BIG TEN BITES
B1G spring game officially sends USC to a new conference
The Trojans donned the Pac-12 logo for the last time at the summer-starting matchup.
By THOMAS JOHNSON
Spring games are the most complicated matchups to sift through.
When the defense intercepts the offense four times, is that a sign the defense is much improved from its dreadful 2023 season — when the unit finished 116th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense — or is it an indication that the Trojan offense has taken a big step back?
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At the end of the day, Trojan fans should not overreact over the spring game. The USC defense also won the April matchup last year, and then turned around and produced one of the worst performances in Trojan history.
It was concerning that USC’s presumed starting quarterback in 2024, redshirt junior Miller Moss, slung two of the interceptions. But people are quick to forget Moss’ six-touchdown performance in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, which set the USC bowl game touchdown record.
The spring game was an exhibition match that showed what this Trojan team could be when it starts Big Ten play this upcoming fall. Here are a few of those glimpses, and what they might mean for USC.
The cornerback room is rounding into form
No, this is not an overreaction to the unit’s four-interception performance, although the picks certainly didn’t hurt with the group’s evaluation.
A major reason why USC gave up 246.4 passing yards per game in 2023 — good for No. 101 in the nation — was because of majorly blown coverages, where receivers were completely unguarded and had easy receptions. When the Trojans played Oregon during their last campaign, the Ducks’ senior wide receiver Tez Johnson was left wide-open in the end zone for an easy touchdown.
The cornerbacks — now coached by Doug Belk — did not have such holes, at least in limited action. The defense did allow a 36-yard pass play, but the longest touchdown reception was only 17 yards, suggesting the defense is better about limiting the truly damaging plays.
Redshirt senior cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson, on top of an interception, had an acrobatic pass breakup that made the Mississippi State transfer into one of the top standouts of the afternoon. The 6-foot-3 Nicholson offers much more length to USC than last year’s roster, and he lined up across from redshirt senior cornerback Jacobe Covington — who stands at 6-foot-2 — to start the spring game.
USC has a talented, but inexperienced wide receiver room
Iron sharpens iron.
It seems hypocritical to say the cornerbacks had a good showing at the spring game, and then come right back and say the wide receivers are a highlight of the game, but that’s exactly what happened.
Five of USC’s top-six receivers this past weekend, in terms of yardage, will be true sophomores or younger this upcoming season. But what the pass catchers lack in experience, they make up for in talent.
Sophomore wide receiver Makai Lemon caught that 17-yard touchdown pass and did a great job adjusting on an underthrown ball to get around redshirt junior cornerback Prophet Brown — who was a standout himself with a 100-yard pick-six — and nabbed the pass for a score.
Lemon’s grab was not an indictment on Brown’s defense, though. Throws to the endzone usually head to the back corner, but this one was slightly underthrown and Lemon was forced to adjust. It was good defense, just better offense.
Similarly, redshirt senior wide receiver Jaden Richardson, one of the few veterans among the pass catchers, had a strong grab despite stiff coverage. With freshman cornerback Marcelles Williams — one of the other defensive backs with an interception — guarding the transfer from Division III’s Tufts University, Richardson had to make an adjustment to cut back and secure the reception on an underthrown ball.
This was another instance where it was not necessarily bad defense from Williams, but just a great grab from Richardson.
Beyond securing receptions in coverage, the pass catchers did a good job of creating separation on under routes. Even though the Trojan defense had major issues last season, USC’s offense had its struggles, too. The team’s wideouts struggled to create distance between themselves and their defenders in 2023, forcing then-quarterback Caleb Williams to hold onto the ball for too long.
That was not the case at the spring game.
After the quarterbacks started throwing interceptions, the offense started to call shorter routes and allowed the wideouts to show off their skills after the catch. Despite relying on low-yardage throws in the latter part of the game, the USC offense still ended up averaging 10.7 yards per completion, as the pass catchers created separation in small distances and ran well after the reception.
The defensive line still needs work
This is not at all a surprise. New defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and defensive line coach Eric Henderson cannot flip a switch to fix all of the defense’s problems.
Junior defensive lineman Bear Alexander did not play because of an injury, which might explain the struggles; but there was little production from the men up front. While multiple young players did make their presence known — freshmen linebackers Elijah Newby and Desman Stephens II combined for nine tackles — the defensive front as a whole put up a mere one sack.
Since the signal callers relied mainly on the short game, there was little time for players to get to the quarterback and few defensive players actually made tackles in an attempt to limit potential injuries. But still, USC will likely need to dip into the transfer portal to obtain an impact player for the middle of the defense before next season.
If the spring game revealed anything, it is that the game means very little. The Trojans did not tackle much at the exhibition, as fans went home without knowing whether the new defensive staff fixed something that has been a problem for nearly two seasons now.
Still, the coaching staff and fans alike gained a glimpse into how this team might function come the Trojans’ season-opening matchup with LSU in September, and the holes that need to be filled before USC’s first conference matchup with Michigan.
Trojan fans, it is time for the Big Ten, whether USC is ready for it or not.
