Pass protection will be a “point of emphasis” when the USC football team resumes practice Tuesday, coach Steve Sarkisian said after the Trojans allowed five quarterback sacks in the first half of their season-opening 55-6 victory over Arkansas State.
“We had a couple blown assignments,” Sarkisian said after Saturday night’s victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. “There was a combination of things. I thought we shored it up in the second half, but it will be a point of emphasis when we get back.”
USC did not allow a sack in the second half.
Sarkisian said when he reviews video of the game Sunday “there’s going to be plenty of room for improvement.”
“We were not good on third down,” Sarkisian said. The Trojans were three-for-10 in third-down conversions, including two for eight over the first three quarters with first-string quarterback Cody Kessler.
The one-sided margin was not a surprise. Oddsmakers made USC a 27 1/2-28- point favorite. ESPN’s Football Power Index gave the Trojans a 94.7 percent chance of winning.
It took USC little time to start proving the oddsmakers right, as it needed just four plays and one minute, 14 seconds to open the scoring with Kessler throwing the first of his four touchdown passes, a 61-yarder to JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Kessler threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Steven Mitchell Jr. as time expired in the first quarter and a two-yard touchdown pass to Taylor McNamara 4:32 before halftime.
In his first game since Nov. 30, 2013, senior Tre Madden ran for 106 yards on 12 carries, including a career-long 65-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Madden missed the 2014 season after suffering turf toe in fall camp.
Madden also caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Kessler in the third quarter, two plays after Su’a Cravens intercepted a tipped pass thrown by Fredi Knighten and returned the ball 32 yards to the Red Wolves’ five-yard line.
Kessler completed 19 of 26 passes for 236 yards in three quarters of play as the Trojans won their 18th consecutive season opener.
“We tried to use quickness and move some guys to try to make him uncomfortable and we did at times, but not consistently,” Red Wolves coach Blake Anderson said. “We got some pressure on him, but not enough.
“I thought he made a couple great plays under duress, huge throws under pressure or going down that were back-breakers for us.”
USC’s final three touchdowns came from freshmen.
Ronald Jones II ran 44 yards for a score with 3:38 left in the third quarter. Linebacker Osa Masina recovered running back Michael Gordon’s errant lateral and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown with 10:19 to play. Aca’Cedric Ware ran six yards for a touchdown with 4:16 remaining.
Arkansas State scored on the opening possession of the second half, driving 78 yards on seven plays, with Gordon running the final nine yards for the touchdown. Holder Cameron Birse mishandled the snap on the conversion and threw an incomplete pass.
USC outgained the Red Wolves, 509 yards to 401, and led in first downs, 22-19, before a crowd announced at 79,809.
Knighten completed eight of 23 passes for 86 yards and had two passes intercepted before being replaced by James Tabary with 3:32 to play in the third quarter. Arkansas State committed four turnovers to none for the Trojans.
“I think he’s capable of playing a lot better than he did,” Anderson said of Knighten. “We had a couple opportunities in scoring position and he threw the ball up for grabs. You can’t do that.”
Versatile USC sophomore Adoree’ Jackson was sidelined after suffering an abdominal strain in the first half. Jackson is a starting cornerback, second- string receiver and returns kickoffs and punts.
“We don’t think it’s serious,” Sarkisian said. “He felt a twinge and didn’t have great strength at halftime.”
— City News Service