Skip to main content
USC
Join Now

5 Things: USC 45, Arizona 37

Erik-McKinneyby: Erik McKinney10/30/22ErikTMcKinney

WeAreSC’s Erik McKinney, Marc Kulkin and Greg Katz provide their 5 Things following USC’s 45-37 win against the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson.

Player of the Game

It was unanimous for the WeAreSC staff in selecting their player of the game. Caleb Williams threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed for a few important first downs. Though, a couple of wide receivers earned mentioned here as well. And with Jordan Addison and Mario Williams both sidelined, big games came from a few unexpected places.

Play of the Game

Three different answers for the Play of the Game. One was a big positive for USC. One was a big negative for the Trojans. And one….well, one was confusing, infuriating and above all, completely expected from a certain group on the field.

Expectation Met

Williams talked for two weeks about how locked in he and the team felt coming off the one-point loss to Utah. He responded in a big way. Williams came out of the gate firing, completing 12-of-15 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter.

Surprise

Some of the injury news came as more of a surprise than others. Regardless, USC ran out three offensive linemen in different spots in the starting lineup and eventually had a fourth change when Courtland Ford entered the game for an injured Bobby Haskins. How good were that combination at left tackle, plus Justin Dedich at left guard, Brett Neilon at center, Jonah Monheim at right guard and Mason Murphy at right tackle? Good enough to warrant a strong mention here. Other shoutouts go to the guys who carried the load at the skill positions when USC didn’t have two of their best available. And another mentioned the way USC attacked Arizona, with a heavy dose of passing early shifting to run later in the game.

Biggest Takeaway

How good is this team? What does it mean for the next several games? And, in addition, what does it mean for games well beyond that?

You may also like

Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz