Six months later and the numbers are still harrowing.
USC led in 11 of 12 games last season and either had a double-digit lead or second-half lead in six of its seven losses. The Trojans scored seven points or less in the second half of seven games. The biggest culprit for the collapses was an offense that ranked 92nd nationally in scoring, 106th in rushing, 87th in third down conversions and 98th in the red zone.
With a slightly better offense, how many more games would USC (5-7) have won in 2018?
“When I look back at it, I feel like we should have won every single game we played,” USC senior wide receiver Michael Pittman said in the latest episode of the Trojan Talk podcast. “That’s why with our new offense and our new fast-paced schemes we have, I feel like we’re just going to keep scoring and we’re not going to stop. That takes pressure off of our defense. …
“We did put them in a lot of bad spots [last year].”
The losses initially carried over into the offseason, as Kliff Kingsbury left for the NFL 34 days after accepting USC’s OC job and 2019 five-star wide receiver Bru McCoy transferred less than three weeks after signing with the Trojans. Pittman said he had two one-on-one sit-downs with Kingsbury during his brief stay.
“I started getting the idea [he might be leaving] when he wouldn’t give me the full playbook," he said. "And then I started seeing the headlines, so I was like, 'Aww, damn. Here it comes.' But I’m not mad at him. He went and did better for himself.”
Pittman added that he still has three of Kingsbury’s installs at his house, while noting they’re very similar to Graham Harrell’s. The latter’s arrival has Pittman confident that USC can get off to a fast start this season despite a grueling September slate (vs. Fresno State, vs. Stanford, at BYU, vs. Utah, at Washington) composed entirely of teams that made a bowl game last year.
“This first five-game stretch is going to be really difficult but I believe we have the talent to do it,” Pittman said. “… If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will. We just got to start with believing in us. Why would you think we would go 5-0 when we barely won five games last season? I understand. But I don’t believe it. I’m just always confident in us and I think we have a lot of game-changers on our team. I feel like there’s no answer for our offense.
“I feel like we can be like an Oklahoma-type offense. They have a high-powered offense and that’s pretty much what wins them games, and I feel like that’s what will win us games.”
Check out the podcast for the entire interview, as Pittman goes in depth on his expectations for 2019, the new strength and conditioning program, why he returned for his senior season, learning lessons from his NFL father, and changes in team culture.
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