Key USC stat of the game vs. Stanford: No third downs on first 5 drives

Stanford’s defense didn’t come remotely close to stopping #USC on the Trojans’ first 5 possessions. That’s not hyperbole; it’s the plain truth.

The USC Trojans got out to a massive lead against Stanford on Saturday night on the road. The Trojans went into the locker rooms at the half with a 35-14 lead and an electric QB-WR duo of Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison.

The Trojans wound up winning the game, 41-28, and the offense went a bit cold in the second half.

However, there is one key stat about this victory over Stanford: The Trojans didn’t have one single third down in the first five drives of the game.

Max Williams intercepted Tanner McKee on the first drive of the game, and a few plays later, Caleb threw a touchdown pass to Lake McRee. After that, a long Stanford drive ended in a Mekhi Blackmon interception in the end zone.

Then, the Trojans engineered a masterful drive from their own 17 and ended up with a 22-yard TD pass to Jordan Addison.

The end of the first quarter was one of the biggest highlights of the game — a 75-yard touchdown pass to Addison.

Surprisingly enough, USC’s high-powered offense didn’t have a third down until less than a minute left in the first half.

The USC offense looks dangerous, and Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison just might be the best QB-WR duo in college football. Now, if only they can figure things out in the second half of games.

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