Tag: Woody Marks

Will USC have a 1,000-yard running back in 2024?

USC’s use of its running backs is a key plot point in 2024.

There are few, if any, college programs that can challenge the level of greatness the USC Trojans have produced at the running back position.  USC boasts countless 1,000 yard rushers, Consensus All-Americans, five Heismans and 2 NFL Hall of Fame running backs.

However, USC has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2017, when Ronald “Rojo” Jones II rushed for 1550 yards. This stat does come with an asterisk. Both Keontay Ingram and Travis Dye would most likely have eclipsed the milestone if not for season-ending injuries. Last year Marshawn Lloyd would also have rushed for a thousand yards if he didn’t miss a game against Washington and opt out of the Holiday Bowl against Louisville in preparation for the NFL draft.

Can a Trojan running back rush for 1,000 yards in the Big Ten, where defenses are built to stop the run and elite rush defenses such as Michigan and Penn State loom on the other side of the line of scrimmage?

USC enters the 2024 season with yet another veteran, Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks, transferring from Mississippi State. USC’s last three leading rushers have been transfers (Ingram – Texas, Dye – Oregon, and Lloyd – South Carolina).  Marks, best known for his receiving (all-time leader in receptions at Mississippi State), can still bring it as a ballcarrier. At 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds, he can run between the tackles.

The other four scholarship running backs come from the state of Texas. Most people remember redshirt freshman Quinten Joyner for his 47-yard touchdown run against Nevada. Joyner’s burst and speed make him a home-run threat every time he touches the ball.  His 2022 classmate, A’Marion Peterson, is another athletic back who won’t go down on first contact. The third Texas back is true freshman Bryan Jackson.  While all three of these backs are physical, Jackson is the true thumper of the group at six feet and 230 pounds of “smash you in the mouth” running that will be useful in the Big Ten in short yardage and goal line situations.

While Lloyd came close last year when splitting carries with Austin Jones, it will be interesting to see how these 2024 USC running backs will be used, and if any of them will get enough carries to go over the 1,000-yard mark.

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Where EA Sports’ new football video game ranks USC will shock you

EA Sports undersold USC’s offense.

On July 19, 2024, EA Sports will finally unveil College Football 25, the highly anticipated college football video game. While it is not surprising that USC’s potent offense has secured a spot in the Top 25 rankings, their placement at No. 25 raises some eyebrows.

EA SPORTS explained its metrics.

“The Development Team meticulously examined hundreds of thousands of data points to arrive at our team power rankings. With help from our friends at Pro Football Focus (PFF), the team analyzed all 134 rosters, thousands of players, years worth of game film, and mountains of stats, ultimately arriving at our Team Power Rankings.”

Lincoln Riley has never had a offense that ranked below No. 3 in total offense while he has been at USC and he has averaged 41 points in both seasons.  This pattern continues back to his head coaching days at Oklahoma where his teams averaged 43.29 points per game.  In nine years of head coaching, Riley’ teams have never finished worse than eighth in total offense and only scored less that 40 points once (2021 – 39 points per game).

USC does lose its Heisman-winning quarterback, Caleb Williams, who was selected as the No.1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.  However, Miller Moss is coming off his debut in the Holiday Bowl, which displayed his capability of running Riley’s highly successful offense. Moss threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-28 victory.  Part of Moss’ success was throwing to an elite freshman class of blue-chip receivers: Zachariah Branch, Jacobi Lane, Duce Robinson and Makai Lemon, who will light up the Big Ten in the fall.

This is also Year 3 of an offensive line overhaul that may produce the most talented and cohesive unit yet at USC under Riley, anchored by Elijah Page and Jonah Monheim.  Running behind that line will be Woody Marks, the all- time leader in receptions at Mississippi State and No. 5 all time in the SEC.  Marks will compete with a young group of highly ranked running backs out of Texas which includes Quinten Joyner, A’Marion Peterson, and Bryan Jackson.

Teams that are ranked ahead of the Trojans are also replacing quarterbacks; more than a couple of them are replacing offensive coordinators.  Unless there is a huge break from an overwhelming trend for Lincoln Riley’s offenses, the staff over at EA Sports really missed the mark with this power ranking.

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Mississippi State running back Jo’Quavious Marks is set to transfer to USC

USC brings experience to its running back room.

Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks is reportedly set to transfer to USC next season.

The former Mississippi State running back entered the transfer portal on December 10 after four seasons in Starkville. Now, according to a report from On3Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Marks is going to transfer to USC to play under head coach Lincoln Riley in the Big Ten.

https://t.co/FSWExLJ3Flpic.twitter.com/QQyd3EGxaI

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 20, 2023

In four years with Mississippi State, Marks tallied 1,882 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns and had 1,225 receiving yards.

Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks will help a very young and inexperienced running back room next season, led by Quinten Joyner, A’Marion Peterson, and incoming four-star true freshman Bryan Jackson.

Marks is the latest SEC running back to transfer to USC. Last year, MarShawn Lloyd transferred from South Carolina to Southern California. The Trojans will be happy if Marks matches Lloyd’s production. Lloyd was one of the better players on the 2023 USC offense, and a transfer who clearly lived up to the advance billing for the Men of Troy.

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