Georgia Southern head coach Clay Helton told reporters Monday that he planned to take his team into the Coliseum on Friday, the day before a 4:30 p.m. kickoff against USC (1-0).
Helton is familiar with the venue’s storied history and aura on an intimate level, having filled multiple USC coaching roles for over a decade. He compiled a 45-23 record as head coach before being fired in 2021.
“You see the peristyle and you need to get that feel and that shock and awe out,” Helton said. “I remember being a position coach, then a coordinator, then a head coach and watching teams walk down that tunnel, and you just see their mouth drop the first time that they see it. You had a leg up on them right from the get-go.”
It’s the first matchup between the teams and only Georgia Southern second game in the state of California after a 42-14 loss at Fresno State last weekend. The Eagles (0-1) are in the midst of a nine-day West Coast road trip and stayed in Oxnard in between the two games, practicing at River Ridge Playing Fields, the training-camp home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Helton said he strategically chose Oxnard because it’s a similar-sized town to Statesboro and it gives players the opportunity to see the ocean and, of course, grab some In-N-Out before the 10 p.m. curfew.
Some Georgia Southern players had never even been on a plane before, the coach added.
Giving the team a memorable experience has taken precedence, but Helton is looking forward to his own return as well.
“It’s going to be special for me,” he said. “There’s 12 years of relationships. I have so much gratitude for having been a Trojan for a decade-plus and the way the Trojan family was to me and my family and took care of us, obviously a lot of relationships when you’re at a place for over a decade. People that I look forward to hugging their necks on Friday night.”
Current USC head coach Lincoln Riley and Helton began to cross paths on the recruiting trail when Riley was at Oklahoma and Helton at USC. They still see each other at least once a year at the Dick Tomey Legacy Fund Pebble Beach Coaches Classic – a golf tournament that attracts college football coaches from across the country.
“They are phenomenal people,” Riley told reporters of Helton and his wife. “That upholds the reputation that I’ve always heard about him. Those have been conversations I’ve appreciated. Talking ball, talking a lot of common people that we know or worked with. Talking USC, and he’s been great. He’s incredibly complimentary of this place.”
When Georgia Southern has the ball
Helton cited first-down efficiency as one of the biggest shortcomings in the season-opening loss to Fresno State. The Eagles struggled in nearly every offensive aspect of the game – they achieved only 13 first downs and collected only 84 rushing yards.
Quarterback JC French IV completed 17 of 28 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, and the offensive line kept him from getting sacked. He spread the ball around, passing to six teammates, and four of them recorded 20 yards or more.
“We’re going to have to scheme them up,” French told reporters Monday. “Really do our thing, not try to be too much. Not try to be Superman or anything. Just get the ball to the playmakers in space and let them work.”
USC’s defense throttled Missouri State and gave up only 224 yards of total offense. Freshman defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart is expected to make his college football debut Saturday and the Trojans are also optimistic about cornerback Chasen Johnson’s return, meaning the defense is getting another boost in talent while it continues to jell.
“Communication is something that you could always find examples of that need to improve,” USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said. “And we put a big emphasis on, make them earn everything down the field. We know offenses are going to make big plays, but make them earn it. Don’t give them anything.”
When USC has the ball
Running back Bryan Jackson is expected to miss the Georgia Southern game due to an undisclosed injury, but the Trojans have plenty more rushers to choose from. Waymond Jordan, Eli Sanders and walk-on King Miller each scored against Missouri State and backup quarterback Husan Longstreet ran for 59 yards and two touchdowns.
“The explosive runs stood out,” Riley told reporters Tuesday. “We had some great second efforts by receivers on some of those plays, which was really cool.”
Riley added that he’d like to see play from the offensive line get cleaned up after multiple missed assignments during the Missouri State game.
The line was one of the more questionable position groups heading into the season opener, with an unsettled lineup for most of fall camp. Still, it allowed quarterback Jayden Maiava to have an efficient game, going 15-for-18 passing with 295 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions.
GEORGIA SOUTHERN (0-1) at USC (1-0)
When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
TV/Radio: FS1/710 FM
