How much has Jim Mora’s star risen because of USC’s failure? As I mentioned last week, UCLA recruiting classes have equaled zero Pac-12 titles. But Mora was 3-0 against USC entering this season, which I suspect explains a large part of his popularity. But the real reason for the dominance was Brett Hundley. He might not have been a pure passer but Hundley’s foot speed gave USC fits. Just ask USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast, who could not stop him in 2013.
Josh Rosen might be a better pro prospect but Hundley was a force on the college level and that is also what sets Sam Darnold apart.
The ship has been rights = in fact the fleet is on full speed ahead against the marxist-leninst glbt pc school – Hillary clipped bel-air tech for a cool $300K……maybe they’d be better served spending more on a full 100 yd football practice field ‘on campus.’
The past is prologue the future is more than bright and all the trolls who scurry around here know it – Altford is your idea of a great coach? Altford?
Mora is headed for a tough year next year and not just from USC and Stanford – WA St. is ramping up fast and they and AZ St. are two road games for them.
Alvarado talking glbt’s makes me hungry for avocado on a blt.
A Guac., Lettuce, Bacon, and Tomato on toast, mmmmm.
This guy gets it.
Dear SW and TROLLS,
USC 40
UCLA 21
too soon.
Sorry bro. Your buddies won’t stop running their mouths.
No worries, you guys won. Own it.
Well let’s give Sammy boy credit for getting one Bozo U fact correct.
We never say Bozo U was voted 1/6 of FB NC in 1929.
#3Outta4
#SanctionsOverForYearsNow
UCLA should’ve ran away with the South and more since 2010. SC is saddling up the horses and our numbers are getting stronger. Too much talent, and no egotistical sideshows like Kiff and Sark to hold us back. Pendergast had the the #1 Defense in the conference before Sark gave him the boot. We’re gonna turn some heads!
Since 2010? What are you talking about sas? The ruins stunk under Neuheisel.
That was Kiffins 1st season. They’ve had the opportunity to take over the PAC 12 and haven’t.
You forget how wretched they were back then. Mora really has been a miracle worker reviving that dead program. But they have reached their ceiling. They are kind of like ASU- pesky but not a serious national power.
A fair assessment. I agree.
What color is the Victory Bell presently?
Brown, like your shorts.
Great comeback!
UCLA 10 – Bozo U 7 for the NC.
Not a single mention was made about the sanctions contributing to Mora’s success, even in a small way?.. Ignorance is not alway bliss
Let’s just list the jobs Mora has turned down in the last couple of years
Texas
Ohio State
49ers
Pope
President
UW and Texas.
I think Mora’s on the hotseat this season. IMO.
He’s not, he’d need to repeat this season for his seat to get warm going into next year. Without some sort external issue there is no way we fire him after this year.
Scenario…
If UCLA goes 8-4 in the regular season and loses to USC, Stanford, ASU, A&M? Misses the Pac12 title game. Does Mora keep his job?
Yes, but the seat will be toasty going into 2017. Remember Sam, I don’t come to a USC site to beat my chest about my alma mater, I come to discuss football in a civil and realistic manner and with that out of the way, let me say this: UCLA is not USC when it comes to football, nor will we ever be, the expectations are entirely different. Jim Mora has certainly raised expectations at UCLA and everyone is on board, we are making investments in the program that no other UCLA coach ever enjoyed (facilities, highly compensated assistants, private jets for recruiting, etc.) and the results are slowly following. This year was the first year we took a step back and although some are concerned, these expectations are new enough where there is still patience. Whoever coaches at USC will never have that luxury, if that makes sense.
Gee Sammy boy, shouldn’t you be worried that Bozo U won’t go 6 – 6.
Inexperienced QB, with what 3 mins of game experience, 27 Receivers and 1 Ball. LOL.
Alabama 41 – Bozo U 3 – a 65 yard prayer FG.
41-3 seems a bit off. I was thinking more 54-10. Helton will likely improve from his 5-4 start as a USC coach and make it too 7-5 and a decent bowl game.
yes, but he may leave on his own then.
