Three Things USC Must Improve on Before Stanford
The USC Trojans opened their 2021 season with a 30-7 win over the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday. Although Todd Orlando's defensive unit put up a stellar performance, there are still some areas of improvement the Trojans need to touch on before their first conference matchup against Stanford.
No. 1: Offensive Line
The most notable group that struggled on Saturday was the Trojans offensive line. USC's protection for quarterback Kedon Slovis struggled, as SJSU continuously brought only four pass rushers, but was able to put pressure on the junior QB.
Slovis was sacked twice, which forced the offense to look stagnant most of the game. The O-Line did a better job run blocking, but pass protection must improve.
No. 2: Red Zone Efficiency
USC left 12 points in the red zone, and settled for field goals on three of their four trips inside the 20 yard line. Kicker Parker Lewis went 3-for-3 on his attempts, but none of them were longer than 30 yards.
"The thing that I think we could do better is I'd like to see better red zone efficiency," Helton said after the game. "I think there's some things that we can correct on definitely red zone being one."
No. 3: Spreading The Ball Around
Other than wide receiver Drake London, who had a great opening game with 12 receptions, Tahj Washington was the only receiver to make more than two catches. If the offense can spread the wealth, they will be more efficient. Not to mention that it will prevent the defense from locking in on one specific player.
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