Notes and observations from Thursday's practice:
USC was in shells and shorts for its penultimate spring practice. The two-hour workout was a much lighter one than usual, and really their only one of this nature all spring. The emphasis was on directing the players for their upcoming player-run-practices over the summer that the coaching staff cannot attend.
7-on-7:
Max Browne goes over the middle to Daniel Imatorbhebhe.
Browne throws a short pass to Justin Davis.
Browne hits Petite for about 12 yards.
Browne completes a short pass to Steven Mitchell Jr.
***
Sam Darnold hits Petite for a medium gain over the middle.
Darnold connects with Isaac Whitney.
Darnold completes a pass to Taylor McNamara.
Darnold hits Aca'Cedric Ware on a wheel.
Darnold hits Petite again for about 10 yards.
11-on-11:
Browne lobs a deep pass over the top to McNamara and it falls incomplete. It looked like McNamara could have come up with it had he put his hands up. Browne put it in a great spot.
J. Davis runs up the middle for a short gain.
Browne throws to Darreus Rogers, who stretches to make a tough catch.
Ronald Jones II runs of tackle to the right side.
Browne hits a receiver (couldn't tell who) in the numbers and it's dropped.
***
Jalen Greene enters and is sacked by Leon McQuay.
Ware slips in the backfield for a loss.
Greene completes a screen to Mitchell.
***
Darnold is sacked by Jacob Daniel.
Darnold's pass is tipped by Daniel and John Houston nearly comes up with the INT.
Darnold connects with Petite downfield.
Darnold tries for Mitchell deep and it goes off his fingertips.
J. Davis runs up the middle for a few.
***
Practice pauses for about 10 minutes as Lynn Swann arrives and addresses the team. Swann later passes by the media and shakes our hands. "Thanks for your time today," he says.
***
Matt Fink is sacked by Porter Gustin.
Marvell Tell breaks up a pass to D. Imatorbhebhe.
Biggie Marshall breaks up a pass to De'Quan Hampton.
***
Matt Boermeester connects on four of five field goals. He missed one from about 50 yards out but made what looked to be a 55-yarder. (The other three kicks looked to be from about 40 yards out. He also alternated between the left and right hash, something we haven't seen much of this spring.)
Walk-on redshirt freshman Wyatt Paul, who's gotten some field goal reps of late, made both of his kicks, each from about 40 yards out.
***
11-on-11:
Browne hits J. Davis for a first down.
Browne's next pass is batted down by Jacob Daniel.
Browne hit Rogers on a crossing route.
Browne completes a pass to D. Imatorbhebhe.
Isaiah Langley breaks up Browne's throw to Hampton.
***
Darnold hits Whitney.
Darnold sees TB James Toland all alone and hits him the flat for a long gain.
Darnold avoids pressure and runs for a couple before Osa Masina taps him.
Darnold, again facing pressure, fires quickly to McNamara in the deep middle for a completion.
Darnold throws high to Josh Imatorbhebhe and the true freshman goes up and gets it. Excellent catch.
***
Browne hits JuJu Smith-Schuster on a curl.
Browne throws a quick out to JuJu.
Browne connects with Petite over the middle.
Browne goes to Darreus, who makes a falling catch.
Browne completes another pass to Rogers, this one over the middle.
***
Boermeester attempts a long field goal, between 45-50 yards, and it's wide right.
***
Darnold hits a wide open Whitney deep. This ball traveled a long way given how high he threw it.
Wole Betiku sacks Darnold.
Darnold flees the pocket, perhaps prematurely, and throws incomplete.
Under pressure, Darnold throws the next pass away.
Boermeester gets a second chance, this time from 40-45 yards away, and he makes it. No one has to run.
***
We'll have more spring notes in our next edition of They Said It, featuring DBs coach Ronnie Bradford, DL coach Kenechi Udeze and DC Clancy Pendergast.
USC was in shells and shorts for its penultimate spring practice. The two-hour workout was a much lighter one than usual, and really their only one of this nature all spring. The emphasis was on directing the players for their upcoming player-run-practices over the summer that the coaching staff cannot attend.
7-on-7:
Max Browne goes over the middle to Daniel Imatorbhebhe.
Browne throws a short pass to Justin Davis.
Browne hits Petite for about 12 yards.
Browne completes a short pass to Steven Mitchell Jr.
***
Sam Darnold hits Petite for a medium gain over the middle.
Darnold connects with Isaac Whitney.
Darnold completes a pass to Taylor McNamara.
Darnold hits Aca'Cedric Ware on a wheel.
Darnold hits Petite again for about 10 yards.
11-on-11:
Browne lobs a deep pass over the top to McNamara and it falls incomplete. It looked like McNamara could have come up with it had he put his hands up. Browne put it in a great spot.
J. Davis runs up the middle for a short gain.
Browne throws to Darreus Rogers, who stretches to make a tough catch.
Ronald Jones II runs of tackle to the right side.
Browne hits a receiver (couldn't tell who) in the numbers and it's dropped.
***
Jalen Greene enters and is sacked by Leon McQuay.
Ware slips in the backfield for a loss.
Greene completes a screen to Mitchell.
***
Darnold is sacked by Jacob Daniel.
Darnold's pass is tipped by Daniel and John Houston nearly comes up with the INT.
Darnold connects with Petite downfield.
Darnold tries for Mitchell deep and it goes off his fingertips.
J. Davis runs up the middle for a few.
***
Practice pauses for about 10 minutes as Lynn Swann arrives and addresses the team. Swann later passes by the media and shakes our hands. "Thanks for your time today," he says.
***
Matt Fink is sacked by Porter Gustin.
Marvell Tell breaks up a pass to D. Imatorbhebhe.
Biggie Marshall breaks up a pass to De'Quan Hampton.
***
Matt Boermeester connects on four of five field goals. He missed one from about 50 yards out but made what looked to be a 55-yarder. (The other three kicks looked to be from about 40 yards out. He also alternated between the left and right hash, something we haven't seen much of this spring.)
Walk-on redshirt freshman Wyatt Paul, who's gotten some field goal reps of late, made both of his kicks, each from about 40 yards out.
***
11-on-11:
Browne hits J. Davis for a first down.
Browne's next pass is batted down by Jacob Daniel.
Browne hit Rogers on a crossing route.
Browne completes a pass to D. Imatorbhebhe.
Isaiah Langley breaks up Browne's throw to Hampton.
***
Darnold hits Whitney.
Darnold sees TB James Toland all alone and hits him the flat for a long gain.
Darnold avoids pressure and runs for a couple before Osa Masina taps him.
Darnold, again facing pressure, fires quickly to McNamara in the deep middle for a completion.
Darnold throws high to Josh Imatorbhebhe and the true freshman goes up and gets it. Excellent catch.
***
Browne hits JuJu Smith-Schuster on a curl.
Browne throws a quick out to JuJu.
Browne connects with Petite over the middle.
Browne goes to Darreus, who makes a falling catch.
Browne completes another pass to Rogers, this one over the middle.
***
Boermeester attempts a long field goal, between 45-50 yards, and it's wide right.
***
Darnold hits a wide open Whitney deep. This ball traveled a long way given how high he threw it.
Wole Betiku sacks Darnold.
Darnold flees the pocket, perhaps prematurely, and throws incomplete.
Under pressure, Darnold throws the next pass away.
Boermeester gets a second chance, this time from 40-45 yards away, and he makes it. No one has to run.
***
We'll have more spring notes in our next edition of They Said It, featuring DBs coach Ronnie Bradford, DL coach Kenechi Udeze and DC Clancy Pendergast.
