USC Football: 3 keys to victory vs. Washington in Week 5

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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 07: Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown #8 of the USC Trojans celebrates with Velus Jones Jr. #1, Tyler Vaughns #21 and Michael Pittman Jr. #6 after a touch down in the first half of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

1. Matt Fink must have big game again

This is contingent on starting quarterback Kedon Slovis not playing. As of the writing of this piece, his status for the game is unknown.

USC has the receiver talent to compete with the elite Washington secondary. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tyler Vaughns and leading receiver Michael Pittman are elite level wide receivers that are hard to cover. Matt Fink needs to get them the ball. Washington has one thing on Fink that Kyle Whittingham and the Utah Utes don’t: Film.

Jimmy Lake is underrated as a defensive coach. It might be he’s taken on the persona of his head coach Chris Petersen; he’s understated and not a self promoter. However, there are few coordinators who are better at breaking down tendencies of a quarterback from the perspective of the secondary than Lake. He recruits elite talent and develops defensive backs as well as any defensive coach in the country. He’ll have that secondary ready for Fink.

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Fink needs help from his offensive line if he’s to repeat his Utah performance against Washington. They were masterful against the Utes, and they have the task of facing yet another elite defensive line. Make no mistake, USC’s offensive line is talented, they have to play like it, again.

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