Ground-game success paved way in this win

Travis Dye won a Rose Bowl. He won two Pac-12 championships. He played for a third conference crown last year.

But this USC team can top all of those Oregon exploits, the running back said.

Dye, a transfer from the Ducks, doubled down Saturday night on his contention that the Trojans are “the best team I’ve ever been on.” After USC beat Fresno State 45-17 at the Coliseum, Dye said he has “never played on a team like this before.” When asked what made the Trojans’ collection of big-name transfers tossed together by a new coaching staff different, he pointed to the group’s selflessness.

“If we get the ball, it’s dangerous,” Dye said. “And so just learning how to share the wealth, learning how to be selfless, that’s a big part of it.”

Here are more takeaways from Saturday’s game:

Running backs carry the load

The Trojans are off to a blistering start with 152 points, the most for a USC team in its first three games since 2005. Most came through the air against Rice and Stanford, but the running game led the Trojans into the end zone Saturday.

Austin Jones and Dye had 110 and 102 rushing yards, respectively, and each scored a rushing touchdown. Dye added 36 receiving yards on three catches.

While coach Lincoln Riley’s offenses at Oklahoma were renowned for exceptional quarterbacks and talented receivers, the coach stressed to the transfer running backs how big their roles would be at USC.

“He said, you know, the way you win games is with a strong run game,” Jones said. “We’re not just going to go out here and be just a onedimensional offense. As you can see tonight, we put that on display.”

USC stayed balanced with 233 rushing yards in 38 carries and 284 passing yards on 37 attempts.

The Trojans used their grinding run game to put together methodical drives of 12, 12 and 15 plays to open the game. Each one ended in a touchdown. Relying more on its explosive passing attack in the first two games, USC had only two drives of more than nine plays against Rice and Stanford.

“We’ve got to be able to win in different ways,” Riley said. “Whether we’re playing fast with explosive plays or it slows down with a lot of plays, you’ve got to be able to execute.”

A dual threat at quarterback

Caleb Williams might have had the worst passing game of his young Trojans career — a relatively mundane 25 for 37 for 284 yards and two touchdowns — but he added his first two rushing touchdowns with USC. He scored on an eight-yard keeper in the first quarter and a one-yard quarterback sneak in the second quarter in which he lined up under center.

The quarterback proved his dual-threat ability with smart carries during critical moments, converting two fourth downs with his legs. He rushed for five yards on fourth and two in the first quarter and 11 yards on fourth and one in the second. The Trojans were three for three on fourth-down conversions Saturday.

“I try not to use my legs, but that is an ability that I have,” Williams said. “I want to stand back there, I want to deliver. I want to be, as we always say, the best mailman, the best delivery man back there in the world, and I just had opportunities.”

Williams rushed 79 times for 442 yards and six touchdowns with Oklahoma last season, but Saturday’s rushing totals were weighed down by three sacks for a loss of 29 yards, which count against rushing yards in college as opposed to the NFL, which deducts lost sack yardage from the passing yardage. Williams finished with just one net rushing yard in 12 carries.

Byrd makes mark with strip sack

In the opener Sept. 3, Solomon Byrd played five snaps against Rice. The former starter at Wyoming was languishing with the thirdstringers at USC.

After Saturday’s victory, the defensive lineman received the game ball.

Byrd forced and recovered a fumble on a strip sack of Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener that helped the Trojans turn momentum in their favor during the third quarter. Byrd had four tackles, including two for loss, against Fresno State in addition to forcing USC’s 10th takeaway of the season.

“That’s what we’re trying to build — a guy who, in the first game of the season, takes five reps and is a three, gets an opportunity, keeps working, and now look at him,” Riley said. “Now he’s a starter.”

The 6-foot-4 Palmdale native Byrd had 87 tackles and 10 sacks in three seasons at Wyoming. He made seven starts, including six last season, before transferring to USC.