USC at Washington State
New coach, new QB, no problem as USC travels up to Pullman and takes out Washington State 45-14. It started out scary with the Trojan starting QB Kedon Slovis being taken out of the game with an injury after a sack on the sixth play of their very first possession. After a long 89 yard, six plus minute drive and TD by the Cougars, USC backup QB Daxton Dart enters the game with a flair on an 18 yard run and four quick pass completions. But his fifth pass is intercepted and what looked magical all of a sudden faded to doubt as two possessions later Washington State goes up 14-0 on a Jayden de Laura 7 yard pass to Travell Harris.
But after holding the Cougars to a three-and-out on their next possession the Trojans finally get unpacked with a 93 yard, 11 play, scoring drive in under 4 minutes culminating in a 38 yard TD pass from Dart to Gary Bryant Jr. with just 32 seconds left in the half. Getting the ball first after the break USC ties the score at 14 a piece on a Dart to Drake London TD pass. After that it was all Trojans with a TD on their next possession, another on a Washington State fumble, the next one after an interception, add a field goal and one more TD for good measure and you have a game that had the Cougars up 14-7 at the half blow-up into a Trojan 45-14 blow-out.
Dart connected on 30-of-46 for 391 yards, 4 TD’s, and 2 picks while the Cougars three different QB’s, led by Jason de Laura combined for 20-of-34 for 180 yards, 2 TD’s, and 2 picks as well. The Trojan running game was pretty much non-existant rushing 25 times for just 48 yards but did include one TD. Although rushing for twice as many yards as USC, still under 100, the Cougars never scored on the ground. USC WR Drake London was the biggest recipient of Dart’s first game with 13 receptions for 170 yards and two of Dart’s four TD’s with Senior WR Travell Harris collecting both TD’s for Washington State.
USC heads home to face Oregon State this coming Saturday while the Cougars head out on their first road trip of the season to take on Utah.