USC defense shines in uneven win over San Jose State

LOS ANGELES — Despite a blistery commencement and a stifling show from the USC defense, the Trojans had small country for mistake aboriginal successful the 4th fourth of the play opener against San Jose State.

With the discourtesy stalling connected 3 red-zone appearances, USC was uncomfortably up by 9 with the shot backmost successful the Spartans’ hands. But the short-handed defence had 1 much large play up its sleeve.

Senior nickel backmost Greg Johnson stepped successful beforehand of a walk from San Jose State backmost Nick Starkel with a wide-open tract successful beforehand of him. Johnson returned the interception 37 yards for the touchdown and the country the Trojans needed to implicit a 30-7 triumph Saturday astatine the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

It was 1 of respective standout plays for the defense. First was extracurricular linebacker Drake Jackson stepping successful beforehand of a surface walk for an interception that acceptable up a leaping, 29-yard Tahj Washington touchdown catch. True freshman information Calen Bullock, starting successful spot of Isaiah Pola-Mao (health and safety), had a drive-ending tackle connected 3rd down successful the archetypal quarter.

San Jose State (1-1) ne'er made it to the USC broadside of the tract successful the archetypal quarter, and lone did truthful successful the 2nd aft Ben Griffiths was forced to punt retired of the Trojans’ extremity zone. USC (1-0) held the Spartans without a third-down conversion successful 7 first-half attempts.

And erstwhile the Spartans were threatening to chopped into USC’s 16-point pb successful the 4th quarter, USC responded with a red-zone stand, with Jayden Williams coming up with a goal-line walk breakup and the Trojans forcing a agelong walk connected 4th down to crook the shot implicit connected downs.

USC did it each contempt a litany of injuries that near starters Jackson, Chris Steele and Nick Figueroa connected the seat for overmuch of the 2nd half.

The defense’s play helped screen for an uneven show from the USC offense.

The Trojans scored connected their archetypal 2 drives to physique a 10-0 lead. The tally crippled was capable to get moving, with newcomer Keaontay Ingram and Vavae Malepeai combining for 114 yards connected 19 first-half carries. Ingram broke a mates of extracurricular runs that elicited oohs and aahs from the Coliseum assemblage of 54,398.

The offseason churn successful the aerial attack, though, was evident. After completing 12 of his archetypal 14 attempts, backmost Kedon Slovis finished the 2nd 4th 1-for-7 for 3 yards. Washington and Drake London each made 4 catches successful the archetypal half, but nary different receiver got progressive arsenic Slovis relied alternatively connected Malepeai and choky ends.

London caught 13 passes Saturday, a career-high for the inferior receiver.

USC ended the archetypal fractional with a mislaid fumble, 3 punts and a tract goal.

The discourtesy continued its struggles aft halftime, opening the 3rd 4th with 2 punts earlier making it to the reddish portion to commencement the fourth. But a sack, a abbreviated completion to London and a Slovis keeper were not capable to acceptable up first-and-goal, and USC had to settee for the 3rd Parker Lewis tract extremity of the game.

Slovis, who finished the crippled 25-for-36 for 263 yards, did find Erik Krommenhoek sliding successful the extremity portion for a 20-yard touchdown with 2:07 to play to enactment the finishing touches connected the win.