Peristyle Podcast - USC Trojan Football Discussion

Latest Episodes:

Helium Boys: USC 2023 season awards, Jonah Monheim and Golden Globes Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

The Helium Boys Podcast is back once more with Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino returningbehind the mics to wrap up the 2023 USC football season with end-of-season awards following the Trojans' 8-5 campaign that started with so much promise and a 6-0 start before a stunning decline in the second half of the season saw them lose five of six to end the regular season.

Before getting to the 2023 honorees, the episode opens with the 'Two-Minute Drill' as each Helium Boy goes off the cuff for two minutes about the national championship game after Michigan was able to defeat Washington in the College Football Playoff finale to conclude the 2023 college football season.

The duo then discusses the biggest news of the week for the Trojans as fourth-year junior offensive lineman Jonah Monheim is set to return to USC after having thoughts and considerations about entering the pool of 2024 NFL Draft talents. They break down what Monheim's return means for the offensive line in 2024 and why that gives offensive line coach Josh Henson a lot more options.

The Helium Boys then wrap up the 2023 season with the end-of-season awards labeling not only the MVP and offensive/defensive players of the year but also the top freshman, lineman, coach and a number of other categories of season superlatives.

Shotgun and Chris also answer your questions from Twitter discussing the cornerback group the Trojans will have during the 2024 season, college football video games, alien encounters and the Trojans' early enrollees that just arrived on campus this week.

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Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojans football and basketball teams.

Check out The Peristyle Shop where you can order your Helium Boys merchandise to help support the podcasting duo.

USC Triple-Double Podcast: Women of Troy suffer first loss; Trojan men at critical juncture Jan 05, 2024

Show notes

The USC Triple-Double Podcast -- the first basketball-only podcast to be a part of the Peristyle Podcast family of shows -- returns with co-hosts Shotgun Spratling and Connor Morrissette (aka Mr. Triple Double) breaking down the the last couple of weeks action from the USC men's and women's basketball teams.

The Women of Troy are ranked No. 9 after suffering their first loss of the season, having too many cold stretches against No. 2 UCLA in the first iteration of the Crosstown Showdown this season. The Trojans entered the game undefeated despite missing multiple key players each of the previous couple of games.

The men's team has finally got to full strength with the addition of Bronny James back to the mix after he missed the team's first eight games as he continued to recover and rehab following a cardiac arrest this summer. However, the addition of James hasn't been an automatic fix for the ills of the 7-7 Trojans.

Shotgun and Connor break down all the latest action for both teams, including the impact James has made as he shakes off the rust, before looking at where the Trojan squads stand both record and stat wise through the first two months of the season. The podcasting duo also look at the positives and negatives of the recent USC basketball action from both squads and look forward to the next week to preview what lies ahead. For the men, they continue a critical three-game home swing while the Women of Troy take on another undefeated team Friday evening.

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Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojans basketball and football teams.

Helium Boys: Miller Moss & Holiday Bowl, nicknames and Pop Tarts Jan 04, 2024

Show notes

The Helium Boys Podcast returns with Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino behind the microphones to break down and react to USC's stunning showing in a 42-28 win over No. 16 Louisville in the Holiday Bowl for its final game as a Pac-12 team.

The episode opens with the 'Two-Minute Drill' as each Helium Boy gives his initial reactions to the Trojans' win over the Cardinals and the biggest things that stood out, including the momentum the program suddenly has heading into the offseason.

In the Stock Up/Stock Down segment, the podcasting duo discuss who/what impressed, including Miller Moss' outstanding play and how it changes the narrative for the remainder of the offseason. But Moss wasn't the only one impressing as USC's young receivers shined while veterans got to go out with accolades and a victory. The Helium Boys also look into what stocks took a hit, such as some 2024 concerns and opponent's yards after contact thanks to some terrific open-field tackling by the Trojans in San Diego

The Helium Boys also answer your questions from Twitter discussing why the coaching staff chose not to go all in on some freshmen in the bowl game, the best way to handle the quarterback position for the 2024 season and USC's NIL strategy among other topics. They also break down the merits of an elevated role for the Pop Tarts Bowl mascot in the grand bowl season scheme. Then during the overtime portion of the 'Take It or Leave It' section, Chris throws out a number of nicknames for Miller Moss to see what Shotgun thinks.

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

Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojans football and basketball teams.

Check out The Peristyle Shop where you can order your Helium Boys merchandise to help support the podcasting duo.

