LOS ANGELES — USC had just lost to Utah in the final seconds and limped back to Los Angeles with a 1-3 record, its season in shambles.
It was late September and, with criticism coming from everywhere including from former players like tailback LenDale White, the team held a players-only meeting to seek some answers.
“It was really about our intensity on the field,” safety Chris Hawkins said. “Everybody wasn’t giving 100 percent.”
It might be hard to fathom not giving a full effort against teams like Alabama, Stanford and Utah, but USC’s morale was at its low point as September concluded.