Click here for the recap and final stats.
Drive Killers
The Trojans moved the ball well most of the night, gaining 5.8 yards per play, but penalties and miscues derailed too many drives to keep up with Stanford's efficient offense. USC's offensive line was flagged for six false starts, five in the first half. "We don't like to blame other factors, but the defensive lineman were saying, 'Go,'" explained OG Damien Mama. "We have just got to be better as an offensive line to hone in on the cadence and don't jump offsides." Head coach Clay Helton said that USC went to a silent count in the second half, which solved the problem.
Wild Caff
On the other side, Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey tortured the Trojans once again, amassing 260 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. "The thing that Stanford does well is that they have really patient runners, especially Christian McCaffrey," said USC NT Stevie Tu'ikolovatu. "He's pretty good at waiting for his blocks to develop, finding any gap and then he hits it hard." McCaffrey nibbled away at the Trojans for most of the night, gaining five and six yards at a time. "You look up and there were a lot of 3rd and 1s, 2s, 3s," said Helton about Stanford's methodical game plan. The Heisman candidate did have a couple signature moments as well, shaking loose for a 56-yard touchdown catch and a 33-yard run to setup another score.
Remember the Run
Statistically speaking, USC's tailback tandem, Justin Davis and Ronald Jones II, were almost as effective as McCaffrey, but they did not impact the game nearly as much. "It felt really good," said Mama about winning the battle at the line of scrimmage. "We've just got to learn how to keep it going." Helton explained that they "definitely wanted to continue to go to [the run]" but they also "wanted to try and stay balanced." In the end, Davis averaged 4.5 yards per carry and Jones went for 5.7 yards per rush.
Reevaluating
Helton did not commit to a starting quarterback after the game. "Anytime that you sit there, and you're 1-2, you've got to evaluate every position," he said about choosing the starter for Utah on Friday night. "I think Max [Browne] played an efficient game. I look forward to watching the tape of everybody." Browne went 18/28 for 191 yards, while Sam Darnold was 5/7 for 45 yards and a late interception.
Star Standard
Junior cornerback Adoree' Jackson continues to set the pace for his teammates, playing another near flawless game. He made a leaping grab for his second career interception and knocked away a pass in the end zone. Jackson was also second on the team in tackles with six solo stops, including one for loss. Primarily, he was matched up with Stanford's top wide receiver Michael Rector who was held to one catch for three yards.
Short Week, Big Game
"We have no time to feel sorry for ourselves," said Helton. "We've got to get ready for Utah." The head coach is right. The Trojans fly to Salt Lake City on Thursday for a Friday night battle in the Pac-12 South. The Trojans backs are already against the wall having dropped their conference opener. The game will be a homecoming for Utah grad transfer Stevie Tu'ikolavatu. "I am just super excited to play back at home, to play against my buddies at Utah. I don't know if the fans are going to like me over there, but I'm going to have a great time. I can't wait."
Click here to hear what Adoree' Jackson, Deontay Burnett and Cam Smith had to say after the game.
Here are the game highlights:
Here are the game highlights:
