Notes and observations from Saturday's scrimmage...
USC was in full pads today.
Michael Brown made just 2 of 6 field goal attempts, though he banged home a 50-yarder on his final try. Chase McGrath made just 1 of 3 attempts with a long of 40. (Coach Clay Helton intimated afterward he might be inclined to go for it on fourth down more this season.)
***
1-on-1 (OL vs DL)
Roy Hemsley beats Malik Dorton
Toa Lobendahn stops Dorton
Wole Betiku beats Jalen McKenzie
Cole Smith stops Kenny Bigelow
Liam Jimmons beats Richie Wenzel
Connor Murphy beats Clayton Johnston
***
Betiku beats Chuma Edoga
Viane Talamaivao stops Christian Rector
Brett Neilon stops Bigelow
Jimmons beats Chris Brown
Porter Gustin beats Andrew Vorhees
Lobendahn stops Marlon Tuipulotu
***
Rasheem Green beats Jordan Austin
Uchenna Nwosu beats Johnston
Rector beats McKenzie
Jay Tufele beats McKenzie
Brandon Pili beats Frank Martin
Austin Jackson stops Hunter Echols
***
Highlights from 7-on-7
Sam Darnold is picked off by Biggie Marshall. There was a flag on the play but I don't believe it was on the D.
Matt Fink takes a coverage sack.
Fink targets Josh Imatorbhebhe and Isaiah Langley breaks it up.
Fink hits Tyler Vaughns for a first.
Darnold tries to go deep and Jamel Cook breaks up the pass.
Darnold targets Velus Jones downfield and Ajene Harris and Marvell Tell force the incompletion.
Darnold goes long for Jalen Greene, who slows up on the route and it falls incomplete. Great coverage by Jack Jones.
Darnold throws to Michael Pittman and Ajene is called for PI.
***
Jack Sears hits Pittman outside.
Sears hits Joseph Lewis outside.
Sears is nearly picked off by Ykili Ross.
Sears hits Trevon Sidney short.
Fink hits Sidney short.
Sears completes a first down to Randal Grimes.
Sears throws to Austin Applebee, who's unable to secure it with one hand.
Sears runs for a few.
***
Highlights from 11-on-11
(FYI: We typically saw the first-team O face the first-team D, 2s vs. 2s and 3s vs. 3s.)
Ronald Jones II is stopped by a pile of defenders led by Josh Fatu.
Darnold hits Deontay Burnett short.
Darnold hits Greene outside for a short gain and short of the marker.
Matt Fink throws low to Velus Jones, who reaches down and scoops it and then turns upfield for a big gain.
Fink hits Vaughns outside and the defense hesitates to tackle him, enabling Vaughns to break free for about a 75-yard TD.
Darnold throws incomplete over the top to Steven Mitchell.
Vavae Malepeai is stopped short by Porter Gustin.
Darnold goes short to Greene and Matt Lopes stops him.
***
Sears is sacked by Jordan Iosefa, spoiling a throw downfield to Velus, who made a great catch over Ross.
Sears throws incomplete over the middle to Applebee.
Stephen Carr runs for a short gain on consecutive plays.
Carr makes a one-handed grab on a pass thrown behind him and then stiff arms Dom Davis en route to a big gain.
Carr runs off tackle and sprints past the defense before getting chased down by Davis for a 50-yard gain.
Malepeai bulldozes his way into the end zone from 8 yards out, running over a defender in the process.
***
RoJo runs outside for about 5 yards.
Darnold throws incomplete to RoJo.
Darnold throws incomplete and there's not a receiver in the vicinity. Haven't seen that from him before. He and the receivers really weren't in sync today.
***
Malepeai is tackled for a loss by Christian Rector and Wole Betiku.
Fink throws incomplete.
Fink dangerously flips a screen to Malepeai and it falls incomplete. Rector had that one sniffed out.
***
(offense pinned inside its own 5)
Ware runs for a short gain.
Ware is stuffed in the end zone for a safety.
Darnold throws incomplete.
***
Malepeai runs for a short gain.
Fink throws too wide to Velus and it goes off his hands.
Fink hits Applebee short.
Carr gets a few and is stopped by Dom and Juliano Falaniko.
***
Sears overthrows Randal Grimes.
Sears scrambles for a few.
Carr runs for a short gain.
Carr moves the pile and gets a handful.
Sears hits Lewis for a first down.
***
(red zone)
Darnold hits Cary Angeline short but there's a flag.
Darnold throws incomplete to Mitchell.
