When opposing offenses get tougher and opposing quarterbacks get better, what will the USC defense do?
What happens when the Trojans face Shedeur Sanders in a few weeks in Boulder, Colorado?
Trojans Wire editor Matt Zemek spoke to Nick Shepkowski of Fighting Irish Wire
“We don’t want to overreact to a first game. Players should learn a few things over the next month. However, when a really good quarterback such as Sam Hartman gets a look at this defense, it’s hard — based on this San Jose State game — to feel really confident the Trojans will have answers. USC will probably give up at least 40 points in a few games this season, and that’s the scenario the Trojans need to avoid.
“When a good team or athlete enters a high-stress situation, fans feel confident that the team or athlete will figure out how to survive it. When a bad team or a struggling athlete enters that same situation, fans don’t feel confident at all. If the Chicago White Sox are playing the Baltimore Orioles and the game is tied in the eighth inning, which fan base will trust the team to come through in the clutch? Caleb Williams is Felix Bautista. Alex Grinch is the White Sox bullpen.”
USC was better against Nevada than it was versus San Jose State, but the larger point remains: This defense has not faced an elite test. We’re all waiting to see what happens when that scenario arrives in 2023.
Check out our Pac-12 football predictions roundtable for the 2023 season.