The Trojans shifted a lot of opinions, perceptions and prognostications Sunday with their riveting 27-20 win over LSU in Las Vegas.

A national college football audience saw new defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn's unit look more cogent and effective than any USC defense in quite some time while quarterback Miller Moss proved his December debut was no fluke.

In the first edition of the weekly First-and-10 this season, we delve deeper into both of those storylines and every other facet of No. 13-ranked USC's opening performance.

**Normally, this is subscriber-only content, but we wanted to give everybody a look at this first one. If you want to read our in-depth film breakdowns every week, sign up with the link below!**

Even in sweltering Las Vegas, the ice that runs in Miller Moss’ veins doesn’t seem to thaw. The Trojans’ new starting quarterback picked up exactly where he left off in last year’s Holiday Bowl, putting together four quarters of controlled, efficient and confident play as he led his team to another pivotal victory. Moss’ command for the quarterback position is simply stellar. He so rarely appears to be rattled, surprised or uncertain of what he needs to get done.

On a night when the LSU defensive front frequently managed to get pressure in his face, Moss remained perpetually unphased as he kept track of his passing progressions and got the ball out quickly (2.36 seconds to throw on average). Though he certainly doesn’t share the elusiveness of Caleb Williams, Moss was able to maneuver the pocket masterfully over the course of the game, showing a great peripheral feel for the pressure around him and the innate sense of timing that allows most drop-backs to end in a reasonable pass attempt.

Overall, Moss displays a tremendous knack for the cerebral aspect of his position, demonstrating mastery of his playbook and consistent situational awareness. Put simply, he plays like he knows what he’s looking at. The ball is rarely put in harm’s way by No. 7, in large part because he seems to understand where the openings in a defense will be and what he must do to act on them in accordance with his play call. That confidence allows Moss to play fast and decisive, an ability that was worth its weight in gold down the stretch of this game.

In the fourth quarter, this combination of traits allowed Moss to lead USC on two consecutive touchdown drives to win the game. His poise in the moment was palpable to the viewer, most certainly to his teammates as well. The steady hand he demonstrated at the helm undoubtedly did much to keep the Trojans offense on the same page as they executed near flawlessly over those final two drives.

Though I feel strongly that these mental traits are what give Moss the potential to be a special quarterback, I don’t want to undersell what he’s demonstrated in his tangible skills as a passer. Moss is remarkably accurate with the football, not just in his ability to deliver a catchable ball but in his consistent penchant to put the ball in the best possible position for only his receiver to make a play. His passes up the seam to Lake McRee, his free-play bomb to Ja’Kobi Lane, and both of his now-legendary throws to Kyron Hudson demonstrate this fine tact as it appears in Moss’ game.

His early fourth quarter sideline ball to Lane was the single most impressive play of the day, demonstrating jaw-dropping accuracy to place the football with absolute precision off his back foot while being actively engulfed by an LSU defender.

Though he’s likely never going to light games up with a barrage of field-stretching deep shots, he likely won’t need to given how well he executes within 30 yards of the line of scrimmage. Besides, it’s not as though Moss can’t throw a pretty deep ball: he finished the game 4 of 4 for 112 yards and a touchdown on throws of over 20 air yards, along with two well-drawn PI calls. Moss may not have the pure arm strength that allows him to put a ball 50 yards downfield on a rope, but a quarterback who executes decisively and reliably in the structure of the called play will rarely need to.

Moss wrapped the night with 378 passing yards and a score while completing 75% of his passes. He had no turnovers and earned a PFF grade of 92.4, tied for the third-best in the country last week among quarterbacks and an easy first among those who faced P4 competition. Moss looked every part the star signal-caller he appeared to be in his first career start against Louisville, ever more so as the game went on. Now that we’ve seen this performance from him to open the season, there’s every reason to be confident in his ability to lead the USC offense to a successful year. There will certainly be areas of his game that require refinement and improvement over the course of 12+ games, but it’s not irrational to think that Moss might end up as one of the nation’s most productive quarterbacks this season.

