When examining Southern California (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) on paper this offseason, it was clear the program had everything it needed to produce one of the best firestorms in the country.
A head coach with a brilliant scheme. An assortment of athletes who separate in several ways. One of the nation’s best quarterback prospects who presents a dangerous mix of pinpoint downfield touch with or without the use of his mobility.
Through four weeks, the USC Trojans have been every bit worthy of its No. 6 ranking in the AP Top 25 poll. Arizona State (1-3, 0-1 Pac-12) will have to tackle that challenge on the road while internal changes to the program are still solidifying in place. The task is one few would envy, but the Sun Devils will give it their best shot this Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Here is a film breakdown of Lincoln Riley’s favorite features, which put his offense in the best position to win, as well as an overview of two integral players who have contributed to USC’s successful turnaround.
The Rundown
Every good scheme must revolve around its quarterback. Caleb Williams threw 21 touchdowns against four interceptions in 2021 at Oklahoma under Riley. Those numbers suggest an ability to take care of the football, and Williams has once again done well in that aspect. The 6-1, 215-pound sophomore has thrown zero picks and facilitated nine touchdowns for USC this season.
Williams has all the tools to punch his ticket to first-round status when he enters the NFL Draft next season. He has a live arm, great size, and a running style that holds up well against contact. Williams is accurate in throwing to all levels of the field and processes quickly to deliver the correct throw at the right time.
However, his best trait might be able to complete off-platform throws from the most difficult throwing angles. Williams is able to fire his hips violently through his throwing motion and generate significant power by the end of his release despite the defense forcing him to improvise. His passes don’t sail on him, a typical consequence of throwing on the run, because his top-notch mechanics allow his spiral to remain exceptionally tight when in flight.
On this first-and-10 pass against Fresno State, Riley dialed up a Flood concept for the offense to execute. Flood is a staple pattern of Riley’s scheme, and it’s an effective zone coverage beater. The concept is designed for the outside receiver to stretch the free safety and cornerback vertically, while the inside receiver and another target create a Hi-Lo read and flood the underneath space.
The play-action element to the opposite side of the field drew the weakside linebacker closer to the line of scrimmage, which opened up space for wide receiver Mario Williams on his out route. However, Fresno State’s left defensive end displayed good discipline by holding his ground as the backside defender and immediately sought to cause pressure on Williams. Furthermore, the other defensive end bent around USC’s right tackle and looked to catch Williams in a pickle.
With two defenders closing on either side of him, Williams was not given much space to load up his throw. However, he was able to set his feet to the best of his ability and sent a rocket anyway toward his target before the window closed because of the amount of throw velocity he generated through his back hip. The accuracy was tremendous within the context of the play circumstance, and Mario Williams was hardly inconvenienced making the catch.
Williams can freestyle with ease on the fly and find creative ways to complete passes in the face of pressure. Looking to score on USC’s first drive to the red zone against Stanford, Williams went airborne on his rollout to complete a pass to his tight end over the head of the defender. The ball was placed perfectly in stride and resulted in a walk-in touchdown.
However, USC often does not need heroics from Williams because Riley’s scheme intentionally creates as much space as possible for the team’s playmakers. Riley might be the best in the country at getting the ball to his top athlete, with plenty of room to run. He simplifies the amount of work the receivers need to accomplish, and his play designs promote their gifts to win matchups.
One of Riley’s best athletes is Jordan Addison, who already cemented himself as arguably the best receiver in the country when he won the Biletnikoff Award at Pitt last year. Addison transferred to USC in the spring and picked up where he left off. He has accumulated 337 yards and six touchdowns on 21 catches, averaging a ludicrous 16.0 yards per haul.
Addison is a precise route runner with top-end speed, which also makes him hazardous after the catch. The USC coaching staff boosts these traits as often as they can. Half of Addison’s touchdowns have occurred on screen passes. Addison will also be sent in motion to take advantage of the defense’s ability to recover when caught out of position before the snap.
Fresno State fell victim to this on its goal-line stand at the 8:25 mark in the second quarter. Addison’s reverse motion and subsequent horizontal burst misalign the cornerback guarding him and allow him to win the one-on-one matchup before Williams has even received the snap. Addison found the outside edge of his block and converted the first down, setting up USC in prime scoring position at the goal line.
