Miller Moss may see, as he scanned the scene on a essential purple zone third down final Saturday, {that a} massive hit was most likely in his future. It was simple arithmetic. USC had an additional receiver out broad. Wisconsin had six within the field. Any person was going to run free. And he would most likely pay the worth.
The USC quarterback checked along with his middle, Jonah Monheim, the place safety would slide. That method he’d know the place the free runner was coming from. However when he snapped the ball, three Badger blitzers broke free.
Someway, Moss nonetheless managed to sling a go off his again foot earlier than all three got here crashing down on him. And one way or the other, his go miraculously discovered wideout Duce Robinson in site visitors for the go-ahead rating.
On the following drive, Moss dove into contact of his personal accord as he crossed into the top zone on a quarterback keeper. After a quick journey to the medical tent, teammates marveled in regards to the guts of their quarterback.
“Show me a tough team,” coach Lincoln Riley mentioned after the sport, “and I’ll show you a tough quarterback.”
However because the hits pile up, so do the questions on how USC plans to guard Moss going ahead. A visit to face a Minnesota go protection that has eight interceptions and yielded fewer than 97 yards per recreation this season most likely received’t make that process any simpler, as Moss finds himself with fewer home windows to throw into. Nor will a looming matchup subsequent week with Penn State’s fearsome entrance.
Riley would, after all, want his beginning quarterback keep upright. However he’s not all that involved but in regards to the hits Moss is already accumulating.
“You’d love to leave any game with a quarterback not taking any hits, but that’s not always reality,” Riley mentioned this week. “That’s part of playing the position. We’re not trying to advocate for it, but certainly you can’t always completely avoid it.”
Wisconsin defensive lineman Ben Barten (68) recovers a fumble after badgers security Austin Brown hits USC quarterback Miller Moss within the first half on Sept. 28.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
Higher safety would possibly assist mitigate it, no less than. On a per-game foundation, USC’s quarterback has been beneath duress greater than some other Large Ten passer. He’s been sacked or hit, on common, 5.5 occasions per recreation (22 whole) and beneath stress on 12.25 dropbacks (49 whole). Each charges rank highest within the convention, in response to Professional Soccer Focus.
His blindside has been particularly susceptible. Redshirt freshman Elijah Paige has allowed the second most pressures of any Large Ten lineman, regardless of solely taking part in in 3½ video games as USC’s left sort out.
Riley acknowledged the “growing pains” his left sort out goes via. However he expressed confidence that Paige can be higher going ahead.
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“It’s just going to be part of the kid’s climb,” Riley mentioned of Paige. “The key is for him — he can’t let any adversity he’s faced, he can’t let it defeat him, he can’t let it discourage him. He’s just got to continue to learn and grow and bank those reps and bank those experiences and keep going. He does that, he’s going to be a phenomenal player. And he’s given me no reason to think he’s going to do anything but that.”
It doesn’t get a lot simpler from right here, with the likes of Nebraska, Penn State, Washington and Notre Dame, all top-25 go rushes, nonetheless forward.
However Minnesota has struggled, for essentially the most half, to show stress into sacks this season. The Gophers have averaged 1.8 sacks per recreation via 5 video games, good for 14th within the Large Ten.
USC, despite its progress on the defensive finish, is likely one of the few within the convention who’ve been much less environment friendly at racking up sacks, with simply 5 in 4 video games this season. However defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, whose protection at UCLA totaled 43 sacks final season, mentioned he’s nonetheless seen his entrance affecting the quarterback in different methods.
“It doesn’t have to be just sacks,” Lynn mentioned. “It can be taking him off of his spot, compressing the pocket. So it’s something we need to get better at. But I think we’re going in the right direction.”
Being with out linebacker Eric Gentry, who didn’t observe this week due to an undisclosed damage, can be a blow to these efforts. Gentry is the one USC defender with a number of sacks and ranks second on the crew in pressures, with six in simply 24 pass-rush snaps, per PFF.
There ought to be extra alternatives to get that go rush going in opposition to the Gophers, who throw a bit greater than USC’s earlier two Large Ten opponents. New Minnesota quarterback Max Brosmer has been environment friendly in 5 begins, however the Gophers haven’t executed a lot to create massive performs along with his arm this season.
“The ball is definitely going to be in the air some,” Riley mentioned. “This guy, he’s a really good quarterback. He’s smart. Decisive with the football. You can see he’s got a great feel for what they’re doing offensively. And you can tell, like, it really fits him. He just seems very comfortable. I think the obvious thing for us is we’ve got to do things to make him uncomfortable.”
