Tag Archive for: monte kiffin

It might be time for a coaching change


PASADENA, Calif. — It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that USC took down No. 4 Oregon on the road at Autzen Stadium, improving its record to 9-2 en route to a 10-win season and a No. 6 final ranking in the Associated Press poll. The Trojans were riding high. Lane Kiffin […]

Trojans need to order up blitzes


It’s been a couple of weeks since I could write that USC won, but Saturday’s 38-17 beatdown of Arizona State finally allows me to be optimistic. The Trojans now sit at 7-3 and can win the Pac-12 South with a victory against UCLA next weekend at the Rose Bowl. Yeah, USC put up 38 points. […]

Pigskin Notes: Defense bounces back, Woods struggles


Monte Kiffin’s battered baseball cap titled over his brow as he glanced toward the ground. “It’s hard to talk about Oregon right now,” said the Trojans’ assistant head coach for defense when last week’s performance was brought up. Understandably, it was hard to talk about Oregon. Just seven days earlier, Kiffin’s defense had surrendered school […]

Reasons abound for USC’s missteps


USC coach Lane Kiffin is disappointed because of well, you know, his team’s record. “With the players that we have, we should not be 6-3,” he said during his weekly conference call with reporters Sunday night. That’s rather clear. Once ranked atop the Associated Press top-25 poll, the Trojans are now nearly out of it […]

Trojans’ run defense back where it started


Well, we had a shoot-out on our hands last night, didn’t we? Oregon defeated USC 62-51 in what was as exciting a game as the Coliseum has seen in a while (or, at least since last year’s triple-overtime Stanford game). But the Trojans’ defense was unable to make stops on a Duck offense that refused […]

Could Marqise Lee play cornerback, too?


USC sophomore Marqise Lee is already one of the most dynamic players in college football as a wide receiver and kick returner. CBSSports.com’s weekly Heisman Trophy Straw Poll ranked Lee fourth, after all. But if it was up to the talented wideout, he’d do even more for the No. 11 Trojans. On the return flight […]

USC’s defense looks championship-caliber


The bye week not only provides teams with much- needed rest, but also provides a break for fans. I spent the majority of Saturday posted up on my couch, watching teams I don’t normally watch, seeing what I could learn. The first game is the one that really caught my eye: Baylor at West Virginia. […]

Officials credit Trojans with nine sacks in win over Cal


No. 13 USC beat the California Golden Bears 27-9 on Saturday, largely because of a strong performance from defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin’s unit. In total, the defense registered nine sacks. Originally credited with seven, the number was later upgraded after the conclusion of the game. The nine sacks were USC’s highest total since 2007 against […]