USC was back on the practice field Wednesday with Fresno State looming Friday night at the Coliseum, and the Trojans spent part of the day sorting through what went wrong late in their opener and what comes next.
The Trojans beat San Jose State 42-26 last Saturday, but the fourth quarter left a mess on film. Lincoln Riley said Tuesday there were more coverage busts in the final 15 minutes than in the rest of the game combined, and the players who spoke Wednesday made clear that the teaching tape was ugly.
Prophet Brown said the younger players were seeing that kind of film for the first time, while still taking the coaching that came with it. Desman Stephens II said Gary Patterson always says "Focus on the message not on the delivery."
Stephens said the veterans’ blunt criticism of the fourth-quarter breakdowns landed the right way with the younger group.
Fresno State brings a different look. The Bulldogs are nearly 30 pounds bigger across the board on the offensive line, and while Kam Crawford and Floyd Boucard did not want to get too deep into comparing the two opponents by size, the matchup clearly offers USC a test more in line with what the Big Ten is expected to bring.
There is also a quarterback situation to account for. Jayden Mandal has only started one college football game, and that came two years ago.
The rest of Fresno State’s quarterback room has never made a start. USC kept its focus on its own growth, but the reality of Fresno State’s inexperience under center and its size up front was part of the conversation around Wednesday’s prep.
Friday night will also bring a familiar face to USC in former linebackers coach Matt Entz. Riley praised Entz on Tuesday, and Stephens said the same kind of respect runs through the locker room. Stephens said Entz made an impact on him as both a player and a person, and he expects a smart, physical team to show up with Entz on the sideline.
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