USC vs Stanford: Class Is Always In Session For Trojans

The road to redemption began last week against Utah State, but USC vs Stanford presents the next test for a Trojan team still learning and growing.

After facing the class of college football, in the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 1 of the 2016 college football season, the USC Trojans put a disappointing loss firmly in the rear view mirror as they were able to overwhelm an outclassed Utah State Aggie team on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Entering the contest tied for the national lead in team rushing one week into the college football season, Utah State was gifted to the Men of Troy, providing no time to mourn the final outcome of defeat to the reigning national champs.

An 11:00 a.m. kickoff time, the earliest for a Trojans home opener in 60 years, gave a team hungry to put the previous week behind them, an opportunity to do just that.

After an early ejection, following a skirmish for starting left tackle Chuma Edoga a minute and a half into the contest, the Trojans quickly settled into form to the tune of a 45-7 drubbing.

Flashes of the team the men of Troy know they can be were on full display, as the Trojans received contributions in all three phases of the game.

A young aggressive defense proved able to generate turnovers in consecutive weeks. Special teams added a touchdown via punt return by the sensational junior cornerback Adoree` Jackson, a special talent possessing the ability to significantly impact the game in all phases with equal aplomb. Finally, a balanced offense saw success with both Trojan quarterbacks at the helm, producing 35 points on their own.

By no means did the Trojans resemble a finished product, one yet capable of repeating as Pac-12 South champions and possibly more. But with the defeat of a very good Utah State team USC was able to impose their will, suppressing a dominant rushing attack to the tune of 49 total rushing yards and a 1.9 per rush average.

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• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

The aerial attack is not yet clicking on all cylinders, though both quarterbacks possessing differing styles did play well, giving the offense an additional dimension and opposing defenses one more threat to contend with.

Next up for the Men of Troy, the No. 7 ranked Stanford Cardinal, the current class of the Pac-12 and current standard bearer of the conference.

The Cardinal are a physical, smash mouth team with an offense committed to running the ball well, but their offense is far from one-dimensional.

No team understands this better than the Trojans who suffered defeat twice at the hands of Stanford last season, allowing more than 40 points in both contests.

That was then.  The road to redemption began last weekend at the Coliseum. A Trojan team gaining in confidence will hope to continue on that road against a well-rested Stanford Cardinal squad in Palo Alto.