Tunnel Vision: Trojans end season on a Holiday High thanks to Miller Moss and his 6 touchdown passes Dec 29, 2023

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Ryan Abraham is in studio joined remotely by Shotgun Spratling and Connor Morrissette talking about USC's huge Holiday Bowl win over Louisville with offensive MVP Miller Moss setting a Trojan bowl record with six touchdown passes in the 42-28 victory. With only 52 scholarship players available due to the transfer portal and opt-outs, Lincoln Riley's crew played one of their better games of the season, blocking well, tackling better and airing the ball out with Moss and a host of mostly young receivers.

The Trojans scored 42 points on just 52 plays and Moss lit it up completing 23 of his 33 attempts for 372 passing yards, 6 touchdowns and one interception. Tahj Washington in his final game in a USC uniform went over 1,000 yards for the season with his 7 catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Freshmen receiver Ja'Kobi Lane had 3 catches for 60 yards and two touchdowns and Kyron Hudson and Duce Robinson each had a touchdown grab.

With a secondary that only had 7 scholarship players suited up, Jaylin Smith moved from nickel to safety and ranked up a team high 12 tackles (all solo) and the Holiday Bowl defensive MVP.

This is a podcast version of our video show Tunnel Vision that you can find on our Facebook or YouTube pages.

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

Composite Two-Star Recruits LIVE: Breaking down USC's 2024 Signing Day, new transfer commits, high-profile departures Dec 21, 2023

Show notes

The Composite Two-Star Recruits is back with a LIVE episode for USC's National Signing Day for the 2024 recruiting cycle. The Cilantro Boys break down the good, the bad and the unknown of USC's class, hand out class awards and more. They also discuss the new transfer additions, transfers out and NIL.

2024 USC Signing Day special and transfer portal palooza Dec 20, 2023

Show notes

In this edition of the Peristyle Podcast hosts Ryan Abraham and Connor Morrissette (aka "Triple Double") are back in studio talking about USC's haul from the Early Signing Period with a number of new Trojans joining Lincoln Riley's squad. The guys talk about the players that have signed their pledge to play for the USC football team and discuss their potential impact on the program going forward.

Head coach Lincoln Riley talked about the focus shifting towards high school recruiting and stacking good classes upon good classes and the guys talk about what they think of this class overall including the overall rank and how Riley addressed the positions of need as the program transitions into the Big Ten.

Even though Riley is trying to focus more on high school recruiting, it doesn't mean the Trojans won't be active in the portal. USC has lost several key components to the portal but have also added some players in an attempt to boost this roster into contention status for 2024 and beyond. The guys talk about the additions and subtractions made this off-season and how much of an impact they will have on this team.

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

Helium Boys: Breaking down a hectic USC stretch of transfers, commitments and coaching additions Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

The Helium Boys Podcast returns with Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino behind the microphones as USC continues to get ready for next week's Holiday Bowl. But that seems ages away during this time of year when news stories are popping off multiple times every day with the Trojans' roster being overturned with high school and transfer commitments as well as de-commitments, players entering their names into the NCAA transfer portal and coaches on the move in both directions. Shotgun and Chris break down all the latest happenings around the land of Troy with the transfer portal open, the Early Signing Period opening this week and the coaching carousel in full swing.

The Helium Boys episode opens with the 'Two-Minute Drill' with each Helium Boy being given the freedom to go in any direction, and they choose to look at the big picture of how hectic the month of December is for the players and coaching staffs that are living the overturned rosters and coaching staffs.

The podcasting duo follow with a look at the recent high school recruiting commitment additions, topped off by the recent commitment of four-star Bay Cities (Texas) four-star defensive lineman Carlon Jones. The Helium Boys also discuss the additions of Oregon State transfers Akili Arnold and his brother Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and break down what the departures of Mario Williams, Michael Tarquin, Malachi Nelson, Domani Jackson and Tackett Curtis mean for the Trojans, the Holiday Bowl depth chart and the 2024 roster.

After the break, Shotgun and Chris take a look at Donte Williams' move to Georgia and the immediate USC hire of Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk to be the secondary coach for the Trojans. The Helium Boys then answer your questions from Twitter discussing who could become WR1 next season for USC, if certain actions show us Lincoln Riley is evolving how he will attack with his playcalling and the impact of NIL on the game of college football.

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

Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojans football and basketball teams.

Check out The Peristyle Shop where you can order your Helium Boys merchandise to help support the podcasting duo.

