Grading the Game: USC

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Washington had a chance to get its season back on track Saturday night and they let it slip away. The Huskies led USC 21-10 in the third quarter, then gave up the final 15 points and lost 25-21. This was a USC team being booed by its own fans, with a defense that has been the weak spot of Lincoln Riley’s program for years and one of the worst in the nation. In one respect, this game did feel like improvement, albeit a slight one on offense. On the other hand, they dropped a game against a flawed team they were very much in position to beat. To the grades (ratings).

Passing Offense: 4/10

Quarterback: 3.5/10
Offensive line: 3.5/10
Receivers/tight ends: 5.5/10

USC’s defense has struggled throughout Riley’s tenure, and the pass defense is in the bottom half of the conference again this season. This was the ideal matchup for Washington’s passing game to get right, and it didn’t happen.

Demond Williams threw for 198 yards, and yet again his stats looked decent despite what you saw with your eyes: a touchdown, 7.6 yards per attempt (though he was sub 60% completion which is rare for him), and no interceptions. But, his second half fumble after a pump fake was returned 48 yards for the go ahead touchdown, making it two weeks in a row that a Williams mistake has handed the opponent seven points in a game lost by four or fewer. It was another play that showed the type of quarterback he’s been this season – one who doesn’t have the feel to reliably navigate the pocket or get rid of the ball on time. He just missed open guys, either with inaccurate passes or by not throwing altogether.

Washington went 1 for 12 on third down and is now 2 for 22 in conference play. The line gave up five more sacks, although moving John Mills to left tackle late in the first half helped. That feels like a move that should be permanent until Kodi Greene gets more acclimated. Chris Lawson’s 43-yard catch on fourth down and Decker DeGraaf’s 42-yard touchdown were the highlights, but both came from improvisation or poor tackling (like, laughably bad in the case of DeGraaf), not a functioning offense. Dezmen Roebuck has his moments but it seems like they are trying so hard to force the ball his way and he’s not getting much YAC. Demond was of course good for one of his signature highlight reel plays, but down-to-down, play-by-play, he’s simply not operating well enough.

Rushing Offense: 5/10

Running backs: 5/10

Offensive line: 5/10

Brian Bonner ran for 89 yards on 19 carries (4.7 yards per) and looked like he’s starting to feel more comfortable with the speed of the college game. That’s the most encouraging development. But, too many of his second down carries were stuffed or gained minimal yardage, as the offensive line struggled to get consistent push and open holes, which led to the long third down situations this offense can’t convert. Kade Eldridge took a direct snap and plunged into the end zone from one yard out, which was a nice wrinkle. I’d like to see him more involved in the run game.

Passing Defense: 6.5/10

Pass rush: 5/10

Secondary: 7/10

The defense held a USC offense that had scored 27+ in every game to 18 points, and corner Dylan Robinson played his best game as a Husky. Emmanuel Karnley had a nice TFL and continues to look like a solid addition. The usually accurate Jayden Maiava threw a pick when flushed from the pocket, and overall the secondary did a decent job against one of the top offenses in the country. However, the pass rush rarely finished, with just one sack, coming from a defensive back. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt was one of the top freshman in the country and was held without a catch (his TD was taken off the board due to a flag), though Zacharyus Williams some big plays instead.

Rushing Defense: 5.5/10

USC wasn’t dominant on the ground, but Washington missed more than 20 tackles (per PFF), and the Trojans controlled the ball for nearly 35 minutes. USC running backs finished with 125 yards on 30 carries (just over four yards per carry.) Only four tackles for loss is not enough.

Special Teams: 8/10

Hunter Green averaged over 51 yards per punt and pinned USC at its own 1 twice. For better or for worse, he’s one of the best players on this team right now. It’s a shame his talent can’t be showcased on a better Husky team that could have desperately used elite punting. Also, another opponent muffed a punt! What is it, four so far this season?

Coaching: 4/10

The double pass and direct snap touchdowns were both nice touches and probably more of what we need to see this season, especially in the red zone. However, USC committed nine penalties for 94 yards, missed two-point attempts, and tried to give the game away with penalties that both gave the Huskies a touchdown and took one off the board for the Trojans, yet Washington still couldn’t win. The late game decisions were poor again: an unnecessary timeout before 4th and 2 with just over two minutes left, and the final third down where USC showed blitz against a five man protection, and no one adjusted. This is the same lack of situational awareness I wrote about last week, and it shows no sign of improving.

Five games in, it’s clear what this team is. It has a quarterback who can dazzle with a few hero ball plays per game, where his athleticism and playmaking are on full display. Yet, it’s paired with costly mistakes and down by down inconsistency. The offensive line is one of weakest in the conference. The defense is good (maybe even very good), but not good enough to win games on its own.

The most frustrating part is that I don’t think Washington has even played a truly good defense yet. Iowa comes to Husky Stadium on Friday night, and I truly wonder what this offense will be able to accomplish.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos