USC Football: Studs and duds from the Trojans’ win over Washington State

After two-straight losses, Clay Helton’s USC football team got back in the win column Friday night on the back of its stars against Washington State.

Friday night had plenty of Pac-12 After Dark in USC Football’s 39-36 win over Washington State, with several key players coming up big when it counted, despite an overall sloppy performance from Clay Helton’s Trojans.

Let’s get to the Week 4 studs and duds…

Studs

Vavae Malepeai:

Not only did Vavae Malepeai lead USC in rushes and rushing yards, he looked fully capable of being the Trojans’ No. 1 back. He scored a pair of touchdowns to run his season total to five through four games, and was Tee Martin’s favorite weapon in the fourth quarter. Malepeai ran the ball six times for 41 yards in the game’s final frame, scoring the game-winning touchdown and registering a 6.81-yard average.

Stephen Carr:

For the first time in a while, Stephen Carr looked to get to top gear. His 50-yard jaunt on the game’s opening drive set up the first Malepeai touchdown, and a hard-fought third down pickup late in the third quarter kept alive the Trojans’ go-ahead scoring drive to erase what was a 13-point deficit.

JT Daniels:

He wasn’t perfect, but JT Daniels was about as fortunate as you’d want your true freshman quarterback to be. With a career high 181.3 passer rating, Daniels didn’t make a critical mistake and was sure to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers, as seen with a series of highlight reel catches from the likes of Tyler Vaughns, Michael Pittman and Amon-Ra St. Brown. The 50-50 jump balls aren’t going to work every night, but as long the receivers are clicking, they’re a weapon for the über-talented Trojans.

Tyler Vaughns:

It was only a matter of time before the Tyler Vaughns everyone expected before the season showed up. The redshirt-sophomore looked like an All-American talent, making multiple gravity-defying catches and putting in his best production since the Cotton Bowl. He caught seven passes for 64 yards and a touchdown, plus a huge snare on a two-point conversion in the forth quarter.

Talanoa Hufanga:

With nine tackles and a massive pass breakup, true freshman Talanoa Hufanga made the most of his first start. Given his youth and high upside, he just might make the most out of the opportunity generated by Ykili Ross’s transfer, Bubba Bolden’s absence and Isaiah Pola-Mao’s season-ending injury.

Cameron Smith:

Cam Smith might quietly be the best USC linebacker in a long, long time. The senior accounted for 15 tackles against Washington State, but more importantly, he did it when it mattered. Despite all of the struggles on third down for the Trojans, Smith registered three critical third down stops, including a pair of run stuffs for no gain and a tackle for loss on a swing pass to WSU running back James Williams.

Jay Tufele:

With shades of No. 78 George Achica beating UCLA with a blocked field in 1981, No. 78 Jay Tufele busted through Washington State’s line to block Blake Mazza’s 38-yard field goal attempt with under two minutes to play. It was an early career-defining play for the redshirt freshman, on a night the Trojans struggled to bring a pass rush.

Michael Brown:

Michael Brown’s first-ever game as the Trojans’ No. 1 placekicker went about as smoothly as possible. He was a perfect 4-of-4 on extra points, nailed his lone field goal attempt and wasn’t the kicker who cost his team the game. That’s worthy of being a stud.