Anyone who follows USC football knows that in recent years, fundamentals fell off a cliff. The Trojans were soft under Clay Helton and his below-average defensive coordinators. They briefly rebounded in 2022 under Lincoln Riley and his attention to detail on offense, but were still gut-punched by a lack of precision on defense under Alex Grinch and were also sloppy on special teams. A botched kickoff return led to the safety which made their Cotton Bowl loss possible against Tulane. In 2023, fundamentals completely fell apart for the USC Trojans. They were not a sound team, they were not a tough team, they were not a good team. They were average. They scored tons of points against weak opponents but couldn’t answer the bell aginast the better teams on their schedule.
In 2024, everyone knows the USC Trojans need to return to fundamentals. Are players buying in with a new defensive staff on board, as preseason camp gets rolling? Let’s take a look:
DETAILS
USC offensive lineman told R.J. Abeytia of 247Sports, “The biggest takeaway I have from last year is just about all the details and all the little things and all the relationships that it takes to be a good football team on Saturdays.”
MORE FROM MONHEIM
Monheim also told Abeytia and 247Sports, “We had a very talented team last year, and ultimately we still didn’t get the product we wanted. Looking back on it, that’s got to be a result of a lack of something else. We weren’t a good enough team. As a whole, we didn’t execute well enough.”
That “something else” was coaching. USC lacked good coaching. This new staff is focused on teaching technique properly. It’s a return to the basics for the Trojans.
Crucially, it’s not just on defense. Monheim knows his offensive line group has to be better. That’s also part of the formula this year for the USC Trojans.
MARGIN FOR ERROR IS SMALL
Josh Henson told 247Sports about Monheim’s comments, “What he’s talking about is the last little 10 percent of being good to great. Those margins for error are smaller the higher level you go. We were probably just a few percentage points off last year. Every year is different. You get back to it, and you can’t take anything for granted. You gotta go work a certain way to be the team that you want to be.”
ELIJAH PAIGE
TRENDING: USC starting left tackle Elijah Paige is a GIANT & A MAMMOTH OF A HUMAN BEING.
🤯🤯🤯
Paige is expected to be a stud and a top NFL draft pick when eligible.
pic.twitter.com/DzLnjqI8h2— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) August 8, 2024
DOUG BELK
ZACH HANSON
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
Players and coaches are saying the right things, but national media personalities doubt if Lincoln Riley will bring ultimate accountability to the football field at USC. It’s time for the Trojans to prove that they can back up their words with their actions on the field, starting with LSU on Sept. 1.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC Trojans continue to absorb fundamentals, hoping for huge payoff
