Morning Buzz: Is USC Improving Every Week?

darnold-utahClay Helton said he believes his team keeps getting better.

“The biggest thing for me as a head coach is, ‘Are we improving game to game?’ Did we improve from Alabama to Stanford? Did we improve from Stanford to Utah? I see that improvement. Now, I’m a realist, too. We lost those three games to good teams, and we expect to win.”

I would agree for two reasons: 1. Sam Darnold is now playing quarterback. 2. The opponents have gotten worse each week.

But you also need to ask if the offensive line is getting better? Is the defense improving? Can there be a game where a glaring coaching decision is not influencing the game? When those things change for the better, then USC might be a team to reckon with.

82 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: Is USC Improving Every Week?

  1. It pains me to type this…. I see another loss vs. ASU. They’re 4-0! If you watched the second half of their game, Graham made adjustments and put Kal away! ASU defense made the difference! Our staff makes zero adjustments. We’ll see what Helton brings to the game! He keeps talking about improving each week!
    Don’t just tell me Helton! Show me!

  2. ASU is one of the few games Gomer has a chance to win … if he can score. Little to no chance of winning any road game and all other PAC teams can score … a lot!
    Gomer doesn’t beat ASU , he may not win again this year.

  3. Hope Swannie is spending Sunday’s vetting coaches … he is going to need a new one very soon

  4. Darnold is going to substantially change the Offensive dynamic. That was an enormous improvement. But the defense was unacceptable against Utah. Utes had 456 yards of total offense, 30 first downs, and almost 38 minutes of ball possession. Extrapolating that defensive performance to better offensive teams than Utah, and we are looking at teams scoring 40 or more.

    • I agree about Darnold and the defense being unacceptable. With regards to the numbers I would only say that they were inflated by a singular set of turnovers. The turnovers had your defense back on the field repeatedly and you were getting a snowball effect. Had ‘SC turned the ball over like that against Stanford and Bama, the officials would’ve called for a continuous clock in the 2nd half. Instead, they did it on the road in one of the tougher venues in the Pac 12 and basically overcame it. The team I saw the first 3 games wouldn’t have been in that game at the end.

    • Utah’s DL averaged only 270-275 lbs. We won’t be seeing that again. Any more USC DL or LB injuries and the party is officially over for the Gomer Brigade.

    • The offense didnt help either by turning the ball over 3 times. Which gave the utes more reps amd more time od possession. Our running game has improved and juju finally showed up. I know we are in a hole but i still believe the season can be salvaged.

  5. Are the players getting better? Yes. Are the coaches getting better? No. And therein lays the problem with USC.

        • Horrible answer as always. But keep giving it the old college try, Helen…by the way, we didn’t see you after Friday’s loss, what happened?

          • Where were you last night wimpy little gutty? At your Troll meeting I’m sure, celebrating another fantastic bruin collapse. It was beautiful the way Rosen and you creeps folded, as we all predicted. Hah, hah, hah.

          • Again, you still think I’m a UCLA fan? I guess that’s USC “intelligence” for you. Hah, hah, hah.

          • Typical bruin Troll. Too stupid to come up with your own words. 22-13; 9-0. Hah, hah, loser. Eat dirt punk.

          • Jack…please watch the Alabama loss over and over again….which bad bowl are you going to go to this year? Las Vegas? San Francisco? Who is the loser now? 🙂 bahahahaha

          • Joining a troll fest on Friday night – no thanks. I didn’t know you were so much in love with me that you missed me… this is a USC blog, not a dating service.

          • Nah it’s more of a realist fest, but keep thinking that USC still has a good football program. Actually, you seem to be in love with Scott because you come on here all the time. Maybe you can start up a USC dating service?

          • I am in love with the Blogger. There’s something about men and women with DSD that I find attractive.

            … and I also have my eye on you Fred.

          • nah Helen, I find someone who doesn’t post on her real name and only on blogs and never shows up after USC losses to not really be someone you want to be around…

          • Ha, that’s funny Chuckie coming from the gold standard in faux troll personalities. Sounds like you want to hook up with me?

