LOS ANGELES >> Of the 159 rushing yards Ronald Jones amassed in USC’s season-opening victory over Western Michigan, 122 came after contact.
Deland McCullough, the Trojans’ running backs coach, took notice.
“It ain’t always the flash and long runs,” McCullough said. “It’s the dirty work of lowering your shoulder, running through trash, breaking arm tackles and sending a physical message to your opponent.”
Jones, a junior, showed a knack for long runs in his first two seasons at USC, often relying on his breakaway speed to cut outside and glide down the sidelines.
But since training camp, USC’s coaches have remarked on how Jones has made strides toward developing into a hard-nosed runner, better able to run between the tackles and fend off defenders, a product of adding 10 pounds in the offseason.