Here are my top five takeaways from USC's 27-24 win at Colorado.
1. Two steps forward, one step back
Even the most optimistic fans might have had a hard time believing that, coming out of the Notre Dame game, the 3-3 Trojans would win their next four games. Now that they have, it’s hard not to feel great about their turnaround. It’s just that when you put those four games in a vacuum, there’s been somewhat of a concerning trend. After Utah, this was the soft spot in the Trojans’ conference slate, and yet they’ve had a increasingly tougher time with increasingly weaker opponents. (Cal and Arizona might be a wash, but they certainly fall between Utah and Colorado in the Pac-12 pecking order, despite the Wildcats’ win this past weekend over the Utes.) That’s not a good sign heading into consecutive games against a perennial power that just knocked off the top team in the conference and a team that has had USC’s number the past three seasons. One of the staples of the Steve Sarkisian era was the Trojans rebounding from every loss the very next game. You wonder if they’ll approach this Oregon game with a similar mindset after they break down film from their performance vs. Colorado. They’ll definitely need to bounce back in several facets of the game if they’re going to pull off the upset in Eugene.
2. Pass or fail
All signs pointed to USC being able to run the ball all over Colorado. Under Clay Helton, the Trojans have progressively grown into a running team. (Their 229 rushing yards last week vs. Arizona were a season-best against a Pac-12 opponent.) Moreover, the Buffaloes had one of the nation’s worst run defenses. Strangely, USC proceeded to have one of its lightest nights on the ground as it gained just 129 yards. That happens sometimes when a team sells out to stop the run, as Colorado did. But it should open the door for big production in the passing game. Yet USC was quiet in that regard as well, collecting just 204 yards. Its 333 yards of total offense were a season low. Its six points in the first half matched the Washington game from five weeks ago for the program’s lowest scoring output at halftime since 2010 (Notre Dame).
USC moved the ball well on its opening drive before settling for a field goal. It then punted on three of its next four possessions — that other possession ended in an interception. The Trojans eventually found the end zone on three consecutive drives, only two of those were heavily aided by turnovers. The offense went three-and-out four times and had two other four-play drives. Maybe it was just an off night. That seemed to be the case for the offensive line, which ultimately sets the tone for everything else. But it seems like the offense has gotten a bit predictable in how and when it’s running and throwing the ball. The Buffaloes appeared way too comfortable loading the box and making Cody Kessler beat them. It’s been great to see USC embrace a more physical, run-first approach of late. But they also have to be able to move the chains through the air in order to keep defenses honest. It’s been quite a while since USC has played a complete game on offense. In fact, it hasn’t happened the entire season against a conference opponent. Beating Oregon probably necessitates as much.
3. Not-so-special teams
In just about every way, USC struggled on special teams vs. Colorado. This is nothing new for the Trojans, which makes the issues at hand even more frustrating. They don’t punt well, they don’t cover punts well. (They essentially gift-wrapped the Buffaloes a TD in the fourth quarter thanks to that combination.) Kickoffs and kickoff coverage has been subpar. Placekicking has been an issue (although it wasn’t this past weekend). Neither return unit is strong either. What strikes me about all of this is how few changes have been made in terms of personnel. Several players are struggling at key positions on special teams and yet the same cast of characters are taking the field each week. I should point out, USC has inserted Justin Davis into the kick return mix and that’s been a success. But where’s the competition elsewhere? USC has multiple options at kicker and punter. I can’t say exactly where its issues involving the coverage units originate from, but I have a feeling it has to do with scheme more than personnel. Whatever the case, it would be nice to see some accountability.
4. Overturned
The defense as a whole deserves as much credit as anything for USC’s turnaround. I’m probably in the minority here, but I’ve long felt as though the defense has generally played well in most games under DC Justin Wilcox, albeit while suffering the occasional fourth-quarter letdown after the offense kept putting it in a bad spot. (Think Clayton Kershaw in the postseason.) Even if you don’t agree with this position, USC is in the midst of its first four-game winning streak in two years because its defense is leading the way. More specifically, it’s taking it away. The Trojans were trailing vs. Utah, Arizona and Colorado when they forced a turnover that led to a touchdown. They forced additional turnovers vs. Utah to ignite a blowout and blocked a kick vs. Colorado to set up another touchdown. Against Cal, Adoree’ Jackson returned a third-quarter interception for a touchdown to give USC a 17-point lead that proved to be the difference in its six-point win.
