Tag: usc athletics

USC freshmen running backs answer the call in Las Vegas Bowl

USC got something out of its younger running backs, who made the most of their opportunity in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Heading into USC football’s Las Vegas Bowl matchup with Texas A&M Friday night, we knew the Trojans’ running back room would be significantly depleted.

Top running back Woody Marks, who is headed to the NFL, opted out of the game. No. 2 back Quinten Joyner also entered the transfer portal, leaving the Trojans with just two scholarship backs—both freshmen—left on the roster.

Those two running backs were true freshman Bryan Jackson and redshirt freshman A’Marion Peterson. Both young players stepped up when their name was called, combining for 28 carries, 109 yards, and a touchdown.

It was exactly the type of performance that USC needed from the two players. Given that they trailed for nearly the entire game, the Trojans were forced to throw the ball more than they ran it. But they were able to get enough production in the ground out of their two young backs to make A&M’s defense respect their run game, in turn opening things up for quarterback Jayden Maiava and the passing game.

With Eli Sanders transferring in from New Mexico, the Trojans will get a big boost in their running back room heading into to next season. After their impressive performance Friday night, however, Jackson and Peterson put themselves in prime position to compete for significant playing time in 2025.

Bowl season gives USC fans bragging rights over Oklahoma in 2024

USC definitely handled its bowl business better than Oklahoma did. At least there’s that.

Ever since Lincoln Riley made the stunning decision to leave Oklahoma for USC football three years ago, Trojan and Sooner fans have been in a constant online war regarding which program is better off. For the majority of this season, it looked like the answer was neither. Both USC and Oklahoma struggled to compete in their respective new conferences, with each finishing 6-6 and barely earning bowl eligibility.

With both teams playing in bowl games on Friday, however, that finally changed. While the Trojans took down Texas A&M 35-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl, the Sooners made way too many mistakes vs. Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl, ultimately falling by a score of 21-20.

With their bowl victory, USC was able to finish with a 7-6 record and avoid a dreaded losing season. Oklahoma, on the other hand, was not so lucky. With their loss, the Sooners finished 6-7 for the second time in three years under Brent Venables, whom they hired to replace Riley shortly following his departure.

To further add on to Oklahoma’s misery, one of the key talking points that their fans have used against Riley over the past few years is his record in bowl games. On Friday, Riley improved to 2-1 in bowls at USC, while Venables fell to 0-3 in bowls as a head coach.

Despite Friday night’s result, it was an incredibly disappointing season for the Trojans. Plain and simple, going 7-6 is nowhere near good enough for this program.

But at the very least, USC fans got the last laugh on Oklahoma in 2024. If nothing else, that is something they can hold their hat on throughout the offseason.

Ja’Kobi Lane steps up, becomes the elite receiver USC needs

Ja’Kobi Lane stepped up with Duce Robinson no longer on the team. Lane and Makai Lemon should give USC two elite receivers in 2025.

During the 2024 season, USC’s wide receiver room was largely a mixed bag. The Trojans had a bunch of good players at the position, but no one player truly stepped up as a go-to option. During the Las Vegas Bowl Friday night, however, that finally changed. With three of USC’s top five wide receivers in the transfer portal, that left more targets for the guys who stayed. One player in particular took advantage of those extra reps for USC football: sophomore Ja’Kobi Lane.

Against Texas A&M, Lane caught seven passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns. For his performance, he was named the game’s MVP.

It was the type of performance that the Trojans had been looking for all year. After losing top 2023 wideouts Tahj Washington and and Brenden Rice to the NFL, USC turned its wide receiver room over to a relatively young core. While each of those players showed flashes at moments in 2024, none of them truly took over a game.

That was, until Friday night.

Now, USC heads into 2025 with a clear and strong 1-2 punch at wide receiver in Lane and Makai Lemon. While there are still questions regarding who will be throwing them the ball, the Trojans should not lack for weapons next season.

USC ended its 2024 season the same way it started

The bookends of USC’s 2024 football season were wins over SEC opponents in Vegas. Everything in between went wrong, but 2-0 vs the SEC is a fun fact.

Way back on September 1, USC football scored a last-second touchdown to complete a come-from-behind victory over an SEC opponent in Las Vegas. On Friday night, USC scored a last-second touchdown to complete a come-from-behind victory over an SEC opponent in Las Vegas.

In a rather ironic twist, the Trojans concluded the 2024 season in the same place that they opened it, against an opponent from the same conference. Both times, they scored the game-winning touchdown with exactly 8 seconds left on the clock to prevail in thrilling fashion.

What happened in the 11 games in between the Trojans defeating LSU in the season opener and taking down Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl Friday night was a complete different story. USC finished the 2024 season a disappointing 7-6, including a 4-5 mark in Big Ten play. They consistently struggled to close out games, having led in the fourth quarter of five of their six losses.

