Helton survived a trying time for USC football, managing to lose just twice in seven games, with big wins coming against top-tier talent and a cross-town rival.
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How’s that for stepping out of your orator comfort zone?
Stanford maintains a slight hope of advancing to the College Football Playoff if it beats USC in the Pac-12 championship game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Saturday, but the Cardinal will need some help elsewhere. If it’s good enough, great, if it’s not, fine.
Good for the Trojans.
Be sure to visit our college football PickCenter page for additional information on this game and many more. And he was not hired because he is a Trojan. Pete Carroll was a mere two wins over. He said on a conference call Monday that the deal was not finalized, but could be soon.
Fans and alumni still fill up message boards and radio shows with talk of bigger-name coaches from Chip Kelly and John Harbaugh to Kyle Whittingham and Tom Herman.
One of the things said about Haden is he listens to the athletes.
So when Helton is asked about his long-term future, he has a short-term answer.
The question was not complicated. Rhoades said the focus was on finding a successor to coach Gary Pinkel, who is stepping down while batting non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In his statement, Helton thanked Haden and school president Max Nikias and said, in part, “During my six years here, I have learned the standard of excellence that it takes to be a Trojan”.
The players see Helton as genuine. The 49ers linebacker racked up 308 total tackles, 35 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks during his college career. This is pure posturing.
To cap it all off, and for your comedic relief, we go back and expose our most vulnerable moments in this season’s Sport SCene’s blooper reel.
“He’s a great coach”, Nwosu said. He had been an assistant at USC since 2010, working as the offensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin and former Washington Huskies coach Sarkisian.
“He appreciates everything we do”, Nwosu continued. That’s why we love him.
This attitude among the players had to resonate with the brass from Haden on up.
And so Monday it became official, and now USC has a head football coach who couldn’t be picked out of a crowd by anyone but hustling, hitting, happy USC football players. So, of course, the coyote trickster figure, the Loki-like deus ex machina, will be USC.
“There is no doubt in my mind”, he said. He is the same guy every day. But if they can keep the Trojans away from too many chunk plays, and I’m banking my prediction on the fact that they can, Stanford should have just a bit more pop to pull this one out.
“I would not be here today if not for both men”, Helton said.
Earlier in the month, former Carson High receiver Darreus Rogers, a junior, was consulted about Helton. USC could easily obtain the crown the media picked them to win prior to season’s beginning.
There was no doubt in Rogers’ mind who should be hired.
“I am extremely humbled and grateful to Max Nikias, Pat Haden, and the Trojan family for having the opportunity to be the head coach at the University of Southern California”, Helton said.
Editor’s note: from all I can tell, there likely would have been rioting if Clay Helton had not received the offer. Shaw guided the Cardinal to its third Pac-12 North title in four years for a berth to the Pac-12 Championship Game.
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It is important to note that these two teams have already played each other this season. “He came in and sat us down and turned us into a team again”.
