Give this one to the defense who held the Cougars scoreless for three of the four quarters. The AP and Trojan Defensive Coordinator described it this way; “The defensive numbers were impressive in this one: USC held Washington State scoreless for the final 43 minutes, stopping the Cougars on seven straight drives to end the game. ‘The battle, the grind, the willingness to do the hard stuff, and the way we responded, all of it is very encouraging,’ USC defensive coordinator Alex Grinch said.” While USC’s defense certainly stepped up in this game and saved their bacon against Oregon State a couple weeks back, the offense seems headed in the opposite direction. The first three games of the season USC was averaging 50 points and over 500 yards a game—tops in the country–while over the last three weeks that average has lowered by 20 points and their total offense is now 25th. With UCLA scoring 42 points this past Saturday against Utah, who many considered the PAC-12’s best defensive unit, one has to think that the Trojan’s days at the top of the PAC-12 are numbered even though they should be able to get over their next three opponents—Arizona, Cal, and Colorado—before they meet UCLA in the Rose Bowl. It would be something to have a game of unbeatens to determine the city championship in LA, but UCLA will have to get over Oregon for that to happen—two teams that are averaging within a few yards and just a half a point of each other.
Back to this game that started out looking like it was going to be another easy peasy high scoring affair for the Trojans who forced a punt on Washington State’s first two drives while picking up a TD and a field goal to go up 10-0 at the end the 1st Qtr. But then the Cougars scored back-to-back TD’s in the 2nd Qtr while holding the Trojans to a three-and-out and another TD to go into the break down just 17-14. However, that was as good as it was going to get for Washington State as they wouldn’t score another point the rest of the way even though their defense did their best to keep them in the game by holding the Trojans to back-to-back three-and-outs to start the 3rd. But on USC’s third possession of the second half and aided by 25 yards in penalties by the Cougars the Trojans finally extended their lead to 24-14 on a 24 yard Caleb Williams pass to Mario Williams. USC forced Washington State to punt on their next two possessions while putting up a field goal after each, the last 31 yards by Place Kicker Denis Lynch at the end of an 11 plays 51 yard drive with just over two minutes left in the game.
For USC it was the Caleb Williams, Travis Dye and Mario Williams show with Williams connecting on 15-of-29 for 188 yards and 2 TD’s with both going to Sophomore WR Mario Williams while Travis Dye held up the ground game rushing 29 times for 148 yards and 1 TD—single handedly outrushing and scoring the Cougars who totaled 144 yards on 29 carries but never made it into the end zone. Although more efficient, Washington State QB Cameron Ward pretty much put up the same numbers as Williams going 19-of-32 for 172 yards, 2 TD’s and no interceptions while Freshman RB Jaylen Jenkins did most of the work on the ground while rushing 13 times for 130 yards. At an average of 10 yards a carry it sure looks like right now a really good RB can make some hay against this USC run defense. To be fair though the Trojans were missing their top Linebacker Shane Lee, out with an injury, and lost their top Safety and defensive leader Calen Bullock who was ejected in the second quarter for a targeting call.
That said, this game might have gone the other way if Washington State had not committed so many penalties at key moments that kept the Trojan drives alive. On USC’s first possession of the game on a 3rd and 4 at the Cougar 48 Washington State was called for being offside which gave the Trojans a first down. Four plays later they were in the end zone. On USC’s 11 play 65 yard drive late in the 2nd Qtr Washington State gave up 35 yards to USC in three different penalties, the last being a pass interference on a 3rd and 14 at the Cougar 19 yard line that resulted in a 1st and goal at the Washington State 4 and a Travis Dye USC TD on the next play. I doubt the Utes are going to provide that kind of help to the Trojans next Saturday night in Salt Lake. Washington State will have its own problems to deal with as they head to Corvallis to take on an Oregon State team that is unbeaten at home and needs two more wins to become bowl eligible.