USC Football: 3 reasons Trojans will upset Washington in Week 5

2. Vavae Malepeai can take the pressure off his quarterback

If the Fink magic wears off early against Washington, head coach Clay Helton will likely need to find a different offensive piece to rely on. Redshirt junior Vavae Malepeai is a great place to start, and will likely play a significant role in the offense regardless of Fink’s performance against the Huskies.

Malepeai has already staked his claim in an offense with significant potential, accruing 353 total yards and four touchdowns in as many games. The Hawai’i native is on pace to shatter personal records in almost every rushing category as he is nearing 65 percent of the total rushing yards he recorded last season.

Malepeai isn’t much of a factor in the passing game, but his experience and consistency as a runner should allow the Trojans to mix things up and give Fink enough opportunities to get the ball out to one of the nation’s more talented receiving corps.

The USC running back is good enough to make some plays and get his offense into favorable yardage situations, but USC’s offensive line hasn’t been the most consistent unit to date. Very few running backs in the nation are immune to poor run blocking, so there’s potential for Malepeai to struggle if the line comes out flat. If not, look for a balanced offensive approach spearheaded by a strong rushing attack.