USC running backs coach Anthony Jones Jr. uses a grading scale with only two letters.
“Any grade that’s not a 90 and above, it’s basically an F to him,” running back Waymond Jordan told reporters. “He grades really strictly.”
Jones is in his third season of coaching the USC running backs, and the standard has never changed. That’s especially important, considering the 12th-ranked Trojans (3-0) are looking for stronger bursts and longer rushes as they begin Big Ten play this weekend at Rutgers (0-2).
USC’s rushing offense ranks eighth out of 18 teams in the conference with 172.67 yards per game. The best game in terms of rushing yardage was Saturday’s 49-30 victory over Louisiana, in which the Trojans ran for 214 yards.
King Miller led the attack with 18 carries for 128 yards and one touchdown, and Jordan was next with 47 yards on 10 carries. Miller has had more total touches (48) than Jordan (29), who missed the last seven games of last season and most of spring practices due to an ankle injury.
Miller told reporters on Tuesday that his own performance against Louisiana wasn’t up to his standard – a standard that’s been reinforced by Jones.
“It’s what we need,” Miller said. “Any good RB (coach) is going to be rough on you. Every day, it’s like he’s a father to us. Everything he instills in us, we need to put on tape and just go out there and try to do our best each and every day.”
USC has deployed 21 personnel – which uses two running backs – on 16 occasions in the first three games of the season, according to Hudl IQ analytics. The offensive grouping has a 68.8% success rate and gains an average of 5.8 rush yards per play.
“We trust each other; we can communicate easily. We’re both unselfish. We don’t care who gets the ball,” Jordan said with a smile. “We actually tell each other to get the ball and then we almost rock, paper, scissor who gets the ball.”
Head coach Lincoln Riley sees Miller and Jordan as almost co-starting players, and he chooses which one to send in based on what defensive looks the opponent is giving USC.
Another benefit is keeping fresh legs in the game.
“We gotta balance it,” Riley said. “We’re not always gonna be on a perfect rotation. If a guy gets hot and gets going just like any other position, we’ll probably ride that hot hand a little bit longer and allow us to get some of that, but we’re going to need them both.”
WEEKLY AWARDS
Freshman tight end Mark Bowman was named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week for the first time in his career.
Bowman scored two touchdowns in USC’s victory over Louisiana and his six catches for 83 yards were the most receiving yards by a tight end in a single game since Anthony McCoy’s 153 yards against Notre Dame in 2009.
The Trojans’ offensive line was named Pro Football Focus’ offensive line of the week after six O-linemen who played at least 30 snaps earned PFF grades of 70.0 or higher. They kept quarterback Jayden Maiava from being sacked in the game, and helped USC rush for 214 yards.
Left tackle Elijah Paige and left guard Hayden Treter were also named to the PFF National Team of the Week.
OREGON GAME TIME
USC’s Sept. 26 home game against Oregon will be played at 4:30 p.m. It will be the Trojans’ first home game of the Big Ten season after starting the conference slate at Rutgers this weekend.
The Oregon game will be broadcast nationally on NBC (Ch. 4) as well as on ESPNLA (710 AM).