USC Football Recap: Analyzing Another Disappointing Loss for the Trojans
LOS ANGELES — USC once more found itself close to victory, but ultimately fell short in a frustrating overtime loss to Penn State, 33-30. The Trojans now stand at 3-3 overall (1-3 in the Big Ten) and have effectively removed themselves from College Football Playoff contention.
Here are some concluding thoughts on the game.
1. On Saturday afternoon, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren delivered an impressive performance, catching 17 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown against USC. It was one of the most memorable showings against the Trojans since I began covering the team in 2018.
Warren’s game echoed the performance of Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid two years ago, who caught 16 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown in a remarkable display that helped Utah secure a 43-42 victory.
Kincaid’s impressive stats showcased his determination, as he made several tough catches, but the Trojans struggled to tackle him and he racked up significant yards after the catch.
Warren’s outing was different; while USC had issues with tackling in earlier games against Michigan and Minnesota, this was the first time this season that D’Anton Lynn’s defense appeared somewhat bewildered.
Kudos to Penn State’s offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki for devising a great game plan and finding innovative ways to get Warren involved. While Lynn made some effective calls throughout the game, Kotelnicki ultimately outperformed him.
2. USC’s opening touchdown came from a 75-yard run by redshirt freshman running back Quinten Joyner, thanks to an excellent play design by Lincoln Riley. Joyner faked a reverse to Zachariah Branch, drawing the defense towards Branch while he sprinted in the opposite direction, benefiting from crucial blocks by left tackle Elijah Paige and tight end Walker Lyons that created a clear running lane.
It was a well-crafted and well-executed play on multiple levels, showcasing a solid response from Joyner after being benched for a crucial fumble the previous week.
3. During Riley’s first season, it was exciting to see how his offense developed week by week. For example, his guard-tackle counter became a staple of the run game, starting with a play against Rice in the 2022 season opener. The following week, the Trojans executed a screen pass to a receiver off the same action, and a few weeks later, Riley called another play that used the same run action, resulting in a successful dump-off for significant yardage.
This illustrates how new layers were consistently added to the offense based on earlier plays throughout the season.
However, this seems to have occurred less frequently over the past two seasons. While there have been some well-designed plays—like Joyner’s touchdown run or the fake reverse flea-flicker touchdown against Washington last season—that surprised opponents, the same level of growth and creativity in the offense has been lacking compared to Year 1.
