Why USC Head Football Coach Lane Kiffin Needs to Improve of Be Cut Loose

So much has been written about USC’s dismal offensive performance in the second half of the Minnesota game but very little about Lane Kiffin’s game management and in-game strategies. If Kiffin does not improve his game coaching, it may well lead to his firing after the season.

Pat Haden is no ordinary Athletic Director. He was a QB on the 1972 National Championship team and the QB of the 1974 National Championship team where he led his USC team to a now famous second half comeback victory over Notre Dame and a Rose Bowl victory over an excellent Ohio State team.

Haden learned his craft from the legendary John McKay, with whom he lived his senior year in high school. If Kiffin’s in-game mistakes are obvious to me, then they must be obvious to Pat Haden.

Extra Points

Strategically missing the two-point conversation after a TD on the first possession only gave Minnesota hope. An early TD can discourage a lesser team and missing the two-point conversion only encouraged Minnesota’s defense.

When the Trojans missed the second two-point conversion, it just charged up Minnesota’s defense even more. Converting on the extra point kick would have continued the frustration and demoralized a young Minnesota team. But instead, it re-energized Minnesota’s defense.

The Minnesota offense took the kick off and marched down the field and kicked a field goal. It was Minnesota three and USC zero on the strategy exchange.

With 23 seconds remaining in the first Quarter, USC punted from the 35 and the ball was spotted on Minnesota’s three yard line. Minnesota was forced to kick from their own end zone and the Trojans scored a TD on the next possession.

Finally, they kicked the extra point.

Coaches now rely upon a numerical card that tells them when to go for two. Historically, two-point conversions are more successful at the end of games or overtime when defenses are tired and the offense has a better sense of what plays work.

It makes no strategical sense to go for a two-point conversion until needed to catch up late in the fourth quarter or to win the game. Once you miss the first two-point attempt, the team is locked into a "make-up" mentality and starts going for two after the next touchdowns to make up for the lost point.

Failure to Attempt a Field Goal

Leading 19 to three, the Trojans had an opportunity to extend their lead and instead of trying a field goal, Kiffin elected to go for it on fourth down inside the 10 yard line.

In stead of taking the points, he chose to go for it and failed. If the Trojans had kicked the field goal it would have been 15 to three or 17 to zero.

Certainly a 17 to zero lead will deflate a team much quicker than a 12 to zero lead and a missed field goal. This failed strategy kept Minnesota in the game and fired them up. The Trojans did score on the next possession but who is to say they would not have scored anyway.

Kiffin needs to learn that it is important to put points on the board when you have the opportunity.Worse yet, the Trojans have a new field goal kicker and Kiffin needed to see whether his new kicker, and special teams, could effectively execute a field goal.

Waiting until the final seconds of a game to find out if you have a talented field goal kicker is not a good decision. Now the Trojans go into an important second game of the season against Utah not knowing whether they have a field goal kicker or a second teams unit that can execute the field goal.

Failed Fourth Down Turnover

Much has been said about the bad snap that changed the momentum on the Trojan’s first possession of the second half. Going for it early in the third quarter on fourth and long at the 35 yard line was a terrible strategical error. If Kiffin did not have faith in his field goal kicker (a 52 yarder), then he should have punted and played defense as he did at the end of the first quarter. Perhaps if Kiffin had kicked the field goal when he should have, he would have had more faith in his kicker in the second half.

Every Pop Warner and high school coach would have tried to punt the ball inside the 20 yard line.

But not Kiffin.

If Kiffin would have punted, Minnesota would have taken possession deep in their own territory and not at the Trojan 30 yard line, where they scored almost immediately after the turnover.

So, instead of leading 24 to three or 22 to three with Minnesota pinned back in their own territory, the Trojans were up only 19-10 against a newly inspired Minnesota team.

Minnesota fed off the turnover and the subsequent score and it fueled a great effort on their part in the second half. The Trojans lost momentum and struggled for the rest of the game while Minnesota got stronger with every possession.

Give Minnesota the credit. They seized the opportunity.

Poorly Planned Running Game

While Kiffin and others blame the poor running game on a new offensive line, the real problem is an unimaginative use of formations and situational decisions that tip Trojan running plays to the defense. If I can look at the formation and guess where the Trojans are going to run 99 percent of the time, how easy must it be for a seasoned defensive coordinator to see the obvious?

Sadly, the Trojans run the same plays over and over on predictable downs.  An unimaginative game plan from a supposedly imaginative coach.

Kiffin, despite his offensive credentials, runs a vanilla offense with no trick plays, no deceptive motion, reverses, end-around’s or any other play that would keep defenses honest.

I see teams all over the country with freshman and first year starters execute trick plays and misdirection plays. Why can’t this Trojan team do the same? Many of these players performed in more wide open offenses in high school that the one at USC.

It seems at times that Kiffin just calls his best or favorite play rather than looking for ways to attack a defense. It also seems that he makes no second half or in game adjustments.

Kiffin needs to call his plays based upon field position, the way the opposition’s offense is playing and learn to punt the ball deep into the opposition’s territory and make them play offense. There is more than one way to win a football game and Kiffin needs to master more of these or he will be out of a job soon.

Trojan fans hope it happens soon.