On Saturday night, the USC football team defeated Louisiana 49-30 at the Coliseum. With the victory, the Trojans improved to 3-0 on the 2026 season.
What did we learn from the game? Here are five key takeaways:
Too much sloppy play
USC did more than enough to win the game, but it was far from a pretty affair. The Trojans played rather sloppily, and at times appeared to be sleepwalking through the matchup. That will need to change before the competition gets tougher.
These freshmen are special
USC’s first five touchdowns of the game were all scored by true freshmen. As if that were not impressive enough, a freshman was also the team’s leading tackler on defense. In case you were not already aware, this 2026 recruiting class is special.
The Mark Bowman breakout game
One of those star freshmen is tight end Mark Bowman, who had
by far the best game of his college career to date. Bowman led the Trojans in receiving with six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Secondary depth a concern
For the second time in three weeks, an opposing quarterback shredded up USC’s secondary in the fourth quarter after the backups came in. The Trojans have depth at several positions, but right now, defensive back does not appear to be one of them.
Too many penalties
USC committed eight penalties for 78 yards. Plain and simple, that is unacceptable.
Up next
The Trojans will open up Big Ten play next Saturday on the road at Rutgers. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. Pacific time/3:30 p.m. Eastern time on CBS.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: What we learned from USC’s 49-30 victory over Louisiana
