If there was any question as to what these final three games mean to the USC football team, the injury report coach Clay Helton gave on Thursday night provided a strong answer.
Not only is defensive end Drake Jackson back after missing two games with his sprained ankle, but more surprisingly safety Talanoa Hufanga is expected to play as well after missing those last two games with a dislocated shoulder and running back Stephen Carr is set to be a game-time decision with his hamstring (although it seems more likely that he returns next week).
The point is the Trojans seem to be putting a premium on bouncing back from that ugly Oregon loss and trying to finish strong, starting Saturday at Arizona State.
Certainly, this game will be telling as to the full collective buy-in and what to expect over these final weeks. USC (5-4, 4-2 Pac-12) has three very winnable games remaining with the Sun Devils (5-3, 2-3), Cal (4-4, 1-4) and UCLA (4-5, 4-2).
It's highly unlikely that Pac-12 South leader Utah stumbles down the stretch, meaning the Trojans will most likely be shut out of the conference championship game regardless, but the chance to finish 8-4 is a lot better than the alternative.
Of course, that alternative played out last season with USC losing these games down the stretch on the way to that 5-7 season that started the chain of dominos that continues now with everybody awaiting a decision on Helton's future.
But after the investment and energy that went into the offseason, spring and summer to avoid a repeat of last season, it stands to reason there remains enough motivation on this team to continue following through on that.
Here's what the TrojanSports.com staff think about this game and more in the weekly roundtable discussion:
1. What do you expect from this team over the final three games?
Ryan Young: I understand the inherent risk in predicting any sort of consistency for this USC football team, as well as the overt risk of expecting the Trojans to win on the road (twice!), but I think they close out the regular season with three wins. It goes one way or the other likely, and this game will tell us which way that's going to be. Most fans and observers of the program expect the Helton Era to end regardless -- that's my expectation -- but I think the team will play for him nonetheless, and there are other motivations that remain as well. This final stretch is a chance for guys like senior WR Michael Pittman to punctuate his film for NFL scouts, it's a chance for freshman QB Kedon Slovis to finish strong and help his chances in positioning to retain the job next season, etc. So I think USC comes to play and is simply a better team than the three opponents that remain.
Tajwar Khandaker: Despite the disappointment and uncertainty that surrounds USC football right now, this team is still significantly better than the one the Trojans fielded last year. They’ve self-detonated against quality opponents, but I don’t think USC drops a game in the final stretch. It looks like the Trojans will be getting much-needed relief on the injury front, with Drake Jackson and Talanoa Hufanga set to return, and each of the remaining games is very winnable for USC. Despite their recent victories, I don’t think UCLA will be a challenge, and although ASU and Cal are both talented teams, I think USC manages to take care of them both.
2. What's your primary concern matchup-wise for USC?
Ryan: It would have to be Arizona State freshman QB Jayden Daniels' mobility. He has 273 rushing yards this season, including going for 84 yards on the ground vs. Cal and 67 against UCLA. He's a capable passer too (1,902 yards, 11 TDs, 2 INTs), but my concern all season has been the USC defense's ability to contain a mobile QB. Aside from shutting down Arizona's Khalil Tate, the Trojans have failed in this department time and again. The way I can see USC losing this game is if Daniels extends drives with his legs and elevates a generally undaunting Arizona State offense that way.
Tajwar: Running back Eno Benjamin is bound to be a serious concern for the Trojans in this one. In last season’s loss to the Sun Devils, the Trojans allowed Benjamin to gash them on the ground for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns. Benjamin is having a strong season again (679 yards, 7 TDs rushing, 22 catches for 204 yards and 2 TDs), and the Trojans have been inconsistent in defending the run -- especially on the edges. The Trojans did do a rather impressive job against Oregon on the ground for most of the game, however, and the return of Drake Jackson will surely improve things to that end as well. Nonetheless, limiting Benjamin will be a tall task.
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3. How do you evaluate QB Kedon Slovis' season overall?
Ryan: It's pretty close to what I expected. I was a believer in Slovis' potential back in the spring. It was just clear that he threw a nice ball, had good touch and could really do some big things in this offense. But I also expected him to play like a true freshman at times, and that's what he's done. It's been up and down. I think the long-term potential has been reinforced, but so too has the reality that most freshmen QBs endure some costly lessons along the way. Slovis certainly has -- notably against BYU and Oregon. Overall, he's passed for 1,889 yards, 16 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with three games left to sway that stat line one way or another. I think in general there has been too much overreaction both ways with Slovis. When he came out of the gates so impressively with that sterling performance vs. Stanford, everyone wanted to say he should have been named the starter over JT Daniels to begin with. And when he's struggled, the Slovis bandwagon has lost membership. The reality has always been in the middle. A healthy Daniels likely would have led to a smoother offensive season for USC, but that said, Slovis' upside is legit and his potential very exciting for the Trojans.
Tajwar: I’ll refrain from making an evaluation until we see the rest of the season play out. For a freshman quarterback, raw ability and the ability to grow are the two factors that define how I judge their season. Slovis has shown plenty of talent -- I won’t go into that too much because I’ve done it so many times already. What remains to be seen is his ability to grow into a better player to maximize his tools. He’s already shown the ability to adapt within the span of a game on multiple occasions -- that bodes well. These last three games will go a long way towards showing us how capable he is of fixing the holes in play in the long run.
