5 Thoughts on USC's Loss to ND

1. Lacking Fundamentals: Even if a player is the best athlete on the team, they can't be making multiple errors let alone repeating the same errors. These self-inflicted errors are a carry-over from last year and it comes from the coaches. You've heard it directly from the coaches, as a matter of fact: they've repeatedly told the media that they're willing to live with the errors of some players because they know how good they are. Well, those errors are blowing up, now. USC's three turnovers, badly timed penalties, dropped wide-open passes, and failed 27-yard field goal cost the team at least 24 points. This game would have been a completely different beast without all those unforced errors.
2. Sit Sam: From the first game to this last game, Sam Darnold just hasn't performed consistently, but it's gotten a lot worse with Sam making a ton of mental errors. To me, that's a sign that he's mentally and physically exhausted and not as sharp and quick as he should be. Such poor performances from its stars make USC absolutely mediocre and in turn, results in rough games against bad teams. If you want to run, make it a true run-option game package with Matt Fink. If you really believe you have a good team, use more of your players.
3. Stop Running: You're not fooling anyone by play-action pass, down 21 points. You're also wasting time and opportunities to get the ball moving. I mean, sure, when the defense starts playing 3 linemen and dropping 8 into zone coverage, the temptation to run is very high, but the only player who should be allowed to run is the QB -- scrambling into an empty spot on the field and slide. If you call a play to run when you're 21 points down, you look bad. The other side is laughing at your stubbornness.
4. Diagnosing the Defense: They're exhausted and they aren't tackling. I've read that they haven't been doing live tackling during practices which, I understand that being worn down from a season without a bye week means they're exhausted, but you can't stop live tackling during the season's practices. Tackling practice with dummies isn't worth a damn when a dummy can't do a jump step or pivot on the spot. We first saw the effects show up -- being exhausted and poor tackling -- last week against Utah, where Cam Smith was attempting to save his body and bounce off hard hits rather than deliver big blows. It's time to rotate players and do live tackling, Clancy. If you'd been doing this all season long, the front 7 wouldn't be in such rough shape.
5. Coaching Changes?: Inevitably, some schools have much higher aspirations and expectations. USC is one of those schools, and for a variety of reasons, they've fallen short of expectations. Interestingly, this is almost entirely because of Pete Carroll's success and dominance of college football during his tenure. That's why fans will, yet again, be calling for a head coaching change. But that's a mistake. Give Clay Helton some time and I really think he'll build his system and make the program successful and stable. Helton's aw shucks demeanor, as I've mentioned, drives a lot of people furious. But you might have noticed, we actually saw Angry Helton during the game, albeit directed at officials rather than players and coaches. If he learns to direct his anger at the right times and the right people, he'll be much more effective as a coach.