Peristyle Podcast - USC Trojan Football Discussion

Latest Episodes:

Composite Two-Star Recruits: Recruiting impact of firing DC Alex Grinch, Jim Leonhard overview, 2026 CB Madden Riordan commits Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

The Composite Two-Star Recruits podcast returns to discuss the recruiting impact of Lincoln Riley's decision to fire DC Alex Grinch during the season and a look at DC candidate Jim Leonhard. The Cilantro Boys also discuss the commitment of 2026 CB Madden Riordan.

TIME STAMPS:

3:58: The Hot Open (USC Fires DC Alex Grinch)

27:58: DC Candidate Overview: Jim Leonhard

1:28:52: Impact on 2024 Recruiting

1:47:10: 2026 CB Madden Riordan Commits

2:06:06: Visitors for USC's Loss to No. 5 Washington

2:26:34: Conquest Collective + NIL

2:49:24: Friday Night Lights

3:11:27: Week 11: USC vs. No. 6 Oregon

3:21:30: Listener Question

Helium Boys: DC Alex Grinch fired, regrouping for Oregon and cartoon theme songs Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

The Helium Boys Podcast returns with Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino back to react to USC head coach Lincoln Riley's decision to make a change at the defensive coordinator position, firing Alex Grinch after the Trojans lost for the third time in four games, falling to Washington 52-42 in the Coliseum. They also break down the explosive offensive night of action from Saturday that sent the Trojans home with a 7-3 record on the season.

Shotgun and Chris discuss the notable takeaways, including how despite being ahead early and then later the score being even, it never really felt like USC was going to win the game because the Trojans defense wasn't going to be able to get a stop to give the USC offense the requisite opportunity to win the game.

The Helium Boys episode opens with the 'Two-Minute Drill' as each gives his initial reactions to the Trojans' loss to Washington and the biggest things that stood out. In the Stock Up/Stock Down segment, the podcasting duo discuss who/what impressed, including veteran running back Darwin Barlow finally getting an opportunity and wasting no time at all to make an impact, second-year freshman Tre'Quon Fegans taking advantage of an opportunity and Lincoln Riley having the correct mentality when it comes to defense, saying "We’re going to play great defense here." The Helium Boys also look into what stocks took a hit over the weekend with Alex Grinch being at the top of the list followed by a failing pass rush and Riley claiming the Trojans are two plays away from being undefeated in conference play.

Chris and Shotgun also look forward at the Trojans trip to Eugene this weekend for a matchup against No. 6 Oregon Saturday in Autzen Stadium, featuring a showdown between last season's Heisman Trophy award winner Caleb Williams and one of the frontrunners for the 2024 Heisman Trophy, Ducks quarterback Bo Nix.

The Helium Boys then answer your questions from Twitter and email discussing the desired defense scheme as well as some of the USC players saying they didn't watch the film of the Washington game afterwards. Then during the overtime portion of the 'Take It or Leave It' section, Chris questions Shotgun on some of the top cartoon theme songs.

Finally, the podcast concludes with the Helium Boys giving their score predictions for the USC-Oregon matchup (7:30 p.m. PST) on the road this weekend.

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.

Updates on USC football moving forward without defensive coordinator Alex Grinch Nov 08, 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 the major shakeup to the Trojan football program following Lincoln Riley's decision to fire defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and promote linebackers coach Brian Odom and defensive line coach Shaun Nua to co-defensive coordinators as well as promoting defensive analyst Taylor Mays to full time safeties coach.

The guys talk about what Riley, Odom and Nua had to say this week and how things could look different on the defensive side of the ball going forward. They also take a look back at the loss to Washington that led to the Grinch firing and talk about USC's chances this weekend on the road against No. 6 Oregon.

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.

Catching up with USC safety Zion Branch and wide receiver Zachariah Branch Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

Trojan redshirt freshman safety Zion Branch and freshman wide receiver Zachariah Branch are two of the young stars on the USC football team.

