USC Football: 5 reasons the Trojans will beat Stanford for Pac-12 title

5. USC sets itself up for success with strong first-down offense

One area in which USC has been especially good this season is at setting itself up to keep the chains moving and its offense on the field. A strong ground game and adept, efficient passing has been evident throughout 2017. That has allowed USC to generate solid yardage on first downs.

The Trojans convert over 40 percent of their third-down plays, helping their defense stay off the field. In total, USC has generated 295 first downs over the course of the season. They average nearly 25 first downs per game, good for sixth nationally and the best mark in the Pac-12. Against a solid Stanford defense, that will be critical on Friday night.

They have been especially good at moving the chains thanks to a balanced offense with plenty of playmakers. Opposing defenses can’t focus solely on one key playmaker. If they pay too much attention to the receivers, a multitalented backfield will gash them for the first down. If a defense tries to take out Sam Darnold with a blitz, he is great at finding a hot read and getting the ball out quickly. Ditto for putting too many in the box to try to stop the run on short-yardage situations.

When these two teams met back in September, USC generated 28 first downs against the Cardinal. They will likely put up a similar number on the neutral turf of Levi’s Stadium, and in turn will set themselves up to keep the ball moving and put points on the board.