Why Isn’t USC Physical?

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How is it possible USC can get pushed around so easily by Notre Dame? Is this another time to bring up the strength and conditioning program? You could probably point to it for injuries and not being able to match up with Notre Dame. This is really unforgiveable when you are USC.

83 thoughts on “Why Isn’t USC Physical?”

  1. Why don’t you mention that ND starts four seniors on the offensive line, including two bona-fide NFL prospects? Mel Kiper, who actually knows what he’s talking about, said that ND’s O-line is probably the best in America. Combine that with a true freshman starting at nose guard and you have a nightmare matchup. That doesn’t mean SC can’t be more physical, but it does mean that you omit facts to slant your point.

    • I can remember BKU, Patterson, Cody, LuJuan Ramsey, Bernard Riley, etc lining up as freshman and not getting shoved around, why do you think that was ?

      • It’s not remotely relevant. The point is, ND had a veteran offensive line. A reporter is suppose to mention that fact. Now, if you want to discuss the quality of the defensive line today, compared to the Pete era of about ten years ago, that’s a separate argument.

        • Wrong. The point is USC didn’t come to play and wasn’t prepared to compete or be remotely physical. You completely fail to point this out. USC completely tanked its biggest game of the year and is being coached poorly. You’re completely in the dark about that.

    • Exactly Wolf’s point. USC used to field the best lines in America consistently. The only time this wasn’t true was in the era before John Robinson II (second stint) First thing he did was ask where are the big guys? And of course recent memory when our lines earn as much yardage backwards as forewords. (never seen so many false starts)
      We had the best strength and conditioning coach around. Now I can’t even tell you who it is. We have gone from big dog to fast (ish) dog per Kiffin and Sark. The trouble is when a big dog catches a fast dog the fast dog dies.

      • Did you guys hear Capper Haden’s comments about SC not reaching full strength until 2020? Remember, thanks to sanctions and bad luck, we only signed 13 players for the 2013 class. Unfortunately, two players, including two linemen, retired. And another transferred. So, only 10 guys went “full term.” Other schools have twice that amount. Just because we have 85 guys doesn’t mean we’re back. The Big guys are young and not experienced.
        These are your old, big guys that ND and other schools have. Unlike hoops, it takes years to rebuild a football team, especially for the big linemen, where it takes time. SC’s biggest problem this year was unrealistic expectations.

        • 2001 USC 6-6
          2002 USC 11-2
          2003 12-1 NC
          2004 11-0 NC

          Didn’t take PC years and he inherited a team that wasn’t exactly filled with star talent.

          • Wow, the Rose Bowl win is well in the rearview mirror now. Helton is now a bum….Hilarious.

        • Wow you rah rahs going back to the sanctions excuse again!!?? Some how I thought it would be SC12 or Jack B…

          #ExcuseOn

          • Hey Theodore, what’s your excuse for being relegated to playing your sax at the Metro station at the Highland station? Still make it to Union Station. Just like your football team, always on the outside looking in.
            #imamanofculture

        • Sebastián, my friend, you bring up a lot of good points. Lesser sanctions have killed programs like Bama and The U and those programs took more time to recover. ND has an outstanding Oline that was licking its chops knowing that Pili would start, that Fatu and Marlon weren’t going to be playing. However, this is the biggest game of the year and players gave up, man. A player retired THIS WEEK for crying out loud. When half the team just mails it in and hasn’t left it out on the field, their is an attitude problem and it starts and ends at the top.

    • It’s a know fact. He purposely omits relevant details to get people to buy-in. Maybe his true calling is that of a politician

      • Yes he does. It’s mean spirited and often unfair. He is often correct, and you can appreciate his “tell it like it is” perspective at times. But it’s also clear he’s out to “poke the bear” and incite and infuriate USC’s very loyal and passionate fan base.

        • Poke the Bear? More like Poke the Cubby nowadays.

          Sorry, but the jig is up. The college football world isn’t fooled anymore by this USC team.