Tunnel Vision hosts Ryan Abraham and Shotgun Spratling were joined in studio by the Branch brothers, talking about Zion's unfortunate season-ending knee injury and his road to recovery plus Zachariah's electric start to his college football career including being part of the flea-flicker touchdown pass from Caleb Williams to Tahj Washington.

The interview was conducted in conjunction with House of Victory, an alumni-backed nonprofit collective dedicated to providing a competitive edge in the NIL space for University of Southern California student-athletes.

If you want to help out USC's NIL efforts, you can donate to House of Victory here.

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

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

Tunnel Vision: USC falls to Washington 52-42 leading to Lincoln Riley firing DC Alex Grinch Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

On the latest edition of Tunnel Vision, USCFootball.com's Ryan Abraham, Shotgun Spratling and Jack Smith are back in studio talking about the huge breaking news that head coach Lincoln Riley has pulled the trigger and fired his longtime defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. The guys give their initial reaction to the news that Trojan football fans have been longing for since the end of last season and if they feel it can make a difference with only two games left in the regular season.

USC's 52-42 loss to Washington Saturday night in the Coliseum was a defensive nightmare and apparently was the final straw for Riley, who brought Grinch with him from Oklahoma. Riley took a lot of heat when he made the decision to keep his entire staff intact even after the embarrassing loss to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. Fans wanted Grinch gone and Riley's gamble on the importance of staff continuity simply did not pay off.

Our crew talks about all of the good (mostly offense) and bad (mostly defense) from the game against the Huskies and some of the historic marks that were set including the most points Washington has ever scored against USC (achieved in the first half alone) and the Trojan defense giving up 34+ points in six straight games for the first time in program history.

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.

Coach Harvey Hyde on USC pulling the trigger and firing defensive coordinator Alex Grinch Nov 05, 2023

Show notes

On this episode of the Peristyle Podcasts hosts Ryan Abraham and Coach Harvey Hyde are back together discussing yet another disappointing defensive effort for the Trojans, this time a 52-42 loss to No. 5 Washington in the Coliseum. During the show as Ryan and Coach talked about the poor defensive performance news broke that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch had been fired, so they talk about that breaking news at the end of the episode.

The Huskies were able to score on 8 of their 10 drives including 7 touchdowns for a ridiculous average of 5.2 points per drive. Coach Hyde feels it was a great crowd there for Homecoming and the offense scored enough to win the game, but the defense was questionable in every aspect of the game. Coach wants to know if this defense is even capable of getting a stop. He doesn't think all of the best players are playing and by now you should know which players can play and which cant. He's questioning the defensive philosophy where they can't even line up correctly or respond to offensive shifts, leaving the defense confused with huge gaps outside for opposing backs to run through.

Coach would love to see head coach Lincoln Riley step in and start coaching on the defensive side and allow Kliff Kingsbury to take over and run the offense. The defense keeps doing the same thing and nothing changes and there are so many gaps in coverage that Coach said it looks like they are only playing with 9 guys out there. Coach says the kids are playing hard but with the combination of everything that is going wrong, the defense is simply horrible.

With the loss the Trojans fell out of the AP Poll top-25 for the first time in the Riley era.

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.

Tunnel Vision: Previewing No. 20 USC's monster matchup with No. 5 Washington in the Coliseum Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

On this latest edition of Tunnel Vision USCFootball.com's Jack Smith and Connor Morrissette (aka Triple-Double) are back in studio to preview what could be a pivotal game for the Trojans, a matchup with the only undefeated team in the Pac-12, No. 5 Washington Huskies. With USC's loss to Utah two weeks ago the margin for error in the race to win the conference is essentially gone, especially with the gauntlet of a schedule the Trojans have left. For Lincoln Riley to have any shot at winning the Pac-12 in its final year of existence, his squad will need to take care of business against the Huskies on Saturday.

Jack and Connor talk about what the players and coaches said this week during practice as they get ready for this important contest and discuss the news and notes including the unfortunately season ending injury for safety Zion Branch.

They also break down the newly released Big Ten schedule with dates for 2024 where the Trojans travel to Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, Washington and UCLA and host Penn State, Wisconsin, Rutgers and Nebraska.

