After firing Alex Grinch, Lincoln Riley promises USC will have a defensive revival
Thuc Nhi Nguyen (LA Times) — Alex Grinch was one of the first people on Lincoln Riley’s private plane to Los Angeles. They had visions of building a college football powerhouse together. Less than two years later, the embattled defensive coordinator is out.
After weeks of unwavering support for Grinch, Riley reversed course by firing the coordinator Sunday, less than 24 hours after USC’s 52-42 loss to Washington at the Coliseum. The decision with two regular-season games remaining came as Riley held onto hope that the Trojans (7-3, 5-2 Pac-12) can salvage their season and redirect the future of a program that feels like it’s just a serviceable defense away from a College Football Playoff breakthrough.
“I have complete belief and conviction we will play great defense here,” Riley said Monday. “It is going to happen. There’s not a reason in the world why it can’t. We’ll continue to take the steps we have to do to do it and we’re going to be very aggressive that way.”
Reviewing the tape of the loss — USC’s second consecutive home loss and third in the last four weeks — on Saturday night, Riley started considering the decision to fire his close friend who was one of his first hires when he left Oklahoma. Washington’s 572 yards were the most allowed by USC since 609 against UCLA in 2021. Washington running back Dillon Johnson, whose previous rushing career high was 100 yards, rushed for 265. The Trojans had given up more than 34 points for a sixth consecutive game.
It was a sleepless night, Riley said. He considered it more Sunday morning.
“It was my decision. The bottom line is it didn’t get to where he, I, any of our players, any of us expected,” Riley said, “and we all take ownership in that. I certainly am not, and our players, the rest of our staff, are certainly not laying all the blame at Alex. Because the reality is, I have a role in that, the other defensive assistants have a role in that, our players have a role in that, our other staff members.”
But Grinch’s schemes, and efforts to galvanize a sinking unit, had unquestionably fallen unsuccessful. And for weeks, according to sources with knowledge of the situation, major USC donors had been upset with the defense’s performance; an unenviable position given the donors’ importance in funding NIL-related recruiting efforts.
“There was no way,” one source said, “that Grinch was going to survive this season.”
Riley fired Grinch with games against No. 6 Oregon and rival UCLA remaining and the early-signing period creeping up on Dec. 20. The looming deadline will lurk in Riley’s mind as he begins a search for Grinch’s replacement, but it will not rush the decision.
“Nothing will trump getting the right person in here,” Riley said, “because we’re gonna play great defense here. Like, period. It’s gonna happen. It’s gonna happen soon. I am that committed, and we’re all that committed, to playing great defense here. And whatever it takes to get that done, that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Riley said he has thought about factors he’ll consider in the hiring process but didn’t divulge specifics. He plans to spend “99%” of his time during the next two weeks coaching the team through the remaining games. Part of the decision to make the change at this point of the season was because “we still have a lot to play for,” Riley said.
The Trojans could still have a path to the Pac-12 championship game if they win both of their remaining games and get help from other teams with two conference losses such as Oregon State, Utah and Arizona.
Defensive line coach Shaun Nua and linebackers coach Brian Odom were elevated to co-defensive coordinator roles while defensive analyst Taylor Mays will work as an assistant coach for the safeties. The coaches have a plan for how to split up play-calling duties, although Riley did not divulge specifics.
The late-season adjustments could feel like too little, too late for a defense that has been spiraling for weeks. The Trojans are allowing 34.5 points per game, on pace to be the school’s worst scoring defense since at least 1955, when records are first available. The current mark for futility is 31.8 points allowed in 2021, the final year of the Clay Helton era.
Since taking over for Helton, Riley has rebuilt USC’s image and playoff hopes with the same high-scoring offense he used to make his mark at Oklahoma, but familiar defensive disappointments also traveled from Norman.
Despite helping the Sooners to two playoff appearances in three years with Riley at Oklahoma, Grinch’s defenses never ranked better than 29th nationally in total or scoring defense.
Getting his first coordinator position under Riley’s coaching mentor Mike Leach at Washington State, Grinch’s best defenses were built on stopping the run, creating chaos in the backfield and forcing turnovers. The Trojans missed almost every mark this season.
