LOS ANGELES — The No. 18 jersey that assistant secondary coach Sam Carter wore Tuesday morning for practice, in his daily countdown via uniform, reminded everyone on the USC football team that kickoff is coming in roughly two and a half weeks.
Read more UCLA football sets up in Irvine for ‘away game’ feeling
A closed scrimmage Wednesday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will give head coach Lincoln Riley and the rest of the team more clarity on how complete this team really is with just a short amount of time before San Jose State comes to the Coliseum on Aug. 29.
“Outside of live tackling and breaking tackles, we’re looking at situations a lot tomorrow,” Riley said. “No matter how much you simulate it, getting in the Coliseum, having a little bit of different atmosphere and more lead-up to the scrimmage than maybe a traditional practice – you’re excited to see how that plays out.”
Scrimmages can be a dress rehearsal for game day, allowing coaches to get acclimated to sideline tablets and communicating with each other in a more chaotic environment than the practice field.
They allow players to go through their own game day routine, and Wednesday will look different for each of them. Some will see live play and others will be at a “thud” level of play that doesn’t allow for tackling to the ground, depending on previous game experience and what the coaching staff has already seen in practice.
Underclassmen will get special attention and be assessed on what they’ve learned in camp.
“When we get in those scenarios, do they really get back to trusting what they’ve been doing on the field?” Riley said. “And trying to see guys not kind of go out of their way or out of their element to try to make plays or to stand out. Guys that just really do their job.”
Developing depth that can carry the Trojans through a gauntlet of a Big Ten season has been a priority since camp began on July 31. It’s taken on even more urgency now that starting center Kilian O’Connor is out for the season due to injury.
Riley said offensive linemen Tobias Raymond, Kaylon Miller, Willi Wascher and Kannon Smith are all capable of taking snaps at center.
“It’s awesome that we have that depth there,” Trojans offensive tackle Elijah Paige said. “Obviously, it’s horrible to see Kilian go down, but I’m very grateful that we have the depth we have and very grateful for (offensive line) Coach (Zach) Hanson and him training us all at different spots.”
Read more Chargers LT Rashawn Slater sits out 4th straight day
The offensive line dealt with multiple injuries last season and went through six different combinations while still being among the best front fives in college football. The line allowed six sacks in the first nine games as the Trojans averaged 503.2 yards of offense per game.
“To still have four (centers) after an injury like that is a very positive thing for a football team and all four of those guys have been impressive,” Riley said.
King Miller levels up
The 6-foot, 305-pound Kaylon Miller is getting some support from his twin brother King, a 6-foot, 225-pound running back for the Trojans, as the battle at center heats up.
“Just staying focused,” King Miller said of how he’s helping his brother, also a redshirt sophomore. “There’s a lot of great guys out there, especially in the O-line room. Every day is competition, so I’m just making sure he’s in line and over there having great competition out there right now.”
Miller has taken a leap of his own in training camp after adding 10 pounds to his frame in the offseason while still maintaining the downhill speed that helped him average 74.8 rushing yards per game last season.
“Honestly, I feel amazing,” Miller said. “Since I’ve been here, it’s definitely the most explosive I’ve felt. Faster, everything.”
King Miller is half of a one-two punch combination at running back along with Waymond Jordan. Beyond the two of them, depth and talent at the position have bred versatility.
Position coach Anthony Jones, Jr. believes there is NFL talent in his current stable of running backs, partly because he recruited them based on their overall usefulness, not just as a ball carrier but also on special teams and keeping the quarterback clean.
“Can these guys bring extra value to the overall team? And not just on the offensive side of the football,” he said. “The biggest thing about being an NFL running back is doing a lot of different things. Serving the team any way you possibly can.”
Read more Rams’ Puka Nacua leaves practice with Cowboys early; Myles Garrett held out with ‘knee soreness’