With dreams unfulfilled, USC turns its attention to future against UCLA

Wide receiver Brenden Rice calls Saturday’s crosstown rivalry game a chance to ‘push forward for the next coming team,’ and it could provide a closer look at some potential young difference-makers

Luca Evans (OC Register)  —  LOS ANGELES — The year began with abject optimism, a reloaded USC roster taking up arms, building on a turnaround that revitalized tradition and presented the best opportunity in years to bring a championship back to Heritage Hall.

“I think everybody within our program, every player, senses that and wants to do a great job of taking advantage of this,” head coach Lincoln Riley said during July’s Pac-12 media day. “These windows are short. You only get so many shots at this.”

Four months later, the window has slammed shut, the possibilities of what could have been dancing behind an impenetrable pane of glass. Hopes of a national title turned into four increasingly demoralizing losses; hopes of an improved defense turned into the firing of coordinator Alex Grinch; hopes of a back-to-back Heisman Trophy for Caleb Williams turned into ceaseless chatter over when he would bounce for the NFL draft (he hasn’t decided yet, he said Wednesday).

Whatever happened, senior linebacker Mason Cobb said Wednesday, there was no changing it. There was only fixing it, for years to come.

In truth, on-field stakes – apart from Chip Kelly’s job status in Westwood, which might already be decided – are among the lowest they’ve been in decades for a timeless USC-UCLA rivalry game Saturday. Since 2007, there have been just three years when both teams entered the matchup unranked in the AP Top 25. There’s no Pac-12 title on the line, even; both programs are dragging in burning wreckage of unfounded hopes to the Coliseum on Saturday, there being no real reward for a win, there being only further disappointment after a loss.

For weeks, Riley has publicly galvanized his program with the message that there is still something to play for. That’s tougher to sell when a conference title is off the table. So the message, and mentality, for USC (7-4 overall, 5-3 Pac-12) this week seems clear: do something to take pride in for next year.

“Even though we couldn’t go on to conquer those dreams that we had,” receiver Brenden Rice said, “we got to go ahead and look at it as – this is a great opportunity to go ahead and push forward for the next coming team.”

That invites an intriguing possibility, then, for fans looking for silver linings on Saturday. Riley said the “focus” Saturday is utilizing any player possible to win, as USC has several lesser-used young pieces still eligible for redshirt seasons who could be trotted out against UCLA (6-4, 3-4).

“If we’ve got guys at any of the positions that aren’t playing at a high level or aren’t getting it done and we’ve got somebody we want to take a look at, we’re not going to hesitate,” Riley said.

Some potential young difference-makers to watch Saturday, in a game that will set the stage not for a postseason but for USC’s future:

WR/CB Makai Lemon: Yes, wide receiver-slash-cornerback, because the freshman entered USC as a wide receiver and Riley said “his future here is certainly at receiver.” But with a depleted secondary against Oregon last weekend, Lemon warmed up with the defensive backs – and then started the second half at cornerback.

Lemon (24) said he started training with the cornerbacks at midseason and previously played both ways in high school at Los Alamitos. The freshman has played too many games this year to be eligible for a redshirt, but he appeared sparingly enough that USC hasn’t had much of a look at him this year; Saturday will be an interesting judge if the position change sticks.

CBs Tre’Quon Fegans and Prophet Brown: Starting nickelback Jaylin Smith didn’t play against Oregon with an injury. Another starter, Domani Jackson, has been inconsistent this season, and former starter Ceyair Wright is away from the team for unknown reasons, so underclassmen Fegans and Brown should get their fair share of snaps against UCLA, regardless. Both impressed in a larger role against the Ducks; Fegans recorded five tackles and Brown allowed just one catch on three targets, according to PFF.

OL Alani Noa (77): A freshman so highly regarded that he started on the line for USC in its first game against San Jose State, Noa has played just two games since as offensive line coach Josh Henson said he’s had some “personal setbacks” this year. Riley, though, said the lineman had a chance to help USC down the stretch, and he could play against UCLA and still be eligible for a redshirt, as he’s appeared in just three games this year.

ocregister.com

_______

TrojanDailyBlog members —  We always encourage you to add factual information, insight, divergent opinions, or new topics to the TDB that don’t necessarily pertain to any particular moderator post or member comment.