USC’s 4.84 yards allowed per carry is the worst in the Pac-12.
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Nua had a great answer today. Paraphrasing here “even if we only have one call, if they are physical, fast, and know where they are supposed to be, that’s what we will do”.
there is no magic pill for this defense, we are still going to give up yards and points, but we can at least get guys on same page. If we get beat because they out physical, our athlete, or outscheme us…fine. We are all sick of us beating ourselves and looking lost every game.
Juju is crazy good. She was by far the best player on the floor The best players I’ve ever coached or played against have always played at their own pace but still seemed a step faster than everyone else, she has that in spades. Fun to watch.
Fun game to watch, Collier is ubelievably good. There is a lot of talent on the men’s team and Boogie is back for his 5th year to lead them.
It has taken some time but Enfield has built a program that is respected by the coaching ranks and the media.
If Alex Grinch was successful in helping LR get Oklahoma in the playoffs twice in 3-years, then the players recruited in here and those who stayed in the program when LR took over either couldn’t understand the defense and/or were not coached sufficiently to tackle. And partly the coaching staff was subpar (starting with the DBs & Safeties). And that is the coaching staff fault. LR can say what he wants in telling the press what he thinks they want to hear..But he has to change his priorities in recruiting the defensive side 50/50 if not 60/40 on defense. There… Read more »
LR has had to have a meeting with Cohen and Donors(Collectives). They have given their opinion on the next DC qualities, what it will take to get 5* high school players and even thoughts on ST coach and S/C coach.
I will know LR/USC is growing when a solid D/C hire happens and some studs sign on December 20th. A ST and a SC coach will be gravy.
From the LR comments, it was his choice. I do believe what you stated and that Cohen stepped up. Not bad considering she is new and LR is a bit of a legend!
I believe Grinch only had one decent year in three at Okla. And that was more attributed to the defensive players Stoops had recruited. That aside, the Okla. offense generally rolled over opponents.
It seems that might be the one problem that Riley has as HC.
He doesn’t look at the overall picture. But that is hard and few coaches can do that. He has to change to a ball possession offense to take time of the clock or to rest the defense.
The offensive plan and defensive plan must work together.
If they go in opposite directions it is trouble.
Right now, we look like Nebraska to the rest of the nation. We keep making moves that we swear are going to bring back the glory, but we may be a long way from it actually happening to the level we talk about (CFP, national championships). Look, it is REALLY hard no matter who you are to get to that level. You have to do everything right, you have to give everything you have and get everyone’s best, you have to have everyone respond to success the right way, you have to get lucky (sometimes very lucky), and you have… Read more »
Rock. LR is NOT Coach Pete. We all hoped he was. He clearly is not. I totally agree that SC needs a dedicated special teams coach. But, I doubt we get one. I think realistically we are all going to have to back off and allow this to play out over the next few years. LR is going nowhere; SC is stuck with him, just like A&M is stuck with Jimbo. We just have to hope he has the humility to seek counsel as to his weaknesses and then will address them ruthlessly. But, that is asking a lot of… Read more »
PC was a defense coach as is Dan Lanning at Oregon, who has his program playing balanced football and will be prepared to play next year in the Big 10. We all knew this concept of out scoring the opponent to get into the playoffs would not work because it never has.
Agreed that you need some sort of defense, but QB play wins championships these days. Lincoln has that part down. Hopefully he can get the DC hire correct.
Obviously, Pete could handle a lot of things LR is having great difficulty with, such as winning football games in year two at USC, when Pete went 11-2 and completely destroyed IOWA in the Orange Bowl. LR will be doing well at this stage to get USC into a crap bowl game, even though we have one of our greatest QBs of all time. Pete’s a HOF coach with two NCs and a Super Bowl win to his credit. With all due respect, Pete was on a completely different level from LR in college. Without huge changes he still needs… Read more »
LR will never be Pete, who is a top 5 coach all time. But I still believe he can win a NC. He’s been close with poor defenses, if he gets that even close to right, look out.
