Twitter lambastes USC football for terrible play on short yardage in the red zone

USC football’s red zone, short-yardage performance was terrible vs. Arizona

USC football just can’t figure it out in short-yardage, especially on critical plays in the endzone.

Somehow, USC has managed to convert more fourth-down miracle throws than simple dives up the middle.

Twitter, rightfully, was not kind to the Trojans when they finished the third quarter with yet another short-yardage fail to squander a red zone chance.

USC football’s offense in the red zone embarrassed on short-yardage

A penalty moved the Trojans into a third-and-21 situation but Drake London made a monster play over the middle, carrying defenders on his back to create a fourth-and-1.

USC decided to go for it, but Markese Stepp was dropped in the backfield.

USC’s short yardage game is a joke. The school of student body left/student body right can’t pick up 3rd/4th and short to save their life.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 14, 2020

Hahahahahaha USC gets stuffed again trying to run inside zone in a must have it situation. It’s so damn pathetic.
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) November 14, 2020

USC learned nothing on fourth and one from last week
— Jon Wilner (@wilnerhotline) November 14, 2020

The sad thing is it happened so many times before in the game that broadcaster Joel Klatt spent a considerable amount of time discussing USC’s decision to run out of the shotgun in short-yardage situations.

Listening to @joelklatt he’s really explaining why #USC can’t run the ball and poor job on delay of game - really questions coaching
— Connie Carberg (@ConnieScouts) November 14, 2020

It’s not a new problem either.

Year after year, USC isn’t reliably crisp and powerful in the ground game. That’s OK for a lot of other programs. USC should be better.
— Tom Krasovic (@SDUTKrasovic) November 14, 2020

That so many of those short-yardage plays come in the red zone is a real problem. Twitter noticed.

USC’s play calling inside the 10 is ????. And once again, having the QB in shotgun with down and one-yard is ???
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) November 14, 2020

That’s back-to-back drives where #USC had the ball inside the AZ 10-yard line and came away with nothing. Both done in by penalties
— Chris Treviño (@ChrisNTrevino) November 14, 2020

USC in the red zone pic.twitter.com/Jo3R4SFA6N
— Anthony F. Irwin (@AnthonyIrwinLA) November 14, 2020

The dire performance had more than a few people contemplating the state of the program.

I can’t decide whether USC football is a comedy or a sad drama. The coaching staff is a horror movie. My live for them is a RomCom except I’m waiting for that fairytale ending where I end up with Blake Lively—I mean, where USC is good again.
— Jared Sandler (@JaredSandler) November 14, 2020

USC is that significant other with so many red flags, but you still have a small amount of hope in them turning it around because you still believe in their potential. And even though you’re prepared for disappointment, they still manage to hurt you too often.

This is painful.
— Max Meyer (@TheMaxMeyer) November 14, 2020

USC was favored by two touchdowns over Arizona, but they entered the fourth quarter tied at 20-20.

If the Trojans wanted to claim their disappointing performance in a miracle win over ASU was all opening day rustiness, they really don’t get to claim that against Arizona. It was the Wildcats making their season debut in Tucson. However, it was USC who looked like they hadn’t played football in the better part of a year.

The USC defense had a hard time stopping the run, whether through running back carries or quarterback scrambles. Kedon Slovis didn’t look like his normal self as a passer or a leader.

It was just bad all around.

Twitter lambastes USC football for terrible play on short yardage in the red zone

USC football’s red zone, short-yardage performance was terrible vs. Arizona

USC football’s offense in the red zone embarrassed on short-yardage

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