Ronald Jones Looking to End Sophomore Slump for USC Football

Ronald Jones II hasn’t had the season many expected in 2016, but the USC running back is working to get back to top form and to become a complete back.

In 2015, the common refrain around USC was, “Why isn’t Ronald Jones getting more carries?”

So far in 2016, the oft-repeated question is now, “What happened to RoJo?”

With just 152 yards on 36 carries, the sophomore running back has not come close to living up to the hype for the runner who broke Charles White’s freshman rushing record at USC.

Theories to explain Jones’ apparent struggles this season are varied.

Is it his hands? Do the Trojans not trust him to catch the football? Does that make him one-dimensional?

Running backs coach Tommie Robinson begs to differ.

“Ronald actually has pretty good hands,” Robinson says, attributing any perceived problems with his catching ability to the lapses in technique that all young running backs experience.

Jones caught seven passes last season, including a touchdown. However, he has only been targeted four times this season with a single catch. That 25 percent catch rate is the lowest of all Trojans in 2016.

“I get in the bad habit of trying to turn up field so quickly that I’m not catching the ball. So long as I just look at it, it’s alright,” Jones explained.

So is it his pass blocking? Does USC only put him in when they’re going to run? Does that tip off the defense?

Robinson isn’t buying that either.

The coach pointed out a perfect blitz pick up he executed near the end of practice on Tuesday and insisted that Jones is perfectly capable of handling that side of the game.

“ is doing a good job in protections,” Robinson said. “Would I like to see him get better? Sure, but he’s doing a good job.”

A good enough job, at least, that Robinson rejects the idea that defenses are keying in on USC’s running game when Jones is on the field.

“We haven’t gotten to the point where they think he’s just going to run the football,” Robinson said. “When he’s in the game they defend him, run and pass.”

So is it his opportunities?

Jones averaged just over ten carries a game as a freshman. This year, he has averaged seven touches.

However, through five games in 2015, Jones had just two more carries than he currently has in 2016. Meanwhile, the Trojans have faced a far less forgiving  schedule than they did back then, when there were opportunities to feature the young back against the likes of Arkansas State and Idaho.

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Facing stout run defenses like Alabama and Stanford, openings to make an impact have been sparse. That was certainly the case against the Tide, but Jones had a productive outing against the Cardinal with 63 yards on 11 carries.

Still, Jones hasn’t been his usual self even against the more open defenses on USC’s schedule. While Justin Davis was running for more than 120 yards in each of the last two contests, Jones totaled just 35 yards, averaging 2.69 yards per carry.

Last year, Jones led the Trojans with 27 rushes of ten yards or more. He has just three in five games this year.

In fact, he’s had just just 11 rushes in 2015 of five yards or more.

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More telling, nine of Jones’ runs have been for no gain or negative yards. That’s a 25 percent mark, one that cannot fall on the running back alone.

Improved offensive line play should help that problem, as should a more favorable schedule going forward, a more dynamic offense diverting defenses’ attention to other playmakers and Jones’ continued recovery from the bruised ribs which limited him earlier in the season.

Regardless of all of that, Jones says his focus is on what he can do to play at a higher level.

“It’s just a matter of me getting going,” Jones said. “Just working harder in practice, getting myself into the best shape, reading my blocks, running my routes and making the most of my opportunity when my number is called.”