LR’s an interesting case. He doesn’t even coach a top-25 USC team anymore, and his game mismanagement was viewed as one of the primary major reasons USC lost to TUL in the Cotton Bowl. OU fans all tried to tell us his teams always stunk on D and now we all know what they were talking about. Except I didn’t know he was quite this bad. He’s finding the Pac-12 a much more difficult challenge. I’m no longer sold on LR as you are Chris, and I think he’s got more problems than just a bad D on his hands.… Read more »
In no world is Caleb playing in a crap bowl game with the draft coming up. Honestly, if we get smoked by Oregon, I think it is possible — probably likely — that will be Caleb’s last game at USC and it will be the Miller Moss show against UCLA.
I don’t see Caleb passing up the UCLA game under any circumstances. That would be an incredibly bad look on his part IMHO, and I just don’t see it. He’s way too much of a competitor and a Trojan for that move. It’ll be his last game in the Coliseum, a massively packed house for sure. Also, he played so poorly against ND. The UCLA game will be his last shot at taking down our other biggest rival. This is a guy who cries in the stands in his mom’s arms after a tough home loss. You don’t find that… Read more »
You could tell too … his special teams were anything but special.
Like Branch, Reggie returned a few punts for TDs but on talent alone. And KO returns were a green light to get him killed just like for Branch.
Pete’s KO team in 2002 looked like Grinch defending a toss sweep. Just awful.
Pete Carroll was 50 when he inherited a well stocked team in 2001. He had already been HC of the Jets and Patriots. Lets see LR in 10 years. Hoping all those 10 years will be at USC.
USC sets a new negative record against UW, and heads to #6 ORE with possibly the worst defense it has ever fielded… USC (7-3; 5-2; unranked in either CFB poll for the first time since 2021) goes into Saturday’s game on the road in Eugene (7:30 PT, Fox) against one-loss ORE – and rated 118th in the FBS in run defense and 119th in total defense. The Trojans have given up 40 or more points in five of their past six games — and allowed the Huskies to score more points than ever before in the 86-game history of the… Read more »
The Huskies RB becomes the 10th player this season to have a career day against the Trojans. Who will it be this Saturday? Nix, Irving, or a little known WR who hasn’t done much all season.
Oregon 49 Caleb a late 24 maybe worse if get we start like at ND … let’s just get this one over with
See if we can send Caleb out a winner in his last game at the Coli
by upsetting UCLA
I think USC will keep it within 10 – 14 points. But I also thought USC would beat UW in the Coliseum.
I also think Caleb will have another good game as he winds down his amazing USC career. He outplayed Penix (IMO) and I think he’s gonna outplay Nix as well, even though the Duck O-line is way better than ours.
Should be another typical USC game filled with big plays and huge gashes against our ghost-like D as always.
Allen, You know I rarely makes calls. I will this week. SC stands zero chance against the Ducks. Maybe I will jinx the Ducks, but I see no way that SC wins this game. It reminds of the time JRob2 went to Seattle to play UW, and UW was a 28 point favorite and covered. I still remember Steve Bisheff’s article on that game the Friday before it (Steve asked if the talent at SC was that bad or if it was coaching – Steve opted for the coaching) AND I also remember the look on the UW coach as… Read more »
If LR takes the Trojans into Eugene and he gets blown out again (as you predict) like he did in South Bend, it’ll be interesting to see how Trojan fans react to LR and an ugly-looking 4-loss SC team heading into a must-win game in the Coliseum vs UCLA, that team across town with the very solid defense. LR keeps digging a bigger and bigger hole for himself this season. With Grinch finally gone, LR will take even more heat than he’s been getting should SC continue losing. Is LR even viewed as an “elite” coach any longer? I would… Read more »
I believe you are thinking 1997 when Robo 2 was shutout, 27-0, in a game that was that close. It was his final year. Strangely, his 1997 blah team stopped a 7 game loss streak at ND that year with a last second FG. Can you can name that qb …. if you remember John Fox wow.
Caleb may be emotionally spent for this one. If he can get fired up for this one and play like he did last Saturday I will be quite impressed with his mental toughness.
