No. 11 USC struggles through turnover-fueled loss at Minnesota
MINN DB Ethan Robinson celebrates as he recovers a USC fumble Saturday in Minneapolis, Minn. (Ellen Schmidt / AP)
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — MINNEAPOLIS —
An unseasonably warm breeze swirled through Huntington Bank Stadium, the rare sort of night where USC, a team in unfamiliar and typically frosty Big Ten territory, could feel right at home.
But nothing about Saturday’s 24-17 loss felt comfortable for No. 11 USC, which dropped its second Big Ten road game in two tries. Not its quarterback, who struggled to find a rhythm and turned the ball over twice, nor its offensive line, which struggled to keep him protected. Not even the defense that so often clamped down after halftime could ease concerns Saturday.
As Minnesota marched down the field late in the fourth quarter, bleeding away second after second, squeezing USC’s defense for all it was worth, the warm welcome had worn well off, giving way to the discomforting realization that USC’s hopes of a special season were quickly slipping away into a suddenly chilly night.
Wedged up against the goal line, with its back against the wall, USC stopped Minnesota once, then again, then a third time at the one-yard line. A fourth attempt was called short once again, but a review revealed Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer had just managed to break the goal-line plane. The Golden Gophers converted the extra point and took a late 24-17 lead.
Still, 56 seconds remained, with some hope that quarterback Miller Moss could mount a miracle drive. He moved USC 47 yards, with seconds still to spare, before he threw a desperation pass into traffic.
It was picked off, ending a forgettable night for Moss — and likely closing the book on the Trojans’ hopes of winning the Big Ten.
Moss finished with just 200 yards and a touchdown to go with two interceptions, both of which were back-breaking as USC tried to find its stride in the second half.
A week ago, USC shut out Wisconsin in the second half, running away with a win in its Big Ten opener.
But there was no such luck Saturday. Once again, the Trojans found themselves forced to overcome a sputtering start and hope for the best after halftime, exactly the sort of circumstances they’d set out this week to avoid.
Still, here was USC deep in Minnesota territory at the start of the fourth quarter, eight plays into a drive that was already rolling, when Moss was hit from behind as he threw. The ball tumbled through the air and was picked off by Minnesota‘s Devon Williams.
The Gophers needed just six plays to make the Trojans pay, as Brosmer ran in a tying touchdown.
There was still plenty of time for the Trojans to mount a go-ahead drive, with more than half the fourth quarter remaining. But a first-down sack set them back, and on third-and-four, USC took an inexplicable shot down the field, only for it to fall incomplete.
Minnesota took over from there and did what USC couldn’t Saturday. It marched confidently down the field and scored, putting the game away with a decisive drive.
latimes.com
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By the way, this was the second game this season where I feel Lincoln Riley underutilized the “let them score” strategy. The Michigan game was understandable, but I think a better head coach who knows how to manage a game late to maximize chances of winning would have gone that route this past Saturday.
Lincoln’s a poor time clock manager. He’s proven that over and over again, year after year, to any objective observers. He needs his own personal coach/advisor on that issue.
Maybe he’ll finally start learning from his failures by the time the PSU game rolls around this Saturday.
With TOs left … he felt that and holding to a FG was in the cards
Too bad it wasn’t in the cards and we had to listen to yet another lame LR presser where he gushed about being only two plays away from a 5-0 season. Ya, sure. Gentleman Clay would be proud.
Well this presser had the “Ask a professional question” remark! Not only the fans are stupid so is the football media!
Any coach who has the gall to publicly say USC is only two plays away from 5-0 needs his head examined. It’s comments like that which are solid clues as to why both MICH and MINN pounded USC to death at the end of each game.
Penn State is going to kill us if we don’t play a perfectly clean game and get SOME kind of answer up front. And if that happens, it is time to really start talking about Mr. Year 3.
Quinton Joiner played only 8 plays in that game. You have to get him in more often.
4 carries 44 yds by mid 2nd quarter … but let’s do the meathead thing and bench him because of a tough luck fumble at end of a 16 yd run
Put him back on the saddle again and let him run, maybe those 4 yd runs a tired Marks was getting at end would be 12 yds with Joyner.
Grow up LR
There has to be a lot of trojan haters on the board that selects these ratings. SC went from 11th to 26th just because they lost to a good Minnesota team. I can see them losing 8 spots but not 15. Alabama went down 6 spots.. Missouri lost 12 but they got killed.Michigan lost 14 but they were stomped by #36 Washington(just look at the box score). SC was within a few plays of beating a good Minnesota team(let’s see how they do in the rest of the season) and they get bounced 15 spots? Who is making up these… Read more »
MICH is the only team with two losses in the AP Top 25 and they are ranked a lowly #24.
