felling quietly confident about this. Anyone feeling the same? Someone talked about the pressure of playing in their stadium. At this point...the pressure is more on their side and their rookie QB?? How ya' feeling about this.
WSU at u$c
- Thread starter froropmkr72
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Hope that the confidence is not from the USC/Texas score last week. No doubt Texas was the better team, but that final score was not reflective of that game. USC still has a ton of talent. This will take a really A+ game from WSU to win this one.
As crazy as this sounds I feel more confident going into this year's USC game than last year's USC game.
Uncle Rico has been getting better each week, and the D has been pretty good (although they had a few lapses last weekend), so I don't see any glaring reason we shouldn't feel like we've got a fighting chance. Only thing I'd worry about is our secondary playing the way they did against EWU--they aren't going to get the no-calls on PI like they were getting from the refs, so they'll have to play a lot more disciplined in this one.
I'm a little concerned about stopping the run game and controlling TOP. Other than that....it may be who keeps their composure and who wins the turnover margin.
I see your point on the TOP thing--with Uncle Rico being able to throw a pigskin a quarter mile, we might end up scoring TOO quickly. Might have to have him tone it down a bit and make the drives last longer.
Definitely not confident, but whereas I had this as something like a 10% win probability in the preseason, it's more like 25% now. I can guarantee you that USC will be highly motivated, though, and there's some chance of getting run over in a way that is unexpected now but may make more sense post-game when one looks a little more objectively at the situation (Friday night game on the road, talented and relatively deep opponent, opponent motivated after embarrassment last year and given their situation this year), as well as the teams' respective rosters and who they have been tested against this year.
Eastern was getting 6-8 yards up the gut seemingly at will. But we never tried to take that away.
I’m already down here. Staying with my SC buddy in San Diego. He says Helton has already lost the team and their only chance is if the players revolt and decide to play for themselves.
For me, I’ll be skeptical ever time we play SC until the day I die.
For me, I’ll be skeptical ever time we play SC until the day I die.
This is a winnable game. The invincibility of the 'old USC' is gone! They are just another decent Pac-12 football team that can be beaten on any given day. Go Cougs! Lets get their coach fired for sure! (again) !
Our biggest fear will be if the players call a team meeting this week.
Short of that, we should go down there and handle business. $C hasn't shown much of a pulse this year, and I don't anticipate this group of WSU players to accommodate them.
SC hires the wrong guy. Three times in a row now in fact. If they were smart, which they are not, they’d go get a legit ball coach and let their brand recognition carry him the rest of the way. Mark Dantonio would win games there. Hell, the Wyoming coach would win games there. For a school that can recruit itself and land hugh end prospects, they are doing an amazing amount of less with an incredible amount of more.
In the mean time, here’s to SC screwing it up a 4th time when hiring a coach!!!
In the mean time, here’s to SC screwing it up a 4th time when hiring a coach!!!
Feeling confident on this one.
Having a qb who can move around in the pocket, extend plays, and can throw a football over them mountains makes a huge difference in this offense.
Having a qb who can move around in the pocket, extend plays, and can throw a football over them mountains makes a huge difference in this offense.
Yes...and from my armchair defensive coordinator position, I assume we do all we can to stop the run and make their true freshman beat us with the passing game. Get a few sacks and rattle him and we have a good chance to win that one.
By the way, I saw the replay of the USC-WSU game in LA from 2013 (?) last night, where our defense scored the only touchdown for us and we won 10-7 late in the game. What a bizarre outcome. Fun memories...and Kiffen was fired soon after that.
Remember how long it took for UW to get it right.
Following a legend seems to lead to bad hires in many places.
USC ADs have been pretty dumb.
It speaks tons that one of the wealthiest schools in the nation can't lure one of the top 5/10 coaches away from another school. There is no doubt that those phone calls have been made and ungodly sums of money offered, yet no takers. Hmmmmmmmm...
Same buddy I referenced earlier says that the president is more interested in academics and does not care about football. And couple that with Lynn Swan being in way over his head... it’s not good.
I bet U$C fans sure wish they had held on to Ed Orgeron as HC. No way would he have lost that team. Players would be willing to die for him. Now look what he's doing at LSU.
I'd like to think USC is in a better and cleaner reputable position football wise then when Kiffin and Sark were there. Would have to believe IF Helton were to get the axe, the job would be more enticing to other coaches.
