Sunday Night With Clay Helton

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Clay Helton said he “has a lot of faith in Tee Martin and no issue with playcalling.” Helton said “one game does not define our season.”

Asked about the offense’s struggles, Helton said: “You can panic and scrap everything or believe in the men that surround you.” He then said he believed in the men (coaches, players).

His official injury report: Stephen Carr (foot), Chuma Edoga (ankle), Viane Talamaivao (chest), Toa Lobendahn (skin), Jordan Iosefa/Jalen Greene (concussion protocol), Greg Johnson (season-ending shoulder surgery).

70 thoughts on “Sunday Night With Clay Helton”

  1. Helton says he has 2 options: (a) panic, or (b) believe in those who surround him. There is a third option, which has obviously been missing this season, both during games, and during the weeks between games: make the necessary adjustments. How many times have teams coached by Saban, Harbaugh, Petersen, Swinney, Fisher, underperformed so badly?

    • Saban went 6-6 in 07, Harbaugh went 4-8 and 5-7 at Stanford, Petersen went 8-6 in 14 and 7-6 in 15, Swinney went 6-7 in ’10, Fisher’s worst year was 9-4 in ’11. Only Saban in 07 had a team coming out of probation. These guys have had teams play badly and they didn’t panic. Chill ’72. They kept coaching and developing players. This Trojan team will get better.

  2. Lobendahn, Iosfa and Greene should be back Saturday. Rojo, Pittman, and Burnett will be healthier as well. Looking for an angry SC team for the Beavers. How long for Carr, Edoga and Talamaivao?

  3. So Hugs Helton believes in his staff, what a shock. It also probably means he won’t make any changes in said staff unless Swann demands it, which is what I think happens

  4. The good news is that, at least, they realize that there is a problem there if they are mentioning it in the Sunday night conversation. I was beginning to wonder whether they even realized they had a problem.

    • Where does he say he knows there is a problem? He said he has no problem with that moron Martin and his playcalling and they are going to continue to do the same thing. Its SNAFU or FUBAR, you be the judge

      • When I say that he knows there is a problem what I mean is that he is hearing the complaints. I just don’t think that he can continue to ignore the complaints….especially if this continues to happen. He can, but if he does he will soon be looking for a new job.

    • Gomer just happy he has this job … as stunned as we are
      Hell he will never be a HC again, like Suck, unless it’s some dump like Kiffins at

  5. Helton had a perfect scenarios: a Heisman Trophy leading candidate coming, a team that bounced back a year ago from all the adversities. It is a hard script to keep it going.

    If you don’t believe ask Kiffin.

    I am sure Helton is aware of what’s going. He needs to fix it and it falls on Helton. It is his offense and defense. This team is now all Helton.

    He will protect Tee and players on a conference call. That’s ok. But he has to make the necessary adjustments. Otherwise, his seat is hotter than anyone elses. This team was 10-3 last year. An 8-4 is underachieving. I am sure he is aware of that!

    • Without Darnold last year’s team probably would have been 8-4, 7-5. Gomer has no clue, maybe 8-4 makes Swann can him

      • An 8 win teams is an amazing record for most school presidents. That is a mediocre record that keeps academics prior to athletics. It keeps football team to be good enough.

        Having sad that I don’t think 8 win is enough at USC. I also think Helton is a good coach, but he is still figuring it out. I wish he had more experienced coaches around.

        Also remember 7-6 was not enough for Haden to fire the you know him.

  6. I’ve never heard of two teammates accidentally crashing into each other during warm ups and both getting concussions and missing the game. Absolutely one of kind USC football is.

  7. How is it that USC has a season with no bye week?
    Is that S.O.P. In the pac 12?
    Is there always a team with no bye week?
    Why is it that USC PLAYS Stanford early while they are not in school and their only focus is football?

    The Friday night game always seem more like a punishment.
    I understand play anyone any time any where, but a short week coupled with no bye week really seems like a penalty.
    Do the great minds that make up the schedule try and sabotage its own conference? Is there a northern bias?
    Just wondering….

    • How does the Pac-12 start the Rose Bowl champions, on a ‘High School’-like Friday night, on the road, @ 10:30p on the East Coast with a Pre-Season Heisman hopeful on the team? No bye week is a joke. The Pac-12 doesn’t do its Teams any favors.

    • You’re making the assumption here that classes are or have ever been a distraction to SoCal football players.

      • Speaking of distractions! These huge on-the-field interruptions at little gutty games every week…

        I love the record-breaking number of dangerous targeting hits ucla’s players love to intentionally inflict on opponents. Mora’s a master teacher of little gutty dirty play. Are you bruins just trying to get back at everyone for hurting Rosen so bad last season? Get over it.