Though there was plenty of deviation in this game from what we’ve gotten used to from the Trojans in recent years, some things never change. The excellence of USC’s receiving corps is almost always one of the team’s great strengths, and that truth was no different against LSU in Vegas.

The Trojans’ pass-catchers were phenomenal over the course of this game, both in terms of individual performances and in the sheer number of players who contributed. The day’s feats were headlined by those of senior Kyron Hudson, whose 5 receptions for 83 yards paced the team. Two of Hudson’s receptions will likely be candidates for catch of the year come January, the first as a jaw-dropping display of focus and athletic ability and the second as a clutch demonstration of determination and raw toughness.

Hudson was the breakout star of the group in this game, and he’ll continue to be featured as the season goes on. However, it’s the trio of Ja’Kobi Lane, Zachariah Branch and Duce Robinson that I expect to strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses from week to week. All three were very good in this game when their numbers were called, with 9 catches, 155 yards, 1 TD and 2 pass interference penalties generated on 12 targets amongst them. The complementary skill sets of the trio cover most of what a team might want out of their receiving corps at any given time, with each dominant in their area of expertise.

Branch was an absolute live-wire with the ball in his hands, whether on returns or on offense. Though he hardly saw any work downfield, his ability to regularly squeeze extra yards on any underneath touch makes him an indispensable offensive asset in itself. As a returner, Branch almost certainly should have housed what ended up being a 46-yard kick return in the second quarter. Had he just held his angle and accelerated down the left sideline, the safe money would be on Branch sauntering into the end zone untouched. Instead, he tried to cut across the field on the kicker only to find himself tackled -- a mistake he almost certainly knows cost him a score.

Regardless, Branch showed against a field full of other elite athletes that his extra gear is one-of-one. Even as a YAC merchant on offense and special teams savant, he’ll be giving other teams nightmares. If he starts to get more involved downfield on top of that, watch out.

Meanwhile, the big-bodied duo of Lane and Robinson excelled in this game, consistently winning with their ability to secure position downfield and to come up victorious at the catch point. Both receivers caught every ball thrown their way, aside from a well-earned pass interference call drawn apiece. Despite their size, both sophomores are remarkably fluid movers and route runners. Few defensive backs should be able to both match their movement and compete with them at the catch point, as it seemed no one on the Tigers could. Lane, in particular, is an absolute menace whenever he has an opportunity to snag the football, as he seems to come up with almost every ball thrown within his catch radius. Both his fourth quarter sideline receptions from Moss were gorgeous reps wherein he showed off the ability to win on his routes with positioning, ball tracking and exceptional hands at the moment of truth. I’m still bullish on him to end up as the team’s No. 1 receiver by the end of the year, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if either Branch or Robinson ends up with that mantle.

This crop of USC receivers, including others like Kyle Ford and Makai Lemon, will almost certainly be the team’s strongest position room over the course of the year.

It’s no secret that the tight end position hasn’t been very productive for USC in nearly a decade. That wasn’t typical of Lincoln Riley’s offenses at Oklahoma, where players like Mark Andrews and Grant Calcaterra carried significant receiving workloads along with their duties as blockers. Last season, it appeared as though Lake McRee might grow into such a role for the Trojans, as he blocked well and proved to be impactful as a pass-catcher before an injury ended his season prematurely. In his first game back from the torn ACL, McRee looked to be an integral part of the offense in a way that no USC tight end has really resembled in years.

With 5 receptions for 56 yards, McRee caught more passes in this game than anyone at his position has managed for the Trojans in the last five years. He was a dynamic threat over the middle, able to win vertically on seams, sitting down near the sticks or crossing the field. He’s got reliable, smooth hands, good size and nice movement skills despite a lack of top-end speed, allowing him to be a useful pass-catching threat at multiple levels on the field. With that said, McRee’s talent as a run-blocker might be his most valuable trait. He was consistently excellent in that regard over the course of this game. Watch him utterly steamroll his man and drive him into the painted end zone turf here on the Trojans’ first touchdown of the game.

