USC is not a program for moral victories, and so to be clear, that's not how we're looking at the Trojans' 35-31 loss to No. 13-ranked BYU on Saturday night.

But ...

In a season this tough, this relentlessly disappointing, it was nice to have some excitement back in the Coliseum, at least for a little bit.

USC rallied back from a 15-point third-quarter deficit to actually take a 31-28 lead early in the fourth quarter Saturday night. The Trojans then had a chance in the final minutes to try to win the game, coming up just short on a fourth-down completion.

In a season where fans have been conditioned to expect the worst and to expect every loss to turn ugly at some point, this was a pleasant surprise.

It at least shows there is still something in the tank and that the young players who will need to be part of the rebuild are eager to assert themselves.

With that, let's get into the weekly First-and-10 breakdown -- the 10 most significant takeaways, critiques, praises, etc.

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One of the questions we answered for the Roundtable yesterday asked how much fight we thought there was left in this USC team. I flatly rejected the idea that there was any remaining at all, and given the low-grade football we’ve seen from this team all year there wasn’t much reason to believe otherwise. I was evidently wrong; the Trojans came out on Saturday night and played what might have been their best game of the season against what might have been their strongest opponent all year. The face-palm invoking miscues that have hamstrung this team week in and week out didn’t vanish, but they were much more effectively limited yesterday, particularly in the second half. USC has been prone to epic collapses through the latter two quarters of its games all year; this performance was the only one since Washington State where the Trojans played a really good second half.

On both sides of the ball, the Trojans played hard-nosed, committed football. There was no late-game checking out of the variety we’ve seen so often recently. This was a team clearly locked in, much more so than they’ve been all year. They battled to the whistle and came within a hair’s breadth of walking out of the Coliseum with an upset. A loss is a loss, but don’t let anyone tell you they’re all the same -- anyone who’s endured this season of Trojans football knows that the aftermath of this game feels very different from the rest.

Saturday went to show that no matter the deep-rooted flaws of this program, it’s a silly exercise to discredit the talent on this roster; there is plenty to go around. Ability alone can’t get things done at this level without the supporting mentality and scheme -- this season serves as a perfect case study. Whoever inherits this team next year will have a very intriguing roster to work with, and if they bring the right energy to this program, there’s good reason to believe there’s more football of the variety we saw last night to come rather than the putrid form we’ve been subjected to all season.

Freshman QB Jaxson Dart turned in another impressive if imperfect performance, finishing the night with 248 passing yards on a completion percentage of 65.7 with no turnovers. Dart added another 28 yards on 4 carries, with 2 total TDs -- one on the ground and one through the air. Some of his flaws as a signal-caller continue to flash. His short-area accuracy can be spotty, as evidenced by a goal line pass misthrown to an open Tahj Washington, and he continues to dabble in turnover-worthy risks, almost finding himself picked off twice on the night. Nonetheless, the positives in Dart’s game continue to shine as well.

And in the second half of this game he looked to have found a confident control that we hadn’t quite seen from him recently. He showcased brilliant touch at the intermediate level, particularly on a number of completions over the middle and between defenders to tight end Lake McRee. Dart’s decision-making process also seemed to improve as the game went on, resisting panic and generally maintaining steady progressions through his reads. His mobility really contributes to his game when he’s able to utilize it like he did yesterday, allowing him to extend plays, pick up yards on the ground and capitalize on his off-platform throwing abilities. His meniscus tear earlier in the season undoubtedly hindered his ability to use his legs through most of the fall, but having them at his disposal really gives his game an edge.

Dart’s composure down the stretch was impressive, leading the team to the doors of victory before falling just short of a fourth-down conversion and a shot at the winning score. He is far from a perfect player, as is every freshman, and there are plenty of areas for him to continue improving. This upcoming offseason will be critical for him to further adjust his game to the college level, but it’s fair to say that his ceiling for next year is pretty lofty.

Freshman tight end Lake McRee was little more than an afterthought in the USC offense for most of the season, not really seeing any playing time until three games ago. Since he’s been on the field, however, McRee has carved out a bigger role with each week, continually improving and making a real case to be a featured weapon for this team in the future. McRee’s tenacity is his best asset, and it’s visible on every play. Even though he’s slightly undersized, you can see his drive on run-blocking snaps, where he routinely gives 100 percent to create lanes for his teammates. In passing situations. McRee is totally unafraid to stretch out and snag passes over the middle with his extensive catch radius and strong hands, no matter the proximity of defenders waiting to deliver a blow.

He came up huge for USC on a number of key downs between the hashes, finishing the game with 4 catches for a team-high 63 yards. After the game, Dart described McRee as one of his best friends on the team, and the chemistry between the two is already palpable on the field. The young quarterback clearly has tremendous faith in McRee and does well to get him the football in spots where the tight end can make a play on it. Their continued progression as a tandem bodes well for the USC offense, and might be a central part of it in the future.