Takeaways from USC’s win over Colorado

Friday night lights at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum began in a strange fashion. 

USC, a team that averages a tad under 500 yards of offense per game, had only 8 total yards in the first quarter against a Colorado team that allowed the 130th most — out of 131 schools — yards per game. 

Not an ideal start, but the Trojans turned it around, cruising to their ninth win of the season — the most in a season since 2017. And after University of Oregon lost Saturday, a USC win against UCLA this week means the Trojans would be in their first Pac-12 Championship game since 2020. 

There lies a big week ahead, but here are four takeaways from USC’s 55-17 victory:  

Travis Dye injury

Arguably the most important player for the Trojans this season has been redshirt senior running back Travis Dye. An injury to the running back late in the first half sent the Coliseum into dead silence, eerily similar to when leading receiver Drake London broke his ankle in late October last season, just two weeks before the Trojans’ matchup against UCLA.

Dye’s impact on this team has been clear. Head Coach Lincoln Riley said Dye was not only important for USC’s culture but their “competitive nature, the way [they] practice, the energy, the competitiveness, the physicality and the toughness.” 

“He was one of the key cogs in this team … making some real progress there. I think we all know that was something that had to happen here, and he was a central figure in that,” Riley said.

If those words weren’t enough, while being carted off the field, the entire USC sideline displayed Dye’s significance by coming out to check on him. Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams stayed by Dye’s side while the running back was on the ground, telling him that he loved him. 

Finding a way to make up for Dye’s production will likely be a committee-based venture, which prompts the next takeaway. 

Who steps up in the running back room?

It will be challenging to replicate Dye’s play in the backfield, but the Trojans are fortunate to have three capable running backs who can step up in Dye’s absence — freshman Raleek Brown, senior Austin Jones and redshirt junior Darwin Barlow. 

Jones did the bulk of the work once Dye exited the game, carrying 11 times for 74 yards. After a 110 rushing yard performance against Fresno State in September, Jones’ production diminished. However, he is an experienced back having spent three seasons in the mix at Stanford.

Brown brings more flash to the backfield and is someone who can line up as a receiver or as a running back. His 52 rushing yards were a career-high. And remember Barlow? The transfer running back from last season has been buried in the depth chart, but he scored his second touchdown late in the game. 

Whether or not Barlow will be in the rotation is unclear, however, the backfield will look extremely different next week. 

A complete defensive game

Much of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s post-game comments after the Trojans’ victory against Cal were full of frustration. Grinch wasn’t happy, citing the inability of the defense to play a complete 60-minute football game.

“It’s a 60-minute football game. That’s not new. We signed up for that one when we decided to coach,” he said. 

It was less of that against the Buffaloes and more of USC getting on track defensively. Sure, it has to be noted that Colorado’s offense is among the worst in college football, scoring the third-fewest points per game at 15. 

But, the Trojans needed a confidence booster on that side of the ball going into tougher offensive matchups with UCLA and Notre Dame in two consecutive weeks. And for the most part, it seems like they did, allowing just 259 total yards of offense.

Junior defensive end Tuli Tuipulotu continued his dominant season. He had 2.5 sacks plus a forced fumble, putting his sack total for the year at 11 — the most in a single season by a Trojan since 2013. Sophomore defensive back Calen Bullock had his fourth interception of the season. We even saw sophomore rush end Korey Foreman, once the top recruit in the nation, get a tackle for loss. 

Most importantly, USC was never phased on the defensive side by the Buffaloes, which would have been a major concern. It was a simple game defensively.

“This is how we should play every week. We know we can do it, we just need to execute,” Tuipulotu said.

A holder’s flip

Up by 20 points, Riley opted for a fake field goal with redshirt junior punter Will Rose running in for a two-point conversion. The play was flashy in itself, but it was Rose’s backflip celebration that made it more special.  

The verdict is still out on Rose’s flip. 

“It’s like the angel and the devil sitting on each shoulder… There’s a part of me, where it’s like yeah you’re in L.A. and you run that in there and you flip that’s awesome,” Riley said. “And  there’s the other part where  now you to have to kick from the 20-yard line and you’re not real happy about it… But we’ll run him or roll him [or] something later on.”

Rose gets an A+ from me.