Trojans not ready for prime time, or much of anything
ARLINGTON, Texas — It was the first game of the season, the most celebrated game in several seasons, and the USC football team was not ready.
How could they not be ready?
It was heralded as the beginning of a new era, the start of a new chapter, and USC acted like it was still on stinking probation.
How could a traditional national power take the national stage looking like … this?
The USC football team was many things in its 52-6 loss to top-ranked Alabama on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium. But there was one thing it was not, one thing that will be sure to upset the thousands of USC fans who joyfully and hopefully traveled here, one thing everyone had counted on seeing from this new look of a Clay Helton-coached team.
The Trojans were not Trojans. They were not the program that once had the discipline to create a dynasty. They were not Alabama, and that’s fine, because Alabama has won four national titles in seven years. But, seriously, they were not even within six touchdowns of Alabama in a game that wasn’t that close.
“Cold hard truth is we didn’t play up to ours,” Helton said of the Trojans’ potential.
Cold hard truth, they didn’t show up, and how could they not show up?
They were recklessly undisciplined. Jabari Ruffin stomped Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick directly in the crotch and got tossed out of the game.
They were distracted. Iman Marshall quit on a play and allowed ArDarius Stewart to race freely for a 39-yard touchdown pass.
They were outsmarted. Marshall and teammate Chris Hawkins both blitzed and left Stewart wide open to race downfield in completing a 71-yard touchdown pass.
They were sloppy. Chris Tilbey, the Trojans punter, dropped a snap and fell helplessly on the ball.
They were flimsy. Damien Harris ran through, and away from, the entire USC defense for 71 yards to set up another touchdown run.
They were disorganized. Helton called all three of his first-half timeouts in the first quarter, including two in seven seconds.
Finally, perhaps most painfully, they were willfully embarrassed by their former coach. Lane Kiffin, the deposed Trojans boss who runs the Alabama offense, poured it on, and on, and on. Everyone saw this coming, but it was even uglier than expected, Kiffin’s revenge even more painful than imagined.
Early in the fourth quarter, on fourth down with Alabama leading by 32 points, Kiffin ordered the Tide to go for a touchdown, and they responded with a two-yard scoring run by Bo Scarbrough.
Later in the fourth quarter, with the Tide leading by 39, Kiffin ordered a deep pass, and the Tide responded with a 45-yard scoring strike from Blake Barnett to Gehrig Dieter.
That made it 52-6, and even blanketed in his oversized white windbreaker and hidden behind his giant play card, a hopping Kiffin could not disguise his glee.
And yet Alabama felt it still could have played better, and it surely can. The Crimson Tide didn’t put on a national-title performance, but that wasn’t required. USC was so awful, Alabama mostly just needed to show up, and it did.
The Trojans’ night was best summed up in the words of the great Samuel L. Jackson, who issued the game’s defining tweet at its defining moment.
“I’m getting the feeling USC might be all but physically on the plane home,” Jackson tweeted … before halftime.
The Trojans were beaten to a pulp, and it wasn’t fiction.
“I think we are just disappointed that we didn’t go out there and play our best ball,’’ said new quarterback Max Browne. “There’s a reason they are the defending national champs.’’
But there is no reason that USC did not compete. The Trojans actually looked decent in the beginning, and their first two drives netted 90 yards, and they celebrated after every good play. But after every celebration, it seemed the Tide calmly punched them in the mouth.
In their ensuing 14 drives, they gained 104 yards total. After starting out completing his first seven passes, Browne completed only seven of his next 22 and wound up with 101 yards and an interception that was returned for a touchdown after the ball bounced off the hands of receiver Deontay Burnett.
“As Coach Helton said in the locker room, one game doesn’t define us,” Adoree’ Jackson said.
But for Helton, it’s about more than one game. Not that his honeymoon is over, but his cheering section currently resembles the USC section in the fourth quarter Saturday — stunningly empty.
Last season Helton was 5-2 as the interim coach, and this columnist lobbied hard for his full-time hiring, which was announced shortly before the Pac-12 championship game. But since then, as a permanent head coach, he is winless at 0-3, and has been outscored 116-49 in those games.
“I felt preparation-wise we had come into the game ready,” Helton said. “That’s on me.’’
Three tough games, and a small sample size, but still, expectations are high and Helton must meet them. Helton must not only deal with the increased volume from his chorus of skeptics, but also new questions about how the USC program is dealing with the off-the-field incidents.
Trojans linebackers Osa Mosina and Don Hill both missed the game because of pending sexual assault allegations. Yet they have been practicing with the team through training camp even though Utah police informed USC’s Department of Public Safety of the allegations on Aug, 2.
Why weren’t both players suspended immediately? Why did one player, Hill, even make the trip to Dallas before being sent home?
That’s just one of many issues dogging the Trojans as they head into the rest of their season with one loss that, even by 46 points, feels like something much bigger.