Can't say I've ever been sold on Ed Orgeron as a HC - but my USC buddy today told me he wished they'd hired Ed when I asked.
Agree.
There used to be a time when people would say, "if Oregon State would put on USC uniforms they would win half their games."
The uniforms don't carry that much clout anymore.
Nope, not very confident at all. I don't think this team has proved much of anything.
Too many question marks still to address. And, playing in the Coliseum is not where we usually get question marks straightened out.
- OL hasn't been able to open running lanes, even against overmatched defenses. Our backs have averaged less YPC each week - 3.75 against EWU
- OL couldn't keep SJSU out of the backfield
- Receivers weren't getting separation against SJSU or EWU until the 4th quarter, when depth took over.
- Defense gave up yards up the gut in all 3 games. EWU's backs averaged 6 yards per carry.
- DBs looked lost at times. I'd understand 1 blown coverage, but EWU scored twice without a DB within 10 yards. And on both those drives, we really didn't even slow them down. They had a 3rd & 3 on one drive, a 3rd & 1 on the other, both converted.
Too many question marks still to address. And, playing in the Coliseum is not where we usually get question marks straightened out.
FWIW, WSU is 3-4 in games played in the Coliseum since 1997. We won the last time we played there in 2013.
I hear you. Yesterday I was pretty excited about this. Today I think it will come down a lot more to whats between the ears of all the players on both teams. Have to believe our guys are confident and primed. Let's hope they are still that way in the third quarter.
I understand the skepticism, but lets flip the coin--you don't think SC has question marks to address? What would make an SC fan feel confident about winning this game when they've done very little to show they are a powerhouse team not to be reckoned with? Its not like they've been blowing other teams doors off.
Both teams have questions.
The Wazzu coaching staff appears to have answers to their questions. There is panic in the SC Alum groups regarding whether their staff has answers to their questions.
Check out 702's link, above. This parallels what I'm hearing in SoCal. A bit more shrill than the average fan, but the sentiments expressed on the board that 702 linked are pretty widespread.
If SC gets embarrassed at home we will have fired yet another SC coach.
The Wazzu coaching staff appears to have answers to their questions. There is panic in the SC Alum groups regarding whether their staff has answers to their questions.
Check out 702's link, above. This parallels what I'm hearing in SoCal. A bit more shrill than the average fan, but the sentiments expressed on the board that 702 linked are pretty widespread.
If SC gets embarrassed at home we will have fired yet another SC coach.
I think we have a chance to win, but I’m not confident. USC has great players and their backs are against the wall. They’re at home on an always awkward Friday night, and they’ve played significantly tougher opponents than we have.
We’ll need a really good effort to win this game.
We’ll need a really good effort to win this game.
Lynn Swan is the AD. When he gets fired I’ll send my resume. Cause why not??? He has no job experience as an AD, maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll pull my name out of the hat??? Or was it a raffle??? Or cow plop??? How do they hire down there??? Seems like it’s sheer luck.
Historically Pac 12 road teams have not done well on Friday night games, how soon we forget the Cal game last year, remember the excuses, " it was a Friday game we weren't ready, ". While the Cougs chances against SC look better now than a few weeks ago, beating USC at their place is never easy, doing it on a Friday night makes it that much more difficult. Yes 3-0 is great, but we haven't played anyone good yet. If the Cougs win Helton should get fired, because he has already lost the team for the year. On paper there is no way SC should lose to a WSU team that is rebuilding.
This is what happens when you shuffle your head coach and staff over and over and over. The only consistency is inconsistency.
Ironically, SC coming out of sanctions should have been recruiting classes of max 25 kids year after year after year. At SC, to be able to sign that many high end prospects in consecutive years, combined with them showing up on campus with a depleted roster and literally no one else to play.... they should be loaded for a bear hunt with talent, depth and kids with two and three years of experience into their senior years.... three years running. SC should be marching into the playoff with a solid 60 vets. The entire travel roster should be loaded and showing up with every kid able to step in and perform.
They’re not because their admin can’t figure out the right hire. Amazing. Helton should be fired along with the AD, search firm, search committee and whoever else had a hand in this.
Yes, those are my fears as well. Unfortunately, I have USC winning this game going away.
