USC vs. Texas 2017: Five takeaways from the game

Saturday night’s USC vs. Texas thriller was anything but pretty for 59 minutes. But there’s a lot to discuss following a wild overtime finish.

Despite all of the 2006 Rose Bowl talk, it’s safe to say the 2017 USC vs. Texas game could live up on its own. The Longhorns fought valiantly under first-year head coach Tom Herman, and the Trojans found a way to win despite a frustratingly sloppy performance at times.

All’s well that ends well. Sam Darnold, Deontay Burnett, Christian Rector and Chase McGrath came up big when it mattered.

Let’s walk through the game’s biggest takeaways…

No bye week will hurt USC

After starters John Houston Jr. and Marlon Tuipolotu missed Saturday’s game due to injuries against Stanford, the injury bug continued to plague USC throughout the Texas game.

Defensive end Rasheem Green sprained his ankle,Gustin’s night was cut short, linebacker Cameron Smith dislocated a finger, and Sam Darnold even favor his left leg at one point, after being hit so many times.

This is where the Trojans’ lack of a bye week on the 2017 schedule comes into play.

There is no time for the team to rehab and get fully healthy, and they will either have to keep playing through injuries or throw inexperienced players into the fire.

This is not helped by the fact USC rarely rotates on defense. Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast may have to be forced to rotate more often.