USC's penultimate spring practice went for two hours. It was held at Cromwell. No pads and very little contact.
Claude Pelon returned, sporting a brace on his left arm.
Khaliel Rodgers also returned.
John Plattenburg (ankle) was limited again. Did individuals and worked a bit with the second team. No first team.
Leon McQuay was off to the side doing lower body stretches with the training staff for a brief period. He was limited by a hip injury a couple weeks ago and still doesn't look right. I don't think he's quite 100 percent.
The QBs continued to focus on rollouts.
***
Some highlights from 11-on11s:
Su'a Cravens is all over the read option and records a TFL.
Justin Davis beat Adoree' Jackson to the sideline for a big gain on another read option.
Delvon Simmons had a sack.
Cody Kessler made a strong throw to Darreus Rogers, who couldn't hold on while falling out of bounds.
Ajene Harris caught a 10-yard pass and made a couple people miss for a TD.
Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick made a nice catch and run in space.
Connor Spears couldn't come down with a high throw in the back of the end zone.
***
More 11s:
1st team
The USC D briefly used what appeared to be a dime formation. Don Hill got some run with the ones during this time.
Kevon Seymour had a PBU.
JuJu Smith can't hold on.
Su'a, two plays after being the nickel, gets a sack.
Steven Mitchell caught consecutive passes, first a crossing route and then one from the slot.
D. Simmons with another sack.
Pelon had a PBU.
Matt Boermeester made a 45-yard FG.
2nd team
Jeff Miller sacked Max Browne.
Browne hit JCF for a long reception. JCF beat Quinton Powell on the play.
One critique for Browne, who's really been throwing beautiful balls all spring. His windup is a little long. I think that might be why he has so many passes batted at the line of scrimmage. D-linemen are able to time his release.
Alex Wood makes a 45-yarder.
1st team
Kessler looks downfield and finds JuJu, who's nestled in a soft spot between the safeties. (Kessler's velocity has been good all spring.)
McQuay and Adoree combine for a PBU. AJax reacts like he was robbed of an INT. Gotta appreciate McQuay's effort, however.
Pelon records a PBU ... about 10 yards deep. Wow. He's had a big day.
2nd team
Ajene gets way behind the D but Browne overthrows him.
Browne makes up for it with an easy toss to Mitchell, who does the rest for a 40-yard TD.
Delvon Simmons registers his third sack.
Malik Dorton pressured Ricky Town.
Quinton Powell deflects a pass at the line of scrimmage.
***
7-on7s:
Tre Madden catches a wheel route.
McQuay gets another PBU, this time at the goal line against JuJu.
Isaac Whitney had a half-step on Jonathan Lockett but is unable to hang on in the back corner of the end zone. Lockett came up a bit gimpy afterward.
Madden continues down the sideline on a wheel route and catches a 30-yard TD.
Darreus went high to make a catch over Adoree' and lands hard on his back.
Jalen Greene throws it right to JuJu ... who's watching from the sideline. Not sure what Greene was thinking there.
The very next play, Greene throws a gorgeous ball up the seam to Ajene for a TD. Ajene beat tight coverage on the play.
Jalen Jones nearly picks off Ricky Town, who looks past an open Ajene on a shorter route.
Town, like Greene before him, quickly makes up for his lapse with a 25-yard TD pass to Ajene. Town showed great anticipation here.
Town throws another TD to Aaron Minor, who fell on his back while corralling it.
***
Final 11-on-11:
JuJu catches a ball in traffic near Kevon and Chris Hawkins.
Kevon responds with a PBU vs. JuJu.
Su'a records a pick-six on what looked like a screen pass to Davis.
Lamont Simmons tallies a PBU vs. JCF.
Su'a again snuffs out the read option and chases Greene out of bounds.
Su'a then leaps to his left for a one-handed INT about 10 yards upfield. That's two by Su'a from Kessler.
Su'a continues his assault on the O as he chases down Mitchell, who caught a screen and tried to reverse field to little avail.
Kessler completes a pass over the middle to Mitchell. (Sark mentioned afterward that he's made a philosophical shift with the offense in order to create more mismatches involving Mitchell. He's been that impressive this spring.)
Davis catches a pass in the flat but it goes for short gain as Su'a doesn't bite on a pair of fakes.
Su'a closes out another epic practice by sacking Kessler.
***
In the final challenge, Madden keeps a HB option and scampers into the end zone to tie the score.
The defense wins, as Kevon breaks up a pass to JuJu - Su'a with the pressure on Kessler.
Targets Frank Martin, Chase Jasmin and commits Christian Rector, John Houston and De'Quan Hampton were in attendance. Hampton is big and broad; he'll easily be the team's biggest receiver.
Mark Sanchez and Devian Shelton were also in attendance. (Props to me for getting Sanchez and Shelton in the same sentence.)
Spring game is Saturday at 3 (details).
Sark said he'll be releasing a depth chart Friday.
