USC WRs Jordan Addison, Mario Williams back at practice
Trojans’ top receivers work out in pads, though Lincoln Riley won’t say if either will play Friday against Colorado
Adam Grosbard (OC Register) — LOS ANGELES — USC had a pair of welcome sights at practice Tuesday as wide receivers Jordan Addison and Mario Williams were in shoulder pads and working with the offense.
Neither was a full participant at practice, head coach Lincoln Riley said, but the two returned to pads Monday and were able to practice again Tuesday after missing the past two games with injuries.
“They’ve actually looked like they haven’t missed a day,” Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams said. “We said that in the meeting this morning (in the quarterback room) when we were watching film of (Monday’s practice) of them moving around and running. They look like they haven’t missed a day and they’ve been out for the past two, three weeks. So it’s awesome to get them back. It adds a little more weapons to the offense again.”
Neither Addison (3) nor Mario Williams has played since the Oct. 15 loss to Utah. Addison injured his leg in that game, while Williams was a late scratch against Arizona two weeks ago.
Despite missing two games, Addison and Williams remain USC’s top receivers with a combined 65 catches for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns.
While their ability to practice is an encouraging sign for their availability for Friday against Colorado, Riley did not go so far as to declare both ready to play.
“They’re better. They’re participating,” Riley said. “They’re very, very close. I don’t know if I would for sure say yes, but we’re a lot closer to saying yes with several of those guys, which is good.”
In their absence, USC has had receivers step up and make plays to keep USC winning. Tahj Washington has posted 100-yard games in consecutive weeks. Kyle Ford had a career day against Arizona.
And last weekend against Cal, it was Michael Jackson III. The sophomore receiver had only four receptions for 39 yards all season and left the Coliseum with a five-catch, 115-yard day that included two touchdowns, including a 59-yarder off a screen pass.
Jackson IIIhas averaged 20.5 yards per touch this season, including two carries for 72 yards. Though injuries limited him through the early part of the season, he’s shown enough promise to look like an ideal fit in Riley’s offense moving forward.
“He attacks the ball, he’s got confident hands,” Riley said. “Sometimes you see wideouts that their hands aren’t as confident, so they maybe hesitate to make sure they catch it, whereas he really rips through the ball and he’s good after the catch. He runs hard, he runs aggressive. Some guys, they just run to get what they can get. Some guys run as the aggressor, like, ‘I’m going to get mine.’ And he runs like that.”
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PLEASE, PLEASE do not let Williams or Addison play, in a 31 point (spread) blowout. We WILL need all hands on deck next week, in what will be both teams, game of the year. Second, lets all be careful what we wish for. I love the 2022 team, my 68th year of bleeding cardinal, but I’m afraid our defense is not ready for the final 4. And an embarrassment this year might impact the eastern elite who rarely see us play, in the next few years. Our offense is elite. Lets get the defense on the same level. A win… Read more »
Who will win the most national titles in the next 10 years?
Heather Dinich (ESPN) — “I’m gonna go with USCbecause they’re going to the Big Ten, I think they can dominate that conference. Lincoln Riley’s done a great job already, I would say he’s ahead of schedule. No problem recruiting there, keep your quarterbacks in the Pac-12, or the Big Ten rather, and not the SEC, and I think this is a team that can go on and win national titles for the Big Ten.” on3.com
One thing we’ve learned about LR’s injury reports is that when he says “day-to-day”, that could mean the injured player may be ready in a month or so. ✌
We did get word from the practice report that Addison and Mario Williams practiced in pads but no word about the linebackers. Without linebacker help Colorado will hang around all night Friday. They won’t win, but they will hang around like a gnat in your ear.
I think this absolutely horrible 1-9 CU team is one of the worst teams I’ve seen play college football in recent years.
If the Buffs manage to “hang around all night Friday” against USC (-34.5) in the Coliseum, regardless of Trojan injuries, then the #8 Trojans are one of the most over-rated teams in the country.
