Trojans are back as a rising power

If the college football season started Oct. 1, USC would be a shoo-in for the college football playoff and redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Darnold would be the most formidable contender to Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson for the Heisman trophy.

Unfortunately for the Trojan nation — and fortunately for every other team — the season starts in September.  Regardless of this year’s postseason awards though, the rest of the nation should be on alert: A rhsllen power is rising once again.

The Trojans’ dominant 26-13 victory over the previously unbeaten fourth-ranked Washington Huskies announced to the world that the Trojans of old are back. Much like the days of Pete Carroll, this is another Trojan team that no one — outside of maybe Alabama — would want to face come bowl season.

Great teams do what the Trojans did on Saturday. They go into hostile territory against equally talented foes, and out-scheme and out-play them. Some might point to the perfectly executed two-minute clinic that Darnold put on to give the Trojans a 17-6 lead heading into half, but the game was over way before then.

On Washington’s third play from scrimmage, they ran a reverse, a play that previously this year has killed the Trojan defense. The ball carrier for the Huskies was John Ross, quite possibly the fastest player in college football. In open space, junior hybrid linebacker-defensive end Uchenna Nwosu was tasked with making a solo tackle. Outside of maybe the SEC, linebackers and linemen are not supposed to have the speed and agility to make these kinds of plays. Yet there was Nwosu, knifing through the offensive line to bring Ross down for an 8-yard loss.

With that emphatic tackle for loss, the tone was set. The great USC defenses of the 21st century haven’t allowed teams to get outside. Any time an offense tried to go east or west, the Trojans were there in droves to snuff it out behind the line of scrimmage. That was the case on Saturday for running back Myles Gaskin and the rest of the Huskies backfield. Combine that with the immense pressure the USC front seven was able to generate on quarterback Jake Browning, and it is clear the Trojans’ immense defensive talent is developing before our eyes.

As was evident in the Huskies’ matchup against Utah, when Browning gets pressured, his poise and presence evaporates into erratic and off-target throws. The same could not be said of Darnold, who proved on Saturday he is the class of the Pac-12 and probably the nation.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson may be a bit faster, but I honestly believe Darnold is a better quarterback than both of them right now. Outside of his one misguided interception, Darnold was practically flawless throughout the night. He had two or three errant throws, but the rest of his incompletions were either drops or throw away passes and his second interception was because of a slip. In addition, Darnold proved that his two-minute drill offense is the best in the country. USC has now scored a touchdown or field goal every time they have had a chance in the final two minutes of the first half since Darnold took over.

Not only did he create extra time with his feet inside the pocket, but on his called-back touchdown run, Darnold also bowled over helpless defenders like they were still in high school. The reason the offense is running on all cylinders now is because those third and medium plays that were so hard to convert with Kessler, and — in a limited sample size — Browne, are easy with Darnold. In addition to the threat of the run, his ability to throw over the middle is better than that of Mark Sanchez, who was the last Trojan quarterback with that crucial skill.

Darnold has the arm strength and vision that USC hasn’t had at quarterback in years, and he is getting better each week. Darnold isn’t the only reason to be bullish on the Trojans’ offense. Sophomore wide receiver Deontay Burnett turned in another excellent performance, and redshirt freshman tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe might be the best pass catching tight end the Trojans have had since Mackey Award winner Fred Davis. The team will certainly miss the contributions of senior wide receiver Darreus Rogers and junior wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (if he turns pro), but freshman Michael Pittman and others are ready to step in and pick up the slack.

While there were many outstanding contributions, the best part about this Trojan victory was that it was not perfect. For the first time in forever, USC faced adversity and they did not wilt and wither away. When Darnold threw his second interception and Washington had the ball in field goal range, I had flashbacks to Utah earlier this year and Stanford in the conference title game last year as well as countless other games The Trojans have faltered in the last half decade.

After the turnover, the team played stout defense and sophomore defensive tackle Rasheem Green made a marvelous play on the blocked field goal, one of many on the night for a budding star. The Trojans picked up the ball and marched down the field. They were almost stymied once again with a damaging 15-yard penalty in the red zone, but the team was not to be denied the end zone, finding a way to score after staring at first and goal from the 24-yard line.

Overall, the Trojans dominated the Huskies, and what is even more impressive is that the Trojans could have been even better. The rest of the Pac-12 must be very concerned right about now, because USC is finally back and head coach Clay Helton deserves all the credit.

I was immensely critical of him after the start to the season — not because of scheme particularly but because of the conservative approach he took early on. He has completely shed that persona and his newly found gunslinger mentality bodes well for the team. His decision to go for it on fourth and one with two minutes left was brilliant. Though the actual play call was lacking, rolling Darnold out should be the default play on any critical short yardage conversion, his aggressiveness and faith in his offense speaks to his growth and development as a coach.

It is a shame the season didn’t start Oct. 1, but with some lucky losses from Utah and Colorado, the Trojans still have the chance to win the Pac-12 and a Rose Bowl. It may not be the playoff, but ending an eight-year drought would be a great start to a new era. With Darnold at the helm, anything is possible.

Jake Davidson is a senior majoring in accounting. His column, “Davidson’s Direction,” runs Mondays.