On Saturday, USC football kicked off its season in style against Missouri State. The Trojans struck early and never looked back, cruising to a 73-13 victory.
The Trojans built a 28-3 lead just a few minutes into the second quarter. With the outcome of the game essentially decided long before halftime, Lincoln Riley and his staff were able to give backups extended work. Husan Longstreet relieved Jayden Maiava at quarterback in the third quarter, and J’Onre Reed stepped in for Kilian O’Connor at center. Getting more players more work is something USC definitely wanted to achieve in this game. That is certainly something of value to come from this contest. As for anything more? Let’s have a deeper discussion.
What did we learn from the game? Here are five key takeaways:
New running backs impress
This offseason, the Trojans added two transfer running backs: junior college back Waymond Jordan and New Mexico’s Eli Sanders. In their USC debuts, both looked electric. Jordan averaged 8.4 yards per carry and Sanders 6.6. Both only getting one half of action. In addition, Sanders had a 73-yard touchdown on a screen pass late in the second quarter. In the second half, redshirt freshman King Miller came in and threw his name into the mix, breaking off a 73-yard rushing touchdown.
Maiava looks solid
In his second year in coach Lincoln Riley’s offensive system, starting quarterback Jayden Maiava looked much more comfortable than last season. Playing only the first half, he finished completing 15-of-18 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Maiava had one bad overthrow on a play on which Makai Lemon was wide open for a long touchdown. Otherwise, he looked in control of the offense and did a good job distributing the ball to USC’s playmakers.
Tight end usage
Last season, USC’s tight ends did not score a touchdown. It did not take very long for that to change this season. Early in the second quarter, Lake McRee took a pass 64 yards to the house.
Big plays galore
McRee did not make the only big play of the day for USC. The Trojans scored three offensive touchdowns of over 60 yards, in addition to a 39-yard pick six by safety Bishop Fitzgerald.
Defensive lapses
While USC’s offense made numerous big plays, the defense unfortunately allowed a few, too, including a 33-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-5. While it did not hurt them against Missouri State, the Trojans will need to clean that up by the time that they get to the tougher portion of their schedule.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Five takeaways from USC football’s 73-13 season-opening win over Missouri State
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
