Lynn Swann: “We learn from the mistakes”

In his monthly State of Troy address on Wednesday, Athletic Director Lynn Swann offered encouragement following USC’s blowout opening season loss to Alabama.

Swann said that the disparity on the scoreboard — the Crimson Tide won 52-6 — last Saturday was a result of mistakes, missed assignments and Alabama’s talent.

“One game, especially the first game, does not make a season and does not break a season,” Swann said. “Everyone in the Trojan Family would have liked to have been on the right side of an upset win over the No. 1 team in the country, but we are a better football team than the score indicated.”

Swann, who is just a few months into his tenure as Athletic Director after taking over from the retired Pat Haden in July, said the team’s goal is still to win the Pac-12 conference and be in Rose Bowl contention.

“You find the resolve to come back and play the next week,” Swann said. “We always learn more from the difficult things we endure in life than the easy wins. We celebrate the victories, but we learn from the mistakes.”

Swann noted that the mistakes made last Saturday are correctable, and that college football teams usually see improvements in between the season’s first and third games.

USC plays Utah State on Saturday. The Trojans are 16-point favorites to win their home opener and have not lost to a team from the Mountain West Conference since 1992.

“We are looking for a lot of improvement in terms of assignments, not making mistakes and playing better football in the second game of the season against Utah State,” Swann said.