One of the more glaring stats from the second half of USC's 48-41 win at Colorado last week -- one in which the Buffaloes scored 27 points over the final two quarters to make for a tense finish -- was that the Trojans' running backs got only 6 carries after halftime.
While playing with a substantial lead in a game which lead back MarShawn Lloyd averaged 6.5 yards per carry.
Coach Lincoln Riley said there were a number of factors that contributed to that, including that he wasn't pleased with the blocking up front.
"Yeah, we didn't have as many plays after halftime -- just the simple math was part of it. We had a couple of big plays, we had two three-and-outs and then we had a turnover on a first play of a drive, so there wasn't as much of anything in the second half. And then, we've got to run the ball better -- we didn't run the ball very good, I mean, is pretty much the simple answer," Riley said. "I know I talked about it at length after the game, we've got to do a better job as coaches, we missed some cuts up front, we had a couple that were going to be big plays that we had bad snaps on, and then we obviously didn't do a great job finishing blocks up front. We've got to do it better and we've got to stay on the field. That's the No. 1 thing."
Left tackle Jonah Monheim also seemed to acknowledge that the offensive line didn't do enough to influence Riley to lean on the ground attack late.
"Obviously, when we get leads we'd love to run the ball as an offensive line, and we've got to be better and have a better product so coach believes in it and calls the run," Monheim said.
All told, USC gave up 2 sacks (one from a corner blitz that running back Austin Jones wasn't able to pick up) and had 1 false start penalty (plus an illegal block in the back from Monheim), which was an improvement over the operational struggles at Arizona State the previous week.
"From our first road game at Arizona State to our second road game last week, I think we did a better job communicating because it's a little tougher on the road, obviously," Monheim said. "But we've still got areas to improve there -- communicating as a group -- and I'm confident we'll make those jumps."
Let's dive deeper into the Trojans' Week 5 offensive line performance ...
(Note, PFF grades on a scale of 0-100 with the mid-70s reflecting above average performance, the 80s very good performance and grades in the 90s are rare and elite.)
LT Jonah Monheim (68 snaps): This was not a consistent game for Monheim. He had some plays where he made crucial blocks and drove his defender back, but he also had snaps where he got pushed back and missed his defender entirely. If he could just get more consistent on the road, he would be a complete lineman. His block in the back penalty was completely unnecessary and was a dagger to a promising drive in the third quarter. Momentum is so hard to capture, especially on the road. This performance combined with his performance at Arizona State are the two worst of the season. If the offensive line continues to have issues on the road, this team won’t go as far as the team would like.
PFF grade at Colorado: 60.7 overall, 52.1 run blocking / 73.8 pass blocking
Stats: 1 pressure and 1 penalty
LG Emmanuel Pregnon (68 snaps): Pregnon had another solid game, probably the best lineman performance against Colorado. He didn’t have any crucial mistakes, but he had some trouble holding onto his defenders. A couple times he would engage with his defender and lose them pretty quickly. He has been a nice surprise for this team as he had a lot to improve on coming into fall camp. He has the potential to be an important building block for this offensive line.
PFF grade at Colorado: 62.8 overall, 55.0 run blocking / 87.2 pass blocking
Stats: 0 pressures and 0 penalties
C Justin Dedich (67 snaps): The connection between Dedich and QB Caleb Williams is something to keep monitoring. Game after game it’s the same issues. Dedich made two snaps against Colorado that were way too high, but Williams was athletic enough to get the ball and make the play. He also had a bad false start for his sixth penalty of the season. Not only has he had his issues with false starts and snap issues, but he also continues time and time again to get driven back constantly. He just struggles with defenders who are bigger than him. Something needs to change for Dedich as he is usually a very dependable lineman. Dedich has always had his issues with getting driven back, but his mental lapses are something new.
PFF grade at Colorado: 57.8 overall, 56.4 run blocking / 62.6 pass blocking
Stats: 1 pressure and 1 penalty