It is possible the defense becomes unchained and can make plays. They run the risk of simplifying too much and the Duck offense picks them apart. My head says it looks like a South Bend type of game, my heart always hopes for a win. Gotta go with the head over the heart on this one.
GT, I doubt you can change it that much in one week. OR is playing for a spot in the NC game. We are playing for nothing but pride. And, our D is a mess as are our special teams. And, OR has at least as good a talent as SC does, if not better. This is the best OL SC will face this year. And its D is on a par with ND and Utah. Our O could not score more than 30 against either of those Ds. I like the call of 49-24 or maybe 56-24. Hopefully, I… Read more »
After seeing Mason Cobb say he didn’t bother watching the Washington film (and no one made him do it, much less walked through the errors with the players), it is clear the defense has mentally gone off to the offseason.
I didn’t really understand Mason Cobb’s approach there either. Was he pouting, upset, uber-frustrated, or going through something else? “I didn’t watch film,” Cobb said, according to a tweet from USCFootball.com’s Ahmad Akkaoui. “Moved on from that game.” Cobb’s a captain, even though a transfer, who self-proclaimed himself publicly as so involved in every game that he always rushed home to watch his performance over and over. Suddenly, he’s just not into seeing how he can improve with the most threatening game of the year coming up. I mentioned not long ago here that I wasn’t convinced there weren’t some things wrong… Read more »
Yeah, Allen, it is just a terrible look to say that you didn’t watch film after the D’s worst game of the year. Honestly, it just plays into the overall culture of softness that we are learning was never truly addressed by LR’s arrival. Cobb’s not tough enough to confront the D’s worst day and learn from it? What does “moving on” mean – are we talking about hot cocoa and a couple hours with a Snuggy in the “empathy tent?!” What kind of leadership is that? The younger players will just say, “I don’t have to face my failures… Read more »
Rock, Had the same thought when I saw that approach. My take is Grinch was even worse that we thought, which makes LR look really bad. Sounds like a D with no accountability. And no learning from mistakes. And, no mental discipline. Reviewing your mistakes and then discussing how to correct them is a very difficult and draining process. It requires both mental toughness combined with humility. Clearly Grinch did not demand either trait. Combine that with Grinch playing favorites (which he clearly did, and you get the worst D in SC history. LR must have not bothered to manage… Read more »
I’m just so disappointed in Mason Cobb’s arrogance, ignorance, and failure to grasp his basic responsibilities as a captain of Trojan football.
And apparently, LR is good with this BS. Players just decide to do what they want. Then they brag to the press about it. The reporters were obviously just dumbfounded.
No wonder we’ve stunk on defense so badly. Lots of reasons.
Bucky will get 150 plus before they put him on ice … and then show off Nix. The D will be excited and play with some emotion early. But like John McKay liked to say ‘my wife is emotional but can’t play football for shit’. Too many horrible habits on this D, by mid 2nd quarter it will be unwatchable,again. CW played his ass off vs Udub. But will not have that edge here and will not run the ball the rest of the season. This makes the O rather blah. So no shootout. Just the hope it’s not a… Read more »
“Grinch’s defense never ranked better than 29th nationally in total or scoring defense.” That about says a lot about the first firing of this new era coaching staff at USC. The guy came in with a hole in his boat and hammered at it until it sank. I have often said “Mario Williams has no football smarts,” and I think that statement fits Grinch’s defense scheme too. Mario tried to field a free kick on its way out of bounds and muffed the catch. Had he left it alone the result of the kick would been thirty yards up field,… Read more »
I heard a great take on the radio. His single gap scheme invites zone runs, which is what almost everyone does. Grinch slants and everyone attacks one gap, the zone blocking team obliges and keeps pushing them in that direction they are already headed and the running back just cuts it up behind them after they run by. He also said anytime they slant the opposite direction it is a total disaster, we are running one way as a unit and the play is headed the other. He said straight out that there is nothing easier to run zone blocking… Read more »
Thanks a ton Chris. I was wondering what the defense was doing when it seemed everyone was diving into the same gap. So it wasn’t a player hitting the wrong gap, it was by design! Ugh. Why would you design your defense to work well against your offense? A defense has to work against all kinds of offenses, right? I have discovered there is so much about football that I don’t know what I don’t know!
the lack of gang tackling is amazing … and it looks like the undersized secondary likes to hide behind the blockers, purposely overrun the ball carrier so not to hit and have no ball skills whatsoever
Zion Branch lone exception
Maybe this week they will play “stay home” defense. Everyone plays where they are lined up and go nowhere except to the ball. It could stop the outside runs if the ends stayed home. How unique. Why didn’t the expert Grinch figure it out.
