USC football vs. San Jose State final score: Typical Trojans lack sharpness but win

USC football bested San Jose State at the Coliseum to start the 2021 season with a frustratingly familiar performance.

Welcome back to the USC football experience.

The 2021 season kicked off in Los Angeles on Saturday with USC facing off against Mountain West champion San Jose State.

The Trojans got the victory, but fans were left asking for more.

USC vs. San Jose State final score: 30-7 Trojans

How it happened: Have you watched the Trojans play football under Clay Helton before? Then you've seen this before.

USC had things going early. Kedon Slovis led the team on a field goal drive to start then followed it up with a 29-yard touchdown pass to high-flying Memphis transfer Tahj Washington after a Drake Jackson interception.

On defense, the Trojans held down the Spartan offense, shutting them down in the first half.

However, USC's offense fell into a malaise starting in the second quarter and they struggled to get out of it. They settled for another field goal to lead 13-0 at halftime.

True to form, the Trojans failed to score in the third quarter while San Jose State found the endzone on a long drive.

Slovis heroics were unnecessary in the fourth quarter after Greg Johnson snagged an interception and returned it for a touchdown.

What it means: If you want to take a positive away, it's that Todd Orlando's defense came to play. They were already an underrated group and they proved they have the capability of carrying the team if necessary.

As for the offense...you know the story. This is a talented group of players being wasted. There is still a lot of work to do before these Trojans are capable of challenging for the Pac-12 crown.

USC player of the game

Drake London had 13 catches for 144 yards to prove he's USC's best offensive weapon. It's really not close.

USC stat of the game

The Trojans went 50 minutes of game time between offensive touchdowns.

USC's next game:

Helton and company will host Stanford on Saturday, Sept. 11 to open the Pac-12 slate. The Cardinal will be looking to bounce back from 24-7 loss to Kansas