Author: Jeremy Gonzalez

In any normal home opener for the USC Trojans, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum would host a near sell-out crowd of 75,000-plus spectators that would make life very difficult for any incoming opponent. But the Trojans’ matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils in Los Angeles was no ordinary home opener, as the stadium was empty due to the LA County guidelines that prevent large gatherings of people at sporting events.  “I don’t think any of us have ever played in an empty stadium at any point of our lives,” said junior wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown ahead of the…

Cam Newton was always destined to be a great quarterback in the NFL. In his prime, Newton was considered to be arguably the most physically intimidating person to ever take a snap under center, possessing the body of a linebacker that had the ability to sling passes downfield while he could use his legs and running back speed to extend plays or scramble for big gains. Is he still that guy? The jury is still out deliberating on that. Newton believes his physicality as a runner gives him the edge against defenders. That still makes him an unstoppable force to…

The UCLA Bruins football team has leaned on the running game heavily over recent seasons, in large part because they’ve always had talented running backs that can serve as the focal point of the offense. Joshua Kelley was that lead running back for the Bruins the last two seasons. Kelley introduced himself to Pac-12 Conference rivals in his first season as the feature back while he averaged 113.0 rushing yards per game. That average ranked fourth in the conference and eighth overall over the entire NCAA. During Kelley’s final season, he split the backfield with Demetric Felton, a wide receiver…

 LOS ANGELES, CA (News4usonline) – USC running back Markese Stepp didn’t have a particularly good game running the football against the Washington State Cougars. Stepp carried the ball five times for five yards in the Trojans’ 38-13 win against the Cougars at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.  As a unit, the USC running back committee could not get anything going on the ground against Washington State, gaining 34 yards on 20 carries. It’s a good thing that USC quarterback Kedon Slovis tossed five touchdowns for the undefeated Trojans in what appeared to be a…

PASADENA, CA – The running game could be a very effective game plan that can wear down any defense if it’s executed properly. The hard-nosed running style has been a staple of the sport since its birth. The UCLA Bruins have been leaning on a strong running game led by Demetric Felton Jr. all season. Saturday night proved to be no different.  The Bruins brought back that old-school football mentality when they faced the Arizona Wildcats at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, running the ball 56 times for a total of 281 yards and one touchdown en route to a…

It’s been quite a journey for Colorado head football coach Karl Dorrell. As a coach, Dorrell, 56, has experienced the highs as well as the lows that often comes with his line of work. Being a coach is no small task. Coaching collegiate ball is next level stuff. One moment you’re being celebrated by all those associated with your football program. In an instant (in this case a bad season or two) you can become a pariah and the most hated person in town. Being shown the door with your walking papers comes with the territory. Dorrell has been there…

You win some. You lose some. The 2020 NBA Draft and subsequent free agency period have already thrown a wrench into the upcoming season about a month before it gets started. Like all the other teams coming after them to try to dethrone them as NBA champions, the  Los Angeles Lakers are trying to get better. So far, the Lakers have had some success in this regard. It actually appears that the team has had an upgrade of its roster after the business of the draft and opening period of free agency, give the team its best chance at defending the…

Los Angeles Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka began the last offseason by attempting to surround LeBron James with the right pieces to challenge for an NBA title. Now, he is faced with the task of doing it again. Just one month after the Lakers were celebrating their NBA Finals victory with confetti falling onto the court in Orlando, Pelinka has already begun deconstructing the Lakers championship roster and revamping it into one that will defend the title next summer.  The overhaul of the Lakers roster began on Wednesday night during the 2020 NBA Draft,…

It was almost exactly one year ago that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had suited up for the Alabama Crimson Tide as he ran onto the field, leading the fifth-best team in the country into a conference matchup against Mississippi State.  Alabama was up 35-7 over the Bulldogs with about three minutes remaining before halftime. Tagovailoa went out for his final series of the game to practice the two-minute drill. On a third-down play during that drive, Tagovailoa had rolled to his left, trying to extend the play with his legs before throwing the ball out of bounds. He was brought down…

The UCLA men’s basketball team is primed to be one of the top programs in the country once again in 2020, being picked to win the Pac-12 Conference in the preseason media poll and being named as a Top 25 team nationally. And at the heart of the Bruins team is senior Chris Smith, a 6-foot-9 Chicago native who was named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award watch list by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “Since I’ve been here, he’s been unbelievably coachable, which is why his rate of improvement has accelerated,” said head…

Preparing for the 2020 U.S. presidential election looked different than in the past. Yes, some steps in the process remained the same. Voters had to be registered and were encouraged to participate; campaign messages were shared; equipment and procedures had to be prepared for processing ballots.  But the traumas of COVID-19, the economic effects of responding to the virus and the systemic racism that has been brought to the national spotlight by protests in response to anti-Black violence have led to an expansion of vote by mail along with record numbers of voters. The 2020 election between Donald Trump and…

LOS ANGELES – Saturday’s wild Pac-12 Conference season opener between USC Trojans and the visiting Arizona State Sun Devils produced a dramatic finish as the Trojans came from behind for a 28-27 win after trailing by 13 points in the fourth quarter. The game looked to be out of reach for USC when the Sun Devils forced a fumble as the Trojans were approaching the red zone.  The Sun Devils recovered the ball at their own 23-yard line. But USC did what it does best; they fought on.  “I thought it was great mastery of situational football,” USC head coach…

The Long Beach State basketball program received news that their seasons would begin in December and are preparing for a coronavirus-shortened season.  Long Beach State athletic director Andy Fee announced in October that both men’s and women’s teams could begin outdoor practice to regain basketball fitness ahead of the 2020-21 season, which is rumored to be reduced to 20 Big West conference games.  Despite the nationwide pandemic, both teams have been busy making roster moves to gear up for the new season. Here is a breakdown of the men’s and women’s teams:  Men’s Basketball Head coach Dan Monson, the winningest…

The Los Angeles Chargers travel to Colorado to face the Denver Broncos in their upcoming Week 8 matchup, going up against a familiar face that donned the Chargers uniform for the first five years of his career. Running back Melvin Gordon, once a key contributor for the Chargers will now be running against his former team as a Bronco.  Both the Chargers and Broncos have identical 2-4 records entering this AFC West Division matchup. “I’m ready to win a game, not because it’s the Chargers, but because that’s the next team on our schedule,” Gordon said in a virtual media…