Practice Report: Alex Grinch Ready To See USC Football’s Defense In Action Against Rice

By: Keely Eure, Director of Creative Content and Team Reporter

Football | August 31, 2022

There are some things you just can’t recreate on a practice field: live tackling and responding to adversity. USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is anxious to see both on Saturday (Sept. 3) during the Trojans’ debut against Rice. 

“The one thing that you’re promised on Saturday is adversity,” Grinch said Wednesday. “You don’t know when it’s going to come, but ultimately you’re in control of how you respond to it. That’s something we haven’t been in. We haven’t been in that fight together.”

USC’s coaching staff has stressed how physicality will be present during the team’s regular season practices. Grinch has previously described the team’s Tuesday and Wednesday practices as “the first two games” of the week before Saturday. But now that the most physically demanding practices for the Trojans are finished, what’s left for the rest of game week?

“Now the mental [component] goes through the roof,” Grinch explained. “If we can’t stress you physically, we’re going to stress you mentally. So we don’t take any days off. We got a lot more to accomplish this week.”

Notes from USC’s Wednesday practice of Rice Week:

• Earlier in the preseason, Grinch expressed concern about the development at USC’s rush end position. He shared an update Wednesday:

  
  

  • “I think for the most part that guys have gotten healthy, gotten some reps. It’s trial by fire. There’s a reason you have practice, right? And if you’re not involved in it, it’s really hard to get better when you’re not on the grass. But all credit goes to coach Manning. He’s great at what he does in terms of getting those guys up to speed mentally and…