USC spring game 2018: Players and storylines to watch
The USC Trojans will see some new faces in critical areas this upcoming season. Here’s what to look for from their 2018 spring game.
After an impressive Rose Bowl victory the season prior, the USC Trojans came into the 2017 season with plenty of momentum. Wanting to crack the playoffs and put themselves back in the spotlight, the Trojans scuffled a bit earlier.
They had some close calls with Western Michigan and Texas early in the season. Despite the fact that they were winning games, Sam Darnold struggled mightily with turnovers and poor offensive line play led to some key losses that kept them from the playoffs.
However, the Trojans rebounded to finish strong and wound up winning the Pac-12 Championship in Santa Clara. With the victory, they earned their invite to a New Year’s Six Bowl, where they were trounced by Ohio State.
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2018 Outlook
In 2018, the Trojans will aim to defend their crown as best in the conference. They’re going to have to replace several key players if they’re not only going to remain a conference contender, but also a playoff one as well.
The biggest player they’re going to have to replace is Sam Darnold. They have some very talented freshman options at their disposal, but not a lot of experience at the position and that’s going to be a tough challenge for a program looking to make the playoffs.
They also will have to rely on new weapons at the running back spot and wide receiver. Fortunately for the Trojans, they are loaded with young talent waiting in the wings to take over to help their cause.
Defensively, the Trojans should be as sound as anyone in the country. While they have lost some talented players, they also return several talented as well. This should be the strength of the team this year.
Clay Helton has done a lot of great things in his first two years as head coach of USC. Now, he has the chance to compound it in year three. There are a lot of expectations for this bunch, but they are also realistic.
Here are some players and storylines to follow leading into their spring scrimmage on Saturday, April 14 at 3 pm. ET and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network.