Lincoln Riley has stuck his neck out really far this time. With a statement about being comitted to a great defense at USC he pretty much has put all his cred on the line. I have nothing to lose but a broken heart so I am going to trust the coach to do what he says he will do. If it is all talk then there will be a change at HC by Cohen I am sure. If not then USC will become another ucla also ran.
Riley promising great Defense sounds like Helton promising discipline. It didn’t happen under Helton and I am very skeptical about Riley promising great Defense unless he can hit a home run and bring in a great DC. The fact of the matter is, Riley’s teams have never played good Defense. It’s just not his forte. I’m sure we will have to wait until next season to see what happens. I’m still hoping SC can upset Oregon and beat UCLA in the Coliseum. That would salvage a disappointing season. Fight On!
Don’t forget that LR also said “SC was just a spark away,” SC just just a few plays away,” and “the players were hearing others set the expectations,”…..
LR always has focused on the O and never has had a “great defense.”
Just more talk similar to Helton addressing discipline…. Sad, but true!
LR said he fixed the culture. Bullshit.
Nua had a great answer today. Paraphrasing here “even if we only have one call, if they are physical, fast, and know where they are supposed to be, that’s what we will do”.
there is no magic pill for this defense, we are still going to give up yards and points, but we can at least get guys on same page. If we get beat because they out physical, our athlete, or outscheme us…fine. We are all sick of us beating ourselves and looking lost every game.
Juju is crazy good. She was by far the best player on the floor The best players I’ve ever coached or played against have always played at their own pace but still seemed a step faster than everyone else, she has that in spades. Fun to watch.
I watched her game highlights. Stunning talent. Just unreal. Lisa Leslie and Cheryl Miller stuff, 2023 style.
Fun game to watch, Collier is ubelievably good. There is a lot of talent on the men’s team and Boogie is back for his 5th year to lead them.
It has taken some time but Enfield has built a program that is respected by the coaching ranks and the media.
Can anyone tell me who Florida State has played that is a good team?
Only notable win was LSU, who is a marginally good team.
That’s a great question!
If Alex Grinch was successful in helping LR get Oklahoma in the playoffs twice in 3-years, then the players recruited in here and those who stayed in the program when LR took over either couldn’t understand the defense and/or were not coached sufficiently to tackle. And partly the coaching staff was subpar (starting with the DBs & Safeties). And that is the coaching staff fault. LR can say what he wants in telling the press what he thinks they want to hear..But he has to change his priorities in recruiting the defensive side 50/50 if not 60/40 on defense. There… Read more »
LR has had to have a meeting with Cohen and Donors(Collectives). They have given their opinion on the next DC qualities, what it will take to get 5* high school players and even thoughts on ST coach and S/C coach.
I will know LR/USC is growing when a solid D/C hire happens and some studs sign on December 20th. A ST and a SC coach will be gravy.
I am trusting you are right Golden Trojan!
From the LR comments, it was his choice. I do believe what you stated and that Cohen stepped up. Not bad considering she is new and LR is a bit of a legend!
I believe Grinch only had one decent year in three at Okla. And that was more attributed to the defensive players Stoops had recruited. That aside, the Okla. offense generally rolled over opponents.
It seems that might be the one problem that Riley has as HC.
He doesn’t look at the overall picture. But that is hard and few coaches can do that. He has to change to a ball possession offense to take time of the clock or to rest the defense.
The offensive plan and defensive plan must work together.
If they go in opposite directions it is trouble.
