USC vs LSU Game Week: Wednesday Notes & Observations Report
Here is USC’s Wednesday practice report as the Trojans prepare for LSU this week. It’s filled with my notes & observations based on what I see, hear, and am allowed to report.
**It’s Wednesday, and the last day this week the media will attend practice. The calendar says Wednesday, but the team is practicing like it’s a Tuesday with the game on Sunday. This also means our Thursday ZOOM call with Coach Riley is being bumped to Friday.
**The offense is wearing Cardinal, the defense is in white, and everyone is wearing full pads. The scout team defense is both impressive in size and in with its youth.
**Practice is scheduled for 2:55 with 79-degree weather that feels hotter because of the humidity
**Before I got out of the car I did a radio segment for ESPN radio in Baton Rouge. We discussed both team’s strengths and weaknesses. I’ll also be on their show an hour before the game on Sunday with host Hunt Palmer.
**Ja’Kobi Lane spotted me inside Annenberg after his class finished. He asked what I was doing and said I was writing a story about USC’s WR’s vs LSU’s secondary. His smile told me he was ready for a fistfight. A quick knuckles goodbye after I let him know that I appreciate his humble approach after our interview the day before.
**Not sure which coach picked the pre-practice music but there is nothing wrong with Lynard Skynard. Once the players take over the field the channel gets changed. When the media was inside The Notorious BIG Mo Money, More Problems had players and coaches dancing on the field. They’re still having fun while being serious.
**I can see BMW singing along while Makai Lemon[BLACK SHOES] and Zachariah Branch are getting into their dance moves.
**Two observations from Anthony Jones Jr. No. 1, he was raised to be polite and with manners. He and a couple of women were arriving at the mesh point as he was approaching Goux Gate. He allowed the ladies to pass first. Then Coach Jones spotted a member of the media wearing a Gus World-Famous Fried Chicken t-shirt. He stopped to let him know that it was his favorite chicken place and the original was in Memphis, TN.
**Bear Alexander is early and ready for LSU, err, I mean practice.
**I asked Coach D’Anton Lynn before practice as he was entering if he was ready for a fistfight.–“Oh yeah.”–That was off the record. On the record after practice, he said he had just heard about it today.
** Lynn isn’t giving up much at this point. He did say Greedy Vance and DeCarlos Nicholson have helped discuss some of the LSU personnel after playing the Tigers last season. Vance said the game plan for him last year was to shadow Kyron Lacy. He finished with three catches for 36 yards (33 of them on one catch).
**Coach Dogg, aka Aaron Amaama the Assistant Director – Player Personnel told me “This place is special right now…You can feel it, this team is ready.” He’s going to play a big role in USC’s recruiting going forward.
**When the return specialists weren’t auditioning to be a Solid Gold Dancer, they were working on fielding squib kicks.
**Another drill had them deciding to field the ball in bounds or let it go.
**Michael Lantz was kicking 30-yard FGs using one leg. His left leg is already planted, and he would just swing back his kicking leg and whip it through like a golfer. I used to do this in high school when I was the kicker.–It’s not easy.
**Once the team broke from the huddle after the skip & stretch, Jayden Maiava full sprinted over the QB line to start the air routes with the receivers. Maiava, can pick them up and put them down and get to the spot fast! He’s getting more comfortable and becoming more extroverted in his new surroundings.–That’s the next step before taking over when Miller leaves.
**I can sense the team is ready. Lots of extra energy and “juice” in the air.
**Doug Belk and Taylor Mays are doing backpedal drills with the safety and cornerbacks groups, Mays with the safeties, and Belk with the corners. The two drills are similar, but the one Coach Mays is coaching has the guys take a few steps back into coverage before coming downhill fast to wrap up the player.
**Belk’s drill has the guys doing reactions drills laterally, backward, and forward before they release for the tackle.
**On one of the repetitions, freshman CB Marcelles Williams was perfect and it had Bookie Radley-Hiles all jacked up and excited.
**The media spent a few minutes in Linebacker land before were were escorted out. USC’s linebacker Coach Matt Entz makes these guys do it perfectly. Even when it is good enough he’ll show them why it will be better if they do it the right way.
