USC was 5-7 on 3rd and 7 or more (excluding the knee at the end of the game). No ranting or magic fix suggestions here but this is the difference in the game to me.
USC was 5-7 on 3rd and 7 or more (excluding the knee at the end of the game). No ranting or magic fix suggestions here but this is the difference in the game to me.
However, USC didn't do nearly as well on 3rd-and-shorter.
Both played a part in the end results, one favorable, one not. Certainly the 2nd-and-20 and 3rd-and-14 makes for USC on their last main drive were huge in the end result, and no doubt it was dissapointing to see them make both. At least the 3rd-down pass was simply a really good USC execution - the only obvious mistake by the Gophers on that play was the right DE not staying home and allowing Barkley to get outside.