Simply put, 2018 was an utter disappointment for the USC Trojans. Head coach Clay Helton survived the off-season speculation, but do not expect the school to be a forgiving in 2019.
Prestige Rating (If NCAA Football 20 existed): 5 stars
USC has not been in a title game since the epic 2006 matchup against Texas, but they did win the Rose Bowl in 2016. They also averaged over 9 wins from 2014-2017.
2018 Record: 5-7 (4-5 Pac-12)
There were a lot of growing pains for true freshman quarterback JT Daniels, highlighted by a painstaking 17-3 loss against Stanford. The Trojans also punctuated the season by letting a second-half lead against Notre Dame evaporate.
Projected Returning Starters
Offense: 6
Daniels, who graduated high school early to join the Trojans, won the strarting job before the season and ended with decent numbers. Despite some struggles, he passed for 2,672 yards and 14 touchdowns. His top three targets, Michael Pittman (758 yards, 6 touhdowns), Amon-Ra St. Brown (750 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Tyler Vaughns (674 yards, 6 touchdowns) are all back. The offensive line has been a weak spot, giving up an average of 27 sacks per season the last seven seasons. Two starters, guard Andrew Vorhees and tackle Austin Jackson return. On the ground, Vavae Malepeai (501 yards, 8 touchdowns) and Stephen Carr (384 yards) will shoulder the load.
Defense: 5
The defense gave up 27 points per game and did not create nearly enough turnovers, ending with a -10 deficit. Cameron Smith, the heartbeat of the defense in recent memory, has left a gap at the linebacker position. John Houston, who totaled 67 tackles last season, will anchor the defense from the MLB position. The secondary returns just one starter from last year, safety Talanoa Hufanga. The sophomore broke up four passes and totaled 51 tackles before an injury cut his season short. As a whole, USC only intercepted four passes last season. Christian Rector, who tied for second on the team with 4.5 sacks, is back to lead the defensive line.
Specialists: 3
Kicker Chase McGrath, who missed most of the season after an ACL injury, is back. The former walk on has been up and down, but the highlight of his career was a walk-off field goal against Texas in 2017. Tyler Vaughns, who returned a punt for a touchdown last year, is back. There’s also Velus Jones, who averaged 23 yards per return on kickoffs. Australian freshman Ben Griffiths will assume the punting duties.
Key Losses
The defense was decimated, losing leader Cameron Smith, defensive back Iman Marshall and lineman Porter Gustin (7 sacks).
Key Newcomers on Offense: WRs Kyle Ford and Bru McCoy
Kyle Ford is a 5-star receiver recovering from a high school ACL injury. Bru McCoy, the flip-flopping 5-star, is also currently absent from practices. McCoy has missed time this summer due to an illness, and it is unknown whether he will even be eligible to compete or not after decomitting from Texas this summer. Both will blossom into stars in new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s air-raid system.
Key Newcomer on Defense: Drake Jackson, DL
Jackson, a 4-star recruit, already has college-ready size at 6 foot, 4 inches and 275 pounds. Jackson’s prowess combined with the high need for replacements on the defensive line should create an opportunity for early playing time. The former high school All-American is a freak athlete, running a confirmed 4.62 40-yard dash and jumping 30 inches on the vertical test.
Win the Pac-12 if: They survive September
September will be a make or break month for Clay Helton’s future. A home game against Stanford, a road game at BYU, Utah at home and a road trip to Washington is easily the toughest stretch on the schedule. All four are legitimate bowl game contenders, while all three conference opponents have a shot at the title game. USC winning out in September will go a long way to getting the Trojans back to the Pac-12 Championship.
Circle this game on the calendar: October 12 at Notre Dame
This classic rivalry comes with extra incentive this season. Last year, USC gave up 17 straight points to open the second half and found itself down 24-10 before scoring with under a minute remaining. After Notre Dame recovered the ensuing onside kick, USC’s 5-7 season was complete.
Alcohol Prediction: Stella Artois
Stella has the same name recognition as USC, but has also been passed over by “lesser” brands.
2019 Outlook: 8-4 (6-3 Pac-12)
- Fresno State- W
- Stanford- L
- at BYU- W
- Utah- W
- at Washington- L
- BYE
- at Notre Dame- L
- Arizona- W
- at Colorado- W
- Oregon- L
- at ASU- W
- Cal- W
- UCLA- W
It is tough to imagine a scenario in which the USC Trojans are undefeated heading into the Notre Dame matchup, but 4-2 sounds about right.