- The final on campus practice means two things. First, the big men and less big men swap jerseys, so Cody Kessler was swimming in a lineman's uniform, while Damien Mama was nice and snug in Kessler's No. 6. Second, the seniors depart through a vicious gauntlet, making sure to protect their most sensitive areas.
- This morning's practice lasted only 45 minutes or so, and the focus was on substitutions, so the newly promoted position coaches are ready for their first game in charge.
- The Trojans will take the next two days off and then travel down to San Diego on Saturday.
- On the injury front, CB Kevon Seymour is "50/50 at best" to play in his final game after suffering a high ankle sprain, according to head coach Clay Helton.
- USC's defensive front will be tested by Wisconsin's physical offensive line and power run attack. "This is a big offensive line that's very well coached," said Helton. "They don't do a lot. You know what's coming. It's size. It's mass."
- Former USC All-American defensive end Kenechi Udeze is in charge of the defensive line for this game. He knows what it takes to be a great position coach. "You have to have an undying spirit, passion and a care for these young men," he said. "The power is not in me. It's not about what I've accomplished. The power is in the learner. With that, I need to get the most out of them. In the game of football, you learn so much that can even be translated to your daily life."
- The future of this defensive line is in the freshman class with young talents like Rasheem Green and Noah Jefferson. They will be expected to make a big jump next season. "I matured and some of the things that were foreign to me when I first got here, they became natural," Udeze said about going from his first year to his second. "Being a defensive lineman, you don't want to carry a lot of unnecessary weight. It's natural for a freshman to come in, and they are not training at a collegiate level, and then you balance that with nutrition, it takes awhile for them to develop. That's when you start seeing the biggest jumps."
- Helton is looking for an aggressive defense that gets after the passer, and Udeze explained that the pass rush actually all starts with stopping the run. "You've got to earn the right to rush the passer," he said. "When you know it's second-and-seven-plus or third-and-seven-plus, then we can focus on rushing the passer, but until then, our main objective is to stop the run dead in its tracks."
- Here is Helton's press conference:
University Southern California Trojans
Holiday Bowl Practice #5: Notes
December 01, 2015 | USC Ripsit Blog
Holiday Bowl Practice #5: Notes
The Trojans enjoyed their final practice of the season on Howard Jones and Brian Kennedy Fields, including all the traditions that come with it.
Wednesday, July 29
Tuesday, July 28
Tuesday, July 28
Wednesday, July 22