Thank you for the honesty!
Helton was 5-4 as a head coach with USC so a 7-5 record is the more likely scenario.
i take it you’re a bruin who doesn’t remember what Clay Helton did to Jim Mora in the November?
Noel Mazzone did that to Jim Mora.
I like Kennedy Polamalu and I think Josh Rosen’s a good QB and will only get better, but I think they may bump heads this season.
I can’t wait to find out!
Yes, he keeps his job because he beats SoCal.
I hope you are going to church on Sunday’s, because SC is going to stomp the **** out of UCLA.
But he wasn’t fired for alcoholism. nor was he one of 6 HFBC in three years at Bozo U – Western Ky’s West Coast campus.
If Mora wants to run for president, that’s OK with me. If he runs against Hillary or Bernie, I’ll vote for him. He couldn’t possibly do any worse of a job than our beloved mr. O.
God?
The hiring of Kiffin and Sark contributed to Mora’s success.
Who’s Sam Darnorld, never seen him play, is he good, really good or Cam Newton good.. .
#Justasking
Youtube is your friend….I suggest that you use it…..
Hey youtube has that great <2 minute clip of two cartoon gals discussing Sam Gilbert and Wooden – funny – best is the last hit towards Paterno
You can probably find all his #Natty highlights there too.. .
#lol
Hmmm gutless, cowardly, pathetic, egotistic – go woodie
Alvarado, I challenge you to find a single person outside of USC who seconds that viewpoint of Wooden.
Tarkanian was savaged by Wooden who went to the Pres. of CSULB pressuring him to discharge Tarkanian
Wooden never ever faced the 4th estate – Gene Bartow stood up to Gilbert and his life was threatened by Gilbert – that is the reality of what was ignored by the press.
Your reaction is no different than any fan or follower of some former idol that got found out long after the celebration and applause ended. Paterno comes to mind, Joe DiMaggio another one, if this PED scandal grows and leads back to Manning the same.
Wooden never ever chose to ‘..play the man ‘ It was never a part of whatever he was –
Wooden came way before my time, but the only people that ever have a negative thing to say about him seem to be from USC. Otherwise, he seems to be universally respected and admired (especially by Pete Carroll). Paterno, PED users and the like are very rarely if ever put in the same sentence as Wooden.
That’s the consensus here I don’t question that it doesn’t mitigate what happened while he was HC – there was never any serious investigation in that 10 year period when many sports writers were aware of what was being condoned and ignore – Doug Krikorian for one
Funny how the relationship between the media and the subject has changed over time.
This election is getting interesting.
Watch the Circus, Sundays on Showtime. Great inside coverage and Heilman and Halperin are the two best in the business.
Doug K….LB Press-Telegram….yet another barfly all too happy to have his adoring readers buy him a drink or two. …
He told me Gilbert threatened his life re. a column he was set to print at the old H-E back in 1970 – he knew Gilbert could do it and the article never got published.
You should really read up on Tark. Wooden was neither the saint many think he was, nor the devil some on the board claim him to be. However, much of his “aura” is inconsistent with the facts that have been well documented. IMO He was what he was; a college basketball coach. All D1 coaches are experts at maintaining plausible deniability. Not a crime (in most cases), but certainly not a resume for sainthood either.
Wooden beat Bozo U 52 straight times. Commie Succ hasn’t gotten over it. He thinks Sam Gilbert was a small forward.
Yawn. Where’s my triple Corky?
Commie Succ time to kick Wooden’s in their graves. Hooray for Commie Succ.
Corky, fix ma a triple will ya and step on it. Commie Succ is juicing again needs to kick Nell Wooden around to feel good about himself.
Just saw him on hudl, seems like an athlete playing WR/LB/QB.. .played for San Clemente what league is that in, already better than MBrown??
#Justasking
Can’t wait to see how Helton handles the QB competition.
I’ve seen Darnorld highlights. Very athletic, fearless, loves contact. I’ve watched him run over CB’s instead of going out of bounds. The guy loves to hit, and therefore had some HS injury problems.
