ourselves into the team we needed to be. It was by practicing that we developed our ability to perform regardless of the circumstances.” USC coaches please read and apply these principles.
Bingo!
I’ve said it before, Helton entered the world of Troy under the sanctions mentality where you had pillow fight practices because the scholarship count was low. He never stopped what he learned from Kiffin.
This is an extremely unfair article. To pick on a 20 year old kid for a mess not of his making is plain irresponsible. The title should have been “What happened to Kedon?” He was a brilliant frosh, whose star has faded. Why? GH should have protected him, like Mike Gundy protected his kids. The blame for what happened to Kedon sits directly on GH (as Rialto correctly points out below) and on the Administration that allowed The Cat to run SC’s football program into the ground for 6 years (and made him a wealthy man for his efforts). GH… Read more »
The coaching hire will have some instant effects on the players. Some may leave and I am sure some will transfer in. Attitudes will change, work ethic will change, and over time the talent level will get higher. I doubt any assistants will remain, which is a good thing for the culture of USC football. Perhaps Donte will stay, but that is it that I can see. One question I have is would Slovis stay another year under a new HC and OC? It could help him or ruin him, either is possible. I know he has nfl desires, but… Read more »
By the time Donte gets done with his interim gig, who knows how he will be regarded, especially after his disastrous first week. I truly wish him the best of luck in trying to pick off whatever victories against mediocre teams that he can. But remarks by current players about the continued lack of accountability, at least as the players see it, show what Donte is up against in the short term and it isn’t pretty. Since USC’s DBs have often looked so deplorable this season, I’m unsure how much of that falls on Donte. It seems he should bear… Read more »
All good points Allen. The problem, as I see it, was that Clay Helton was on the “bubble for several years after he should have been fired. So he was under tremendous pressure to take the highest starred recruits he could get, regardless of whether they were well suited for USC’s schemes. So kids were encouraged to make poor choices about where they should go to maximize their talents, and USC did not have the luxury of recruiting a “philosophy.” Clay needed numbers so he could blow sunshine at the signing day podium (and he often fell short there too).… Read more »
Caruso as quoted by a Bill Plaschke article posted here, stated “He” and the administration were going to get a “World Class Head Coach” so, how much of that is Political Hubris and how much is truth….?
your milage may vary…
Well, Rick is a lawyer; heavily involved in real estate; and I believe will be seeking political office in the future. That adds up to some BS in the big picture when evaluating Caruso’s comments about our next coaching hire. I, therefore understand Rock’s pessimism.
By the way, to Allen and the other lawyers or recovering lawyers on our site here, don’t assume that I think all lawyers are bullschitsers. But some definitely are!😎
So you think Caruso can’t be trusted for various reasons. I understand. Point taken.
You know me. I’m just trying to pin TDB people down, always part of my role here on the TDB.
As far as lawyers go, I’m proud of the fact I was an attorney and tried to help people who had sometimes royally screwed up their own lives or were just in a bad spot.
I always compared good lawyers with good doctors. Maybe I’m way, way off base there, but when you really need one or the other, no substitute will do.
I know some people feel that USC needs to somehow prove to candidates that it is still a job worth taking. I don’t really see it that way. I think the HFC candidates we should focus on are only those who understand that USC will be fine once that new guy installs a new culture. That’s key. Whatever the new coach excels at cannot be placed above the need to bring in a guy who knows that X/O decisions, schemes, recruiting prowess, etc., all mean nothing unless USC absorbs a complete football culture transfusion. It’s obvious to all that the… Read more »
Really, if you stand back and look at reality of the situation…USC having a great legacy, the Pete Carroll years and all the media hype might not be enough to get the “guy that knows how to fix it” Josh Pate, 247 Sports ‘Late Kick’ posted regarding a head coach hire. He went on to explain that there possibly will be several SEC and B1G head coaches positions open at seasons end. If so, many of the candidates SC may be hot on will look more favorably to the SEC and B1G openings, reasons, SC is obviously a train wreck,… Read more »
I’m not nearly as pessimistic as you @alfa1.
I know that Allen, we just view things through different lens.
Massively I would say.