While you’re at it, watch Kade Eldridge (No. 88) also put in a strong rep as a goal-line blocker. Though he made a handful of mistakes during this game, Eldridge also showed a real knack for run blocking with his functional strength and understanding of angles. He looked solid as a route-runner too in his limited opportunities, opening up the possibility of the Trojans deploying more 12 personnel (two tight ends) over the course of the year to bolster their run game situationally.

We still haven’t even seen some of the other exciting young depth USC has stocked at the position yet, like Walker Lyons or Walter Matthews. I think it’s safe to say that this is the best TE room this team has had in a while and one that figures to factor into the offense consistently over the course of the year.

Despite newness everywhere, there existed a singular area of real preseason consternation on the offensive side of the ball for the Trojans. The offensive line figured to be an area of mystery -- and very possibly one of weakness, given the lack of experience and proven play among the potential starters.

The group held up admirably enough against an athletic LSU defensive front, helping lead back Woody Marks to run for 68 yards and 2 scores on 16 carries while also allowing the fewest pressures (per PFF) of any team facing P4 competition in week 1.

As of right now, Jonah Monheim is decisively the best player of the group and he impressed in his first ever start at center.

Monheim’s individual play was very strong, but it was his ability to keep the line’s communication solid through the grueling late stages of this game that really stood out. His veteran leadership at that position should certainly be a big plus for this offense as the year rolls on, especially as he gains more playing experience there.

On his left side, Elijah Page and Emmanuel Pregnon both had sturdy performances for the most part, while Alani Noa and Mason Murphy had shakier showings on the right side of the line. Despite the lack of counted pressures (7) tallied by LSU on the evening, the eye test shows that the Tigers were frequently able to disrupt the pocket and force Moss to act quickly. His ability to detect that pressure and make good decisions in the face of it negated much of that problem, but another quarterback might have very easily been sacked 5+ times in this game based on the protection provided. Moss’ ability in that regard will likely help the protection out all year, but it remains to be seen how much better his linemen can get before they face the pass rushes of Michigan, Penn State, and Notre Dame.

In the run game, the Trojans put up a solid showing almost entirely off the good work of Marks, but the line wasn’t opening clean running lanes with any consistency. Though Marks had a handful of good runs, most were largely earned by his own ability to work through contact. If you exclude his 17-yard TD run to ice the game, Marks’ other 15 carries went for 51 yards. The success of the run blocking is particularly interesting when comparing the sides of the line, with a significant discrepancy between right and left. Runs to the left of Monheim (with Pregnon and Paige) averaged 5.2 yards per pop, while those to Noa and Murphy’s side on the right averaged 1.0. Though the team ran the ball well enough to win this game, the better defensive lines remaining on the schedule will almost certainly require a stronger rushing attack to conquer. It remains to be seen how much improvement can be made, particularly from Noa and Paige as they get better acquainted with live game action.

All things considered, this game went about as well for USC as could have been expected. The defense came out tough and made key plays through the end of the game to secure a win, the offense got clicking in crunch time to do the same, and the team as a whole avoided too many egregious mistakes on either side of the ball. With a Week 1 win like that under the belt, the energy around this team is now ideal, setting the Trojans up for an exciting remainder of the season.

Lost among those positive takeaways, however, is the reality of how close the Trojans came to letting this game slip away. Lincoln Riley’s clock management has long been an area of criticism and once again threatened to harm the Trojans as he seemed to badly misuse his timeouts at the ends of both halves. His overall play-calling and the team’s execution were good enough to eke out the win, but those mistakes seriously threatened the Trojans’ margin for error. Riley has to be better in those situations if this team is to be consistently competitive in big games; a fact he himself seemed to allude to after Tuesday’s practice.

“We do not hesitate to show the guys that, to show them where they have to get better, to lay out the plan to do it. We don’t have any problem calling ourselves out as coaches. I had a couple just God-awful decisions during the game, and I told the team that," he said.

