From the Box is a rotating column from Annenberg Media writers who cover the USC football team in the press box at home games.
Lights out for Utah State, and I’m not just talking about the two power outage delays. USC dominated the Aggies in a 48-0 sweep on Saturday in its home opener.
The last time USC shut out its opponent, redshirt freshman running back A’Marion Peterson and I were in the first grade. Yep – it’s been 13 years since Trojan defense has pinned its opponent scoreless, but that shiny stat isn’t the only reason why the 2024 Trojans are not to be counted out.
While Utah State isn’t the most prestigious opponent on USC’s schedule — in fact, it’s predicted to be the Trojans’ easiest win — the significance of Saturday’s game lies beyond who occupied the visiting locker room.
There’s been a lot of doubt surrounding Trojan football. Don’t misunderstand, last Sunday’s 27-20 win against then-No. 13 LSU in Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium was a hopeful glimpse into a potentially great season. But many Trojan fans needed a little more proof of the team’s potential before raising their hopes to the likes of Texas or Georgia fans.
Ask, and ye shall receive.
USC more than covered the spread of -28.5 points on Saturday, scoring 27 in just the first half. In addition to the new coaching staff, schemes and team philosophy, the Trojans have the making of an elite program. There were 61,000 fans who came to the Coliseum on Saturday, fans who got to see a Trojan hype video that can only be compared to a Hollywood movie – fitting, considering the Hollywood sign sits just beyond the horizon of the Coliseum walls.
I understand it’s a scary time. The Trojans’ first Big Ten matchup is just around the corner against Michigan on September 21, and USC’s first two games are not necessarily indicative of a successful season. Trust issues are to be expected, especially with last year’s 6-0 start and 1-6 finish to the season.
But the Trojans have spent the offseason and past two games proving this isn’t a season like any other. Coming out on top against a top-15 team and a charity match reveals a lot more than one might think.
LSU at the time of kickoff last Sunday was ranked No. 13 and USC No. 23 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, but aside from the pressure of facing a top-15 team, USC showed America a new font of Trojan football, one that’s defensively powerful and offensively flexible. Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and redshirt junior quarterback Miller Moss threw 28-36 for 378 yards, passing to 10 different receivers.
Doubters persisted, though. Sure, Sunday was a great win against a great team, but it really could have gone either way, right? USC showed potential on both sides of the ball, but potential doesn’t promise anything.
Not only did the Trojans have limited rest time for Saturday’s game against the Aggies, including one fewer day to review film, but there were concerns that a lingering LSU hangover would interfere with USC’s ability to capitalize on offensive transitions.
After all, a Utah State matchup could carry more indications about this team regarding the Trojans possibly playing down to their opponents. If, God forbid, the Aggies infiltrated Trojan territory and left with a win, any pride from last Sunday’s win would have been erased. That was certainly not out of the question, especially after a wild day in college football saw USC rival Notre Dame fall to Northern Illinois.
As redshirt senior defensive end Jamil Muhammad mentioned in Saturday’s postgame press conference, the game isn’t just how you react to failure but also how you handle success. If the Trojans fumbled perhaps their easiest win of the season, not only would doubters give their two cents faster than you can say “Fight On!”, but it would have a lot to say about USC’s inability to handle “success.”
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
Saturday was a game of complementary football, a phrase used by at least three players in the postgame press conference.
Moss got the job done. He didn’t have any extraordinary plays, but he was efficient and utilized his tight ends. Redshirt junior tight end Lake McRee had four receptions, freshman tight end Walker Lyons grabbed three and redshirt freshman backup tight end Kade Eldridge had one of his own.
Despite the unlit floodlights surrounding the field, Trojan defense shined through. Utah State’s offense averaged 30+ points per game last season, but USC ensured the red zone was foreign territory for the Aggies. A 52-yard missed field goal attempt was the closest they would come to scoring.
If the 544 total offensive yards — including 103 rushing yards from redshirt senior running back Woody Marks — and seven tackles each from senior linebackers Eric Gentry and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold weren’t enough to believe in USC’s effective complementary play, perhaps the roster’s depth signaled hope.
The Coliseum torch had trouble igniting, but thankfully the fire on the field never escaped the Trojans, even when backups were primarily on the field.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava made his USC debut in the third quarter, closing out the game going 8-for-11 and dipping his toes in the end zone for a touchdown.
Maiava proved his readiness on the field. Even if there’s trouble in the passing lanes, he’s not afraid to run the ball if need be.
The presence of second and third-string players finishing off a shutout win is just a glimpse into USC’s stacked roster. While it may be a while until the backups hit the turf again — the Trojans are unlikely to have as big of a blowout again to give the backups a chance to play — they provide a backbone for the starters.
If you’re still skeptical about the Trojans’ potential to deliver upsets and clean sweeps, don’t be surprised if USC makes a victorious entrance to the Big Ten in Ann Arbor on September 21.