That’s what the TDB blog is all about, so thank you for your frankness.
“Massively I would say.” Okay, if you say. But maybe not…there is a tremendous difference in circular discussions, which most here entail, accountability, poor game strategy, who needs to play etc. These are great if you’re at the sports bar or the 19th hole, they’re fun but the solve nothing. Unfortunately most fan boards and blogs like to discuss items that give relief or satisfaction or stroke our pride…kinda like standing at the railing singing God Save The Queen while the ship sinks. im sure you get the metaphor. Our ship is sinking the Administration send 5 sec media blurbs… Read more »
I simply have more faith in USC football than you do, regardless of all the possible limitations you have very accurately pointed towards. By nature, I’m an optimist, which clearly affects much of my thinking about life in general. Caruso is one of the richest, most financially successful people in the world, for all intents and purposes. He knows all the negotiating and contract angles and exactly what USC needs to do to sign the big cheese we need to fix this mess. Based on his recent very public declaration: Caruso — “We have a proud football tradition of excellence, and… Read more »
To start with, let me correct you….you have misstated or incorrectly evaluated my current personal position regarding USC FOOTBALL.
Nothing would make me happier that to see USC football achieve being a national champion, don’t mistake my comments a being anti-football team.
My intent is to bring attention of the misdeeds of a fragile disjointed and possibly a sports animosity of the BOT.
I most enthusiastically hope that Caruso has found his compass and steers a winning course.
As you posted his words…let’s wait to see if his deeds match !
I never meant to insinuate in any way that you are anti-USC football @alfa1. Hardly. Never even crossed my mind.
You are simply not nearly as optimistic as I am that USC will fix this problem and become dominant again with this next hire.
I have little to no doubt that USC will be able to bring aboard the right coach to return the school to gridiron greatness. In that respect, you and I are VERY different.
Okay…your words, I’ll go along with it !!
Yeah, but Rick Caruso picked Carol Folt. I will never forgive him for that decision.
People love to blame Folt, a total outsider who has been USC’s president just over two years. She’s basically still a “newbie” as the woman in charge of USC.
I could much more accurately blame full-on Trojans Nikias and Swann, the two people most responsible BY FAR for USC’s horrible football situation. Oh, and Clay The Cat Helton too. I’ve almost managed to erase him from my mind.
I thank You and John for suffering my picayunish frankness.
My pleasure! Absolutely! Love it, however you describe it!
With regard to frankness and your tolerance, it can be very enlightening…imagine if you will, discussions of the structure and content of the U.S. Constituion by the 13 states representatives, I’m positive there was an abundance of give and take.
Respectfully
Ditto! Exactly my friend.
I’ve been watching the Senate conduct its intense questioning of the USA military big wigs about our withdrawal from Afghanistan.
As a long-ago attorney, I have especially appreciated the back-and-forth cat and mouse games played between these very powerful Americans. Amazing stuff.
This topic is why we are all here on TDB and Scottie Wolf is working at a car wash.😀
Allen, I like both your and Alfa1’s comments. SC Football is a major grease fire. It is fixable, but it going to take (1) an elite Coach who savors the challenge, (2) the administration giving that Coach what he wants, (3) a complete housecleaning, and (4) then at least two years (probably 3 years) to rebuild. This year was the assistants (particularly Donte) chance to show what they could do. I think OSU answered that question. CO is so awful that I do not think that is going to be a good test. Utah did not look that good either,… Read more »
I don’t really care about USC’s record in 2021. The teams I’d really like to beat will have to have very bad days to lose to us.
It’s all about USC now for me. What Bohn decides and effectuates is the whole ball of wax. Many think he’s not up to it. Come December, we’ll know. I’m in the minority and think he is. Yippeee!
