TrojanSports - USC Football Notes: WSU staff connections, Nick Figueroa and special teams
In-depth notes on Lincoln Riley's connections with the WSU staff, Nick Figueroa's new role and special teams thoughts.
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When Lincoln Riley arrived at USC with a week still left in the Trojans' wayward 2021 season, he used that opportunity to observe practice and learn what he could about the program.
There was one coach on the staff who was especially helpful in that regard to Riley -- offensive line coach Clay McGuire, who was finishing up his playing career at Texas Tech back when Riley was a student assistant on Mike Leach's staff from 2003-04. They would then work together in varying roles with the Red Raiders through 2009.
So of all the input Riley was getting from various people in and around the USC program, it was McGuire who he leaned on most during that transition week.
They'll run into each other again in the Coliseum on Saturday as No. 6-ranked USC hosts Washington State, where McGuire is now the offensive line coach for the Cougars.
"I talked to him a few times about it, I did, just being somebody I know and trust and respect his opinion. Talked to him when I first got here. He was not only great with some of the roster, it was cool to see his assessment of the place," Riley said Tuesday. "When you get in new, everybody wants to tell you what's been good and what's been bad. The reality is you appreciate everybody's wanting to help, but you don't trust, because you haven't been in the foxhole with them. I've been in the foxhole with Clay and I know what kind of coach he is, what kind of person he is.
"So it gives his assessment, not only of the roster but just living here, so much [weight]. He was very, very helpful. He's a great friend. I got a lot of really good friends on that sideline."
Nobody asked Riley if he had considered at all retaining his friend McGuire, but the prevailing logic was that to fix USC's underwhelming offensive line recruiting (which was not at all the fault of McGuire, who was in the program for only a year of Clay Helton-related turmoil) that he needed to land a splash hire who would resonate with prospects. In that regard, it made sense to bring in Josh Henson from Texas A&M despite any personal ties with his fellow former Red Raider.
But like Riley said, McGuire won't be the only familiar face on the Cougars sideline Saturday.
Washington State offensive coordinator Eric Morris was a wide receiver at Texas Tech from 2005-08, catching 184 passes for 1,965 yards and 19 touchdowns over his time there. By his final two seasons, Riley had been promoted to receivers coach and worked directly with Morris.
"He was a good player, fun player, under-recruited guy that came in. He was a smart player, no shock to see he's coaching," Riley said. "He comes from a coaching family, his dad was a really good coach, very athletic family. Just a very tough, dependable player. We had a great run there, but yeah, no surprise to see that he's in coaching and doing it at a high level."
Morris was the head coach at FCS-level Incarnate Word the last four seasons and came to Washington State this offseason along with his star quarterback Cam Ward and receiver Robert Ferrel.
The Cougars are 4-1, and after a bit of a slow start offensively, they have picked things up the last three weeks while averaging 428.3 and 35.7 points per game in that span.
Ward has passed for 1,445 yards, 13 touchdowns and 7 interceptions overall.
"I think he's doing a good job of marrying [his offense] to what the quarterback does well. He's got a good player there, he's obviously been able to have some continuity with this guy. Eric's a smart enough coach, he's got an understanding of what his guy can do well and how can he maximize his strengths. He does a good job," Riley said of Morris.
"It looks like he gives this guy some freedom to use some of his natural-born athleticism to make plays, and it's a good system. It's a tough system to stop with the combination of what they run and the quarterback."
Riley also overlapped at Texas Tech with Washington State WRs coach Joel Filani, who was a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2006 when Riley was still a graduate assistant.
Nick Figueroa talks to reporters for first time this season
With so many questions about the depth along the defensive line, it figured that one of the mainstays up front would be sixth-year senior Nick Figueroa, who entered the season with 28 games played, 11 starts and 11.5 tackles for loss (4.5 sacks).
Instead, Figueroa has found himself in a rotational role off the bench that varies game by game. His defensive snap counts this season have gone 17, 45, 27, 10 and 11.
Figueroa talked to reporters Tuesday after practice for the first time all season.
"It's the same type of role every year, same thing for me is just like wherever the team needs you you've got to provide," he said. "If that means starting the game, playing 60 snaps, or playing a rotation role, playing 10 snaps, that's your role on the team. You've got to star in your role."
The leaders in defensive line snaps played for the Trojans starts obviously with versatile star Tuli Tuipulotu (247), followed by DT Brandon Pili (175), DT Stanley Ta'ufo'ou (166), De'jon Benton (135) and then Figueroa's 110. (Not counting rush end Solomon Byrd, who plays a position unto itself, with 195 snaps played.) Benton's emergence has seemingly had the biggest impact on Figueroa, who played his season-high 45 snaps in Week 2 when Benton was sidelined.
At a position as rotational as the defensive line is, that still leaves an important role for Figueroa, though. And there's no telling how the rest of the season will play out.
He combined with Tyrone Taleni for a shared sack Saturday -- giving Figueroa 1.5 for the season now, which is tied with linebacker Shane Lee for fourth on the team.
"It was great. I missed one, that one hurts, but always great to make plays. When you're given opportunity, you've got to continue to capitalize and try to build. It's a long season still," Figueroa said.
Special teams assessment
If there is one consistent critique of this 5-0, No. 6-ranked USC football team so far it has been the underwhelming performance on special teams.
Without getting into the depths of it, Football Outsiders has the Trojans ranked 80th in college football in its "Special Teams FEI Ratings."
By more traditional metrics, USC ranks 127 out of 131 teams in punt return average (1.60 yards -- 5 punt returns for 8 yards), 122nd in kickoff return average (13.71 -- 7 returns for 96 yards), tied for 107th in kick return defense (24 yards allowed per return -- 16 returns for 384 yards with 18 touchbacks) and tied for 113th in net punting (35.2 yards per punt on 10 attempts). The Trojans are also tied for 91st in punt return defense, but that's on a small sample size of just 2 returns for 19 yards.
That said, punter Aadyn Sleep-Dalton has put 5 of his 10 punts inside the 20-yard line with 4 resulting in fair catches. Place kicker Denis Lynch is 5 of 7 on field goals.
Maybe the most stunning of all the special teams stats, though, is that USC's longest return all season was an 18-yard kickoff return by Brenden Rice -- one of four players the Trojans have used in that role along with the now-redshirting Gary Bryant Jr., Raleek Brown and Mario Williams.
Riley was asked for his assessment of the special teams Tuesday.
"There's obviously a lot of different units there," he said. "Field goal, extra points has been really good for us. Punt has been a strength for us. Kickoff, we've had some good games, we've had some bad games. They were a big part of the reason we won at Oregon State, we've had two games here as of late we haven't played to the level we need to on kickoff, field position hasn't been very good. Punt return's been solid. We haven't had a ton of opportunities, and the few realistic return opportunities we've had we haven't had some great kicks. We had some chances to get some yards the other day and we didn't field a kick well. And kick return up to this point has been disappointing. So I think I ran the gamut there."
Freshman Raleek Brown progressing
Five-star freshman Raleek Brown's ankle looks to be getting stronger, as he played a season-high 15 offensive snaps Saturday night, carrying the ball 6 times for 27 yards.
"He still wasn't 100 percent, but he's pretty darn close to it now so it was good to see him back moving closer to what [we expect]. He's a unique athlete," Riley said.