Since they beat USC, there was no room for the Trojans who finished #26, just ahead of 5-1 NEB, whom USC plays at the Colisuem on Nov. 16.
I think the voters recognize what we recognize: a team with no answers on the o-line is not one of the best teams in the country. They’re basically saying, you’re not beating anyone good, and we’ll talk if you beat Penn State at home.
In the quiet, cool of Monday morning, it MUST be said: this is the Trojan team we have this year and it’s not going to magically change overnight. This season is half over. Absent a future slew of turnovers by Trojan opponents, this year’s team will continue to sputter and spurt. The collective wisdom expressed on the TrojanDaily blog have identified the deficiencies, which reflect very poor infrastructure. The lack of recruiting, bewildering play calls, undersized, slow linemen (both sides), Byzantine play clock and time out management, failed, over reliance on the transfer portal, subpar NIL and a HC who… Read more »
All that truth serum said, I still love the fight and spirit in this team, things that never impressed me about last year’s weak “hero ball” Trojans.
As you point out, USC under LR still has a long way to go. Hopefully, he has the talent and a better plan going forward to get USC back to the top.
My concern and I am sure of most others, will the program be able to retain the defensive coaching staff assembled long enough to develop our defense to compete favorably in the BIG? And what is to become of the level of Trojan football recruiting currently as it pertains to linemen needed to play in the BIG? What was gained these past weeks in recruit interest, will it whither away if the losses start back again? Can LR afford to maintain his status quo for another season in stubbornly act as if we are so close to having a championship… Read more »
I didn’t watch the game due to a friend’s celebration of life event. Anyone who has played organized football knows the importance of the fundamentals of blocking and tackling. USC doesn’t do either very well and it’s starting to catch up with the program. Tackling has been an issue for years and now we have an OL that can’t block. Riley should be an OC, not a HC. He doesn’t seem to care about fundamentals and it really shows. SC will be mediocre until he is replaced.
I still think LR is an outstanding HC. I’m not ready to move on from him. I might think differently in 2 to 3 years but now I’m still solidly behind him
Outstanding would be a real stretch at this point … like him and want him to be a success but the performance and getting worse every year record is telling us something else. Very disappointing. Understand the loss (although so winnable) at Michigan but this loss vs a team, that has shown no life, Minnesota … not sure you recover from this. Smith’s 1991 ugly loss to Memphis St basically ended his career with a big assist from Fresno St. Goat Kiffy’s 7-10 beaut vs a bad Wazzu team at home ended him with assist to quitting on the team… Read more »
I’d given him 5 years.
Two choices … go long run Harbaugh route and keep until win a title or Texas route and buy so much talent even a tool like Suck can’t screw it all up
I pick #2, I’m too old for the long run!
Hahaha … indeed
Zach Branch is over-rated. I would sit Branch down for awhile and take a serious look at Jay Fair. I would also take a serious look at Josiah Zamora. Sometimes walk-ons turn out to be seriously good players.Think of Clay Mathews. Then there was Hollywood Brown with Oklahoma in 2017,2018 who is still a star in the NFL today.
That defensive line needs some more highly talented and experienced pieces. They are 88th against the run nationally. They are getting pushed back on the LOS and they are getting very little pressure on the opposing QB. In 5 games they have 6 sacks, 3 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries.
The call to give them a TD at the end was a terrible call. It was just a decision that they made not based on anything.I mean you had a pile of bodies 5 feet high and the ball and the QB were down at the bottom. Taking a 2nd look didn’t do any good. It’s not as if they brought in an x-ray camera that could see through all the human flesh to determine if the ball crossed the end zone line. There were no new camera angles. And then he fumbled. Did he fumble before the ball crossed… Read more »
Settle the damn thing in OT … both sides judges came running in with no intention of calling it a TD. Terrible decision … not call. Welcome to the F ing Big 10.
But game was lost long before that. The sooner LR realizes winning games in this new league 20-17 is OK… the better off he will be.
I always thought Pac-12 officials were terrible. From what I’ve seen in 3 Big 10 games….these guys aren’t any better.
Warned by a fan from once upon newbie Nebby … you are not winning at original Big 10 schools home field unless you are OhioSt and Michigan. End of story.
Love the travel rules, west coast zig zag the nation while original only go west once a season lol … and B1G title game always in Indy. Not split with Vegas but always in Indy.
Thumbs down on this conference and for Fox for bribing USC to join the the crappy thing.
You ain’t seen nothing yet…….the farm boys know how to put a thumb on the scale. Wait til you see the mid west baskeball refs in operation on a cold winter night.
