Long Beach Press-Telegram Sports blogs

Inside USC: USC To Rose Bowl

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:16:27 +0000

Bowl guru Jerry Palm projects USC to win the Pac-12 . . . but not make the College Football Playoff. He has the Trojans playing Michigan State in the Rose Bowl. Full projections here. How mad would people be if that happened?

Inside UCLA: Weekly Q&A — 10/1/15

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 22:02:19 +0000

Questions below, answers tomorrow. Thanks!

Inside UCLA: Defensive back Rhedi Short joins UCLA’s 2017 recruiting class

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 21:33:58 +0000

Defensive back Rhedi Short announced his commitment to UCLA on Thursday afternoon, becoming the third member of the Bruins’ 2017 class.

An unranked recruit, the 6-foot-1 safety had 21 tackles and two interceptions last fall as a sophomore at Los Angeles Cathedral — the same school that produced former UCLA defensive back Anthony Jefferson, an All-Pac-12 second-team selection in 2014.

Short joins linebackers Rahyme Johnson and Jaquan Henderson as the high school juniors who have already committed to UCLA.

Inside USC: USC Stat Of The Day

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:20:59 +0000

24:33: Time of possession for USC this season.

35:26: Opponents’ time of possession.

Inside USC: Adoree Jackson’s Speed Games

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:32:19 +0000

Adoree Jackson said he wasn’t even going full speed during his 80-yard touchdown play against Arizona State.

“I try to make sure I don’t use my speed as much so I can lull you to sleep. When you think you got it, then I turn it on and get gone. That’s how I use it.”

Inside USC: USC Recruiting Math

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:45:31 +0000

USC currently has only three scholarships left for the 2016 recruiting class. Five blueshirts are already on the team. Four players just signed scholarship agreements. And there are 13 committed players. That leaves three scholarships.

Does anyone seriously believe USC will merely add three more players? Someone will probably get dropped. Someone might decommitment. If USC only adds one more wide receiver, Theo Howard of Westlake, that means six of the 20 players who are not blue shirts will be wide receivers.

And if you include blueshirts, seven of the 25 are wide receivers. If USC adds Howard and say, Freddie Swain, eight of the 25 are wide receivers. What is this a 7-on-7 sport?

Inside UCLA: Helped by Ka’imi Fairbairn, UCLA excels in kickoff coverage

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:13:04 +0000

Ka’imi Fairbairn has quietly become a very effective kickoff specialist. The UCLA senior has landed 23 of 29 of his kicks into the end zone this year — way up from 62.5 percent in 2014, and 50 percent the year before.

Still, the rest of the Bruins’ kickoff coverage team might want him to ease back now and then.

“I think if you ask those 10 guys that are running down there,” said head coach Jim Mora, “they’d like him every once in a while to not kick it through the end zone, so they could take a shot rather than just run a 60-yard dash.”

UCLA is one of the stingiest teams in the FBS when it comes to kickoff returns, helped in part by Fairbairn’s efficiency in forcing opponents to start drives on their own 25-yard line. The Bruins currently rank No. 3 in the FBS, allowing 12.83 yards per return, and was also top-20 in 2013.

“I think it’s scheme,” Mora said. “It’s attention to detail. More than anything, it’s just attitude. Those guys, it’s an honor to be on that team, the kickoff team.”