Kiffin On Receivers

Did Kiffin go to the Bill Parcells School of Motivation or the Lou Holtz School of Downplaying Your Team?

I hope those comments by Kiffin lights a fire under the receivers

I thought you were going to report on comments made from USC WRs, not about USC WRs.

DJ thinks he is "big time". Just like Mike Williams. In a few years they can swap stories at the unemployment office.

I would like the receivers to stay forever at USC and for Kiffin to go.

Lane must have been drinking with his brother before making those comments.

USC_89,

You are an idiot! Take your Bruin ranting elsewhere

Scott,I hope you have another input tonight because this says NOTHING about the USC reveivers comments.

Nice gossip, Scott.

Those are fair comments by the coach. Jarrett is going to get jammed all year long. He needs to get used to it and learn how to get himself free.

I'm sorry but is it just me that agrees with Kiffin's take on the receivers performance against Arkansas. Aside from Steve Smith and Fred Davis the receivers were very average. If Dwayne wants to set himself apart this year and earn his All American status he needs to perform, plain and simple. If he can't get open against Arkansas CBs what chance does he stand in the NFL. Good for Kiffin. This is what sets USC apart. USC treats their players like they are already pros - compete and perform or sit on the bench. I am fully confident that DJ will step up bigtime in the next game. I think he started to read his own press clippings and lost some focus.

USC vs Arkansas: 25 receptions, 280 yards, 3 touchdowns among 8 different receivers. On the road in a hostile SEC venue. 50 points!

Kiffin is 100% correct, USC's receivers should be ashamed and embarrassed.

Lane Kiffin isn't the most liked coach on the team. I'm more interested in what Pete Carroll thinks! I guess we'll have to wait until Saturday to determine if Jarrett is gonna ride the bench? hahahahhahaaha... yeah right!

Mr. Pete Carroll(PC) runs the USC FB program. This is the first time I have heard that a coach under PC publicly criticised the players. I would dare to say this practice by Mr. Kiffin will [NOT] happen again, his last period. Mr. Carroll is firm, fair, very [DISCRETE] and above ALL: CLASSY. Any problem or disciplinary action is conducted behind closed doors in his office which is called First Class Leadership/The Correct Way NOT to mention his close ties with the players. Last but NOT least that kind of practice will definitely hurt recruiting.

actually the physicality of the Arkansas db that shadowed DJ all day was a factor. I believe that the injury status of DJ really hurt him in training camp leading up to the opener. He will improve as his conditioning does. The kid from Ark should have gotten some props for how well he did handle DJ. I'm sure that Kiffin is just trying to fire up Jarrett.

gillyking@yahoo.com

I didn't think that the receivers were awful against Arkansas, but it definitely looked like Jarrett and JDB were on different pages on a couple of those passes. I was wondering why we didn't see Vidal Hazleton, from the blog I thought that he was doing pretty good in practice? Steve Smith actually looked pretty good and tends to be overlooked to often in my opinion. Fred Davis on the other hand was stout and took it them them most of the game. Fight ON!

I don't know if an F grade is appropriate, but there wasn't much separation between SC receivers and Ark DBs on 9/2. Good thing Booty throws darts. Maybe Jarrett is big-timing it nursing injuries and missing lots of practice time. I'd rather the young receivers be getting a different example of practice habits and preparation from the veteran star.

A lot of the players hate Kiffin, but he is spot on regarding this one. Jarrett got a lot stronger over the year and is a sculped 220 versus the weak 190 when he came in. DJ needs to get off the line better cause that is what he is going to see the rest of the year.

Uh, SCdemon you wanna bet they'll sit Dwayne Jarrett? Patrick Turner is waiting in the wings my man, and he caught a TD last week. USC is all about competition, no matter your name. If Jarrett brings a lazy attitude and Turner continues to play well, he will play over Jarrett. No doubt. PC and Co. don't give a hoot about All-American watch lists, they care about production and execution on the field. Turner will play if Jarrett gives him an opportunity to do so.

As far as Lane Kiffin goes, the man is a brillant passing coordinator. Much of the game week passing plays during the Chow years were coordinated by him, so I don't understand the backlash against him. PC loves him and knows he's good. All USC has done is average 50 ppg with him as the OC. The numbers don't lie and the film don't lie. Kiffin/Sark have taken the offense to a new level, but it needs to be even greater in their minds. That's why they are pushing DJ to step up and dominate like he should. Nothing wrong with that. All you backlashers need to understand how coaching works and stop making excuses for your favorite players.

Dwayne is supposedly the best wideout in the country, yet he had problems with Arkansas. Let's face it, he had a crappy game. There was miscommunication and he couldn't shake the defender. Dwayne is a preseason all american who needs to step up and proved to everyone in each game that no one can defend him. I agree with Kiffin on this one.

