Every week TrojanSports.com dives DEEP into the film of USC's performance to sift out all the notable takeaways -- kudos and critiques alike.

In the case of USC's 48-0 demolition of Utah State and the Trojans' first shutout since 2011, there was a lot to spotlight, especially given our first real look at some of the team's impressive freshman.

We break it all down here in great detail in the weekly First-and-10 ...

Week 2 was a stark reminder of the chaotic and unpredictable nature of college football. Oregon, Oklahoma, Alabama and Penn State all struggled to put away unranked teams, underdogs unseated No. 19 Kansas and No. 21 Iowa, and No. 5 Notre Dame flamed out in spectacular fashion against the Huskies of Northern Illinois. The talent differences in this sport can be vast at times, but differences in focus, energy, and coaching can swing an outcome any given week.

That’s why I was so curious to watch how the Trojans handled Utah State. Coming off a monstrously invigorating Week 1 win against LSU, I wondered if USC would be able to stay locked in and avoid playing down to an inferior opponent at home. Many teams across the country fell into that trap last Saturday, and the USC teams of recent years have often done the same, giving up far too much ground to the likes of San Jose State and Nevada early in the year.

After a long Saturday full of turbulent contests, the Trojans came out to play in one of the last games of the night and provided their answer. There was no discernable dropoff in aggression or preparedness to be seen from the team on either side of the ball. From the moment they took their first snap, it was clear that they had shown up to dominate. On offense, the directive was for the running game to take over and pound the Aggies into submission, a mission they accomplished with startling ease. On defense, no inch was given. Just as against LSU, the Trojans were structurally sound all night, flying to the football and tackling well.

Given the disparity in talent this time around, the results were more dramatic, resulting in a full shutout of the opponent for the first time in over a decade of Trojan football. This game was 60 minutes of clinic tape on both sides of the ball for USC en route to a 48-0 result, a demonstration of exactly how a top team should manhandle inferior competition. How often would those words have applied to the Trojans teams of the last decade, especially following the emotional hangover of a big win?

Though there’s a very long way to go, it’s obvious off the rip that this USC team has a different substance to its makeup. Right now, they look locked in on both sides of the ball, energetic, aware of their responsibilities, and motivated to play tough, aggressive football. As we’re well aware, that has been what the Trojans of recent years have so often lacked down the stretch, far more so than talent. It’s still early now, and there are plenty of tests remaining to show us how well that disposition really holds up to challenges. Nonetheless, the early indications are exactly what you’d like to see, and it’s good to see them again after so long.

Following our first look at the team in Vegas, the one standout area of concern on this roster remained the offensive line. Though the unit had acquitted itself capably enough against a very athletic LSU front, it appeared to be the most outmatched unit on the field for USC that night. That shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone, given the shuffling of positions and the group’s relative lack of experience coming out of camp. Against LSU, the Trojans held up well enough in both the passing and running games but were clearly unable to control the game in either aspect.

Following that performance, the lingering question for me was whether the Trojans could stand up to the top-tier defensive lines that they’re slated to face on the schedule, starting with that of Michigan in Week 4. Coming into this weekend, I wondered how the offensive line would handle an inferior defensive front like Utah State’s, and whether we’d see any notable improvement from that first outing in Vegas.

The answer was resounding as the USC offensive line put on a dominant showing from start to finish, turning in one of the most complete blocking performances of any team in the country regardless of competition. From the first drive, the O-line enforced its will on Utah State’s front, steamrolling defenders off the ball and routinely moving the line of scrimmage downfield as the linemen opened up gaping lanes for their running backs. As the Trojans leaned into an uncharacteristically run-heavy gameplan, the offensive line met the challenge by bulldozing a path for USC’s backs to deliver huge statistical performances. The team wound up rushing for a whopping 249 yards and 5 touchdowns, led by the dominance of the big guys up front.

