Michael Pittman made it clear a couple weeks ago that he doesn't like the word "breakout" as it applies to his season, as he feels he's had the same approach and has been ready to make plays all fall.
But it's hard to ignore the obvious -- starting with the Colorado game he's gone from a wide receiver capable of making big plays to one consistently doing so week after week.
Pittman's season-highs through the first five games were 4 catches and 72 yards (not in the same game). Since then?
-6 catches for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns against Colorado
-4 catches for 107 yards and 1 TD against Utah
-6 catches for 90 yards and 2 TDs against Arizona State
Pittman's explanation for that, um, surge makes plenty of sense:
"I feel like I was coming off a double AC sprain [in his shoulder] and I was taking some stuff to help me play through it, and once I got healthy I started getting the ball more and once I get the ball more ... I mean, I don't need the ball 15 times a game, I'm just getting those consistent targets so I feel I'm able to do a lot with a little bit," he said. "I'm stronger now than I was. I'm still not back to full [strength, but] just being able to move my hands quickly and run full speed -- before I couldn't really throw my arms like that -- just the quick, jerky movements."
USC coach Clay Helton's explanation makes sense as well.
Helton spoke Thursday about what he feels was a turning point for Pittman -- after he had just 1 catch for 20 yards at Arizona.
"He works at it," Helton said. "I remember, if you recall, was it the Arizona game? We had a couple that just fell short. He body catched a couple of them and he came right back that next week, he went into one-on-ones, he said, 'Coach, I really want to work the high balls. Do you mind if I just get fade after fade after fade after fade?' And he did, just kept working it and kept getting better and better at it, and it's really paying off in games.
"I actually showed the team one day him doing the one-on-one drills where he was working it that day, and then you go watch the Colorado game and he's in the exact same scenario with a defender in the exact same place having to make a strong high-ball catch with his hands. He's a kid that tries to be a master of his craft. He plays the game every day. He only knows one speed, and he's doing a phenomenal job. He's becoming a pro."
Pittman is third on the Trojans with 27 catches through eight games, but he leads the team by a good margin with his 561 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns (double that of any other receiver).
It's almost not up for debate to say that he's been the best player on the team over these last three games.
"I think it's been building, it really has," Helton said. "Going into your third year, he's taken the right approach. His first year he was a role player, special teams player, really came on the scene in his second year. It might have even happened earlier. If you remember, he had an ankle injury in his second year that those first six games were really tough, and then came on the scene the second half and just has continued to work. And it doesn't matter if it's offense, it doesn't matter if it's special teams -- he's a difference-making player.
"And that's what that position has always been for us is guys that can make huge plays in games. All nine years I've been here, whether it was Robert Woods, Marqise Lee, Nelson Agholor, JuJu Smith-[Schuster], Deontay Burnett, Steven Mitchell -- just had big-play capability guys."
Injury report
Helton officially confirmed that both senior safety Marvell Tell (neck stingers) and senior middle linebacker Cam Smith (hamstring) are good to go this week.
Tell was a late-week scratch last Friday while Smith has missed most of the last three games.
"Marvell is good. He's had a great week of practice, him and Cam both," Helton said. "I thought the week off helped Marvell, the two weeks have really helped Cam. I thought they were flying around. I actually showed reps of them to the team, how much they were leading this week, so it's good to see."
Backup inside linebacker Levi Jones (hip) has been ruled out, while backup cornerback Olaijah Griffin is also likely out.
"Olaijah Griffin's right on the cusp with a shoulder that's really sore. He's extremely questionable and doubtful, to be honest with you," Helton said.
More on a new November approach
Helton brought up again how his players came to him about not having a "No-pads November" this year and maintaining the usual full-pad Tuesday practices for the season's final month.
"Today's November 1 and it kind of separates the men from the boys in November -- there's no time too be tired," he said." ... I've really appreciated those older kids showing the younger guys, 'Hey, guys, this is how we work, this is how we win in November.' And I was so proud of them. They came to me and said, 'Coach, I know this is our routine, it's been our routine for a long time, but we'd really like to have a sense of urgency and put the pads on and keep on grinding.' And so we did. I've always listened to my team and what they need. I think each team is different."
He highlighted watching Pittman go against senior cornerback Iman "Biggie" Marshall in practice Tuesday as an example of the approach and focus he sees from his team.
"It was a war all day. All day. It reminded me of JuJu and Adoree' [Jackson] going after one another. It was every rep they wanted each other," Helton said. "And all of a sudden I look up, and there's Devon [Williams] and Olaijah Griffin right behind them and you could just see by their energy and their juice and what they were doing, their competitive level, it just fed to the younger kids. That's what you want."
