USC Report Card

Here are the grades for the Washington State debacle:

RESULT: Washington State 10, No. 25 USC 7

RECORD: 1-1, 0-1

TEAM GPA: 1.9

QUARTERBACK

Lane Kiffin threatens to make a decision. Wonder if he will announce it.

D-

RUNNING BACKS

Ironic that USC’s top tailback is a converted linebacker.

B+

WIDE RECEIVERS

Where is Nelson Agholor? Or Darreus Rogers? Whatever happened to the tight ends? Marqise Lee is getting the Robert Woods treatment this season.

D-

OFFENSIVE LINE

What is hard to understand is how Lane Kiffin said this was a much-improved group from last year.

C

DEFENSIVE LINE

A position that is actually living up to expectations.

A-

LINEBACKERS

Might sound strange but I’ve expected a little more in terms of big plays here.

B+

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Josh Shaw did a nice job at cornerback but the defense needed to score to win this game.

B

SPECIAL TEAMS

Is John Baxter still the best special teams coach in the country? That’s what we get told constantly by Lane Kiffin.

F

COACHING

The fans have had it. When will Pat Haden?

F

20 thoughts on “USC Report Card

  1. Defense gives up only 3 points the whole game to a mike leach offense. Your hatred for Kiffin and mission to get him fired is biasing your grades.

    • It has been suggested that Wolf seperate grades as to offense and defense coach.

      Defense gets a A,

      Special teams gets a D because while USC was not helped by special teams, they were not hurt, in that WSU never hurt USC via special teams. Offense gets the “null set” because it doesn’t appear that coaching the offense exists.

      • Special Teams were 0-2 in field goals in a game decided by 3 points. How did they not hurt the team? Wow. Dumbest comment I’ve seen all day.

    • “A Mike Leach Team” somehow makes WSU not really, really sh*tty? WSU sucks and their offense is terrible.

  2. If Kessler doesn’t run in for the score, QBs F. Running backs were the offense A-. Receivers caught what was catchable, bubble screens, B. O line good on the run poor on the pass C average. Defense should get all As for only giving up 3. Special teams inconsistent C- seems fair. Coaching Defense A+, Special Teams C-, Offense F.

  3. Some Trojan fans have taken the time to leave condolences regarding the death of UCLA walk-on freshman WR Nick Pasquale. I wanted to just take a minute and say thanks for doing that (Joe Blow, etc).

  4. And the worst is yet to come … wait until this D actually faces some talent ( ASU maybe even Utah St ) it will get torched. That secondary is horrible.
    The offense is the same garbage Goatboy ran after he backstabbed Chow out of his job and USC out of national titles. Hard to believe he can remain so dumb , hasn’t learned a thing.

    • No. The secondary isn’t horrible and will improve game to game.

      The problem is when, and not if, the players give up. I am guessing that while doubts exist they are good for one, maybe tow more games. The conference schedule, plus ND on the road, should put to rest any faith the players have in Lane.

      Lane will not be fired mid season less any unique explosion/implosion.

      Also, a mid season fire might allow Lane to really subotage recruiting, I do not put it past Lane to be vindictive or petty. Does anyone?

      While everyone is screaming that Haden is killing football by not firing Kiffin now, I think you need to be more deliberate. Lane is not a good coach, but he is a sneaky, deceitful, insincere lying liar who lies, he somehow convince Carroll to jettison Chow (and any chance at winning more NCs) and a mid-season firing could explode in the program’s face with back channel lies and innuedos.

      Monte may have failed in college but he is widely respected in elite coaching cirlces, college and pros. If you humiliate his son with a mid-season fire look for Lane to poison recruits and Monte to poison potential coaches.

  5. Offensive coordinator: Grade F- should be fired.
    Defensive coordinator: Grade A- should be given a raise.

  6. Tough to give grades on the QB and Receivers as there are many mitigating factors.
    1) O line did not give QBs a lot of time. Actually its worse than that: they gave inconsistant protection, which meant the QB would never know how much time he really had.

    2) Kiffin did not name a QB, so I suspect they were given less than full time snaps.That impacts both the QB, the Oline as well as the timing for the receivers.

    3) I’m-afraid-I-might-lose mentality from Lane.
    That said, here is how I might grade them

    QB – C-
    WR C-

    By the way, while Agholor did not get any receptions, he did beat WAZZU’s corners that resulting in flags.

  7. Why’s everyone grading the WR’s so high?

    I hate the bubble screens as much as anybody, but if you re-watch the game many of them did NOT even attempt a block on their guy. Watch the play where Lee lost 7 yards. Angolar didn’t even TRY to block his guy!

    We miss Woods…badly. He was better than Lee at adjusting his routes based on what the defense was doing. He blocked well in the running and bubble screen game.

    Also, what the heck happened to “our NFL TE’s?” Kiffin forgot to include them in the game plan…again. A good run game always has the TEs wide open and vice versa.

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