The scoreboard says that USC defeated Fresno State 45-17, a 28-point wipeout of the Bulldogs on Saturday night in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
To be sure, the game was not a close one … but it wasn’t easy. Don’t let anyone make you think that. Fresno State physically challenged USC in a way that Rice and Stanford did not. Fresno State was able to sit back in coverage and generate a pass rush with its base front four, something Rice and Stanford failed to do.
On the first five drives of the Stanford game, the USC offense did not face a third down. On the first three drives of this Fresno State game, USC faced six third downs and three fourth downs.
The Trojans did convert all three of those fourth downs, in the game’s first 21 minutes. It’s great that they did … but that’s not easy offense. Moving through Stanford’s defense like a knife through warm butter, and hitting home runs and dancing across the field with no resistance? That was easy.
This was hard.
The tough, physical nature of this game was manifested in all the injuries. Jake Haener, Fresno’s star quarterback, got knocked out. Bobby Haskins, USC’s left tackle, left in the fourth quarter. Travis Dye winced in pain before coming back into the game and ripping off a brilliant touchdown run. Other Fresno State players got hurt late in the game. This was a slugfest. Don’t let the 28-point margin create the idea this was a breeze. It wasn’t.
Credit Caleb Williams for being clutch on third and fourth downs in the first half. If he hadn’t delivered those key plays, this game would have been closer in the second half.
USC’s defense didn’t face Haener for the full 60 minutes, so it’s hard to fully grade the Trojans for this game, but they did again make big plays inside their own 6-yard line, making multiple defensive stands near their own goal line. It’s a remarkable run of timely play from a defense which isn’t grading out in a larger overall sense, but is somehow keeping opponents’ point totals low.
USC was resourceful. Given the growing concerns at left tackle, the Trojans will need to be very creative and specific with their tactics against Oregon State, which is waiting in Corvallis next week, hoping to spring an upset. Lincoln Riley is about to meet his first really big test as USC head coach.
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