While all the talk about USC's season-opening 28-27 win over Arizona State focuses on the final minutes and wild ending, the weekly First-and-10 digs deeper into the Trojans' performance Saturday.

We count down the key criticisms, critiques and kudos from Week 1, while trying to project what it all means for the Trojans in the big picture.

This was not Kedon Slovis’ best game.

Though his final stat line of nearly 400 yards and two scores indicates a dominant performance, Slovis struggled yesterday. Despite bursts of good play, for much of the game the sophomore was unsettled. He wasn’t throwing a pretty football; I’m not sure if a single spiral left his hand in the first half. He made poor decisions, throwing one pick and coming within a hair’s breadth of throwing another. He had trouble finding receivers, and resorted to throwing one dump-off after another (14 receptions out of the backfield).

The sophomore wasn’t the electrifying big-play machine we’d gotten used to last year, and as the fourth quarter started to wind down, it looked like the season opener would be one of the more disappointing outings of his young career. The final stretch of the game looked bleak for Slovis and the Trojans, down by 13 with only 4:28 remaining on the game clock.

But in those last moments, the Slovis of last season was on full display. Calm and collected, he drove down the field, including a gorgeous 36-yard post to Amon-Ra St. Brown to bring the Trojans into scoring range. On a fourth-and-13, an offsides ASU defender gave him a free play, and Slovis responded by chucking the ball towards St. Brown, who just happened to tip the pass into the hands of a waiting Bru McCoy to bring the game within one score. After a successful onside kick, at the reins of a game-deciding drive, Slovis delivered, hitting Drake London up the seam on 4th and 9 for what was easily his best throw of the day.

USC’s quarterback was shaky throughout the day, but he came through with the game on the line. The intangible “it” that separates the good quarterbacks from the great is evident when you watch Slovis play. Paired with his arm talent and fluidity in the pocket, it gives him the potential to become one of the most special players in college football. Whether or not his uneven performance was merely a result of rust from a long offseason or the sign of some more serious issues remains to be seen, but the Trojans’ best player is still quite clearly under center.

Though St. Brown was clearly the focus of USC’s offensive gameplan, Drake London was its savior. The 6-foot-5 London was monstrous yesterday, serving as Slovis’ most reliable target from the first quarter to the last. The two-sport star’s dynamic combination of athleticism and size make him a nightmare cover, and he gashed the ASU secondary to the tune of 8 receptions for 125 yards.

London’s ability to create yards after the catch is spectacular -- he pressed about every button on the Xbox controller yesterday, juking, trucking, stiff-arming and even hurdling defenders with the ball in his hands. Though London had a number of big games in the latter half of the 2019 season, this felt like a breakout performance, finishing the game leading the team in catches and yardage. The icing on the cake came on his game-winning touchdown up the seam on fourth-and-9, where he caught the ball over two defenders with little but his fingertips. Coming up with that grab was easily the biggest play of London’s young career. Expect him to remain one of Slovis’ favorite targets and one the Trojans’ focal points on offense.

One of the most common criticisms of Graham Harrell’s offense last season, despite its success through the air, was the absence of a consistent run game. It often seemed as though the Trojans were either unable or unwilling to impose themselves on the ground, despite the talented stable of backs at their disposal (when healthy). In the offseason both Harrell and head coach Clay Helton have noted their desire to field a more balanced offense, and if yesterday’s game was any indication, they appear to have meant it.

USC's running backs carried the ball a total of 32 times, well above the average from last season. Instead of the small doses of run-heavy play-calling we saw in 2019, there was a concerted effort to get the ground game going through each quarter Saturday. The trio of Stephen Carr, Markese Stepp and Vavae Malepeai racked up 158 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Had it not been for fumbles by Malepeai and Stepp, that may have been the story of this game. Even as the last minutes ticked away, the running backs received carries in crucial moments with mostly positive results, something you wouldn’t have dreamed of seeing last season.

Though the ball security issues need to be addressed and the run blocking remains far from perfect, the concentrated effort to run the ball more gives the Trojans a dimension they lacked last season. As more teams try to run soft zones to counter USC’s Air Raid like ASU did, an improved commitment to running the ball might be key down the stretch.

One of the more welcome sights of the opener was what appeared to be a return to the Stephen Carr of old. Though he was a regular part of the tailback rotation for the last two seasons, after an injury midway through in his freshman year Carr never seemed able to recapture the explosiveness and agility he’d showcased initially. He had been so electrifying in those first few games back in 2017, most observers had him pegged as the next great USC running back. Bleacher Report even ran an article at one point claiming that he and Ronald Jones were the best backfield duo in the country. For the first time years, Carr looked close to his old self yesterday against ASU. He looked like he’d regained the step he lost in the past years, and his twitchy cutting ability seemed to be restored as well.

Carr was dangerous in open space, forcing multiple missed tackles, and seemed to have shed the hesitation behind the line of scrimmage that he’d shown the last two years. The senior was productive in his limited role, taking 10 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. If his re-emergence is a trend rather than a flash in the pan, he offers Harrell another dynamic piece to work with in the backfield.