RoJo is stopped short.
Darnold rolls to his right and has nowhere to go so he throws it away.
***
Fink hits Erik Krommenhoek, who picks up some yards after the catch end gets a first down.
Ware runs up the iddle for 5 yards.
Ware runs for a couple.
Fink throws incomplete.
***
Sears throws to Lewis who hauls in a jump ball for a TD.
Sears goes outside to Josh Imatorbhebhe, who eludes a pair of defenders and scores. he's superb after the catch.
Carr runs for a short gain.
Carr slips and then takes a shot from Isaiah Pola-Mao.
Sears hits Trevon Sidney for a TD.
***
RoJo is thrown down by Nwosu.
Darnold hits Mitchell, who makes two defenders miss for a big gain.
RoJo is stopped by Nwosu.
RoJo powers through the middle for a TD.
***
Ware waits for a hole and then picks up 5.
Fink hits Velus outside.
Ware gains about 4.
Fink hits Vaughns for a short TD.
Malepeai runs for a couple.
***
Darnold throws incomplete.
Darnold throws deep to Burnett and Ajene reaches high with his right arm and snags it out of the air. Simply a beautiful play from Ajene, who was falling back but had the body control to haul it in with one arm near the end zone sideline and stay in bounds. He then returned it maybe 40 yards.
Darnold hits Mitchell in the corner of the end zone but it's ruled out of bounds.
***
Fink hits Vaughns for a short TD.
Fink throws incomplete.
Ware is stopped short.
Ware piledrives his way into the end zone for a TD.
***
(thud period)
Darnold throws incomplete.
Darnold hits Malepeai short and John Houston is right there.
Darnold throws incomplete to Angeline.
***
Fink hits Greene short.
Fink goes over to the middle to Velus.
The defense is whistled for offsides and Fink has a free play. He runs out of bounds.
Fink targets Greene and Ross nearly picks it off.
Fink hits Vaughns for a first.
Fink throws incomplete.
Fink hits Carr for a short gain.
Fink throws deep to Velus and it goes off his hands, and that's how practice ends.
***
The first team offense had eight drives and went three-and-out six times. I'm going to rank the receivers and running backs this weekend and Swanson and I are planning to record a podcast. USC is off Sunday but resumes practice Monday. Have a good evening.
USC was in full pads today.
Michael Brown made just 2 of 6 field goal attempts, though he banged home a 50-yarder on his final try. Chase McGrath made just 1 of 3 attempts with a long of 40. (Coach Clay Helton intimated afterward he might be inclined to go for it on fourth down more this season.)
***
1-on-1 (OL vs DL)
Roy Hemsley beats Malik Dorton
Toa Lobendahn stops Dorton
Wole Betiku beats Jalen McKenzie
Cole Smith stops Kenny Bigelow
Liam Jimmons beats Richie Wenzel
Connor Murphy beats Clayton Johnston
***
Betiku beats Chuma Edoga
Viane Talamaivao stops Christian Rector
Brett Neilon stops Bigelow
Jimmons beats Chris Brown
Porter Gustin beats Andrew Vorhees
Lobendahn stops Marlon Tuipulotu
***
Rasheem Green beats Jordan Austin
Uchenna Nwosu beats Johnston
Rector beats McKenzie
Jay Tufele beats McKenzie
Brandon Pili beats Frank Martin
Austin Jackson stops Hunter Echols
***
Highlights from 7-on-7
Sam Darnold is picked off by Biggie Marshall. There was a flag on the play but I don't believe it was on the D.
Matt Fink takes a coverage sack.
Fink targets Josh Imatorbhebhe and Isaiah Langley breaks it up.
Fink hits Tyler Vaughns for a first.
Darnold tries to go deep and Jamel Cook breaks up the pass.
Darnold targets Velus Jones downfield and Ajene Harris and Marvell Tell force the incompletion.
Darnold goes long for Jalen Greene, who slows up on the route and it falls incomplete. Great coverage by Jack Jones.
Darnold throws to Michael Pittman and Ajene is called for PI.
***
Jack Sears hits Pittman outside.
Sears hits Joseph Lewis outside.
Sears is nearly picked off by Ykili Ross.
Sears hits Trevon Sidney short.
Fink hits Sidney short.
Sears completes a first down to Randal Grimes.
Sears throws to Austin Applebee, who's unable to secure it with one hand.
Sears runs for a few.
***
Highlights from 11-on-11
(FYI: We typically saw the first-team O face the first-team D, 2s vs. 2s and 3s vs. 3s.)
