USC Vs Colorado Recap And Reactions
Early Saturday morning in Boulder, the USC Trojans took on the Colorado Buffaloes. After a disappointing past week, USC finally looks to be back on track. Coach Williams and the Trojans won this one 37-14 in a game where it was never really close.
I think it’s clear who the most dominant receiver in the country is, and I’ll give you a hint, he doesn’t play for Colorado. Drake London continues to dominate every corner he faces, and at times, it honestly doesn’t look fair. London had nine receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. Colorado’s secondary is one of the better units USC has played this year and you wouldn’t have been able to tell.
Some of the catches London made were absolutely mind-blowing, from catching it one-handed, toe dragging in the end zone, to boxing out down the field 50 yards for a jump ball.
Freshman tight end Michael Trigg channeled his inner Drake London and caught a 46-yard touchdown making a high-point catch and outrunning the defender. If that was an indicator of what is to come, that’s just another weapon for USC for years to come.
USC’s rushing attack looked the best it’s looked all season. Keaontay Ingram had 14 carries for 124 yards and TCU transfer Darwin Barlow had 10 carries for 61 yards. For a team that is known for throwing the ball, 218 yards rushing is certainly an indicator that this offense is capable of being balanced.
Kedon Slovis had a modest day, 19 for 29 with 276 yards passing and three touchdowns. Wasn’t his best game but Trojans fans will certainly take it. The offensive line played a lot better but still had some hiccups causing Slovis to either get rid of the ball sooner than anticipated or roll out excessively.
The Trojans played extremely well defensively, and although the Colorado offense is struggling, the plays made were a really good sign.
Drake Jackson looked like one of the best pass rushers in the nation Saturday, as he should. Jackson and this defensive line had a total of five sacks and a ton of pressures. Jackson and junior defensive end Jacob Lichtenstein had two sacks each, along with two tackles for loss.
The Trojans defense came away with two turnovers that helped this defense carry the momentum throughout the game. The run defense looked like it had cleaned up as well holding former Pac-12 offensive player of the year, Jarek Broussard, to only 68 yards. Freshman Joshua Jackson Jr., former wide receiver turned cornerback, had an interception, and the man himself, Drake Jackson, forced a fumble.
Overall, when a defense has five sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and an interception, good things will happen.
Does this mean coach Donte Williams will be off the hot seat and this program won’t look for a replacement? No, unfortunately, it’s more than likely that USC’s Athletic Director Mike Bohn will look for big names such as Eric Bieniemy the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, or Lane Kiffin the head coach of Mississippi.
There’s no question that Donte Williams will be on this staff next year, it’s whether or not he’ll be a position coach or head coach. This also depends on if schools call and ask if Williams would be interested in leaving the program for another opportunity elsewhere. If the Trojans win out, it’ll help Williams case for keeping the job and remaining an attractive school to take their talents.