USC Trojans

Of all the seniors on the 2012 Trojans football team, no one took a more unique path into the program than Tony Burnett. Originally entering USC as a track and field athlete from nearby Los Angeles (Calif.) Southwest College in 2009, it wasn't until a chance meeting with Ed Orgeron one day in Heritage Hall that he decided to give football a shot.

Enjoying a breakout 10-tackle performance at safety against Notre Dame in 2010 -- his first season as a member of the team -- Burnett would develop into a major contributor on defense and special teams in his time on campus. Ultimately rewarded with a scholarship by coach Lane Kiffin, he showed tremendous versatility, moving over to cornerback in 2011, and then to linebacker this past season.

Now hoping for a shot at the NFL, Burnett took time out of his busy training schedule to talk to WeAreSC about his thoughts on his career at USC, as well as what's on tap for the future.

WeAreSC: First off, where do you stand in terms of graduation?

Burnett: I'm taking one last biology class. It's a spring-only class, but then I'll have a B.A. in Human Performance from USC.

(Read full post)

LOS ANGELES -- Here's a look at everything else that happened with the USC Trojans this week, including their first two bowl practices, an early trip to El Paso and more:

Defensive coordinator plans

USC coach Lane Kiffin won't begin the formal process of searching for a new defensive coordinator until after the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.

Kiffin's father, Monte, resigned as assistant head coach and de facto defensive coordinator following a disappointing 7-5 season. Kiffin says he plans to hire a true defensive coordinator to replace him, despite defensive line coach Ed Orgeron holding that title this season.

"We'll take our time and make sure that we get the right fit," Lane Kiffin said on Wednesday after the Trojans' first bowl practice.

Kiffin did indicate he will begin the process of sorting out candidates before the bowl game.

"I think you can kind of start it in your head," Kiffin said.

Kiffin is not afraid of a mid-January hire hurting his program in recruiting, even with signing day on Feb. 6. He pointed out that he was hired on Jan. 12 in 2010 and still signed a top recruiting class.

"It's not as quick as you think," Kiffin said of the time between the end of the bowl game and signing day. "One assistant coach isn't gonna be a big deal, and we still have over a month after the game until signing day."

Barkley back

Quarterback Matt Barkley missed Wednesday's practice while in New York for an awards banquet and walked into the Trojans' Friday session midway through, wearing sweats but no shoulder sling.

He has not practiced since suffering a sprained throwing shoulder Nov. 17, but he's still on track to start on Dec. 31.

Kiffin told reporters in El Paso on Thursday that Barkley "obviously wouldn't have been able to play if it had been an earlier [bowl] game."

USC's other bowl-game date possibilities were Dec. 22 and Dec. 27.

(Read full post)

USC coach Lane Kiffin will look outside his current coaching staff to fill the role of defensive coordinator, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The new defensive coordinator will also handle play-calling for the defense, a role that had been held since 2010 by assistant head coach Monte Kiffin, Lane’s father, who will resign after the upcoming Sun Bowl.

There had been speculation that USC defensive line coach Ed Orgeron -- who held the title of defensive coordinator since 2010 -- would be a leading candidate for the play-caller role. Instead, Orgeron will be given the title of assistant head coach in addition to his current D-line and recruiting roles.

"Ed and myself are on the exact same page here," Kiffin told The Times. "Our No. 1 goal is to bring USC back to a championship level on defense. In order to do that we need to bring in someone from the outside."

One of the biggest credentials for the Trojans new defensive play-caller will be experience -- and success -- against the spread option offenses that have populated college football in recent years, particularly in the Pac-12 Conference.

Kiffin didn’t name any specific candidates or give a deadline to conclude his search.

LOS ANGELES -- Monte Kiffin has a saying he likes to tell his USC defensive players before every game.

"You see a little, you see a lot," Kiffin says. "You see a lot, you see nothing."

It takes a while to process, but it makes sense. Kiffin wants his players to think on the field, but he doesn't want them to think too much. See a little -- enough to make an educated guess as to what the offense is going to do on a particular play. Don't see a lot -- that's going to make it too hard to make a snap decision and leave you chasing after an opponent.

"If you just watch your guy, your gap, you'll be fine," nose tackle George Uko said Wednesday. "You'll get everything done. If you look at everything, you'll really see nothing.

"That's how you get beat, and that's how we got beat."

USC's defense was beaten badly by Oregon on Saturday. The Trojans stopped the Ducks from scoring a touchdown only three times all day, and their defensive line struggled to make any stops at all against the Ducks' running game.

And, considering a no-sack performance a week earlier against Arizona despite Matt Scott's 50 pass attempts, USC's line has been its biggest problem in the last two losses. Ed Orgeron's four-man unit started off the season as the team's biggest surprise but has tapered off considerably.

Head coach Lane Kiffin said he expected it because of the quality of the two teams USC just faced. But he didn't know it was going to drop off to the extent it did.

Still, he said, it's possible the line will show continued improvement against Arizona State on Saturday.

(Read full post)