Here are my top five takeaways from USC's 41-31 loss at Notre Dame on Saturday.
1. They Are S-C
Keyshawn Johnson on Thursday made it a point to tell the team that it had an opportunity to shut the nation up as well as help Clay Helton win the coaching job. I understand why Keyshawn said what he said, though winning at Notre Dame would have accomplished neither. The nation is always going to talk trash about USC, which in some ways is a good thing, and that won’t change until the Trojans win on the biggest stage again. (Even then, the program’s detractors will only be quiet until the next upset loss. That’s just how it goes when it comes to USC.) Meanwhile, Helton, because of his lack of national cachet and head coaching experience and because of USC’s experience with Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, is not going to be hired for this job. I hope for the sake of all involved parties that that reality is made clearer than it was to Ed Orgeron, who seemed to be the only person in the room who didn’t know he wouldn’t be retained two years ago.
Helton has given a lot to USC, much like Orgeron before him (and not unlike Sarkisian and Kiffin), and he deserves forthrightness. Regardless of how you feel about the job Kiffin and Sarkisian did as head coaches, the university’s handling of their respective exits was dishonorable and callous, not to mention unbecoming to prospective coaches. And yet here’s Helton, who’s persevered through the muck of the past five years, looking prouder than ever to be a Trojan. In fact, that pride has been consistent, amidst this latest turmoil, from the coaching staff to every player in the program. They all deserve a ton of credit for representing the university so valiantly this weekend and beyond.
2. Run, USC, run
During an 11-minute span, the Trojans turned an 11-point deficit to a seven-point lead. They had four possessions during this period and managed to pull off three of their longest plays of the season (83, 75 and 65 yards). The offense basically disappeared from that point on, collecting a mere 127 yards over its final five drives. You could say USC’s most critical drive during this stretch was its second one in the third quarter, after it had taken a 31-24 lead and stopped the Fighting Irish’s ensuing possession. The Trojans had seized control of the game had a golden opportunity to step on Notre Dame’s throat. Credit Helton and Co. for committing to the run in this drive. (You could argue that USC, following two runs from Ronald Jones II and a Cody Kessler incompletion, should have gone for it on fourth-and-5 from the ND 44.)
The real issue, though, was not going back to Jones at all in the fourth quarter. He has been USC’s best tailback this season and, while he has room to grow in receiving the ball out of the backfield, his explosiveness makes USC so hard to defend. We’re six games into the season, meaning there’s really no excuse for not giving Jones more carries. He’s averaging 8.6 yards a pop but only 7.3 carries a game. (He’s yet to even carry the ball more than 10 times in a single game.) Not getting Jones the ball more is part of an overall identity crises on offense in which USC simply throws too much, which surely cost it a win vs. Washington and didn’t help its cause vs. Notre Dame. USC’s three tailbacks combined for just 22 carries while Kessler attempted 46 passes (and was sacked twice). The aforementioned flurry of explosive plays is, in part, predicated on running the ball. The offense stalled once it returned to a pass-happy approach in the fourth quarter. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how integral the receivers have been in the running game. They take great pride in their blocking and have shown to be adept in this regard. That, along with an influx of injuries at the receiver position, are even more reason to take the ball out of Kessler’s hands.
3. Adoree' vs. Adoree'
There’s no denying Adoree’ Jackson is one of the most talented players in the nation. But in the midst of his role expanding on offense something has been lost on defense. After being selected the conference’s top freshman defensive player in 2014, he has surprisingly regressed at cornerback. He got beat for a 75-yard TD by Will Fuller on Notre Dame’s first play from scrimmage. He later allowed another long reception down the sideline to Fuller. He also resorted to committing a pass interference penalty to avoid giving up another score, this after Fuller beat him downfield.
Jackson’s going to make mistakes, of course, but these were plays we simply didn’t see from him last year. Through six games, he just hasn’t made the same impact on defense that he made a year ago. (It wasn’t all bad, as Jackson ripped out a fumble at the goal line to save a touchdown, much like he did against Utah a year ago.) It’s tough to say whether Jackson’s decline is the byproduct of him doing more on offense. Outside of the Washington game, he really hasn’t played that many offensive snaps. I have a feeling it’s more a matter of focus and attention to detail. Whatever the case, his defensive performance vs. the Irish basically offset what he did on offense.