But even beyond the decision-making aspect of things from the head coach, it bears remembering just how often the Trojans came close to disaster on the field in this game. In the second quarter, Moss fumbled the ball in the red zone, only for Pregnon to quickly cover the ball and allow USC to salvage 3 points from the drive. In the next quarter, Moss threw a screen to Lemon just a bit late, giving a driving LSU cornerback a shot at a certain pick-six, only for the ball to fall incomplete off his hands. Later in the third quarter, the Trojans once again got incredibly lucky after Marks inexplicably fumbled the ball into the backfield, with Paige barely managing to fall on the football in time. LSU had just gone up by 4 points on the prior drive and would have taken possession in the red zone with a chance to extend the lead to double-digits had Paige not fallen on that fumble.

To cap it off, LSU looked almost certain to set up a game-winning touchdown with just about 2 minutes to play as a Tiger receiver came wide open underneath on a big second down. Garrett Nussmeier, who had thrown the ball downfield with terminator-like accuracy all day, miraculously missed the receiver less than three yards down the field with nothing but green grass around him. A decent throw there almost certainly leads to a catch, which almost certainly results in a touchdown, which ends up creating a very different final drive for the Trojans offense.

Altogether, it required multiple miraculous rolls of the dice for the Trojans to make it out of this one clean. Of course, that’s the case in all tight football games, but here especially it’s easy to see just how close USC was to letting this one slip away. Things bounced the right way this time, but there remain a lot of things for the team to clean up moving forward in order to avoid inevitably finding themselves bitten.

All other storylines be damned, there was ultimately one question to be answered for the Trojans in this opener.

“How’s the defense?”

As it turns out, the defense is quite well. D’Anton Lynn’s unit was impressive from start to finish in this one, opening the game with a fourth-down stand in the redzone and closing it with a stop in the same part of the field. Though the yardage allowed for the game isn’t particularly impressive (421), the number of points allowed is. To hold this LSU squad to 20 points was a remarkable achievement, and one that took four quarters of good defensive football to achieve.

Off the bat, the first noticeable difference from the defense of the past two years was the structural integrity. No more misaligned defensive backs, imbalanced formations or obviously vulnerable run fits -- Lynn’s defensive scheme seems to first be predicated on simplicity and a determination to execute the simple with attention.

The Trojans didn’t do anything particularly exotic with their defense in this game; if anything, they played a relatively straightforward and vanilla scheme. However, the attention to detail from the players on the field was evident to see, no matter how simple their tasks. Rarely were players out of position or unprepared for the offense’s activity. Instead, the defense was routinely in the right place to make a play.

Lynn clearly looked to approach this game with a bend-but-don’t-break strategy in mind, keeping the secondary well off the line of scrimmage and prioritizing the elimination of downfield plays at the expense of giving up passes underneath. That approach helped the Tigers to move the ball efficiently at times, but Lynn’s confidence that his team would manage enough stops when it mattered paid off. Despite the success LSU found in the intermediate passing game, USC was able to generate stops on most of its drives, notably in a number of short-yardage situations. The Trojans didn’t rack up many havoc plays (sacks, TFLs, forced fumbles, interceptions) but instead got off the field by playing fundamentally sound football and tackling consistently. That wouldn’t have been possible were it not for the drastic improvement of team physicality on display Sunday, head and shoulders clear of what we’ve seen in past years.

From the jump, the Trojans tackled well in this game at all three levels, showing not just technical prowess but a desire to deliver punishment whenever possible. In combination with the improved defensive structure, this shift lent itself to a far superior brand of defense. The defensive front did an exemplary job of plugging up LSU’s run game, despite the strength of the Tigers’ O-line as one of the nation’s very best. The physicality and lane-discipline of the USC defense was on point for most of the night, giving LSU’s backs only small creases to work with and swarming to the ball on every down. As a result, the Tigers only managed 117 rushing yards on 26 attempts, including just 3 yards in the entire fourth quarter. Factoring out John Emery’s big 39-yard run in the third quarter, the Tigers ran for only 78 yards on their other 25 carries.

By the time the final whistle blew in this one, it was obvious to most everyone watching that this was a new and different USC defense. Forget Alex Grinch; the Trojans have not looked that proficient on the defensive side of the ball over the tenures of multiple previous coordinators. It’s still extremely early and this unit is certainly not without significant flaws, but the degree of improvement on display in just the first game of this new staff’s tenure is extremely encouraging.