Right now, we look like Nebraska to the rest of the nation. We keep making moves that we swear are going to bring back the glory, but we may be a long way from it actually happening to the level we talk about (CFP, national championships). Look, it is REALLY hard no matter who you are to get to that level. You have to do everything right, you have to give everything you have and get everyone’s best, you have to have everyone respond to success the right way, you have to get lucky (sometimes very lucky), and you have… Read more »
Rock. LR is NOT Coach Pete. We all hoped he was. He clearly is not. I totally agree that SC needs a dedicated special teams coach. But, I doubt we get one. I think realistically we are all going to have to back off and allow this to play out over the next few years. LR is going nowhere; SC is stuck with him, just like A&M is stuck with Jimbo. We just have to hope he has the humility to seek counsel as to his weaknesses and then will address them ruthlessly. But, that is asking a lot of… Read more »
Funny that Pete didn’t have a ST Coordinator either. He used grad assistants.
PC was a defense coach as is Dan Lanning at Oregon, who has his program playing balanced football and will be prepared to play next year in the Big 10. We all knew this concept of out scoring the opponent to get into the playoffs would not work because it never has.
Agreed that you need some sort of defense, but QB play wins championships these days. Lincoln has that part down. Hopefully he can get the DC hire correct.
Obviously, Pete could handle a lot of things LR is having great difficulty with, such as winning football games in year two at USC, when Pete went 11-2 and completely destroyed IOWA in the Orange Bowl. LR will be doing well at this stage to get USC into a crap bowl game, even though we have one of our greatest QBs of all time. Pete’s a HOF coach with two NCs and a Super Bowl win to his credit. With all due respect, Pete was on a completely different level from LR in college. Without huge changes he still needs… Read more »
LR will never be Pete, who is a top 5 coach all time. But I still believe he can win a NC. He’s been close with poor defenses, if he gets that even close to right, look out.
LR’s an interesting case. He doesn’t even coach a top-25 USC team anymore, and his game mismanagement was viewed as one of the primary major reasons USC lost to TUL in the Cotton Bowl. OU fans all tried to tell us his teams always stunk on D and now we all know what they were talking about. Except I didn’t know he was quite this bad. He’s finding the Pac-12 a much more difficult challenge. I’m no longer sold on LR as you are Chris, and I think he’s got more problems than just a bad D on his hands.… Read more »
In no world is Caleb playing in a crap bowl game with the draft coming up. Honestly, if we get smoked by Oregon, I think it is possible — probably likely — that will be Caleb’s last game at USC and it will be the Miller Moss show against UCLA.
I don’t see Caleb passing up the UCLA game under any circumstances. That would be an incredibly bad look on his part IMHO, and I just don’t see it. He’s way too much of a competitor and a Trojan for that move. It’ll be his last game in the Coliseum, a massively packed house for sure. Also, he played so poorly against ND. The UCLA game will be his last shot at taking down our other biggest rival. This is a guy who cries in the stands in his mom’s arms after a tough home loss. You don’t find that… Read more »
You could tell too … his special teams were anything but special.
Like Branch, Reggie returned a few punts for TDs but on talent alone. And KO returns were a green light to get him killed just like for Branch.
Pete’s KO team in 2002 looked like Grinch defending a toss sweep. Just awful.
Pete Carroll was 50 when he inherited a well stocked team in 2001. He had already been HC of the Jets and Patriots. Lets see LR in 10 years. Hoping all those 10 years will be at USC.
USC sets a new negative record against UW, and heads to #6 ORE with possibly the worst defense it has ever fielded… USC (7-3; 5-2; unranked in either CFB poll for the first time since 2021) goes into Saturday’s game on the road in Eugene (7:30 PT, Fox) against one-loss ORE – and rated 118th in the FBS in run defense and 119th in total defense. The Trojans have given up 40 or more points in five of their past six games — and allowed the Huskies to score more points than ever before in the 86-game history of the… Read more »
The Huskies RB becomes the 10th player this season to have a career day against the Trojans. Who will it be this Saturday? Nix, Irving, or a little known WR who hasn’t done much all season.
Are you willing to actually predict a USC victory?
A couple of other TDBers apparently are. How about you GT? Any stomach for massive underdog USC this weekend?
