Rapid Reaction: The Good, Bad, and Ugly-Stanford vs. USC
Amid Hollywood script-level dysfunction off the field, the USC Trojans are off to a 2-0 start (as predicted). The Trojans sealed a nail-biting win over heated rival Stanford for the second year in a row. J.R. Tavai and Andre Heidari were the primary heroes for the Trojans. Here’s the rapid reaction to the Trojans major win in the good, bad, and ugly.
The GOOD
Sep 6, 2014; Stanford, CA, USA; USC Trojans running back Javorius Allen (37) runs the ball against the Stanford Cardinal in the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. The Trojans defeated the Cardinal 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The running game: Javorius ‘Buck’ Allen set a career high in rushing yards with 154. D.J. Morgan score a touchdown, and most importantly, the USC running game didn’t turnover the ball like they did last week versus Fresno St.
Nelson Agholor: Agholor stepped up in a crucial game for the Trojans and proved why he is the clear-cut number one receiver. His nine catches for 91 yards had an average of 10.1 yards per reception. Agholor is a great playmaker on Steve Sarkisian‘s offense and definitely IS the go-to guy for Cody Kessler.
Although Agholor had a five catch, 57 yard performance from last week’s Fresno State game, stepping up in a clutch game like Stanford is proof that Agholor is here to stay and perform at a high level as the number one. The Fresno St. game got out of hand very quickly, Agholor’s performance against competition such as Stanford puts all on notice that he’s ready to assume a playmaking, leadership role as a key contributor to the offense without any doubt.
Kessler: Although Kessler threw no touchdowns, he also threw no interceptions nor did he turn the ball over. Kessler served as a legitimate game manager and did not place USC in bad spots that Stanford could capitalize off of. Many would not consider Kessler to have played a main role in USC’s win, however, when your quarterback does not make mistakes, it’s always beneficial for the team. Kessler has not failed to deliver in many big games for the Trojans. His maturity is showing more and more as the Trojans signal caller.
Defense: Two turnovers and a stout run defense continues to validate the USC defense as being top-tier despite being crippled with lack of depth, injuries, and the suspension of Josh Shaw. Despite allowing 21 first downs, the Trojans still were able to keep their composure and only allow two plays to go over 20 yards in the air, and none on the ground game for over 15 yards. Stanford could only amount to 10 points despite being in the Trojans red zone nearly 10 times. The defense proved to be very clutch when it is in danger.
Steve Sarkisian: Although many would have criticized Sarkisian very negatively for his 53-yard Andre Heidari field goal attempt had Heidari missed, it was a gutsy call nonetheless. Confident, good coaches take serious gambles that drive fans crazy. We should expect to see more of this from Sarkisian. Get used to it. When it works, we will think he’s genius and brave, when it fails we will think he’s insane. But, keep this win in mind the next time Sark makes what you think is a questionable play call and sways from the conservative.