USC vs. Texas: How to enjoy an ugly Trojan win

USC vs. Texas wasn’t pretty, but the Trojans’ character shone through as Clay Helton’s team notched a 12th-consecutive win, 27-24.

Make no mistake, USC vs. Texas was a sloppy affair, one that raises many questions about where the Trojans go from here.

Going 6-of-18 on third down? Not good.

Going 0-of-3 on fourth down? Not good.

Going 2-of-4 in the redzone? Not good.

Taking eight penalties for the third straight game? Not good.

Tossing two interceptions for the third straight game? Not good.

The litany of concerns could go on after USC pulled out 27-24 double overtime victory over the Longhorns.

But where is the fun in that? On a night when Clay Helton’s Trojans were not at their best, they still found a way to win—a 12th consecutive win.

Only Oklahoma can claim a longer winning streak than USC. A winning streak that long doesn’t happen by accident. Not when you’re besting the likes of Colorado and Washington, last year’s Pac-12 South and North Division Champions. Not when you’re blowing by rivals UCLA and Notre Dame. Not when you’re pulling off late comebacks against traditional national powers like Penn State and Texas.

Add Tom Herman to the list of marquee head coaches Helton has bested in the last 12 months. The Trojan head coach handed Herman his first ever loss to a ranked opponent, now 6-1. That’s no accident either.

USC’s performance could have and should have been better against Texas. The Trojans were favored by 17 points. They won by three.

But they won.

Focus, if you want, on the way the Trojan offense struggled to get off the ground, with an offensive line muddled by unfamiliar pressures thrown at them by Texas DC Todd Orlando. With the running game averaging just 1.9 yards per carry, Sam Darnold and the Trojan passing game were left vulnerable. Nor was the offensive output helped by the return of butterfinger tendencies from the receivers.

In the end, that quarterback and that offense moved down the field in less than 40 seconds to set up overtime. And in extra time they generated the points necessary to come out with a victory.

One thing all should agree on: USC’s defense answered the call.

Clancy Pendergast’s defense had born the brunt of the criticism after the Trojans first two games, but they came to play, from start to finish, against Texas.

Despite injuries to starters Porter Gustin, Rasheem Green and John Houston, the Trojan defense held Texas out of the endzone for all of 59 minutes.

Herman’s Texas was averaging 48.5 points per game coming into Saturday. They only managed 24 against the Trojans, with the last of those scores coming after regulation.

The Trojans as a whole amassed 10 tackles for loss and two interceptions. They held and held and held again. And once they’d finally broken, they put themselves back together in time to save the day once more.

Outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu led the gargantuan effort with nine tackles, a tackle for loss, a pass break up and a quarterback hurry.

Back up defensive lineman Christian Rector ended with six tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and the critical forced fumble in overtime which put USC in position to win the game.

When push came to shove, the defense got the job done. The offense got the job done. And the walk-on freshman kicker who’d been maligned for his erratic kicking in practice, who missed his first ever collegiate attempt, went out and got the job done. Twice.

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Yes, there are questions to raise about how and why the Trojans let unranked Texas come into the Coliseum and challenge them to the final seconds.

Leave those for later and appreciate the character and effort USC displayed as they moved to 3-0 on the season.

Appreciate the fire of Nwosu and his defensive teammates, the toughness of Gustin and Cameron Smith, playing through a broken toe and dislocated finger respectively, the coolness of Darnold and Deontay Burnett in the clutch, the calm of Chase McGrath lining up to kick with the game on the line.

USC has been on the wrong end of a nail-biter ending against Texas. Why not enjoy being on the winning side this time?

“Glory to God and a bunch of great kids who just refused to quit tonight or give up and just kept fighting on,” Helton said after the game.

A team that refuses to quit, or give up, and keeps fighting on to the end, that team will win a lot of games. Sometimes they’ll have to win them ugly. But, as they did against Texas, they’ll win.

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