4. Is the future now?
USC’s issues on defense seem to reappear every week and never really change. The defensive line is often a non-factor against the run or the pass. The linebackers constantly struggle to set the edge and find themselves out of position. The defensive backs have been inadequate in what the team refers to as the “moment of truth” — when the receiver is trying to secure a reception. Each unit shares blame for USC’s poor tackling. All of this (again) brings into question the Trojans’ 3-4 alignment as well as their personnel usage. While the former likely won’t change under DC Justin Wilcox, who is a safe bet to not be at USC next season, the latter could use more tweaking.
Just keep in mind that a youth movement might not result in immediate success. Game experience is more valuable on defense than on offense. That means USC would be better off, at least in the long run, if rotational reserves like Marvell Tell, Uchenna Nwosu, Osa Masina, Porter Gustin, Olajuwon Tucker, Kenny Bigelow Jr., Noah Jefferson, Rasheem Green and Jacob Daniel got more snaps. A few of them might even provide an immediate upgrade.
5. Rinse and repea- … rotate
The day after the Washington game, in what would be Sarkisian’s final interview as the USC coach, he was asked about Kessler’s performance vs. the Huskies. Sarkisian then made a great point that still applies a week later and, really, to Kessler’s entire college career.
“Sometimes the game doesn’t always go the way you want it to,” Sarkisian said. “But in the fourth quarter you have to find a way to find a way.”
On Saturday night in South Bend, Kessler, once again, was either unwilling or unable to find a way. His limitations might not have seemed to be a glaring issue last year because too many people, notably national media and casual observers, focused too much on his general stats. They saw the 39-5 TD:INT ratio and pegged him a preseason Heisman favorite. Never mind that his play dropped off considerably against ranked opponents. That made his performance against Washington last week so unusual. Kessler typically feasts on such competition. But Sarkisian the former quarterback knew that his pupil often plays too uptight in the game’s critical moments, no matter the opposition.
The Notre Dame game, of course, was no different. Kessler threw two interceptions with the game in the balance. He then bizarrely ran off the final 3:35 of regulation, advancing the offense 58 yards over 14 plays with the Trojans trailing by 10. Kessler completed nine passes on the drive, only two of which went for more than 10 yards. We saw the same oddity play out in USC’s final drive vs. Stanford, under nearly identical circumstances. Kessler is the quintessential game manager, and yet what he’s doing here is hardly managing. It’s bungling. He should know better by now than to approach the fourth quarter like it's the first. With Max Browne’s takeover at quarterback looming, it’s time to work in Kessler’s apparent successor. This would be in the best interest of the program’s future, and perhaps its present.
1. They Are S-C
Keyshawn Johnson on Thursday made it a point to tell the team that it had an opportunity to shut the nation up as well as help Clay Helton win the coaching job. I understand why Keyshawn said what he said, though winning at Notre Dame would have accomplished neither. The nation is always going to talk trash about USC, which in some ways is a good thing, and that won’t change until the Trojans win on the biggest stage again. (Even then, the program’s detractors will only be quiet until the next upset loss. That’s just how it goes when it comes to USC.) Meanwhile, Helton, because of his lack of national cachet and head coaching experience and because of USC’s experience with Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian, is not going to be hired for this job. I hope for the sake of all involved parties that that reality is made clearer than it was to Ed Orgeron, who seemed to be the only person in the room who didn’t know he wouldn’t be retained two years ago.
Helton has given a lot to USC, much like Orgeron before him (and not unlike Sarkisian and Kiffin), and he deserves forthrightness. Regardless of how you feel about the job Kiffin and Sarkisian did as head coaches, the university’s handling of their respective exits was dishonorable and callous, not to mention unbecoming to prospective coaches. And yet here’s Helton, who’s persevered through the muck of the past five years, looking prouder than ever to be a Trojan. In fact, that pride has been consistent, amidst this latest turmoil, from the coaching staff to every player in the program. They all deserve a ton of credit for representing the university so valiantly this weekend and beyond.
2. Run, USC, run
During an 11-minute span, the Trojans turned an 11-point deficit to a seven-point lead. They had four possessions during this period and managed to pull off three of their longest plays of the season (83, 75 and 65 yards). The offense basically disappeared from that point on, collecting a mere 127 yards over its final five drives. You could say USC’s most critical drive during this stretch was its second one in the third quarter, after it had taken a 31-24 lead and stopped the Fighting Irish’s ensuing possession. The Trojans had seized control of the game had a golden opportunity to step on Notre Dame’s throat. Credit Helton and Co. for committing to the run in this drive. (You could argue that USC, following two runs from Ronald Jones II and a Cody Kessler incompletion, should have gone for it on fourth-and-5 from the ND 44.)
