Notes and observations from Tuesday's practice:
USC was in shells and shorts today. Accordingly, practice was light on contact and team periods, although there was a competitive finish to the workout. The entire thing lasted just over two hours.
11-on-11:
Max Browne hits Taylor McNamara in the flat.
Browne connects with Steven Mitchell Jr. on a deep out.
Justin Davis runs for a short gain and Michael Hutchings is there for the stop.
Davis runs for a long gain up the left side.
Josh Imatorbhebhe has a step on Hutchings but Browne misses him downfield.
***
Sam Darnold hits Reuben Peters in the flat.
Darnold hits JuJu Smith-Schuster deep.
Ronald Jones II runs for a short gain.
Darnold is sacked by Christian Rector.
Darnold hits Peters again.
***
Browne throws it away.
Ware is stopped by Hutchings.
Browne is sacked by walk-on safety Deion Hart, who's having a notable spring.
Osa Masina stops Ware near the line of scrimmage.
A play later Masina chases Browne out of bounds.
(Kevin Scott got some first-team reps in this period.)
***
Jalen Greene, who got a few more reps than normal today, goes deep to De'Quan Hampton.
Greene is forced to run and John Houston thuds him a few yards upfield.
Matt Fink completes a pass to Isaac Whitney.
7-on-7:
Browne hits Darreus Rogers on an out.
Browne hits Mitchell in the slot.
Browne goes back to Mitchell over the middle.
Browne throws low and behind Rogers on a slant and Rogers catches it anyway. Looked like he had a baseball glove on.
Isaiah Langley breaks up a pass to JuJu.
***
Darnold enters and throws a TD to Deontay Burnett.
Darnold hits Ajene on an out.
Darnold, facing the first-team D, hits Rogers over the middle. Rogers tipped it to himself and hauled it in with one hand. Just an excellent play.
Darnold goes deep to Rogers for a TD.
Darnold connects with Hampton in the corner of the end zone but it appears he was ruled out of bounds.
***
Browne dumps it off to RoJo.
Browne tries to hit JuJu short but it falls incomplete. There was tight D on each of the previous two plays.
One highlight from 1-on-1s between WRs and DBs involved JuJu and Biggie going stride for stride downfield. For some reason, a pass wasn't thrown, leaving JuJu particularly frustrated. We've missed seeing those two go at it the past two weeks but we could see a lot of that over the final five practices.
11-on-11:
Browne hits JuJu over the middle.
Browne goes to Dom Davis on the outside.
Browne throws short to Tyler Petite.
(Chris Brown got some first-team reps at LG in this period.)
Browne is hurried and throws incomplete.
Browne is sacked by Marvell Tell (Malik Dorton was there as well).
***
Darnold is under pressure but finds Daniel Imatorbhebhe on a crossing route.
Darnold hits Whitney on a deep out.
Darnold completes a short pass to Ajene.
Jabari Ruffin sacks Darnold (Rector was also applying pressure).
Darnold connects with Rogers.
***
Browne hits Hampton but the play appeared to be ruled dead. (I didn't see a defender in the backfield.)
Porter Gustin sacks Browne.
Browne hits Daniel Imatorbhebhe for a short gain.
Browne goes deep to JuJu.
Browne hits Mitchell over the top.
***
Greene runs for a few yards.
Greene throws deep to J. Imatorbhebhe and it falls incomplete.
Greene throws incomplete again, this time on a ball downfield to Rogers.
***
Uchenna Nwosu tips Browne's pass.
Browne hits Mitchell downfield.
Browne connects with Mitchell on an out.
Browne throws a TD to JuJu.
J. Davis runs and converts the 2-point attempt.
***
Darnold misses Burnett downfield. Interestingly, Wole Betiku was in coverage.
Darnold throws an out to Rogers.
Masina stops RoJo for a short run.
Darnold connects with Rogers.
Darnold hits Burnett, who had no one near him.
Final challenge:
Browne hits Mitchell.
J. Davis runs right for a nice gain.
Nwosu sacks Browne.
Davis runs right and is stopped by Dorton.
Browne hits JuJu for a first down.
Browne hits RoJo in the flat for a TD. (Good block by JuJu there.)
On the ensuing 2-point try, Browne throws incomplete to Rogers.
***
(The period is extended and involves the second team offense and defense.)
Darnold completes a fade to Hampton for a TD on the first play.
Darnold goes back to Hampton and connects for the two-point conversion.
The first-team offense and second-team defense run.
***
Thought it was a solid practice for both quarterbacks, though there wasn't a significant change in who worked with the first-team offense and faced the first-team defense. Got the impression from talking to Tyson Helton afterward that USC will indeed name a starter at the end of spring.
Coming up in They Said It: interviews with Browne, Darnold, T. Helton, Mitchell, OL Jordan Simmons and OL coach Neil Callaway. Also, the podcast will be posted in the next few minutes.
