Trojans dominate Stanford early, withstand late Cardinal push to win 41-28
USC dispatched Stanford behind QB Caleb Williams, an explosive offensive supporting cast, and a defense that had trouble tackling but forced four turnovers.
Stanford S Jonathan McGill brings down USC RB Travis Dye during the first quarter of the Trojans’ 41-28 win Saturday in Palo Alto. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / AP)
USC WR Mario Williams scores on a 15-yd TD catch against Stanford during the first half Saturday. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / AP)
Steve Henson (LA Times) — Chapter two of the Lincoln Riley era lacked much suspense or a surprise ending, but it was compelling stuff for USC fans who figure dominating Stanford ought to be a given.
Dominate the Trojans did until the fourth quarter. Behind quarterback Caleb Williams, an explosive offensive supporting cast, and a defense that had trouble tackling but forced four turnovers, USC won 41-28 on Saturday in Palo Alto.
Stanford trailed 41-14 entering the fourth quarter and scored two touchdowns while it seemed USC was content to milk the clock and get to the locker room. After Stanford sacked Williams on third down with just under three minutes to play, USC needed to snap out of it and finish off the Cardinal.
After a punt, Stanford took possession at its four-yard-line with 2:30 to play. The Trojans’ defense stiffened, and consecutive sacks on third and fourth down gave the ball back to USC at the Cardinal 10-yard line with 27 seconds to play.
Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma to USC, completed 20 of 27 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns.
Jordan Addison and Mario Williams looked for all the world the best receiving tandem in college football. Addison, the 2021 Fred Biletnikoff Award winner at Pittsburgh last season, had seven catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Williams, who along with his quarterback and coach left Oklahoma for USC, caught four balls for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The running game was to Dye for, spearheaded by Travis Dye’s 105 yards and one touchdown in 14 carries. Dye, who rushed for 3,111 yards in four years at Oregon, transferred to USC and established himself Saturday as a reliable every-down option.
This Pac-12 Conference opener clearly left USC as a team to beat. Sure, everyone but defending champion Utah, Colorado and Oregon won their non-conference openers, but the ease with which the Trojans dispatched the Cardinal — who beat them last season and triggered the firing of coach Clay Helton — signaled that Riley’s resuscitation of the program is underway.
“Look at 12 months ago,” Riley said. “For us, it’d be great to raise the ceiling of our play, but more than anything we’ve got to take the bottom part of our play, the not good plays, we’ve got to raise those up.”
latimes.com
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