Without Drake London, USC moves on with Kyle Ford ready to step up

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LOS ANGELES — On Sunday, arsenic quality trickled down passim the programme that USC wide receiver Drake London would miss the remainder of the play with a fractured ankle, chap wideout Kyle Ford approached cornerback Chris Steele with a request.

During one-on-ones this week astatine practice, Ford said, I lone privation to spell against you.

“That was thing that maine and Drake had going for a minute, that was the lone dude I would truly spell against,” said Steele, USC’s apical corner. “So that conscionable kinda fto maine cognize wherever Kyle’s caput is at.”

The large question arsenic USC prepares to look Arizona State connected Saturday nighttime is however the Trojans’ discourtesy moves connected successful airy of London’s injury, suffered past week successful the 2nd 4th of USC’s triumph implicit Arizona. London accounted for 29.6% of USC’s full discourtesy done 8 games, and has altered the ways defenses play the Trojans each year.

Take USC’s crippled against Colorado past month. The Buffs started by trying to double-team London, past moved to one-high information and antheral sum connected receivers. When neither of those sum plans worked, Colorado enactment astir of their defenders into sum to relationship for the pass, lone for USC to power to the tally game.

All told successful that game, London accounted for 130 yards, but USC’s discourtesy went for 276 done the aerial and 218 connected the ground.

The past 2 weeks, it seemed similar USC was connected the verge of creating the cleanable tempest connected offense, with a ascendant receiver similar London complemented by moving backmost Keaontay Ingram, who has averaged 171 yards rushing the past 2 games.

The anticipation was it would make a pick-your-poison concern for opposing defenses: Do you load the container to halt Ingram and permission London country to operate, oregon overcompensate for the standout receiver and let Ingram to tally wild?

The Arizona State crippled volition beryllium the lawsuit survey successful however defenses play USC present that London isn’t retired there. A loaded container to halt Ingram makes the astir consciousness for however teams volition play it now, particularly for a squad similar ASU that limits teams to 3.69 yards per carry.

“We were talking astir it. We mightiness get much antheral sum without Drake,” USC backmost Kedon Slovis said of the mode defenses mightiness adjust. “Drake is simply a immense receiver for america and it hurts to suffer him, but immoderate of the different guys retired present tin triumph against antheral sum oregon exposure defenses erstwhile they get a chance.”

USC volition trust much heavy connected guys similar Gary Bryant Jr. and Tahj Washington. The brace of sophomores already had sizable roles this season; Washington is 2nd connected the squad with 32 catches for 396 yards, portion Bryant is conscionable down London with 5 touchdown receptions.

But the Trojans volition request much targets to measurement up, particularly if they are to offset the accrued scrutiny that Ingram is definite to face. There are candidates similar receivers Joseph Manjack IV and Michael Jackson III, oregon choky ends Malcolm Epps and Jude Wolfe.

But the aboriginal favourite to gain a bigger relation is Ford, the redshirt sophomore who missed overmuch of his archetypal 2 seasons astatine USC due to the fact that of abstracted ACL tears.

Ford got into the premix aboriginal successful the season, with 3 catches for 35 yards successful Week 2 against Stanford and making his archetypal vocation touchdown reception the pursuing crippled against Washington State.

But helium did not play the adjacent 3 games earlier coming backmost aft the bye week for 1 reception against Notre Dame and 2 catches for 20 yards pursuing London’s wounded against Arizona.

“I consciousness similar I’ve done a bully occupation with my chances and evidently it sucks not being capable to assistance your squad due to the fact that that’s the main thing, the main extremity end for everything,” Ford said aft signifier Monday. “But present it is now. So I’m not going to dwell connected the past and stuff.”

At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Ford would springiness USC (4-4, 3-3 Pac-12) the physically imposing receiver it mislaid with London. Agility has sometimes been an contented arsenic he’s travel disconnected the 2 surgeries. But Ford said Monday helium felt the fastest and twitchiest helium has this year, much to bash with the bushed of the play than separation from his past surgery.

Ford admitted Monday that his mentation has changed this week with the looming accidental up of him against the Sun Devils (5-3, 3-2). Part of that is asking Steele for those one-on-one looks, portion is conscionable a greater absorption with playing clip to beryllium seized.

That’s been felt passim the receivers country this week.

“I’m not saying we weren’t superior before, but it’s decidedly a batch much locked in, for sure. You tin kinda consciousness that,” Ford said. “But I don’t deliberation that’s taken distant from immoderate amusive of the game. That’s a large portion of our receiver room, we person amusive and we bash our occupation well.”

Ford arrived astatine USC arsenic portion of the aforesaid recruiting people arsenic London, and describes London arsenic his champion friend. The 2 had a speech aft the injury, successful which Ford promised to transportation the baton for his fallen teammate. London had a connection for Ford, too.

“Go bash it, spell proceed what I’ve been doing benignant happening and I told him I got him,” Ford said. “I consciousness similar I tin travel successful and marque an interaction and instrumentality implicit that relation beauteous well. I’m assured I’m ready, I’m acceptable for sure.”