Letters to Sports: USC’s defense makes a stand at last

Did Lincoln Riley and D’Anton Lynn both say “Beetlejuice” together three times and this summoned the Pete Carroll ghost and a defense? Let us hope this ghost stays around for the season and wreaks havoc.

Brad Clevinger
Tehachapi

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Amazing what a difference a competent defensive coordinator and a few extra pounds on the defensive line make. No one has ever questioned Lincoln Riley’s offensive prowess, his tutelage of three Heisman Trophy winners is testament to that fact. However, Riley’s inability to field even a competitive defense has been his Achilles’ heel. The Michigan and Penn State games will prove whether this Trojans squad is a playoff contender, or the Louisiana State win was just a mirage in the Las Vegas desert.

Mark S. Roth
Playa Vista

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Based on the reporting by Dylan Hernández and Ryan Kartje, it looks like I missed a very good USC victory over LSU. I have DirecTV!

Vaughn Hardenberg
Westwood

UCLA looked absolutely pathetic against Hawaii. I doubt if they will win one Big Ten game. It was fitting that the game was played at a high school stadium.

Joe Novak
La Crescenta

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Apparently DeShaun Foster is worse at coaching football than at public speaking.

Barry Saunders
Monrovia

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Ben Bolch’s relating of coach Foster’s question of “I just wanted to go for it” regarding the punt on the first drive against Hawaii begs the question: Who’s in charge? Is Eric Bieniemy making all the game management decisions, with the authority to overrule the head coach? And, whoever made that decision, why did they make it?

Quarterback Ethan Garbers has shown, as he did in the second half, that he should be fine. The more serious concerns are the new coaching staff’s game management, and an offensive line that may be overwhelmed by Big Ten defensive fronts. Could be a very long season.

Jim Stryker
Laguna Hills

Harry Frazee, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees 104 years ago. In the “Curse of the Bambino,” the Red Sox went 86 years between winning the World Series.

Last year Arte Moreno, owner of the Angels, did not even attempt to match an offer to re-sign Shohei Ohtani, probably the greatest player of our time. With the Angels’ only World Series victory in 2002, the question is will there be a “Curse of the Shohei,” and can we expect 2088 to be the next time Anaheim will win a World Series?

Rich Fond
Sherman Oaks

Bill Plaschke, really? Maybe, just maybe, Aaron Donald retired in time, before CTE sets in. Football fans love to put money on the game. So, who wants to bet against CTE ravaging this athlete’s mind? What, no takers?

Robb Patton
Indian Wells

Sam Farmer is an experienced football writer, so I’m not sure if he’s being provocative, delusional or just a homer, but including the Rams as one of seven teams — along with Kansas City, Philadelphia , Detroit, etc.— that could win the Super Bowl is absurd. Aaron Donald retired, Matthew Stafford a year older and nursing a hamstring, best linebacker traded, two receivers already banged up. Or maybe he’s just filling in for Bill Plaschke this week.

John Merryman
Redondo Beach

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Sam Farmer picking the Rams as having the seventh-best chance of winning the Super Bowl, over several superior teams like the Green Bay Packers, is such a “homer” pick, even Homer Simpson would be embarrassed.

Mario Valvo
Ventura

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