Tag Archive for: robert woods

Kiffin’s playcalling is becoming a hindrance


When USC head coach Lane Kiffin announced in July at Pac-12 Media Day that he’d be calling plays for the upcoming 2013 season, it made sense to me. Sure, USC fans desperately wanted Kiffin to absolve himself of playcalling duties. But after last season’s 7-6 debacle, Kiffin knew that another disappointing campaign would result in […]

Moving ahead along with Barkley, Trojans


It’s far too fitting that I’m writing my last column for the Daily Trojan on the first day of the 2013 NFL draft. As I watch Matt Barkley, Robert Woods, T.J. McDonald and others hear their names called over the next few days, I can’t help but remember all the times I interviewed them on […]

Toughness is key for Trojans


High-profile athletes take a lot of barbs during their careers — both warranted and unwarranted. But perhaps no insult gets tossed about more recklessly by armchair fans than the “soft” label. And, unfortunately for the players, when the label gains momentum, it often sticks. We’ve all seen it: the receiver who alligator-arms a pass in […]

USC defense must blend old with new


Every year, across the country, the same thing happens: Schools hire a new head football coach or new assistants. Once spring practice starts, the new schemes and playbooks that each new coach brings are proclaimed to be so much better than those that came before. Sure enough, early returns on new USC Defensive Coordinator Clancy […]

Kiffin ignoring biggest problem


Spring practice is right around the corner. Matt Barkley, Robert Woods, Khaled Holmes and Nickell Robey are making the rounds at the NFL Combine. This should be a period of positive thoughts and new beginnings for Trojans both past and present.   Instead, the focus of USC football continues to be on a recurring topic […]

Amid doubts, Barkley shows fire at combine


Simply put, Sept. 15, 2012 was a rough day for a journalist intent on covering a potential national title run for USC. Weaving my way through the horde of fans mobbing the 50-yard line of Stanford Stadium after USC’s then-shocking 21-14 upset loss to Stanford, I forged ahead down a tunnel in disbelief to a […]