USC Spring Game 2017: Date, Start Time, TV Schedule, Live Stream and More

Few teams ride into spring with as much momentum as USC. 

The Trojans hit Saturday's spring game on a nine-game tear capped off by the instant classic 52-49 escape of Penn State in the Rose Bowl, not to mention returning 14 starters.

Lingering doubts plagued the Trojans this time last year as questions remained under center for head coach Clay Helton. Now Heisman Trophy candidate Sam Darnold leads the way on an experienced roster ready to glide through the spring on the way to the meat of the Pac-12 schedule.

While not as critical as last year's event, Saturday's spring game isn't something the Trojans faithful should miss.

2017 USC Spring Game

When:  Saturday, April 15, at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

TV: Pac-12 Network

Live Stream: Pac-12.com

The tone around the Trojans is all different this year.

For Helton, questions morphed to answers after his guys bounced back from a 1-3 start to make it to the Rose Bowl. Now he's ready to aim just as high, as captured by USCTrojans.com:

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We understand the expectations at USC are high, especially after the successful season we had last year. We welcome those expectations. Just like every year, we will enter the 2017 season with the expectation of winning the Pac-12 championship. We have a group of players and coaches here that can do that. This is the 125th USC football team and we expect great things this season.

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None of this positive outlook is meant to suggest the Trojans don't have areas to address this Saturday. 

After all, a program like USC remains a hotbed for NFL talent. Darnold has to find a way to replace big-name weapons like JuJu Smith-Schuster, who led the team in receiving last year with 914 yards and 10 touchdowns. Ditto for Darreus Rogers, who had 696 yards and four scores. Don't forget both starting tackles—Zach Banner and Chad Wheeler—need replacing as well.

All that said, Darnold is a Heisman favorite and NFL draft hopeful for a reason a year removed from completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 3,086 yards and 31 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

And the rest of the conference might not want to hear this, but Darnold's new set of wideouts might be his best crop to date. Michael Pittman has been a star of the spring so far and returning guys like Deontay Burnett, Jalen Greene and Steven Mitchell boast a flexibility the offense hasn't had at the position in a long time.

"The game is all about matchups and winning one-on-one matchups," offensive coordinator Tee Martin said, according to ESPN.com's Kyle Bonagura. "If they can’t predict where we're going to put guys, it gives us the element of surprise."

The defensive side of the ball has its own gaps to fill, headlined by corner Adoree' Jackson. Don't forget linebacker Michael Hutchings or Rose Bowl Defensive MVP Stevie Tu’ikolovatu, a leader in the trenches.

A team as loaded with star recruits as USC can make up losses in the trenches and secondary via one simple detail—getting after quarterbacks.

Oluwole Betiku has been the biggest name to watch so far this spring for the Trojans. Fans will remember the program was 2-3 when the coaches decided to use his redshirt and activate him. Fans will also remember how the rest of the season played out and Betiku's role, which Bonagura noted could explode in 2017 given his play during practices:

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Next year, though, Betiku seems destined for a significant role. Not necessarily as a starter, since he still figures to be behind Porter Gustin and Uchenna Nwosu on the depth chart at outside linebacker, but he has definitely made his case for meaningful snaps. There have been times during spring practice when he has looked like USC’s best pass-rusher, and, perhaps not coincidentally, he has become a regular in the film room.

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The moral of the story there, though, is a case of the rich getting richer. It won't be too hard for USC to compensate for losses when guys like Betiku slam through developmental barriers and provide serious competition to others on the depth chart.

With quarterback secure thanks to one of the nation's best players, Helton's hard work on the recruiting trails will make this one of the most positive spring games in recent memory. Call it the perfect appetizer to what comes next for the Trojans.

Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Broadcast and spring game info via USCTrojans.com.