Peristyle Podcast - USC Trojan Football Discussion

Latest Episodes:

Coach Harvey Hyde feels a combination of past errors is now catching up with this Trojan football team Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of the Peristyle Podcasts hosts Ryan Abraham and Coach Harvey Hyde are once again trying to make sense of this USC football program that continues to find unique ways to lose a football game. This week the Trojans had a struggling Maryland squad on the ropes with a 14-point lead in the 3rd quarter and USC driving to put the game away. But as we have seen in all of the Trojans four losses this season, things went bad late and the Terrapins were able to pull off the upset and the fans that were left in the stadium stormed the field.

Coach Hyde talks about some of the questionable decisions head coach Lincoln Riley has made over his two and a half years and how those errors are coming back to bite the Trojans and contribute to all of these losses.

His first major issue is the lack of recruiting in Southern California and how that has contributed to the depth issues for this team. Coach Hyde knows that some of the top high school programs and prospects are right in USC's back yard and he wants to see Riley and his staff be much more active showing their faces on campus and doing their best to keep all of this top talent at home, similar to what Pete Carroll did.

Coach also wants to see USC run the ball more and really impose their will with a physical ground attack. After going up 14 points against Maryland, that was time for the Trojans to start lining up and running to take control of the game, run clock and destroy the will of the opposition. Instead USC threw the ball 9 out of 10 times and relied on receivers making miracle catches, allowing the Terps to get back in the game.

And he would like to see Riley be more of a head coach and less of an offensive coordinator. At this stage he needs to oversee all aspects of this team, offense, defense and special teams, to make sure the program finishes games the right away. With so much emphasis on the offensive play calling, Coach Hyde feels there isn't enough time dedicated to all of his other head coaching duties.

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Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Tunnel Vision: Another blown 14-point lead leaves Lincoln Riley & the Trojans looking for answers Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Ryan Abraham, Chris Trevino and Connor Morrissette (aka "Triple Double") are back from Maryland and ready to talk about USC's latest baffling defeat, this time at the hands of the Maryland Terrapins. This was the third long road trip for the Trojans and the third time this program and their travelling fans had to endure a disappointing plane ride back to Los Angeles, thinking about everything that went wrong and all of the missed opportunities that could have secured a victory.

After building up a comfortable 21-7 lead at the halftime break, USC got a stop and had the ball near midfield with a chance to put the game away. A Miller Moss interception turned the tide and the familiar late game collapse unfolded, with the Terps making all of the right moves and the Trojans making all of the key mistakes to let the game slip away.

The guys talk about everything they saw and heard in College Park, the quotes (or lack thereof) from players and coaches after the game and what their thoughts on what this loss means for the rest of the season and the Lincoln Riley era.

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Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Tunnel Vision: Previewing USC travelling East to take on the Maryland Terrapins Oct 18, 2024

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Jack Smith and Connor Morrissette (aka "Triple Double") are back in studio previewing USC's last time zone crossing trip of the season, facing the Maryland Terrapins in College Park. Both the Trojans and the Terps are desperate for a conference victory, with USC coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to Penn State and Maryland licking its wounds from a blowout loss at home to Northwestern.

The guys talk about how important this weekend is for the Trojans to pick up their first road victory in the Big Ten and make a statement that this team is still good and has a lot to play for despite the 3-3 start.

They also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this Terps program that has one of the more prolific passing games in the B1G and creates turnovers as good as anyone.

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Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Composite Two-Star Recruits: USC lands 2026 DL Braeden Jones, flips 2025 DB Steve Miller, Penn State Recruiting Angle Oct 17, 2024

Show notes

The Composite Two-Star Recruits podcast reacts to two commitments over the weekend in 2026 four-star Illinois defensive line Braeden Jones and the flip of three-star 2025 defensive back Steve Miller. The Cilantro Boys also discuss the visitors of the Penn State weekend, a recent decommitment and more.