USC was in shells and shorts today. Accordingly, practice was light on contact and team periods, although there was a competitive finish to the workout. The entire thing lasted just over two hours.
11-on-11:
Max Browne hits Taylor McNamara in the flat.
Browne connects with Steven Mitchell Jr. on a deep out.
Justin Davis runs for a short gain and Michael Hutchings is there for the stop.
Davis runs for a long gain up the left side.
Josh Imatorbhebhe has a step on Hutchings but Browne misses him downfield.
***
Sam Darnold hits Reuben Peters in the flat.
Darnold hits JuJu Smith-Schuster deep.
Ronald Jones II runs for a short gain.
Darnold is sacked by Christian Rector.
Darnold hits Peters again.
***
Browne throws it away.
Ware is stopped by Hutchings.
Browne is sacked by walk-on safety Deion Hart, who's having a notable spring.
Osa Masina stops Ware near the line of scrimmage.
A play later Masina chases Browne out of bounds.
(Kevin Scott got some first-team reps in this period.)
***
Jalen Greene, who got a few more reps than normal today, goes deep to De'Quan Hampton.
Greene is forced to run and John Houston thuds him a few yards upfield.
Matt Fink completes a pass to Isaac Whitney.
7-on-7:
Browne hits Darreus Rogers on an out.
Browne hits Mitchell in the slot.
Browne goes back to Mitchell over the middle.
Browne throws low and behind Rogers on a slant and Rogers catches it anyway. Looked like he had a baseball glove on.
Isaiah Langley breaks up a pass to JuJu.
***
Darnold enters and throws a TD to Deontay Burnett.
Darnold hits Ajene on an out.
Darnold, facing the first-team D, hits Rogers over the middle. Rogers tipped it to himself and hauled it in with one hand. Just an excellent play.
Darnold goes deep to Rogers for a TD.
Darnold connects with Hampton in the corner of the end zone but it appears he was ruled out of bounds.
***
Browne dumps it off to RoJo.
Browne tries to hit JuJu short but it falls incomplete. There was tight D on each of the previous two plays.
One highlight from 1-on-1s between WRs and DBs involved JuJu and Biggie going stride for stride downfield. For some reason, a pass wasn't thrown, leaving JuJu particularly frustrated. We've missed seeing those two go at it the past two weeks but we could see a lot of that over the final five practices.
11-on-11:
Browne hits JuJu over the middle.
Browne goes to Dom Davis on the outside.
Browne throws short to Tyler Petite.
(Chris Brown got some first-team reps at LG in this period.)
Browne is hurried and throws incomplete.
Browne is sacked by Marvell Tell (Malik Dorton was there as well).
***
Darnold is under pressure but finds Daniel Imatorbhebhe on a crossing route.
Darnold hits Whitney on a deep out.
Darnold completes a short pass to Ajene.
Jabari Ruffin sacks Darnold (Rector was also applying pressure).
Darnold connects with Rogers.
***
Browne hits Hampton but the play appeared to be ruled dead. (I didn't see a defender in the backfield.)
Porter Gustin sacks Browne.
Browne hits Daniel Imatorbhebhe for a short gain.
Browne goes deep to JuJu.
Browne hits Mitchell over the top.
***
Greene runs for a few yards.
Greene throws deep to J. Imatorbhebhe and it falls incomplete.
Greene throws incomplete again, this time on a ball downfield to Rogers.
***
Uchenna Nwosu tips Browne's pass.
Browne hits Mitchell downfield.
Browne connects with Mitchell on an out.
Browne throws a TD to JuJu.
J. Davis runs and converts the 2-point attempt.
***
Darnold misses Burnett downfield. Interestingly, Wole Betiku was in coverage.
Darnold throws an out to Rogers.
Masina stops RoJo for a short run.
Darnold connects with Rogers.
Darnold hits Burnett, who had no one near him.
Final challenge:
Browne hits Mitchell.
J. Davis runs right for a nice gain.
Nwosu sacks Browne.
Davis runs right and is stopped by Dorton.
Browne hits JuJu for a first down.
Browne hits RoJo in the flat for a TD. (Good block by JuJu there.)
On the ensuing 2-point try, Browne throws incomplete to Rogers.
***
(The period is extended and involves the second team offense and defense.)
Darnold completes a fade to Hampton for a TD on the first play.
Darnold goes back to Hampton and connects for the two-point conversion.
The first-team offense and second-team defense run.
***
Thought it was a solid practice for both quarterbacks, though there wasn't a significant change in who worked with the first-team offense and faced the first-team defense. Got the impression from talking to Tyson Helton afterward that USC will indeed name a starter at the end of spring.
Coming up in They Said It: interviews with Browne, Darnold, T. Helton, Mitchell, OL Jordan Simmons and OL coach Neil Callaway. Also, the podcast will be posted in the next few minutes.
