USC vs. Washington four things to watch: Trojans have ‘golden’ Pac-12 revival chance
Thuc Nhi Nguyen (LA Times) — Lincoln Riley is telling you there’s still a chance. Now USC just has to take it.
Already out of the College Football Playoff race, USC can still make a statement in the Pac-12 against first-place and undefeated Washington on Saturday. The No. 5 Huskies are the first of three consecutive ranked opponents remaining for the Trojans, and the difficult stretch that includes No. 6 Oregon in Eugene and at home against No. 19 UCLA will decide USC’s position in the wide-open conference standings.
An undefeated finish, while improbable considering USC’s recent struggles, will have the Trojans (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12) into the conference title game.
“You’ve got to bounce back and not miss these opportunities that are right here in front of our face,” Riley said, “and man, do we have a golden one right here.”
Four things to watch in USC’s game against the Huskies (8-0, 5-1 Pac-12) at the Coliseum on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (ABC):
Battle of the Heisman Trophy candidates
They’ve jockeyed for position atop the Heisman leaderboard this season, now two of the best quarterbacks in the country will fight for Pac-12 positioning with the conference championship game less than a month away.
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. leads the country in total yards passing (2,945) while USC’s Caleb Williams ranks second with 2,646. The reigning Heisman winner’s 25 touchdown passes tops the country. Penix is one behind at 24.
“The quarterback has really good command of what they’re doing, and you can tell he and their staff are really in sync,” Riley said of Penix. “He’s really decisive with the ball.”
Penix overtook Williams for the best Heisman odds when he led the Huskies to a thrilling win over Oregon on Oct. 14 that put the Huskies in control of the Pac-12, but the redshirt senior’s chances for the coveted individual award slipped during the last two weeks. Penix threw four touchdowns to three interceptions in two close victories against Arizona State and Stanford.
Sack attack on Caleb Williams
Williams built his Heisman resumé on improbable plays — near-sacks that became touchdowns; pirouettes in the pocket that turned into big gains. But the junior’s bid to become the award’s second repeat winner hasn’t resulted in the same magic.
Williams has been sacked 24 times in nine games compared to 29 in 13 games last season. Some are the product of an inconsistent offensive line that needed to integrate three new starters. Others have fallen on Williams trying to extend plays for too long. Helping the junior find the thin line that separates his phenomenal play-making from frustration has been “a constant battle,” Riley said.
“There’s times where you need to understand the situation and get the ball out of your hands … or there’s times where you know who you are as a player and you know how much work you put into plays when they break down,” Williams said. “So it’s a weird kind of challenge to be able to balance both, and I still struggle with it, I still fight it every day.”
Washington has the fewest sacks in the Pac-12 with 10 and just 4.2 tackles for loss a game, which ranks 117th in the country and 11th in the conference. The only defensive front with fewer tackles for loss is Cal, which averages 3.5 per game. The Bears hadn’t recorded a sack in Pac-12 play before dropping Williams four times last week.
Eric Gentry makes it count
After the Trojans outlasted Arizona in triple overtime, USC posted a graphic to social media touting linebacker Eric Gentry as a “difference maker.” The 6-foot-6 inside linebacker was seven-for-seven on tackle opportunities against the Wildcats and led the team in tackle, defense and run-defense grades, per Pro Football Focus.
“EG really is that guy,” the Instagram caption read.
Then he played two snaps the next game.
The junior’s inconsistent but effective playing time has been one of the major questions surrounding an inside linebacker group that has struggled to find its footing. He made a loud statement for a larger role last week, earning the start alongside Shane Lee against Cal and starring with six tackles, one for a loss, a forced fumble, an interception and two pass breakups.
But even after making his case for more playing time, Gentry was unfazed by his undefined spot in the rotation.
“I just do everything possible that I can do to get on the field,” he said Tuesday. “[Linebackers] coach [Brian] Odom told us if you get two reps, imagine all the work that you did to get those reps.”
After Gentry missed all of spring camp and most of fall with an injury, he was “really, really rusty” to start the season, Riley said, which contributed to his fluctuating role. This week, Gentry confirmed his health is no longer a concern as he waits for a larger opportunity.
