There was a school soccer sport Sunday evening, however the vibe in Las Vegas, Nevada, was that of a marquee boxing bout being hosted proper there on the strip.
No. 23 USC and No. 13 LSU confronted off in what felt like a warm-up to the Faculty Soccer Playoff, the 2 heavyweights buying and selling physique blows for 60 minutes.
At one level followers have been scratching their eyes considering LSU nice Odell Beckham Jr. had re-appeared in a purple and gold jersey when Kyron Hudson made a one-handed snag within the first half.
In the end, the Trojans had their Rocky Balboa second, scoring a game-winning landing with eight seconds remaining to knock off a top-15 opponent for the second straight sport going again to final 12 months’s Vacation Bowl.
Listed here are three massive takeaways from the top-25 matchup:
1. USC’s protection is loads higher and that is excellent news for its offense
Per the Related Press, the Trojans completed 116th out of 130 FBS groups in complete protection final 12 months, regardless of a prolific offense that featured quarterback Caleb Williams. Sunday was a unique story, nonetheless. USC’s protection held LSU to only 20 factors on 421 complete yards Sunday, relieving some strain from its offense on key drives. If that play stays constant in a tricky Large Ten schedule, USC might trigger some waves in its convention debut.
2. LSU wasn’t that dangerous, however the highway forward is hard
Over 400 complete yards on offense is not dangerous in any respect however LSU’s faults got here in two locations: on third downs and on protection. The Tigers have been 5-for-13 on third down Sunday, shedding out on treasured possessions and factors at crucial junctures. And giving up a speeding landing on a two-minute drill was a back-breaker. A focusing on name assisted the Trojans in getting inside hanging distance but when LSU’s protection had executed its job, the sport would have possible seen additional time.
Brian Kelly is now 0-3 in season-openers since becoming a member of LSU, and the season is not a bust by an extended shot… but. The Tigers’ schedule will get harder from right here on out, with 4 extra ranked opponents coming late within the season. They’re going to nonetheless have a shot, but it surely’ll require close to perfection going ahead.
3. USC is ready as much as make a run on the playoff
After Sunday’s good show, USC could have satisfied ballot voters that it ought to swap locations with LSU within the prime 15. Consistency might be key going into convention play. The excellent news, it’s going to keep away from No. 3 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State within the common season. The dangerous information, No. 9 Michigan (Sept. 21), No. 8 Penn State (Oct. 12) and No. 7 Notre Dame (Nov. 30) are possible required wins to qualify for the 12-team playoff.
