University Southern California Trojans
6-Points: USC 38, Oregon State 10
October 07, 2017 | Football, USC Ripsit Blog, Features
The Trojans host Utah next Saturday at the Coliseum (5 p.m.).
The Trojans are 5-1 at the midway point of the season after a comfortable victory over Oregon State.
Click here for the recap and final stats.
Bounced Back
After a tough loss on the road, USC came home to the friendly confines of the Coliseum and got back in the win column. "I've got to credit the defense," said head coach Clay Helton. "I really thought they did a wonderful job." The Trojans' defense held the Beavers to 10 points on 319 yards despite several short fields. "Today was a good day, I don't think it was a great day," Helton said. "There are some corrections that need to be made, but I thought we took a step forward as a total group, especially our young people."
Room to Improve
The USC offense came out humming, striking quickly with touchdowns on the first two drives, but "two turnovers really slowed our momentum down," Helton said. From there, the Trojans did enough to rack up 512 yards of offense, but struggled to find a consistent rhythm. "Once we get the flow going, we're going to be a hard team to stop," said QB Sam Darnold, who threw for 316 yards and 3 TDs. "It's just a matter of when." The USC offense needs to find its groove this week. "Obviously, the reality is that we have to do a great job as coaches to progress these young kids with the injuries that we have to make sure that we are playing at our best when we play a Utah team next week," Helton said.
Class in Session
In one game, WR Tyler Vaughns and TE Josh Falo hauled in their first career TD catches, while Falo and WR Randal Grimes made their first career catches. "We wanted to play a lot of young kids and get them involved," said Helton. "You look up and you have 13 different receivers catch the ball, a lot of freshmen and redshirt freshmen in there. Those type of experiences are going to help us as a team grow." Vaughns continues to be the standout player of the young receiving corps, leading all pass catchers today with 5 receptions for 68 yards. "It's good to see him step up the way he has because it sets a great example for the other young kids to do the same thing," Darnold said about Vaughns.
Ball Hawks
The USC defense added three more turnovers to its growing total, including the fourth interception of the season by CB Jack Jones. "I would honestly give the credit to my d-linemen," Jones said about the pick. "Without them putting the pressure on the quarterback to force him to make that throw, I probably would not have been able to make a play on the ball." Jones added a field goal block, while DE Rasheem Green (1.0) and DL Christian Rector (0.5) added to their sack totals.
Think of Fink
Along with another perfect snap by Jake Olson, backup QB Matt Fink provided the highlight of the day, taking his first career rush 51 yards to the house. "We know the type of speed that he has," Darnold said about Fink. "He's been working just as hard as anyone. To see him get his opportunity and shine, it's awesome." After the game, Fink was still clutching the ball as a treasured keepsake. "It's a wonderful feeling," Fink said. "It's staying in my arm for now."
Pac-12 South Showdown
Last year, the Trojans fell in the final seconds at Utah and it "cost us the opportunity to win the Pac-12 South," Helton said. "You can lose one game in the North, but you have to be able to win the Pac-12 South games if you want to play in San Fran come December." The Utes are always strong on the offensive and defensive lines, so USC's toughness will be tested. "It's a very big game for both teams and thank God it's in the Coli this time around," Helton said.
Click here for the recap and final stats.
Bounced BackAfter a tough loss on the road, USC came home to the friendly confines of the Coliseum and got back in the win column. "I've got to credit the defense," said head coach Clay Helton. "I really thought they did a wonderful job." The Trojans' defense held the Beavers to 10 points on 319 yards despite several short fields. "Today was a good day, I don't think it was a great day," Helton said. "There are some corrections that need to be made, but I thought we took a step forward as a total group, especially our young people."
Room to Improve
The USC offense came out humming, striking quickly with touchdowns on the first two drives, but "two turnovers really slowed our momentum down," Helton said. From there, the Trojans did enough to rack up 512 yards of offense, but struggled to find a consistent rhythm. "Once we get the flow going, we're going to be a hard team to stop," said QB Sam Darnold, who threw for 316 yards and 3 TDs. "It's just a matter of when." The USC offense needs to find its groove this week. "Obviously, the reality is that we have to do a great job as coaches to progress these young kids with the injuries that we have to make sure that we are playing at our best when we play a Utah team next week," Helton said.
Class in Session
In one game, WR Tyler Vaughns and TE Josh Falo hauled in their first career TD catches, while Falo and WR Randal Grimes made their first career catches. "We wanted to play a lot of young kids and get them involved," said Helton. "You look up and you have 13 different receivers catch the ball, a lot of freshmen and redshirt freshmen in there. Those type of experiences are going to help us as a team grow." Vaughns continues to be the standout player of the young receiving corps, leading all pass catchers today with 5 receptions for 68 yards. "It's good to see him step up the way he has because it sets a great example for the other young kids to do the same thing," Darnold said about Vaughns.
Ball Hawks
The USC defense added three more turnovers to its growing total, including the fourth interception of the season by CB Jack Jones. "I would honestly give the credit to my d-linemen," Jones said about the pick. "Without them putting the pressure on the quarterback to force him to make that throw, I probably would not have been able to make a play on the ball." Jones added a field goal block, while DE Rasheem Green (1.0) and DL Christian Rector (0.5) added to their sack totals.
Think of Fink
Along with another perfect snap by Jake Olson, backup QB Matt Fink provided the highlight of the day, taking his first career rush 51 yards to the house. "We know the type of speed that he has," Darnold said about Fink. "He's been working just as hard as anyone. To see him get his opportunity and shine, it's awesome." After the game, Fink was still clutching the ball as a treasured keepsake. "It's a wonderful feeling," Fink said. "It's staying in my arm for now."
Pac-12 South Showdown
Last year, the Trojans fell in the final seconds at Utah and it "cost us the opportunity to win the Pac-12 South," Helton said. "You can lose one game in the North, but you have to be able to win the Pac-12 South games if you want to play in San Fran come December." The Utes are always strong on the offensive and defensive lines, so USC's toughness will be tested. "It's a very big game for both teams and thank God it's in the Coli this time around," Helton said.
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DT
/ Football
WR
/ Football
CB
/ Football
SNP
/ Football
DL
/ Football
WR
/ FootballTuesday, June 23
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
Monday, June 22
