Trojans rally for win in Corvallis

If you were looking to see the USC offense that averaged 50 points per game through their first three contests of the season, I hope you didn’t travel to Corvallis.

“[I’m] obviously not real enthused about how we played offensively, other than the fact that we finished,” said Head Coach Lincoln Riley. 

The Trojans escaped Reser Stadium with a 17-14 win in what Riley called a “slugfest,” but raised some serious questions along the way. The defense accounted for 4 interceptions, which were crucial in supporting an offense that looked off-kilter and sloppy. 

“Our defense, the 4 turnovers, the huge stops, closing the game… you can’t say enough about how we played defensively,” Riley said. “A lot of guys stepped up and played through a lot of things. It was a gutsy performance by the defense.”

Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams, who sported a 74% completion rate through the season’s first three games, completed just 16 of his 36 passing attempts and threw only 1 touchdown — a perfectly placed ball to junior wide receiver Jordan Addison in the game’s final minutes to put the Trojans back on top for good. 

Williams was under serious pressure throughout the game thanks to a strong pass rush and lockdown coverage from Oregon State. The speedy quarterback was able to use his legs to pick up yards when necessary but did not look like a Heisman candidate for much of the night. 

“Some days you’re not going to be at your best,” Riley said. “Some things are not going to go your way and how you respond in those moments is what separates you.”

Despite struggling throughout the game, Williams kept his composure, delivering when it was needed most. On 4th and 6 on the Trojans’ winning drive, Williams scrambled for 7 yards, past impending defenders and was met at the line to gain by a dam of Oregon State Beavers. 

Redshirt senior offensive lineman Brett Neilon sprinted downfield and, along with the rest of the offensive line, pushed Williams across the line, extending the drive that would lead to Addison’s incredible game winning catch. 

The Trojans got off to a rocky start, with their first drive resulting in a turnover on downs after Williams was unable to convert a 4th and 6. It was the first time this season that USC had not scored a touchdown on their opening drive. USC’s typically high-powered offense would go on to score just 3 points — one field goal — in the first half. 

“We just kind of had trouble seizing momentum and, you know, give them credit… They made some competitive plays and made things tough on us,” Riley said. “I thought at times we had some routine things, whether it was calls, whether it was throws, whether it was catches, that we just did not do to the level that we need to.”

Redshirt freshman placekicker Denis Lynch had a chance to put the Trojans ahead in the first quarter, but missed a 35-yard field goal attempt. Oregon State took advantage of the momentum, with redshirt junior quarterback Chance Nolan making solid completions before redshirt sophomore running back Deshaun Fenwick scored a touchdown on a 4-yard run. 

Williams and his typical targets were out of sync, as the Oklahoma transfer only connected with sophomore wide receiver Mario Williams once and didn’t target Addison at all in the first half. A few of Williams’ throws could have been intercepted but, fortunately for the Trojans, they were dropped by Oregon State defenders. Williams has yet to throw a pick this season. 

The USC defense held Oregon State to just 2 touchdowns and 320 yards of total offense. While the Beavers were able to sustain long drives and USC struggled at times to defend against the run, the Trojan defense adapted to Oregon State’s play calling and shut things down when they needed to.

Turnovers at key points in the game proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Beavers.

Sophomore inside linebacker Eric Gentry put a 39-yard drive to rest with the first interception of his USC career. The lanky Arizona State transfer, who stands at 6 foot 6, bobbled Nolan’s pass before securing the interception at the line of scrimmage. 

Early in the second half, redshirt freshman defensive back Ceyair Wright intercepted Nolan deep in Oregon State territory, setting up a 7-yard touchdown from redshirt senior running back Travis Dye. 

After a pass interference penalty brought the Beavers near the 50-yard line, redshirt senior defensive back Mekhi Blackmon made an excellent play on a pass from Nolan, making an interception at the USC 5-yard line. 

Finally, to ice the game for the Trojans and secure their fourth win of the season, redshirt junior defensive back Max Williams snagged a pick, Nolan’s fourth interception of the game. 

“What happened tonight was, on top of the turnovers, we played more eleven-man ball on defense… we had significantly less [busted plays] in this game than we’ve had in the first couple,” Riley said. “When you turn the ball over and you play sound, you’re going to have a night like the game tonight and that’s called great defense.”