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USC Football: 5 Takeaways vs. Washington and What They Mean For UCLA
Nov 12, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) leads the marching band following a 26-13 victory against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
When USC football knocked off highly-ranked Washington in Husky Stadium, the Trojans proved their quality, as a team, as units and as individuals.
USC entered the weekend with the cautious hope of a signature victory in 2016 against the Washington Huskies.
By Saturday night, there was nothing cautious about the belief that surged through Troy following the triumph in Seattle.
Here’s five things we learned against Washington and what they mean for UCLA:
Win Streak Validated
It was easy to write off USC’s five-game winning streak. After all, the Trojans beat up on four teams with losing records in that stretch. The lone “quality” win came against a Colorado team no one is quite sure of, even now that they are ranked No. 12 in the country.
Clay Helton and USC needed something more to prove themselves. They got their chance against the No. 4 Huskies and passed with flying colors.
The Trojans limited Washington’s offense to 276 total yards and just 13 points, making Jake Browning look like anything but a Heisman candidate. Meanwhile, the USC offense navigated the waters against a stout defense, putting up 24 points despite two turnovers.
With a win over a playoff contender, USC confirmed that the previous five-games were not a mirage. The Trojans are for real.
What does that mean for UCLA?
Win streaks only matter while they’re active. As much as USC’s victory over Washington was a validation of all the wins that came before, a loss to UCLA would invalidate much of the progress that the Trojans have made.
It would be more than just the concept of “one step forward, two steps back.” It would set USC back to square one, something that the Clay Helton era cannot afford.
The motto in 2016 has been “Trust the Process.” Now it’s time to embrace, “Onwards and Upwards.”
Nov 12, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) scrambles against the USC Trojans during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. USC defeated Washington, 26-13. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
USC’s Defensive Front Is Formidable
Many expected USC’s defensive front to be the problem in 2016, with five players lost to graduation, including all three starters on the line.
The unit, anchored by Stevie Tu’ikolovatu and Rasheem Green, had already exceeded expectations, but their performance against Washington boosted them into exceptional status.
Pro Football Focus put it best: “This game was won because USC’s front seven absolutely dominated the game.”
Rasheem Green had the best game of his career, generating a sack, a handful of hurries and batting two passes at the line. Stevie Tu’ikolovatu powered through the middle of the Husky offensive line, blowing Washington offensive linemen off the mark.
It was the kind of performance that the elite defensive fronts of the Pete Carroll era tallied with regularity, one that this group could conceivably recreate.
What does that mean for UCLA?
It’s hard to tell who should be more worried, the UCLA running backs or quarterback Mike Fafaul.
The Bruins have managed a measly 87.20 yards per game on the ground. The Trojan defensive front which held Washington to 75 yards gained — and 17 net yards — rushing shouldn’t have much trouble containing UCLA on that front.
As for Fafaul, PFF calculated that the Bruin quarterback had a quarterback rating of 39.6 when pressured by Oregon State. If the same USC front that terrorized Jake Browning shows up at the Rose Bowl, it will take a lot of detergent to get Fafaul’s jersey clean again.
Nov 12, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; USC Trojans tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe (88) catches an eight yard touchdown pass against the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Daniel Imatorbhebhe Impresses
For a few years, USC’s tight ends have been after-thoughts at best, absentees at worst. That’s not the case in 2016, as Daniel Imatorbhebhe continues to make the case for more and more involvement.
The redshirt freshman has surged to the forefront of USC’s offensive attack over the past month, culminating in a mouth-watering performance against Washington. Imatorbhebhe was integral to the offense’s success, finishing second on the team with five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.
With an impressive catch radius, Imatorbhebhe is proof positive for why a tight end can be a quarterback’s best friend. His body control, soft hands and size were on display for each one of his catches on Saturday night, making him a weapon the Huskies simply couldn’t contend with.
What does that mean for UCLA?
Starting tight end Taylor McNamara hauled in a touchdown against UCLA last year, and Imatorbhebhe is twice the pass catching option as the former Oklahoma transfer.
Imatorbhebhe already has as many touchdowns as McNamara had in 2015, with twice as many yards on an equal 12 catches. That’s after logging just one catch in USC’s first five games.
If the trend continues, Imatorbhebhe should continue to harrass opposing defenses. And that’s not even taking into account the threat of fellow tight end Tyler Petite.
The one hurdle to deal with is UCLA’s strong pass defense. Of course, the Husky pass defense was rated just as highly as the Bruins.
Nov 12, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) rolls out of the pocket to pass against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. USC defeated Washington, 26-13. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Sam Darnold Is (Arguably) The Best QB In Pac-12
Last week, USC safety Chris Hawkins was asked if Jake Browning was the best quarterback in the Pac-12. He answered that the honor goes to his quarterback, Sam Darnold.
Before Saturday, there might have been some disagreement on that point. After Saturday? Darnold deserves at least some claim to that title.
The Trojan quarterback was exceptional against the Huskies, completing 23 of his 33 attempts for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Despite two interceptions — one of which was the result of a tripping receiver — Darnold’s quarterback rating of 150.63 was the best of any quarterback against Washington this season by some margin.
Meanwhile, Browning struggled mightily in the face of the Trojan pass rush, completing 45.9 percent of his passes and slinging two interceptions for a rating of 102.86.
What does that mean for UCLA?
Washington boasts one of the best defenses in the conference and they had no answers for Darnold, whose natural ability allowed him to move around the pocket, picking his spots with a calm that seems unfair for a redshirt freshman to possess.
UCLA has limited quarterbacks thus far to an average quarterback rating of 99.13 this season. In the last four games, they have not given up a passing touchdown while they have forced six interceptions. Notably, three of those four games were in match ups against WSU’s Luke Falk, Utah’s Troy Williams and Colorado’s Sefo Liufau, three of the Pac-12’s better quarterbacks.
Right now, Darnold is “arguably” the best QB in the conference. Another big performance against a strong pass defense might remove that qualifier.
Adoree’ Jackson’s Highs Balance Lows
With cornerbacks, you take the good with the bad. It’s the nature of the position, even with the best of football players.
Adoree’ Jackson fits into that category, as an elite player who still isn’t immune to an off day. The source of his frustration against Washington was receiver John Ross, whose top-class speed and elusive ability have made him one of the Pac-12’s most dangerous playmakers.
He proved that when he juked Jackson out of his shoes, beating him for a 70-yard touchdown. Nor was it just one play Jackson was victimized on — where the Huskies found success through the air, they did so with Ross who had eight catches for 154 yards in total.
More from Reign of Troy
Despite that, Jackson found ways to elevate his performance. Ross may have gotten the better of Jackson, but the Trojan cornerback got the better of Washington quarterback Jake Browning. Nabbing two critical interceptions, Jackson showed that his highs are higher than his lows are low.
The first of those takeaways kept the score tied at 3-3 early in the second quarter. The second essentially ended the Huskies hopes of a comeback with three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
What does that mean for UCLA?
The Bruins don’t have a receiver half as devastating as Ross can be in an individual match up, so Jackson should be able to have a bounce back game from a coverage perspective.
Even so, if Jackson struggles again, the Trojans know they can always depend on him to come up big in other ways.
That’s the mark of an All-American player — an honor Jackson has thoroughly earned this season.
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