Throughout the night, Woody Marks and Quinten Joyner often did not receive first contact until they were multiple yards downfield, left completely untouched as a result of the mastery with which the offensive line commanded the line of scrimmage. In particular, Elijah Paige and Emmanuel Pregnon popped off the screen to me, demonstrating a real blend of movement skills and power when asked to cover ground as run blockers. On the ground, the physicality, power and attention to detail of the USC offensive line overwhelmed the Aggies, leaving them almost no avenue to fight back. Things were even simpler in pass protection, where the stoutness of the starting USC front allowed it to end its time on the field with just one pressure allowed for a day's work.

Despite the lack of competition, the dominance of the Trojan offensive line has to be the biggest on-field takeaway from this game. It’s one thing to know you have a more talented unit than the opposition; it’s entirely another to show it on the football field for a full 60 minutes. USC’s group was able to do just that, showing not only the appropriate frame of mind and athletic tools but also significant growth from what they displayed in Week 1. We can be almost certain that the unit’s performance will look very different against Michigan’s menacing front, but they showed enough here for me to think they might just be up to surviving that matchup.

No one benefitted from Lincoln Riley’s game plan for this one as much as the Trojans’ running backs. With the ball handed off 33 times on a night when the offensive line was imposing its will, the backs were given every opportunity to get active in this early season contest.

Starter Woody Marks was phenomenal, handling the majority of duties early before ceding to backup Quinten Joyner and others by the second half. In his one real half of play, Marks was sensational, making the most of his stellar blocking en route to 103 yards and a score on 13 carries. Marks’ slithery style of movement makes him an elusive runner between the tackles, allowing him to effortlessly weave and redirect through blocks and tacklers as they set up around him. Given space to operate as he was against Utah State, he’s capable of using that skill and his tremendous vision to routinely break explosive runs. Marks’ change-of-direction abilities and his acceleration are NFL-caliber traits, making him a threat to turn each run into a sizable gain.

What really makes Mark unique, however, is the totality of his skill as a receiver. He’s been one of the premier pass-catching backs in college football over the course of his career, and playing in a Lincoln Riley offense will give him the opportunity to make the most of that facet of his game. In this matchup, we saw Marks make a catch that many wide receivers would not be capable of hauling in, securing a downfield throw down the sideline in the face of an imminent collision. His awareness of space, his ability to separate as a route runner, and the strength of his hands make him a legitimate receiving threat that must be accounted for on all downs.

Watching his tape at Mississippi State, I thought Marks was a good back who was excellent at catching the football. Watching him through two games of this season, I now feel that his pure skill as a runner of the football is significantly better than I had initially given him credit for. Both statistically and by virtue of the eye test, there’s a case to be made right now that Marks is one of the better backs in the country. We’ll need some more proof over the course of the year to make that statement conclusively, but the evidence right now points firmly in that direction.

Coming into the year, I expected Marks and Joyner to serve as the teams 1A and 1B options at running back. Though Marks has done plenty to convince me that he’s earned a true lead role, Joyner only worked to reinforce the belief that he deserves frequent touches weekly with his performance on Saturday. He was every bit as effective as Marks running the football against Utah State, taking his 10 carries for a healthy 84 yards and 2 scores. Though Joyner’s vision and pass-catching aren’t as well-honed as Marks’ yet, his ability as a runner with the ball in his hands is something to behold.

Joyner’s running style reminds me most of Kenneth Walker III, former Michigan State superstar and current lead back for the Seattle Seahawks. Like Walker, Joyner’s game is predicated on remarkable burst and agility paired with a unique ability to retain balance through contact. Both players make cuts at unexpected junctures and find ways to break tackles that they have no business of escaping, allowing them to take a more unorthodox path with the ball in their hands then other players. At time those erratic choices will get punished, but the potential for creating big plays remains ever-present.

Joyner is pure lightning in a bottle, and I’m certain that he’ll remain heavily involved in the offense, even if Marks is the lead man. Right now, I think USC has a good argument for the best pair of backs in the conference outside of Ohio State.

Joyner took that a step further this week in saying, "I think we could be like the best duo in the country as running backs."

