USC’s offensive line still ‘a work in progress’ as Trojans’ enter tougher games

Ryan Kartje (LA Times)  —  When USC set out to rebuild its offensive line in the offseason, the hope was three transfers, with more talent and plenty of experience at their disposal, would seamlessly plug in to a front that had previously been blessed by unusual continuity.

Through six weeks, it hasn’t been as seamless as USC might have hoped. USC offensive line coach Josh Henson, said this week the line was “a work in progress.” Justin Dedich, USC’s fifth-year center and captain, agreed that the revamped group hasn’t meshed “at the same pace it was last year.”

“Not saying it’s good or bad,” Dedich said, “just different.”

Neither expressed any overarching concerns about the pace of the offensive line’s progress, and coach Lincoln Riley echoed their patience on Thursday. But as USC enters a punishing portion of its schedule, with a physical Notre Dame front on deck Saturday, it’ll need proper protection to keep its offense thriving and its Heisman-winning quarterback upright.

“We can play much better,” Henson said. “There’s still just so many missed moments, I would say, where we have an opportunity and we’re almost there. But you know, close isn’t good enough. Especially as we go down the stretch to the last half of the season here.”

One of those moments came late in the second quarter last Saturday, as Arizona defensive end Russell Davis slipped past USC right tackle Michael Tarquin (71), pulling down quarterback Caleb Williams for a drive-killing sack. The next play, Tarquin was beat again on the edge, as Williams was flushed from the pocket, forcing an errant throw on the run on third-and-long.

Tarquin, the redshirt senior, didn’t return for USC after that drive, as sophomore tackle Mason Murphy took his place. A few days later, Henson still wasn’t saying which of the two would start at right tackle on Saturday in South Bend.

“It’s still a competition, just like it was before,” Henson said. “I felt like Mike was making some mistakes I’d seen him make in practice, and we were trying to get those things fixed. He’s had a better week fixing those things but Mason got in there and Mason played well, and I just felt like I wanted to keep going with what was working at the time.”

What’s worked with USC’s offensive line has largely depended on the week. Against Colorado, the Trojans front was punished physically in the ground game. A week later, against Arizona, run blocking improved while pass protection was the problem.

Williams was sacked four times by the Wildcats, a season high. The last three weeks, he’s been pressured 37 times — and hit more than USC would prefer.

Arizona DL Russell Davis II (99) leaps on the back of Caleb Williams (13) for the sack in the first half at the Coliseum. (Gina Ferazzi / LAT)

Against Arizona State, a missed protection in the backfield saw Williams get his clock cleaned on a corner blitz.

“I have not taken a hit like that before,” Williams said. “I tend to stay out of those.”

Williams has actually been pressured at a lower rate so far this season than last, according to Pro Football Focus. But USC hasn’t exactly faced a fearsome pass rush during its first six weeks. The pressure is sure to only ratchet up from here, as three of USC’s six remaining games come against defenses currently ranked in the top 20 in the nation in sack rate (Utah, Oregon and UCLA). UCLA’s Laiatu Latu and Utah’s Jonah Ellis are two of the better pass rushers in college football.

Needless to say, it’s probably not the most ideal time to be searching for the right answer at right tackle. But Henson isn’t concerned. He likes the direction his group is heading. It just needs a bit more time than last year’s unit.

“It’s not this crisis thing,” he said. “But again it’s being consistent getting your job done every snap.”

Even Dedich, the fifth-year captain, hasn’t been perfect in that regard. His six penalties through six weeks ties him for third-most among all linemen in college football.

But no one is panicking about a few false starts from its most reliable lineman.

“We do feel like we’ve got a good group right now to work with,” Riley said. “There’s definite signs of us being able to play the ball that we feel like we’re going to be capable of playing there, which we feel like is high.”

latimes.com

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