USC RB Quinten Joynerโs progress key to a balanced offense
The pass-heavy Trojans need more ‘when the ball is not in his hands,’ Riley says of the explosive redshirt freshman
Luca Evans (OC Register)ย —ย LOS ANGELES โ They put him through a crash course in the fall, and Quinten Joyner quickly figured out he needed to write things down.
He put himself on the map in just the second game of his collegiate career last season, a 216-pound power back who seems to rip through every open hole in his field of vision. Afforded a few handoffs in a blowout victory, Joyner careened for a 47-yard touchdown. โHome-run speed,โ as ex-USC receiver Mario Williams called it then. That was never the issue.
Joyner was entrusted with just one pass-blocking rep in 15 snaps. Therein lied the issue.
Slightly less than a year later, Joyner sat with new running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr. and the rest of USCโs backs in a meeting room before his redshirt freshman season. There, they dissected every single rep he had in that Nevada game, and in another, as Mississippi State transfer Woody Marks recalled. They chopped up tape of his runs. Of his pass plays. Of his protection. Told him where his hands should be, and what to do, and what not to do.
โJust take the inside away,โ Joyner said, then in the fall, asked what heโd taken in terms of blocking tips from such sessions. โJust find a way to win.โ
He is an ace in head coach Lincoln Rileyโs sleeve on Saturdays, a back who Riley said in the spring pops โone big play a dayโ popping plenty in 2024 โ averaging a stunning 9.1 yards a carry through seven games in 2024. And yet Riley has often left Joyner up his sleeve, the backโs sheer explosiveness not quite enough at times to mask those reps where he hasnโt been able to find a way to win. Heโs shone with the ball in his hands; again, thatโs never been the issue.
โHeโs got to continue to become a better player,โ Riley said Monday, โwhen the ball is not in his hands.โ
The Trojans may need Joyner, ultimately, a little deeper than even the stark black ink of his efficiency recommends. At times through a confounding 3-4 stretch, USCโs offense has fallen out of sync in ways rarely seen in Rileyโs coaching tenure, heavily reliant on early-down quick-hit looks through the air to establish momentum.
Entering Saturday against Rutgers, quarterback Miller Mossย ranks second in the entire FBS in pass attempts; USCโs passed on about 60% of its offensive plays this season, the highest distribution of any Riley-coached or -coordinated team since his first year as an offensive coordinator at East Carolina in 2010.
Riley shrugged it off when asked Thursday, pointing that USCโs offensive philosophy evolved week to week. But the full picture is a far cry from how Rileyโs offenses looked at Oklahoma, built off a steady and creative ground game in which that pass distribution, traditionally, hovered more around 40%. And the constant heartbeat there, powering one of the most dynamic attacks in the nation, was a heavy two-back system. First came Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon; then came Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks.
โI think, when Lincoln really blew it up โ when he implemented, when he really understood and got great at the run game,โ former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops told the Southern California News Group in the fall. โThe mix, and the flow, with all his great ideas throwing the football.โ
Moss has aired out 50-plus passes twice, though, in just seven games this season at USC. Caleb Williams threw 50-plus once in his time coached by Riley. Baker Mayfield never did. Same goes for Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.
โAt the end of the day, whether we hand it off 50 times or throw it 50 times, Iโve never gotten crazy caught up in that,โ Riley said Monday. โYou donโt know how each game is going to unfold.โ
โBut yeah, in a perfect world, do I want the quarterback throwing 50 times? Not necessarily. Although, like I said, if thatโs what weโve got to do, thatโs what weโve got to do.โ
The solution, potentially, lies layers deep, in Rileyโs evolving trust in Joyner. Senior Mississippi State transfer Woody Marksย came to USC, in large part, to prove he could be a workhorse; heโs been one of the better all-around backs in the country in 2024, and it was a โlittle toughโ to take Marks off the field, Riley admitted Monday. But USCโs head coach, too, hasnโt shown consistent faith in Joyner to spell him.
After Joyner ripped off a 75-yard touchdown against Penn State, he received exactly two more carries. Heโs been entrusted, in total, with eight pass-blocking snaps in 2024. When Joyner committed a costly fumble in USCโs loss to Minnesota, Riley yanked him.
โQuintenโs a good, young player,โ Riley said, the week after the Minnesota game. โWeโre never going to certainly toss a guy away after one mistake. But theyโve got to show progress and theyโve got to show that, โAll right, I made this mistake once, itโs not going to happen again.โโ
Earlier in the fall, Riley made clear his program wouldnโt be able to rely on one back every game. They still have, in large part, with Marks.
But his confidence in Joyner, Riley made clear Monday, is growing.
โHeโs obviously made some big plays for us,โ Riley said, โand weโre going to count on him to do so going forward.โ
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Means Riley needs to improve his pass / run play call ratio to allow this carry distribution. Since are run efficiency appears to be in the positive, it would be nice.
