USC Football: 3 takeaways from thrilling win over Arizona State

1. USC showed why it’s a Pac-12 title contender

The Trojans came into this season as the favorites to win the Pac-12 South. This matchup was going to be an early indication of which team was going to be the leader of the division for a large portion of the season. This was not a great win for the Trojans as they held the lead for only one drive early in the second quarter.

This win did showcase their ability to overcome significant obstacles such as being down by two possessions with less than five minutes left in the game to win it. This win validates how efficient the Trojans’ air-raid passing offense led by Kedon Slovis, who was a darkhorse Heisman Trophy candidate before the shortened seasons were announced.

The Trojans accounted for 556 total yards including 381 from the passing game.

USC will have to avoid significant turnovers especially two of them near or in the red zone. They also encountered one drive that resulted in a turnover on downs at the Sun Devils 7-yard-line in the middle of the third quarter.

The passing offense looks elite and significant with plenty of progress to work on.

On the defensive side of the ball, they were able to learn the Sun Devils’ offense and make great progress in the second half including the fourth quarter.

The Trojans look to continue their playmaking capabilities as they continue their push for the Pac-12 title game.