Five questions: USC enters its spring game with sky-high hype and anticipation
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — Almost six months ago, in his first official introduction as USC coach, Lincoln Riley stared out across an empty Coliseum and made a bold promise.
“This place is going to be full,” Riley proclaimed. “This place is going to be the mecca of college football.”
Mecca won’t be built in a matter of months. But we’ll finally catch a glimpse of the progress when USC takes the field Saturday at noon for what’s surely the most anticipated spring game in program history.
That anticipation has been building ever since Riley’s stunning hire in November, so much so that ESPN will broadcast the scrimmage nationally, making USC’s the only spring game to get such exposure. The school is doing its part, too, to capitalize on that enthusiasm, making tickets free to fans in hopes of turning an otherwise glorified practice into a spring football extravaganza, complete with carnival games, food trucks, photo ops and giveaways.
That’s all just window dressing, of course, to what most fans will come out or tune in to see — tangible, firsthand proof that Riley is righting the ship at USC.
The Trojans’ new coach knows they won’t wait long for those expectations to be met.
“People, as you learn, particularly in this town, they want to support winners,” Riley said this week. “They want to support excellence. They want to support success. We understand that. We don’t shy away from that.”
None of that will be clear after a single scrimmage. But after a spring of closed practices, the spring game should offer some answers to the many questions we still have about USC football at the start of a new era.
How many fans will show up?
USC football players enter the field before a game against BYU at the Coliseum on Nov. 27, 2021. (Ashley Landis / AP)
By the end of last season, vast swaths of empty bleachers became the sad norm at the Coliseum. So how much can hiring a new coach fill those seats before a single game has been played?
Riley wasn’t about to venture a guess, while others at USC remain unsure of what to expect from the crowd Saturday. Everyone involved understands a strong turnout would set an important tone for a program that’s desperate to lay a new foundation with fans.
“There’s a lot of energy around this program right now, a lot of excitement,” Riley said. “I think they’ve really had an extremely positive spring, and with that and all the momentum with the program, I know it would mean a lot to our guys to have a great, energetic crowd. That’s what we expect, just like they expect things out of us.”
So what’s fair to expect? Hard to say. But the last pre-pandemic spring game held at USC managed a measly attendance estimated around 2,000.
Suffice to say, USC should have no problem clearing that low bar, at least.
How does Caleb Williams look at the helm of USC’s offense?
Caleb Williams makes a pass during spring practice at USC. (Gina Ferazzi/LAT)
No one steps into a brighter spring game spotlight than USC’s new quarterback. All eyes will be on Williams as he takes the reins of a remade Trojan offense. Though how much we’ll actually see of Riley’s new scheme is still unclear.
“Probably not much,” Williams conceded this week.
We should, however, see plenty of what makes Williams a preseason Heisman contender and one of the most talented passers in college football. His dual-threat skill set is unlike any USC has ever seen at the quarterback position. And with a season already under his belt in Riley’s offense, it’s fair to expect the sophomore will be even better than he was a year ago, when he first captivated the college football masses.
Reviews from teammates and coaches have been glowing so far this spring. Expect that hype train to pick up speed.
What’s the hierarchy at receiver?
WR Brenden Rice makes a catch during a spring practice on March 24. (Mark J. Terrill / AP)
As USC’s new receivers coach, Dennis Simmons couldn’t be any more clear at the start of spring. The race within the receiving corps, he explained at the time, was “wide open,” with every role available for the taking.
Details of that competition have been scant since. But clarity could be coming Saturday, as USC puts its current pecking order at the position on public display.
Mario Williams, a former five-star prospect who came with Riley from Oklahoma, seems assured of a role as one of USC’s lead outside receivers. The same could be said for Colorado transfer Brenden Rice, whose size and skill set have seemed to set him apart so far this spring.
It’s a muddled depth chart beyond that, with returning receivers like Gary Bryant Jr., Tahj Washington, Kyle Ford and Kyron Ware-Hudson and transfer Terrell Bynum all standing out at various points of the spring. Riley has said he plans to play at least eight receivers, and each of those candidates should get a chance Saturday to separate themselves.
Is Korey Foreman rounding into form?
DL Korey Foreman lines up for a play during the second half against WSU on Sept. 18, 2021, in Pullman, Wash. (Young Kwak / AP)
The former No. 1 overall recruit missed the start of spring due to a knee injury. Upon his return, he’s said all the right things about putting a frustrating freshman season behind him.
But last season raised questions about his development that have yet to be answered, including his capability on early downs and against the run. His extended spring absence also means he’s a few steps behind Auburn transfer Romello Height for the time being. Height, meanwhile, has been one of the standouts of camp, according to USC coaches, as his speed off the edge matches exactly what defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is looking for in an edge rusher.
Talent has never been a question for Foreman, but Riley has made clear he doesn’t care about recruiting pedigree. Foreman is going to have to earn his place over the next several months, starting Saturday.
How will USC’s new transfers transform both sides of the ball?
LB Shane Lee returns an interception against MISS ST during the first half in Starkville, Miss., on Nov. 16, 2019. (Rogelio V. Solis / AP)
Count on hearing a lot of new names. That starts, of course, with Caleb Williams, but also extends deeper into the backfield — with transfer backs Travis Dye and Austin Jones — and receiver room — with Rice, Bynum and Mario Williams.
Offensively, we could be talking about a revamped arrangement of playmakers, reconstructed entirely through the transfer portal.
Even still, the starkest differences could still be on the defensive end, where USC was largely listless last season.
No player has received more effusive praise this spring than linebacker Shane Lee, the Alabama transfer. Lee was a freshman All-American in 2019, but never quite recaptured that early success in the two seasons that followed. He hasn’t had that problem at USC, where it took only a few weeks for him to establish himself as a difference-maker.
Similar high praise has been heaped on transfer cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who’s unlikely to play Saturday.
“He’s a dog. He’s a leader,” sophomore corner Prophet Brown said of the senior, who previously played at Colorado. “He’s just what we needed, an older guy to come in and lead us young guys.”
latimes.com
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Somewhere down below I mention that the last edition of the spring game was a bore. I finished my honey do project and watched the second half of the spring game. I was impressed. They were tackling really tackling. They were blocking and running and actually competing for points. I heard the coaches talking to the team and there were no time worn platitudes being spewed.
I will have to stop comparing this team to any other, but especially Helton. They were nothing like the teams before them.
Portal Mania!
May 1 is the deadline for players to enter the portal and still be eligible to play this fall.
The transfer portal is going to get wildly busy here over the next week, with USC one of the busiest schools in the nation.
Today’s 2-hour USC Promo Show on ESPN will do nothing but help.
That was refreshing. There was competence. Seriousness. Organization. Discipline. Effort. Toughness. I didn’t expect to learn much about what this team will do in the fall from an Xs/Os standpoint. But those were the things I wanted to see. A lot has been accomplished in a short amount of time under LR. Much more to do, and more talent and depth still needed, but we’re hitting our marks.
Rock, I liked the crisp tackling. I have not seen that level of quality tackling in years. I cannot recall a blown tackle – something that happened regularly in the past.
I was happy to see full speed tackle football. Definitely an improvement from years past. There is reason to have hope for the future.
Very impressive USC football presentation today.
Fantastic PR.
Everything just looks so much better than what we had to get used to.
Agreed. Wonderful PR. And, the team looked much improved over anything we have seen in the Spring for the last six years. I really liked that LR was clear that we have about 60 players on the roster and we have room for a lot more. And, I think he held back a lot of the O (for obvious reasons). A really good size crowd (reminded of regular season games with The Cat).
What I have seen of Miller Moss, he would be starting at most other schools. Very composed and a great arm.
Every RB I have seen has impressed me also. Sure with Forman would get into the game.
Already you can see a new fluidity in the offense, and receivers are actually getting open. I looks like the blocking on the O line is different also, like maybe even good.
There’s definitely a different mojo. I like the looks with the H Back lined up like a traditional fullback. IMO it adds deception.
Pretty good crowd.
It looks like cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and wide receiver Michael Jackson are out for the game. Jerry Rice will be on hand to watch his son. Wonder what other LA personalities and Trojan players from the past will show up. It should be quite a crowd on the sidelines. This should mark the official end of the era of the Cat.
Looking forward to the show today. I have my DVR set. I have the Georgia spring game to watch as well to see how SC compares. This is more exciting than 2001 when PC came on the scene! Interesting take on NILs today in the San Diego UT. http://enewspaper.sandiegouniontribune.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=c127aec4-5a87-40d0-9371-b119b9947005 This part I find most interesting: Tennessee was one of the first to form a collective, called Spyre Sports Group, and landed its first five-star quarterback prospect in two decades who said, cryptically, “they had everything I was looking for.” There’s FUND (Friends of the University of Notre Dame), The Foundation… Read more »
Thanks for the post. The rumor is A&M raised $30 million for this class. The TN QB supposedly got in excess of $5 million. The WSU QB, a transfer from I think D2, got $90,000. TX OL get $50,000. It will be interesting to see if this continues. I think the SC approach is you earn it rather than have it guaranteed. I reported on a site that reported the 5 star true frosh who chose OR over SC based the choice on guaranteed income. Personally, I like SC’s approach. I would not invest in 18 year olds. Much rather… Read more »
The scramble and cutthroat recruiting battles for these upcoming big Portal gets should be enlightening to watch. This is a big stage of the recovery for LR and USC.
Sure expect USC to reel in some promising additions.
The pressure is just on LR at every turn. ✌
This feels like it is the end of August and we are kicking off the season. I don’t care if it is just one half, spring ball, and essentially the beginning of a quiet period, it is USC football that we have been waiting for for a long long time.
Message with photos from friend George Follett who was a DL on the spectacular ’72 NC team. Hard to believe that extraordinarily special group played 50 years ago: Hi Allen: Just a note of possible interest for you. About 10 of us from the 1972 NC team were invited to Spring Practice this past Tuesday, April 19! We were treated like “royalty”, spent time with many of the coaches & most of the players. We were, universally, highly impressed with Coach Riley & his system of accountability for each & every player for each & every action! Hope you’re doing well. Enjoy your… Read more »
What an inspiring time to have the greatest football team of all time come visit a USC practice. LR is into tradition, not just talking about it but showing it off and building it up.
The last televised spring game I watched was a bore. It was maddening. The talking heads never shut up. Plays were going on behind them and there was cheering but no game. It was as if they were being smoke and mirrors for the Trojans. I hope this year is different.
LOS ANGELES—USC’s 2022 spring football game on Saturday, April 23, at noon PT at the Coliseum will feature both a live-action scrimmage that will air on ESPN and a robust fan fest that will include USC poster and T-shirt giveaways, a surplus sale of official USC football team gear, and an opportunity for fans to take the field after the game for photos and player autographs. The event is free and open to all fans. “This is our fans’ lone opportunity to see our football team before they take the field for our home opener on September 3,” said USC… Read more »
Clearly a lot of effort to make tomorrow a big day. I hope anybody who can will show up for the fun. The USC Trojan engine appears to be back and starting to roll down the track!
I hope the game and festivities go well. It’s been a long time since I’ve anticipated a spring game with so many new faces and a lot of optimism. I’ll be watching on ESPN from Northwest Arizona where I reside. Hope to drive over to see a game this year with my son who lives in SoCal. Fight On!