Click here for the game recap and final stats.
Click here for Steve Sarkisian's press conference with Cody Kessler and Leonard Williams.
As Advertised
Sarkisian warned USC fans to stay in their seat when the offense has the ball because the Trojans are going to play at a breakneck speed. Well, he was not lying. USC set a Pac-12 record by running 104 offensive plays tonight. "I thought the guys really were locked into the game plan," said Sarkisian about the fast start, which included touchdowns on the first three drives. "They had a really good sense of urgency. And for the most part, it was pretty clean."The Point Guard
QB Cody Kessler set a new career-high with 394 yards passing plus 5 touchdowns (4 throwing and 1 running), but his athleticism stood out the most. While he is not asked to be a true dual threat quarterback, the prep basketball star showed some nimble footwork to extend plays and even pickup 28 rush yards. However, he could use some help on his sliding. "I got all over Clay [Helton] and said, 'What are you guys doing in individual when I am not looking?' We've got to work on our quarterback slides, that's for sure," joked Sarkisian, a former baseball player. "All in all for the first time in this system, I thought he played great."
Baby Boomers
USC bloodied the majority of the true freshmen tonight, but instead of succumbing to opening night nerves, they stole the show. Adoree' Jackson and Bryce Dixon caught touchdown passes. Damien Mama, Toa Lobendahn and Viane Talamaivao helped keep Kessler sack-free and paved the way for 268 rush yards (133 by Buck Allen). The 2014 class appears to be special, but maybe no one more so than JuJu Smith who caught 4 passes for 123 yards, which is more than Marqise Lee, Robert Woods and Nelson Agholor combined in their debuts. "Walking down the tunnel, I almost shed a tear," said Smith about his pregame emotions. "I knew what I had to do. I had to represent the Trojans."
Pick and Pop
Fresno State wanted no part of USC's pass rush, so both Bulldog quarterbacks got rid of the ball as quickly as possible. The Trojans' defense adjusted by clogging up the passing lanes and forcing four interceptions, including one by All-American DE Leonard Williams, who also had 7 tackles. "My coaches were telling me to try to beat the cut blocker by getting my hands up, and that's what I tried to do," said Williams, who almost had a second pick. He was joined in the pick party by LB Anthony Sarao, S Gerald Bowman and LB Michael Hutchings.
Nobody's Perfect
The first quarter was nearly flawless, but coaches are never satisfied. Sarkisian and his staff will point to two fumbles (Allen and Justin Davis) and a lackadaisical start to the second half as areas of improvement. The head coach stressed at halftime that the team "come out with the same fire" as they did in the first half, but instead, Fresno State marched right down the field for six. "That is definitely an area that we need to improve upon because for us to be a great team, we need to be a great second half team," said Sarkisian.
Game On
The Trojans were clearly not looking past Fresno State, but now we can all focus on the Pac-12 opener at Stanford (Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT on ABC), which has become an annual candidate for game of the year. The Cardinal won its opener 45-0 over UC Davis today, and they pose the toughest physical challenge on USC's schedule. "No partying tonight for me. I'm just going to get ready for Stanford week," said Williams, who knows the task at hand. "I'm pretty sure they are going to try to come back with some vengeance this week. We've just got to make sure all the guys are on board."
Here are the SnappyTV highlights from the season-opening win:
