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Hungry USC Football Team Dominates Cal to Keep Momentum Going
USC football stormed through October with a perfect record, but Thursday night’s 45-24 victory over Cal was all about keeping the ball rolling.
Back in September, when the sky was falling all around the USC football program, the month of October stood out like an oasis in a harsh desert.
Standing ahead of a 1-3 Trojan team was a four-game stretch full of opportunity. Four winnable games. Four chances to right the ship.
On Thursday night, USC checked off the last of four boxes on the October to-do list with a dominant performance over the Cal Bears at the Coliseum.
It was a night to showcase the best of this new and improved Trojan team — a stout, confident defense, an unstoppable rushing attack, a dangerous quarterback and his many and varied weapons.
A potent Cal offense was held in check, well under their season average for yardage and points, with a paltry third down conversion mark at 3-of-12.
Meanwhile, USC’s offense gained 629 total yards on the night, the most put up by a Trojan team in conference since 2005’s juggernaut. They averaged 8.6 yards per play and 8.3 yards per rush.
Running backs Ronald Jones II and Aca’Cedric Ware were the stars of the night, each setting career-bests with 223 and 130 yards on the ground respectively. Both credited the Trojan offensive line for leading the way.
Indeed, on a night when the running backs shone bright, Sam Darnold casually tossed five touchdowns for the second straight game and Darreus Rogers continued his exceptional senior season with two touchdowns, it was the big men up front who drew rave reviews across the board.
“They’ve been the key,” head coach Clay Helton said after the game. “It’s one of those things were we say big men win games. It’s a big man’s game. I thought the offensive and defensive fronts did a tremendous job tonight.”
Jones and Darnold each echoed that statement in turn, noting with awe the success the Trojans had up front against the Bears.
“From center to guard to tackle, everybody held their man, they gave us easy reads to make cuts off of,” Jones said.
“I was back there watching all those holes open up and that was amazing what they were able to do moving those guys,” Darnold said.
Oct 27, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Darreus Rogers (1) makes a catch for a touchdown over California Golden Bears cornerback Marloshawn Franklin Jr. (18) in the second quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
“I applaud those guys. I know those guys, they’re my protectors,” Ware said. “I’m going to keep grinding and they’re going to keep grinding. We’re going to keep getting better, keep getting better as a team.”
On a night when the Trojans comfortably defeated a 4-3 Cal team, one that has already beaten Texas, Utah and Oregon this season, the theme of getting better was a constant.
It’s why Darnold admitted that he’ll be thinking about the fumbles he lost and the interception he threw more than the touchdowns he hit.
“The interception was just a dumb play so I’m probably going to think about that a lot. And a lot more the opportunities that we left on the table,” Darnold said.
Missed opportunities loomed large for the Trojans as a 21-point lead over Cal was cut to 11 in the second quarter thanks to two Darnold fumbles. What could have and should have been an early blowout threatened to morph into a collapse.
USC rallied to put the game away with a Daniel Imatorbhebhe touchdown late in the third quarter, but even with a 42-17 lead, the Trojans noted problems to fix.
“Every level that you go through you’re going to experience some growing pains and I’m dealing with it right now and I’m just going to keep learning from it,” Darnold said.
After four straight wins, there is no sense of satisfaction around USC as the calendar moves into November. The Trojans are pleased with their progress, but not complacent.
“We’re confident. We’re a lot more confident than we were at the beginning of the season. We’re playing a lot better, a lot better, a lot faster, a lot smarter,” Ware said of the Trojans. “We’re going to keep building on this momentum we have.”
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Having dispatched the Bears, the Trojans now set their sights on a November slate which starts with Oregon next week at the Coliseum.
The Ducks embarrassed USC last season at Autzen, but this year’s Trojans have faith that their growth in October will carry over.
“I know we don’t have much to lose, everybody sees us as a three-loss team,” said cornerback Adoree’ Jackson. “So for us it’s just trying to get better each day, in and out and making sure that we’re doing everything to better ourselves.”
USC is most certainly a three-loss team, but they’re also one of the hottest outfits in the Pac-12 and every victory brings them closer to completing a major turnaround this season.
They don’t control their own destiny in the South division. But they do control what happens when they step onto the football field next. Eight games down. Four more to go.
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