The calendar says Wednesday, but Lane Kiffin called this the first of two Thursday practices.
- A Thursday practice is always light on contact and heavy on scout team. The head coach is glad to have time for two Thursdays this week. "A lot of mistakes today," Kiffin said. "We expect it to be a lot cleaner tomorrow."
1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George was at practice today sporting a Trojan shirt. He is part of the Fox Network team calling the game Saturday alongside Gus Johnson and Erin Andrews.- Kiffin will once again battle his mentor Norm Chow this week. Since leaving USC, the two have faced off in the NFL, and at Chow's stops at UCLA, Utah and now Hawaii. "Somehow, we just keep following him around," joked Kiffin. He also praised Chow as "one of the greatest minds to ever coach college football."
- Given the scholarship reductions, walk-on LB Will Andrew, who received a one-year scholarship last year, was not able to receive one again this season. "We look at it as a positive," said Kiffin. "We don't see it as ever taking one away. He was fortunate to have one for a year. That's a lot of money off his parents."
- Kiffin made an interesting observation about the importance of winning with style in Los Angeles, which is known for star-studded sports teams. "L.A. isn't a town that's real fired up about winning games 14-10. There is a showtime element to it."
- Senior CB Brian Baucham is excited just to be part of the show again. He is back at practice after sitting out fall camp waiting to hear about his eligibility. "I am happy to be out here with my team and playing with my boys," said a smiling Baucham. "At the end of the day, I thank USC. They told me that they are going to push me and help me get my degree."
- Baucham could play an important role in the secondary, which is lacking depth at cornerback. "I feel like I have an opportunity to make an impact just based on the team chemistry," he said.
- Baucham is the latest member of the defensive back group to effusively praise new secondary coach Marvin Sanders.
- Sophomore PK Andre Heidari lost 45 lbs. since last year. He dropped from 240 down to 195. "Losing the weight really helped me swing up a lot more and get through the ball more at contact and improve my hang time and put a little more distance on my ball," he explained.
- Heidari will play a key role in special teams coach John Baxter's strategy for kickoffs. With the kickoff line moved up five yards, Heidari can consistently deliver the ball to the back of the end zone, but a touchback comes out to the 25 now.
- "If we can pin opponents inside the 25-yard line, it will be harder for them to score," Heidari talked about using high lofting kicks. "We also can kick it out of the back of the end zone to avoid returns."
- Here is the rest of Kiffin's media scrum...
Leave a comment