[washingtonismoney]

It took me a while, but I found that analysis I did in 2015: https://thecardboard.org/board/showthrea...#pid132745

Basically, while Sark was coach, USC performed 2.3 net yards per play better than average, while Helton's were nearly  exactly average. I think that jibes with him being a replacement level coach. It would be interesting, of course, to extend that to looking at the other non-Darnold games, but I'm not sure I have time for that today.

Re-reading that thread reminds me of one other bit of information to chew on: Helton's coaching hires. At the time, SC's defensive coordinator was Justin Wilcox; by the time Helton was hired it was widely rumored that he was going to clear house. After a disastrous Pac-12 champ game, Wilcox was one of the scapegoats -- there was an apocryphal story floating around that, after McCaffrey galloped through the SC defense, someone asked "Who was supposed to cover him?" to which Wilcox responded, "I don't know." 

Fast forward a couple years. The defense has hardly been rubble under Helton's replacement DC, Clancy Pendergast, but SC fans aren't exactly thrilled with him, and I don't blame them. Given SC's recruiting you probably expect elite defenses down in LA. Anyway, after being fired, Wilcox immediately surfaced at Wisconsin, where he piloted an absolutely dominant defense. And then as we know he became Head 59er, where he's done a creditable job. I wouldn't be incredibly critical of Helton for the move, since Pendergast hasn't been a disaster, but I would argue it's part of a trend: Helton has a bunch of decisions that, individually, are defensible and less than ideal. Add up enough defensible-but-less-than-ideal decisions and you get a genial, but mediocre, coach.

[washingtonismoney]

It took me a while, but I found that analysis I did in 2015: https://thecardboard.org/board/showthrea...#pid132745

Basically, while Sark was coach, USC performed 2.3 net yards per play better than average, while Helton's were nearly  exactly average. I think that jibes with him being a replacement level coach. It would be interesting, of course, to extend that to looking at the other non-Darnold games, but I'm not sure I have time for that today.

Re-reading that thread reminds me of one other bit of information to chew on: Helton's coaching hires. At the time, SC's defensive coordinator was Justin Wilcox; by the time Helton was hired it was widely rumored that he was going to clear house. After a disastrous Pac-12 champ game, Wilcox was one of the scapegoats -- there was an apocryphal story floating around that, after McCaffrey galloped through the SC defense, someone asked "Who was supposed to cover him?" to which Wilcox responded, "I don't know." 

Fast forward a couple years. The defense has hardly been rubble under Helton's replacement DC, Clancy Pendergast, but SC fans aren't exactly thrilled with him, and I don't blame them. Given SC's recruiting you probably expect elite defenses down in LA. Anyway, after being fired, Wilcox immediately surfaced at Wisconsin, where he piloted an absolutely dominant defense. And then as we know he became Head 59er, where he's done a creditable job. I wouldn't be incredibly critical of Helton for the move, since Pendergast hasn't been a disaster, but I would argue it's part of a trend: Helton has a bunch of decisions that, individually, are defensible and less than ideal. Add up enough defensible-but-less-than-ideal decisions and you get a genial, but mediocre, coach.