5 Most Notable USC Football Stats In 2016

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Nov 5, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Ronald Jones II (25) scores on a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter against the Oregon Ducks during a NCAA football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USC football achieved an unlikely Rose Bowl berth in 2016 thanks to some major statistical improvements on offense, defense and special teams.

Early in the season it looked like the Trojans would stumble their way through a disaster 2016 season, but things turned around for USC in a big way.

Clay Helton and company found their footing in October, riding a wave of momentum all the way to a New Year’s Day (plus one) bowl game.

Here’s a look at five noteworthy stats key to success for USC football in 2016:

Finding Balance

Stat: USC averaged more than 200 yards rushing for the first time since 2005.

Sam Darnold may have been the star of the Trojan offense in 2016, but it was the fulfillment of a word that USC coaches have thrown around for years which really made the difference — Balance.

Both Steve Sarkisian and Clay Helton relentlessly preached Balance as an offensive philosophy, but Helton’s Trojans were the first to truly hit that mark.

They did so by finding their groove on the ground, a task made easier by the emergence of an elite playmaker like Darnold and USC’s wealth of talent in the passing game. In turn, the reliability of the Trojan rushing attack kept defenses honest to take pressure off the pass attack.

USC has had plenty of talent available to run the ball over the last decade, but none of those players, not Joe McKnight, not Marc Tyler, not Curtis McNeal, not Buck Allen, fueled rushing totals like the 2016 Trojans accomplished.

Ronald Jones eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark as a sophomore, delivering on the promise of his freshman campaign. But it wasn’t just Jones making the difference. USC’s primary three rushers all averaged better than five yards per carry.

The collective effort allowed the Trojan running game to thrive in 2016, ranking 12th in S&P+ rushing offense.

Nov 5, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage as Southern California Trojans center Nico Falah (74) prepares to snap the ball to quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during a NCAA football game against the Oregon Ducks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Script Flipped In Pass Protection

Stat: USC gave up 11 sacks in 2016, the lowest total since 2011.

It’s not exactly a case of worst to first, but it’s close.

Coming off a season when the Trojans allowed 38 sacks, the most since the NCAA started keeping track in 2005 and third worst in the Pac-12 by just two, it wouldn’t have taken a lot for USC to improve their pass protection.

The big men of Troy didn’t just improve a little bit though. They flipped their fortunes around completely.

By season’s end, USC led the Pac-12 in sacks allowed, with the quarterback hit just 11 times. Last year’s adjusted sack rate, which ranked 89th nationally, drastically rose to seventh in the country.

Credit for such stark progress lies in three camps — the offensive line coach, the offensive line themselves, and the quarterback they protected.

Neil Callaway’s unit was overwhelmed against Alabama, but his emphasis on refining technique paid off in the latter months of the season.

Meanwhile, the line as a whole stepped up, with Zach Banner and Chad Wheeler earning All-Pac-12 first team recognition.

And of course, Sam Darnold’s mobility no doubt played a factor in such a low sack number.

Oct 15, 2016; Tucson, AZ, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass against the Arizona Wildcats during the first half at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Darnold’s Historic QBR

Stat: Sam Darnold’s QBR of 87.0 is the highest for a Trojan quarterback ever.*

ESPN’s QBR ratings only go back to 2004, but no USC quarterback has ever finished with a higher rating than Sam Darnold.

John David Booty, Cody Kessler and even Matt Leinart never even came close. Matt Barkley’s mark of 82.2 in 2011 and Mark Sanchez’ 84.4 in 2008 begin to approach it. But at 87.0, Darnold’s redshirt freshman season was something special.

Total QBR is an advanced statistic that goes beyond the traditional metrics of a passer rating: “It accounts for what a quarterback does on a play-by-play level, meaning it accounts for down, distance, field position, as well as the clock and score.”

Only Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield posted a better season than Darnold by that measure.

Advanced stats are useful, but they are not the end all and be all to explain the value of a player. Afterall, Leinart’s best QBR doesn’t crack the Top 50 all-time season QBRs on record, but if given the choice, there are only a few quarterbacks worth picking over the USC Heisman winner when it comes to all-time greatness.

Still, Darnold passed the eye test as well as the stat test in his first year as a starter. All ready he is being talked about as a Heisman favorite for 2017, recognition which goes well beyond the numbers he compiled.

Sep 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans place kicker Matt Boermeester (39) during a NCAA football game against the Utah State Aggies at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Booming Kickoffs

Stat: Matt Boermeester improved USC’s touchback percentage from 12.64 to 51.95 percent.

Touchback rate isn’t a stat that jumps out all that often. USC in particular didn’t have much reason to take note of that particular figure over the last seven or so years either, with passable but unspectacular kickoff specialists.

In 2016 that changed thanks to Matt Boermeester.

The junior kicker split time with Alex Wood on kickoffs last year, despite tales of his booming leg when he was signed as a blueshirt. What USC got didn’t inspire much excitement, with one touchback in 22 kickoffs.

Finally given the full time job this year, Boermeester became a key, if unheralded, part of USC’s special teams turnaround under John Baxter.

His 40 touchbacks were the most by a Trojan kicker since David Buehler boomed them out of the back of the endzone regularly in 2008.

Between Buehler’s time and Boermeester, the Trojans had averaged touchbacks on just 21.5 percent of kickoffs. This year, that rate skyrocketted to 51.95 percent. As a result, USC went from allowing 72 kickoff returns in 2015 to just 34 in 2016.

While there are other factors contributing, it’s no coincidence that the Trojans’ special teams efficiency in FEI improved from 74th to fourth this season.

Nov 12, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies running back Myles Gaskin (9) takes the hand off from Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) during the second quarter against the USC Trojans at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Rankings Rise

Stat: USC’s defense ranked 27th in FEI defense and 13th in defensive S&P+, rising from 35th and 42nd in both measures last year.

The USC defense didn’t force many turnovers. Nor were they exceptional at forcing negative plays. In fact, the Trojans weren’t especially great at any one thing in 2016.

But Clancy Pendergast’s squad was better defensively in practically every margin in the advanced statistic catalog compared to 2015.

That’s not an exaggeration.

In all six S&P+ measures and seven of eight FEI categories, USC’s defense rose significantly. The outlier? Turnover rate, which was marginally higher in 2015.