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

2. USC has strong special teams all around

Few teams in the country have been playing as well as USC on special teams this season. The Trojans have had issues with punt and kick returns, as their coverage teams rank middle-of-the-pack, but they have more than made up for it with one of the most productive and momentum-killing special teams units in all of FBS football.

When opponents are trying to kick field goals, USC’s special teams unit has been there to snuff out the opportunities. The Trojans currently rank 11th in the nation in terms of blocked kicks, having gotten a hand on four attempts this season. Stanford hasn’t allowed a block yet this season, but if anyone can get enough pressure to end that streak it is Clay Helton’s team.

The Trojans are also great at flipping the field and giving their offense great position after punts and kickoffs. USC ranked third in the Pac-12 throughout the regular season on kick returns, averaging 23.5 yards per return. They were even better returning punts, as they notched nearly 13 yards per punt return over the course of 2017.

Reid Budrovich has been solid at punter, averaging 43.2 yards per boot when required to kick away. And freshman placekicker Chase McGrath has been solid as well, with 86 points after taking over the kicking duties. If the coverage units can stymie Stanford’s returns, USC could be unstoppable on special teams.