USC Film Room: Breaking down Michael Pittman's performance at BYU

Since going catchless in the first half against Stanford in quarterback Kedon Slovis' first start, senior wide receiver Michael Pittman has certainly found his rhythm with the true freshman.

He'd finish that game with 6 catches for 82 yards and follow up with a team-high 9 catches for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 30-27 overtime loss at BYU.

And that's not counting the sideline grab on which he was controversially ruled out of bounds in the fourth quarter against the Cougars or what might have been on his final target.

In this week's edition of the USC Film Room, we take a closer look at Pittman's performance in Provo, Utah.

Play 1

Formation: Twins left, Pittman is the outside receiver on the left side

Result: 9-yard gain

Lined up wide with the corner 7 yards off of him, Pittman has plenty of room to work with from the snap. Immediately after the play starts, the cornerback flips his hips inside and starts pushing hard downfield -- it’s a cover-3 defense and the corner has the deep outside. This means Pittman has lots of room to work with underneath, and he catches the ball on a 5-yard out. The ball is a little underthrown, forcing him to come back to it, but the reception is easy with no defenders within a 5-yard radius. After turning around with the ball in his hands, Pittman reaches into his YAC arsenal, hitting the corner with a sidestep inside and absorbing a hit from the safety. He reaches forward after taking both tackle attempts, and manages an extra 4 yards for a gain of 9.

Play 2

Formation: Dubs, Pittman is the outside receiver to the left

Result: 9-yard gain, first down

On second-and-4, Pittman once again has the cornerback 7 yards off of him. He does a good job selling the vertical route before planting on the curl route and coming back to find the ball. The defense is in cover 3 once again and Pittman’s route places him between the flat defender and the deep corner; the ball reaches him cleanly and he secures the catch. The corner actually does a good job coming up quickly and making an immediate tackle, but Pittman gets the first down.

Play 3

Formation: H-Back trips right, Pittman is the sole receiver to the left

Result: 8-yard touchdown

Pittman’s corner is all the way off of him, with his feet planted at the goal line. The corner backpedals at the snap and the play is essentially over from that moment. The Cougars are in cover 0, with everyone in man coverage except for the linebacker with the robber zone in the middle of the field. Since Pittman’s corner backpedals, once Pittman makes his in-cut at the goal line he’s far too distant to come up and make a play on the ball. The ball is thrown at the right time, and Pittman makes an easy catch for the touchdown before the robber linebacker can make it over.