This post was edited on 4/9 10:16 PM by Adam Maya
Claude Pelon returned, sporting a brace on his left arm.
Khaliel Rodgers also returned.
John Plattenburg (ankle) was limited again. Did individuals and worked a bit with the second team. No first team.
Leon McQuay was off to the side doing lower body stretches with the training staff for a brief period. He was limited by a hip injury a couple weeks ago and still doesn't look right. I don't think he's quite 100 percent.
The QBs continued to focus on rollouts.
***
Some highlights from 11-on11s:
Su'a Cravens is all over the read option and records a TFL.
Justin Davis beat Adoree' Jackson to the sideline for a big gain on another read option.
Delvon Simmons had a sack.
Cody Kessler made a strong throw to Darreus Rogers, who couldn't hold on while falling out of bounds.
Ajene Harris caught a 10-yard pass and made a couple people miss for a TD.
Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick made a nice catch and run in space.
Connor Spears couldn't come down with a high throw in the back of the end zone.
***
More 11s:
1st team
The USC D briefly used what appeared to be a dime formation. Don Hill got some run with the ones during this time.
Kevon Seymour had a PBU.
JuJu Smith can't hold on.
Su'a, two plays after being the nickel, gets a sack.
Steven Mitchell caught consecutive passes, first a crossing route and then one from the slot.
D. Simmons with another sack.
Pelon had a PBU.
Matt Boermeester made a 45-yard FG.
2nd team
Jeff Miller sacked Max Browne.
Browne hit JCF for a long reception. JCF beat Quinton Powell on the play.
One critique for Browne, who's really been throwing beautiful balls all spring. His windup is a little long. I think that might be why he has so many passes batted at the line of scrimmage. D-linemen are able to time his release.
Alex Wood makes a 45-yarder.
1st team
Kessler looks downfield and finds JuJu, who's nestled in a soft spot between the safeties. (Kessler's velocity has been good all spring.)
McQuay and Adoree combine for a PBU. AJax reacts like he was robbed of an INT. Gotta appreciate McQuay's effort, however.
Pelon records a PBU ... about 10 yards deep. Wow. He's had a big day.
2nd team
Ajene gets way behind the D but Browne overthrows him.
Browne makes up for it with an easy toss to Mitchell, who does the rest for a 40-yard TD.
Delvon Simmons registers his third sack.
Malik Dorton pressured Ricky Town.
Quinton Powell deflects a pass at the line of scrimmage.
***
7-on7s:
Tre Madden catches a wheel route.
McQuay gets another PBU, this time at the goal line against JuJu.
Isaac Whitney had a half-step on Jonathan Lockett but is unable to hang on in the back corner of the end zone. Lockett came up a bit gimpy afterward.
Madden continues down the sideline on a wheel route and catches a 30-yard TD.
Darreus went high to make a catch over Adoree' and lands hard on his back.
Jalen Greene throws it right to JuJu ... who's watching from the sideline. Not sure what Greene was thinking there.
The very next play, Greene throws a gorgeous ball up the seam to Ajene for a TD. Ajene beat tight coverage on the play.
Jalen Jones nearly picks off Ricky Town, who looks past an open Ajene on a shorter route.
Town, like Greene before him, quickly makes up for his lapse with a 25-yard TD pass to Ajene. Town showed great anticipation here.
Town throws another TD to Aaron Minor, who fell on his back while corralling it.
***
Final 11-on-11:
JuJu catches a ball in traffic near Kevon and Chris Hawkins.
Kevon responds with a PBU vs. JuJu.
Su'a records a pick-six on what looked like a screen pass to Davis.
Lamont Simmons tallies a PBU vs. JCF.
Su'a again snuffs out the read option and chases Greene out of bounds.
Su'a then leaps to his left for a one-handed INT about 10 yards upfield. That's two by Su'a from Kessler.
Su'a continues his assault on the O as he chases down Mitchell, who caught a screen and tried to reverse field to little avail.
Kessler completes a pass over the middle to Mitchell. (Sark mentioned afterward that he's made a philosophical shift with the offense in order to create more mismatches involving Mitchell. He's been that impressive this spring.)
Davis catches a pass in the flat but it goes for short gain as Su'a doesn't bite on a pair of fakes.
Su'a closes out another epic practice by sacking Kessler.
***
In the final challenge, Madden keeps a HB option and scampers into the end zone to tie the score.
The defense wins, as Kevon breaks up a pass to JuJu - Su'a with the pressure on Kessler.
Targets Frank Martin, Chase Jasmin and commits Christian Rector, John Houston and De'Quan Hampton were in attendance. Hampton is big and broad; he'll easily be the team's biggest receiver.
Mark Sanchez and Devian Shelton were also in attendance. (Props to me for getting Sanchez and Shelton in the same sentence.)
Spring game is Saturday at 3 (details).
Sark said he'll be releasing a depth chart Friday.
This post was edited on 4/9 10:16 PM by Adam Maya
