USC falls flat in first loss to Oregon State at Coliseum since 1960

LOS ANGELES — Remember that 1 play wherever it felt similar USC had turned the country and was starting to look similar a cohesive team? All the mode backmost 1 week agone successful Pullman?

Well, those lukewarm feelings didn’t find their mode backmost to Los Angeles.

In different stunningly-lifeless show successful beforehand of the location fans, USC fell 45-27 to Oregon State, arsenic Donte Williams’ archetypal location arsenic interim caput manager ended with the Trojans’ archetypal nonaccomplishment to the Beavers successful the Coliseum since 1960, John McKay’s archetypal twelvemonth arsenic caput coach.

The decision came successful fitting manner for a programme that’s been defined by inconsistency for respective years.

Remember however USC (2-2, 1-2 successful Pac-12) dominated the 3rd 4th against Washington State? Well, against the Beavers (3-1, 1-0), the Trojans were outscored 14-0 and out-gained 166-60 successful the 15 minutes aft halftime. Then it saw Oregon State people different touchdown connected the 2nd play of the 4th fourth to implicit a 35-3 run.

How astir the USC defence that locked Washington State down for the last two-and-a-half quarters past weekend? This week, the Trojans allowed the Beavers to summation 532 yards of offense, averaging 7.7 per play.

And the subject that USC showed against Washington State? Gone this Saturday, with the Trojans committing 3 turnovers and a twelve penalties. When USC was trying to halt the bleeding down 11 successful the 3rd quarter, near tackle Courtland Ford committed consecutive mendacious starts to crook a third-and-one into third-and-11, which USC failed to convert.

The Trojans’ miscues were capable to offset the Beavers’ multitude of errors.

If you were told that Oregon State had 9 first-half penalties accounting for 110 yards, you’d beryllium forgiven for expecting the Trojans went into the halftime interruption with a multi-touchdown lead.

Instead, it was a 21-17 shortage that USC faced successful the locker room.The Trojans allowed Oregon State to determination 324 yards successful the archetypal half, including 171 connected the ground. The operation of powerfulness moving by B.J. Baylor and expanse plays near the USC defence spinning.

Beaver backmost Chance Nolan completed 11 of 13 passes and threw for 3 touchdowns successful the archetypal half, including the go-ahead 36-yarder to Tre’Shaun Harrison to implicit a 44-second, 92-yard drive.

And the USC discourtesy moved the shot good capable itself, but was hampered by dropped passes from its receivers, including 3 by Tahj Washington and 1 by the sure-handed Drake London.

The Beavers came retired of halftime and scored again connected a six-play, 75-yard drive, overcoming a holding punishment that negated a touchdown to people connected the precise adjacent play.

So by the clip USC moving backmost Keaontay Ingram punched successful his 2nd rushing touchdown of the day, determination weren’t galore fans near successful the Coliseum to cheer. There was a tiny emergence retired of the remaining fans erstwhile Jaylin Smith caught Nolan’s 2nd interception of the game, and USC moved rapidly with 2 chunk passes to Washington and London.

But wrong the reddish zone, backmost Kedon Slovis, who finished with 3 interceptions and a mislaid fumble, was sacked connected archetypal down past called for intentional grounding to debar different connected second.

At the extremity of the drive, USC settled for thing much than a tract goal, a small other constitution connected different disfigured location loss.