TIME STAMPS:

7:13: Cold Open (4-star DL Braeden Jones Commits)

19:50: USC Flips 2025 DB Steve Miller

28:30: DL Viliami Moala Flips to Oregon

36:21: Penn State Recruiting Angle

59:19: USC Commits in Updated Top247 2025 Rankings

1:15:16 Elijah Griffin Commitment Outlook

1:17:25: Listener Questions

Trojans down two top defenders heading into the Maryland road trip Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

In this edition of the Peristyle Podcast hosts Ryan Abraham and Connor Morrissette (aka "Triple Double") are back in studio with lots to talk about in the USC football world, following the heartbreaking overtime loss to Penn State. The guys take one quick look back at what went wrong late in the game against the Nittany Lions before turning the page and taking a look ahead at the long road trip to take on Maryland.

The Trojans are still looking for their first road victory in Big Ten conference play and the Terps are a desperate squad after getting blown out at home at the hands of Northwestern, despite being a two-score favorite. Maryland is 3-3 and haven't notched a conference victory, so this could be another field storming opportunity if the Trojans once again can't figure out a way to win.

They also discuss the breaking news that both defensive end Anthony Lucas and linebacker Eric Gentry will be out for the rest of the season and what impact that could have on that side of the ball going forward.

They also discuss the Penn State fan that paid to run out of the tunnel with the Trojans, Lincoln Riley announcing that the team would be leaving later than normal on Friday for the long trip to Maryland, the basketball team's first exhibition game and lots more.

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Please review, rate and subscribe to the Peristyle Podcast on Apple Podcasts!

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Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Helium Boys: USC improved in loss to Penn State? Maryland preview and Trevino homecoming Oct 15, 2024

Show notes

Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino are backbehind the microphones for another episode of the Helium Boys Podcast, a serious non-serious USC football podcast. The Helium Boys return to break down USC's heartbreaking 33-30 overtime loss to No. 4 Penn State as a potential turn-the-season-around win eluded the Trojans in another tight game. Shotgun and Chris also look forward to USC's upcoming matchup and a final cross-country road trip this weekend as the Trojans take on struggling Maryland, the alma mater of one Chris Trevino.

The episode opens with the Helium Boys staple 'Two-Minute Drill' where Chris spends half of his time on his initial thoughts of the Penn State game before dedicating his final minute to what Maryland football meant to him growing up and how it helped lead him to this point in his life where he gets to cover a USC-Maryland football game. Shotgun then takes the 'Two-Minute Drill' reins to again talk about the inconsistency of Big Ten officiating and discusses why he's bullish on the Trojans' chances to go on a run in the second half of the season.

Chris and Shotgun then dive into their Stock Up/Stock Down segment looking at the players and themes that saw their stock rise or dip over the last week. A couple of bounce-back performances earned Quinten Joyner and Jaylin Smith spots on the Stock Up side. The young defensive depth is also on the rise as Devan Thompkins got his first career start and led the team with four pressures while Desman Stephens II's fourth-ever snap with the first team saw him intercept Drew Allar and return it 42 yards. On the flip side, the Trojans' pass rush struggles and inability to defend Tyler Warren are featured prominently in the Stock Down portion.

The Helium Boys then preview the upcoming road trip to Chris Trevino Country for the Trojans, taking a look at the key storyline, player and matchup before positing scenarios that would cause USC to win and scenarios that would cause USC to lose Saturday afternoon's game. There are a couple consensus picks among the podcasting duo as both are looking for Miller Moss to have a big impact and are keeping a watchful eye on the Trojans' pass rush against a porous Terrapin offensive line.

After a break, the podcast duo answer your mailbag questions discussing all manner of items from the USC coaching staff's preparedness, Big Ten officials, what next season holds and learning how to win close games. The episode concludes with a role reversal as Shotgun quizzes Trevino with some Take It or Leave Its about the Trojans, including if Eric Gentry can continue to lead the team in some defensive categories even if he doesn't return this season. Shotgun then puts Chris through the Overtime ringer with Maryland-related Take It or Leave Its.

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Coach Harvey Hyde breaks down another disappointing loss where USC got away from what was working against Penn State Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

On this episode of the Peristyle Podcasts hosts Ryan Abraham and Coach Harvey Hyde are back together and sounding like a broken record, with USC once again losing a very winnable game in the final seconds, this time in overtime 33-30 at the hands of No. 4 Penn State in the Coliseum. It was another exciting weekend of college football with two games on the West Coast that felt like the Rose Bowl, USC hosting Penn State and Oregon hosting Ohio State in Eugene. The Ducks got their signature win for the season, taking down the Buckeyes and the Trojans had their opportunity to take down a top-5 team and make a statement in the Big Ten, but fell short in the end.

