If USC needed any more sign that its wayward Pac-12 debut was off the tracks with no hope for recovery, it came late in the third quarter Saturday night when that ever reliable Kedon Slovis-Drake London connection faltered once more.
After the duo had uncharacteristically misfired on a touchdown pass that was there to be had late in the second quarter, the normally sure-handed star junior receiver later had a pass thrown just a little behind him deflect off his hands and and turn into a 31-yard interception return for touchdown for Stanford’s Kyu Blu Kelly.
At that point, it was a 15-point Cardinal lead with just over 5 minutes left to play in that third quarter, but the boos had started much earlier in the night on the way to an eventual 42-28 Stanford win.
The question now is whether the Trojans’ season has careened too far off the tracks to be righted.
That’s not to say USC won’t win games or play better than this — it’s to wonder if all that preseason confidence within the program can be revived, or what effect comes from the crescendo of frustration within a fan base that already seemed to lose any remaining patience with head coach Clay Helton long ago.
Is it Week 2 of 12-game schedule or the beginning of what will be a long season for the Trojans in the more figurative sense?
Perhaps it was a bad omen when kicker Parker Lewis was ejected from the game on the opening kickoff for a targeting penalty on the tackle.
On Stanford’s second possession, Nathaniel Peat broke through a well-blocked hole up front and took off for an 87-yard touchdown run — more than double the Cardinal’s collective rushing total from its season opener.
USC’s sluggish offense would answer early in the second quarter when it capped a long drive with center Brett Neilon making a heady play to get off the ground after the initial block and push running back Keaontay Ingram into the end zone to make it a 7-7 game.
Again, though, the Trojans would struggle trying to find the end zone again.
Meanwhile, a USC secondary that had played exceptionally a week ago vs. San Jose State, was picked apart until it came undone Saturday.
On that next drive after USC’s touchdown, cornerback Chris Steele was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty after the play (it was a questionable call), cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart (who had a particularly tough night) was called for pass interference in the end zone on third down, and after the defense rebounded to hold Stanford to a field goal cornerback Josh Jackson Jr. was called offside on the kick. The Cardinal opted to take the points off the board and scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Tanner McKee to Elijah Higgins.
The frustration would only mount.
After driving to the Stanford 7 late in the second quarter, Slovis was just a touch off on that third-down pass to London in the back center of the end zone, but the ball went off part of the receiver’s hand. The Trojans settled for a field goal to cut the deficit to 14-10.
Stanford quickly piled on further. Running back Austin Jones froze linebacker Kana’i Mauga with a juke move and ran wide open for a 49-yard completion. Two plays later McKee hit Brycen Tremayne for a 6-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead.
USC started the third quarter with a long drive to the Stanford 16, but Gary Bryant Jr. couldn’t reel in a Slovis third-down pass in the end zone and went careening head first into the goal post. Yeah, it was that kind of night.
USC kicked a field goal to make it 21-13 and forced a Stanford punt, but on that next series came that fateful pick-6 off London’s hands as the Cardinal made it a 28-13 lead that seemed almost insurmountable given the way the night was unfolding.
USC punted, Stanford benefited from pass interference calls on Greg Johnson and Steele and capped a 56-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard McKee keeper.
It was 35-13, and while it was still the third quarter, it was over.
Stanford tacked on another touchdown — a 2-yard Isaiah Sanders run — before USC found the end zone twice in the final 6 minutes with the game well in hand.
It’s only two games into the season, but a large chunk of the fan base was also concerned after USC went into the fourth quarter last week leading by just 6 over San Jose State before closing out a 30-7 win.
Helton could at least point to the strong fourth quarter and final score then.
This time, there’s not much more to say — only questions about where USC’s season goes from here.
Check back for full coverage after postgame interviews.