USC rolled to a 42-26 victory over San Jose State, but Trojan fans were left scratching their heads after the defense absolutely melted down, surrendering 23 points in the fourth quarter. This shaky finish is a huge concern as they gear up to face Fresno State this Friday, September 4, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. You just can’t give up almost four touchdowns in a single quarter and expect to keep winning.
Maiava’s Offense Is Still Electric
Look, the offense? That was pure fire for most of the San Jose State game. Jayden Maiava was absolutely lights out, completing 25 of 29 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He even ran for another score, showing he was in total command of that offense. They shot out to a dominant 35-3 lead, proving just how explosive this unit can be. And get this: they did all that without star wide receiver transfer Terrell Anderson even playing! Imagine what they’ll do when he’s on the field. The offense was close to perfect, pressing hard and seemingly just taking their foot off the gas later in the game.
Can Fresno State Exploit The Defensive Lapse?
This is where it gets interesting for Fresno State. They are making their debut as a Pac-12 team, and they’ve got to come out hot. The blueprint for them to win is clear: run the ball, and run it hard. Head coach Matt Entz’s teams thrive on the ground, and Fresno State was 8-0 last season when they ran the ball at least 32 times. We saw San Jose State’s quarterback, Luke Weaver, find room when he decided to take off against USC’s defense, and Fresno State’s Maryland transfer Khristian Martin is a big passer at 6-4, 230 pounds. If he can create some movement with his legs or just hand it off repeatedly, this could be their path. USC’s secondary, allowing way too many big plays against San Jose State’s medium-range passing game, looked like it ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Fresno State’s defense, while one of the best in the Group of Six last year, lost its top cornerbacks and didn’t reload with any sure-things in the portal.
The Trojans have won the last five meetings with Fresno State, though they did lose to them way back in the 1992 Freedom Bowl. Kickoff is 9:00 PM ET on FOX. The prediction is USC winning 38-15, but that defense needs to stay on the field for all 60 minutes. Fresno State will face Sacramento State and San Jose State next, while USC gets a tune-up against Louisiana before they jump into Big Ten play at Rutgers. They better clean up those defensive issues before those Big Ten road games start!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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