When one door closes, another opens, and that is exactly what is happening to USC football as they look to find success at the dawn of the post-Clay Helton era, beginning with Saturday’s road matchup against Washington State. Donte Williams will debut as interim head coach as the Trojans aim to right the ship after a tough loss last Saturday to Stanford.
“This is a great opportunity for everyone to come together,” said new linebackers coach and former USC player Michael Hutchings. “We’re extremely blessed and thankful for coach Helton and his time here, but also we’re going to be in the moment and fight for coach Williams and everything that he wants to implement … That’s our job as a staff, as a team, is to get behind him.”
All eyes will be on the Trojans as they begin their new era on Saturday, so let’s take a look at what to watch for:
1. Donte Williams’ debut:
The culture a coach sets around detail can often be the difference between wins and losses, and the lack of discipline was on full display against Stanford as USC had nine penalties for 111 yards, beginning with an ejection of sophomore kicker Parker Lewis on the opening kickoff.
Williams has a chance to reset the team culture, and one of the first tests will be how the Trojans reduce penalties. Adversity like what the Trojans went through this week can make or break a team, so look for a rejuvenated team to fight for Williams and clean up those small mistakes that can lead to big penalties.
Also look out for a new game plan and solid defensive schemes as Williams was the former cornerbacks coach. Practice seemed to be more competitive this week, and it will be interesting to see if that translates into the game.
2. Kedon Slovis back in the spotlight
The era of people calling for Helton to be fired is officially over, meaning that all eyes will turn to junior quarterback Kedon Slovis as he looks to regain his freshman form that made him a Heisman candidate. It’s not that Slovis has played poorly — he put up a solid performance in Week 1 — so much as he hasn’t had an inspiring performance yet this season.
Slovis will need to be the definitive star of the game to prove that he can still be the face of this USC team. This week will be tough with the pressure he’ll face, but it’s one of the best chances for Slovis to overcome adversity and win back his hold on the fan base.
3. Pressure in the red zone
USC needs to improve on red-zone efficiency, as the Trojans have only scored touchdowns on four of nine tries through the first two games. With Washington State’s menacing pass rush, the weight of the world will be on the shoulders of Williams and Slovis in terms of defensive schemes and succeeding under pressure, respectively, which would make it even more impressive if they’re able to make the most out of their time in the red zone.
The reverse will be true on the other side of the ball: The Cougars put up 44 points last week with sophomore quarterback Jayden De Laura carving up the defense with 303 yards and three touchdowns against Portland State. USC will have to apply pressure to De Laura to avoid even sniffing another 40-point defensive performance.
Though all eyes will be on Williams, he remains humble as the Trojans head into Saturday’s matchup.
“It’s not the Donte Williams show, right? It’s the USC show, so we’re working on this all together,” he said. “There’s no ‘I or me,’ right? It’s ‘us and we,’ and that’s what the whole message is. It’s ‘us and we’ and what we’re going to do. Not what I’m going to do; what we’re going to do.”