He’ll have to change his game somewhat. The little guys he ran over in HS aren’t as numerous in the CFB game. Chances are he get hurt before he gets smart.
And Vince Young’s foot speed gave USC fits, too…..what’s your point?…….if it’s that being a great college QB doesn’t always translate into being a great NFL QB, then I concur……
Hey “Item” Young made Bozo U choka, choka, choka.
Well at least you’ve owned up to the ugly Bozo U secret, Bozo U QB’s SUCC in the NFL. Ask Carson Bomber.
JustEnvy
Jim Mora’s star has not risen – it glimmered during sanctions but he’s already started to fall.
Hundley didn’t win those games by himself.
How many Pac-12 championships and National Championships and Heismans did Hundley win?
The Blogger is trying to create two controversies with this post: Pendergast is not the right DC and Darnold should start over Browne – good luck with that Blogger.
Not to mention musical chairs with the coaches.. .eh, am I right?
The same amount as Barfly and CK ‘O Bounce. Ricky Town will win a NC, right Helen.
Where’s Ricky Town? Where’s Ricky Town?
JustPathetic
Yes Helen is.
How much “had” his star risen, more like. Helton put a stop to that rise in a decisive way.
Outside of sanctions, which obviously had an impact on USC, I think there is an argument to be made that the new money brought in by the TV deal has made the conference as whole more competitive. UCLA is dedicating significantly more resources to football, but so is the rest of the conference (outside of USC, since they’ve always dedicated significant resources to football). I’ve never come here and claimed that UCLA has anywhere near the tradition that USC does in football, but I certainly think the new revenue has closed the gap between USC and everyone else in the Pac-12. The counter argument is that sanctions are 100% to blame and everything will go back to the way it was in due time. Curious what you guys think.
Don’t forget those 3 wins against SC came after 50-0. Those UCLA players that suffered that humiliation brought the wood to SC. Now they are gone, SC is up to speed with scholarships. We’ll see if Helton is up to the task.
I think USC gets everyone best shot because you thrashed everyone for a decade and I still don’t think that’s changed.
Both USC and UCLA are really steamed at what their share of the Pac-12 Network. Both feel and know they should have gotten a lot more than what they have been paid.
There was a lot going on with that deal, which could have been done differently. I’am pretty tight with the banker that negotiated on behalf of the Pac-12 (Alan Gold) and a lot of the structure was put in place thinking Texas was coming, which was why the even slices were imperative. Once Texas pulled out, the other schools were not going to agree to go back to an uneven structure. Regardless of how much money was left on the table, the deal was accretive for every school, including USC.
Oh yeah that’s right! TX, OK, OK St. and TX A&M were going to be brought in w. TX the big prize.
Very glad that never happened but I know there was a strong push for USC and UCLA to bolt the Pac-12 and join with another ‘x’ number of schools in a super conference – also glad that never happened.
The real con job is ‘The Princess’ – never has to play a CCG, a 13th game, plays 5 teams of a 14 team conference and only has to face, on the road, any strong member of the conference (ACC) once every 4+ years.
Egh, I think they play a pretty tough schedule, some years more than others. What will be interesting is a scenario when you have 4 power 5 conference champs with 1 loss and ND with the same.
No the fact they don’t have to face a conference championship game means they rigged the deck in their favor – fewer injuries, fatigue, preparation – all of it – they should be forced to play a 13th game period.
I think if they get left out in the scenario I outlined above, you will see them move to a conference. Until then, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
The problem is there is no move to exclude them – more and more coaches are voicing their displeasure with their con.
I applaud your passion, but excluding ND doesn’t make sense when it comes to dollars and cents and that is what keeps the world spinning.
Agreed but understand they have been offered membership by: ACC, Big 12, Big 10 esp. by the Big 10 repeatedly and won;t – rather play 5 ACC teams and scatter the other seven to USC, Stanford and the rest.
Big 12 is getting ready to expand with Cincinnati a lock for one of the openings and ‘possibly’ BYU for the other but watching the Big 10 securing an iron in NY metro w. Rutgers the other pick could be CT.
