Matt Leinart gives grave assessment of USC, contrasts Oregon
Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart did not hold back when discussing his Trojans, a team that went from a No. 15 ranking in the Week 2 AP Top-25 poll to watching it all slip away after a 42-28 loss to the Stanford Cardinal.
It seemed like nothing went right for USC on Saturday; The Trojans are now 1-1 following a Week One win over San Jose State but fall behind in the Pac-12 conference standings.
“This is just bad,” Leinart said of USC’s play. “I saw Orgeon today up close and personal and they would drop the hammer on SC. Two programs going in different directions.”
Perhaps Leinart has a point. USC fell in shocking fashion to Stanford on Saturday, while Oregon pulled off a season-defining upset over Ohio State.
The Trojans looked to have found themselves in a hole as soon as the game began. Quarterback Kedon Slovis completed just 27 of his 42 pass attempts, good for 223 passing yards and a touchdown, but Slovis also threw an interception — one that, early in the second half, was returned 31 yards, all the way for a touchdown by Stanford’s Kyu Blu Kelly. Stanford’s rushing attack simply couldn’t get much going: with the exception of a 20-yard rush by Vavae Malepeai and a 22-yard rush by Keaontay Ingram, USC was seldom able to break 10 yards on a single rush. The offense finished the game with 185 rushing yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns, which ultimately was far from enough.
On the defensive side of the ball, things weren’t much better for USC. Tanner McKee, Stanford’s newly-named starting quarterback, had an extremely efficient first day on the job, thanks in part to USC letting him complete nearly all his passes. He ended with a completion percentage of roughly 70, good for 234 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. USC’s defense simply could not stop Stanford running back Nathaniel Peat, who had 115 rushing yards and a touchdown in just six carries, highlighted by an 87-yard rush.
Simply put, the game went wrong in just about every way it could for USC, and Leinart was not the only alumnus to voice his frustration.
The 1995 Pac-12 Player of the Year, wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, tweeted on Saturday night to voice his displeasure with Clay Helton following USC’s lifeless loss to Stanford.
“I’m so pissed. I can no longer Fight On for him — Period. Embarrassing” Johnson tweeted about USC and Coach Helton.
While Helton entered 2021 with his team surrounded by promise, any hope left was squandered by the loss to Stanford. By the end of the night, it was clear that Johnson and Leinart were not the only unhappy USC fans.
“Many of the few remaining USC fans at the Coliseum are clapping and chanting “Fire Helton!” loudly enough that we can hear them up here in the press box,” Greg Beachum tweeted.
Following years of middling play, Helton needed a memorable season to endear himself to USC fans. However, it appears he is already against the ropes with one loss.