Coach Harvey Hyde liked the way the team came out and ran the ball and played good defense against Penn State, allowing only a pair of field goals in the first 30 minutes of the game. But he wasn't sure why head coach Lincoln Riley got away from what was working after halftime, throwing 8 passes through the first 9 plays and allowing the Nittany Lions to come back and tie the game fairly quickly. In a game with two great traditions going at it, USC was not just in a position to win but had a chance to blow PSU out, but the Trojans helped out the Lions by getting away from what was working and helping the Lions in their comeback bid.

At the end of the day, Riley is one of the highest paid coaches in the country and Coach Hyde thinks that losing three of your last four games is not acceptable, whether they were all close at the end or not. This team has had many opportunities for someone to make a play down the stretch and in the three losses no one was able to break through and do so. Saturday the players played hard, Coach Hyde could tell they wanted to win, but when it came down to it they just were not able to execute. Coach Hyde was glad to see Riley take responsibility after the game, he just now wants to see them take the next step and figure out how to walk away from winnable games with a victory.

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Please review, rate and subscribe to the Peristyle Podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Thanks to Trader Joe's for sponsoring the Peristyle Podcast!

Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Tunnel Vision: Trojans struggling to find answers after yet another last-minute defeat Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Ryan Abraham, Jack Smith and Shotgun Spratling are back in studio breaking down USC's 33-30 overtime loss to No. 4 Penn State, a game where the Trojans held a 14-point lead at halftime only to see it melt away in the second half. At the halfway mark in the season, USC is sitting at 3-3 and 1-3 in the Big Ten conference, with all three losses coming in the final seconds of the game. While it is true that the Trojans are just a few plays away from being undefeated, you are what your record is and right now USC is a middling team in its new conference and that simply isn't good enough.

Head coach Lincoln Riley is in his third season and while he took over a dumpster fire and turned things around quickly, he has lost 8 of his last 13 games Trojan fans want answers. The Trojans put forward much better effort at home against Penn State than they did on the road at Minnesota, but it still wasn't enough to put away the No. 4 Nittany Lions. The guys talk about what they liked from USC's play on Saturday and where they thought the biggest issues were, starting with giving up a record 17 catches to PSU tight end Tyler Warren.

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Please review, rate and subscribe to the Peristyle Podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Thanks to Trader Joe's for sponsoring the Peristyle Podcast!

Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Tunnel Vision: Previewing USC hosting No. 4 Penn State in the Coliseum Oct 11, 2024

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Ryan Abraham, Jack Smith and Shotgun Spratling are back in studio previewing what is a must-win game for the Trojans to keep any College Football Playoff aspirations alive. USC is unranked following the loss to Minnesota and will look to bounce back, taking on the No. 4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions The game will be on live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time and shown nationally on CBS.

CLICK HERE for 30% OFF an annual VIP membership to USCFootball.com!

Please review, rate and subscribe to the Peristyle Podcast on Apple Podcasts!

Thanks to Trader Joe's for sponsoring the Peristyle Podcast!

Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojan football team.

Composite Two-Star Recruits: USC season on the line against No. 4 Penn State with big visitor list; DL Jahkeem Stewart reclassifies Oct 10, 2024

Show notes

The Composite Two-Star Recruits Podcast is back to discuss USC's season being on the line against No. 4 Penn State with big visitor list coming to the Coliseum. The Cilantro Boys also talk about DL Jahkeem Stewart reclassifying, the new 2025 DL offer and more.

TIME STAMPS:

9:24: Cold Open (Minnesota Loss; Penn State Visitors)

45:19: No More LOIs

1:06:10: New 2025 DL Offers

1:11:34: Jahkeem Stewart Reclassifies to 2025

1:33:31: Unsubstantiated Rumors

1:53:22: The Jayden Maiava Question

2:02:08: Listener Questions