A Deep Dive into USC Football's Winning Strategies and Key Players

The season, which began with hopes of a National Championship, quickly crumbled, concluding with a defeat for the Bruins and a likely bitter farewell for Caleb Williams. In a season that could be titled "The Humbling of the USC Trojans," USC faced a humiliating 38-20 loss to their rival UCLA Bruins at the Coliseum on Saturday to close out the season. Similar to the previous season's matchup, USC took a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter as their defense thwarted the Trojans on their tracks. USC, for the second time this season, failed to cross the 50-yard line in the first quarter, this time against Arizona. However, USC quickly bounced back. From the 26-yard line and 10th place, junior quarterback Caleb Williams threw a bomb to Brandon Rice, who got free and swiftly caught the ball for USC's first points. It proved to be one of those moments when the USC crowd had something to cheer about. With less than ten minutes left in the third quarter and so close to securing a bold move to defend their own endzone, USC's defense couldn't stop the monsters that had plagued them for two years. The Trojans allowed a touchdown pass to running back T.J. Hardin from junior quarterback Ethan Garbers. The deficit extended to 18 points before the end of the game at a score of 38-20. Last season gave many fans, students, and alumni the confidence that USC would return to the top of college football in 2023. Williams was coming off a Heisman-winning season, new additions to the defense like Georgia defensive tackle Bear Alexander were seen, and there was a different vibe with linebacker Mason Cobb from Oklahoma State, and the atmosphere around the field felt somewhat different. However, the devastating loss to Notre Dame (where Williams had his worst collegiate performance) slowed down the momentum, and the subsequent defeat to Utah took the USC train off the tracks completely. The second part of the season was filled with ups and downs. After a strong start of 6-0, USC fell behind in its last six matches with a 1-5 record. The Trojan also lost its ranking position in the Lincoln Riley era. The hopes of a triumphant return to the top now seem distant, and the USC Trojans find themselves reflecting on a season that didn't live up to the initial expectations.