Oregon 49 Caleb a late 24 maybe worse if get we start like at ND … let’s just get this one over with
See if we can send Caleb out a winner in his last game at the Coli
by upsetting UCLA
I think USC will keep it within 10 – 14 points. But I also thought USC would beat UW in the Coliseum.
I also think Caleb will have another good game as he winds down his amazing USC career. He outplayed Penix (IMO) and I think he’s gonna outplay Nix as well, even though the Duck O-line is way better than ours.
Should be another typical USC game filled with big plays and huge gashes against our ghost-like D as always.
Allen, You know I rarely makes calls. I will this week. SC stands zero chance against the Ducks. Maybe I will jinx the Ducks, but I see no way that SC wins this game. It reminds of the time JRob2 went to Seattle to play UW, and UW was a 28 point favorite and covered. I still remember Steve Bisheff’s article on that game the Friday before it (Steve asked if the talent at SC was that bad or if it was coaching – Steve opted for the coaching) AND I also remember the look on the UW coach as… Read more »
If LR takes the Trojans into Eugene and he gets blown out again (as you predict) like he did in South Bend, it’ll be interesting to see how Trojan fans react to LR and an ugly-looking 4-loss SC team heading into a must-win game in the Coliseum vs UCLA, that team across town with the very solid defense. LR keeps digging a bigger and bigger hole for himself this season. With Grinch finally gone, LR will take even more heat than he’s been getting should SC continue losing. Is LR even viewed as an “elite” coach any longer? I would… Read more »
I believe you are thinking 1997 when Robo 2 was shutout, 27-0, in a game that was that close. It was his final year. Strangely, his 1997 blah team stopped a 7 game loss streak at ND that year with a last second FG. Can you can name that qb …. if you remember John Fox wow.
not that close
Caleb may be emotionally spent for this one. If he can get fired up for this one and play like he did last Saturday I will be quite impressed with his mental toughness.
USC1988, great minds think alike. See above. LOL!
It is possible the defense becomes unchained and can make plays. They run the risk of simplifying too much and the Duck offense picks them apart. My head says it looks like a South Bend type of game, my heart always hopes for a win. Gotta go with the head over the heart on this one.
GT, I doubt you can change it that much in one week. OR is playing for a spot in the NC game. We are playing for nothing but pride. And, our D is a mess as are our special teams. And, OR has at least as good a talent as SC does, if not better. This is the best OL SC will face this year. And its D is on a par with ND and Utah. Our O could not score more than 30 against either of those Ds. I like the call of 49-24 or maybe 56-24. Hopefully, I… Read more »
You and I are on the same page on this one.👍
After seeing Mason Cobb say he didn’t bother watching the Washington film (and no one made him do it, much less walked through the errors with the players), it is clear the defense has mentally gone off to the offseason.
Oregon 56, USC 31. Sorry.
I didn’t really understand Mason Cobb’s approach there either. Was he pouting, upset, uber-frustrated, or going through something else? “I didn’t watch film,” Cobb said, according to a tweet from USCFootball.com’s Ahmad Akkaoui. “Moved on from that game.” Cobb’s a captain, even though a transfer, who self-proclaimed himself publicly as so involved in every game that he always rushed home to watch his performance over and over. Suddenly, he’s just not into seeing how he can improve with the most threatening game of the year coming up. I mentioned not long ago here that I wasn’t convinced there weren’t some things wrong… Read more »
Yeah, Allen, it is just a terrible look to say that you didn’t watch film after the D’s worst game of the year. Honestly, it just plays into the overall culture of softness that we are learning was never truly addressed by LR’s arrival. Cobb’s not tough enough to confront the D’s worst day and learn from it? What does “moving on” mean – are we talking about hot cocoa and a couple hours with a Snuggy in the “empathy tent?!” What kind of leadership is that? The younger players will just say, “I don’t have to face my failures… Read more »
Rock, Had the same thought when I saw that approach. My take is Grinch was even worse that we thought, which makes LR look really bad. Sounds like a D with no accountability. And no learning from mistakes. And, no mental discipline. Reviewing your mistakes and then discussing how to correct them is a very difficult and draining process. It requires both mental toughness combined with humility. Clearly Grinch did not demand either trait. Combine that with Grinch playing favorites (which he clearly did, and you get the worst D in SC history. LR must have not bothered to manage… Read more »
Interesting Johnny Football tie-in. Ugh.
