USC vs Arizona 2016: Who Were the Studs and Duds?

Oct 15, 2016; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate (14) fumbles after being hit by USC Trojans defensive back Chris Hawkins (4) during the first half at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Who were the duds?

Porter Gustin: The Trojan Predator had a difficult job against Arizona, trying to keep Khalil Tate corralled. Facing just an elusive quarterback, Gustin’s troubles containing the edge are understandable but still problematic. Tate’s 72 rushing yards on the day largely came at the expense of Gustin. Athletic though he may be, the sophomore’s angles need to improve if the Trojans want to keep mobile quarterbacks at bay in the future.

The Long Ball: Sam Darnold’s exceptional outing did involve one glaring deficiency — the long ball. The Trojan quarterback attempted long throws to a variety of receivers, and even tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe, but couldn’t quite hit the mark. The most glaring of those was to De’Quan Hampton who had broken free from his defender up the sideline. Thankfully, USC didn’t need those throws this week anyways and Darnold did adjust well enough to hit JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 46-yard touchdown in the second half.

Khalil Tate: It was a difficult situation for Tate, starting thanks to injuries to Anu Solomon and Brian Dawkins. And to be fair, the true freshman did cause USC problems with his legs, rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

However, the Wildcat QB was ineffective as a passer, going 1-for-7 with just four passing yards in the first half. He finished with 58 yards through the air before being replaced in the second half by tight-end-turned-quarterback Matt Morin.

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Discipline: If last week’s two-penalty performance felt like a fluke, USC’s ability to draw the flag in Tucson confirmed it.

Arizona’s first scoring drive was aided heavily by Trojan penalties. In fact, the Wildcats enjoyed five first downs courtesy of yellow flags.

All told, USC had eight penalties for 89 yards. It didn’t affect the outcome of the game, but personal foul calls against Damien Mama and Smith-Schuster, as well as the obligatory Iman Marshall pass interference call of the day, were proof that the Trojans have quite sorted out the discipline issue.

Of course, it’s doubtful Rich Rodriguez was pleased with his Wildcats in that department, as a personal foul penalty wiped out a two-point PAT return.