USC Football: 3 takeaways from comeback win over Colorado

3 of 4

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) /

2. USC is deep at receiver

The air-raid offense is all about interchangeable parts. This is why the Trojans have had some success despite the season ending injury to starting quarterback J.T. Daniels. However, the air-raid turns from effective to explosive when your wide receiver talent is as dynamic as the Trojans receiver talent is. The Trojans are five-deep at receiver and they can all catch and run.

The air-raid requires three different types of receivers to be effective and the Trojans have all three. First you need the possession guy; the chain-mover. The Trojans have two in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Drake London. They aren’t super explosive, but when you need six either receiver will get you eight.

You also need a size guy and someone who’s a legitimate threat in the red-zone and can catch 50-50 balls. Once again they have two in the 6-2 Tyler Vaughns and 6-5 London.

Then of course you need the go to playmaker and that’s Michael Pittman. He can get deep, catch the intermediate pass or take a tunnel screen for 60 yards. Here’s what makes this group dangerous: they can all run in the open field.

Home/USC Trojans