Chris Swanson and I collaborated on five notable takeaways from USC's 42-24 win vs. Utah.
1. It’s gotta be the coaching
When a team with USC’s talent is struggling, fingers are naturally pointed toward the coaching staff. By losing three games, the Trojans gave people good reason to question how the staff was leading this program.
So, when USC dominates an unbeaten conference foe ranked No. 3 in the nation, the men in charge must receiver their due.
Offensively, USC did an excellent job of developing a game plan that was organic to its roster. With Cody Kessler struggling a bit of late and several frontline receivers out because of injury, the coaches didn’t force the pass game. Instead, they utilized more of a horizontal, quick-pass attack and weaved it in with a run-heavy approach. It’s become evident halfway through the season that running the ball works best for this team; USC’s advantage over the majority of its opponents is in the trenches. The backfield is loaded, even without Tre Madden, and there are big offensive linemen to spare, even without Toa Lobendahn, Max Tuerk and Chad Wheeler.
The Trojans only averaged 2.6 yards per carry (3.4 after you adjust for sacks) and Utah recorded a whopping 14 tackles for loss. But Clay Helton’s adept play-calling allowed the offense to sustain long drives and drain the clock. Aside from a four-play drive that started on the Utah 4 following Cam Smith’s first INT, USC’s other four TD drives all spanned a minimum of eight plays and 3:55 of game clock. The backbreaker was a 17-play drive in the third quarter that lasted 8:53.
Utah came in with the top rushing defense in the conference and yet Helton and Co., despite being shorthanded, didn’t panic.
Their dedication to the ground game proved complementary to Kessler, who played like a technician. He isn’t the type of quarterback that’s going to create a huge play himself and shred a defense that is solely focused on him. But give him a lead and he’ll protect it.
USC and its staff did an even greater job on defense. Once it was apparent the Trojans’ had too much team speed for the Utes to run outside, USC sold out to the inside run and took that way. Heisman hopeful Devontae Booker carried the ball only 14 times for 62 yards, both season lows. Utah then tried to get back in the game by having the mobile Travis Wilson throw the ball downfield, which played right into USC’s hands. The Trojans have never played better under DC Justin Wilcox.
The staff also shrewdly committed to using Adoree’ Jackson almost exclusively on offense. (He played two snaps on defense.) Expect Jackson to expel the bulk of his energy on defense this weekend against Cal and its dangerous passing attack.
2. The little things
It sure seems like a lot changed in one week in regards to USC’s defense. The Trojans have had tackling issues all season, at times throwing their bodies at defenders and flailing their arms out in attempt to slow plays. Against Utah, USC made solid and forceful tackles using the entire body and wrapping up. Helton has changed the structure of practice to include more live tackling in team periods as well as more repetitions defending the run.
That alteration just might do wonders for the front seven’s fundamentals, as they played better than they had in some time. They were physical at the line of scrimmage, they filled running lanes and they even generated more pressure on the quarterback.
That had a trickle-down effect on how USC defended the pass. The secondary wasn’t forced to remain in coverage as long as fared well in man. Cam Smith also pointed to how the play of the defensive line and the alignment of his teammates around him allowed him to exploit Wilson.
USC’s discipline and execution ultimately made Utah one-dimensional and it was a dimension its offense wasn’t really built for.
3. Next man up
Somewhat lost in all the glory of USC’s impressive win was how admirable several players fared while filling in for injured starters. USC entered the game down five starters on offense. A sixth (Lobendahn) and seventh (Taylor McNamara) were lost in the course of the game.
Kudos to Zach Banner and Chuma Edoga for manning the outside of the line, which rebounded from a shaky start. Khaliel Rodgers’ effort in place of Lobendahn can’t be overstated. He gave reason to believe he can be a stabilizing force in the middle, which has been an area of concern for the Trojans this year.
Ronald Jones II and Justin Davis made the absence of Madden a non-factor. Adoree’ Jackson caught six passes, which is the most in a game this season for any USC receiver (outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster). Kevon Seymour, who’s been limited for weeks with a knee injury, held up as Jackson predominantly played on the other side of the ball. Leon McQuay had a big performance after making his first start of the season. A handful of reserves also responded to increased roles.
