2018 Spring Practice #10: Notes

Two weeks left of spring ball...

Here is the injury report, per head coach Clay Helton: LB Jordan Iosefa (twisted up knee) and OT Chuma Edoga (lower back).

Quarterback play has been the headline story all spring as the Trojans search for a successor to Sam Darnold. While there have been bright spots over the course of the first three weeks, Saturday's scrimmage showed how far the young quarterbacks still need to go. After reviewing the film, Helton noticed a lack of anticipation, which he explained is typical of young passer, but he wants them to "throw to open windows" instead of waiting for receivers to come open.

QB coach Bryan Ellis: "We've got a long way to go. There were some positives. You come out and you turn the ball over that many times…you're not going to win a lot of ball games doing that. We've got a long way to go. They work really hard. We came out here and got a little better today. Right there at the end wasn't real great, but we're working every day and it's a process."

Starting QB candidates Matt Fink and Jack Sears continue to support each other through the process. "I feel like we compete every day as hard as we can. I push Jack to be the best he can be and I think he does the same to me. We have a tight-knit group that really makes each other better," Fink said.

Sears echoed Helton's point about holding the ball too long, saying, "Sometimes I try to be too perfect with my throws, with the location. You've got to just let it rip, trust in my guys, trust in myself, and let it go."

Whoever wins the job will have the luxury of throwing to Tyler Vaughns and Michael Pittman Jr., two receivers who earned their stripes last season. Now, they want more. "I approach it as Tyler makes me better and I make him better," said Pittman about the battle to replace Deontay Burnett as the top target. "We're always competing against ourselves and against each other. We really push each other, and pulling each other along trying to be the best."

Along with Vaughns and Pittman, Velus Jones Jr. has had a big spring. The "light is on for him right now," said Helton, who has seen Jones improve as a route runner to go along with his blazing speed.

The wide receivers have the quarterback race as a dead heat through 10 practices. "Fink has more experience because he's been in games, he's played, he's had his first touchdown that Jack doesn't have yet," Pittman said. "But Jack is such an instinctual player that he's right there with Fink."

The quarterbacks are lucky to be wearing yellow no-contact jerseys because Helton described OLB Porter Gustin as "basically unblockable" in pass rush situations.

The Fortnite craze which has swept the nation has infiltrated USC football as well. If you're wondering, Pittman says that OL Nathan Smith, whose USC playing career has ended due to injury, is the best player on the team, while Fink and DL Liam Jimmons are the worst.

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