USC football’s Wednesday practice ahead of the Stanford game put the focus on third downs and the importance of each possession.
“Every possession is going to count,” head coach Clay Helton said after the Trojans’ outing in shorts and shells on Howard Jones Field.
Third downs are always an important factor on both sides of the ball, but Helton drew special attention in light of Stanford’s tempo. The Cardinal can take possessions away by killing the clock, reducing teams to between 60 to 75 plays when they can normally count on getting 80 plays on the board.