But under the bright lights of Vegas, the Trojans were at their best. USC bookended its 2024 season with a result stunningly similar to the seaon opener.

USC may have had a losing record against Big Ten opponents in 2024, but the Trojans did go 2-0 against the SEC. In a season full of frustrations, that is at least something to hang your hat on.

Kyle Ford’s USC career gets storybook ending

Kyle Ford could not have written a sweeter final chapter to his USC football career at the Las Vegas Bowl. It’s a feel-good holiday story for him and the Trojans.

It has certainly been quite the ride for USC football wide receiver Kyle Ford. A highly-touted recruit, Ford arrived on campus back in 2019 as part of a decorated wide receiver class that also included Bru McCoy and Drake London. Upon arriving in college, however, each of the three followed a very different path.

London found immediate stardom at USC. He was a multiple-time all-Pac-12 honoree, and likely would have earned All-American honors in 2021 had an injury not ended his season prematurely. The Atlanta Falcons selected him eighth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he is already in his third season in the league.

McCoy had a bizarre ordeal where he transferred to Texas shortly after signing with USC, but then transferred back following spring practice with the Longhorns. After redshirting his first year on campus due to an illness, he earned a role in the Trojans’ wide receiver room in 2020, and was primed for an even bigger one in 2021. However, McCoy was arrested prior to the 2021 season due to an alleged domestic violence incident, and subsequently left the program. He transferred to Tennessee, where he has been a solid contributor for the past three years.

Ford, meanwhile, spent four seasons largely in the shadows at USC. He struggled with numerous injuries, and was never able to earn significant playing time due to a significant number of future NFL wide receivers on the depth chart.

Following the 2022 season, Ford elected to enter the transfer portal, and wound up at crosstown rival UCLA. His 2023 season with the Bruins did not go according to plan, however, and he was clearly unhappy across town. With one year of eligibility remaining, Ford decided to transfer back to USC for his final season of college football.

Ford’s 2024 campaign with the Trojans was a mixed bag. He caught just 20 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. With three of USC’s top five receivers entering the transfer portal prior to the Las Vegas Bowl, however, Ford was given an opportunity to step into the spotlight in his final college football game.

Did he ever. With the Trojans trailing Texas A&M 31-28 in the game’s final seconds, quarterback Jayden Maiava threw a slant pass to Ford from the seven yard-line. The veteran wide receiver caught the ball just short of the goal line and fell into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

Following the play, Ford collapsed to his knees in celebration in the end zone. After all that he had been through, it was clear just how much that moment meant to him. Following the game, Ford got to climb the ladder and conduct the Trojan Marching Band in “Conquest”, a time-honored USC victory tradition.

After six years, two transfers, and countless setbacks, Kyle Ford’s college football career came to a close Friday night. It was a storybook ending indeed.

Isaiah Pola-Mao is thriving with the Las Vegas Raiders

Isaiah Pola-Mao went undrafted. Yet, he is carving out a solid NFL career. That’s a feel-good holiday story.

USC has had more than 500 players selected in the NFL draft. Yet, one of the better Trojans in the league this season is a player who was not drafted at all. Despite being a three-year starter and two-time team captain at USC, Trojan safety Isaiah Pola-Mao did not hear his name called in the 2022 NFL draft. Instead, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent.

Although he arrived with little fanfare, Pola-Mao made a strong impression in Vegas, making the team and appearing in 11 games as a rookie. His role has grown over the past two years, and he has seen action in every game thus far this season for Vegas.

The 2024 season has been Pola-Mao’s most productive one as a pro to date. Through 15 games, he ranks third on the team with 76 tackles, while also adding three passes defended and a sack.

Against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, Pola-Mao had by far the best game of his NFL career thus far. He recorded 11 tackles and forced two fumbles in the Raiders’ 19-14 win. For his performance, Pola-Mao was named AFC defensive player of the week.

When Pola-Mao arrived at USC back in 2017, he did so with immense expectations due to him being the nephew of Trojan and NFL legend Troy Polamalu. Now, Pola-Mao is continuing to carry on his uncle’s football legacy.

Lincoln Riley announces offensive line updates before Las Vegas Bowl

There is a lot of reshuffling for an undermanned USC offensive line in the Las Vegas Bowl. Lincoln Riley announced which players will start.

When the USC Trojans take on Texas A&M Friday night in the Las Vegas Bowl, they will have two new starters along the offensive line.

At his pre-bowl press conference on Thursday, head coach Lincoln Riley confirmed that NFL-bound redshirt senior offensive lineman Jonah Monheim will opt out of the game. Redshirt sophomore Killian O’Connor will start in his place.

In addition, Riley announced that redshirt freshman Tobias Raymond will start at right tackle. Raymond will step in for redshirt junior Mason Murphy, who recently entered the transfer portal.

The Las Vegas Bowl will also mark the first game as offensive line coach for Zach Hanson. Hanson previously coached USC’s tight ends, but will move to offensive line following the departure of Josh Henson for Purdue.