        You said you’d beat STAN. Now, you gonna predict a little gutty victory over USC? Come on, let’s hear it. Oh, that’s right. Too much time until Nov 18. Wimp.

        Congrats on that STAN game again. I think you set a record for most consecutive losses by any team ever to the Cardinal – 10. And you let ’em hang 58 on you too. Hip hip hooray. Go little gutties, Do the 58!

        • Obviously, Mora is prepared to do anything and everything he thinks he has to in order to keep his job. The part that is somewhere between disgusting and humorous is when he acts surprised that one of his DB’s is called for targeting, shaking his head in disbelief that a ref called a penalty on one of his players for merely launching, with lowered helmet, into the helmet of an opposing player.

          • So true. The little gutty guided missile technique is a textbook video compilation on how to violate every facet of the targeting, throw-them-out-of-the-game penalty. The Chimp always hears no evil and sees no evil but loves to yell plenty of evil. “ucla players targeting? Who? It can’t be? We don’t target at ucla. Head-to-head?” Ya, Chimp. Gotcha.

          • No matter what happens this year, I’ll be somewhat content if Sam out-performs Rosen by a ton and we lay the kind of loss on the brubabes that makes Mora’s seat redhot. He’s not a good guy and it would be great to see him outta college football.
            #ButI’dAlsoLikeAPac12Championship

          • It’s gonna be sweet laying the wood to the dirty little gutties in the Coliseum to end the reg season. We’re gonna break their backs, as usual. Can’t wait.

          • you chumps quit yo cryin’…..its obvious the trOXans are afraid of the brutal hits that are in store for you in Nov……SO TIRED of sissies who can’t take the hits that come with REAL FOOTBALL!! we’re bringing the hammer with us, Bo-YEEEEEEZ!!!!!

            #Buhhhhhhh-BAM!!!!

          • Okay with me —-but it’s a two way street.
            #AndIDon’tThinkYou’reGonnaLikeIt

          • All predictions belong to Jack B.—-forget Utah and the Irish—only the Bruins on his mind!

          • We’re bigger than the Bruins, even now when playing mediocre football we have more important games on our mind and Utah beat us last season and it looks like we’ll have to prepare each week like it’s the last game of the year. 2nd string players should stop worrying about how long they’ll be in the line-up and just kick *ss. The coaches need to push the backup players even more now.

    • must the wolfman explain everything to you dummies??!! The bye week for southern cal is November 25th!! Every other college team has a game on the 25th except the trOXans!! You dummies scheduled the bye week at the end of the season thinking you were a shoe in for the conference title game… Now you just get an extra week before the kraft fight hunger chicken bowl! You have no one to blame except the admins at southern cal!

      #dummiesdoingdumbthings

      • Ted, never think you are up to the task of replacing charlie bucket. You need to go take a nap, now.

        • For once I agree, no one can fill the shoes of Charlie Bucket….But if I were to take a nap, people would die!

      • Ted, Thank you for snarky reply.
        My question was in earnest, I don’t know how the schedule is made.
        I can appreciate snark as much as the next guy but is it really necessary?
        Anyway, thank you sir for the insight on how that the administration is to blame. Blessings to you and your family.

        “Football is not just a matter of life and death; it’s much more important than that”
        😀

  8. This is Why recruiting ranking don’t mean anything. These 4 5 star players are weak.

    • I would not say weak. Many of them are working very hard. The problem is that they don’t seem to be well prepared, they dont have an effective game plan, and coaches are not making adjustments.

      • Perhaps someone on the “Inside” at USC could ask Helton what is their offensive philosophy and how it fits into this weeks game plan.

  9. Did anyone ask Coach Clay if he will welcome OJ to the sidelines this season?
    What a great freak show for all but the SoCal faithful.
    You worship him and use his trophy and jersey number to promote Troy. Now, will you grant him immunity and welcome him back to your house and his field of glory?
    Another great PR challenge for The University of Drama.

    • Helton and USC have gone on the record saying that OJ is not welcome. Anything else?

  10. No issue with Martin’s playcalling…OK, that means we can blame YOU for all the pathetically ridiculous playcalling. Thanks a lot, coach, for making it clear and simple!

  12. It has occurred to me that Tee Martin is stuck in probation mode. He acts as if scholarships are still reduced. We have scholarship reserves its time they earned their keep.
    Although I am glad Helton didn’t publicly throw Martin I hope he privately let Tee the tarmac is just a few miles up the road. One thing I like is Helton isn’t blaming the coaching staff meaning not an excuse.

  13. When teams with a lot less talent beat you or give you a run for your money your being outcoached. Give the fatboys on the line time to rest and use substitutions

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