Tight End Xavier Grimble Keeps Catching and Blocking
LOS ANGELES — Wide receivers attract all the attention. Virtually all USC students know Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. Even the non-football fans must have heard these players’ names hundreds of times by now.
Matt Barkley is also quite familiar with them. Nineteen of the senior’s 25 touchdowns have been caught by his favorite pair of wideouts. Woods and Lee account for 76 percent of Barkley’s passing yards. Against Arizona last Saturday, a 39-36 USC loss, Lee broke a school and conference record with 345 receiving yards.
Like receivers, tight ends are expected to catch the ball and run for extra yardage, but oftentimes they are not targeted as pass-catchers; they’re simply told to block rather than run a route. Tight ends are regularly required to do their job without getting the recognition they deserve.
Redshirt sophomore tight end Xavier Grimble is the perfect example. Only three Trojans have caught at least one pass in each of the team’s eight games: Woods, Lee and Grimble. Even so, Grimble has yet to eclipse three catches in a game this season. Still, the Las Vegas native never complains about the lack of throws coming his way. Read more >>
Walk-On Zack Kusnir Contributes After NCAA Grants Medical Redshirt
He probably does not appear in opposing teams’ game plans, but No. 92 is enjoying every second of being a Trojan football player, especially as the journey nearly came to an end three months ago.
As a result of seasons lost to injury, Zack Kusnir petitioned the NCAA for a rare sixth year of eligibility.
“There was a little bit of anxiety waiting to hear back from the NCAA, whether they were going to grant me the year or not, but my parents and I got all the proper documentation,” said Kusnir. “We were just faithful that it would turn out for the best.”
As Kusnir awaited the decision this summer, he continued lifting weights and keeping in close touch with his coaches and teammates. “We would talk about it every day,” said defensive line coach Shawn Howe. Read more >>
Independent Musician Stays Ahead Of Digital Curve
On Jan. 15, 2008, a 22-year-old man with curly hair, a musical gift and a barista gig at Starbucks, quit his job and never looked back. More than four and a half years later, Ari Herstand continues to support himself as a full-time independent musician in Los Angeles.
The musician, who is best known for his innovative live looping technique (the technique live records, loops and layers multiple instruments on the spot), has built and maintained a wide and prominent online presence. Herstand has his own website, Youtube and Tumblr pages, a Facebook profile and fan page, an online store and that’s just scratching the surface. Of course, he’s on Twitter with his music available on iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, Band Camp and Amazon.
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2012 MLB Playoffs: Cincinnati Reds Q&A With Mo Egger
The Cincinnati Reds have bounced back from a sub-par 2011 campaign to win the NL Central and post the second-best record in the majors. The Reds begin their quest for a World Series title Saturday night against the NL West-winning San Francisco Giants. Mo Egger of ESPN 1530 stopped by to help us preview the series.
Aaron Fischman: From Cincinnati’s perspective, what are the primary keys to beating the Giants and advancing to the NLCS?
Mo Egger: The Reds bullpen has to be as good as it was all season. The one major advantage the Reds have is their relief pitching – as good as anyone in the game – in what’s likely to be close, low-scoring games.
The other is the offense…specifically how do the Reds, who are struggling offensively, score at AT&T? The Reds rely on the homer, but in the month of September hit only 16. AT&T Park yields the fewest per game in baseball. Can the Reds manufacture runs against a very good pair of starting pitchers?
This postseason, major league baseball is trying a new 2-3 format, where the team with the worse record hosts the first two games of the series. Although neither the Giants nor the Reds were much better at home this season, what, if any, impact could this have on the series?
Egger: I’m in the minority….I think it’s an advantage for the higher-seeded team. In this series, the Giants have the pressure of winning the first two at home, knowing that the series will never return to San Francisco. Read more >>
2012 USC Football Behind Enemy Lines
Q&A With Utah Writers
Dirk Facer, Utah Utes beat writer for the Deseret News, and Robert Jackson, online sports director for KSL.com, stopped by to help me preview the Southern California Trojans’ Thursday night meeting with the Utah Utes.
Aaron Fischman: Through Utah’s first three games, its defense was ranked 15th nationally before allowing Arizona State to score 37 points and gain 512 total yards. Specifically, what went wrong defensively in the loss to the Sun Devils and how, if at all, can the problems be mitigated or solved?
Dirk Facer: According to head coach Kyle Whittingham, the defensive breakdown was a combination of blown assignments and players not doing what they’re supposed to do. The disappointing effort in Tempe resulted in the most yards (512) and points (37) the Utes have allowed since joining the Pac-12. Two starters — defensive end Joe Kruger and free safety Eric Rowe — didn’t play against ASU and were sorely missed. Their return and a few tweaks on the depth chart should improve things dramatically.
Robert Jackson: It was surprising how quickly fan expectations went from contending for the Pac-12 South to wondering whether this team will be able to win another game after the “disaster in the desert.” Read more >>