The following players were members of the 1962 USC football team. For some reason while watching the Rams game and seeing Trojan Justin Dedich playing OG, I got to thinking about how long I’ve loved USC football. The exact date is Jan. 1, 1963 at the Rose Bowl where USC scarily outlasted #2 WIS 42-37, seemingly just before nightfall with the lighting low. The team, colors, band, cool coach, and exciting and tough players just won me over. Who could resist the Trojans after that? Here’s a list of the guys who played on that national championship team. My favorite… Read more ยป
1973 Rose Bowl … Sam Bamโs 4 TD leaps, AD, Richard Wood, Lynn Swam.
That was the hook for me. Those players, the colors, the coach, the band.
Then 1974! what a season 55-24 and Haden to McKay then to Diggs for 2!
I remember watching the 1963 Rose Bowl with my dad and grandfather. I was only 8 and didn’t get much of what was going on, except that it was a close game and WIS almost caught SC in the end, practically in the dark. My first memory of a live game was when my family lived in Sacramento and my grandparents came up from Glendale and took us to a USC vs Stanford game in Palo Alto. Mike Garrett was the running back and would win the Heisman that year (1965). My grandfather passed away suddenly in 1967 and my… Read more ยป
What if the Vikings put Sam Darnold on the open market? Max Dible (heavy.com) — Michael Ginnitti, managing editor of the salary cap-centric website Spotrac, predicted that Sam Darnold could go for as high as $40 million annually during on the Oct 3 episode of the “The Spotrac Podcast.” “Four years, $160 million to the Las Vegas Raiders,” Ginnitti said. “It’s cap-adjusted Baker [Mayfield].” Mayfield signed a three-year deal worth $100 million last offseason to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Darnold can command that kind of money, it may not make sense for the Vikings to keep him. And because of that, Darnold’s performance… Read more ยป
I just got back this afternoon from a work trip to Morristown, NJ (about 20 miles west of Newark and Rutgers.) There were quite a few Rutgers fans in their fan gear on my flight to LAX. They were really nice guys, sympathic to others with teams in the doldrums. They are staying through early next week, many of them taking in multiple sporting events like the Rams, Lakers, Kings and maybe Dodgers. They remarked how great a sports scene we have out here. They didn’t have much hope for tomorrow’s game against USC, but they were looking forward to… Read more ยป
The Shortcomings of Lincoln Riley Ralph Russo (The Athletic) — “Oklahoma fans accused Lincoln Riley of fleeing to the West Coast to avoid the Sooners’ move to the SEC and celebrated the karma of USC almost immediately picking up and moving to the Big Ten. “As OU flails, Sooners fans have at least been able to take solace in Riley’s struggles seeming to validate what they viewed as his shortcomings: culture building, attention to detail, and a general inability to instill toughness. “USC certainly hasn’t looked Big Ten-ready. On the bright side for USC fans, their new conference provides a… Read more ยป
5-Star QB Julian Lewis to Visit Deion Sanders, Colorado Despite Committing to USC Julia Stumbaugh (Bleacher Report) — Julian Lewis, a 5-star quarterback prospect, is planning a visit to Colorado despite verbally committing to USC last year. Lewis plans to visit on Saturday as Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes take on visiting Cincinnati, his father Tyrone Lewis told ESPN’s Eli Lederman. Currently a high school senior in Carrollton, Georgia, Lewis is second only to five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood in ESPN’s Class of 2025 rankings. Lewis reclassified to the class of 2025 in January after verbally committing to USC last August. He is also being recruited… Read more ยป
Re-examining Coaching Hires Dear Andy Staples (on3.com): Where do Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley, Mario Cristobal and more stand in a 2022 new coach re-rank? —Currently Looking Great Dan Lanning, Oregon Brian Kelly, LSU Mario Cristobal, Miami Rhett Lashlee, SMU —Here For a Good Time, Not For a Long Time Kalen DeBoer, Washington Mike Elko, Duke Jon Sumrall, Troy —Ask again after Saturday Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame —Hanging In Sonny Dykes, TCU Tony Elliott, Virginia Brent Pry, Virginia Tech Joey McGuire, Texas Tech —Looking Bleak Lincoln Riley, USC: Riley’s Trojans have been better than, say, Billy Napier’s Florida teams, but USC hasn’t… Read more ยป
So SLR is making MM pass the ball, much more than his Heisman Trophy QBs, with a passing efficiency ranked 64th out of 110 FBS QBs. But a guy that would rank 3rd in the nation in YPC, but only has 33 carries, sits. Up is down and down is up. I guess genius is hard for our untrained eyes to understand.
Inserted a Big10 ref for last nights game. How do you miss a blatant facemask 4 feet in front of you?
Play the kid … Marks needs a break, play Jackson too
Means Riley needs to improve his pass / run play call ratio to allow this carry distribution. Since are run efficiency appears to be in the positive, it would be nice.
Give marks 20 carries , Joyner 15.
The following players were members of the 1962 USC football team. For some reason while watching the Rams game and seeing Trojan Justin Dedich playing OG, I got to thinking about how long I’ve loved USC football. The exact date is Jan. 1, 1963 at the Rose Bowl where USC scarily outlasted #2 WIS 42-37, seemingly just before nightfall with the lighting low. The team, colors, band, cool coach, and exciting and tough players just won me over. Who could resist the Trojans after that? Here’s a list of the guys who played on that national championship team. My favorite… Read more ยป
1973 Rose Bowl … Sam Bamโs 4 TD leaps, AD, Richard Wood, Lynn Swam.
That was the hook for me. Those players, the colors, the coach, the band.