            Once you go Red, you’ll never break bread with another.

      • BH is a talented kid, the Pac has developed some good qbs in the past 15 years, but we have to admit Ucla hasn’t developed quality qbs in that same span. USC, Cal, Oregon, Stanford, ASU and UofA and the Washington schools have had better success, even if the qb’s lifeline in the nfl has been short for some, they have at least had game action at the next level.

        • Gollom Wolf hasn’t developed a quality Chewwy costume in the last 15 years. Perhaps you need to invest in something that doesn’t rip when you sit down, Gollom Wolf.

  6. Was a real eye opener to see our defense get pounded both on the ground and through the air. Wow. Clancy better switch up his defense some because whatever we were trying to execute against UTAH wasn’t the correct scheme for them.

    Thank God for Darnold. He opens up a whole new world. Too bad our D couldn’t have done its part and given him his first win, which he really deserved.

    Improvement on D? You must be kidding. Total exposure against a mediocre offensive team is more like it.

    • Winning cures all, Helton just doesn’t get it. He conditioned himself to keep thinking the team has improved weekly, regardless of him being a coach and viewing countless tapes on rewind, the truth is how the team plays in live game action. 5 decades of watching USC football, this is by far the worse demonstration of collective game management and team execution.

      • Agree entirely. The closest I can remember to this level of incompetency is Hackett, He came to SC as a.40% winning coach. He was a 50% winning coach at SC, and recruit quality clearly declined during his years. Imagine how bad this will be if coaching staff does not change, and recruit quality begins to decline.

        • I have been watching the kids who have endorsed USC for the next signing period, so far no drops, still time, The team needs to win 5 of 8, I truly doubt it happens. Seeing some coaches being dismissed this morning, my thinking is Swann may be more willing to make a change should the season continue to slide away.

          • Yes, the recruit interest so far doesnt seem to be impacted. I hope that Swann looks critically at the DC position over the next few weeks.

          • We have to remember Pendergast had to retool his rotations with Osa and Hill no longer on the team, some on D have limited game experience at the next level. The 17 class has some potential stars for the D.

          • Baaa haaa .. The ucla troll is a fixture on the wack off circle.. Harder Harder .. FO you POS p#unk ..

          • Gollom Wolf is melting down again! I wonder what his next sock puppet will be called after he gets banned for the thousandth time?

          • We’re gonna get into a bowl. Heck, even our former players are coming down on the team. These guys will rally and we certainly have too much talent to stave off a losing season, though I think we’ll still lose 6 reg season games. That’s probably Gomer’s goal!

          • Nope unlike you who wacks off to Mora’s photo .. Baaaa haaaaa Baaaa haaaa 0-9 against the nerds!

          • Gollom Wolf returns to his familiar theme that always gives him away despite the various sock puppets.

        • I am also a 1967 grad of the Business School. There was some mediocre seasons with Ted Tolner, and Larry Smith at his end. Hackett was inadequate for sure. He had some good talent which Pete used to turn around that first season. Keeping Orgeron on his staff, and hiring Norm Chow while dumping Hue Jackson was a major factor. Helton brings in his brother, retread Pendergast, low level Bradford, and uses Udeze with no experience at all. JMHO.

      • Unfortunately, losing has become acceptable to us. Helton pretty secure with his long term contract

        • Blame Nikias. He hired Gomer, with the complete support of the BOTs. Haden stood by and let it go down because he’s a schmuck and was on the way out. This was all Nikias’ idea.

          It all starts at the top. Gomer was always just an unqualified lame giftee. Nikias was just looking for someone who wouldn’t cause a public fiasco of some sort. Little did he know he’d have the worst USC team since the Hackett days on his plate.

          • And you have finished 0-301 in Best Chewwy Costume Contests, Gollom Wolf. Oh well there is always October!

          • Oh the little sissy gutty is awake, poor little gutty poor boy22.. Guess what, ruins still suck eggs! Baaaa haaaa 0-9 .. Beat it chump!

