Don’t look now, however a Lincoln Riley staff simply beat the snot out of a Huge Ten bruiser.
Don’t look now, however a cute USC staff simply brutally slugged itself onto the trail towards the Faculty Soccer Playoff.
Don’t … oh, go forward and look. Please, look. These being your historically flopping Trojans, you won’t acknowledge them, however look anyway, as a result of that is actual, to not point out actual enjoyable and actual loud.
The roar that swept by means of downtown Los Angeles on Saturday evening didn’t come from Dodger Stadium, however the Coliseum, a rollicking backdrop for USC’s 31-13 victory over Fifteenth-ranked Michigan on a stage filled with gritty surprises.
Who’re these brawlers? In incomes their first signature Huge Ten win within the two seasons since they joined the convention, the Trojans shoved and slugged and stole the Wolverines dishonest hearts, outgaining them, 489-316, together with dashing for 115 extra yards.
“Awesome, awesome win,” stated Riley. “Tough, tough response by our football team. … I thought we attacked it … dominated the football game on all sides … gritty, tough performance.”
What was that noise? The Coliseum was as raucous because it’s been in a number of years, screaming with John Robinson power and Pete Carroll energy, sounding just like the glory days once more, and it made a distinction.
“I would imagine a lot of people would say that’s what it used to feel like around here in the Coliseum,” Riley stated. “That was an epic atmosphere, the place was just on fire … you could just feel the impact of our crowd … you could feel the energy.”
And, for goodness sakes, who is that this King Miller? He’s a third-string working again who truly pays to attend class together with his million-dollar teammates, a walk-on who stepped in after prime working backs Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders had been injured and rumbled for 158 yards and a landing.
“King was huge, stepped up, made big plays,” stated Riley, later including, “And honestly, hell, we didn’t have anybody else, so what was I gonna do?”
In all, a surprisingly stealthy exhibiting for a staff that simply two weeks in the past folded within the last ticks in Illinois. Within the embattled Riley’s fourth season, together with his repute’s again towards the wall, this was an announcement of power, a message of transformation.
“It says we’re a tough-ass physical program,” Riley stated. “That’s what it says.”
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava passes towards Michigan within the first half Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
It additionally says they’ve a authentic championship probability. The Trojans have a gifted quarterback in Jayden Maiava, a running-back pool so deep that the third man is a King, arguably the very best receiving group within the nation, an athletic protection led by unreal linebacker Eric Gentry, a coach who’s all of a sudden calling all the appropriate performs, and now…
May they actually have a spot within the 12-team CFP?
On a splendidly dirty Saturday evening, it certain felt prefer it.
The Trojans are 5-1 in a brand new period the place even two-loss groups can qualify and, OK, simply play alongside right here for a sec.
The Trojans have six remaining video games in a schedule that might simply include a minimum of 5 wins. Sure, they play subsequent week at Notre Dame, however that’s not the excessive hurdle it as soon as gave the impression to be.
After that, all however one of many remainder of the video games appear fairly winnable, residence towards Northwestern and Iowa, at Nebraska and UCLA.
Their greatest remaining thorn is embedded in a late November journey to Eugene, however, hey, Oregon simply misplaced at residence to Indiana, so who is aware of?
The week started with some trash speaking in regards to the Trojans’ adored residence from Michigan coach Sherrone Moore
“We’re not celebrating going to the Coliseum, there’s no pictures and selfies because we’re at the nice Coliseum,” stated Moore fairly desperately. “It’s sold out, but it’s sold out because Michigan’s coming.”
To which Riley curtly responded, “I don’t really care what he says.”
Benefit Trojans.
Then simply earlier than kickoff, there was extra drama when a limping basketball star led the Trojans out of the tunnel after lately saying she wouldn’t play this season whereas recovering from final spring’s knee surgical procedure. Welcome again, JuJu Watkins.
Big benefit, Trojans.
USC then set the tone by executing a near-perfect opening drive. Each play name labored, each Maiava cross was on the right track, each run went for yards after contact.
The Trojans drove 75 yards in 11 performs in only six minutes, scoring to take the lead on a two-yard flick to a wide-open Ja’Kobi Lane.
Michigan then slowly took over, finally occupying greater than six minutes halfway by means of the second quarter with a bruising 14-play, 86-yard landing drive that ended with an eight-yard landing cross from Bryce Underwood to Donaven McCulley.
Tie sport. Wolverines jabbing again. The Trojans folding? Each soccer cliche about West Coast softness coming true? Not this time. Not this staff.
USC vast receiver Makai Lemon makes a 12-yard landing catch in entrance of Michigan defensive again Jayden Sanders within the second quarter Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Occasions)
“People thinking they can just come out here and do anything to us,” stated defensive finish Kameryn Crawford. “We had to prove that we just can’t go for anything.”
The Trojans regained possession and promptly drove downfield to finish the primary half with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a spectacular falling-backward-over-his-head landing catch by Makai Lemon with Michigan defensive again Jayden Sanders in his face.
They by no means trailed once more, they had been by no means even threatened once more, the sport ending with a second Bishop Fitzgerald interception, a kneel-down, and a well-recognized chant.
“We are … SC! We are … SC!”
For one magically throwback evening, certainly they had been.