Both hosts will be in the Coliseum for this one and they give their thoughts on how it will turn out including their picks against the spread (Trojans are a 3 point underdog to Washington).

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: USC lands 5-star 2026 CB Brandon Lockhart, Lincoln Riley's quote on local recruiting, big visitor weekend Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Composite Two-Star Recruits podcast returns to discuss the commitment of 5-star 2026 Loyola (Calif.) cornerback Brandon Lockhart, Lincoln Riley's recent quote on local recruiting and the big visitor weekend on tap for the Washington game. The Cilantro Boys also discuss the new 2024 offer and take listener questions.

TIME STAMPS:

5:42: Cold Open (Brandon Lockhart Commits)

20:54: Washington Game Visitors

41:47: USC Offers 2024 DL Dom Kirks

48:45: Lincoln Riley's Quote on Local Recruiting

1:36:08: Week 1 CIF Playoffs

1:41:48: USC Survives Cal 50-49

1:53:07: Week 9: No. 24 USC vs. No. 5 Washington

2:06:00: Listener Questions

Trojans about to start final gauntlet of the 2023 college football season Nov 01, 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 narrow escape from Berkeley keeping their hopes of a Pac-12 title hope alive. The Trojans reward is a very tough Washington squad that is undefeated on the season and will head to Los Angeles this weekend in what is an absolutely pivotal game for Lincoln Riley and his squad.

With the team back out on the practice field Tuesday, Ryan and Connor talk about what Riley, defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and the players had to say about that Cal win and facing the Huskies this weekend.

The guys also talk about the initial College Football Playoff rankings where the Trojans ended up at No. 20 and will finish the season by facing No. 5 Washington, No. 6 Oregon and No. 19 UCLA over the next three weeks.

Quarterback Caleb Williams talked about USC's playoff hopes still being alive even with two losses because of the tough games left on the schedule and the opportunity to get four-straight quality wins (including the Pac-12 Championship Game). No one is expecting the Trojans to make a run, so that actually can take a little bit of the pressure off heading into this final stretch of the season.

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.

Helium (Halloween) Boys: USC gets scare in Berkeley, can Trojans beat No. 5 Huskies? Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

The Helium Boys Podcast returns with Shotgun Spratling and Chris Trevino reuniting to react to USC's off-the-rails 50-49 win at California in this Halloween edition of the Helium Boys Podcast. They break down the back-and-forth battle with the Golden Bears that was settled by a defensive stop of a two-point conversion attempt, improving the Trojans to 7-2 on the season.

Shotgun and Chris discuss the notable takeaways, including the dynamic defensive impact of Eric Gentry, USC actually sticking with the run game for four quarters and how Bear Alexander's presence in the second half completely transformed the defense. Throughout the episode, Chris also plays a game, stopping the action to ask Shotgun to react to a spooky fact or guess the horror film a quote is from.

The Helium Boys Halloween episode opens with the 'Two-Minute Drill' as each gives his initial reactions to the Trojans' win over Cal and the biggest things that stood out. In the Stock Up/Stock Down segment, the podcasting duo discuss who/what impressed, including USC's fight and the rising expectations being greater than the appreciation for fans. The Helium Boys also look into what stocks took a hit over the weekend such as nickelback Jaylin Smith and the rising number of plays Lincoln Riley says the Trojans need to fix on each side of the ball.

Chris and Shotgun also look forward at the "really cool opportunities" the Trojans have in front of them, starting with a matchup against No. 5 Washington Saturday in the Coliseum, featuring a showdown between last season's Heisman Trophy award winner Caleb Williams and the current favorite for the 2024 Heisman Trophy, Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

The Helium Boys then answer your questions from Twitter, email and Instagram discussing Lincoln Riley/Alex Grinch, the defense, Halloween costumes and Halloween candy. Then during the overtime portion of the 'Take It or Leave It' section, Chris questions Shotgun on the top candy in a variety of states.

Finally, the podcast concludes with the Helium Boys giving their score predictions for the USC-Washington matchup (4:30 p.m. PDT) in the Coliseum this weekend.

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.

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