That’s a given …. this Big 10 is a disaster
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Luca Evans Sums Up the Latest USC Flop Under Lincoln Riley Evans (OCR) — USC’s offensive line has seemed a problem area for months, ever since the program did little to add to a thin tackle group after Lincoln Riley admitted in the spring that USC’s depth there was a slight “concern.” Left tackle Elijah Paige had struggled through growing pains for weeks, and Mason Murphy had shown flashes but was beaten a few too many times by Big Ten defensive ends. And in the fourth quarter up 17-10, with a chance to virtually put the game away on… Read more »
If they moved the ball at will I guess they never had to punt and only scored touchdowns every time they had the ball. I guess LR lives in the same fantasy land that Helton lived in.
Two years ago, at Utah, we watched the best SC offense since Norm Chow and we thought, wow this is going to be fun! That’s why LR is so highly thought of as an O guru. Since then (granted CW stopped running the ball last year) the O seems like a lot of disjointed, out of sequence, grab bag of plays. Throwing when should be running and vice versa. And always at the wrong time. That stupid looking grade school statue of liberty play when compared to that well executed mis-direction wide screen play by Minnesota brought this comment for… Read more »
If it is noticed, no
matter what LR’s coaches speak says, the team isn’t getting better. It’s losing ground!
After LR said we can’t have those turnovers down there, you would think the players would understand not to screw up. Especially on a crucial 4th down play to put the game away. Are these players clueless on how important this coming play is or is it on cruise control attitude? Well you see how the Minnesota players thought about it. Once again, our O-line loses a one on one battle and it leads to the game being lost.
CLR deserves criticism for sure, but yesterday was not entirely his fault. He didn’t miss field goals, fumble, miss tackles, drop passes, or whiff on blocks. It’s his job to scheme around mistakes, it’s his job to get them ready, he failed. But players need to make plays, they failed. Blame to go around.
Well it was Riley that keeps playing Paige and Branch. Branch on the first drive, catch for a loss, incomplete, forced a 47 yard FG try in the wind. It was Riley who abandoned the run with the game tied in the 4th. It was Riley that didn’t call time out with the play clock running out in the 4th. Coach puts the players on the field, if they aren’t able to make plays, don’t put them out there.
Don’t you think if he had better tackles he would play them?
Paige was out for the 2nd half of the Michigan game and the offense took off. I forget what the personnel was but they did better without Paige. Riley and Henson have had 3 years to develop an OL.
Tobias Raymond played RT. They moved Murphy to left, he too was abused. Riley went max protect with TE and backs and abandoned the run entirely. Guess we could go that route from here on out but doesn’t seem like a long term success plan.
Desperate times, and losing to Minny is desperate times, means desperate measures. Move Monheim back to LT, let Paige and Murphy battle it out for RT … this week.
I agree on this. Paige at RT and help on his side. Not sure who will play center, KOC is suppose , but we can’t keep this pattern of play and expect Moss to survive.
Quinones or Noa at center. MM flops a lot , he doesn’t get hit anymore than other qbs. Myers absolutely drilled that big Minny qb twice last nite, MM wasn’t hit like that at game all.
The long release caused the pick/fumble … that and the stupid call.
Not Noa at center. Quinones or Killian O’Conner. Do you really think Miller Moss is flopping? You’re watching USC….University of Southern California….right?
Flops? I’ve never heard that term used in football. I see Miller being beat up because he has zero time to throw.
Henson needs to go. He is our new Grinch. Now go find an Oline Lynn.
I hear Ed O isn’t doing much down on the bayou
leave him there.
I agree….this is about moving forward.
Thank You!
Coach O or Coke O lol … from what I was hearing at the game. The SC program doesn’t need another substance dealer.
Maybe they should move Monheim back to LT, put Paige at RT. Go with O’Connor or Quinonez at center and try Mason Murphy or Quinonez or Noa at RG. They need to find the right combination. This doesn’t seem to be it. Noa’s problem is pass protection. When he was still in High School Oregon wanted him badly. They thought he was a mauler on the run. And he is good on the run. And they looked good in the running game against Minnesota. Miller Moss is doing exceptionally well considering the fact that he is on his back on… Read more »
But if LR worked harder at recruiting, Chris, he would HAVE better OTs….
Chris……you love your team and evidently support Riley. Your right…. It’s a team sport.
In my view a few errors in a game is expected……numerous errors against lesser teams……most of the things you mentioned are a symptom of a poorly coached team.