The real issue, though, was not going back to Jones at all in the fourth quarter. He has been USC’s best tailback this season and, while he has room to grow in receiving the ball out of the backfield, his explosiveness makes USC so hard to defend. We’re six games into the season, meaning there’s really no excuse for not giving Jones more carries. He’s averaging 8.6 yards a pop but only 7.3 carries a game. (He’s yet to even carry the ball more than 10 times in a single game.) Not getting Jones the ball more is part of an overall identity crises on offense in which USC simply throws too much, which surely cost it a win vs. Washington and didn’t help its cause vs. Notre Dame. USC’s three tailbacks combined for just 22 carries while Kessler attempted 46 passes (and was sacked twice). The aforementioned flurry of explosive plays is, in part, predicated on running the ball. The offense stalled once it returned to a pass-happy approach in the fourth quarter. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how integral the receivers have been in the running game. They take great pride in their blocking and have shown to be adept in this regard. That, along with an influx of injuries at the receiver position, are even more reason to take the ball out of Kessler’s hands.
3. Adoree' vs. Adoree'
There’s no denying Adoree’ Jackson is one of the most talented players in the nation. But in the midst of his role expanding on offense something has been lost on defense. After being selected the conference’s top freshman defensive player in 2014, he has surprisingly regressed at cornerback. He got beat for a 75-yard TD by Will Fuller on Notre Dame’s first play from scrimmage. He later allowed another long reception down the sideline to Fuller. He also resorted to committing a pass interference penalty to avoid giving up another score, this after Fuller beat him downfield.
Jackson’s going to make mistakes, of course, but these were plays we simply didn’t see from him last year. Through six games, he just hasn’t made the same impact on defense that he made a year ago. (It wasn’t all bad, as Jackson ripped out a fumble at the goal line to save a touchdown, much like he did against Utah a year ago.) It’s tough to say whether Jackson’s decline is the byproduct of him doing more on offense. Outside of the Washington game, he really hasn’t played that many offensive snaps. I have a feeling it’s more a matter of focus and attention to detail. Whatever the case, his defensive performance vs. the Irish basically offset what he did on offense.
4. Is the future now?
USC’s issues on defense seem to reappear every week and never really change. The defensive line is often a non-factor against the run or the pass. The linebackers constantly struggle to set the edge and find themselves out of position. The defensive backs have been inadequate in what the team refers to as the “moment of truth” — when the receiver is trying to secure a reception. Each unit shares blame for USC’s poor tackling. All of this (again) brings into question the Trojans’ 3-4 alignment as well as their personnel usage. While the former likely won’t change under DC Justin Wilcox, who is a safe bet to not be at USC next season, the latter could use more tweaking.
Just keep in mind that a youth movement might not result in immediate success. Game experience is more valuable on defense than on offense. That means USC would be better off, at least in the long run, if rotational reserves like Marvell Tell, Uchenna Nwosu, Osa Masina, Porter Gustin, Olajuwon Tucker, Kenny Bigelow Jr., Noah Jefferson, Rasheem Green and Jacob Daniel got more snaps. A few of them might even provide an immediate upgrade.
5. Rinse and repea- … rotate
The day after the Washington game, in what would be Sarkisian’s final interview as the USC coach, he was asked about Kessler’s performance vs. the Huskies. Sarkisian then made a great point that still applies a week later and, really, to Kessler’s entire college career.
“Sometimes the game doesn’t always go the way you want it to,” Sarkisian said. “But in the fourth quarter you have to find a way to find a way.”
On Saturday night in South Bend, Kessler, once again, was either unwilling or unable to find a way. His limitations might not have seemed to be a glaring issue last year because too many people, notably national media and casual observers, focused too much on his general stats. They saw the 39-5 TD:INT ratio and pegged him a preseason Heisman favorite. Never mind that his play dropped off considerably against ranked opponents. That made his performance against Washington last week so unusual. Kessler typically feasts on such competition. But Sarkisian the former quarterback knew that his pupil often plays too uptight in the game’s critical moments, no matter the opposition.
The Notre Dame game, of course, was no different. Kessler threw two interceptions with the game in the balance. He then bizarrely ran off the final 3:35 of regulation, advancing the offense 58 yards over 14 plays with the Trojans trailing by 10. Kessler completed nine passes on the drive, only two of which went for more than 10 yards. We saw the same oddity play out in USC’s final drive vs. Stanford, under nearly identical circumstances. Kessler is the quintessential game manager, and yet what he’s doing here is hardly managing. It’s bungling. He should know better by now than to approach the fourth quarter like it's the first. With Max Browne’s takeover at quarterback looming, it’s time to work in Kessler’s apparent successor. This would be in the best interest of the program’s future, and perhaps its present.
