As Su’a Cravens dropped back in coverage, his eyes were glued to Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion–likely the Pac-12’s next career passing leader–as he stepped up in the pocket and glanced to his left. That was all the signal that Cravens needed. He burst through the field, snatched the ball out of the hands of a hapless receiver and sauntered 30 yards to the endzone. It was only the first quarter, but USC, the 18th-ranked team in the nation, seemed to finally realize its potential as one of the most talented teams in the nation and a true playoff contender.
USC Trojans Make Statement
Then reality, in the form of Oregon State’s Ryan Murphy, struck. Murphy caught the ensuing kickoff, made a quick cut to the left, and then proceeded to run almost untouched for a 97-yard touchdown, completely erasing USC’s lead. His return, while impressive, exposed USC’s lack of discipline (containing the outside on a kickoff return is one of the primary mantras of special teams) and served as a reminder that USC, despite its enticing flashes, still has its moments of deficiency that keep it from being elite.
It is difficult not to find a parallel between this first quarter and USC’s back to back games versus Stanford and Boston College. Against No. 16 Stanford, USC’s defense was impressive, holding the Cardinal to only 10 points while continually stymieing them in the red zone. And for parts of the Oregon State game, the USC defense looked just as elite. Leonard Williams, USC’s All-American defensive end, continually drew the attention of up to three blockers, and at one point he even threw off his blockers to blast Mannion into the turf for a 14-yard loss.
Against Boston College, however, the USC defense was ravaged for 452 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground, a feat Boston College accomplished despite talented players such as Cravens and Williams marshalling the defense. And for parts of the Oregon State game, the USC defense looked just as disoriented, getting called for silly penalties (124 yards on the day) and on occasion shoving Oregon State linemen between plays.
USC’s offense is just as enticing as their defense, with freshman tight end Bryce Dixon’s speed and hands drawing comparisons to those of Jimmy Graham, and Nelson Agholor providing a dynamic receiving, rushing and return threat. Quarterback Cody Kessler has yet to throw an interception on the season, and has looked efficient and elusive in the pocket, even keeping a play alive at the end of the first half to complete a 48-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to receiver Darreus Rodgers. USC went on to beat Oregon State 35-10, a dominating performance against a good Oregon State team.
The win begs the question: is USC finally elite?
Many signs say yes. Su’a Cravens, an All-American as a freshman, seems poised to become one of the nation’s top linebackers. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams is one of this year’s most highly rated NFL prospects. Running backs Javorius Allen and Justin Davis got back on track versus Oregon State to combine to average over 5.5 yards per carry, despite running the ball 35 times.
Despite all the promising signs, however, USC needs to impress again next week against Arizona State before truly being labeled as elite. Great teams do not just show up for one week. A phenomenal interception cannot be immediately followed by a special teams lapse, a win at Stanford followed by an inexplicable loss against Boston College.
USC plays next week against Arizona State, a team coming off a blowout loss to UCLA and likely missing its quarterback, Taylor Kelly. Perhaps it could be a bit of a good thing for Kelly; Su’a Cravens will be patrolling the secondary for USC.
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