This is a notable development in the aftermath of Sarkisian's tenure, which included just four “comeback” wins in 18 games. Three of them involved being down by a field goal. The other was the Holiday Bowl vs. Nebraska, where USC trailed by seven points early in the second quarter. USC has trailed by at least that much in each of the past four games. The 11-point deficit that it rallied from against Colorado this past Friday was the program’s largest comeback after halftime since 2005 (Arizona State). The Trojans have now rallied from first half, 14-point deficits in consecutive games. Previously, they hadn’t come back from that much since 2012 (Utah). So where is this coming from exactly? Some of USC’s evolving opportunism seems to be mental, as defensive lineman Delvon Simmons intimated when asked about his forced fumble vs. the Buffaloes: “Before that, I was just thinking we got to make something big happen because we’re down and we need a momentum swing.” Creating turnovers can become contagious for a defense, and I believe we’re seeing a bit of that with the Trojans. When they fall behind, they’re not panicking, they’re punching.
5. Quiet storm
It took nearly three full seasons, 29 games to be exact, for Davis to walk off the field as USC’s leading rusher in a game. This was hardly a breakout performance for him or the most yards he’s ever gained — he ran for the exact same total (85) just last week — but this was probably his most important game in cardinal and gold. It was a night in which Colorado had an answer for just about every run that involved Ronald Jones II. The freshman phenom came into the game averaging a tick under eight yards a carry, yet only three of his 19 attempts topped five yards. Instead it was Davis who was the lone consistent force on offense and probably deserving of more carries. He averaged 6.1 yards per run over his 14 carries yet only ran the ball two times in both the second and fourth quarters. He also had three receptions, tying for the team lead, and a 27-yard kickoff return. He closed out the night with a 13-yard run on third-and-8 that allowed USC, clinging to its three-point lead, to run out the clock.
It sometimes feels like Davis is destined to leave USC unappreciated. He’s the kid that showed great promise as a true freshman but was overshadowed by Tre Madden. Then he saw his season cut short by injury, which opened the door for Buck Allen. Davis, of course, was in Allen’s shadow last year and has spent the better part of this season playing second fiddle to Jones and/or Madden. I would expect Davis, a junior, to return next season, but his situation might not change much alongside Jones and Aca’Cedric Ware, whose role figures to expand. Just don’t forget that it’s Davis who currently serves as the team’s most all-around back and has given USC 5.2 yards a pop over three seasons. Something tells me USC will need his understated contribution to prevail in another close game before he’s gone.
1. Two steps forward, one step back
Even the most optimistic fans might have had a hard time believing that, coming out of the Notre Dame game, the 3-3 Trojans would win their next four games. Now that they have, it’s hard not to feel great about their turnaround. It’s just that when you put those four games in a vacuum, there’s been somewhat of a concerning trend. After Utah, this was the soft spot in the Trojans’ conference slate, and yet they’ve had a increasingly tougher time with increasingly weaker opponents. (Cal and Arizona might be a wash, but they certainly fall between Utah and Colorado in the Pac-12 pecking order, despite the Wildcats’ win this past weekend over the Utes.) That’s not a good sign heading into consecutive games against a perennial power that just knocked off the top team in the conference and a team that has had USC’s number the past three seasons. One of the staples of the Steve Sarkisian era was the Trojans rebounding from every loss the very next game. You wonder if they’ll approach this Oregon game with a similar mindset after they break down film from their performance vs. Colorado. They’ll definitely need to bounce back in several facets of the game if they’re going to pull off the upset in Eugene.
2. Pass or fail
All signs pointed to USC being able to run the ball all over Colorado. Under Clay Helton, the Trojans have progressively grown into a running team. (Their 229 rushing yards last week vs. Arizona were a season-best against a Pac-12 opponent.) Moreover, the Buffaloes had one of the nation’s worst run defenses. Strangely, USC proceeded to have one of its lightest nights on the ground as it gained just 129 yards. That happens sometimes when a team sells out to stop the run, as Colorado did. But it should open the door for big production in the passing game. Yet USC was quiet in that regard as well, collecting just 204 yards. Its 333 yards of total offense were a season low. Its six points in the first half matched the Washington game from five weeks ago for the program’s lowest scoring output at halftime since 2010 (Notre Dame).
USC moved the ball well on its opening drive before settling for a field goal. It then punted on three of its next four possessions — that other possession ended in an interception. The Trojans eventually found the end zone on three consecutive drives, only two of those were heavily aided by turnovers. The offense went three-and-out four times and had two other four-play drives. Maybe it was just an off night. That seemed to be the case for the offensive line, which ultimately sets the tone for everything else. But it seems like the offense has gotten a bit predictable in how and when it’s running and throwing the ball. The Buffaloes appeared way too comfortable loading the box and making Cody Kessler beat them. It’s been great to see USC embrace a more physical, run-first approach of late. But they also have to be able to move the chains through the air in order to keep defenses honest. It’s been quite a while since USC has played a complete game on offense. In fact, it hasn’t happened the entire season against a conference opponent. Beating Oregon probably necessitates as much.