The physicality, focus and schematic prowess this defense had to work with in the opener will almost certainly translate to every other opponent USC faces this season, provided the Trojans can keep it up. It remains now to see if they can, but it feels like a safe bet to guess that this is just the beginning.

The biggest point of concern on USC’s revamped defense was the issue of whether or not the defensive line would be big enough, strong enough and violent enough to really give the Trojans a shot to compete against better offenses. If Sunday’s performance was any indication, the Trojans have the ability to at least engage in a legitimate fight with any offense in the country up front.

LSU’s offensive line was expected to be one of, if not the best in the nation, but the Trojans defensive front hung with them all game. As mentioned previously, they handled the Tigers’ run game with remarkable proficiency, only giving up a handful of longer runs in the third quarter before totally plugging the rushing lanes for the remainder of the game. In the passing game, the Trojans couldn’t really manage to break through to Nussmeier for sacks, but as the game went on USC found ways to produce more pressures, even without blitzing.

Anthony Lucas was easily the team’s biggest contributor in that regard, as he impressed mightily against LSU’s star offensive tackles. Though he didn’t register a sack, Lucas found ways to disrupt the backfield with his frightening combination of power and twitch. At 6-foot-6, 275 pounds, Lucas looked like a human sledgehammer, often knocking his blocker clean into the pocket. His power consistently got the better of LSU’s linemen, helping him to set strong edges and generate penetration with some consistency. He was far and away the Trojans’ most effective edge rusher in this game, and I now wouldn’t be surprised to see him rack up a lot more production as the year rolls on.

Though no one else was really able to generate much pressure against LSU’s fantastic pair of tackles, I was impressed by the general play up and down the line. In particular, I was surprised by the play of the defensive tackle rotation including Gavin Meyer, Nate Clifton and Kobe Pepe. Pepe gave the team quality snaps as a two-gapping, run-stuffing nose tackle, a role they’ll certainly like to make use of against the Big Ten's rush-happy offenses. Meanwhile, Clifton and Meyer both provided something more dynamic, bringing some athletic pop to the table along with their smarts and raw strength. Physically, both players were able to match up with LSU’s guys, avoiding getting pushed off the ball and finding ways to shed blocks in the hole. Clifton, in particular, impressed me with his power, knocking blockers straight off him at times and noticeably leaving runners in considerable pain every time he found an opportunity to lay the wood on them.

Even with Bear Alexander having a rather lackluster game, the defensive tackle unit played a major role in getting USC this win. If Alexander’s play picks back up again to where it should be, this group might look surprisingly reliable moving forward.

The defensive back seven looked solid throughout this contest. The linebacker group was strong all night, with Mason Cobb and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold putting together strong outings as the two primary backers. Though I’ve been very high on Mascarenas-Arnold all offseason, I must admit he had a bit of a shaky game, missing more tackles than he should have and finding himself out of position a time or two. Even still, he fit the run reliably and continued to offer real value in coverage due to his movement skills and awareness. I expect him to holistically play better in coming weeks, but I’ll keep an eye on him to see how he progresses.

The real hero of the unit was Eric Gentry, who finished a phenomenal game with 7 tackles, 2 TFLs and 1 PBU. Though he played fewer snaps than his two counterparts, Gentry was the most impactful of the bunch all night. Playing with a noticeable edge of ferocity, the lanky linebacker was absolutely everywhere, making plays both at the line of scrimmage and down the field. His albatross-like wingspan actively obscured passing windows for Nussmeier, who tested him once only to have Gentry reach into the sky with his long arms and disrupt the attempt.

The big knock against Gentry has always been about a perceived lack of physicality, but no one could give such complaint when watching him play against LSU. The senior was the aggressor on most every snap, coming downhill with bad intentions, eager to stick it to ball-carriers who dared to meet him. Gentry came up with two huge stops behind the line of scrimmage to bring up fourth down, both times firing into the backfield with gusto before absolutely selling out to bring the ball-carrier down. Gentry’s efforts at those critical junctures and his strong play throughout this game were key to the Trojans’ victory. He was arguably the most impactful player on the field for the defense over the course of the night, making a serious case for a more expanded role going forward.