Then 1974! what a season 55-24 and Haden to McKay then to Diggs for 2!
I remember watching the 1963 Rose Bowl with my dad and grandfather. I was only 8 and didn’t get much of what was going on, except that it was a close game and WIS almost caught SC in the end, practically in the dark. My first memory of a live game was when my family lived in Sacramento and my grandparents came up from Glendale and took us to a USC vs Stanford game in Palo Alto. Mike Garrett was the running back and would win the Heisman that year (1965). My grandfather passed away suddenly in 1967 and my… Read more ยป
November 30, 1974 for me. 55-24. ‘Nuff said.
Justin Dedich (6-2, 300) is playing for the Rams against the Vikings.
I mistakenly didn’t think he’d make it in the NFL. ๏ปฟโ
You would not had been the only one … watching him get whipped at ND, watch the 1st pick, made me wonder why he was starting at SC.
What if the Vikings put Sam Darnold on the open market? Max Dible (heavy.com) — Michael Ginnitti, managing editor of the salary cap-centric website Spotrac, predicted that Sam Darnold could go for as high as $40 million annually during on the Oct 3 episode of the “The Spotrac Podcast.” “Four years, $160 million to the Las Vegas Raiders,” Ginnitti said. “It’s cap-adjusted Baker [Mayfield].” Mayfield signed a three-year deal worth $100 million last offseason to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Darnold can command that kind of money, it may not make sense for the Vikings to keep him. And because of that, Darnold’s performance… Read more ยป
Let’s have Darnold lead the Vikings to a super bowl victory and let the chips fall where they may.
Face mask ! Wth
Pitiful. His last is not Mahomes or Rogers, so no love.
Sam Darnold and the Vikings are at SoFi Stadium to take on the Rams. Check out Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video (pre-game on now).
I just got back this afternoon from a work trip to Morristown, NJ (about 20 miles west of Newark and Rutgers.) There were quite a few Rutgers fans in their fan gear on my flight to LAX. They were really nice guys, sympathic to others with teams in the doldrums. They are staying through early next week, many of them taking in multiple sporting events like the Rams, Lakers, Kings and maybe Dodgers. They remarked how great a sports scene we have out here. They didn’t have much hope for tomorrow’s game against USC, but they were looking forward to… Read more ยป
The Shortcomings of Lincoln Riley Ralph Russo (The Athletic) — “Oklahoma fans accused Lincoln Riley of fleeing to the West Coast to avoid the Sooners’ move to the SEC and celebrated the karma of USC almost immediately picking up and moving to the Big Ten. “As OU flails, Sooners fans have at least been able to take solace in Riley’s struggles seeming to validate what they viewed as his shortcomings: culture building, attention to detail, and a general inability to instill toughness. “USC certainly hasn’t looked Big Ten-ready. On the bright side for USC fans, their new conference provides a… Read more ยป
It’s no consolation to me.
It’s been 27 years!
Ralph Russo (The Athletic) — “The last season in which USC and Oklahoma both failed to receive a bowl bid was 1997.
“That outcome is very much on the table this fall. In Year 3 under their current regimes, both programs have Year 1 vibes.”
5-Star QB Julian Lewis to Visit Deion Sanders, Colorado Despite Committing to USC Julia Stumbaugh (Bleacher Report) — Julian Lewis, a 5-star quarterback prospect, is planning a visit to Colorado despite verbally committing to USC last year. Lewis plans to visit on Saturday as Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes take on visiting Cincinnati, his father Tyrone Lewis told ESPN’s Eli Lederman. Currently a high school senior in Carrollton, Georgia, Lewis is second only to five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood in ESPN’s Class of 2025 rankings. Lewis reclassified to the class of 2025 in January after verbally committing to USC last August. He is also being recruited… Read more ยป
It is his 4th to visit the Colorado campus. Starting to feel like he is gone.
Re-examining Coaching Hires Dear Andy Staples (on3.com): Where do Brian Kelly, Lincoln Riley, Mario Cristobal and more stand in a 2022 new coach re-rank? —Currently Looking Great Dan Lanning, Oregon Brian Kelly, LSU Mario Cristobal, Miami Rhett Lashlee, SMU —Here For a Good Time, Not For a Long Time Kalen DeBoer, Washington Mike Elko, Duke Jon Sumrall, Troy —Ask again after Saturday Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame —Hanging In Sonny Dykes, TCU Tony Elliott, Virginia Brent Pry, Virginia Tech Joey McGuire, Texas Tech —Looking Bleak Lincoln Riley, USC: Riley’s Trojans have been better than, say, Billy Napier’s Florida teams, but USC hasn’t… Read more ยป
So SLR is making MM pass the ball, much more than his Heisman Trophy QBs, with a passing efficiency ranked 64th out of 110 FBS QBs. But a guy that would rank 3rd in the nation in YPC, but only has 33 carries, sits. Up is down and down is up. I guess genius is hard for our untrained eyes to understand.