USC is off to a strong start this season — but what’s been the key to the Trojans’ early success?
On Week 5’s edition of “Big Noon Kickoff,” USC legends Ronnie Lott, Marcus Allen and Mark Carrier weighed in ahead of the Trojans’ road matchup against the No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini.
“The consistency of the running game,” Carrier said about what has impressed him with the Trojans. “They’ve got to keep running it. It just shortens the game and makes your defense better. You’ve got to love that they stay with the running game.”
USC’s four wins have come against Missouri State (73-13), Georgia Southern (59-20), Purdue (33-17) and Michigan State (45-31).
The running game has been a primary catalyst for head coach Lincoln Riley’s offense. Waymond Jordan has rushed for 443 yards and three touchdowns on 7.8 yards per carry; Eli Sanders has rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns on 6.4 yards per carry; quarterback Jayden Maiava, who boasts a 208.8 passer rating, has rushed for four touchdowns.
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As a collective whole, USC ranks second in the Big Ten in total yards (583.8 per game), third in points (52.5 per game) and fifth in rushing yards (252.3 per game). At the same time, the Trojans are 12th in the conference in opponent total yards (323.8 per game) and opponent points (20.3 per game).
“You got to play defense, and you got to not only play defense, but you got to play defense,” Lott said about USC. “You got to play defense, and I think that consistency right there is invaluable.”
All things considered, though, Allen likes what he’s seeing from the entire roster.
“I like the construction of the team,” Allen said about USC. “[They’ve] put so much focus on wide receivers and quarterbacks, [and] rightfully so, that [they] actually ignored the line of scrimmage, but now, [they’re] building from the inside out, which I think is really important not only for the Big Ten but for a national championship run, too, so that’s what’s important.”
Watch USC’s Week 5 Big Ten showdown against Illinois on FOX and the FOX Sports app.
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