Progress Report: USC vs. Washington
The USC Trojans are more reality TV than Keeping Up with the Kardashians. That is never a good sign. On Thursday night we witnessed the worst game since the loss to Washington State two years ago. The offense was disorganized and the quarterback play was subpar at best. It just seemed like something was off. And now with Coach Steve Sarkisian taking an indefinite leave of absence issued by athletic director Pat Haden, it seems like the loss was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I am hopeful however. I think Coach Clay Helton is a tremendous coach and if given the support by USC, he can lead the Trojans back to where we were some 10 years ago. It’s not going to happen this year, but I like where we are heading if he is leading us.
Side Note: After this report card we are in danger of being placed on Troy Talk’s academic probation
Grades:
Quarterback: F
People are calling for Coach Sark to be fired, and while that may have some merit, I don’t blame the loss solely on him. Kessler was slow, uncertain, and extremely unimpressive. This was a game that USC surely had the edge in quarterback play, but it was Kessler, and not UW’s Jake Browning, who looked like the true freshman. I still believe Kessler can do a good job at quarterback, but as I have said before he lacks the killer instinct to lead us to a perennial powerhouse.
Running Backs: B+
I was actually surprised at how well we ran the ball. Tre Madden had over 100 yards on the ground. Dominic Davis even showed a glimpse of playmaking potential when he broke off a little catch and run. But for some reason we seemed to stray away from the run. I think a heavy dosage of our run game is going to be crucial to get the victory next week in South Bend.
Wide Receivers: B-
I can’t really give a grade for this group considering Kessler failed to get them the ball. Juju Smith-Schuster even had an uncharacteristic and very crucial fumble deep in our territory. Kessler needs to find a way to distribute the ball and not lock on to just Smith-Schuster. Despite the injuries to Steven Mitchell and Darreus Rogers, I still think this group has the potential to be unstoppable.
Offensive Line: C+
Okay some of the sacks were the fault of the offensive line. But Cody Kessler was too slow in breaking down the defense and at times folded under the pressure when his #1 target was covered. If Washington blitzes 6+ guys, the offensive line can only do so much. This group still needs to improve mightily, but they did give the running backs some holes against a very good front four of the Huskies.
Defensive Line: D+
I am still not seeing what I want from this group. I thought we may have turned a corner against ASU. However, I still see us getting pushed back in crucial situations. We are truly seeing how much difference once player can make with Leonard Williams gone. Maybe the new coaching change inspire this group, but that doesn’t seem very likely.
Linebackers: C
Same old, same old. An overall average performance with flashes of brilliance. I saw more blitzing (meaning about four blitzes) where we sent the athletic guys we have in our linebacker corps. And in my opinion, it worked out most of the time. However, I think the general consensus is that Wilcox’s “bend-don’t-break” mentality is not conducive to the development of our young linebackers.
Secondary: C
Let’s look at the silver lining. Biggie got his first pick! But that’s just about all that happened in this game. Numerous time our secondary got beat only to see Jake Browning overthrow a Washington receiver or have that receiver drop the ball. Things could have been a lot uglier if the talented freshman QB would have been on his game. The secondary needed to rattle this guy, but I’d consider it a failed mission.
Special Teams: C+
Alex Wood missed when Heidari wouldn’t have missed. That’s about the moral of the story. When we need a short field goal in the second quarter, Wood is our guy. But we lack the confidence in our special teams unit that is necessary to win the big games. Albarado continues to improve with his punts. Adoree’ is trying too hard in the return game, but I can’t blame him for that. Somebody has to make something happen.
Overall: D+
The Trojans played horribly. This is definitely not a grade that goes up on the refrigerator. Hopefully we turn things around and salvage the season. Believe it or not, I think we somehow beat Notre Dame next week. Don’t ask me how. Logic does not apply.
- USC 24- ND 21
Fight On!