Even after USC scored the game's first 35 points and coasted to a comfortable 38-13 win over Washington State on Sunday, many fans fixated on the sluggish second half and the run game struggles.

We'll get to all of that, but there was also a lot to like from the Trojans' domination of the Cougars.

As always, we cover the full spectrum in the weekly First-and-10, breaking down the top takeaways, thoughts, criticisms and concerns from the Trojans' performance.

It took five weeks, but it seems at last that USC has the Kedon Slovis of last season again. Though his total of 287 passing yards was only his third best of this season, Sunday was easily his best game of the year. From the Trojans’ first drive, Slovis was sharp in a way that he hadn’t been since last December. His passes didn’t flutter, he hit one tight-window throw after another, his deep ball fell in stride and he didn’t seem hesitant to let the ball go. The results were instant; the Trojans ripped off a 28-0 first quarter, with a TD on each of their first four possessions. With Slovis back in his regular form, the offense hummed with a smoothness we’d only had glimpses of so far this fall, as he completed 18 straight passes at one point. The second half was a different story -- the offensive line began to struggle, and one sack halfway through the third quarter forced Slovis out of the game and into the injury tent. He would only return for one short series before leaving the game for good.

Fortunately for USC, he said he merely hit his funny bone and that he was otherwise fine. Pulling him was a reasonable precaution given the Trojans’ lead at that point. Slovis’ stat totals, along with those of the rest of the offense, essentially wrapped up at halftime. He’d already racked up 5 touchdowns by then, and the score was 35-6. The dominance they opened with allowed the Trojans to coast through the remainder of the game with untested comfort (for better or worse). Slovis functioning at this level radically changes this team. If its sustained, the Trojans instantly should be clear favorites to win the conference in a struggling Pac-12.

Despite playing at a high level, Amon-Ra St. Brown hadn’t registered a score through three games. His 19 catches and 266 receiving yards sat next to a glaring 0 in the touchdown column, unbecoming of one of the country’s best receivers. He made up on that deficit in a hurry Sunday -- scoring enough times in the first quarter to give him a ratio of 1 touchdown per game for the season. The junior’s 4 TDs all came over the course of that opening 15 minutes, tying the NCAA record for touchdowns in a quarter. St. Brown’s skill set is one of the most diverse of any receiver in college football, and the ways he scored reflected that, finding the end zone on a deep go-route, a goal line fade, a slant and a shovel pass sweep. St. Brown is a star, and he might continue to be one on Sundays for years to come.

Though this year’s receiver class is stacked, he is hoping to play his way into first-round consideration for the 2021 NFL Draft, should he declare. The next two or three games might be his last in a USC uniform -- appreciate him while he’s here.

Graham Harrell showed a concerted effort to incorporate freshman Gary Bryant into the passing game against Washington State. Bryant played significant snaps against the Cougars and was fed a handful of targets in the first half of the contest. Through three games, Bryant had only managed a single catch for 3 yards; on Sunday he caught 4 passes for 31 yards. Bryant has earned snaps at receiver in every game so far this season -- there’s clearly hope among the coaching staff that Bryant can seriously contribute. His role against WSU showed that there’s a place for him on this offense. Expect the ball to find his hands more in these final few weeks.