The USC Trojans have won their neutral site opening game of the 2024 season against the LSU Tigers, 27-20, in Las Vegas.
The Trojans came into the game as slight underdogs and were not expected to handle the LSU Tigers team quite the way they did. The USC defense shutdown the LSU offense for much of the game and prevented major plays from being broken off. The Trojans proved to be formidable against a strong team in the Tigers, and now must prepare for their clash against #9 Michigan that is around the corner.
USC Trojans Beat LSU Tigers Behind Clock Management, Save Defense
The USC football team has kicked off the season with a big win over a tough opponent in the LSU Tigers. LSU has had plenty of issues on opening day, losing their last three opening games in a row with the previous two losses to the Florida State Seminoles. The Trojans walked away with a win, but certainly did not do so in an easy manner as the Tigers put up a big fight.
Quarterback Miller Moss waited his turn behind Caleb Williams and now has earned the role of starting quarterback for USC. The USC football team turned to Miller against the Tigers late in the game and the quarterback masterfully ran a two-minute drill to win. The quarterback finished the game with 378-yards and a touchdown against a tough defense.
The Trojans used the clock to their advantage excellently late in the game and gave the LSU Tigers very few chances to take the lead. Running back Woody Marks had 16 carries for 68-yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers, including the dagger that ended the game. Marks was tough to stop and showed plenty of promise in his first showing of the season.
What Does the USC Football Staff Need to Focus on Improving Moving Forward?
Credit: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire Via Getty Images
While the USC football team played a great game and defeated a great time, there are also some things they will need to focus on moving forward. The focus should start on the defensive side of the ball as the Trojans work to find ways to prevent damage from check-downs. The LSU offense and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier took whatever the Trojans defense gave them, and those check-down passes added up after awhile.
The Trojans need to be able to cover the flats and eliminate the small plays from adding up in order to prevent tight games like the clash against LSU. USC did a tremendous job at limiting the amount of deep shots the Tigers offense was able to take which truly slowed them down. The Tigers love deep plays and love challenging defenses, but did not have the opportunity to do so against the Trojans.
The USC football team also needs to focus on their rushing offense as they struggled to get past the line of scrimmage at times against LSU. The Tigers should have a very strong rush defense, and showcased that against the Trojans. However, the Trojans need to limit the amount of times they go in the other direction, which will start along their offensive line.
The Trojans offensive line allowed two sack and multiple quarterback hits, which is an unsustainable amount of damage on quarterback Miller Moss. Moss looked good during the game, but even when delivering darts the quarterback was getting rocked by the LSU Tigers defense. The Trojans need to limit the amount of big hits that Moss takes throughout the season.
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