          I’m certainly not infuriated by SW’s point that USC doesn’t play physical ball any more. That’s so obvious, it incites a chuckle more than anything else.

          Hopefully we can beat all the rest of the unranked teams on our schedule. Shouldn’t be too hard since we have more than twice as many 4-5 stars on our roster than any of these other going-nowhere outfits.

    • Wow. So USC never had a chance, uh. I’m sure Helton and the Trojans got your message pre-game. Yet that ignores the complete history of the rivalry. Upsets in supposedly outmanned situations are too numerous to count in the USC vs ND rivalry.

      USC often plays soft now and gets pushed around for a significant time by many of its opponents. W MICH pummeled us for much of the time at home. I was there and the people in our seating area were making jokes that USC must have been playing our 2nd or 3rd team.

      USC was totally intimidated by ND. They abused us mentally and physically and could have easily put up 60 on us if they were inclined.

      USC no longer plays a very physical game. That’s just a fact and woeful players like John Houston on our D only reinforce to our opponents that we can’t beat smash mouth teams.

      SW is an extremely biased writer but USC’s finesse style of football has been on full display all season despite Helton’s claims that we’re a rough and tumble bunch. We’re clearly not – not on either O or D.

      We’re super weak in the trenches and our OL coach is so embarrassed by his outfit that he made a total public fool of himself with the press and is clearly not the man for the job.

      The way USC sits now, we get slaughtered when we play the best in America. It’s not even close.

      USC needs to be coddled nowadays, just like you did in your post. The big, bad Irish took it to us. Get ready for more of the same unless Helton changes his philosophy and makes numerous asst coach changes. It’ll probably be just postponing the inevitable CH departure, but until then, I just hope really physical teams cut us some slack and lay off. Because if they don’t, we’re toast.

      Helton loves his players and I hope they love him back, especially for all the patty cake practices USC conducts daily. ND knew exactly what type of team USC fields nowadays.

      This Irish victory was as much about the weakness of USC as the strength of one-dimensional ND. ND isn’t even supposed to be able to pass, yet they drilled us through the air too. 49-14. Poor little Trojans. That’s what we’ve suddenly become. If you think my point is slanted, you should re-watch the ND/SC game. All you need to do is watch the 1st Q to know this is one of USC’s physically weakest teams in the last 20 years. Hopefully, Swann doesn’t like what he sees.

      • I can’t wait for the physical teams to lay off us—-we all know how much the teams on the schedule really feel sorry for us–years and years of running up the score on the other pac 12 teams–that will do it!!

    • It’s a fair question. He has struggled against the run, but runs well and is solid in pass coverage. ND is showing pass, and at the four yard line. They fooled us and ran out of that formation. Remember, it’s third down, and most teams pass when they are facing third and more than 3. Shame on the coaches for not making adjustments. But remember, when a team is coming off a bye, they often throw wrinkles that a team hasn’t seen. No excuses, but it does happen. Ask UM how it feels to play a team on the road coming off a bye.

  3. This is big boy football. Two TEs (one comes in motion to block), a block by a big back. Notice how they all know their blocking assignments on the move for a run on the edge. When can we get the TEs and FB and some mobile linemen again? When can we get some linebackers that can run and hit while clogging the run again?

    • Look at the defensive scheme.. NO ONE SET THE EDGE THAT WHOLE GAME! USC is completely running the wrong scheme for a power run team.. They are too light up front.. You can not stop the run with all DE’s.. Goal Line D should have all DT 300lb+ and move the DE’s to the LB positions.. All the DL/LB were getting pushed back because they were too small.

  4. What did they do at practice yesterday ? Did they practice in full pads ? NO, it was business as usual at Camp Gomer, no tackling.

  5. Obviously, some people at USC, actually believe, that if you put on the Trojans uniform you become a strong, physical player, never mind the attitude, that’s suppose to be taught, and the physical conditioning a player should be in. So the next time the athletic administration hires a football coach, let’s hope he has something on his resume that indicates , physical football, because you can’t teach, what you don’t know .

