Will USC put together back-to-back dominating wins against inferior opponents?

GEORGIA SOUTHERN (0-1) at USC (1-0)

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. PT, Coliseum

TV/Streaming/Radio: FS1/Fubo/710 AM

Line: USC by 28.5/29.5

Haley Sawyer (OC Register), Ryan Kartje (LA Times) —

Georgia Southern head coach Clay Helton compiled a 45-23 record as USC head coach before being fired after only two games in 2021.

Helton was always an unconventional, and to most, a disappointing choice to lead one of college football’s most prestigious entities: a first-time head coach tasked with shepherding a program that had won two national championships in the 15 years before he was hired. The long shadow of Pete Carroll still looms large.

Due to a unique, unpredictable set of circumstances, Helton found himself in one of the most coveted roles in the sport. It didn’t end well and he was replaced by Lincoln Riley after a three month coaching search.

Aside from a great first season, Riley’s tenure has been a disappointment. One game into his fourth season, Riley’s record at USC is 27-14, which is rough considering he started 11-1 in 2022 and has gone just 16-13 since.

Now Helton returns to coach against the big brand school for which he is still most publicly associated with, and he took his Georgia Southern team into the Coliseum on Friday.

“You see the peristyle and you need to get that feel and that shock and awe out,” Helton said. “I remember being a position coach, then a coordinator, then a head coach and watching teams walk down that tunnel, and you just see their mouth drop the first time that they see it. You had a leg up on them right from the get-go.”

It’s the first matchup between the teams and only Georgia Southern’s second game in the state of California after a 42-14 loss at Fresno State last weekend. The Eagles (0-1) are in the midst of a nine-day West Coast road trip and stayed in Oxnard in between the two games, practicing at River Ridge Playing Fields, the training camp home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Helton said he strategically chose Oxnard because it’s a similar-sized town to Statesboro and it gives players the opportunity to see the ocean and, of course, grab some In-N-Out before their 10 p.m. curfew.

When Georgia Southern has the ball

Helton cited first-down efficiency as one of the biggest shortcomings in the season-opening loss to Fresno State. The Eagles struggled in nearly every offensive aspect of the game – they recorded only 13 first downs and collected only 84 rushing yards.

Quarterback JC French IV completed 17 of 28 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, and the offensive line kept him from getting sacked. He spread the ball around, passing to six teammates, and four of them recorded 20 yards or more.

“We’re going to have to scheme them up,” French told reporters Monday. “Really do our thing, not try to be too much. Not try to be Superman or anything. Just get the ball to the playmakers in space and let them work.”

USC’s defense throttled Missouri State and gave up only 224 yards of total offense. Reclassified freshman (he skipped his last year of high school) defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart is expected to make his collegiate debut Saturday after sitting out last week with a boot on his right foot. The Trojans are also optimistic about cornerback Chasen Johnson’s return, meaning the defense is getting another boost in talent while it continues to jell.

“Communication is something that you could always find examples of that need to improve,” USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said. “And we put a big emphasis on, make them earn everything down the field. We know offenses are going to make big plays, but make them earn it. Don’t give them anything.”

When USC has the ball

Running back Bryan Jackson is expected to miss the Georgia Southern game due to an undisclosed injury, but the Trojans have plenty of backs to choose from. Waymond Jordan, Eli Sanders and walk-on King Miller each scored against Missouri State and backup quarterback Husan Longstreet ran for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

“The explosive runs stood out,” Riley told reporters Tuesday. “We had some great second efforts by receivers on some of those plays, which was really cool.”

Riley added that he would like to see play from the offensive line get cleaned up after multiple missed assignments during the Missouri State game.

The line was one of the more questionable position groups heading into the season opener, with an unsettled lineup for most of fall camp. Still, it allowed quarterback Jayden Maiava to have an efficient game, going 15-for-18 passing with 295 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Jordan, Sanders and Stewart

Will Riley keep leaning on the run? That was a problem last year. USC rushed for 233 yds last week. Georgia just gave up 351 yards to Fresno State. Expect a heavy dose of Waymond Jordan (2) and Eli Sanders. Don’t be surprised if both finish with over 100 all-purpose yards.

Jahkeem Stewart already has the size and swagger of an NFL defensive lineman. The question is how quickly will things start to click for him on USC’s defensive line? Early reviews have been pretty good in that department, but it’s important to note that this is a person who only played in 12 total games as a high school player. He still has a long ways to go to reach his potential. But make no mistake about it. Stewart already looks very impressive.

Welcoming Clay Helton 

How will the Coliseum receive the return of Helton? He didn’t really leave USC on the best of terms with the USC fan base when he was fired. But according to social media polls, most hope he is warmly welcomed and is not booed, which may not have been the case a few years ago. More people now seem to generously remember Helton as a good man who helped stabilize the program during a decade of dysfunction and poor leadership.  But ultimately, they also recognize that he was simply in way over his head as a football coach.

Game prediction: USC 52 – Georgia Southern 21. Refocused, dynamic USC simply has too many weapons against an outmanned group of Eagles who were just humiliated by Fresno State.

ocregister.com  /  latimes.com

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