Gentry and Lee moving into the starting lineup for the first time this season displaced Mason Cobb and Tackett Curtis. Cobb finished with a season-high 15 tackles against Cal, including two for loss. Curtis, the freshman who had started every other game this season, had three tackles and a forced fumble and recovery on special teams.
Raesjon Davis, who appeared to be third in line at the position at the beginning of the season, had just two tackles against Cal in a diminished role.
One team is the most explosive passing offense in the country. The other has a defense that has allowed backup quarterbacks to throw for career-highs in consecutive weeks.
But USC cornerback Domani Jackson isn’t shying away from one of the most difficult matchups the Trojan secondary will face all season.
“They’re one of the top receiving corps in the nation,” Jackson said. “We’re going to prove why we’re the top DB corps in the nation.”
Washington is the only school in the country with two receivers averaging more than 100 yards receiving per game. Rome Odunze’s 113.4 yards rank fourth nationally, and Ja’Lynn Polk ranks eighth with 104.5 yards per game.
The matchup will stress a depleted USC secondary that lost safety Zion Branch to a season-ending injury last week. After consecutive weeks with career-high tackles, Branch was making his first start in the place of injured redshirt senior Max Williams before suffering a left knee injury in the first half against the Bears.
Branch, a redshirt freshman, also missed all of last season because of a knee injury.
“Just terrible luck,” Riley said, “but I mean that kid is so — he’s so headstrong and so positive and so driven, he’ll come back way stronger from it.”
latimes.com
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Lots of rumblings that Raleek will play this week. I hope so. Thought he could be used differently than any other guy we have. Plus Mario and Dorian aren’t doing anything. Can Raleek play defense?
Chris, I have been really surprised by Singer. He was lights out at AZ; I am not certain what happened. Singer dropped a two point conversion against Cal. Caleb hit him in the hands with a bullet and he simply dropped it. And Mario is not reliable at all. I really hope that we get the ball to Zech Branch a lot more in this game. And,I hope Curtis is benched for this game; he makes a ton of mistakes and that simply cannot happen against a team like UW (unless you want UW to score a ton of points).
Riley has heard the media, fans, and experts who are demanding changes. Now will he mature enough to realize that perhaps they are right and he is doing somethings wrong. All we will get through the next 3 games is adjustments and personnel changes to maybe work out a winning solution. What happens after this season ends will decide what USC may be like next year.
LR who still doesn’t concur with national ( like the recent article in the Athletic), local sports pundits and fans that the D is an embarrassment, needs improvement, and he’s on it, is behavior not of an elite coach ( see top 10). We have the anti-Brian Kelly. BK would yell at players, coaches and this season even himself. I don’t like him at all, but I’m starting to miss a little accountability in our program. As for Colin Cowherd. He’s been so far up LRs butt since last season, this is his way of walking things back.
Ya, you know when even super honk Colin Cowherd can’t bring himself to pick home team USC, led by an amazing generational QB who is always running for his life, over a strong team that just barely got by STAN, things have really gone south lately for Trojan football.
LR’s got a great shot tomorrow to back up his constant “we’re so close” talk with something like a real victory over a good team. Hopefully, LR doesn’t continue to slide downward as he faces the most difficult games of his coaching career.
I think the next three games are best viewed as ONE pivotal event. I agree that this event is the most pivotal in LR’s career. He has NEVER lost more than two regular season games in his career. This year, he might lose 5. With the best QB in the nation.
I’m not so sure about the best QB in the nation. He certainly hasn’t played like it this year. He’s the third best in conference right now.
Since he’s often running for his life, and frequently getting smacked around when he can’t get out of the “pocket”, I think that has affected Caleb’s passing.
I’d like to see how Bo Nix or Michael Penix, Jr, would fare at USC with this team, assuming they were still upright.
A huge portion of that is on Caleb. He just hangs onto the ball forever. Check downs are wide open and he doesn’t throw them. With that, I do agree our line is terrible on the right side. The ND game was as bad as it gets. Caleb had no time to do anything.
I’d still take Caleb over any other Pac-12 QB.
And you’d think both Kliff Kingsbury and Lincoln Riley, both well-recognized QB whisperers, could help teach Caleb to release his throws quicker, or to check down. I’m amazed they haven’t been able to do that.