  6. 10 is by far the worst linebacker SC has had in.. forever. It seems like he is afraid of contact. Just sad . Hey Clancy, 13 or 56 is a major upgrade. Open your eyes, make the change. By the way, what is his football iq that you have stated that makes him our starter ?

  7. The whole thing is unforgivable. Remember Helton’s consistent claims USC would be getting back to old school Student Body Left, Student Body Right running game? How the Trojans were making the shift to be a more “Stanford-like” offense that could push people around and own the line of scrimmage? Meanwhile the season’s on the verge of coming apart (a loss to ASU should seal Helton’s fate) and our offensive line is a JOKE. Especially sucks for Ronald Jones, Stephen Carr, Sam Darnold, Ware, Malepeai etc.Hopefully these guys don’t get hurt any worse than they already have.

    • Aloha, one of two things are going to happen at the end of the year regardless of the record. 1.) Swann will tell Helton that there needs to be a big time staff shakeup. That means CP, Bradford, and Calloway are gone. 2.) CH refuses to do this and resigns/fired.

      • Tee11 threw Fredo Helton under the bus yesterday, you don’t think he’s gone ?

        And I don’t think Swann is even going to give him that chance, think Swann has already made the decision to ax him.

    • HARBAUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  8. Who were those guys on the near side of the D Line? Who was that safety that completely pinched in when he should have made a tackle for loss? Instead he ends up doing a belly flop without getting touched. Too bad cause Smith was charging in to help with the tackle.

  9. It has everything to do with a mentality. The physical programs; Bama, Ohio State, Clemson, take the mentality of being physical into everything they do, whether it is in the weight room or practice field. There is a reason why Bama’s Strength and Conditioning coach makes $1 million per year.

    • Yep, Bama had to pay him that salary, because Kirby Smart tried to hire him at Georgia . That’s why some coaches get it, and some just don’t understand, the importance of line of scrimmage, dominance

  10. Actually, they’re in a passing formation, with three receivers wide. They are also out of the gun, typically a passing formation. The key to the play is the deception. SC is playing pass, and they run the quarterback, so they have an extra blocker. It’s about execution.

    • If they are expecting pass, why doesn’t the safety just blitz the QB? Instead he keys in on the tight end?

      • Golden, actually your comment proves Sebastian’s point. They were expecting pass based on the three receiver set formation and the fact the Trojans were playing nickel in some sort of cover 2 man formation. You don’t want to safety blitz when you are expecting a quick pass that close to the end zone. The safety won’t get there in time without grossly telegraphing the blitz which will get you beat a lot more times than not. Our beloved Trojans were unfortunately outmatched in South Bend. The players and coaching staff. FYI. I’m an SC Alum, season ticket holder and donate to the athletic fund. I hope the guys can pull it together. Fight On!

  11. Goes deeper than that. Washington St. players are all, except for one, under three hundred pounds, but their speed bothered SC’s lines. Notre Dame’s line is older with big athletes and they beat SC off the ball. It is SC’s schemes that are holding back their talent. Couple that with the fact they don’t makes adjustments during the game and you have a recipe for a disaster. If they loose to Az St., which I think they will, it will be further evidence that SC’s coaching staff is unable to turn this around. Just think, would you ever of thought at the beginning of the year SC finishing out of the top 25? Really…..

  12. Throw a flag on the reporter. Hey Wolfman, did you recognize the passing formation and the fact it was third down and more than 3? Most teams pass in that situation. We were fooled, ala John Madden, who was famous for running out of passing formations and passing out of running formations. Not exactly a jumbo formation that Stanford loves to run, with seven offensive linemen.

    • Everybody knows ND is a running team. Why would they pass down near the goal line when they know they can move us off the line like a leaf blower? If only you had been calling ND’s plays, we might have had a chance.

      • You play the formation. See three wide? Give ND credit. It was well-designed, well-executed play.

        • ND could run on soft USC with six wide and would beat USC 10 out of 10 times with our coaches.

