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Wednesday practice report: Isaiah Pola-Mao growing from 'humbling' lessons

Redshirt sophomore safety Isaiah Pola-Mao details the learning experiences from his 2019 season.
Redshirt sophomore safety Isaiah Pola-Mao details the learning experiences from his 2019 season. (Nick Lucero/Rivals)

The commentary around safety Isaiah Pola-Mao's season for a while was focused on his tackling -- and not in a good way. Whether it was a missed tackle or the redshirt sophomore being dragged for extra yards while trying to wrap up a ball carrier too high, it had become weekly fodder for fans and media.

Pola-Mao didn't need to hear it from those factions, though -- he was getting it internally too.

"Yeah, I was definitely hearing it from both the media and my coaches. They challenged me to get my tackling right and just focus on the technique and just doing my job, but I took that to heart and accepted the challenge," he said Wednesday after practice.

The advanced metrics reinforce that he has indeed made significant adjustments.

As per the PFF College analysts, Pola-Mao's isolated tackling grades have gone from pedestrian or below average to above average over the second half of this season. In five of the last six games, he's graded out at 79.8 or higher (and 83.1 or higher in four of those weeks) -- after being sub-70.0 in the first four games and as low as 46.3 vs. BYU.

After being charged with 5 missed tackles by the PFF analysts through those first four games -- fans might have tallied an even larger number -- he's had just 1 over the last six games. And his 90.4 overall game grade in the 31-26 win at Arizona State was among the better marks received by any Trojan all season.

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"I was thinking too much. At the end of the day it's football. I've been doing this, I've made a living out of this, so I just got back to the basics and I'm working on my technique, working on my footwork," Pola-Mao explained of the change.

"Working on my angles really, coming inside out on a running back. I struggled with that in high school too, but these coaches have been working with me and I've been getting better."

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