Coach Harvey Hyde on USC's defensive staff hires and major transfer portal additions and departures Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

On this episode of the Peristyle Podcasts hosts Ryan Abraham and Coach Harvey Hyde are back together talking about all of the latest news and notes surrounding the USC football program. It's mid December and the Trojan football team is gearing up for an important Holiday Bowl clash with Louisville from the ACC, but right now most of the focus is on the future with major changes happening to both the coaching staff and the roster.

After head coach Lincoln Riley fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch with two games left in the regular season, the writing was on the wall that this defensive staff was going to get a major makeover. Riley started off with the bold move to hire UCLA DC D'Anton Lynn to come down the 10 Freeway and take over as USC's defensive coordinator. Next Riley targeted Matt Entz, the head coach of North Dakota State who won multiple national championships at the FCS level, to coach linebackers. The latest move was to snag Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk to join the staff and coach the Trojans secondary, taking the place of Donte Williams who is heading to Georgia for the same role. Coach Hyde gives his thoughts on all of these additions to the staff and if he feels these coaches could help make the Trojans a contender heading into the Big Ten next season.

There have also been some major attrition on the roster heading into the bowl game with former five-stars like quarterback Malachi Nelson, running back Raleek Brown and cornerback Domani Jackson entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

With Nelson in the portal Riley needs to bring in a quarterback and right now the favorite in the clubhouse appears to be Will Howard from Kansas State, who took an official visit to USC over the weekend. The Trojans also added former Oregon State safety Akili Arnold and linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold to the roster along with Vanderbilt defensive lineman Nate Clifton.

Coach Hyde says they need to take the bowl game seriously to end the season on a high note, unlike what happened last year. With opt-outs and transfers, Hyde really wants team players out there who can put the team first so they can play like hell and get a much needed victory. He's also very happy for Miller Moss getting his first start. Moss has been loyal Trojan, he wants to be at USC and deserves this start.

As usual the guys answer listener questions via email, text message and voicemail to finish up the show.

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.

USC Triple-Double: Lindsay Gottlieb joins the show; Bronny James debuts Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

The USC Triple-Double Podcast -- the Peristyle Podcast's basketball-focused podcast -- returns with co-hosts Shotgun Spratling and Connor Morrissette (aka Mr. Triple Double) breaking down the most recent action from the USC men's and women's basketball teams, including the debut of Bronny James amidst another loss for the Trojans.

The undefeated Women of Troy remain ranked No. 6 this week after obliterating another mid-major opponent. The men's team is currently on an opposite trajectory having lost three of its last four games, blowing a 17-point lead in a loss to Long Beach State.

But first, a special guest joins the show as USC women’s head coach Lindsay Gottlieb comes on to discuss the Trojans' 8-0 start and how they are trying to practice with an eye toward the future as they face off with some lighter opponents than what they will encounter in Pac-12 play. Gottlieb also talks about the impact the three Ivy League grad transfers -- Kayla Padilla, McKenzie Forbes and Kaitlyn Davis -- have had while seamlessly transitioning into new roles than they may have had at their former schools. She also discusses JuJu Watkins' most impressive feat on the court so far this season.

Shotgun and Connor then break down the debut of Bronny James, who finished with four points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in 16 minutes in front of his father LeBron James and a packed Galen Center. The podcasting duo also look at the positives and negatives of the last week of USC basketball action from both squads and look forward to the next week to preview what lies ahead. For the men, they begin a four-game road swing that begins with a potentially make-or-break matchup at Auburn.

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

Make sure you check out USCFootball.com for complete coverage of this USC Trojans basketball and football teams.

Composite Two-Star Recruits: DL Nate Clifton commits, USC Crystal Balls rolling in, Matt Entz hire Dec 14, 2023

Show notes

The Composite Two-Star Recruits podcast is back to discuss the commitment of Vanderbilt defensive line transfer Nate Clifton, USC's recent run Crystal Balls and the potential of the Matt Entz hire as USC's linebacker coach. The Cilantro Boys also discuss the latest in the transfer portal and December recruiting.

TIME STAMPS:

7:31 Cold Open (Nate Clifton Commits)

26:00: USC Crystal Balls/High School Visitor Recap

57:39: High School Visitor Preview

1:23:05: USC Hires Matt Entz

1:35:54: Transfer Visitors

1:50:38: WR Will Sheppard

2:13:04: Not Unsubstantiated Rumors?

2:33:48: Listener Questions

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