          Formation is irrelevant when the situation spells something a team dominates the game with. You play the formation all the time and you’ll get killed.

          ND totally outclassed USC on the field in every way possible. You’re a very thorough USC excuse maker. Helton and staff owe you a bouguet of flowers for your kindness.

          Fact is USC doesn’t recruit to, practice or coach physicality. We are a finesse team with good athletes that’s pretending to be physical. Now that Darnold is in trouble, we’re capable of losing any game we play, no matter how mediocre the opponent. As a result, Helton will be forced to significantly change his staff at a minimum. Swann will see to that.

          • Did you play football at any level beyond play station? Formation isn’t relevant? So, you just ignore the wide-out? Did you even go to SC? I was at the game in Chicago. Where the hell were you?

          • I am also a season ticket holder and give to the athletic fund. Put your money where your mouth is.

  13. USC is 78th is rush defense. Anyone remember Penn St last year? How about Western Michigan?
    Pendergast is not built to stop power run teams..

    • USC’s D isn’t strong against the run and hasn’t been all season. We lost Stevie T (thank God he transferred from UTAH) and Adoree was always a tremendous shot in the arm for our D, and entire team.

      Now our defensive leaders are guys like Grabby (Mr PI). Cameron Smith (tough but way too slow for some running plays) and Nwosu (completely disappeared vs ND).

      Agree. Pendergast’s D is too complicated for many of our players. Teams have figured him out and our personnel is nothing to write home about really. Big recruiting mistakes like Grabby and Houston can be attacked and beat easy. Don’t even get me started about Bigelow, our camp counselor who wasn’t even good enuugh to walk-on at USC.

  14. anybody see Alabama run the ball near the goal line last week? q/b under center 2 huge backs and a lineman in the backfield…one gets the ball the other two hit the same spot with guard,tackle,and TE… all get into the end zone…so that’s 1500+ lbs in one spot?

    • I would weep tears of joy to see that at USC again. Funny thing is that it also makes a play action pass ridiculously easy in the redzone / goal line because a defense has to commit everyone to try to stop it. opposing coaches don’t fear USC physicality on offense or defense right now.

  15. That one play pretty much summarizes USC’s lack of physicality. Look how many USC players got pancaked…

  16. Helton has done fairly well for being a 1st Time Head Coach. Problem is, he’s a 1st Time Head Coach at a school with expectations higher than fairly good. Don’t blame him for accepting the Job Offer from Haden, I would have taken it too.

  18. I like what Flutie said and that is that SC is built to stop PAC12 offenses. Power Offenses jut dare SC to stop them and players like John Houston and Christian Rector are situational players or back ups at best. Rector got pancaked on the play while Houston ended up in the end zone. I think Helton’s first D-line class of Pili, Marlon, and Tufele is going to be outstanding as soon as next year. Until then, teams will keep gashing the D up the middle and with power running plays.

  19. I still don’t understand what has happened since that completely fulfilling Stanford game! That was the physical, dominating style that we were all waiting for, and it had me completely amped up for the rest of the season! But, alas, this was a mirage and set me and most others up for a big fall! I have been depressed and befuddled ever since, I mean it just isn’t any fun at all to watch this team “stuck in the mud” week after week! And the comments coming from Clay and Tee and now this O-line coach(in today’s paper) are absolutely mystifying and apathetic… COACHES! YOU ARE AT USC! YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN GREAT RESPONSIBILITY AND THE ENVIABLE OPPORTUNITY TO GUIDE A FULLY STOCKED STABLE OF THE BEST ATHLETES IN THE FRIGGIN’ COUNTRY AT A SCHOOL WITH AS RICH A TRADITION IN FOOTBALL AS ANY IN THE LAND!!! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?

  20. Is it about being physical enough or your attitude isn’t what it should be? You can be a beast but if your mind isn’t in it, you are just making motions. A lot of people are looking at this team and wonder if the players are ready to play when they come out onto the field for a game. How lackadaisical they look and the penalties the errors the poor execution the missed assignments. This is a coaching problem pure & simple.

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