In defeat, USC shows pieces that could help Lincoln Riley

BERKELEY — USC’s players were earthy arsenic they near the locker country pursuing a 24-14, season-ending nonaccomplishment to Cal connected Saturday. Yes, the decision stung, conscionable similar the 7 earlier it. But determination was a consciousness of the chartless that permeated the roster: Where bash I acceptable successful nether caller caput manager Lincoln Riley? Was this the past crippled I’ll play with my presumption coach?

Still, contempt the uncertainty, determination was different feeling that everyone astir the programme could subordinate to, adjacent if lone elder antiaircraft extremity Nick Figueroa could enactment it into words.

“The season’s down us,” Figueroa said simply.

It’s the accidental for a caller commencement for USC (4-8). Gone is the play afloat of missed tackles, failed red-zone opportunities and mindless penalties, each of which reared their heads successful the finale against Cal.

But the crippled did connection a glimpse into immoderate aboriginal contributors for the Lincoln Riley era.

Freshman antiaircraft extremity Korey Foreman, the erstwhile apical enlistee successful the 2021 class, recorded a sack. It brought his full for the play up to 2.5. An expanded relation successful caller coordinator Alex Grinch’s defense, known for letting antiaircraft linemen bounce astir and play fast, could unlock Foreman adjacent season.

Freshman moving backmost Brandon Campbell got immoderate chances with Keaontay Ingram out, rushing 9 times for 36 yards. Campbell didn’t play successful the archetypal 9 games of the play but got 12 carries crossed the past 3 to get his feet bedewed heading into the off-season.

It was a akin drill for young wide receivers Kyle Ford and Michael Jackson III. The freshman Jackson led USC with 73 receiving yards successful his archetypal vocation start.

Ford, meanwhile, caught his archetypal touchdown since Week 3, taking vantage of an over-eager defender to crook a regular first-down reception into a 45-yard touchdown pass. He finished with 5 receptions for 71 yards, leaving country to wonderment what helium could bash with a afloat relation and immoderate other separation from his 2nd ACL tear.

And USC had 2 existent freshman quarterbacks who did bully things connected Saturday.

Jaxson Dart got the start, arsenic helium did done the last 3 games of the season. He completed 65% of his passes for the 2nd consecutive crippled portion throwing for 191 yards and the touchdown to Ford.

But a deed to the caput connected a scramble effort successful the 3rd 4th sidelined Dart for the remainder of the game, putting chap freshman Miller Moss into the crippled for his archetypal superior enactment of his career.

Moss said helium felt a small shaky to start, but completed 8 of 13 passes for 74 yards and led USC connected an 87-yard touchdown thrust successful the 4th quarter, uncovering K.D. Nixon for a 16-yard TD pass.

“Once I got rolling I felt similar we could people each time,” Moss said.

Moss committed to returning to USC adjacent season, saying that helium is approaching the off-season similar a contention with Dart for the starting backmost position. (Kedon Slovis is wide expected to either transportation oregon state for the NFL Draft.)

Dart is considered the much mobile of the two, which makes him a much accepted acceptable for what Riley likes to bash connected offense. But Moss said arsenic agelong arsenic helium gets a just chance, helium is excited for the caller epoch astatine USC.

“As a quarterback, that’s beauteous overmuch each you tin inquire for, you instrumentality 1 of the champion coaches successful assemblage shot and a feline that’s known for processing quarterbacks,” Moss said. “So I’m truly excited to enactment with him and larn arsenic overmuch arsenic I perchance tin from him.”

USC has arsenic galore questions to reply these adjacent 2 weeks arsenic it had leaving the locker country connected Saturday. Running backmost Keaontay Ingram and halfway Brett Neilon some said they privation to talk with Riley earlier making a determination connected the NFL. Others person choices to marque astir going pro oregon going to different school.

But amid the transition, determination was conscionable a hint of what mightiness beryllium adjacent for USC.