There was a lot to take away from the USC Trojans' disastrous loss to the Oregon Ducks. More bad than good was the familiar theme of the day. The USC Trojans will be in a lot of trouble with their upcoming Big Ten schedule. Thankfully for USC, this team can bank on its young freshmen continuing to get better.
Here is what we learned about USC following its fifth game of the season:
Receiver depth and weapons step up
It is not a concern or worry anymore; the Trojans have receivers that can step up. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is etched as the lead guy now after a big game against Oregon. However, another freshman like Tron Baker can show up and make some big plays too. It was also encouraging to see Terrell Anderson get 2 catches for 50 yards. This receiver room each week continues to show its
depth.
Lincoln Riley needs to run the ball more
One big mistake Lincoln Riley made with his offensive game plan was getting too cute and steering away from the run game. The Trojans had success on the grind when they tried. King Miller picked up some key big gains and kept the offense moving. Had USC leaned more on that, this game would have ended differently.
An undisciplined team cannot win big games
The hit by Desman Stephens II was a big example of this team being undisciplined. Coupled with the reaction and how this team responded to that moment in the game. The Trojans made costly mistake after costly mistake. They gift-wrapped the Ducks many opportunities to score with a bonehead penalty. This game was for the taking for USC, but it got in its own way more often than not. Undisciplined teams do not win the big games, and that was a key reason for the Trojans' embarrassing loss.
Pass rush does not exist
The Trojans gave little to no resistance to Dylan Raiola. Dylan Raiola had all the time to throw and lit the Trojans up for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns. You could not tell that the Ducks were without their starting quarterback. That was due to the Trojans applying little to no pressure. That has been a continuing story for this season, but in a big game like this one, not getting any pressure against a stellar offense can't be overcome.
Trojans will get blown out against Indiana and Ohio State
Oregon is not nearly at the level of the other contenders in the Big Ten, and USC made them look that way. Just like they made Rutgers look better than they actually are. Against Indiana and Ohio State, it will get very ugly if the Trojans do not become a completely different team. Jeremiah Smith will continue his Heisman campaign against USC.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football shouldn't have so many flaws in October, but it does