This is looking more and more like a Beat-Up on Lincoln Riley Day. That’s okay. He probably deserves it. LR’s under way more pressure, right this very moment, than I’d say he’s ever literally been during his entire career. He’s in year three at USC, a fully mediocre and disappointing 3-2, and unranked with #4/5 PSU headed into town. Imagine if we USC fans had to sit through all week looking forward to seeing USC facing a “cupcake” with all the redemptive possibilities of beating UTAH ST (now 1-4 after losing to BOISE ST 62-30). Thank God we do have… Read more »
What does Lincoln Riley need? A Head Coach! A head coach will do pressers professionally, smooze boosters, manage the game/clock, replace assistants that don’t get the job done, bench players not getting it done, tell LR when to run, pass or kick, recruit depth in the trenches and linebacker. LR can’t do any of it. Recruiting also requires an NIL of $15-20 million not USC’s $9 million. So sum of that is on Cohen and the Collective. LR was out coached by PJ Fleck last night. Fleck has an OC to call plays while Fleck manages the game. Wow how… Read more »
LR needs to learn to play Big 10 style ball … No not the BS Big 10 is so physical crap. But the no time for a wasted series, the opponents run clock and play prevent D from get go, take the FG, field position matters, and you are not getting any calls on the road so be 14 pts better!
LSU Heisman QB Jayden Daniels with the Commanders (and former USC asst Kliff Kingsbury calling the plays by the way) is practically having an MVP-type year. He’s routinely much more accurate and dangerous than Caleb Williams has been in the NFL so far, and it’s not just because CW plays for the more challenged Bears (who are looking good today too).
Caleb having fun today … getting better each game, like you knew he would
USC is no longer ranked following yesterday’s loss AP Top 25 (USC was previously ranked #11) 1. Texas 2. Ohio State 3. Oregon 4. Penn State 5. Georgia 6. Miami 7. Alabama 8. Tennessee 9. Ole Miss 10. Clemson T11. Iowa State T11. Notre Dame 13. LSU 14. BYU 15. Texas A&M 16. Utah 17. Boise State T18. Kansas State T18. Indiana T18. Oklahoma 21. Missouri 22. Pittsburgh 23. Illinois 24. Michigan 25. SMU Coaches Poll (USC was previously ranked #15) 1 Texas 2 Ohio State 3 Oregon 4 Georgia 5 Penn State 6 Miami 7 Alabama 8 Ole Miss… Read more »
Maybe that will wake them up. They are not as good as advertised.
When you start losing to Big 10 west teams, you are not very good. After that collapse, doubtful will win on the road this year. Hope for a lucky 8-4 and a favorable toilet bowl.
Hard for a program like USC to recover from a miserable loss like this. LR better figured out how to play vs stall ball clock running Os, no penalty on home teams, every possession matters, kick FGs, win field position, Big 10 games … or he will be OC for the Browns real soon.
Perhaps it will wake up the fan base. Expectations have been really high, and I had them myself.
Lincoln Riley becoming embarrassing! A reporter asked USC’s Jamil Muhammad postgame if he thought Minnesota got into the end zone on their final TD. Lincoln Riley interjected. “Nah, don’t ask him that.” “Who cares what he says on that? Like what, player’s opinion? Let’s ask a more professional question.” He may be looking for a sweet OC job if he can get one so he doesn’t have to do pressers. But he may have trouble with that since he can’t do basic coaching. The team looked tired last night. They played 2 hard games and had to travel 2 time… Read more »
disgusting
Paige has the 2nd worse stats for a lineman in the Big 10. Not only does Riley play him, but at the Blindside! Very Helton like loyalty! And by all means keep throwing the ball to Branch!
Killed 1st drive … rolling with multiple players touch ball then 2nd and 4 run the stupid quick hitch to watch ZB get lit up and lose 6 yds, crowd now into game after easy light up of ZB. Then watch him and Moss do their usual screw up … right off the face mask. Those two maybe the worst qb/receiver combo ever.
Lincoln’s a big-time control freak. Nothing’s wrong with that. Most head coaches are.
But Lincoln’s problem is that he too often wastes time trying to control the wrong things, like when he threw local USC beat writer Luca Evans off campus for doing nothing wrong (in the eyes of every journalist on the planet).
Lincoln’s super secret practices remain a case study in paranoia. Obviously, nothing is going on there that our opponents haven’t already figured out how to beat.
You are right nothing wrong with that if you are making good decisions with the program and in games. He really is Helton like. Poor relations with the media and boosters, ridiculous loyallty to staff and players who aren’t doing the job, poor game management. It’s like one of his goals was to get a Heisman for Z Branch at all cost. That’s working well.
Yes, the Heisman thingy seems to be an obsession with Riley .. Championships a second thought.
Z Branch is a mystery in inefficiency. Get him a psychiatrist before he ends up on the bench…
While he’s fantastic as a decoy, his lack of productivity in any other part of the game makes one wonder why can’t USC’s coaches get more out of him?
Riley will keep playing Branch and Paige expecting something different happens. What’s that the definition of? Calling Albert Einstein!
LB hasn’t been the same since getting rocked on a KO at ASU last year … when he got drilled vs Utah St on another KO return, I thought that’s not good and it hasn’t been since.
Plus, him and MM have no chemistry in the pass game, zero. That early and crucial pass off the face mask was another ‘shouldn’t we be better than this moment’. And time for Lemon to return all kicks, he will make better decisions and gain positive yardage.
Hiding those well thought out brilliantly designed 8th grade Statue of Liberty plays is paramount.
Where Are the Points LR? The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel on the USC loss Mandel — The new cross-country Big Ten has staged nine conference games thus far featuring a pair of schools located at least two time zones apart. The visiting teams are 1-8 in those games. No. 11 USC (3-2, 1-2 Big Ten) has been on the wrong end of two of them after a mistake-riddled 24-17 loss at Minnesota (3-3, 1-2). After the Gophers drove 75 yards for the go-ahead score with 56 seconds left, Minnesota freshman Koi Perich picked off Miller Moss, the Trojans QB’s second interception of the fourth quarter. It marked the fewest… Read more »
Must win? Or season over hoping for a nice consolation prize.
If we are honest, we seen this coming, almost 2 years ago. Keeping our eye on LR’s recruiting focus, the positions, the geography , the lack of local focus, the lack of trench position signings, the Helton’ish misdirection pressers, versus the HC giants who are red faced, pissed, and promises of change after a loss or close game. Even with the hiring of DC Lynn and staff, it came excruciatingly slow, costing key recruiting credibility, program credibility ( being soft ) and a stink that will take years to wash off. Hindsight’s 20 20, but after Heltons clown show, with… Read more »
Prediction — USC Beats PSU Now that USC has blown the MINN game even though USC had the Gophers on the ropes just like MICH, I figure we’ll be like a wounded animal defending its lair and brood. But since this USC team just doesn’t have the talent in the trenches to be that dangerous, it’s mentally challenging to predict a Trojan victory this Saturday. Yet as many have already observed, PSU is clearly a beatable team. I saw it with my very own eyes yesterday morning. Will USC be the first team to do it this season? After thinking… Read more »
Wasn’t it you Allen that picked USC going 8-4 or 9-3 for the season sometime earlier this year
I did pick USC to go 8-4 in the reg season and I did this many times for over a half year period before the start of the season.
But after USC’s first four games, I started drinking the USC Kool-Aid again (always a dangerous thing) and began to believe we might actually end up a 10 game winner and a likely playoff team.
With yesterday’s disaster, I’m back in the 8-win groove, like dust in the wind.
“But after USC’s first two games, I started drinking the USC Kool-Aid again (always a dangerous thing)”
LOL … we’re all alike in that persuasion.
on another note, especially since our Mumme, Leach disciple is weathering some foul weather.
Pete Carroll is scheduled to teach a class next spring, he may have no impact or affiliation with the football program, however he will be a voice to be heard and sought out by Jen Cohen and others as to his vision of what’s lacking in program from janitors to head coaches. Your thoughts.
That’s a very tricky situation IMO. Jen Cohn, Lincoln Riley and Pete Carroll all in the same room gives me goosebumps just thinking of the dynamics of that triumvirate. But personally, I think Carroll’s gonna keep his distance and stick to his USC teaching gig. LR’s not gonna allow a major USC force like PC to hover over his shoulder while he’s stuck in neutral on this rebuild. LR’s job remains very safe. Until he has lost more power than he already has now, I think LR will continue to operate without PC’s interference, which I don’t believe he will… Read more »
Carroll. As you say and I alluded to in my post will out of respect for Riley’s position will remain afar.
Its obvious to Carroll Riley’s temperament.
As things progress and if they worsen, it will be Carroll’s analysis and opinion they seek, not his participation.
If that ever happens, I hope we still have Luca Evans (OCR) and Ryan Kartje (LAT) on the job and giving us the inside scoop (despite their limited access).
Both of USC’s local beat reporters do a fantastic job of reporting about Trojan sports, especially football.
I hope they are as well, though I hardly see either as collateral damage from such an instance.
They both have a way to go to eclipse
Jim Murray LA Times
If when I was LR’s age, I could have had a mentor like PC, wow would I have appreciated that!
LR did have a great mentor. His name is Bob Stoops.
LR could still use one.
