USC Football: Opening win leaves more questions than answers
By Jason Elbaum
On a blistering hot day at the Coliseum, the USC Football Trojans were given all they could handle from a Western Michigan team that went 13-1 last season. The Trojans were trailing in the third quarter but made enough plays on both sides of the ball to secure a 49-31 victory.
USC got off to a quick start thanks to some powerful running by Ronald Jones II who showed that the extra 15 pounds of muscle he gained this offseason was no joke. It appeared as if the Trojans were going to dominate the game, but Western Michigan’s rush attack responded to the challenge of going up against such a talented defense.
Western Michigan RB Jamauri Bogan answered with a four-yard run to tie the game late in the first quarter before QB Jon Wassink added his own rushing touchdown in the second quarter to give the Broncos an early 14-7 lead. USC struggled on offense for much of the first half but managed to tie the game 14-14 on a short Jones II run just before halftime.
USC fans could start to feel the legitimate potential for a loss when Western Michigan opened the second half with a long, methodical drive that was capped off by a trick play touchdown pass from WR Keishawn Watson to QB Jon Wassink. The Trojans were on their heels for much of this drive as they struggled to find an answer for Western Michigan’s rushing attack.
A Sam Darnold touchdown run tied the game at 21 going into the fourth quarter, and that’s when USC’s running game took over. True freshman RB Stephen Carr scored his first career touchdown from the goal line to put the momentum back in USC’s favor. However, the Trojans failed to stop the All-MAC special teamer Darius Phillips from returning the subsequent kickoff 100 yards to tie the game once again.
USC continued to have success in the running game, as Ronald Jones II broke away for another score, and Stephen Carr looked impressive on his 52-yard run to make it 42-31. The defense contributed to the scoring to close out the game when safety Marvel Tell III intercepted a tipped pass and returned it for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.