While USC might see a number of players return to the lineup as soon as this week, Saturday showed that the Trojans have real depth.
4. And the winner is ...
The biggest change from the Pac-10 to the Pac-12 wasn’t the addition of two teams but splitting into two divisions. Dividing the conference in half has kept the door open for teams to make a run at a division title after a slow start. The Trojans might have seemed buried following a pair of conference losses by early October, at home no less. Maybe they would have been had they both come to South opponents. Following a win vs. Utah, USC finds itself in a three-way tie for second place and just one game behind first-place Utah, whom it now holds the tiebreaker over. The Utes close out with a pretty favorable schedule (vs. OSU, at Washington, at Arizona, vs. UCLA, vs. Colorado). But keep in mind that USC just laid out a perfect blueprint to beating them.
One more loss by Utah and the Trojans would control their own destiny. Of course, they have to do their part as well. They have yet to win consecutive games since beating up on the Sun Belt Conference to begin the season. While one might deduce USC will easily take care of Cal and Arizona since it routed Utah, the team must have a different mindset. Both teams nearly pulled off comeback wins against USC last season after trailing by 15 points in the fourth quarter. The Pac-12 is wide open again and prone to producing surprising outcomes.
That’s how USC got here in the first place.
5: They are who we thought they were (a while ago)
If Saturday night was the first time someone had watched USC play all season, they probably wouldn’t be the least but surprised by the Trojans’ performance. But that game doesn’t exist in a vacuum. USC came into the season pegged to win the Pac-12 and compete for a spot in the Final Four. Seven games into the season, we finally saw that team take the field.
Three losses have eliminated the Trojans from the College Football Playoff race. But beating Utah will make USC national relevant again, so long as it keeps winning. This was the program’s biggest win in four years, when USC knocked off No. 4 Oregon in Eugene.
The 2015 season was supposed to play out more like 2011 than 2013, but there’s reason to believe these Trojans are much better than their 4-3 record suggests. Two of their defeats are to one-loss teams in the top 10. The other, to Washington, might have been sabotaged by unfortunate circumstances (although no one outside of USC will sympathize).
It took longer than expected, but USC played to its potential this past weekend. There is hope on the horizon.
1. It’s gotta be the coaching
When a team with USC’s talent is struggling, fingers are naturally pointed toward the coaching staff. By losing three games, the Trojans gave people good reason to question how the staff was leading this program.
So, when USC dominates an unbeaten conference foe ranked No. 3 in the nation, the men in charge must receiver their due.
Offensively, USC did an excellent job of developing a game plan that was organic to its roster. With Cody Kessler struggling a bit of late and several frontline receivers out because of injury, the coaches didn’t force the pass game. Instead, they utilized more of a horizontal, quick-pass attack and weaved it in with a run-heavy approach. It’s become evident halfway through the season that running the ball works best for this team; USC’s advantage over the majority of its opponents is in the trenches. The backfield is loaded, even without Tre Madden, and there are big offensive linemen to spare, even without Toa Lobendahn, Max Tuerk and Chad Wheeler.
The Trojans only averaged 2.6 yards per carry (3.4 after you adjust for sacks) and Utah recorded a whopping 14 tackles for loss. But Clay Helton’s adept play-calling allowed the offense to sustain long drives and drain the clock. Aside from a four-play drive that started on the Utah 4 following Cam Smith’s first INT, USC’s other four TD drives all spanned a minimum of eight plays and 3:55 of game clock. The backbreaker was a 17-play drive in the third quarter that lasted 8:53.
Utah came in with the top rushing defense in the conference and yet Helton and Co., despite being shorthanded, didn’t panic.
Their dedication to the ground game proved complementary to Kessler, who played like a technician. He isn’t the type of quarterback that’s going to create a huge play himself and shred a defense that is solely focused on him. But give him a lead and he’ll protect it.
USC and its staff did an even greater job on defense. Once it was apparent the Trojans’ had too much team speed for the Utes to run outside, USC sold out to the inside run and took that way. Heisman hopeful Devontae Booker carried the ball only 14 times for 62 yards, both season lows. Utah then tried to get back in the game by having the mobile Travis Wilson throw the ball downfield, which played right into USC’s hands. The Trojans have never played better under DC Justin Wilcox.