Ronald Jones II is stopped by a pile of defenders led by Josh Fatu.
Darnold hits Deontay Burnett short.
Darnold hits Greene outside for a short gain and short of the marker.
Matt Fink throws low to Velus Jones, who reaches down and scoops it and then turns upfield for a big gain.
Fink hits Vaughns outside and the defense hesitates to tackle him, enabling Vaughns to break free for about a 75-yard TD.
Darnold throws incomplete over the top to Steven Mitchell.
Vavae Malepeai is stopped short by Porter Gustin.
Darnold goes short to Greene and Matt Lopes stops him.
***
Sears is sacked by Jordan Iosefa, spoiling a throw downfield to Velus, who made a great catch over Ross.
Sears throws incomplete over the middle to Applebee.
Stephen Carr runs for a short gain on consecutive plays.
Carr makes a one-handed grab on a pass thrown behind him and then stiff arms Dom Davis en route to a big gain.
Carr runs off tackle and sprints past the defense before getting chased down by Davis for a 50-yard gain.
Malepeai bulldozes his way into the end zone from 8 yards out, running over a defender in the process.
***
RoJo runs outside for about 5 yards.
Darnold throws incomplete to RoJo.
Darnold throws incomplete and there's not a receiver in the vicinity. Haven't seen that from him before. He and the receivers really weren't in sync today.
***
Malepeai is tackled for a loss by Christian Rector and Wole Betiku.
Fink throws incomplete.
Fink dangerously flips a screen to Malepeai and it falls incomplete. Rector had that one sniffed out.
***
(offense pinned inside its own 5)
Ware runs for a short gain.
Ware is stuffed in the end zone for a safety.
Darnold throws incomplete.
***
Malepeai runs for a short gain.
Fink throws too wide to Velus and it goes off his hands.
Fink hits Applebee short.
Carr gets a few and is stopped by Dom and Juliano Falaniko.
***
Sears overthrows Randal Grimes.
Sears scrambles for a few.
Carr runs for a short gain.
Carr moves the pile and gets a handful.
Sears hits Lewis for a first down.
***
(red zone)
Darnold hits Cary Angeline short but there's a flag.
Darnold throws incomplete to Mitchell.
RoJo is stopped short.
Darnold rolls to his right and has nowhere to go so he throws it away.
***
Fink hits Erik Krommenhoek, who picks up some yards after the catch end gets a first down.
Ware runs up the iddle for 5 yards.
Ware runs for a couple.
Fink throws incomplete.
***
Sears throws to Lewis who hauls in a jump ball for a TD.
Sears goes outside to Josh Imatorbhebhe, who eludes a pair of defenders and scores. he's superb after the catch.
Carr runs for a short gain.
Carr slips and then takes a shot from Isaiah Pola-Mao.
Sears hits Trevon Sidney for a TD.
***
RoJo is thrown down by Nwosu.
Darnold hits Mitchell, who makes two defenders miss for a big gain.
RoJo is stopped by Nwosu.
RoJo powers through the middle for a TD.
***
Ware waits for a hole and then picks up 5.
Fink hits Velus outside.
Ware gains about 4.
Fink hits Vaughns for a short TD.
Malepeai runs for a couple.
***
Darnold throws incomplete.
Darnold throws deep to Burnett and Ajene reaches high with his right arm and snags it out of the air. Simply a beautiful play from Ajene, who was falling back but had the body control to haul it in with one arm near the end zone sideline and stay in bounds. He then returned it maybe 40 yards.
Darnold hits Mitchell in the corner of the end zone but it's ruled out of bounds.
***
Fink hits Vaughns for a short TD.
Fink throws incomplete.
Ware is stopped short.
Ware piledrives his way into the end zone for a TD.
***
(thud period)
Darnold throws incomplete.
Darnold hits Malepeai short and John Houston is right there.
Darnold throws incomplete to Angeline.
***
Fink hits Greene short.
Fink goes over to the middle to Velus.
The defense is whistled for offsides and Fink has a free play. He runs out of bounds.
Fink targets Greene and Ross nearly picks it off.
Fink hits Vaughns for a first.
Fink throws incomplete.
Fink hits Carr for a short gain.
Fink throws deep to Velus and it goes off his hands, and that's how practice ends.
***
The first team offense had eight drives and went three-and-out six times. I'm going to rank the receivers and running backs this weekend and Swanson and I are planning to record a podcast. USC is off Sunday but resumes practice Monday. Have a good evening.
