Click here for the recap and final stats.
Click here for the post-game press conference.
The Blueprint
USC interim head coach Clay Helton has made the game plan clear for the Trojans. "We've kind of got a blueprint right now of stopping the run, running the ball and not turning it over," he said. "If you have that formula, and it works, you know game-in and game-out, you're going to get victories." USC is +7 in the turnover battle over the last two games.
Fixing on the FlyCal went against script and came out running the football successfully, so defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox adjusted the scheme on the sideline. "We take pride in our in-game adjustments after every series," said Helton. "Justin did a tremendous job jumping back into our base 3-4 to stop the run. We were able to make them single oriented with the pass." The Bears ran for 67 yards in the first quarter, but were held to 50 yards for the remainder of the game.
Let's Get Physical
Offensively, Helton dialed up run after run, totaling 50 carries for the game split between Ronald Jones II, Tre Madden and Justin Davis. Jones II led the way with 80 yards on 11 carries and a TD. Helton called him a "special talent who seems to get better with every game." Madden had the biggest carries of the game, scoring on a 4th down run to cap the first drive of the second half. "He looked me in my eyes and said he believed in me and to get this yard for us," Madden recalled his conversation with Helton during the timeout before the play. Madden then sealed the game with a great individual effort late in the fourth quarter. "I am enjoying it," he said. "Our mentality is physical and I'm loving every bit of it."
Time to Shine
One play after Madden's touchdown run, Adoree' Jackson finally secured the first interception of his career, and then returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. "It felt good. [Scoring] was the only thing on my mind," Jackson said. "Since it's my first one, I might as well try and score." The pick-six opened up a 24-7 margin and enabled the Trojans to grind out the victory from there.
The Newest Next Man
Sophomore WR JuJu Smith-Schuster suffered a fracture in his hand, leaving a gaping hole at wide receiver, which freshman Deontay Burnett helped fill. "I am happy that I get an opportunity to play," said Burnett who had three catches for 82 yards. "I just have to take full advantage of it." Helton credited his coaches for "not just preparing the starters but everybody," and told Cody Kessler, "Trust your guys. They're going to make plays for you." Kessler finished 18/22 for 186 yards.
We Went to Jared
Jared Goff will be playing on Sundays soon, but USC handled the prolific passer by forcing him into mistakes. "As a defense, we just played great," said senior CB Kevon Seymour, who had his first interception of the season. "We won our 1-on-1s." Seymour explained that the Trojans are doing a better job "disguising" defenses during their resurgence the last two weeks. "I can't credit our defense enough for what they've done two weeks in a row," said Helton. "They've won back-to-back games for us."
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