Same here, his magic plays are better than any QB I can remember watching. He just seems off for these last 4 games. Hopefully a huge breakout is coming. He can carry us to huge wins. It would be amazing to see him play his best and be back in NY one more time.
For reasons unknown to mankind, I expect Caleb to come out tomorrow and light it up in the Coliseum. As you point out, he’s had some off games. Plus, we Trojan fans are all pretty frustrated. But Caleb’s almost at the end of his amazing career at USC. He’s a fighter who’s never afraid to put it all on the line. Maybe that’s one reason why he’s holding onto the ball too long and absorbing too many sacks. I’m not sure. But Caleb’s had some tougher experiences this year and I’m betting he senses his opportunity to play great against… Read more »
I have to disagree with you Allen. After watching Bo Nix run the Oregon offense, I think I would rather have him right now. He is an NFL QB driving the offense in workman like manner. Mixing the run and pass with the full range of passes including the quick outlet. If CW would get rid of it quick sometimes it would really open up his game. Then I would want him back.
Lanning calling the plays has a whole lot to do with the effectiveness of Nix!
Trying to make him NFL ready rather than stick with his strengths … just didn’t work
CW is a scary talent … and young. Penis and Nix, are much older, and are what they are.
I’d love to give Caleb ORE’s huge, athletic OL. That would be fun to watch.
The Utah game was a biggie for LR and he whiffed, badly. Giving up two easy TDs on Utes first two possessions… just embarrassing and made the doubts even stronger. The rally was nice but they screwed that up too. See the same thing happening tomorrow. Then a massacre at Oregon. And tough loss to gutties. Very disappointing season.
Colin Cowherd — “I don’t think USC matches up with Washington. I’ll just say this. I think USC plays really well. I think Washington’s the better team. This feels like, ‘Everyone gather around the coach and the quarterback’. USC’s just not beating Oregon in Autzen next week. That’s not happening. In fact, I think they get hammered. “But I have a feeling. They’re disjointed, but I think they rally around this week, and I think Lincoln and Caleb have a little bit of a flex. I think it is one for the ages. “You could talk me into Washington by… Read more »
Don’t you think that any rational SC fan agrees with Colin? I certainly do. UW should win but SC probably will also play its best game since Stanford. Really looking forward to the game. NOT at all looking forward to the OR game.
I’ve never seen Colin so hesitant about supporting USC since Lincoln Riley came aboard.
He openly now jokes about LR having no clue whatsoever about how to field even a decent defensive team.
The walls are closing in.
Just watched Colin Cowherd finish his show today ….He brought up the USC Wash game ….It seemed he just could not bring himself to make a pick on the game .
Said Wash covers … said they could easily win by 2 TDs but SC may play best game of year and still lose.
I have a weird feeling that Riley is prone to entering the same panic mode that Helton used to employ. He’s entering the game with a script for the first couple of possessions and on paper a plan that should work. After the first three and out where Swivel Hips Smith of Taxidermy Tech gets plowed under, he panics. He becomes a boxer who, after being knocked down, comes up with his eyes closed windmilling his arms hoping to land a punch. Beating Washington will take methodically executed first downs, keeping USC’s defense and Washington’s offense off the field. I… Read more »
There are far too many similarities between Riley and Helton!
What a huge disappointment he has been.
The Washington at USC extravaganza supreme is building up big time. I sure like anticipating these big-time opponent games more than the rest, though the wildly competitive games against the so-called “soft” part of our schedule will be tough to beat if excitement is your thing. Colin Cowherd — “I think the USC/Washington game tomorrow is gonna be incredibly entertaining. I’m up for anything. I was gonna go to the game, but then I thought…flat screen, big screen, chicken wings, order some pizza…I think it’s gonna be one of those games. “I want the pregame. I want the game. I’m… Read more »
Matt Leinart calls for changes at USC football Donovan James (Trojans Wire) — Matt Leinart, a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion at USC, knows the football program can’t continue without making significant changes. Leinart stressed the need for change in the YouTube video below. It’s important to note that when we talk about changes, it’s not just one thing in isolation. It’s not just firing Alex Grinch as defensive coordinator. Other changes are needed beyond that one. The Trojans will probably need to make other internal staffing changes. The idea that Grinch is a one-person cure-all (get rid of… Read more »