Actually, LR could use a lot more help from smart boots-on-the-ground advice-givers who could help him bring in better OLs and DLs. Since he’s not particularly strong as a recruiter, he can’t ever expect to be a superstar recruiter like Carroll was. The truth is, PC would never be able to transfer that awesome skill to LR. LR’s a comparative cold fish who doesn’t enjoy near the people interaction that PC did. LR has obviously known ever since he first evaluated USC’s talent in the trenches that USC had to fix some major issues there. The problem is, LR hasn’t… Read more »
Yep…..so why is he here…..cold fish……we hired a person who does not have the skills for what we need for one of the best paid head coaching jobs in the US, with numerous tangible advantages.
Frankly…..Tom Landry was no expressive person but very successful…..Riley might do better in the pros where it’s mostly about the cash and less about rah rah and recruiting.
Yeah, and I’ve already exhausted my 2 losses for my preseason prediction. I now know who (the) two losses are to, now I’m left wondering how many more and to whom. Interesting stat about 1-8 for road teams going cross country. That’ll be interesting to track. I don’t think that ratio will hold, it’ll eventually get closer to normal away loss rates. I’d love to see a corelation between distance traveled and loss probability. Probably not much to it, after all, Bamma lost to Vandy, who is just a couple hundred miles away, and the Vols lost to Arky, and… Read more »
Note … original Big 10 teams only have to go west 1 time. Most are treating that one trip like a bowl game. A lot of Minny fans I talked to are coming to Rose Bowl Saturday, most saying it’s the time they will see a win in Rose Bowl lol Meanwhile, SC jumps on a plane in two weeks to make trip #3 out East, this time all the way across the country to play F ing Maryland. You think the team was disinterested at Minny, wait for that shit show. Wonder why this old Pac vs Big 10… Read more »
Allen, you’ve listened to the conductor on the Dr. Pepper Hype Train and exited. I am in the same boat (sorry to mix my metaphors).
Those Dr. Pepper commercials over the years have been great!
Love those Dr. Pepper commercials. And they actually work on me. I want ’em after I see those hilarious takes on college football and those who love the game.
I wonder if SC will ever become dominate under LR. In two seasons plus four game he has 10 losses. He was slow to address the weaknesses of Grinch, and also the Oline coach. He is stubborn and stuck in his ways. I also believe that he gets far too much compensation, with none of it based upon performance. Is this what we must endure after putting up with Helton for so long? it’s hard to believe the mediocrity of Trojan football over the last decade.
Lots of issues but to zero in on one……any coach worth a darn knows that it all starts with the OL followed closely by the DL. Most everybody on this site accepts this fact. Riley does not seem to accept this statement. When Saban and CPC came to their programs in each case they both looked for DL that could dominate. I forget the nose tackle name Saban brought in but he was the start. A huge piece of human flesh that could move. As for CPC it was all about Cody. LOL…..I thought they were going to get married.… Read more »
Sadly we are probably stuck with him unless he is fired. No way anyone “steals” him away from us.
THIS ^
BIG looks to be three of the top 6. Finally getting some respect. Six in the top 25.
I really want to know why every “breath of fresh air” new coach turns out to be nothing more than a fart in the elevator? When Riley was hired Oklahoma fans were relieved and happy to be rid of their “passing fancy” coach. Unfortunately I read their comments as bitter attacks by disgruntled fans. Now I know what they mean. Ole’ Mule Shoe is mule headed. Stubborn is his style and kicking off his load is standard procedure. Lincoln Riley doesn’t bring anything to the table that we didn’t see with Clay Helton, he’s another Peter Principle coach who took… Read more »
For those that don’t want to read negativity…..ignore this post. If we only fix this….if we only fix that…… If we could only fix having a 10 million per year coach that has no clue how to build a program. At Oklahoma he coached somebody else’s program to success. We need a build out and he can’t do it. Next year will be 4 years…..when is it enough. Elijah does not have the quickness to play left tackle……He is ok against second tier folks and when provided help…….We lose Monheim this year……The other younger folks also look slow. Pregnon will… Read more »
LR was understandably a little chippy at the presser. But his post game “analysis” is beginning to sound repetitive. We were twice simply blown off the ball, one at the 4:05 mark in the first half and another in the second half. Nothing startling here; big “trucks” simply running over little trucks. This team comes out of the tunnel lethargic, almost sleep walking. Maybe LR needs a bigger “play menu”? His looks like he jotted down a few stray thoughts on a cocktail napkin. LR is starting to sound and coach like Clay Helton.
Miller Moss looked like exactly what he is, a player who was a backup for several years but has learned a lot. The loss is not on him but he is not a Heisman calibre QB and he spends half the game scrambling for his life. We all need to temper our expectations of him. Woody Marks showed a lot of toughness in running the ball, especially after the 1st quarter. The O line still sucks but has at least sort of figured out how to run block. Super disappointed in Z Branch. All that talent and not much to… Read more »
Regarding our running backs, they do hit the hole (when there is one) but notice they just plow ahead – no juking or cuts to get around the tackler. Not a good look considering all the great backs that SC has fielded.
