It was a refined gesture. A nod of respect from USC to a soccer coach who spent a dozen years within the constructing earlier than an unceremonious exit. However as the general public tackle announcer took the uncommon step of studying Clay Helton’s identify aloud, the frustration from his ultimate few years at USC got here pouring out in a refrain of boos from all corners of the Coliseum.
Seems, even 4 years after his firing, Helton might nonetheless conjure sophisticated emotions among the many Trojan devoted. What he couldn’t do Saturday is cease the Trojans from taking these emotions out on his soccer workforce in a 59-20 beatdown.
A reunion that started politely shortly turned to catharsis, because the USC offense piled up yards and factors at will for the second week in a row.
After tallying 597 yards in its Week 1 blowout of Missouri State, USC moved the ball much more effectively in Week 2, racking up 755 yards, essentially the most at USC in twenty years. They averaged 12 yards per play and ripped off a dozen large performs of 20-plus yards.
USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane stretches out to drag in a landing cross with one hand towards Georgia Southern on Saturday on the Coliseum.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Occasions)
And identical to final week, junior quarterback Jayden Maiava was content material to take a seat again and decide aside an inferior protection. He threw 4 touchdowns Saturday, whereas his 412 passing yards shattered his profession excessive earlier than the fourth quarter even started.
By that time, the Trojans have been as soon as once more trotting out their backups for a full quarter’s price of reps — all of which might find yourself being important expertise later within the season.
“It’s awesome getting everybody involved,” Maiava mentioned.
Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon, USC’s prime two receivers, didn’t catch any passes after halftime … as a result of they didn’t must. They nonetheless had 249 mixed yards. And Maiava via two video games has needed to play simply 5 quarters, and nonetheless has 707 passing yards and 7 touchdowns to point out for it.
USC’s speeding assault didn’t face a lot resistance both on Saturday. The Trojans racked up 309 yards on the bottom alone, the many of the Lincoln Riley period by a large margin. Waymond Jordan had 5 runs of 10 yards or extra in simply 16 carries as he completed with 167 yards. Eli Sanders added 55 extra and even walk-on King Miller broke away for an additional large landing run, his second in as many weeks.
“We’re making some big plays on all sides, which is great,” Riley mentioned. “That doesn’t mean it’ll always be like that.”
It wasn’t, nevertheless, a banner day for USC’s protection, which allowed Georgia Southern to maneuver the ball. The secondary had a number of breakdowns that led to large performs for the Eagles, who completed with seven cross performs of 15 yards or extra. The protection additionally contributed six penalties.
However on a day reminiscent of Saturday, when USC’s offense might do no matter it needed, it didn’t a lot matter.
“We’re still a long ways off from our best,” Riley mentioned. “Not as locked on results. I have a sense of how good this team can play, and all of us as coaches, we’re trying to push them to that. Don’t pay so much attention to the scoreboard or stats — it wasn’t our best. And do we need to just own it and get better? So far the team has done that, but we’ll have to continue doing that.”
USC was removed from its greatest initially. Jordan, on his second carry of the day, fumbled. Then a foul offside penalty stored Georgia Southern’s drive alive and the Eagles linked on a 32-yard landing cross on the following play.
Nonetheless, Riley went proper again to Jordan on the following possession and the operating again delivered, as USC rolled down the sector on a scoring drive behind 41 yards from the junior.
Lane punctuated the drive as Maiava lofted a cross in his course towards the tip zone. Twisted up with a Georgia Southern defender, Lane wanted only a single outstretched arm to drag down the Trojans’ first rating.
USC operating again Waymond Jordan carries the ball towards Georgia Southern within the third quarter Saturday on the Coliseum.
(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Occasions)
USC’s offense caught fireplace from there. The Trojans wanted simply two performs on their subsequent possession to search out the tip zone. Then three performs on the drive after that. Each possessions ended with Lemon sprinting free for touchdowns.
The primary noticed Lemon slip two tackles earlier than weaving his manner via the Georgia Southern secondary for a 62-yard landing. The second, Lemon merely turned on the jets and blew previous the Eagles’ protection with ease for a 74-yard rating.
“Just capitalized off every opportunity I got today,” Lemon mentioned. “Trying to impact the team in a positive way whenever I touch the ball.”
It appeared USC may depart Georgia Southern within the mud after that, much like the way it piled up factors per week in the past towards Missouri State. However Helton’s workforce stored hanging round. They led 4 straight drives into USC territory, solely to come back up quick on three of them.
The Trojans’ firepower was merely an excessive amount of to deal with. USC led one other fast scoring drive, this time needing simply 4 performs earlier than tight finish Walker Lyons trotted in for a landing.
By halftime, USC already had 415 yards, greater than it tallied in six video games final season, whereas Maiava had greater than 300 passing yards and 4 touchdowns.
It solely acquired extra lopsided after half. Jordan broke away for a 36-yard landing scamper. Sanders scored twice in 10 minutes of recreation time. Miller even acquired in on the enjoyable with a breakaway landing, his second in two weeks.
With its second-team offense in for many of the fourth quarter, USC would come up only a landing wanting its greatest two-game scoring whole in program historical past.
However when the buzzer mercifully sounded, Helton strolled throughout the Coliseum area with a smile on his face. He snapped photographs with the few gamers remaining that performed for him. He thought again on days spent within the stadium along with his youngest son, Turner, who truly completed the sport as Georgia Southern’s quarterback.
USC had simply handed him a 39-point loss, however Helton sounded gracious simply to have been again within the constructing. He even complimented USC followers’ “great passion” in booing him.
“It’s one of those special places,” Helton mentioned, “and you get to be a part of it and you know it’s not going to last forever — you hope it does, but I got to be a part of it, and now to be back and see what Coach Riley’s doing with a really good ballclub.
“I can’t wait for them to do even more great things here.”
