2018 OSU Wednesday: Notes

The Trojans hit the practice field on Halloween in preparation for their road game at Oregon State on Saturday.

USC head coach Clay Helton said the injury report remains the same as yesterday.

Helton announced that following Neil Callaway's departure, defensive analyst Mike Goff has been promoted to an assistant coach position, working on the offensive line alongside interim offensive line coach Tim Drevno.

Helton said the biggest improvements he's looking for on the offensive line are technique and fundamentals. "I'm happy to be able to have the experience with Coach Drevno and Coach Goff to have two sets of eyes to help the young group," Helton said.

The Trojans should get a boost on defense this weekend from the return of two senior captains: S Marvell Tell III (neck) and LB Cameron Smith (hamstring, knee). "With the experience that Cameron has, he was able to do a lot of the checks that we need, formationally. He's able to get us in the right defense," Helton said. "He's the quarterback, and any time that you have the quarterback leave you a couple weeks, it's different."

USC defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast pointed out that Smith's return increases the comfort level of the players around him, including fellow ILB John Houston. "Now John Houston doesn't have to call the huddle so John can focus more on playing his position," Pendergast said. "So having [Smith] back is good for everybody."

Smith lamented his time spent on the sidelines, but explains that he grew from it in certain ways. "It's tough for anyone to sit on the sideline and watch but I had a lot of fun," Smith said. "I got to see things from a different point and helped out some guys. We always talk about how you learn more when you teach, so I got to watch some guys and I think some guys made some huge strides. I enjoyed watching some of our guys play, but now I'm ready to go again."

While Tell is on his way back from a neck injury, it's unclear who will start at the other safety spot on Saturday after freshman Talanoa Hufanga broke his collarbone versus ASU. Pendergast said Ajene Harris, C.J. Pollard and walk-on Jordan McMillan are the candidates to start at safety alongside Tell. "Those are who we got left and that's who we got out there and we'll put the best 11 guys out there that give us the best chance to win," Pendergast said.

Despite the uncertainty, Tell is confident that the safeties will have success. "I've just got to be able to over-communicate," he said. "The guys that are stepping in are doing their jobs, so we're in good condition ... Everybody is preparing like a starter at this point, because they know the situation. So, we're all ready."

Tell, Smith and the whole USC defense will have to slow down OSU RB Jermar Jefferson, who leads the Pac-12 in rushing and scoring. "For a true freshman, I think he's doing a wonderful job," said Helton. "The hidden gem for him is what he's doing out of the backfield. He has good ball skills, gets matched up one-on-one. For a kid that's so young, he's a very patient runner."

Helton said he's been impressed with the attitude of the team's leaders heading into the final month of the season. "They want a sense of urgency, to have a great November, and I commend them," Helton said. "They want to leave their legacy. They want to show young people exactly how you treat a November and how you practice."

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