News, notes and observations from Thursday's practice...
Today's workout lasted about two hours and 15 minutes and was again without pads. (Note: The weekday practices are apparently going to begin at 3 p.m. instead of 3:30.)
TE Taylor McNamara and LB Quinton Powell returned to practice after missing Tuesday because of illness. Safety Leon McQuay also participated. (Coach Clay Helton wasn't exactly clear on McQuay's availability this spring. Apparently the class conflict is just on Tuesdays.)
Given how different the skill-sets are for the four quarterbacks, particularly with Max Browne and Sam Darnold, I asked Helton what general criteria he's using to judge them in this competition.
His response: "The most important thing to me and the mark of a great quarterback is the ball moves and it scores points. Your quarterback puts points on the board and the ball moves up and down the field. To be able to see a kid throw in 1-on-1 drills and individual drills, that's great. But when the bullets fly and we're in team blitz and we're in that team competition and you make the throw when it counts. I was very pleased on the last throw, dead on the money, for the win, those are the things you want to see from your quarterback."
As he alluded to in that statement, Helton was clearly impressed with Browne's showing today. He noted that despite not being the runner his peers are, Browne would have some designed runs called if he were the starting quarterback.
Helton noted CB Isaiah Langley has put on 10 pounds of muscle. "He doesn't have that freshman body anymore and he's got a ton of confidence. He's a kid we're going to need in this defense. Clancy (Pendergast) plays a lot of nickel."
We learned that USC is holding private morning walk-throughs on practice days.
***
Langley and TB Dominic Davis both got a chance to return some punts and looked good doing it.
USC has implemented some two-back sets. We're definitely seeing some experimentation with the offense.
Freshman safety CJ Pollard worked a bit at cornerback.
Offensive guards Chris Brown and Jordan Simmons got some run with the first team.
7-on-7:
McNamara catches an intermediate pass.
Michael Pittman, who had another nice day, hauled in a deep throw.
Biggie Marshall breaks up a pass to Deontay Burnett. Browne threw behind him on that one.
Darnold fails to get the ball out on consecutive plays and the whistle blows denoting a sack. Not a good sign when there's no defensive front bringing pressure.
***
Aca'Cedric Ware catches a pass out of the backfield and ends up in a scuffle with Quinton Powell. Couldn't tell from my vantage point what caused it. Things only got chipper from there.
De'Quan Hampton catches a pass and Powell stops him short of the marker. Another scuffle soon erupts between Darreus Rogers and a defensive player in the middle of a pile. It's definitely not like Darreus to be involved in the fracas, so I wonder if somebody on the D was mouthing off.
Helton stops practice a couple plays later following another scuffle and has the entire team do up-downs.
***
11-on-11:
(Browne at QB)
McQuay breaks up a deep pass to Burnett.
Burnett catches a slant.
Whitney catches an out.
Whitney catches a slant.
Daniel Imatorbhebhe catches a deep ball.
***
(Darnold at QB)
Pittman catches a first down.
Ronald Jones II catches a swing pass. Looked comfortable bringing it in.
Steven Mitchell Jr. hauls in a crossing route.
JuJu Smith-Schuster catches a first down.
Powell breaks up a pass.
Jacob Daniel and Rasheem Green sack Darnold.
***
Final challenge:
Browne completes a short pass to McNamara.
Browne completes a pass to Rogers and it's another point for the O.
Uchenna Nwosu gets a pick-six.
Browne zips a pass over the middle to Burnett for a big gain and the competition and the practice are over.
Today's workout lasted about two hours and 15 minutes and was again without pads. (Note: The weekday practices are apparently going to begin at 3 p.m. instead of 3:30.)
TE Taylor McNamara and LB Quinton Powell returned to practice after missing Tuesday because of illness. Safety Leon McQuay also participated. (Coach Clay Helton wasn't exactly clear on McQuay's availability this spring. Apparently the class conflict is just on Tuesdays.)
Given how different the skill-sets are for the four quarterbacks, particularly with Max Browne and Sam Darnold, I asked Helton what general criteria he's using to judge them in this competition.
His response: "The most important thing to me and the mark of a great quarterback is the ball moves and it scores points. Your quarterback puts points on the board and the ball moves up and down the field. To be able to see a kid throw in 1-on-1 drills and individual drills, that's great. But when the bullets fly and we're in team blitz and we're in that team competition and you make the throw when it counts. I was very pleased on the last throw, dead on the money, for the win, those are the things you want to see from your quarterback."
As he alluded to in that statement, Helton was clearly impressed with Browne's showing today. He noted that despite not being the runner his peers are, Browne would have some designed runs called if he were the starting quarterback.
Helton noted CB Isaiah Langley has put on 10 pounds of muscle. "He doesn't have that freshman body anymore and he's got a ton of confidence. He's a kid we're going to need in this defense. Clancy (Pendergast) plays a lot of nickel."
We learned that USC is holding private morning walk-throughs on practice days.
***
Langley and TB Dominic Davis both got a chance to return some punts and looked good doing it.
USC has implemented some two-back sets. We're definitely seeing some experimentation with the offense.
Freshman safety CJ Pollard worked a bit at cornerback.
Offensive guards Chris Brown and Jordan Simmons got some run with the first team.
7-on-7:
McNamara catches an intermediate pass.
Michael Pittman, who had another nice day, hauled in a deep throw.
Biggie Marshall breaks up a pass to Deontay Burnett. Browne threw behind him on that one.
Darnold fails to get the ball out on consecutive plays and the whistle blows denoting a sack. Not a good sign when there's no defensive front bringing pressure.
***
Aca'Cedric Ware catches a pass out of the backfield and ends up in a scuffle with Quinton Powell. Couldn't tell from my vantage point what caused it. Things only got chipper from there.
De'Quan Hampton catches a pass and Powell stops him short of the marker. Another scuffle soon erupts between Darreus Rogers and a defensive player in the middle of a pile. It's definitely not like Darreus to be involved in the fracas, so I wonder if somebody on the D was mouthing off.
Helton stops practice a couple plays later following another scuffle and has the entire team do up-downs.
***
11-on-11:
(Browne at QB)
McQuay breaks up a deep pass to Burnett.
Burnett catches a slant.
Whitney catches an out.
Whitney catches a slant.
Daniel Imatorbhebhe catches a deep ball.
***
(Darnold at QB)
Pittman catches a first down.
Ronald Jones II catches a swing pass. Looked comfortable bringing it in.
Steven Mitchell Jr. hauls in a crossing route.
JuJu Smith-Schuster catches a first down.
Powell breaks up a pass.
Jacob Daniel and Rasheem Green sack Darnold.
***
Final challenge:
Browne completes a short pass to McNamara.
Browne completes a pass to Rogers and it's another point for the O.
Uchenna Nwosu gets a pick-six.
Browne zips a pass over the middle to Burnett for a big gain and the competition and the practice are over.
