USC Spring Game 2015: Recap, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

A deeper, more explosive USC Trojans roster took the field Saturday as Team Cardinal upended Team White, 37-23 at the program's spring game.

In an offense vs. defense format, Team Cardinal encountered few issues piling on the points en route to the victory, thanks to a strong showing from quarterback Cody Kessler and his backup, freshman Max Browne.

Several names, including star JuJu Smith, exploded in the quick-twitch attack, reinforcing the notion the receiving corps is in good hands moving forward.

Coach Steve Sarkisian went into Saturday's spectacle hoping to further expand the explosiveness of his offense—a year after Kessler threw for 3,826 yards and 39 touchdowns to five interceptions and the offense's leading receiver, Nelson Agholor, departed for the NFL.

ESPN's Joe Schad highlighted the focus before the game:

Suffice it to say, Sarkisian accomplished the goal.

An innovative approach to scoring allowed both the offense (Cardinal) and defense (White) to stay on the field and compete, as captured by the team's Twitter account:

After running the ever-popular Oklahoma drill and 7-on-7 to warm up, the actual game got underway.

It started with what everyone wanted to see, too, with Smith reeling in an eight-yard reception on the opening drive, which put the offense up 3-0. Considering he's the favorite to lead the team in receiving and had many dropped passes in recent weeks, it was a great sign for the offense.

As expected for a Sarkisian-led attack, things devolved into a blowout. Kicker Alex Wood made it 6-0 on the second drive, and then Kessler hit Smith for 36 yards on fourth down before firing a scoring strike to Christian Tober.

For those ready to switch to a search engine, stop—Tober played in just one game last year due to injury, but he's one critical part of a deep corps this season. Pigskin Grind's Lisa Horne put it best:

Tober wasn't done, either, catching a second touchdown pass on the next drive, this time from Browne, to make it 20-0.

It wasn't all offense, though. Team White earned three points for a three-and-out and one more for a Lamar Dawson sack. As Neon Tommy Sports points out, Dawson's sack was the first conversion of many successful pressures on the day:

Call it a sigh of relief for Trojans faithful, as a hobbled defense tasked with replacing Leonard Williams needs to be up-to-par this year.

The good vibes didn't last long, though, as Steven Mitchell, another unheralded name, turned on the burners. USC radio announcer Evan Budrovich paints the picture:

It was much of the same after the halftime break.

Smith finally got on the board, reeling in a 15-yard reception in the end zone from Browne. Pac-12 Networks captured his celebration:

So, no, Sarkisian wasn't joking about wanting to focus on the passing game Saturday.

In fact, the first rushing touchdown didn't come until the fourth quarter—and it wasn't scored by a member of the team, as noted, per the team's Twitter account:

Sarkisian himself took to social media to speak about the game's result:

At the end of the day, Saturday's event was pretty one-sided, which makes sense given all the circumstances. Defense still put on a show, though.

It's important to point out the rush was hitting home at a consistent clip. Players such as Jalen Jones and Chris Hawkins recorded interceptions, and Adoree Jackson's elite athleticism prevented a touchdown and helped with the little things.

Again, the headlines go to the offense, though, even more so when Smith uses the platform to throw down gauntlets, as Horne captures:

Free of NCAA sanctions and deeper than in recent years, this edition of the Trojans showed Saturday why a potential run at the Pac-12 crown and a spot in the College Football Playoff are realistic goals.

The Trojans have a long road ahead, over the summer, but Sarkisian's offense answered plenty of questions about depth in emphatic fashion Saturday, a small step in the right direction ahead of the journey.

Info courtesy of USCTrojans.com unless otherwise specified.