The staff also shrewdly committed to using Adoree’ Jackson almost exclusively on offense. (He played two snaps on defense.) Expect Jackson to expel the bulk of his energy on defense this weekend against Cal and its dangerous passing attack.
2. The little things
It sure seems like a lot changed in one week in regards to USC’s defense. The Trojans have had tackling issues all season, at times throwing their bodies at defenders and flailing their arms out in attempt to slow plays. Against Utah, USC made solid and forceful tackles using the entire body and wrapping up. Helton has changed the structure of practice to include more live tackling in team periods as well as more repetitions defending the run.
That alteration just might do wonders for the front seven’s fundamentals, as they played better than they had in some time. They were physical at the line of scrimmage, they filled running lanes and they even generated more pressure on the quarterback.
That had a trickle-down effect on how USC defended the pass. The secondary wasn’t forced to remain in coverage as long as fared well in man. Cam Smith also pointed to how the play of the defensive line and the alignment of his teammates around him allowed him to exploit Wilson.
USC’s discipline and execution ultimately made Utah one-dimensional and it was a dimension its offense wasn’t really built for.
3. Next man up
Somewhat lost in all the glory of USC’s impressive win was how admirable several players fared while filling in for injured starters. USC entered the game down five starters on offense. A sixth (Lobendahn) and seventh (Taylor McNamara) were lost in the course of the game.
Kudos to Zach Banner and Chuma Edoga for manning the outside of the line, which rebounded from a shaky start. Khaliel Rodgers’ effort in place of Lobendahn can’t be overstated. He gave reason to believe he can be a stabilizing force in the middle, which has been an area of concern for the Trojans this year.
Ronald Jones II and Justin Davis made the absence of Madden a non-factor. Adoree’ Jackson caught six passes, which is the most in a game this season for any USC receiver (outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster). Kevon Seymour, who’s been limited for weeks with a knee injury, held up as Jackson predominantly played on the other side of the ball. Leon McQuay had a big performance after making his first start of the season. A handful of reserves also responded to increased roles.
While USC might see a number of players return to the lineup as soon as this week, Saturday showed that the Trojans have real depth.
4. And the winner is ...
The biggest change from the Pac-10 to the Pac-12 wasn’t the addition of two teams but splitting into two divisions. Dividing the conference in half has kept the door open for teams to make a run at a division title after a slow start. The Trojans might have seemed buried following a pair of conference losses by early October, at home no less. Maybe they would have been had they both come to South opponents. Following a win vs. Utah, USC finds itself in a three-way tie for second place and just one game behind first-place Utah, whom it now holds the tiebreaker over. The Utes close out with a pretty favorable schedule (vs. OSU, at Washington, at Arizona, vs. UCLA, vs. Colorado). But keep in mind that USC just laid out a perfect blueprint to beating them.
One more loss by Utah and the Trojans would control their own destiny. Of course, they have to do their part as well. They have yet to win consecutive games since beating up on the Sun Belt Conference to begin the season. While one might deduce USC will easily take care of Cal and Arizona since it routed Utah, the team must have a different mindset. Both teams nearly pulled off comeback wins against USC last season after trailing by 15 points in the fourth quarter. The Pac-12 is wide open again and prone to producing surprising outcomes.
That’s how USC got here in the first place.
5: They are who we thought they were (a while ago)
If Saturday night was the first time someone had watched USC play all season, they probably wouldn’t be the least but surprised by the Trojans’ performance. But that game doesn’t exist in a vacuum. USC came into the season pegged to win the Pac-12 and compete for a spot in the Final Four. Seven games into the season, we finally saw that team take the field.
Three losses have eliminated the Trojans from the College Football Playoff race. But beating Utah will make USC national relevant again, so long as it keeps winning. This was the program’s biggest win in four years, when USC knocked off No. 4 Oregon in Eugene.
The 2015 season was supposed to play out more like 2011 than 2013, but there’s reason to believe these Trojans are much better than their 4-3 record suggests. Two of their defeats are to one-loss teams in the top 10. The other, to Washington, might have been sabotaged by unfortunate circumstances (although no one outside of USC will sympathize).
It took longer than expected, but USC played to its potential this past weekend. There is hope on the horizon.