          • Gollom Wolf, did you ever go to sleep last night after your last place finish in the Best Chewwy costume contest? I hear you were distraught and had to be physically restrained from jumping into Baltimore Harbor.

      • So sorry you didn’t win last night at the Baltimore Comic Con, Gollom Wolf.But would that have cured your psycotic condition? I doubt it.

  7. I couldn’t even get a sense of the team with an offense that just didn’t function. Now that we have our QB set I think we’ll be able to better judge improvement week to week. Any improvement I’ve seen so far is directly tied to finally naming the right starter at QB. Ask me this in 3 weeks.

      • Can you fire your costume designer for your 0-301 start in Best Chewwy Costume Contests at Comic Cons, Gollom Wolf?

    • If ND beats SC in the Coli now, after losing to DUKE and firing their DC, how’s Gomer gonna handle that? He’ll say he saw improvement and that Swann totally supports his lame duck tactics and staff.

  8. Good luck to Cody Kessler, who will be making his first NFL start today. Needless to say the Blogger never saw this coming.

    Meanwhile, Brett Hundley continues to carry clipboards instead of footballs.

      • It helps when you get drafted in round 3 by a team that needs you instead of round 5 by a team that doesn’t. Duh.

        Nice choke job last night little gutty. We all knew you had in it you. 9-0 crumbcake. So cool to see the Johnny Morton Corner get re-indoctrinated to ucla’s losing big-game tradition. 22-13. 9-0. Crying ucla parents with pizza stains all over them. Hah, hah, hah

      • Face it Derf, UCLA is just not a good football team, and I’m not sure they’re ever going to be a good football team.

    • Hey the Dr. Rachel Maddow of Inside USC is back only 2 days after a loss. That’s a record for you. Congratulations!

  9. The only thing improving, are the chances of Clay Helton getting fired before the end of the, season.

  10. Quarterback play has improved
    Wideouts are not dropping balls anymore
    Running backs have improved
    DBs seem improved
    O- Line play– Running plays worked better; only one sack on the quarterback
    D-Line play– Knocked around on running plays; Utah has an experienced and big O-Line, so maybe the Line is not as dead as some believe
    Coaching?– I can see punting on 4th and 3 when ahead in the 4th quarter, but not punting in the 4th quarter when behind by 3 scores… No false start penalties in a noisy stadium… 11 guys, and not 8, played every down.– If you blame the coach(es) for those mistakes, then we perhaps we should credit them for the improvement.

    • Biggie has not been improving and he just may be too slow for a DB and should move to Safety. That interference call on 3rd down on the last drive cost USC the win. He’s starting to remind me of Hawkins.

      The LBs have yet to improve. Smith has played well but needs help.

      If not for the fumbles the game would not have been within reach on the last drive.

      Punting on 4th down was the right thing to do – making Utah go the length of the field as opposed to half the field if they failed to convert was smart.

  11. This team is definitely improving each week. I don’t think its any surprise that USC is 1-3 given this schedule. Losses to #1, #5 and another top 20 team. No matter who coached this team, it would be 1-3. Baed on the schedule, the next 5 games could/should be wins and we will be 6-3. All this talk about firing Helton is ridculous and would just add to the disfunction of the past several years. We need STABILITY and Helton brings that. With patience the wins will come. These coaches are proven recruiters and will improve as game day coaches. Accept another season of mediocrity and I would predict good things for next year as Helton gets better and this talented group of Freshman step up.

  12. Yes they did play better as a team but not a champion team. Long way to go to get to a champion team. The coaches did not improve a whole lot. The O line is still a mixed bowl of flower not sure what the chef wants to bake? Why do we not have a pass rusher??????? Can’t we develop one??? Does any one on the D staff know how to teach pass rushing???? I blame this loss on Helton bad move to punt……..
    Fight ON

  13. The HC, Helton is improving week to week in his ability to spin the play of the heartless players!

    #Atleastsomeoneisimproving!

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