Lane Kiffin has decided to play two quarterbacks in the season opener at Hawaii on Thursday night and has yet to determine whether Max Wittek or Cody Kessler will start the game.
USC hasnāt entered a season in recent memory without a clear-cut starting quarterback, but Kiffin explained on Saturday how and why the decision to play two quarterbacks was reached.
Kiffin started his media session by saying, āAfter a lot of research, a lot of thought and communication from our entire offensive staff, really breaking down all of spring and all of fall, weāve made a decision that we anticipate playing both guys in the opening game.ā
He added, āFor us we look at it as a great thing. We donāt feel like we have to limit our offense with either one of them in there.ā
Without a clear-cut starter, one has to wonder if Kiffin is compromising the teamās ability to rally around one leader, but Kiffin hopes one of the quarterbacks separates himself during the early part of the season.
Kiffin said, āIdeally, weāre going to get to that. Ideally, weāre not going to continue to do this all year. But at the same time, it canāt just be because weāve had a way of doing things before. Theyāve both done so well on so many plays and communicated so well in the huddle that it didnāt show himself that one guy was above the other guy.
We do it all the time at other positions and said weāre not going to be stubborn because weāre supposed to or because thatās what weāve done for a hundred years. We got to do with all of our decisions what is best for our time.ā
The first four games for the Trojans are at Hawaii, Washington State, Boston College, and Utah State.
Kiffin said, āNow, we get to see it in a game setting. Weāre in college. We donāt get real preseason games. Our quarterbacks havenāt been live.
They havenāt played a whole lot for us obviously, so weāll get a chance to potentially see that.ā
On the
official depth chart released by USC on Saturday night, the quarterback situation was listed as āWittek OR Kessler .ā
Several positions were listed likewise.
ā
That depth chart doesnāt mean anything,ā said Kiffin. āItās only because Tim (sport information director) makes me do it.
I put about five-seconds thought to it. Weāre still competing every day out here with our guys, whichever ones are still left healthy, and so that doesnāt mean anything.ā
As much attention as the quarterback situation has received, the coaching staff has a bigger concern.
When asked to identify the number of players that will travel to Hawaii, Kiffin said, āI donāt know that yet. Weāre running out of them.
Unfortunately, we were supposed to be getting healthy, but there were 19 that did not practice at all today, so I donāt know.ā
