USC mailbag: Absent a ringer, the Trojans' most important player against Notre Dame is Brandon Pili

Oct. 20, 2017 8 AM PT

Every week*, The Times’ USC beat reporter, Zach Helfand, will answer your questions. Tweet yours to @zhelfand or email them to zach.helfand@latimes.com. And after every USC game, you can leave a voice message on the USC Overtime hotline, at (213) 357-0984, for a call-in podcast posted the day after every game.

*Hopefully

Saturday’s contest at Notre Dame is the most important game remaining on USC’s regular-season schedule (and maybe the biggest game up to this point), and the Trojans’ have a big question mark at a very important position: defensive tackle.

The most significant unknown is not whether Sam Darnold has finally rediscovered last season’s form — though that’s also important. No, it’s how will Brandon Pili hold up in his first start. Pili will be a very good player at USC, but he was supposed to redshirt this season. Now he’s anchoring the defense against one of the best running attacks in the country.

What USC really needs is a ringer! I conducted an informal poll of media members this week, and almost everyone agreed that it would be feasible to dress up a recently retired NFL defensive tackle in an active player’s jersey, throw some long sleeves and a visor on him and avoid detection. Of course, this is blatant cheating, extremely unethical and almost certainly would never happen in the modern game. I posed the question jokingly, as a distraction from watching stretches at practice.

But my favorite part about the thought experiment is that this actually happened in the early days of college football. As in, happened all the time. Even at places most would assume would be above such tactics, such as Columbia. Teams used ringers all the time.

The point is, college football used to be more fun. And a lot is riding on Brandon Pili having a breakout game.

To the questions:

There’s precedent here, though maybe not good precedent: Last season, depending on USC’s needs, Khaliel Rodgers yo-yoed back and forth across the offensive and defensive line. Of course, he ended up transferring, probably a predictable result of how USC used him.

I wouldn’t count on Jacob Daniel moving back to the defensive line because USC’s need there is immediate and Daniel wouldn’t have been able to contribute much, if at all, against Notre Dame even if he’d practiced on defense this week. Once starter Josh Fatu is out of concussion protocol, the crisis is over, and then you’ve just stuck Daniel back on defense for no reason.

Look, USC is 6-1, scores 34.4 points per game and averages 477 yards of total offense. It’s really difficult to imagine an offensive coordinator is on the hot seat with that stat line.

USC’s game against Utah was actually called well. That includes the first half, even if USC got too cute at times with the run-pass option. At a certain point, it’s up to Darnold to take care of the ball.

Granted, USC has an incredibly talented quarterback in Darnold but has still looked pedestrian on offense at times. There have been numerous offensive issues this season, examined in more depth here.

But don’t expect any big shakeups unless there’s a collapse. The offensive coordinator at USC always attracts tons of scrutiny, but Clay Helton won’t even really entertain questions about Martin. This week, his stock response was, “I think Tee Martin has done a wonderful job.”

The estimable Helene Elliott asked this in her column this week. I can confirm that Ronald Jones II is a very good back.

Martin was asked a similar question this week. Specifically, why did Jones, who had 10 carries in the second half against Utah, have only seven carries in the first?

“It was a stout defensive line that we knew you had to wear them down,” Martin said. “It was hard to just run right at those guys. No one really had success running straight at them. So it was part of the plan to adjust in the second half to give Ronald some stuff that he’s comfortable with.”

Helton also said the game plan was to use Jones more in the second half.

“A lot of it has to do with using Sam early,” Helton said. “Our thought process was to make him a threat to make the defensive end make a decision.”

It worked, but the turnovers obscured that fact.

That’s an excellent question. I have to go “shruggy emoji” here. I couldn’t find any common threads. Maybe its karmic readjustment for the defense’s oddly excellent record following an offensive turnover?

Unclear! Helton indicated that Porter Gustin would be evaluated every week by doctors for approval. There’s no reason to rush him back now, though. Arizona State is next, and if USC loses that game it will be because of much bigger problems than not having Gustin. Also, Gustin’s return will certainly help, but the need at outside linebacker is not great, because you can make an argument that Christian Rector is better.

Cameron Smith had 16 tackles and an interception against Utah. John Houston Jr., easily the faster of the two inside linebackers, had six — five of which were assisted tackles. So speed is a very good thing to have, but it isn’t everything for a Mike linebacker.

I just included this one so we can have a question about lining up under center versus in the shotgun in short yardage just about every single week.

There are several candidates for my greatest college newspaper road trip. My junior year, I was denied a credential when Michigan visited Notre Dame. Not that I’m still salty about it! (Note: I may still be salty about it.) I bummed a ticket off my friend, whose grandmother was a Notre Dame season ticket holder, weaseled my way into the Michigan family section and watched the game with Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson’s brother, best friend and girlfriend.

Then, because I couldn’t go to the press box, I had to write my column in the dorm room of my friend Andrew, a student at Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s alcohol policies are surprisingly liberal, and a party broke out in the dorm. (Notre Dame won.) I wrote all 1,500 or so melodramatic words from the top of a bunk bed in the middle of said party.

Come to think of it, that was actually was an easier post-game media setup than trying to find the visiting locker room at Washington State.

Neither, John. It will be 34-28 Notre Dame, as I predicted in the paper this week. Which is excellent news for USC fans because I am bad at picking.

Eat here

Two suggestions for the price of one this week! You’re covered whether you stay in Chicago or in South Bend. This trip is all about the world’s greatest and most versatile foodstuff.

Chicago: Pizza at Pizzeria Due. It’s Chicago. If you’re not getting the pizza, you’re doing it wrong. Avoid getting mocked by pronouncing it “DO-ay,” as in the Italian for two. Thanks to friend and Chicago native Andrew, whose grandmother had the season tickets, for this recommendation.

South Bend: Thin crust pizza at Rocco’s. Thanks to Tyler James of the South Bend Tribune for this recommendation. If you must get deep dish, head to Bruno’s.