USC football is facing a tough contest on Friday evening at Washington State, but here’s why the Trojans will win.
Is there anyone in the nation who has truly been impressed with USC football in 2017? The Trojans have been slightly above average in their first four games of the season. They beat Western Michigan in the opener after being tied late in the game, defeated Stanford soundly, eked out a win over Texas in overtime and beat Cal by 10 on the road.
No, it hasn’t quite been the start, visually, Clay Helton and Co. were hoping for, but the Trojans are still 4-0 and looking good in the College Football Playoff race.
In fact, USC is ranked No. 5 in the country and it controls its own destiny. Win out in the Pac-12 and take the conference title game, and they’re in the playoff. That’s much easier said than done, and every college football fan who has had a team nearly make it knows that.
The quest continues on Friday evening as the Trojans travel to Washington State for some #Pac12AfterDark action. Here’s why the Trojans will beat Washington State.
5. Washington State has no run game
Washington State is 4-0 this season and it has one of the best passing attacks in all of college football, but the run game is nowhere to be found. In fact, the Cougars rank third-to-last in college football in terms of yards per game on the ground, totaling just 287 through four contests.
That’s not good.
The Trojans will be able to key on the pass game since the run won’t be an issue. However, Jamal Morrow has shown promise, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, but Mike Leach seems to be only willing to pass the ball. The Cougars have more than doubled their rush attempts (102) with pass attempts (223) this season.
Leach will have his guys ready to hit the aerial attack early and often, leaving Morrow and James Williams to be forgotten on the ground. That will play into USC’s favor.
4. Luke Falk will struggle against first real test of 2017
So far in 2017, Luke Falk has been an all-world quarterback. Outside of a tough game against Boise State in which he was benched, returned to the game and then injured, Falk has been nothing short of fantastic for the Cougars, which is no surprise.
However, USC will be the first true test of the season for the senior gunslinger. That may not seem like a huge deal since he’s faced, and succeeded against, top-tier opponents before, but this is the first time he’s played against USC since he was a freshman. He did throw for over 300 yards in that game, but this team is much different.
Granted, Falk is a much different player as well, but the Trojans are ready to eat the kid for dinner. He’s thrown 14 touchdowns and one interception this season, but you can expect the turnover number to increase after this one. The USC front will put pressure on him and make him uncomfortable in the pocket.
In the only other tough game the Cougars have had (Boise State), Falk looked pedestrian before the injury. Expect the Trojans to make him look human yet again.
3. Ronald Jones II will go off
The Trojans have just the 51st-best rushing attack in the nation with about 185 yards per game coming on the ground, but don’t let that average ranking fool you. This team has an absolute stud, or two, in the backfield.
If you’re looking for a running back that doesn’t get the respect he deserves at the collegiate level, look no further than Ronald Jones II. Through four games, he’s accounted for 322 yards and five touchdowns on just 59 carries. Clearly the offense hasn’t been running the ball enough with a guy like Jones at its disposal, but he’s made the most of his carries.
Stephen Carr is a more-than-capable backup who has been pushing Jones with his 6.3 yards per carry, but the junior from Mckinney, Texas, is still the man. He’s coming off a minor injury, but should be good to go against Washington State, and that defense won’t be ready for him.
The Cougars haven’t faced a running back like Jones yet this season and he will have a monster day, rather night, in Pullman. Expect him to go off for about 175 yards and two scores while Carr adds another 50 and a touchdown. Big day on the ground.
2. Sam Darnold will exploit Wazzou secondary
For a player who has been widely considered the No. 1 NFL draft prospect for 2018, Sam Darnold has gotten off to a lackluster start. The 2017 season hasn’t been all that kind to Darnold who has thrown for seven interceptions and nine touchdown passes.
Everyone expected Darnold to surpass his numbers from 2016 with ease, but it’s not realistic, or fair, to put that kind of pressure on a player and have him succeed. He’s struggled early on, but that will change against a defense that has been otherwise solid.
Washington State has one of the top defenses in the country, but again, the Cougars haven’t faced anyone of note, outside of Boise State. Darnold is a whole different animal. He’s going to exploit the Washington State secondary and he won’t turn the ball over.
Trojan fans will be more than pleased with Darnold’s effort on Friday night as he leads USC to a big victory with his most complete performance of the season. No picks and three touchdowns.
1. Talent will trump #Pac12AfterDark madness for Trojans
Everyone talks about how wild #Pac12AfterDark can be, and it’s true. The late-night Pac-12 games have been some of the whackiest in recent memory and that dates back years and years. Every time there’s a Pac-12 game played late at night, the chances of it being crazy are high.
This means that upsets run rampant with Pac-12 games at night and teams like USC could fall victim to an early-season battle against Washington State on the road. Right? Wrong.
Talent should almost always trump a superstition. Although these gams seem to bring out the wildest moments in college football, they can always go the opposite way for teams expecting to pull off upsets. The Trojans are loaded with talent and they’re not going to let a superstition get in the way of their playoff hopes.
Next: Complete 2018 NFL Mock Draft after Week 4
This one is going to be close for the first half, but USC will run away with things in the final 30 minutes. The Trojans are just too talented to let #Pac12AfterDark bite them.