Can USC Trojans' Offense Return to Form Against Maryland Terrapins' Defense?

USC's offense scored 40 or more points in 20 of the 27 games over the first two seasons of the Lincoln Riley era. The Trojans have only scored over 30 points once this season, against Utah State. Maryland, statistically, has the worst defense USC has seen since that game. Can the Trojans get back to form against a struggling defense?

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) and running back Quinten Joyner (0) take the field before the game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans head into a pivotal battle against the Maryland Terrapins in a Big Ten conference matchup tomorrow. The Trojans and coach Lincoln Riley are trying to avoid the worst seven-game start of Riley’s eight-year coaching career. Currently, USC is 1-3 in Big Ten conference play, and a loss would equal the worst conference record of Riley’s career with four conference games remaining after Saturday. 

"I don’t like to get too much into the big picture stuff in the middle, you know, for us right now. It’s about being 1-0 this week. That’s been our message to the team. That’s been our team leaders' message to the rest of our guys as well. That’s where our focus is going to be. You’re kind of in the trenches right now. And you’re not worried about what happened before, you’re not really focused on what happens after. It’s trying to prepare really well this week and go get a win at Maryland," said Lincoln Riley earlier in the week. 

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Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) throws the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

One of the biggest surprises so far across college football this season is the lack of production from the USC offense. Lincoln Riley-led teams are historically known for their offensive prowess and ability to score points in bunches. Riley teams have been so successful in the past that they’ve been accused of scoring too fast and not giving the defensive side of the ball enough of a rest period. 

Lincoln Riley has also had an unprecedented run of developmental success at the quarterback position. Every starting quarterback under Lincoln Riley has gone on to start in the NFL. Four have been All-American, three have been first overall picks, three have won the Heisman, and all five have been All-Conference. Quarterback Miller Moss was expected to continue the run of dominance at the position. So far, Moss has been a good starter, but late-game mistakes and a subpar offensive line have made the offense limited in a way, as Moss isn't as athletic as his predecessors.

Currently, the Trojans rank tied for 52nd in scoring offense, 40th in total offense, and 26th in passing offense. While it’s not abysmal, it’s not nearly the standard for Riley-led teams as they’ve customarily been amongst the top-scoring offenses and total offenses in the country throughout Riley’s coaching career. The expectation has and always will be to be a dominant offense. 

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Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) breaks a tackle by LSU Tigers safety Jardin Gilbert (2) during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The season started off fairly customary as the Trojans scored 27 points against nationally ranked LSU and 48 points the following week against Utah State. Through the first couple weeks, the statistics and eye test seemed to be what’s come to be expected. Since that Utah State game, the USC offense has yet to score over 30 points and has reached the 30-point mark only once.

A more eye-popping stat is that the Trojans have only scored 40 or more points one time this season. According to broadcaster Jack Smith of KXSC Sports, the Trojans scored 40 points and or more in 20 of the last 27 matchups across the previous two seasons. 

Maryland has the 71st-ranked total defense, 73rd-ranked scoring defense, and the 108th-ranked passing defense. The Trojans must get their passing attack back up to standard, and the opportunity to do so is right in front of them. 1-0 is all that matters, but if the Trojans want to salvage the season, the offense has to perform tomorrow.

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