Kiffin reveals the positions to be scrutinized

by Paragon SC on Nov 3, 2010 9:00 AM PDT in USC Football

There was of course a lot of speculation about what positions Lane Kiffin was talking about when he indicated there two positions where he was looking to make changes.

Yesterday, those positions were revealed.

Marshall Jones is challenging Jawanza Starling at safety and Michael Reardon is being given a shot to displace left guard Butch Lewis as the Trojans prepare for Saturday night's Pacific 10 Conference game against Arizona State at the Coliseum.

Jones, a junior, took first-team reps Tuesday in place of T.J. McDonald, but only because the Trojans' interceptions leader was limited because of a hamstring strain. Coach Lane Kiffin made it clear that Jones was competing for Starling's position.

The safety spot was a given. We all saw the lack of production by Starling going back a number of games. But the issues with the O-line became obvious when the USC running was pretty much bottled up by Oregon.

In his weekly teleconference Kiffin called out the running game...in essence he said that they regressed. Earlier in the season we saw some great performances by our running backs but that can only happen if the O line blows open some holes and keeps the opposing D line at bay.

He went on to describe the situation in a little more detail...

"Our run game is built on cutting people. We go into a game like that and rarely did it at all. That's a reason they were dominating us up front later in the game – because our system wasn't what it was supposed to be. I'm really disappointed in that.
"Obviously, it starts with coaching. We better get it fixed."

It's simple really...no effective running game and the offense becomes one dimensional.

Kiffin doesn't have a ton of depth to just bench guys either. He can only move so many guys and fiddle with only so many combinations. He has to find a way to motivate and cajole guys to digging down deep and step up their performance.

Kiffin can lay it on coaching as he did in the OCR piece but at some point the players need to step it up and perform. they were doing it in the earlier part of the season...

They need to get back to that place...

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This is healthy

The competition remains open all season. The coach is open about it, and the players seem receptive to it. Butch Lewis is saying and doing the right things, like Allen Bradford did when he lost the starting job to Tyler. As far as Starling, missing assignments in the secondary is just as bad as a RB fumbling the ball. Both mistakes can potetially cost playing time. Hopefully, Starling will approach this as a chance to get better. Both he and TJ could make safety a position of strength by this time next year.

by TrojanJAG on Nov 3, 2010 10:46 AM PDT reply actions

I seen Lewis make a few glaring mistakes especially offsides and letting guys get bye him.

As for Starling I didn’t realize it was him missing assignments, but it is very important that a safety play error free as much as possible since the are the last line of Defense.

I love national championships it makes me feel superior to others, my whole place has USC stuff everywhere, it's painted red and gold, my car is the same colors my asscrack is bruin blue.

by so.cal.native1952 on Nov 3, 2010 11:47 AM PDT reply actions

In fairness to Starling,

I can only think of a few plays where it has appeared that he missed an assignment. In truth, it can be hard to tell watching at home. Sometimes, the guy looks guilty and is singled out by the TV announcers, may not be primarily at fault. All told, it’s a young secondary that hasn’t played well in pass coverage. The primary goal should be to improve as a unit.

by TrojanJAG on Nov 3, 2010 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Whatever happened to the concept, where every position would be scrutinized on a weekly basis? (i.e. competition)

Follow me on twitter @Joey_Kaufman

by Joey Kaufman on Nov 3, 2010 1:27 PM PDT reply actions

You need a competitive two deep to do that.

Although the Wolfbag reported that USC used 47 players to Oregon’s 51, insinuating that the depth excuse is BS, he did (or was forced to) report today that USC used only 41 scholarship players last Saturday.

Think about that. We don’t even go two deep anymore. If that is true, then 2012 and 2013 will be brutal years (9th to 11th place Pac 12 finishes) if the sanctions are not reduced.

by Zoulou on Nov 3, 2010 4:54 PM PDT up reply actions

yeap...

will get worse before it gets better if we don’t win the appeal…

James MacArthur - RIP "Book 'em Danno!"

Conquest Chronicles

by Paragon SC on Nov 3, 2010 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Thanks Pete and Brennan

Actually, Brennan was a figurehead. It’s Pete’s legacy.

2002 to 2008 will be considered a golden age of USC football, I will not refute that. USC played with a passion and joy that changed college football. Before Pete,it was a joyless, merciless place, with the late, great Woody Hayes as the model. Miami and FSU brought express emotional theatrics to the game, but it was Pete that showed you can win in college football with exuberance and positive re-enforcement. Now teams all over college football huddle up and jump up and down on the sidelines, coaches high-five players. Watching Harbaugh jump up and down and chest bump players is neither news nor unique, because Pete did it first.

But the effects of limited scholarship offers was felt as early as last year. True, we started a true freshman at QB, but as players were injured and wore down as the season, there weren’t the bodies to replace them. Now Kiffen and Haden inhereted a carton of cracked eggs and the NCAA is saying you can’t go to the store and buy any more. So they are making due with whatever hash they can scramble up.

Again, when the history of USC Football is written, Pete’s legacy will be decidedly mixed.

by Zoulou on Nov 3, 2010 8:44 PM PDT up reply actions

How is 80, then 75 worse then 70?

We’re at approx 70 now. It looks like our scholie limits going forward will be 80, 75, 75, 80, 85, if we don’t win the Appeal. How is does it get worse before it gets better, if we are at our lowest point now?

You can't put sanctions on the fkn endzone! Bowls are for salad!

by DFWTrojan on Nov 3, 2010 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree Dallas I think it is a backdoor excue for the coaches and why doesn't the staff use more players. So what if they are only 3 star kids thats is what makes up Stanford and oregon units, maybe they will wake up and smell the roses soon.

I love national championships it makes me feel superior to others, my whole place has USC stuff everywhere, it's painted red and gold, my car is the same colors my asscrack is bruin blue.

by so.cal.native1952 on Nov 4, 2010 3:38 AM PDT up reply actions

backdoor excuse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgzbiX46tl8

I love national championships it makes me feel superior to others, my whole place has USC stuff everywhere, it's painted red and gold, my car is the same colors my asscrack is bruin blue.

by so.cal.native1952 on Nov 4, 2010 3:40 AM PDT up reply actions