It may be time to prescribe the heart medication to the Trojan nation, but once again Helton and the guys found a way. An ugly first half took USC into the locker room down 21-7 and left fans shaking their heads again at some of the play calling, and mistakes being made by Darnold. Darnold had three fumbles on the night which proved costly to us. In the second half though, we were a different team. Sam returned to form and led us on three drives all over 80 yards and if we take a deeper look, our position players actually played quite well.
Ronald Jones: 17 carries for 111 yards, longest carry 21 yards. It’s important to note his longest carry was only 21 yards as it shows he had a good average yards per carry on all other attempts. His fourth quarter touchdown as rather acrobatic as well.
Vavae Malepeai: 4 carries for 42 yards. With Stephen Carr sidelined and no timetable for his return, Malepeai is a freshman who is making a real contribution to this offense.
Deontay Burnett: 8 catches for 99 yards, and averaged 12.4 yards per reception. A stat that holds tremendous value as we seemingly find ourselves in many 3rd and 7 situations.
Tyler Petite: 3 catches for 79 yards, 2 TD’s. Tyler has emerged as a trusted target for Darnold and we will rely on his steady hands in the coming weeks.
Tyler Vaughns: 6 catches for 65 yards
Steven Mitchell: 5 catches for 64 yards
So why do these player numbers matter, when it looks like our defense is the only thing keeping us in games? It matters because it provides balance and hope. Balance in the sense that teams likely cannot shut down all five of those guys at once. It provides hope to the fans that the guys we don’t know as well and are not yet superstars, are reliable and capable weapons for the coaching staff and Sam Darnold. I think this team has really embodied why USC does not put names on the back of jerseys. Side note, it’s one of my favorite traditions about the program.
And how about that defense? It’s not perfect, but can’t be with injury and inexperience but have they risen to the occasion or what. Our cornerbacks are contesting balls left and right, sometimes a little too much and are being penalized but the boys are playing hard. Take a look at the below image from Utah Utes official athletic site, and admire the way we shut down senior receiver Darren Carrington.
Things will change slightly going forward as DT Kenny Bigelow announced he has played his last game for the program. He missed the Utah game for personal reasons. He will assist the team in a player coach role for the remainder. We wish him well in whatever he pursues off the field as well. Josh Fatu, a key component of the D-line, was involved in a car accident yesterday and is in concussion protocol. The accident was not his fault we are told, but his status for Saturday is in question.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it, Saturday in South Bend is a huge one for us. A win earns us a lot of respect and keeps us in some bigger conversations. A loss will end any playoff projections and the Darnold stay/go discussion will be everywhere. I will have the pleasure of traveling to the game and look forward to a great outing in what will be a primetime TV game. Yet again, USC has a chance to pass the eye test in front of the nation, I think they can get it done.
FIGHT ON
sources: espn.com, utahutes.com, usctrojans.com
The Late Game 
Leave a comment