University Southern California Trojans
2017 Stanford Tuesday: Notes
September 05, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
After a win in Game 1, the Trojans hit the practice field on Tuesday with their Pac-12 opener against Stanford on deck. 
- Starting RT Chuma Edoga suffered a knee contusion in the first half of Saturday's game and was limited in practice today, but should play this weekend, per USC head coach Clay Helton. Freshman S Bubba Bolden sat out with a knee bruise.
- Helton was pleased with USC's run game against WMU, citing that the team rushed for nearly 7 yards per carry and was 32 yards over its 200-yard weekly goal. He credited first-year running backs coach Deland McCullough, whom he called "one of the best I've ever been around," with gaining the trust of his players and getting them prepared.
- Since arriving at Troy, McCullough has stressed how drills in practice will translate into game situations, and said that freshman RB Stephen Carr's 52-yard cut-and-go touchdown was just like the jump cut drill he runs each week.
- McCullough posted on social media today that his running back corps had achieved each of his weekly goals against WMU: 100 percent ball security, 100 percent pass protection, no dropped passes, 97 percent run reads, 85 percent short yard conversions, 3 yards after contact, 10 knock downs and 8 big plays. He explained that those are his minimum goals for every game, and they don't change based on opponent.
- Stanford brings a strong run game of its own into Saturday's contest. Helton called Bryce Love "a true speed back" who's "tremendous out of the back field" and described Cameron Scarlett as a "power runner in between the tackles."
- Helton also praised "a very experienced, older bunch" in Stanford's defense, which held Rice to just 7 points in its season opener.
- On the other hand, Helton noted that USC's defense had room to improve after its performance in the season opener. He identified three issues from Saturday's game: alignment errors, loss of gap control and missed tackles in space.
- After a few scuffles between the offense and defense in practice today, Helton acknowledged that the defense was playing "mad." "They have a pride about them, about playing good, physical football," Helton said. "And that was not them on Saturday. I love the pride about them."
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