Positives and negatives from USC’s football’s rainy comeback victory over Iowa

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On Saturday, the USC football team defeated Iowa 26-21 at the Coliseum. With the victory, the Trojans improved to 8-2 on the season and 6-1 in Big Ten play.

What went well for USC on Saturday, and what do the Trojans still need to improve? Here are some positives and negatives from the game:

Positive: The entire second half

USC made a statement in the second half against Iowa. The Trojans ended the game with 19 unanswered points. After the Hawkeyes scored a touchdown late in the second quarter, they would only enter USC territory once for the rest of the game.

Negative: The entire first half

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Positive: Makai Lemon

Another week, another Lemon masterclass. Against Iowa, he had another huge game, catching 10 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. Right now, Lemon looks like the best WR in the country, plain and simple.

Positive: Bryan Jackson

It was not the best day for USC’s rushing game, as the Trojans ran for just 106 yards. However, Jackson, the Trojans’ fourth-string running back who likely would have redshirted this season if not for injuries at the position, stepped up, punching it in for two massive touchdowns.

Positive: Ball security

Perhaps the most notable part of USC’s performance on Saturday was that they took care of the football. Given the wet conditions, turnovers were likely to be expected. However, for the first time since the Purdue game back in September, the Trojans did not turn the ball over even once, an impressive accomplishment given the circumstances.

Negative: Finishing drives

USC actually only punted twice against Iowa. The reason that the Trojans only scored 26 points, however, was because they struggled to finish drives, twice having to settle for field goals in the red zone and turning the ball over on downs. That is something that they will need to do better if they want to have any chance against Oregon next week.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football defeats Iowa 26-21: Positives and negatives

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