USC Morning Buzz

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Joseph Chen/Daily Trojan

With at least 10 players hurt this week including in Saturday’s scrimmage, it led to Lane Kiffin saying it was because of an increased physical nature in practices.

“With the changing philosophy of how we’re practicing. we’re getting more physical but you can see why we didn’t practice this way (last year),” Kiffin said.

If that is true, could USC sustain this level of practicing on a weekly basis during the season? Wouldn’t there be too many injuries to survive with 75 scholarships?

By the way, I’m not the only media member skeptical that practices were not physical enough last year.

We heard plenty from players and coaches last season that practices were physical last year. And after 2010, when tackling was severely restricted, Kiffin said he would no longer be that cautious.

So he suddenly reverted in 2012? It just seems like another excuse for a 7-6 season. And if physical practices are the reason for the injuries this week, it seems more to prove a point that provide a blueprint for success in 2013.

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  • gillyking

    Time to open the discussion of the role of the S&C coach… It’s a given that the O line was soft last season, Maybe the entire team was/is soft… hence the big injury factor?

    • Ben Factor

      The only meaningful evidence would be injury rates at the other strong programs.

      • Spedjones

        not to sidetrack the great discussion here, but UCLA had suffered through years of terrible injury issues. Just luck that it all changed with a new, S&C coach last year? Injuries happen in football, but proper technique and conditioning certainly do limit them.

        • Cheap seats

          Like who in the past 3 years? Only Brehaut and a some on the OL a the ones I could remember.

  • TrojanFan

    Hey wolfman, your consistent singling out of Kiffin to fuel the vendetta is beyond ridiculous. Please report on player performances and leave the petty behavior out, or get a new job

    More unnamed sources and unanswered questions, typical wolfman!

  • steveg

    Wolf, why persist in showing what a single minded vindictive person you are. I have to agree with all the other posters (except bucket who is on the wrong blog anyway) that you need to start fresh and become a journalist again, if that is possible. I think before long we will all be gone and it will be you with you and bucket here alone. How fun.

  • dtksr1 @dslextreme.com

    Kiffin has got to rotate “everyone of his 1st, 2nd & and more of his 3rd string players c o n s t a n t l y” and get them all ready to play. This begins in spring practice and continues into pre-season & the season. These players have to work their butts off and know they will be playing in the games. Its the only way this team is going to keep its competitve edge in playing physical and have enough players who know what their doing. As for depth in certain positions, it is just as much Kiffin’s fault as it is the sanctions. He could have looked for more linemen who were under the rader but have potential. He could have looked at the junior colleges more just to get this team thru the next 2-years…

    • Ben Factor

      I agree with your assumption that a larger percentage of the roster must play. Since that translates to more minutes for younger players, the implied need is for a simpler system on both offense and defense–one that younger players can master.

      Since a lot of coaches are new, the defensive scheme is new, the blocking scheme may change a lot, the QB will be new, etc., it may not be realistic to spread the minutes around all that evenly. The putative starters have to learn the new schemes, right? That takes reps.

      I think that you’re unfairly critical regarding the recruiting. Kiffin is to blame only in the sense that he was one of the material causes of the poor season. Against the underlying background challenge of the sanctions, all the recruiting problems arose from the poor season, which led to uncertainty about Kiffin’s future and turnover in assistant coaches.

      Don’t forget that the class filled up in July, and it was a world record class in July. There were no more spots, and there were few if any second-tier players in the group. It wasn’t realistic to make a bunch of offers to second-tier players with a full class that averaged over 4.25 stars. No second-tier prospect would have bought the sales pitch. By the time that the decommitments began–BECAUSE OF THE POOR SEASON–it was very late to chase the better second-tier prospects. They committed elsewhere. In addition, it especially hurt that UCLA was having a good season, as got commitments from good, local second-tier players. Ditto for Stanford, ASU, AZ, OSU, but they are not right across town. What was the incentive of those players to switch to USC?

      Kiffin made some poor decisions AS A COACH last year, not as a recruiter. That is the problem, and there wasn’t and isn’t an easy solution.

      It seems like Kiffin’s on a stronger course now, IF Helton has something to contribute and Kiffin lets him contribute it. I reiterate that the best bet is to keep things simple next year, so more young guys have a realistic chance to play competently, because they will be needed. Last year, many veterans were too confused to “play fast”, so it had to be worse for the young guys.

  • TrojanFamily

    Bah. Who cares? We want to know who is calling the plays and how many Euros he gets!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/charles.bucket.3 Charles Bucket

    “wah-wah-wah!!! wolfman is out to get kiff!!! wah wah wah, wolfman is on a vendetta!! wah wah but we hang on wolfman’s every post like our crummy lives
    DEPENDED on them!!”

    at least in the old days the Nabobs made interesting points and some
    funny comments…this current group of Dummies is all about man on man sexxx
    scenes, scatalogical fantasies and whining!!!! ugh!

    look, you trOXans suck! get used to it! embrace it!! the “Champeeen-less Dynasty” is gone forever!!

    bruins are smarter, faster, better and gosh darn it, people like us!!!

    (chortle)

    oh god im starving…heading out to catch the champagne brunch at Angelos!!!

    • TrojanFan

      If you don’t like what’s cooking then leave the kitchen, and may the door hit you on the way out.

      Sounds like the old brain is letting you down again, lame a$$ troll

    • TrojanFamily

      If people liked you, Chuckles, then why do you create fictional characters on here so you can feign praise for your posts?

      • TrojanFan

        The guy has some obvious shortcoming and tries to make up for it, but falls short.

  • TrojanFan

    FYI…. Bucket also posts under the handle “betomas”

    • Old School Trojan

      FYI….TrojanFan also posts under the name “Fucck me in the Asss Real Hard”

      • TrojanFan

        Wow dude!….you started a new handle just to post a coded love message to bruinrob, how special!

    • Ted

      FYI….Trojanfan also post as Bucket, Sped, Bruinrob, Joe Blow, Thaimex etc…

      • TrojanFan

        FYI….Ted also posts as Bucket, Sped, Bruinrob, Thaimex, betomas etc…touche!

  • Trojanpete

    Aren’t we down to 65 this year?

  • Bill

    Just come to the realization that SuC is now a girl’s beach volleyball and water polo school! SuC On!

  • Golden Trojan

    Injuries are due to a lack of talent at this level, lack of proper conditioning, poor technique and/or lack of proper timing of practice intensity.