In the secondary, the Trojans kept things rather vanilla. Mostly playing off-coverage and keeping conservative, the USC cornerbacks were asked to play this game in a way that didn’t lend to much action aside from coming down to tackle on shorter completions. Jaylin Smith was impressive in that respect as his eagerness for hitting allowed him to make a number of key stops out by the boundary. The USC corners weren’t tested very much besides those underneath throws, but Smith, Greedy Vance and Jacobe Covington all looked to be covering pretty well from what I could see. At safety, Akili Arnold had an up-and-down performance in his first outing as a Trojan, but fellow newcomer Kamari Ramsey shone bright in a stellar introductory performance.

In the film study I did of Ramsey this summer, I mentioned that my only real knocks on his tape were a lack of hitting power and a hesitancy to pull the trigger sometimes when making his breaks. Both of those concerns were put firmly to rest by Ramsey’s performance on Sunday, as he manned his free safety position more or less to perfection. His awareness, diagnostic instincts and secure tackling were never in doubt, but the ferocity with which he closed on the ball and the intensity with which he met opponents caught me off guard. He finished the game as the team leader in tackles with 9, flying downhill to secure stops when necessary and giving up nothing in coverage behind him. Ramsey was already one of the better safeties in the country and a legitimate NFL talent as of the preseason; if this new layer to his game is a permanent one, he might be a straight-up star.

This was a strong game for the USC special teams units, which struggled across the board in the latter half of 2023. Aside from a missed field goal, the units were largely perfect Sunday with great execution and no penalties. I was most impressed by the way the kick and punt units excelled in coverage, maintaining strong pursuit angles, rallying to the ball and minimizing the opportunity for breakaways. Not only is that a good sign for the special teams play itself, it speaks to the overall improvement of the defensive skills and instincts of the roster.

Punter Eddie Czaplicki was fantastic himself, sending all three of his punts over 50 yards with a nation-leading average of 55 yards per attempt. In the return game, Zach Branch got up to his usual tricks with a 46-yard kick return that easily could have been a touchdown. It’s almost guaranteed that he’ll have a handful more long ones to rip off as the season goes on.

The only real question now remains the kicking game, where Georgia Southern transfer Michael Lantz caused some consternation by missing a 29-yard field goal before half. Though Lantz made his other two attempts, we’ll have to monitor his progress to see if there is a real area of concern.

Besides his lone blunder, this was an excellent game for the Trojans special teams from top to bottom. Keeping things tight in the third phase of the game will go a long way toward putting USC in a position to compete with the real big boys of the sport.

Following their momentous opening weekend victory, the Trojans’ outlook for the remainder of the 2024 season has to feel very different. Having knocked off one of their four “dangerous” opponents in Week 1, the Trojans should feel good about themselves as they must expect to only improve as the games stack up. Given the consistent success of Riley’s offenses, the emergence of Moss, and the plethora of dynamism available at the skill positions, there’s every reason to expect the Trojans to be able to run up scores against any opponent they face. Given the performance of this new-look defense against a highly-talented offense in its very first outing, there’s good reason as well to think that the Trojans can compete defensively against anyone on their schedule.

This week’s contest against Utah State should be a good tune-up exercise, offering a chance to see if the team can continue to sustain the energy from the last week and to afford more opportunities for depth players to get comfortable. The road matchup at Michigan after the bye week, however, figures to be a very different test, one that will give us a much clearer idea of what this team’s ceiling is. As of right now, it appears to me as though the offensive line is still the Trojans’ greatest area of concern. LSU had some elite athletes to throw at USC along the defensive line, but that group was far from the country’s most imposing. That would be the Michigan Wolverines, and USC’s offensive front will have to test their mettle against Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant just about two weeks from now. USC should have legitimate advantages against Michigan in a number of other areas; that game will likely be decided on how the matchup between the Trojans O-line and Wolverines D-Line goes.

If the Trojans manage to weather that storm in a couple of weeks, I’ll feel quite confident in their ability to make the playoff and provide a test for any opponent. First, of course, they’ll have to take care of business against Utah State.