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Notes and observations as USC and Texas prepare for a game that can’t possibly match their 2006 encounter ... LOS ANGELES >> You might be surprised to hear which USC coach was in tears in the locker room immediately after the Trojans lost to Texas, 41-38, in the BCS title game. Was it Pete Carroll? Steve Sarkisian? Ed Orgeron? No, someone who has a less-emotional image: Lane Kiffin. Perhaps , ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> Before Stephen Carr dashed for 52 yards along the north sideline of the Coliseum in USC’s win over Stanford, he ran through a vast hole. Carr, the Trojans’ freshman running back, was untouched past the line of scrimmage. The hole, on the left side of USC’s offensive line, might have been close to 10 yards, based on TV replays. Why was it so gaping? Start with left guard Chris , ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> A big question going into the season was how defenses wanted to try and stop a USC offense capable of passing or running with equal success? Stanford faced the dilemma at halftime Saturday night, as the Cardinal watched USC quarterback Sam Daold pass for 225 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. “Stanford decided to play softer and take away the throw in the second h, ...ادامه مطلب

Tom Herman arrived at Texas with much fanfare. Herman, the former Houston coach and Ohio State offensive coordinator, replaced Charlie Strong last November following three consecutive seasons in which the Longhos finished below .500. The early retus? Texas, which visits USC at the Coliseum on Saturday, split its first two home games but has shown little trouble on offense. “I think Tom is one , ...ادامه مطلب

Christian McCaffrey torpedoed USC’s defense the last two seasons. As Stanford upended the Trojans three times in 2016 and 2015, McCaffrey tallied 970 all-purpose yards. How tough was it to bring down the elusive running back? Reporters covering the Pac-12 championship game in 2015 overheard then-USC defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and other coaches swearing in an adjacent press box booth at Le, ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> Of the 159 rushing yards Ronald Jones amassed in USC’s season-opening victory over Weste Michigan, 122 came after contact. Deland McCullough, the Trojans’ running backs coach, took notice. “It ain’t always the flash and long runs,” McCullough said. “It’s the dirty work of lowering your shoulder, running through trash, breaking arm tackles and sending a physical message to yo, ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> USC will trot out veteran pass catchers for quarterback Sam Daold when it opens its season on Saturday against Weste Michigan. As part of the depth chart it revealed Sunday, its three starting receivers include fourth-year juniors Deontay Buett and Jalen Greene, along with fifth-year senior Steven Mitchell. “If you’ve been out there before, you kind of know how to handle, ...ادامه مطلب

Can a team that starts three slot receivers win a national championship? USC apparently believes it can based on the depth chart released Sunday night, the Trojans’ first in nine months. Quarterback Sam Daold’s first options are Rose Bowl hero Deontay Buett, converted quarterback Jalen Greene and Steven Mitchell, coming off his second knee operation. They are the most consistent and experience, ...ادامه مطلب

Ranking the top 10 sports events Aug. 28 to Sept. 3 you won’t want to miss: NO. 1: COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON OPENERS USC vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN Details/TV: At the Coliseum, Saturday at 2:15 p.m., Pac-12 Network UCLA vs. TEXAS A&M Details/TV: At the Rose Bowl, Sunday at 4:30 p.m., Channel 11 Admire Sam Daold while he’s still in got some Coliseum eligibility and a Heisman campaign. Also keep in mi, ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> Is it possible for USC to have any surprise players when the Trojans are ranked No. 4 and one of the most scrutinized programs in the nation? Even in the social media age, it is possible for players to exceed expectations or surprise the public. One of my picks is tight end Cary Angeline, a 6-foot-7 freshman who looks fast enough to be a receiver. Angeline might only make two , ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> Last week, part of Daniel Imatorbhebhe’s recovery from a sore hip flexor included playing catch with his coach. Midway through one practice, Imatorbhebhe ran a variety of routes on the south end of Howard Jones Field. Clay Helton, the Trojans’ head man and a former college quarterback himself, lofted passes to the injured tight end. “The great ones, it’s like riding a bike,” I, ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> It looked ominous. When Kenechi Udeze, USC’s defensive line coach, left the Portland airport in his rental car on a snowy January day, he noticed other cars were tued over aside the interstate. Udeze had arrived amid the city’s biggest snowstorm in two decades, and he still needed to drive almost 70 miles south to Independence, Ore., to visit a five-star defensive lineman na, ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> If USC freshman linebacker Levi Jones plays half as well as he talks, the Trojans might need to let him wear No. 55 this season. “For sure I’m going to be better than (my father),” Jones said Wednesday. “You can tell him that too.” That kind of statement could haunt Jones when you consider his father, Robert, was an All-America linebacker at East Carolina; first-round draft pi, ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> USC coach Clay Helton on Saturday expressed no conces about his team’s position in any preseason polls. “As I’ve continuously told our team, it’s about worrying about this first game and starting fast,” Helton said. “It’s not about where you start, it’s about where you finish.” He remains closely familiar with the old axiom. In 2015, the Trojans began the season ranked eighth in the Associated Press preseason poll. Then came disarray. Helton, the offensive coordinator, was promoted as the interim coach following Steve Sarkisian’s midseason firing. They finished with an 8, ...ادامه مطلب

LOS ANGELES >> Late in practice Thursday, USC linebacker John Houston lurched toward the line of scrimmage. USC’s first-team offense was positioned shy of the red zone against its first-team defense. Upon the snap, Houston continued forward on a blitz and looked to push past the center, Nico Falah, into the backfield. He never arrived, but as quarterback Sam Daold lofted a pass downfield, Houston jumped to tip the ball with his right hand. It lost steam and fluttered over the middle portion of the field, before coerback Ajene Harris dove to nearly pick it off. Houston has remained d, ...ادامه مطلب