“The Trojans match their highest mark (#8) in the College Football Rankings since they were created in 2014. USC was ranked eighth in the Dec. 3, 2017 Selection Day rankings.
“Lincoln Riley, who previously led Oklahoma to three College Football Playoff appearances in seven seasons, is the first USC head coach to start his career 8-1 since John Robinson started 8-1 in 1976. Riley is also the first Trojan head coach other than Pete Carroll to start any season 8-1 or better since Larry Smith went 10-0 in 1988…” usctrojans.com
If the 12 team playoff format were in place and based on today’s rankings, USC would play Bama in round 1, then Georgia if they won. Yikes. As much as I love the Trojans, I don’t think we’re ready for that gauntlet yet.
All of our receivers have been aggressive this season. When they catch the ball they don’t go down without a fight. They are a perfect compliment to the best quarterback we have. I cannot wait to see the full strength squad back in action.
Neither Addison (3) nor Mario Williams has played since the Oct. 15 loss to Utah. Addison injured his leg in that game, while Williams was a late scratch against Arizona two weeks ago.
Jackson III has averaged 20.5 yards per touch this season, including two carries for 72 yards. Though injuries limited him through the early part of the season, he’s shown enough promise to look like an ideal fit in Riley’s offense moving forward.
PLEASE, PLEASE do not let Williams or Addison play, in a 31 point (spread) blowout. We WILL need all hands on deck next week, in what will be both teams, game of the year. Second, lets all be careful what we wish for. I love the 2022 team, my 68th year of bleeding cardinal, but I’m afraid our defense is not ready for the final 4. And an embarrassment this year might impact the eastern elite who rarely see us play, in the next few years. Our offense is elite. Lets get the defense on the same level. A win… Read more »
Who will win the most national titles in the next 10 years?
Heather Dinich (ESPN) — “I’m gonna go with USC because they’re going to the Big Ten, I think they can dominate that conference. Lincoln Riley’s done a great job already, I would say he’s ahead of schedule. No problem recruiting there, keep your quarterbacks in the Pac-12, or the Big Ten rather, and not the SEC, and I think this is a team that can go on and win national titles for the Big Ten.”
on3.com
Wide Receivers great, but what about Gentry and Goforth?
One thing we’ve learned about LR’s injury reports is that when he says “day-to-day”, that could mean the injured player may be ready in a month or so. ✌
We did get word from the practice report that Addison and Mario Williams practiced in pads but no word about the linebackers. Without linebacker help Colorado will hang around all night Friday. They won’t win, but they will hang around like a gnat in your ear.
I think this absolutely horrible 1-9 CU team is one of the worst teams I’ve seen play college football in recent years.
If the Buffs manage to “hang around all night Friday” against USC (-34.5) in the Coliseum, regardless of Trojan injuries, then the #8 Trojans are one of the most over-rated teams in the country.
I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if an ankle sprain is hard to recover from or if Riley is being coy. Those players are needed too.
Loose paraphrase of Uncle Owen from Star Wars
”Well, he’d better have those players on the Defense repaired by Ucla, or there’ll be hell to pay.”
“The Trojans match their highest mark (#8) in the College Football Rankings since they were created in 2014. USC was ranked eighth in the Dec. 3, 2017 Selection Day rankings.
“Lincoln Riley, who previously led Oklahoma to three College Football Playoff appearances in seven seasons, is the first USC head coach to start his career 8-1 since John Robinson started 8-1 in 1976. Riley is also the first Trojan head coach other than Pete Carroll to start any season 8-1 or better since Larry Smith went 10-0 in 1988…”
usctrojans.com
If the 12 team playoff format were in place and based on today’s rankings, USC would play Bama in round 1, then Georgia if they won. Yikes. As much as I love the Trojans, I don’t think we’re ready for that gauntlet yet.
All of our receivers have been aggressive this season. When they catch the ball they don’t go down without a fight. They are a perfect compliment to the best quarterback we have. I cannot wait to see the full strength squad back in action.
Miss watching Addison play … hope he explodes vs UCLA and ND