Los Angeles – once again, usc Victory was within his grasp but saw it slipping away Another disappointing defeat33-30, on penn state In overtime. trojan They are 3-3 overall (1-3 Big Ten) and are out of the College Football Playoff conversation.
Here are some final thoughts from the game.
1. penn state tight end tyler warren Caught 17 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown on Saturday afternoon, one of the most impressive performances against USC that I can remember since I’ve been on the beat (since 2018).
Warren’s play brings back memories of Utah’s tight end Dalton Kincaid Against the Trojans two years ago. That night, Kincaid caught 16 passes for 234 yards and a score – another all-time performance against USC. He and quarterback Cam Rising inevitably moved on utah Won that night 43-42.
Kincaid’s gaudy number feels more about willpower than anything else. He made some tough catches, but the Trojans couldn’t tackle him and he generated a lot of yardage after the catch.
Warren’s performance was different. USC has had trouble tackling in its last few games – mainly against michigan And minnesota – But it was the first time this season that De’Anton Lynn’s unit looked a little confused.
Give credit to Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who called a great play and came up with very creative ways to get Warren the ball. Sometimes you have to tip your hat to the opposing team and the coaching staff. Lynn had some good calls and made a few wins throughout the game, but Kotelnicki won the day.
#usc By the end of October last year, the national conversation had shifted away from the playoffs. This year, it will arrive by mid-October. Not very good.
– Antonio Morales (@AntonioCMorales) 12 October 2024
2. USC’s first touchdown – 75-yard run by redshirt freshman quinton joyner Lincoln was the product of a great design by Riley. Joyner pretended to be the opposite Zachariah Branch – more on that in a bit – and the defense streamed into the wing while Joyner ran the opposite direction and had an open lane thanks to the left tackle’s key blocks. eliza page and tight end walker lyons,
This was a well designed and very uplifting drama on many different levels. And a good response from Joyner, who came under fire for his critical mistake last week.
3. During Riley’s first season, it was fun to see how his offense developed week to week. Take his guard-tackle counter, which is the foundation of his run game. Who did USC run that play against? Rice To open the 2022 season. The next week, the Trojans ran a screen to a receiver who came off the same action. A few weeks after that, Riley called a play based on the same run action that resulted in a receiver being dumped into space for a portion of the yardage.
This is just one example of how layers were added to the offense from week to week based on one or two plays called at the beginning of the season.
Over the past two seasons this appears to have happened less frequently. There are times when USC has a great design – like the Joyner touchdown run or the fake reverse flea-flicker touchdown. Washington Last season – that surprises the opponent. But the last two years haven’t seen the same growth or offensive creativity as there was in Year 1.
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4. Branch was expected to be one of the most explosive players in the country this season, but has been lacking big games. His most impressive play was a fake reverse against Penn State when he was used as a decoy.
The Trojans haven’t come up with any innovative ways to get him the ball – they’ve forced him into some long passes that aren’t quite working – and Branch isn’t consistently breaking up with opposing defensive backs. And when he has it, the quarterback miller moss He has not been able to be contacted.
Branch had two catches for 6 yards on Saturday and now has 23 receptions for 233 yards on the season. He has not shown any impressive play in the return game since the opening week.
5. No USC receiver has more than 262 yards receiving this season. The team has now passed the halfway point of the regular season. The receiver group was considered the best unit on the roster. But for the second consecutive season, the situation has weakened the game.
Moss played his worst game of the season on Saturday. he made a bad throw deuce robinson Which was stopped on the last drive. So he has to get better. The offensive line also hinders the passing game. But receivers also have to step up and get better.
6. One of the things that has been lost during this brutal four-week period for USC is the running back game. woody marks,
Marks rushed for 111 yards against Penn State’s good defense on Saturday. He also caught two passes for 44 yards. Marks has rushed for at least 100 yards in four of the Trojans’ six games this season. He also caught 21 passes for 189 yards.
He’s also constantly making smart plays. Forced fumble against Michigan kenneth grantAnd on Saturday, USC called a throwback pass to Moss that was completely covered by Penn State. Marks wisely kept the ball and cut it back for a 21-yard gain.
In six games, Marks has been the team’s best offensive player.
7. That being said, Joyner probably needs to do more to move forward. He’s explosive and plays hard. This offense needs to generate more big plays, and he is one of the few realistic options that can make them.
8. It was a tough day for USC’s pass defense. Warren had the above performance. penn state quarterback Drew Eller Throwed for 391 yards – the most allowed by USC so far this season.
To be fair, the pass defense would be better if the D-line could generate consistent pressure. But the reality is that this cannot happen. This makes life difficult for the secondary.
corner John Humphrey Has struggled recently and was targeted on fourth-and-7 and fourth-and-10 on Penn State’s game-tying drives.
Security kamari ramsey Has been a great contribution and is a major reason why the tackling has improved. He came close to intercepting three passes on Saturday.
9. To me, USC’s inability to close out games this season is a line-of-scrimmage issue.
When a team is leading late, it needs the pass rush to end the game. The Trojans went scoreless on Saturday and have just six this season, which ranks 119th nationally.
On offense, when a team is trying to close out a game it has to be able to run the ball when the opponent knows they want to run the ball. USC is also struggling with this.
This is not a very good condition to live in.
10. Some snap counts from the Penn State game stood out to me (all according to TruMedia).
defensive end braylan shelby Played a season-high 43 snaps. Safety Zion Branch played a season-high 42 tackles. Ramsey played more of a hybrid linebacker role, creating an opportunity for Branch to see more playing time as USC went with Branch, Ramsey and a safety. mana arnold Many times on the field.
i’m high on true freshman Desman Stephens II For a while and he received 16 photos. He also recorded an interception in the second quarter which he returned for 42 yards. Stephens displayed his ball skills and athleticism in the game. He will need to gain more weight, even though he is already well prepared, but as he matures and becomes more acclimated to the college game, the possibility is certainly present. Is.
true freshman defensive lineman Insist the Syrian people Played nine snaps. It wouldn’t be a surprise if his snap count continues to increase in the coming weeks.
11. The next road game for USC is at Maryland. If the Trojans want to accomplish anything this season, they need to win this game. terrapins blown away by Northwestern37-10, having lost at home last weekend and by 14 points at Indiana two weeks before that.
Maryland is not playing good football right now. However, the Trojans have not played well on the road, so something will have to give next weekend.
The second half of the season will tell us a lot about USC’s culture now that it is out of the College Football Playoff race.
(Photo by Quinton Joyner: Janine Kamin-Onsia/Imagen Images)
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