6-Points: USC 55, Arkansas St. 6

By Jordan Moore on September 6, 2015 12:43 AM | No Comments

The Trojans open the season with an emphatic win under the lights at the Coliseum.

Click here for the final stats and game recap.

Click here for the post-game press conference.

Click here for the Rapid Reaction.

Welcome to the Show

Twenty-two Trojans debuted Saturday night, headlined by a star-studded freshmen class, which accounted for three touchdowns. "It was really cool to see a lot of people play and get experience and get better as the game went on," said head coach Steve Sarkisian. Freshmen tailbacks Ronald Jones II (44-yard TD run) and Aca'Cedric Ware (6-yard TD run) scored for the first time, while LB Osa Masina returned a fumble for six. Cam Smith, who was the first freshman to start at ILB since Riki Gray (Ellison) in 1978, tied for the team lead with 7 tackles. "Running out of the tunnel, I felt a little bit [of nerves], but after the first play, I felt pretty good," said Smith. "On the field, I felt good. I was reacting instead of thinking."

Squad Goals

Like most head coaches, Sarkisian stresses the importance of turnover margin, but he went the extra step by setting the goal to increase forced turnovers from 23 in 2014 to 33 or more this season. "We've been preaching this since day one. If we want to go from good to great, it starts with the ball," he said. The Trojans are well on their way, playing a clean game offensively, and then taking away two interceptions and two fumbles, which sparked the offense. "I thought the best thing all game was that our defense was making plays and our offense was building off their energy, which is really cool to see," said QB Cody Kessler, who completed 19/26 for 236 yards and 4 TDs with 0 INTs.

Madden 2015

While Kessler and the passing game spread the ball around, senior RB Tre Madden (pictured), who missed all of last season with an injury, was the focal point of the rushing attack. He ran for 106 yards on 12 carries, including a career-long 65-yard TD run. "It felt awesome to be out here and touch the end zone twice and help the team win the game," said Madden, who also caught a TD pass. "Overall, I felt I had a pretty good game and got to show a little burst."

Fresh and Easy

For the first time in years, the Trojans are deep, and they showed it off by constantly shuttling players in and out. They managed to execute the new platoon system without many substitution mistakes and used it effectively to wear down the Red Wolves. "I thought the process was good," said Sarkisian. "What I've been preaching to these guys is, 'Don't save yourself. Give us amazing effort for one, two, three, four plays, whatever you got, and then we can sub you.'"

Work to Do

The performance was not without flaws, many of which were typical of a season opener. Of note, Kessler was sacked four times in the first half. "We need to clean up assignment football," said Sarkisian about the offensive line. "And two, we need to continue to fight to win one-on-ones." The line made the adjustment at halftime and only gave up one sack after the break. "The coolest thing to me is that the offensive line took it personal," said Kessler. "They came up to me later in the game and said, 'That won't happen again. It hurts us more than it hurts you.'" Offensively, the Trojans also want to improve on timing in the passing game and third down conversions.

The Start of Something Good

"Tonight wasn't perfect by any means, but it was a good start to the season for us," Sarkisian summed it up. In front of 79,000 USC fans, the young Trojans took care of business against a tricky opponent, which will likely go on to contend for the Sun Belt title. The positive stories included 11 different Trojans making a catch, and six different players carrying the football. Backup QB Max Browne, 3/5 for 66 yards, ran the offense for the entire fourth quarter. Chris Hawkins, who switched from corner to safety in the offseason, snagged an interception and recovered a fumble. And, Jalen Greene, the quarterback turned wideout, caught two passes and completed another.

Extra Point...

Adoree' Scare

One moment, it looked like Adoree' Jackson was about to return a punt for a touchdown. The next, the Coliseum cringed as he pulled up lame on the sideline. Sarkisian explained that Jackson felt a "twinge just above his hip" and he came away "a little spooked." But, "I think he'll be okay," said the head coach, which Jackson reiterated on Twitter.

Here are the SnappyTV highlights from the first victory of the new season:

6-Points: USC 55, Arkansas St. 6

6-Points: USC 55, Arkansas St. 6

Tags:

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University Southern California Trojans

6-Points: USC 55, Arkansas St. 6

6-Points: USC 55, Arkansas St. 6

Tags:

Trojans footer