Not to be forgotten, redshirt freshman A’Marion Peterson and freshman Bryan Jackson also looked good with their limited opportunities. Both backs are bigger, more physical presences than their counterparts up the depth chart and did well to show off their ability to break tackles and generate yardage after contact. Though I don’t expect either to see long stretches of playing time this season, both could see action as short-yardage backs situationally. The complementary nature of their skill sets to the Trojans’ two primary runners gives the team a good balance of options to reach for when they might be required, and should leave them feeling very confident about that room as a whole.

Miller Moss was once again efficient and clinical in his management of the offense, throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown while completing 21 of 30 passes. As the sample size grows, it becomes clearer that Moss really is the player we first saw at length in the Holiday Bowl. He’s in perfect command of the offense at all times, understanding what the defense shows him and knowing exactly where he should go with the football in response.

He talked this week about feeling the ability to be an extension of Riley on the field.

"Having spent a good amount of time with him I feel like I generally have a good idea of what we want to do on offense and how we want to attack people and just how he approaches the game offensively," Moss said. "... He'll still come up with things that no one else can come up with. But yeah, I feel like I've tried to try to garner a good understanding of him and how he wants to attack defenses, and yeah, absolutely I want to be an extension of him on the field."

Along with his grasp of the cerebral aspect of the position, Moss’ accuracy with the football is truly special. The controllable aspects of his passing, such as his footwork and throwing motion, are almost always methodical and perfect. You can tell he spent his years on the bench refining those skills in order to ensure his best possible performance when given the opportunity, and the results bear obvious fruit for him. Almost every ball out of his hand looks practically the same, and his own confidence in that consistency allows him to zip throws into tight placement windows without an ounce of hesitation.

Though his arm strength will likely never threaten defenses on its own, his timing, touch and precision do. Look at the way he places those seam throws to Lake McRee right at the high point for the tight end each and every time, or the trajectory on the aforementioned sideline completion to Marks. Those are not throws many can make, certainly not with the consistency and decisiveness that Moss does.

With that said, Moss' confidence to fit the football anywhere he pleases at any time comes with a price. Any quarterback will miss throws by a little once in a while, and when you’re taking shots with low margins for error, you’re bound to get caught from time to time. In this game, Moss nearly had such a moment when he threw a quick curl to the sideline without noticing a lurking flat defender, who nearly managed a pick-6. Given his play style, I think it’s unavoidable that Moss will have some games where he piles up a number of unsavory errors. I’m generally inclined to trust that his general aptitude and unflappable nature will help him to get the offense back on track when those moments come, but it’s worth keeping an eye out for the possibility.

Either way, Moss is playing at a high, high level right now. I think he’s clearly been one of the five best passers in college football through two weeks; if he maintains this kind of play through the season, he might be in the running for a Heisman and NFL draft selection.

Though I’m not entertaining any ideas of shaking things up at quarterback, I do understand the reasoning that’s caused others to believe that Jayden Maiava deserves a shot at QB1 for the Trojans. Maiava is quite obviously a special talent -- it doesn’t take watching many of his snaps for that truth to be evident. Against Utah State, he took over quarterbacking duties near the end of the third quarter and more or less picked up exactly where Moss left off, completing 8 of 11 throws for 66 yards and rushing for a touchdown of his own.

Like Moss, Maiava’s comfort in the pocket stands out immediately. He appeared collected at all times, even when the defense managed to get pressure in his face as they did on a late goal-to-go down. With a free rusher in his face just as he pulled from the play-action fake, Maiava refused to panic, instead tactfully shifting himself at the last possible second to avoid a collision and readjusting his eyes to assess the crumbling pocket. Once he got eyes on all the rushers, Maiava went into a flow state, readjusting his positioning and finding space with a nimbleness not usually reserved for those standing at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. Dipping, ducking, darting, he finds the lane and bursts for the end zone, covering ground like a gazelle as he goes untouched for the 7-yard score.