3 takeaways from USC football's 66-14 win over Rice

There were some concerns defensively for the Trojans that weren’t reflected on the scoreboard

LOS ANGELES — USC blew out Rice in its season opener 66-14, thanks in part to three defensive touchdowns and excellent offensive efficiency.

The Trojans’ offense was almost perfect, scoring touchdowns on five of the first six drives. Caleb Williams shined in his debut, completing all but three of his passes. His only incompletions consisted of two drops and a spike in the red zone near the end of the first half. Overall, he went 19-22, for 249 yards and 2 touchdowns, getting it done on the ground as well with a team-high 68 rushing yards.

“I thought he played well. I thought he was in control, in command, I thought he saw the field well,” head coach Lincoln Riley said of Williams. “I thought he played just very much in control and very much at ease. When quarterbacks are playing at a high level, it often times looks like that to me. He threw the ball accurately, managed it, so it was a really good first start for him.”

Here are three takeaways from USC's win:

Three pick sixes didn't look as good in person

Photo by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The first pick six should’ve been a fourth down conversion from USC’s 12-yard line and may have been a touchdown for Rice. Instead it tipped out of the hands of Rice’s Luke McCaffrey and into the hands of Calen Bullock who returned it 93 yards to the house.

The second was also a deflection off the hands of a Rice receiver, as was USC’s fourth interception, the only one that wasn’t immediately taken back for six. A little luck was in the Trojans’ favor at the Coliseum.

So USC’s turnover margin looks great after Week 1, but there were some concerns defensively for the Trojans that weren’t reflected on the scoreboard. Sure, Rice only scored 14 points, and USC won by 52, but those 14 points were all in the first half, and without that fortunate tipped pass, it could easily have been a 21-point first half for the Owls. Not a great look for a team that aims to compete with the top teams in the country.

Part of the defensive struggle was stopping the run, which Rice exploited with a 22 set (2 running backs, 2 tight ends) throughout much of the game. USC's pass defense wasn’t bad, but some extra pressure on the quarterback would have made things easier on the secondary.

Starting edge rusher Romello Height was ejected for targeting in the second quarter, so sophomore Korey Foreman saw a lot of snaps on the defensive line. Foreman was the No. 2 ranked player in his high school class but failed to live up to the expectations last season and did not see a ton of the field.

His performance Saturday was not much better, and the Owls took the rushing attack straight at him following Height’s ejection and scored shortly after. There’s certainly room for improvement for the young edge, and the defensive line as a whole will need to step it up a notch as well.

The linebackers and secondary looked great

Though the defensive line was not great, there were still positives defensively, and this Trojan defense looked better than it has in a long time.

Alabama transfer Shane Lee had a standout game in his debut as a Trojan. The inside linebacker had eight tackles, including two for loss, and a 40-yard touchdown return after his interception.

All-American Arizona State transfer Eric Gentry was in the mix a good amount as well with 7 total tackles (4 solo) and half a sack.

Aside from his pick six, Bullock had 6 tackles (4 solo), and Colorado transfer Mekhi Blackmon also played very well in the secondary. Sophomore defensive back Latrell McCutchin also recorded a sack on a creative nickel blitz in the second quarter.

Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch stressed the importance of effort on that side of the ball and credited Bullock’s strong performance to how hard he plays.

“We talk about being an effort-based defense,” Grinch said. “The sky’s the limit for Calen. He’s an elite dude, and [I’m] thrilled to have a chance to coach him, but he doesn’t make either of those plays if he doesn’t play with tremendous effort,” referring to Bullock’s pick six and another play on that drive in which Bullock ran down a Rice receiver to save a touchdown.

USC's explosive offense will only be as strong as the line

USC’s new weapons are everything they were advertised to be. Jordan Addison and Austin Jones each went for two touchdowns, Darwin Barlow added one late in the game, and Raleek Brown showcased his electrifying speed on a 14-yard touchdown run, one of his eight touches.

The offense clicked immediately, and the Trojans had no trouble moving the ball in this one. From the first play onwards, USC’s plethora of receiving threats were finding space in all levels of the field, with 12 different players catching passes for the Trojans Saturday.

USC has certainly upgraded its talent at receiver, but Williams’ athletic ability also plays a big role in expanding the possibilities within Riley’s offense.

Williams is able to buy lots of time for his receivers with his legs, which Addison appreciates.

“As a receiver, your eyes light up when that happens. That’s just another opportunity to get the ball in space. With Caleb back there, he’s gonna extend that play a lot, so when that scramble drill comes, you just better get open,” Addison said.

“He got here, and it was almost as if we’ve been throwing to each other for the past year, so it’s been easy,” Williams said of playing with Addison. “It was really cool to get him the ball, let him get his first touchdown in the Coli, and [mine] too.”

The only noticeable weakness in USC’s otherwise flawless offensive performance was some shaky pass protection at times. The Trojans are returning three starters on the line but aren’t particularly deep at the position group.

Still, there were moments when the line needed to show up and it delivered, including textbook protection on a blitz that resulted in a touchdown pass to Addison on the game’s first drive.

So long as Williams is able to stand in a clean pocket and the receivers have time to find space, this offense is going to be a nightmare for defensive coordinators. The sky's the limit offensively, and the Trojans will go as far as their offensive line takes them.