I think the Big 12 holds firm for as long as possible, adding a team now means creating another slice to a fixed pie. I’d expect this to ramp up again when the TV deals come up in a few years.
The egregious nepotism hires of Kiffin and Sark hurt USC. Great talent was squandered by those two incompetents.
With the six losses last year, an unproven quarterback starting this year, player’s questionable development, and an unproven new coaching staff, I see SC not being relevant on the national scene in 2016. Stanford is the bell cow of the conference now. They have the best program from a stability standpoint, best coaches that have been together for years, and mature, smart players that bring it every game.
Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Arizona State, Utah and USC will each be introducing a new starting QB next season. ….If not on the national scene, I still really like our chances in the Pac -12. …..
Lol..
Not to mention next seasons extreme cupcake schedule that westwood gets to play. They will still go 0-3 to start. Oh Bucket, it just feels so good. HAWR HAWR.
#ItAllComesBack…Karma
wow, woIfman, you really broke open the EXCUSE FLOODGATES!!!
John McKay never made so many excuses!!! the facts is, Mora is 3 outta 4 against Southern Cal! the Sanctions were over YEARS ago why are these sissy trOXans STILL using this as a CRUTCH???
I THOUGHT is saw a PUTTY TAT!!!
#Embarrassing
#ExcuseU
“How much has Jim Mora’s star risen because of USC’s failure?”
?
“failure” ???
What a “stupid” statement !
Umm, does “anyone” recall that A.L.L. “all” of UCLA’s “recent” accomplishments “occurred” during “crippling” and “criminal” NCAA “sanctions” against the “USC” Trojan Sports Program ?
Sanctions that would have completely “devastated” any other College Football Program in the Country !!
Fact: “Brain” cells matter and they tend to “decrease” substantially as a Human Being begins to age ! ? !
And combining “alcohol” along with elicit “drugs” are known to cause “dementia” which brings about “total” loss of concentration and competency leading often to institutionalization ! ? !
ThinkOn
At first when Jim Mora beat USC he had everyone’s attention. The 2nd time we thought he was for real. 3rd time we were like damn get him out of LA. But along the way he’s loss EVERY BIG GAME. Beating USC on sanctions looks like just a few wins over a beaten up program now when you step back and look at the big picture. He’s an average coach who was riding the highs of beating a rival (on sanctions). NOTHING MORE. Now USC and the quantity of talent are building and Mora will know what USC FOOTBALL is about when they aren’t controlled by handcuffs and a drunken leader. UCLA will get beat this year not only by USC, but they’re gonna struggle a lot more with key players that they’ve relied on the last couple of years. Josh Rosen’s gonna struggle not because he’s not capable of winning (he is talented), but because he won’t have those go to players around like his freshman season. Pendergast will whip this TALENTED group of players into a force to be reckoned with this season. Him being a lazy recruiter is one thing, but when he’s coaching football players with X’s and O’s and preparing and scheming for opposing offenses he led USC to the #1 defense in the conference. By the way we have more talent than when he was hear two years ago. There’s too much talent all across the board and now the depth will factor in helping. USC is gonna be drama free. Callaway’s better than Connelly, Pendergast is better than Wilcox. Those two areas of teaching are gonna be a huge part in our season. We’re gonna SMASH ON UCLA. And then some!
Honest question, do you think the last several years is the result of USC regressing (sanctions), the rest of the conference progressing, or somewhere in between?
I would go with “coaching musical chairs”.. .
#AmIright
I’ll be perfectly honest and say somewhere in between. We did the crime we had to do the time. But those 30 less scholarship were devastating and were a big part of our downfall. Look at Vanderdoes, Massington, Payton, Duarte (wanted to an offer from SC badly) and Fitts. Those guys most likely are Trojans if we never have sanctions, and then there’s all the kids we had to pass on or just missed. The depth and talent level took a blow during our time on sanctions. Not saying SC would be winning NC’s, but when other schools were signing 25 or 26 man classes we could only sign 13 and 15 players. That’s a huge reason.
