USC vs. Cal: Game Grades, Analysis for the Trojans

The USC Trojans pulled out an impressive 27-21 road victory Saturday over the California Golden Bears. 

Running back Ronald Jones II, along with the USC defense, led the way as the Trojans overpowered California with their physical play, which has been an emphasis under interim head coach Clay Helton. 

The victory keeps USC very much alive in the Pac-12 South race, something that was not expected after the turbulent firing of Steve Sarkisian nearly a month ago. Here is a look at how the Trojans graded out by unit in Berkeley: 

Unit	First-Half Grade	Final Grade
Pass Offense	B	B-
Run Offense	B	B+
Pass Defense	C	B-
Run Defense	B-	B+
Special Teams	A-	A-
Coaching	C+	B

Pass Offense

Despite his status as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, Cody Kessler was more of a game manager Saturday. He attempted only eight passes in the second half as USC leaned on the running game to wear down the California defense. Kessler finished with 186 yards and no touchdowns on 18-of-22 passing. However, the reduced role did not seem to affect the senior after the game, per the Daily Trojan:

A reason for USC’s lack of a passing attack was the ineffectiveness of star receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. The sophomore was limited with an injury, recording just 55 yards through the air. Helton addressed the situation after the game: 

The passing game was still good enough to command some respect from the Cal defense, which in turn allowed the running game to continue to thrive. 

Run Offense

Jones totaled 80 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries, and Tre Madden added 62 yards and a score to lead the Trojans offense. The team racked up 185 rushing yards in total. This unit sealed the game on its final drive, converting on multiple third downs to run out the clock. The critical play in the series came on a busted play that Madden turned outside for an 11-yard gain on fourth down.

Take a look at what Madden salvaged:

Kessler also noted the importance of the run game, according to Shotgun Spratling of the Los Angeles Times:

The unit would have earned an “A” grade, but logging only 3.7 yards per carry means there was definitely room for overall improvement. 

Pass Defense

Coming into the game, the unit that would decide whether or not USC prevailed was the secondary. California quarterback Jared Goff and his talented receiving group make up one of the nation’s best passing attacks. The Trojans secondary was inconsistent at times, particularly in the first half, but it came up with two huge interceptions, including this pick-six from Adoree’ Jackson:

This play was the difference in the game. USC held Goff to less than 300 yards passing, which is an accomplishment considering his past success. 

Run Defense

The return of Cal running back Daniel Lasco provided another challenge for the USC defense. However, California’s running game was not much of a factor. Lasco finished with 64 yards and a touchdown as his team totaled just 117 rush yards. This allowed USC to turn California into a one-dimensional offense and ultimately resulted in the victory. 

Special Teams

USC’s specialists did not particularly stand out Saturday, which means they did their jobs. Alex Wood connected on both of his field goals, including a career-long 43-yarder. Punter Kris Albarado was superb as well, averaging 42 yard on his four attempts. Wood’s field goals did not appear too significant at the time, but the six points were the difference on the scoreboard. 

Coaching

All eyes are on Helton to see how he would handle a difficult situation at USC, but he has been excellent so far. He and his staff made a few solid adjustments during Saturday’s tilt. The offense got away from excessive bubble passes and focused on the run, which made a huge impact on the outcome. USC also implemented a nice mix of man and zone coverages in the secondary to confuse Goff, which resulted in two picks.

An increased focus on the run game is something Helton has tried to establish this season, per USC football reporter Paolo Uggetti:

The third-down play-calling was mediocre as Cal stopped the Trojans multiple times on 3rd-and-short because of overly complicated plays. Regardless, Helton seems to have changed the culture at USC.