FOOTBALL

What Did We Learn From USC Victory Over Rutgers?

What did we learn from a game that ended at 11:42 p.m.?

USC has assumed an identity but few want to acknowledge it. They are an average team that has moments where they shine but then revert to ordinary play. You’ll never hear that from the fanboy media or Joel Klatt, because the narrative must be that the pot of gold always lies just ahead.

It’s not so much how USC plays but who they play. I wouldn’t feel good if they played Oregon or Ohio State. But average teams they have a chance to beat.

  • If someone wants to convince me the defense is getting better, good luck. USC let Rutgers run 89 plays and have possession for more than 36 minutes. The Scarlet Knights had 434 yards in total offense.

This was a limited offense that still managed to assert itself at points throughout the game. Rutgers was 14 for 28 on third-and-fourth down. If the Knights could do that all season, they would rank 10th nationally.

  • Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has a good reputation as a defensive coordinator at Ohio State and Miami, but what was his defense doing Friday night? The Scarlet Knights allowed USC receivers to get 251 yards after the catch out of 308 yards receiving.
  • Makai Lemon, who is the third receiver this season to look like he might seize the role of go-to guy (following Zacariah Branch and Ja’Kobi Lane) had 101 yards after the catch.

Speaking of Branch, he got demoted from kickoff returns (justifiably) and Lemon had an 80-yard return. Looks like Lemon is the new kickoff return guy instead of Fair Catch Branch.

  • Woody Marks continued to be the offense’s mainstay as he led the Trojans in rushing (94 yards) and receptions (5 for 48 yards) while rushing for three TD’s.
  • Miller Moss? He had 49 yards passing prior to yards after contact.
  • Now a word about Mason Cobb. I was quite complimentary of him last season, especially the way he fronted up to the media during a trying season. But what he did Friday night was classless after Rutgers tailback Kyle Monangai laid on the field after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit that involved Cobb (video below).

I hope the coaches spoke to him after the game and hopefully Cobb himself will address it in the next few days. It’s even worse because Cobb is a fifth-year senior and was a team captain last season. How undisciplined is USC under Lincoln Riley?

This is not what it means to be a Trojan, something a lot of people simply forget or don’t know anything about.

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40 thoughts on “What Did We Learn From USC Victory Over Rutgers?”

  1. A victory needed and secured….next Saturday 2nd November @ WA 4:30 pm kickoff on BTN.

    Hate to admit it but a dramatic win for the Dodgers last night – Freeman’s walk-off grand slam.

    Was flipping btwn Fox 11 and FS1 as 8:00 pm came and went.

    WA @ IN 9:00 am this morning BTN –
    Hoosiers are 5.5 fav at home.

    LSU @ TX A&M – 4:30 pm ABC Tigers 1 point underdog against the Aggies

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  2. It’s a good thing that the Rutgers QB couldn’t hit his butt with a shovel when throwing the football or run more that five yards without tripping over his own two feet, or USC might have been in trouble, because Rutgers was moving the ball with consistency and would’ve scored more points.

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  3. Looks as if Wolf’s idea of over/under 30,000 attendance at the SC game last night was under 30,000, but that is L.A. for you with multiple choices of available entertainment

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  4. During a stoppage in play early in the game, the crowd went crazy. Yelling, jumping, high fives all around. Imagine my disappointment when I found out it was about the Dodgers and not Bronny James making a jump shot.

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  5. What I found out at a game that ended at 11:42 PM was it was a good idea to crash at the USC Hotel than try to navigate back home last night. I’m not a young man anymore LOL

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  6. In the 10th inning the Dodgers’ fans were still hopeful but appeared depressed looking at a 3-2 deficit, but somehow ‘De Bums’ loaded the bases setting up the winning grand slammer, hence setting flame to the fans as they hugged strangers while jumping up and down like pogo sticks– From depression to ecstasy is quite a trip

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  8. Oh and the SC Trojan team is doing fine, thank you, they are better than their record, and ‘most all’ will be forgiven if they beat YUCLA
    and Neuter Dame

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  10. As has been written, college football national championships are harder than ever to come by, especially with the introduction of the ‘Final-12 Teams’ program– winning 3 or 4 games against the Top-12 is a tall task

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  11. –Trying hard to rationalize the fact SC is not in the ‘Final-12, maybe it’s not that big of a deal anyway. Besides the YUCLA and ND games are always ‘little universes’ unto themselves

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  12. KAM: As we are but days away from the finish line I see where the attacks against us our getting more personal and vicious

    DON: Doesn’t bother me much, got to love the process

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    1. Sparrow: Kamala has been calling Trump a Nazi for the past week. Can’t get much more personal and vicious than that. Yet your statement suggests that Kamala is the one who is being viciously attacked. You could write for the LA Times. Heard there looking for some new people in the editorial department.

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      5. She’s got NOTHING to run on other than vilifying Trump. Hilarious that anyone would be stupid enough to vote for someone so obviously unqualified to be the President of the United States! We have a LOT of really retarded people walking among us.

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      6. trump’s got NOTHING to run on other than vilifying Harris. Hilarious that anyone would be stupid enough to vote for someone so obviously unqualified to be the President of the United States! We have a LOT of really retarded people walking among us.

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  13. KAM: It’s interesting how the words we use can sometimes be interpreted different ways

    DON: Yep, people filter information through their biased lenses, either left or right or central

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      1. The people who were dumb enough to believe Joe didn’t have dementia will be dumb enough to buy into Kamala’s fear mongering. So sad that she has nothing else to run on. Dumb as a bag of rocks.

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      2. The people who were dumb enough to believe trump didn’t have dementia will be dumb enough to buy into Vance’s fear mongering. So sad that she has nothing else to run on. Dumb as a bag of rocks.

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  14. I am still trying to figure out this disparity:

    Rutgers 89 offensive plays

    USC 51 offensive plays

    And so much for Schiano as a defensive genius

    Eddie should be the punter for this year’s All-American teams.

    Maiava is a big fella – I’d love to see him play more. Miller isn’t throwing with the same velocity or accuracy he had in the first couple of games.

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    1. We need to create more negative plays on defense. Other programs such as Michigan have edge rushers who sack the quarterback and/or pressure them to throw interceptions. Haven’t seen that from our guys. We need Braylon Shelby to step up.

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      1. I loved the play of Sam Greene (44) and Kamryn Fountain (49). I think (hope) they will play more. We are without most of the staring DBs, and that showed.

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  15. Michael, George, Bourbon, Pudly, Calabasas, Ed.G , Linkster, Lateral Vertical, Marvienna, Tim Leftwich, Bob Jensen, et. al., where are you gents?

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    2. There is ONE who enjoys it. The rest of us WISH we didn’t have to call a spade a spade, (i.e. the failure that is the Biden-Harris administration).

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      1. There is ONE who enjoys it, slo pa-troll The rest of us WISH we didn’t have to call a spade a spade, (i.e. the failure that is the trump administration).

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  18. — Records aside, the finish to SC’s season should be fun with every game being interesting starting with Wash

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