Nobody could have known a week ago what was in store for the USC football team as it took the field inside the Coliseum as heavy favorites against a Stanford team that had looked listless the week before.
By the fourth quarter, the Trojans were down 29 points, the fans were booing and the Clay Helton era was effectively over.
Helton would be fired less than two days later in a move that has been the talk of the college football world all week, transferring the spotlight from the present to the future for the Trojans.
But there is a game to be played this week and at least nine more after that, and plenty of hope remains internally that this season will retain real purpose under interim head coach Donte Williams.
"Our expectation is we're gonna go out and play with a Fight On mentality every single day," athletic director Mike Bohn said Tuesday. "You saw it in practice today, you saw how they were flying around. And our hats off to our players. It was inspiring to see that today and to hear the comments from so many of them and how they've united. We asked them to do that and that's a reflection on Donte and this coaching staff. Our expectations are we're gonna play and we expect to still compete for a championship."
It's always hard to know how these things are going to go after an in-season coaching change. Most of the assistant coaches know they won't be back next year and that their futures are elsewhere, though that's not to say they can't and won't still do a good job. Meanwhile, the players will ultimately decide how much they still believe in the collective possibilities after losing a head coach with whom most had a strong relationship.
The Trojans' road game at Washington State on Saturday will provide much more clarity as to what the realistic expectations are for this team and this season.
This -- like that Stanford game -- is one USC is expected to win. The Trojans are 7.5-point favorites on the road against a Cougars team that lost to Utah State (26-23) in its season opener and then beat FCS-level Portland State (44-24).
Last season, USC rolled to an easy 38-13 win when the programs met in the Coliseum, as Kedon Slovis passed for 287 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
Washington State is now in its second year under Nick Rolovich, led by sophomore quarterback Jayden de Laura, who has passed for 458 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception so far.
The Cougars have their own distractions with Rolovich's continued stance against getting vaccinated causing a PR problem for the school and program.
It could be a long season up in Pullman, Wash., but then again the same could hold true for the Trojans. It's simply to soon to know.
With that in mind, the TrojanSports.com staff delivers its perspective and predictions heading into kickoff Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT (on FOX).
1. Let's start with the obvious one, will USC be a better team over the rest of the season with Donte Williams in charge?
Ryan Young: "Better than last week? I would expect so. Better than if Clay Helton had remained the embattled head coach back on his familiar, almost perennial hot seat? Definitely. Mike Bohn made the move that had to be made. Helton's future would have hung over the program like a dark cloud the rest of the season, the backlash from fans would have remained at peak levels and the whole thing could have fallen apart. Maybe it still will, but I don't think so. Donte Williams is the rare interim head coach that might just have the power to command the team even more strongly than the guy he's replacing. Williams is a top national recruiter because he is elite at connecting with players and he has significant respect within the program. That strength lends itself very favorably to what he is now tasked to do, rallying this team and trying to get the season back on track. I believe the Trojans will buy-in and play hard for Williams. They are still going to be the more talented team in most games and their Pac-12 goals are still fully attainable. The coaches, meanwhile, have plenty at stake as well as most will probably be looking for new jobs next year. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell's stock has taken a hit so far this fall, and he needs a strong performance the rest of the way to best position himself for whatever comes next. On the other side, I simply don't doubt that Todd Orlando and his staff will continue to approach every day and every week the same as before. And after all, the Trojans clearly weren't maximizing their potential with Helton -- what's to say they can't be better off even in the short-term with a change of leadership? I could change my tone totally after this game, but going into the weekend I'm cautiously optimistic."
Tajwar Khandaker: "I think so. Most of the issues surrounding this USC team have less to do with physical ability than they do the mental aspects of the game. Energy level, focus, assignment-awareness; the inconsistency in these factors has been at the heart of most of the Trojans’ troubles for years. These are the things I expect Williams to prioritize during his tenure as head coach. Those are the things he can start to correct from day one, and from his statements I think it’s safe to say that he plans to try. Though the team’s schemes and strategies are unlikely to change much, Williams’ newfound position as the ultimate on-field decision-maker might also bode well for the Trojans in key situations. Deciding whether to run or pass on third down, managing time outs, and mounting officiating challenges are some of the big calls that will now be on Williams’ hands, and there’s reason for optimism that he’ll handle those duties more effectively than his predecessor. I’m hesitant to make a clear statement about what this team will be going forward without having seen them play once, but I’ll pin them as playing closer to their preseason expectations and ending the season with 2-3 losses.