I’m just so disappointed in Mason Cobb’s arrogance, ignorance, and failure to grasp his basic responsibilities as a captain of Trojan football.
And apparently, LR is good with this BS. Players just decide to do what they want. Then they brag to the press about it. The reporters were obviously just dumbfounded.
No wonder we’ve stunk on defense so badly. Lots of reasons.
Bucky will get 150 plus before they put him on ice … and then show off Nix. The D will be excited and play with some emotion early. But like John McKay liked to say ‘my wife is emotional but can’t play football for shit’. Too many horrible habits on this D, by mid 2nd quarter it will be unwatchable,again. CW played his ass off vs Udub. But will not have that edge here and will not run the ball the rest of the season. This makes the O rather blah. So no shootout. Just the hope it’s not a… Read more »
I believe Lincoln Riley is committed to getting SC to the CFP and win a championship and this moves shows that commitment.
The hire for the next DC is something he has to get right. So he needs to find the best person out there.
I’m hopeful we can beat Oregon and UCLA whereas before I had little hope.
Fight On!
“Grinch’s defense never ranked better than 29th nationally in total or scoring defense.” That about says a lot about the first firing of this new era coaching staff at USC. The guy came in with a hole in his boat and hammered at it until it sank. I have often said “Mario Williams has no football smarts,” and I think that statement fits Grinch’s defense scheme too. Mario tried to field a free kick on its way out of bounds and muffed the catch. Had he left it alone the result of the kick would been thirty yards up field,… Read more »
I heard a great take on the radio. His single gap scheme invites zone runs, which is what almost everyone does. Grinch slants and everyone attacks one gap, the zone blocking team obliges and keeps pushing them in that direction they are already headed and the running back just cuts it up behind them after they run by. He also said anytime they slant the opposite direction it is a total disaster, we are running one way as a unit and the play is headed the other. He said straight out that there is nothing easier to run zone blocking… Read more »
Thanks a ton Chris. I was wondering what the defense was doing when it seemed everyone was diving into the same gap. So it wasn’t a player hitting the wrong gap, it was by design! Ugh. Why would you design your defense to work well against your offense? A defense has to work against all kinds of offenses, right? I have discovered there is so much about football that I don’t know what I don’t know!
Me too. I am always asking, or really just yelling, “where are you going?” When watching our defense.
the lack of gang tackling is amazing … and it looks like the undersized secondary likes to hide behind the blockers, purposely overrun the ball carrier so not to hit and have no ball skills whatsoever
Zion Branch lone exception
and Zion is injured for the rest of the season….
Maybe this week they will play “stay home” defense. Everyone plays where they are lined up and go nowhere except to the ball. It could stop the outside runs if the ends stayed home. How unique. Why didn’t the expert Grinch figure it out.
Lincoln Riley has stuck his neck out really far this time. With a statement about being comitted to a great defense at USC he pretty much has put all his cred on the line. I have nothing to lose but a broken heart so I am going to trust the coach to do what he says he will do. If it is all talk then there will be a change at HC by Cohen I am sure. If not then USC will become another ucla also ran.
Riley promising great Defense sounds like Helton promising discipline. It didn’t happen under Helton and I am very skeptical about Riley promising great Defense unless he can hit a home run and bring in a great DC. The fact of the matter is, Riley’s teams have never played good Defense. It’s just not his forte. I’m sure we will have to wait until next season to see what happens. I’m still hoping SC can upset Oregon and beat UCLA in the Coliseum. That would salvage a disappointing season. Fight On!
Don’t forget that LR also said “SC was just a spark away,” SC just just a few plays away,” and “the players were hearing others set the expectations,”…..
LR always has focused on the O and never has had a “great defense.”
Just more talk similar to Helton addressing discipline…. Sad, but true!