FOR 30 YRS I GAVE SEMINARS ABT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND ONE HUGE TOPIC WAS "NEVER BE SERIOUSLY CRITICAL OF A TEAM MEMBER IN THE OPEN" COACH DOES NOT HAVE TO DEMEAN JARRETT TO THE MEDIA. DRESS HIM DOWN ON MISTAKES, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.............

Kiffin may be correct, he may not be. The point is debatable. What is the bummer, and not in the USC tradition, is to air subjective negative crap to the press and those outside of the family. This is bush (no pun intended). I expect more from our OC.

What did he do?...Understudy that AH Henry Bibby?

Everybody knows that Jarrett is soft on the road. This is par for the course. He has trouble getting off the line when he gets jammed and especially in road games. He'll go off this weekend, just watch. Expect at least 100 yards receiving.

Nothing wrong with trying to light a fire under DJ, but I believe the main problem with his lack of #s in the opener was the play calling, although he did look a little lackluster in running some of his routes. Nevertheless, when it comes to running routes, he'll never be compared to the hapless Kareem Kelly. The receivers are going to be fine. I doubt we'll be having this conversation by Week 4. The Trojans are going to put up big #s against the 'huskers.

i think the receivers did really good against arkansas, so with that said i believe it was more of an attempt to motivate jarrett. Kiffin knows we will have to pass in order to set up the run this weekend and is just trying to keep his best player from getting to complacent. Dj will do better since he has been practicing, like bill parcels said if you dont practice than how can you play

hate to straddle the fence but.....I agree the WR's looked bad. I don't even remember seeing them in the game except for a few passes in the flat to Smith. They better get motivated. It is going to be easy to sluff off and be depressed that Bush Leinart and White are gone, but Kiffin did the right thing. But.....

In the wrong way. He should of taken them aside at practice not embarass them to a nebraska reporter.

Lane Kiffin may have been the passing game coordinator when Chow was at USC, but the overall playcalling has not been efficient. Last year there was a bunch of times when USC should have rammed the ball down the opponents' throats, but instead Lane and Sark chose to pass it. As far as PC not promoting any players over others...uh what was last year's Matt and Reggie TV. Plus Reggie Bush was given the ball way too much between the tackles against teams that stuff the run well. Nonetheless, IN PETE WE TRUST!

Btown,
I am with you. I think the Hog Corner got into his head and he missed his buddy(ML) to bail him out.

kiffin should not be criticizing players in public - no class ... i'm shocked if carroll approved of this ... you call out a player behind closed doors but not in the media ... can you imagine norm chow doing this? ... no wonder the players dislike kiffin ...

How many balls came to DJ? It took Coach Carroll to tell Kiffin to start some more agressive play calling. But the biggest point, something that a few of you pointed out, was that this is so un-USC and un-Coach Carroll to be so ugly, stupid and idiotic. PC runs a class program, he encourages, doesn't take shots at players in public and that's why kids respect him, want to play for him and never tune him out. Whatever Kiffin hoped to accomplish, he just distanced the players from him even more, created dissension, and made it seem that he was building himself excuses. As for DJ, he put on some serious weight and worked his ass off this summer. If guys are doing their best to jam him, double teaming him, etc. it will only make him CONTINUE to work harder and get other receivers open. And DJ hasn't been a speed receiver anyway- he completes his routes on time, uses his placement and has the size and hands to compete for the ball. I mean, did he NOT catch a pass that was anywhere near him? Do we not have him to thank for a good deal of last year's success including the play on 4th and 9 with an underthrown ball? And if anyone was bitching shouldn't we hear it from Pete and NOT him???

aas much as i hate to say it i do have to agree with Kiffin. he was right. especially DJ. my gosh, he was horrible. why? because he missed fall camp especially that one day he missed cuz of a sore throat. ok, seriously, what does a soar throat have to do with running and catching a ball. i think his pride got to him. thats not good.

Infection, exertion and stress means that you have to rest your body. When kids start getting ill like that that's always the reason. I am sure that the decision was something that was made with the coaches full approval knowing how hard he works, and don't doubt it, he is one of the hardest workers on that team.

Hey! Kiffin. If you have something to say to the players, say it to their face - in the lockerrooom. Behind closed doors. Don't bag on them in the very public media. Your tactic certainly is effective in motivating the players -to lose all respect for you. Stand behind them. Don't take them out at the knees. Criticism, if presented in a constructive manner, can be very beneficial. Criticism, for the sake of criticism, is terribly destructive - not only to team unity but motivating players to play at their best. Carroll - Get Kiffin under control or get him out.