Kickoff of the Las Vegas Bowl between USC and Texas A&M is set for 7:30 p.m. Pacific time Friday night. The game will air on ESPN television.

National media not very confident in USC heading into Las Vegas Bowl

It is hard for national media commentators to be bullish on USC and Lincoln Riley right now, and who can honestly blame them?

Heading into Friday night’s Las Vegas Bowl against Texas A&M, there are some major questions about the future of the USC football program.

After winning 11 games in Lincoln Riley’s first season in 2022, the Trojans are just 14-11 since the start of 2023. In addition, USC has lost more than 20 players to the transfer portal since the conclusion of the regular season, and recruiting, while certainly not awful, has been not nearly the level it was expected to be at when Riley was hired.

The national college football media has begun to take notice of the current state of the Trojans’ program. Leading up to the Las Vegas Bowl, several prominent media personalities have expressed skepticism over Lincoln Riley’s ability to be successful at USC.

During this weekend’s College GameDay show, the entire set picked the Aggies to beat the Trojans in Vegas. Several of the analysts questioned how motivated USC would be for the game given the disappointing season and the number of players in the transfer portal.

In addition, on his college football show “The Hard Count” last week, J.D. Pickell of On3 Sports questioned the investment level of the USC program under Riley.

“There are certain brands in college football, certain jobs in college football, where that logo requires a little bit more of you,” Pickell said. “USC is this way, Texas is this way. Alabama is this way.

“These big brands where, you don’t get to just wear the name tag. You gotta be all in. Being a USC Trojan has to be something you take pride in the moment your feet hit the floor in the morning.

“Because if you’re not going to be all the way bought in, guess what? You’re not going to have the success you want to have.

“The reason why it’s so frustrating, if you’re watching the pieces not totally fit properly for USC right now is like there’s no structural reason why USC can’t be a powerhouse on the West Coast.”

Fair or not, the national perception of Riley’s USC program right now is not very positive. It will be up to the head coach to repair this perception if he is serious about getting the Trojans back on track.

USC won’t be caught shorthanded on special teams in 2025

USC has restocked the cupboard on special teams. Can the Trojans now address their offensive line?

As we have stated here in the past, USC’s best player in 2024 played on neither offense or defense, but special teams. Eddie Czaplicki, who won the Ray Guy Award as the top punter in the nation, was the Trojans’ top player in 2024, alongside Woody Marks. However, with both Czaplicki and starting kicker Michael Lantz out of eligibility after the Las Vegas Bowl, the Trojans will need to find replacements at both positions.

In recent days, they took a major step towards doing such with the addition of UNLV transfer kicker Caden Chittenden. With the Rebels this past season, Chittenden was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year on special teams, making 24 of his 30 field goal attempts.

This comes a week after the Trojans earned a commitment from one of the nation’s top high school punter recruits in Will Weisberg. Wesiberg comes to USC from nearby Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California.

Replacing Lantz and Czaplicki’s production will be an incredibly tough challenge. But with the additions of Chittenden and Weisberg, the Trojans hope they will at least be able to maintain a high level of play at both positions.

Carson Palmer’s relationship with Pete Carroll is deeper than ever

Carson Palmer is all-in on becoming a football coach, and Pete Carroll is with him every step of the way to lend support. This is a feel-good Christmas story.

More than half a decade after retiring from the NFL, former USC quarterback Carson Palmer is officially back in the world of football. As you know, Palmer was named the head coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Orange County. Palmer is an alum of Santa Margarita, having starred there in the 1990s. After graduating, Palmer went on to USC, where he played for five seasons. As a senior in 2002, Palmer won the Heisman Trophy under Pete Carroll while leading the Trojans to an 11-2 record and an Orange Bowl victory over Iowa.

Palmer was selected with the first overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He would go on to spend 15 years in the NFL with the Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals. Palmer was named to three Pro Bowls during his pro career. His best season in the league came in 2015, when he threw for 4,671 yards and 35 touchdowns and led Arizona to the NFC Championship Game.

He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

Palmer evolved as a quarterback under Pete Carroll, so as the newly-minted coach of a high school program, you had better believe he has turned to Carroll for some advice, as a recent Los Angeles Times story reported:

“I talk to him often and he’s given me little tidbits that I hadn’t even thought about when I first went to him with this,” Palmer said. “He’s an open book and so vulnerable with the mistakes he made, so open with the things he’s shared. I’ve gotten a ton of stuff from him that I love.”

Said Carroll: “It’s always a thrill for me when guys call in and have new challenges coming up and they want to talk about it. I’m honored to help and I give him everything I’ve got.”

If you want to feel good this Christmas, the story of Carson Palmer embracing coaching, and Pete Carroll throwing his full support to his former player, is sure to make Trojans of all ages feel warm and fuzzy.