USC Football: 3 takeaways from worrisome win over Fresno State

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 31: Isaiah Pola-Mao #21 of the USC Trojans celebrates his interception with Talanoa Hufanga #15 and Devon Williams #2 during a 31-23 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 31, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 31: Isaiah Pola-Mao #21 of the USC Trojans celebrates his interception with Talanoa Hufanga #15 and Devon Williams #2 during a 31-23 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 31, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 31: The USC Trojans walk on the field for their season opening game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 31, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 31: The USC Trojans walk on the field for their season opening game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 31, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

1. One team leaves with answers, one with questions

Even before JT Daniels got hurt, Fresno State began to figure out the Trojan offense. The Bulldogs only gave up three points in the rest of the first half after giving up two touchdowns in the Trojans’ first two possessions. Then Daniels got hurt, and it was obvious Kedon Slovis didn’t get many first team reps in fall camp.

The Trojans’ season, which already had so many question marks, has that many more especially if Daniels’ knee injury is serious.

Fresno State lost eight starters on offense, including their starting quarterback from last season and wide receivers KeeSean Johnson and Jamire Jordan. They had so many unknowns coming into this game, but there’s a reason the Bulldogs, under second-year head coach Jeff Tedford, have won 22 games in the last two seasons. He knows how to coach offense, and he knows how to coach quarterbacks, both showed in this game. Jorge Reyna has a lot to clean up, but he led his team in his first collegiate start.

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Not only that, this is the best defensive unit the Bulldogs will face all season long. If they play the rest of the season with the effort they played with on Saturday, they are going to win 10 games again.