USC needs to hit stride in coming games
In September 2013, USC’s head coach Lane Kiffin was fired on a tarmac at the LAX airport by athletic director Pat Haden after a 62-41 loss to Arizona State. The previous season, Kiffin’s 2012 team was a National Championship favorite and had earned a preseason No. 1 AP ranking, but the Trojans ended up going 7-6, finishing off the season with an embarrassing 21-7 loss to Georgia Tech. After Kiffin’s lackluster 3-2 start to the 2013 season, Haden had seen enough.
The USC fanbase was down and morale was low. The Trojans then went on a 6-1 run, winning five in a row under the leadership of interim head coach Ed Orgeron. That run included a 20-17 upset victory over No. 4 Stanford in front of a sold-out Coliseum. Fans stormed the field. The band created a new chant. It was a magical time to be a Trojan.
It is now 2021. Athletic Director Mike Bohn fired former head coach Clay Helton in September. Interim head coach Donte Williams stepped up to the plate, just like Orgeron did, and now he has a chance to do something just as special. USC still has a very favorable remaining schedule, and all of the team’s games are winnable. There is still a lot to look forward to, just like there was in 2013 after Kiffin’s dismissal.
Washington State will be the first test that USC will have without Helton. Last year, the Trojans blew the Cougars out of the water, scoring 28 points in the first quarter alone and winning 38-13. Sitting at 1-1 this season, the Cougars lost a close season-opener against Utah State but bounced back last Saturday with a comfortable victory against Portland State.
Given the coaching change, this game against the Cougars could be shaky, and it would not be a surprise if the game was close. A win here for USC would be a huge momentum-starter for Williams, and if he blows the Cougars out, it could provide the momentum needed to get a win streak going.
After the road trip to Pullman, the Trojans will return home to the Coliseum to face Oregon State Sept. 25. If USC handles Washington State, there’s a good chance the Coliseum will be buzzing with fans hyped to witness a new head coach lead the team for the first time since 2015. Facing the Trojans at home, the Beavers have only gone 8-13 overall since 2019.
The Trojans have no excuse to lose this game. If they win, it will be an opportunity for the fans at the Coliseum to rally around Williams and show him their full-fledged support.
The matchups against Washington State and Oregon State will be the Trojans’ most important opportunities to find their footing with Williams, but their toughest opponents will not come until October and November. Perhaps the toughest matchup of the season will come Oct. 23, when USC travels to South Bend, Ind. to face No. 12 Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s two victories this season have looked anything but dominant, but USC hasn’t won in South Bend since 2011. If USC is ever going to break that streak, this is the season to do it.
The Fighting Irish barely squeaked by Florida State in overtime to win their first game of the season. That same Florida State team just lost to an FCS opponent in Jacksonville State at home Saturday. Notre Dame almost lost last week as well, but a last-minute touchdown gave the Irish a victory over Toledo.
Arizona State and UCLA will be the other two toughest matchups of the season for the Trojans. Both teams remain undefeated and ranked in the top-20 of the current AP Poll. UCLA defeated SEC powerhouse LSU Sept. 4.
The bottom line is this: USC was picked to win the Pac-12 South with 27 first place votes for a reason. Helton’s removal does not take away any of the talent that is overwhelmingly present on USC’s roster. If Williams can find a way to harness that talent, win early against the Cougars and Beavers and clean up the unnecessary penalties and mistakes, then he and the Trojans can be as successful as they want to be.