Running into own blockers with open acres to either side is a bad look
Love Woody but he doesn’t have Reggie type vision
Well, I was at a wedding last night and I missed the game. I only saw one score, which was 17-10 midway through the fourth and minny had the ball. I was surprised that the score was that low. I felt a loos coming on in this trap game. The experts out of SC’s orbit have had us correctly pegged all season. We have some very good skill players, but we don’t have the big bodies needed on both lines and not enough of them for the depth needed in the B1G. So now we need another epiphany from our… Read more »
Sadly…..Yep
I was stuck at my wife’s 50th high school reunion in Doniphan MO, where morning sports on local TV consisted of a Dog show with a judge checking the jowls of mastiff dogs for drool. Anyway I couldn’t get a signal for the two radio apps I have in lieu of a real game TV (although the main venue had the AZ game on a big screen). I got updates via text from my sister until the fourth quarter. I heard most of the final quarter in my car driving back to Poplar Bluff super 8. This morning I found… Read more »
We were much bigger than Minny on both lines … but for some reason their play calling (not a strength) and execution was way better. That is disconcerting.
Is USC really only “two plays away”?
From one angle, you could say that statement is totally accurate. From another angle, that statement seems idiotic and mirage-like.
Lincoln Riley on fourth-quarter offensive possessions three weeks in a row —
“Those are the big moments and we’ve got to go make those competitive players in those moments. We’ve had some opportunities on all three sides to close it out. We’re two plays away right now.”
Perhaps a Third angle, his comment eerily nuanced remind me of similar utterances from the mouth of the coach he replaced !
Heltonese
Sounds like a dressing for a word salad
I just pray LR doesn’t start calling us “warriors!” 😂 😂
Or how much he loves his players.
That’s what Clay Helton said, again and again…
And wait till you see Paige in November!
The real problem is that he might just believe what he is saying.
They’re Crying in Berkeley Tonight!
CAL is finally behind MIA 39-38 with 26 seconds to go behind the amazing ability of QB Cam Ward. The Bears simply fell apart unbelievably. It was once 35-10 Bears.
MIA outscored CAL 29-3 in the last 18 minutes
Not nearly as loud as those in Tuscaloosa .. whos vaunted Alabama beaten by the SEC’ perennial floor mat Vanderbilt
Their best all around RB is Marks if we are talking about running, pass blocking and receiving. But their best running back when talking about strickly running the rock is Quinton Joiner. He should be getting the ball more than just 4 times a game.
This assine thing of sitting a 2nd teamer for fumbling … is sooo stupid.
Get the kid right back in there! Marks was gassed late, reason LR made that stupid play call pick/fumble. Joyner is a dawg, he will make up for it!
Grow up coaching staff
I never understood why a player should be benched because he fumbled, especially if he’s a really good runner like Joyner is. If anything, get him back in there and give him a redemption shot because that’s what he needs and wants more than anything — to help the team.
On the O-Line, they need better people at the RT and RG. Elijah Paige will eventually become an outstanding player with experience. On the D-Line, they need some bigger more experienced players. They have a lot of outstanding player on both sides of the ball but they are nowheres near Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas or even Oregon when it comes to raw talent.
Not sure who to blame this on. The O-Line still needs work(particularly in pass blocking) but SC ran the ball well. Minnesota’s Offense held onto the ball and if they have the ball then your offense doesn’t have it. Pretty hard to score when your offense is on the sidelines. But SC’s offense still had the ball almost 31 minutes. That should have accounted for more than 17 points.
This team still doesn’t have the ability to put teams away. If you let them hang around then it comes down to who has the most luck at the end of the game.
Sadly, when it matters at the end when the game is on the line, USC can’t run the ball, and we can’t stop the run either. Both MICH and MINN have proven that so far. Until USC fixes that huge problem, we’ll be stuck where we are.
Too little too late. LR’s plan using too much portal and not enough hard work enduring himself to the HS athletes in California and elsewhere these 1st 3-years have the program in a mid-level ability in this new conference. I believe he fooled himself believing his ability to score points would overcome most shortcomings he thought his program would face and it has told him he miscalculated the time needed to recruit and develop his players to compete legitimately. Now his opponents know his team weaknesses and will attack them. From now on it will be a struggle rest of… Read more »
I still like this team a lot. They play hard at least. Instead of the Cardiac Kids of 1969, they’re the Heartbreak Kids of ’24. Lots of football left to play. We can still have some very rewarding wins because so many teams seem fairly even. Rankings seem to mean a little less this season. ALA loses to VANDY. CAL is hanging on to a 38-25 lead over MIA. UCLA fives PSU a surprisingly good game in Happy Valley. Only two losses and winning out with victories over PSU, RUT, NEB and ND might still get USC into the POs.… Read more »
Allen, do you really think we have a chance against PSU? I am having my doubts.
