They flew again, throughout the middle, down the sidelines, from Figueroa to Vermont, swirling by means of the heat with heat.
They hit once more, pushing, pummeling, pancaking, boasting dominance of a area they at the time ruled, a moment they at the time owned.
They related all over again, grabbing bullet balls, clutching tipped balls, choose just after decide on right after choose, wrapping their arms around a society that had prolonged been considered dropped.
On a scorching Saturday afternoon at a Coliseum rollicking with a rebirth, with gamers bouncing on the sideline and fans pumping fists as a result of the sweat, an aged good friend returned with a roar.
USC football feels like USC football once again.
The end result of the Trojans’ to start with sport with new mentor Lincoln Riley and his two-dozen transfers — a 66-14 victory above Rice — was totally envisioned.
What was surprising was how overwhelmingly distinct it appeared.
Even in 94-degree temperatures, it was like a breath of fresh new air, a reminder of what life utilized to be like around right here, a literal blast from the earlier.
The drudgery of Clay Helton, the darkness of Steve Sarkisian, the craziness of Lane Kiffin, all of it disappeared in a three-hour throwback to Pete Carroll.
“We understand in this city, we have received to go verify who we are as a workforce,” a boyish, grinning Riley said afterward. “We’re heading to do all the things we can as a staff to maintain doing work so folks simply cannot even stand the considered of not coming to a USC football video game.”
USC coach Lincoln Riley celebrates with his daughter after successful in his Trojans debut from Rice.
(Luis Sinco / VFAB)
These Trojans are extremely disciplined, extremely centered, incredibly opportunistic — significantly, they experienced 3 choose-sixes — and entertainingly bold.
Did you see what occurred immediately after they gained the coin toss? Defying typical soccer knowledge, they elected to obtain.
Give us the ball. Now.
They scored barely 3 minutes afterwards on a five-property go from new quarterback Caleb Williams to new receiver Jordan Addison and under no circumstances enable up, much to the delight of a larger sized-than-envisioned group, some of whom lingered in the early night shadows to serenade the Trojans as they slowly but surely departed a crowded and celebratory postgame midfield scene.
Just like the previous times.
“It’s a enjoyable moment,” Riley stated. “It’s meaningful to us all.”
The 66 points are the most they have scored in a match considering that — you guessed it — Carroll roamed the sideline in 2008.
Rice cornerback Sean Fresch, still left, is named for interference on a go intended for USC vast receiver Brenden Rice throughout the to start with fifty percent.
(Luis Sinco / VFAB)
“Last evening at the staff conference you could convey to, they were just like, get the sport here,” Riley said.
No person seemed extra thrilled with the opportunity than Williams, the Oklahoma transfer who lived up to just about every little bit of the hoopla. He threaded the needle on sideline passes, deftly observed receivers in excess of the middle, and twisting downfield on foot.
He missed on just 3 of 22 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns though getting eight distinct receivers on all kinds of distinctive angles. He also rushed for 68 yards on a number of daring and spinning scrambles.
“I considered he performed extremely substantially in management, pretty significantly at ease, which I think quarterbacks that are enjoying at a large degree, frequently it appears like that,” claimed Riley, who is aware something about higher-degree quarterbacks.
Is it way too before long to fall this person in the middle of the Heisman race? Maybe not.
“We have a good deal of self esteem, it is sort of coming together … 1 heartbeat,” Williams said. “It will take a great deal of reps, whole lot of greatest effort, second hard work, to make it glance like that.”
USC functioning back again Austin Jones breaks totally free for a touchdown from Rice in the second fifty percent.
(Luis Sinco / VFAB)
The new managing backs also thumped by that heartbeat, Stanford transfer Austin Jones scoring two times which include breaking two tackles on a 28-yard run, while freshman Raleek Brown bounced outside the house for a 14-yard landing that he completed with a bit of a Heisman-style pose.
All this good offense, nevertheless the Trojans’ new search and angle was most effective displayed by two plays on defense.
In the second quarter, Rice’s Cameron Montgomery broke free of charge up the center and was racing for a touchdown when he was caught from powering just after 55 yards in an inspired exertion by basic safety Calen Bullock.
4 plays later, Bullock grabbed a tipped pass from Rice quarterback Wiley Green and raced 93 yards for a landing.
It was the 1st of people a few interception returns for touchdowns, Shane Lee picking a tipped ball and jogging it again 40 yards and Nick Figueroa smothering quarterback TJ McMahon into a lousy move that Ralen Goforth returned 31 yards for a score.
“It’s a entertaining minute,” mentioned Riley. “I assumed we managed our electrical power and physicality the complete sport.”
USC quarterback Caleb Williams celebrates with teammates following the Trojans’ 66-14 gain more than Rice at the Coliseum on Saturday.
(Ashley Landis / Affiliated Press)
It was also heartening that, on a working day so warm the USC marching band was putting on shorts, the Trojans did not reduce their awesome.
Think about it. When was the previous time the USC starters didn’t commit a bunch of penalties? By means of 3 quarters, before the backups took in excess of, they fully commited just three. Increase this to their zero turnovers and it’s a various scene in truth.
Justin Dedich, Trojan guard, found this new fact in empty seats late in the sport.
“Usually enthusiasts would leave the sport for the reason that we obtained blown out so undesirable,” he mentioned. “[This time] they remaining since we received so properly.”
It’s just one match, of training course. Stanford awaits future week on The Farm. An entire autumn of potholes is unfold out before them. Only by averting individuals traps can USC really demonstrate things have changed.
“We have an understanding of this is just the starting,” stated Riley. “There’s so, so considerably still left,”
But, goodness, what a starting.
Before the match, alternatively of remaining brought out of the tunnel by a previous USC soccer star, the Trojans had been led on to the industry by former USC basketball stars Isaiah and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The soccer workforce did not lumber, it raced, pursuing the hopping and sprinting basketball players into a mad sideline scrum.
Contact it a rapid break into a new period.
USC football feels like USC soccer once again.
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