LOS ANGELES — All of the indicators have been there in the course of the first half contained in the Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
USC was undisciplined. The protection gave up a landing on an explosive play. Wisconsin, at instances, was shifting the ball with ease. The particular groups made expensive errors. And the Trojans appeared flat.
Every week in the past, after an emotional loss at Michigan, Lincoln Riley was assured this crew would have a greater response to its first lack of the season than final 12 months’s Trojans. Via the primary three video games of the 2024 season, USC had executed quite a bit to scrub away the stench from 2023. However over the primary half-hour of Saturday’s sport towards the Badgers, all of the reminders have been there.
USC has talked about being a player-led program and taking management of issues by itself. It did greater than discuss it within the second half. The Trojans went on the sector and took over the sport.
“The coaches sort of allow us to do our factor,” linebacker Mason Cobb stated of the locker room on the half when the Trojans trailed by 11 factors. “They don’t actually step in an excessive amount of in terms of motivating us. The (vibe) within the locker room is rather like, ‘ that’s not us on the market. We’re not enjoying like ourselves.’ For us, it’s simply preserve swinging. I really feel like that’s our identification this 12 months. It doesn’t matter what occurs, we’re not going to put down. Simply preserve swinging until the clock runs out.”
Who is aware of what’s in retailer for this crew over the subsequent few months, however there’s one factor that retains displaying up this season, and it was on show throughout Saturday’s 38-21 win over Wisconsin. The Trojans are powerful, mentally and bodily. They aren’t excellent, however that trait goes to maintain them in a whole lot of fights the remainder of the way in which.
“They’re gonna battle,” Riley stated of his crew after it outscored the Badgers 28-0 within the second half. “They’re not going anyplace. We don’t panic. That’s a very good high quality to have as a result of once you play the schedule that we play, you’re going to have some ups and downs and you must be extremely resilient and thus far now we have executed that.”
USC (3-1, 1-1 Massive Ten) has to play a lot cleaner soccer than what it’s placed on tape the previous two weeks. That a lot is evident, particularly in a convention the place packages are very happy to let opponents beat themselves.
The USC crew that performed the primary half is able to shedding to anybody on its schedule, with the attainable exception of UCLA. The crew that confirmed up for the second half is able to beating anybody on its schedule.
So there must be some consistency. The Trojans dedicated a ton of errors within the first half. Quarterback Miller Moss turned it over twice. Zachariah Department appeared misplaced as a punt returner and that uncertainty led to a muffed punt that resulted in a Wisconsin landing. The protection was on its heels and nook Jacobe Covington obtained beat on a 63-yard landing go early within the sport.
It’s a harmful sport to play, however USC flipped a change at halftime. The protection gave up simply 82 yards of whole offense and didn’t enable a degree over the ultimate two quarters. The offense executed higher, led by Moss and receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Duce Robinson. The particular groups even contributed when lengthy snapper Hank Pepper got here up with an important restoration of a muffed punt that turned the tide of the sport.
Each section of the crew contributed to the rally.
“It was these guys,” Riley stated. “I feel we got here in figuring out we beat ourselves in a whole lot of methods (within the first half). Wisconsin made some good performs. … We gave up explosive performs. We didn’t cease the run within the first half. We moved the ball fairly effectively offensively however had the 2 turnovers in plus-territory. We simply actually didn’t do something very effectively, however we felt like a whole lot of it was beneath our management. We laid out precisely what the second half of the sport ought to seem like.”
One constructive signal over the previous two weeks is how USC — significantly defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn — has adjusted. The Trojans made 5 consecutive stops and gave up only one landing within the second half towards Michigan final week and pitched a second-half shutout on Saturday.
Riley stated it’s a mixture of Lynn having a very good really feel for the way opponents need to assault USC’s protection whereas additionally figuring out how he desires the protection to assault the opponent. He additionally understands what the Trojans do effectively. However there’s extra to it.
“D’Anton and actually our complete employees, these guys actually talk effectively, work effectively collectively and are very a lot on the identical web page about something we have to enhance, and thus far we’ve been in a position to do this this season,” Riley stated.
Lynn’s teaching has stood out this season, however it’s troublesome to disregard the toughness and playmaking on that facet of the ball. Security Kamari Ramsey has been the poster little one in each departments.
After Moss hit Lane for a 6-yard rating to trim Wisconsin’s result in 21-17 halfway by the third quarter, the Badgers mounted their finest drive of the second half and marched right down to the USC 33. On fourth-and-1, Ramsey rushed from the sting to take down the Wisconsin ball service within the backfield. On the very subsequent defensive sequence, Ramsey blew up a Badgers receiver on a third-and-5 throw to power a punt. For a USC crew that constantly has its toughness and physicality questioned, that was fairly the message from Ramsey.
KAMARI. RAMSEY. pic.twitter.com/61ztM3YKQ2
— CBS Sports activities Faculty Soccer 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 28, 2024
Riley is aware of this goes past one participant, however he has a saying about quarterbacks.
“The one factor we are saying in that room and all the time have is ‘Present me a troublesome crew and I’ll present you a troublesome quarterback. Present me a delicate crew and I’ll present you a delicate quarterback,’” Riley stated.
USC’s coach has all the time believed groups are inclined to tackle the identification of their quarterback. The Trojans have been in fairly just a few powerful spots in simply 4 video games this season. They trailed within the fourth quarter towards LSU. They have been punched within the mouth towards Michigan final week. They trailed by 11 at halftime on Saturday.
All through all of it, Moss has performed with poise, and the crew — following the lead of the quarterback — has remained calm in these opposed conditions.
Moss carved up Wisconsin within the second half and made essential throws to Lane (10 catches, 105 yards and two scores) and Robinson (two catches, 40 yards and one landing). He took some extra hits however stored punching again. And he even ran for a 7-yard rating to place USC forward 31-21 with 8:22 left within the sport.
Two spins and it is in 😲
Miller Moss extends the @uscfb lead with this maneuver. #B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/l96SUdNwuA
— Massive Ten Soccer (@B1Gfootball) September 28, 2024
“Man, you see him get smacked, get again up and throw touchdowns,” Cobb stated. “Like I stated, we’re a crew that’s going to maintain swinging.”
And for the primary time shortly, USC has the gamers and character to return some punches.
(Photograph of Miller Miss: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions by way of Getty Photographs)