If and only if they move Monheim to LT and give Moss time to set and throw, then we may have a chance. If Riley stays with Monheim at center it is as if he has no desire to attempt to win games, only show players off for the nfl.
Might be too late … Paige to right tackle, Monny to left
Quinones to center
I am not sure if Quinones is healthy?
Branch might be doing what Alexander did! He has been a huge disappointment, something is off, either taking hard hits or just not enough touches! Riley has to try 2 TE and a fullback, Marks needs to be the highlight player, throw him the ball out the backfield and use Branch as a decoy.
I thought that the pass that he dropped in the first looked like it could have gone for a TD
That was one of the worst drops I’ve seen in quite a while. A bullet to the face. Z Branch plays like he just started football about a month ago.
What is it about freshman stars in their sophmore year? It happens all the time.
Seriously on the field he is trying too hard to be the star scoring threat every time his name is called for the ball and needs to slow done in letting the game come to him. He just wants it too much being impatient and that causes him to mess up? Stop reading the press clippings and raves you hear about yourself Z and work on being a complete player.
Zach Branch is over-rated as a receiver.He doesn’t run great routes. He doesn’t have great hands. If it’s an alley oop type of a pass where he to go up and get it, he’s not going to come down with it. Even in high school at Bishop Gorman he was not the leading receiver….not by a long shot. They had a player who now players for Wisconsin named Trech Kakahuna who caught more than twice as many passes than Branch his senior year.He’s a gadget player that you use on trick plays and I think that they should use him… Read more »
CAL is killing #8 MIA 28-10 with 13 mins left in the 3rd. Calling Paul Dee…Calling Paul Dee…
Update — Now 35-10 just five mins later. Mario Cristobal is looking ill.
I never thought Cristobal was a good coach. He’s loaded with talent at Miami, as he was at Oregon. The last time he coached at a place where he didn’t have great talent was at FIU where he went 27-47
Cristobal seemed really uptight when he was on GameDay this morning. There was an absolutely incredible turnout by rowdy CAL fans cheering “F*ck Miami, F*ck Miami” over and over again, with everyone being there since about midnight to wait for the 6 AM start. Frankly, I didn’t know Bear fans had it in them. But I had a feeling they were going to beat MIA after seeing the whole glorious scene in Berkeley this morning while it was still dark. Some kid kicked a 33-yd FG in tennis shows off uneven turf and won 100 grand! It was a fantastic… Read more »
In a Nutshell… Luca Evans (OCR) — USC lost, 24-17, in a brutal late collapse where a so-very-stout defense was simply run into the ground by the patience of Minnesota running back Darius Taylor. They lost, as 11th-ranked USC’s offense couldn’t mount any downfield threat despite the valiant efforts of Woody Marks. And they lost, just the same as they’d fallen to Michigan, on another fourth-and-1 stand where a push came just shy and hearts broke on USC’s sideline. It’s a loss that will haunt USC, more deeply than a valiant effort that came up short against Michigan, falling to a now-3-3 Minnesota… Read more »
The team is getting better but they wasted 2 years holding onto Grench. I think that they would be much further along if they had never brought him over here in the first place.They could have went out and gotten a really great DC from the start. LR has proven that he is able to draw great coaches to his program.
After losing to the Gophers, I wonder what the damage will be to the USC recruiting efforts. How many are considering going elsewhere watching the Trojans colapse like they do.
Great point Steveg. The portal is not recruiting. LR seems to confuse the two. The portal is generally a stopgap measure for 1 or 2 year players. Recruiting is attracting, getting and KEEPING young players and developing them. The Bear A situation, as weird as it is/was, won’t help with the portal stuff that LR seems to want to live on.
I don’t think LR is confused with the portal like you say, but it has helped the USC football cause in the last couple of years. He still chases high schoolers all over the country.
Actually, SC hasn’t player badly. They are 2 plays away from being 5-0. They have fought hard in every game. They haven’t been blown out.
If you mean better than they were three years ago then ok. The defense is better than last year but bad tackling and bad angles keep popping up at the worst times. Receiver’s are worse, can’t get open and keep dropping catchable passes. Offensive line is getting worse with nothing in the pipeline. Head coach can not recruit either line, has bad clock management and can not figure out how to motivate his team.