How the turn tables, as they say.
The first three games of the USC season painted a very clear and obvious portrait of a team almost completely reliant on its offense to score in bunches, build a lead, and prevent the defense from having to take the field in a tight game in the fourth quarter.
USC led Stanford 41-14 midway through the third quarter of Week 2. The Trojans led Fresno State 35-17 in the fourth quarter of Week 3. The defense never had to play a possession in which the outcome of the game hung in the balance.
That all changed in Week 4 against Oregon State … and the defense was able to answer the bell. Our report card looks very different this week.
Quarterback
Sep 24, 2022; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) throws from the end zone against Oregon State Beavers defensive lineman James Rawls (52) in the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
GRADE: B-minus
Whoa, whoa, whoa, you might be saying. Caleb Williams played a LOT worse than a B-minus in this game, right?
Correct. Caleb was at a D-plus or C-minus for the first 58 minutes of this game. However: A game-winning drive when everything was on the table is worth a full grade higher than the 60-minute body of work. Winning matters. Caleb Williams is a winner. He made the game-winning throw when his team needed it. We value winning at USC. Obviously, Williams needs to get a lot better and learn from this experience in Corvallis.
Running Backs
Sep 24, 2022; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; USC Trojans running back Travis Dye (26) runs against the Oregon State Beavers in the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
GRADE: A
USC doesn’t win without Travis Dye being a total baller. He is the one Trojan on the offensive side of the ball who gets straight As for his work against Oregon State, a team he had tormented before as a member of…
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