USC's Helton defends OC Martin as unit's woes mount
Despite struggling offensively for much of the season, USC head coach Clay Helton affirmed Sunday his confidence in offensive coordinator Tee Martin, a growing target of criticism.
"As far as the play calling goes, I don't have an issue with it," Helton told reporters, according to Zach Halfand of the Los Angeles Times.
"I have a lot of faith in Tee and the job he does on a weekly basis," he added moments later, per Joey Kaufman of the Orange County Register.
The Trojans grinded out four victories to start the campaign, but the offense's inconsistencies finally caught up to them Friday in a 30-27 loss at Washington State.
When asked about offensive struggles, Clay Helton says you can panic after a loss or believe in the men around you. Will do latter, he says.
— Reign of Troy (@ReignofTroy) October 2, 2017
Prized quarterback Sam Darnold looked lost against the Cougars, completing just 52 percent of his passes for 164 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown, and recorded his eighth interception of the season. He had only nine picks all of last year.
"I'm not going to get overly concerned or try to scrap everything after a 30-27 loss on the road," said Helton, as relayed by Kaufman.
The second-year coach noted USC still controls its own destiny in the Pac-12. The Trojans dropped to No. 14 in the AP Poll after owning the No. 5 position last week.