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USC Football: Trojans’ defense crushes Colorado

By John Mitchell

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Head coach Clay Helton of the USC Trojans calls for a touchdown during a video review late in the second quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 21: Head coach Clay Helton of the USC Trojans calls for a touchdown during a video review late in the second quarter against the Washington State Cougars at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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USC Football earned its third consecutive conference victory on Saturday night in Los Angeles as they took down the PAC-12’s last remaining unbeaten team with a 31-20 win over the Colorado Buffaloes.

The Trojans were sparked by a dominating defensive performance, holding Colorado to 265 yards of offense. The Buffaloes came into the game ranked 18th in the country in total offense at 490 yards-per-game, but had little success with anything they tried against USC.

The Trojans surrendered just 3.7 yards per pass attempt from Colorado’s junior quarterback Steven Montez, and held the Buffaloes to 2.6 yards-per-carry on 38 rushing attempts.

USC’s freshman quarterback JT Daniels threw an interception on the first offensive snap of the game, but he settled in after that to turn in a mostly positive performance.

Colorado struck first on a 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter by Laviska Shenault Jr., but from there it was all Trojans as they scored three touchdowns in their next four possessions in the second quarter to take a 21-7 lead into the half. They didn’t look back from there, and a pick-six by senior cornerback Ajene Harris in the third quarter was the final nail in the Colorado coffin.

A late rally was too little, too late as USC hung on for a crucial victory.

The Trojans continue to show signs of improvement week-to-week, and they have now positioned themselves as potential contenders for the PAC-12 crown once again.

What did USC’s win over Colorado show us about both teams?

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