USC Football: Opening win leaves more questions than answers

The Bad

The conductor of the USC hype train QB Sam Darnold did not live up to expectations in his first game since the record-breaking performance in the Rose Bowl. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 289 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. He needs to start developing chemistry with other receivers outside of Burnett and Mitchell, as it appeared as if he was locked in on those two guys almost every time he dropped back to pass.

Darnold still showed his value outside of the box score with his ability to extend plays. There were many times where the pocket collapsed and he found a way into space to make a throw or scramble for any yards the defense was giving him.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Trojans had a ton of difficulty slowing down the running game for Western Michigan, allowing 263 yards on the ground for the day. LeVante Bellamy gashed the USC defense for 102 yards on nine carries, while Jamauri Bogan added 77 yards and a score on 15 carries.

Neither Josh Fatu nor Kenny Bigelow Jr. showed much of a desire to capture the starting nose tackle job, as the linebackers and safeties did a majority of the cleanup in run support. The defensive line didn’t get much pressure on QB Jon Wassink in his first career start, managing just one sack and one hurried throw.