Kiffin brought in 31 right before the sanctions began.
Doesn’t matter we had too many transfers that allowed that, which is why we played games with only 45 scholarship players.
Here is where I think a little delusion has set in. Just because a player went to UCLA and panned out, doesn’t mean he wanted to go to USC. Vanderdoes, was a 5 star prospect with offers from everyone, your telling me USC told him he couldn’t come? Didn’t Pat Haden offer his sister a basketball scholarship personally, as a sweetner?
No. Our 2012 season was a reflection of our number in players depth and scholarships. We had basically one team. A first team. No backups. It was an open topic. The media, broadcasters and commentators knew USC were only playing about 26 regular players. We had transfers left and right.
My point is less numbers led led to LOSING. That’s the only reason Vanderdoes jumped ship were the #1 team in the nation and lost games. We couldn’t even offer Kenny Clark (a mistake by the way). Fitts wanted to be a Trojan so bad his whole life, but his HS coach played his parents against USC and Fitts has even said he wishes he would’ve taken the blue shirt. Sanctions bro. All sanctions.
Well, we will certainly see in the years to come. I do not question that sanctions had a negative impact on USC and considering the zero-sum nature of athletics the rest of the conference benefited. With that being said, I think there was a perfect storm effect with the new TV money that encouraged everyone else to invest in their program the same way USC had done for decades, creating a much more competitive conference.
The Conference competitiveness has risen over the last few years. I think Colorado and Oregon State are probably the teams that haven’t made much progress lately. The teams are improving their football facilities and stadiums which also help in recruiting talent.
How can that be when Kiffin took 31 recruits in February 2011? The sanctions didn’t bite until after 2012. If anything, they had the greatest impact this year with a lack of seniors.
Once again, Amen.
Oh, you mean like Mique Jaurez? Why did you pass on him?
If I recall he bit**ed out and said USC’s LB depth was an issue.
Ding ding ding.
Oh well we got WOLE!
doesnt Mique know that at SC its about competition ???you are not given the spot , you earn it …so much for self confidence
He was scared off by Osa Masina, John Houston, Porter Gustin, Cam Smith. Plain and simple. He chose the “easiest” path to playing time and SC signing three 5-Star LBs and a 4-Star was just too much of a mental head start for him to overcome. Oh well. We only want kids who want to COMPETE!
NYC Bruinn a combo of both i think ….sanctions hurt the program , recruits went elshwere there were transfers getting out and the PAC did get better …
Sanctions, the ultimate Bozo U excuse, leading to other excuses, to pile on other excuses. Reggie took the $$$$$$$, whine to Reggie.
And it’s lost not loss. You’re starting ape “Items” poor enquish skills. Sammy and “Item” sitting in a tree……
JustSnot
Are you trying to become another Helen with all the predictions?
Now, don’t go all TINO on us.
Don’t go all gee nerd on us, gee nerd sock puppet.
We haven’t had numbers. Helton’s no David Shaw, but he made upgrades at the OL and DC areas of his staff those were terrible for us last year. We have the talent. The recruiting classes will kick in now.
Amen.
The SC-UCLA games that I watched in 2013 and 2014 had less to do with Hundley and more to do with the fact that they were much more physical than us. In 2015, we were more physical than them and we won the game.
haha, are we comparing Darnold to Hundley? Crazy trogans.
A decade of being whipped up on takes time to unwind. Mora’s doing fine. He just landed the #1 LB class, again, and the #2 WR class (behind SC). Rosen will be far more deadly than Hundly was, and barring major injuries (EV, Jack etc.) like last season, UCLA will be better than SC next year without question.
Considering Helton has a 5-4 record as a USC head coach I would say the firing of a National Champion like Lane Kiffin was a huge mistake. That saying, a 7 win season is not out of the question, which would make a fun bowl game.
Scott, if Hundley was the difference, as you say he was playing USC, then why didn’t that school across town win more games and at least a conference championship with him as QB? Is USC the worst sucker defense-wise trying to stop a DT QB in the PAC-12?