3. Not-so-special teams
In just about every way, USC struggled on special teams vs. Colorado. This is nothing new for the Trojans, which makes the issues at hand even more frustrating. They don’t punt well, they don’t cover punts well. (They essentially gift-wrapped the Buffaloes a TD in the fourth quarter thanks to that combination.) Kickoffs and kickoff coverage has been subpar. Placekicking has been an issue (although it wasn’t this past weekend). Neither return unit is strong either. What strikes me about all of this is how few changes have been made in terms of personnel. Several players are struggling at key positions on special teams and yet the same cast of characters are taking the field each week. I should point out, USC has inserted Justin Davis into the kick return mix and that’s been a success. But where’s the competition elsewhere? USC has multiple options at kicker and punter. I can’t say exactly where its issues involving the coverage units originate from, but I have a feeling it has to do with scheme more than personnel. Whatever the case, it would be nice to see some accountability.
4. Overturned
The defense as a whole deserves as much credit as anything for USC’s turnaround. I’m probably in the minority here, but I’ve long felt as though the defense has generally played well in most games under DC Justin Wilcox, albeit while suffering the occasional fourth-quarter letdown after the offense kept putting it in a bad spot. (Think Clayton Kershaw in the postseason.) Even if you don’t agree with this position, USC is in the midst of its first four-game winning streak in two years because its defense is leading the way. More specifically, it’s taking it away. The Trojans were trailing vs. Utah, Arizona and Colorado when they forced a turnover that led to a touchdown. They forced additional turnovers vs. Utah to ignite a blowout and blocked a kick vs. Colorado to set up another touchdown. Against Cal, Adoree’ Jackson returned a third-quarter interception for a touchdown to give USC a 17-point lead that proved to be the difference in its six-point win.
This is a notable development in the aftermath of Sarkisian's tenure, which included just four “comeback” wins in 18 games. Three of them involved being down by a field goal. The other was the Holiday Bowl vs. Nebraska, where USC trailed by seven points early in the second quarter. USC has trailed by at least that much in each of the past four games. The 11-point deficit that it rallied from against Colorado this past Friday was the program’s largest comeback after halftime since 2005 (Arizona State). The Trojans have now rallied from first half, 14-point deficits in consecutive games. Previously, they hadn’t come back from that much since 2012 (Utah). So where is this coming from exactly? Some of USC’s evolving opportunism seems to be mental, as defensive lineman Delvon Simmons intimated when asked about his forced fumble vs. the Buffaloes: “Before that, I was just thinking we got to make something big happen because we’re down and we need a momentum swing.” Creating turnovers can become contagious for a defense, and I believe we’re seeing a bit of that with the Trojans. When they fall behind, they’re not panicking, they’re punching.
5. Quiet storm
It took nearly three full seasons, 29 games to be exact, for Davis to walk off the field as USC’s leading rusher in a game. This was hardly a breakout performance for him or the most yards he’s ever gained — he ran for the exact same total (85) just last week — but this was probably his most important game in cardinal and gold. It was a night in which Colorado had an answer for just about every run that involved Ronald Jones II. The freshman phenom came into the game averaging a tick under eight yards a carry, yet only three of his 19 attempts topped five yards. Instead it was Davis who was the lone consistent force on offense and probably deserving of more carries. He averaged 6.1 yards per run over his 14 carries yet only ran the ball two times in both the second and fourth quarters. He also had three receptions, tying for the team lead, and a 27-yard kickoff return. He closed out the night with a 13-yard run on third-and-8 that allowed USC, clinging to its three-point lead, to run out the clock.
It sometimes feels like Davis is destined to leave USC unappreciated. He’s the kid that showed great promise as a true freshman but was overshadowed by Tre Madden. Then he saw his season cut short by injury, which opened the door for Buck Allen. Davis, of course, was in Allen’s shadow last year and has spent the better part of this season playing second fiddle to Jones and/or Madden. I would expect Davis, a junior, to return next season, but his situation might not change much alongside Jones and Aca’Cedric Ware, whose role figures to expand. Just don’t forget that it’s Davis who currently serves as the team’s most all-around back and has given USC 5.2 yards a pop over three seasons. Something tells me USC will need his understated contribution to prevail in another close game before he’s gone.