But it's hard to ignore the obvious -- starting with the Colorado game he's gone from a wide receiver capable of making big plays to one consistently doing so week after week.
Pittman's season-highs through the first five games were 4 catches and 72 yards (not in the same game). Since then?
-6 catches for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns against Colorado
-4 catches for 107 yards and 1 TD against Utah
-6 catches for 90 yards and 2 TDs against Arizona State
Pittman's explanation for that, um, surge makes plenty of sense:
"I feel like I was coming off a double AC sprain [in his shoulder] and I was taking some stuff to help me play through it, and once I got healthy I started getting the ball more and once I get the ball more ... I mean, I don't need the ball 15 times a game, I'm just getting those consistent targets so I feel I'm able to do a lot with a little bit," he said. "I'm stronger now than I was. I'm still not back to full [strength, but] just being able to move my hands quickly and run full speed -- before I couldn't really throw my arms like that -- just the quick, jerky movements."
USC coach Clay Helton's explanation makes sense as well.
Helton spoke Thursday about what he feels was a turning point for Pittman -- after he had just 1 catch for 20 yards at Arizona.
"He works at it," Helton said. "I remember, if you recall, was it the Arizona game? We had a couple that just fell short. He body catched a couple of them and he came right back that next week, he went into one-on-ones, he said, 'Coach, I really want to work the high balls. Do you mind if I just get fade after fade after fade after fade?' And he did, just kept working it and kept getting better and better at it, and it's really paying off in games.
"I actually showed the team one day him doing the one-on-one drills where he was working it that day, and then you go watch the Colorado game and he's in the exact same scenario with a defender in the exact same place having to make a strong high-ball catch with his hands. He's a kid that tries to be a master of his craft. He plays the game every day. He only knows one speed, and he's doing a phenomenal job. He's becoming a pro."
Pittman is third on the Trojans with 27 catches through eight games, but he leads the team by a good margin with his 561 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns (double that of any other receiver).
It's almost not up for debate to say that he's been the best player on the team over these last three games.
"I think it's been building, it really has," Helton said. "Going into your third year, he's taken the right approach. His first year he was a role player, special teams player, really came on the scene in his second year. It might have even happened earlier. If you remember, he had an ankle injury in his second year that those first six games were really tough, and then came on the scene the second half and just has continued to work. And it doesn't matter if it's offense, it doesn't matter if it's special teams -- he's a difference-making player.
"And that's what that position has always been for us is guys that can make huge plays in games. All nine years I've been here, whether it was Robert Woods, Marqise Lee, Nelson Agholor, JuJu Smith-[Schuster], Deontay Burnett, Steven Mitchell -- just had big-play capability guys."
Injury report
Helton officially confirmed that both senior safety Marvell Tell (neck stingers) and senior middle linebacker Cam Smith (hamstring) are good to go this week.
Tell was a late-week scratch last Friday while Smith has missed most of the last three games.
"Marvell is good. He's had a great week of practice, him and Cam both," Helton said. "I thought the week off helped Marvell, the two weeks have really helped Cam. I thought they were flying around. I actually showed reps of them to the team, how much they were leading this week, so it's good to see."
Backup inside linebacker Levi Jones (hip) has been ruled out, while backup cornerback Olaijah Griffin is also likely out.
"Olaijah Griffin's right on the cusp with a shoulder that's really sore. He's extremely questionable and doubtful, to be honest with you," Helton said.
More on a new November approach
Helton brought up again how his players came to him about not having a "No-pads November" this year and maintaining the usual full-pad Tuesday practices for the season's final month.
"Today's November 1 and it kind of separates the men from the boys in November -- there's no time too be tired," he said." ... I've really appreciated those older kids showing the younger guys, 'Hey, guys, this is how we work, this is how we win in November.' And I was so proud of them. They came to me and said, 'Coach, I know this is our routine, it's been our routine for a long time, but we'd really like to have a sense of urgency and put the pads on and keep on grinding.' And so we did. I've always listened to my team and what they need. I think each team is different."
He highlighted watching Pittman go against senior cornerback Iman "Biggie" Marshall in practice Tuesday as an example of the approach and focus he sees from his team.
"It was a war all day. All day. It reminded me of JuJu and Adoree' [Jackson] going after one another. It was every rep they wanted each other," Helton said. "And all of a sudden I look up, and there's Devon [Williams] and Olaijah Griffin right behind them and you could just see by their energy and their juice and what they were doing, their competitive level, it just fed to the younger kids. That's what you want."