USC will even abandon the motion to set Addison to work on jailbreak screens, which is a design when the receiver returns to the quarterback. On its second touchdown against Stanford, the offense ran play-action to open up the field for Addison on the other side. That aspect of the play structure helped Addison beat the pursuit once he had the ball in his hands and the offensive linemen were able to get downfield and eliminate the help from the secondary.
There are also situations like this one where USC trusted Mario Williams to break a tackle, get to the sideline, and outrun the defense from there. Quick, efficient, and safe – that is how the Trojans turn the basic stuff into dynamite.
Once the quick game is established, then USC will look to take shots. The Trojans hit Addison on a deep post at the end of the first quarter, which was guarded by Kyu Blu Kelly, one of the conference’s best cornerbacks. The deep mesh with the cross and hook routes was intended to occupy the single-high safety, keeping the defender low and center. Williams slid away from the pressure and uncorked a massive throw traveling over 50 yards in the air that could not have connected with Addison better.
Addison then demonstrated an overlooked characteristic of his game – contact balance. Most receivers who weigh 175 pounds would be easily wrapped up from behind. But Addison spun out of Kelly’s tackle and kept his footing to cover the remaining ground to the end zone.
The Flood concept can also be used to beat the defense vertically against the right zone coverage. On Williams’ game-winning touchdown pass to Addison against Oregon State, the Beavers were in a Cover 3 cloud coverage. The outside cornerback was put in crisis between Addison’s sideline go route and the incoming out route. This relied on the safety to blanket Addison, but he had to flip his hips first. Williams ripped a dart into the hole before the safety could get there, and Addison held on through the drive-by contact to score.
Defending the loaded receiving corps in practice has sharpened the USC secondary. The unit has already proved to be more opportunistic than last year, notching seven interceptions. Training against an offense with zero margins for error has transformed USC’s defensive backs into keen ballhawks.
Mekhi Blackmon, a sixth-year cornerback, is responsible for two turnovers and four pass breakups. His clutch fourth-quarter interception of Oregon State quarterback Chance Nolan showcased tremendous ball tracking and deep coverage tenacity.
Max Williams, the brother of ASU cornerback Macen Williams, is having a fantastic season for USC after an ACL tear kept him out of action in 2021. The safety has two picks and a forced fumble over his last three games. Williams also holds the third-most tackles on the team.
Offense Spotlight: RB Travis Dye
With so much focus on the talent in the receiving room, it can be easy to forget about the ground game. Travis Dye, who transferred to USC after a solid season at Oregon, is a strong runner. Dye has netted a team-leading 227 rushing yards along with two touchdowns while in a true timeshare with Austin Jones, who is not far behind with 196 yards and three touchdowns.
Dye also benefits from USC’s screen-happy attack, enjoying free lanes into the second level when the defense spreads out to defend the perimeter.
Swift cuts and open-field vision are Dye’s calling cards, and his fluidity in short spaces assists him when bouncing behind blocks and evading tackles.
Defense Spotlight: LB Eric Gentry
Gentry earned Freshman All-American status playing as a reserve linebacker for ASU last season. In his sophomore season, Gentry leads USC’s defense in tackles while calling plays from the MIKE spot. He is rushing the passer more this year but remains an asset in coverage with his wingspan of 7 feet and 1.25 inches. He can suffocate throwing lanes, evidenced by his interception of Nolan during his drop back in the middle of the field.
There are not many linebackers in college football that look like Gentry. He needs to add weight to his frame, but he is the perfect antidote for athletic tight ends at 6-6 and 200 pounds. Gentry is intense in his film study and is influenced by a variety of players that have molded his game over the years. He offers USC an advantage both physically and mentally. There is no hiding the intentions of the play from Gentry because his height allows him to recognize and react almost immediately.
Oregon State attempted to run outside zone on second-and-6. Gentry (along with the penetration from the defensive line) swarmed the ball carrier for a huge tackle for loss. After a full season and spring camp spent gaining intel on how to defend ASU’s run game, Gentry will be well-versed in how to counter the Sun Devils.
Bottom Line
The Sun Devils have their work cut out for them and are headed into what will unquestionably be a raucous environment. USC will aim to start hot and keep its foot on the gas pedal for the rest of the game. The defense must be vigilant, but touchdowns and big plays are inevitable. ASU and quarterback Emory Jones must string together trips to the red zone in order to keep pace with the Trojans.
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