Perhaps with a new head coach it will change the way players look at USC and the people Donte recruits will be better to begin with. Somehow he got Flow to go to Oregon, and then he got Foreman to come to USC. His expertise at recruiting is phenomenal and should not be overlooked. Would the presence of say Fickell, Ruhle, or some other top line HC make that much difference? I say yes it would and we are all pulling for it, so why not put Donte to the task of dealing with the top recruits and see what… Read more »
So far Foreman hasn’t done diddly squat. He may be really good in the future, but he certainly didn’t come in ready to play, like some frosh do. Whoever comes in will bring in all his new guys. If he keeps Donte, great. If he feels he can do better, great. That’s where I am now. So much needs to be changed. If Donte thinks he can do better, he’s not who we want anyway, going forward. ORE has been much better than USC for quite a while now, so I’m not surprised Donte could take potential USC targets to… Read more »
The picks are squarely on the shoulders of Graham Harrell. The fact that Oregon State, Oregon State(for god’s sake) was able to cover all the open receivers and still harass the quarterback is proof that his offense is too predictable. Any quarterback would have had problems in the scheme Harrell is running. When Slovis first showed up he was running on pure adrenaline. Now he’s running on orders from Harrell and the other teams have figured him out. Dart had success because he was unpredictable. Instead of following orders, he was following instinct because Helton and Harrell hadn’t coached him… Read more »
I can see it now, Harrell telling the defense to run to open grass.
I like that phrase, “coach them down.” Expresses what has happened during the Helton years. The player talent he has brought in has stagnated and regressed during their time as SC football players. Sad.
Slovis to me appears afraid of the rush, not sure about himself and his ability. He has it, but for some reason he lacks self confidence. If anyone needs to have swagger, it is him. I wonder how PT against a good team would do the same thing to Dart with this O line unable to protect him. On another note, I do not think I saw USC run straight ahead even once during the OSU game, everything went off tackle. Vavae is fun to watch catch a pass and you see the determination in him as he turns upfield.… Read more »
The real question in my mind is can USC’s Defense stop anybody other than themselves?
Orlando needs to switch things up, his defense has been exposed and is easily predictable. Not sure if he can change anything.
On June 25, we published this statement on the TDB about USC recruiting:
“There’s a palpable buzz about USC again,” says Brandon Huffman, the national recruiting editor at 247Sports.com. “They flipped the narrative completely.”
How times have changed.
It was “All hat, no cattle.” Donte now needs to worry about his reputation becoming the same. His statement that he will fix this was, I think, not reassuring. I do not see how this team is going to improve. His only hope is that he is playing weak to awful teams in CO, AZ, Utah and Cal. His problem is he is playing a good to elite teams in ND, UCLA, BYU and ASU. I think both ND and UCLA rout this team.
It’s humbling (our rivals would say laughable) to be thought of as a “weak to awful” team like CU, ARIZ, UTAH and CAL. I figure USC goes 2-2 amongst this group and fits right in. People can talk all they want about how anything can happen in a “rivalry game” like ND, UCLA, and to a lesser extent, CAL. It will be interesting to see how that plays out in the remainder of 2021, as it already has against STAN (thank you Cardinal!). USC even gets ARIZ in the Coliseum, but playing at home seems to do nothing but embarrass… Read more »
I’m just not feeling it with Slovis any more. He can’t get out of his own head.
Maybe he’s not much of a leader. I don’t really know. Just a thought, because something’s not working with Slovis at QB anymore.
The team certainly responded to Dart and they don’t seem to with Slovis. Maybe they are seeing the same things we are.
I agree. There’s something mental going on making him tentative and indecisive. He played as a Freshman as if there was nothing to lose. Now he’s playing like there’s everything to lose.
Guys, he is a 20 year old kid who has an awful OC and until two weeks ago, even a worse HC.
I get that he’s a 20 year old kid but if he continues to hold the ball way longer than he should his injury potential goes exponentially up
Poor Slovis plays now like he’s a true freshman getting his first starts. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. He’s obviously gained little, if anything, from his coaching. Maybe USC’s coaches are literally that bad. So we should start playing Dart as much as possible, before he is ruined!
Crazy times at USC football. Hopefully, USC’s transition to a new HFC won’t follow the horrifyingly inept example set by the U.S. in its tragic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The grilling the generals have been taking has been very interesting to witness. Larry, Moe and Curly Joe come to mind.
Just a bunch of politicians protecting their own ass unfortunately brave soldiers lost their lives because of it