Takeaways From The USC Spring Game

Expectations are high as yet another largely successful spring game is in the books for USC. If you missed any of the spring game due to less than stellar T.V. coverage or, you were stuck in the nightmare that was the parking situation (thanks Soul Food Festival) don’t worry we’ve got you covered in this recap.

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If you were hoping to see the backfield shine, this wasn’t the spring game for you. None of the backs had any success running the ball. The offensive line certainly didn’t create a ton of push and there was not much of an emphasis on running the ball. Keep in mind that for the most part the defense was there to wrap up and most of the tackles did not go to the ground. Sark admitted earlier in the week they didn’t want to go full live for the spring game. So while it was a bit disappointing we shouldn’t overreact to the lack of a run game yesterday. With Tre Madden coming off an injury and Justin Davis returning there is certainly talent at the running back position. Both Cody Kessler and Max Browne found success throwing slants and crossing routes yesterday.

The Trojan Secondary had some struggles, mostly up the middle of the field. Redshirt sophomore Chris Hawkins was beat for a touchdown but made up for it with an interception later in the game. The linebackers were beat a few times in the middle as well and that will certainly be an area to watch this fall as they find a replacement for Hayes Pullard.

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So there are negatives however. It’s always nice to end on a high note and there were certainly some welcomed sights. As expected Adoree Jackson is showing he is the real deal. The first play of the scrimmage was a fade throw by Cody Kessler to Adoree which fell incomplete. Though it was not completed we can see his versatility. While we didn’t see a lot of offensive production from Jackson yesterday, he looked great on the defensive side of the ball. Juju Smith tore it up, 9 receptions for 152 yards and a TD. He made several tackles including a couple of nice plays to stop the run (impressive for a cornerback). Steven Mitchell caught a slant and ran away from Chris Hawkins but Adoree was able to catch him with ease before he could find the goal line. Steven Mitchell ran a 4.5 40 yard dash out of high school but Adoree made him look slow. Su’a Cravens also looked himself making some plays against both the run and pass.

Defensively the biggest surprise was Cody Temple. He had a fantastic spring game and was reported to have had a very impressive Spring overall. This is huge considering the Trojans need to replace both Leonard Williams and J.R. Tavai on the defensive line. He made a great play to stop a screen pass and consistently put pressure on the quarterback, even while fighting through double teams. He had success against both offensive guards and center Max Tuerk. He will definitely be a guy to keep an eye on this fall.

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Finally, the passing game looked good yesterday. We didn’t get to see a ton of Cody Kessler but he finished 8-10 for 126 yards and 2 TD’s. Kessler looked solid and in command of the offense. He was efficient with most of his completions coming as quick short throws.

Max Browne showed significant improvement from what I saw last fall. He has a live arm and his decision making has improved tremendously. He completed a couple of very nice down the field throws to Juju Smith (who also looked great yesterday) and barely missed on another pass to Isaac Whitney who would have scored.

There is certainly enough talent here to make a run at winning the Pac-12 this year and more. Before they can do that however the men of Troy will have to replace key spots on the defensive line and a young but talented group of skill players will need to step up big this year as well. With a favorable schedule this year the future certainly looks bright here at USC.