In defeat, USC shows pieces that could help Lincoln Riley

BERKELEY — USC’s players were raw as they left the locker room following a 24-14, season-ending loss to Cal on Saturday. Yes, the defeat stung, just like the seven before it. But there was a sense of the unknown that permeated the roster: Where do I fit in under new head coach Lincoln Riley? Was this the last game I’ll play with my position coach?

Still, despite the uncertainty, there was another feeling that everyone around the program could relate to, even if only senior defensive end Nick Figueroa could put it into words.

“The season’s behind us,” Figueroa said simply.

It’s the opportunity for a new start for USC (4-8). Gone is the season full of missed tackles, failed red-zone opportunities and mindless penalties, all of which reared their heads in the finale against Cal.

But the game did offer a glimpse into some future contributors for the Lincoln Riley era.

Freshman defensive end Korey Foreman, the former top recruit in the 2021 class, recorded a sack. It brought his total for the season up to 2.5. An expanded role in new coordinator Alex Grinch’s defense, known for letting defensive linemen bounce around and play fast, could unlock Foreman next season.

Freshman running back Brandon Campbell got some chances with Keaontay Ingram out, rushing nine times for 36 yards. Campbell didn’t play in the first nine games of the season but got 12 carries across the last three to get his feet wet heading into the off-season.

It was a similar drill for young wide receivers Kyle Ford and Michael Jackson III. The freshman Jackson led USC with 73 receiving yards in his first career start.

Ford, meanwhile, caught his first touchdown since Week 3, taking advantage of an over-eager defender to turn a routine first-down reception into a 45-yard touchdown pass. He finished with five receptions for 71 yards, leaving room to wonder what he could do with a full role and some extra separation from his second ACL tear.

And USC had two true freshman quarterbacks who did good things on Saturday.

Jaxson Dart got the start, as he did through the final three games of the season. He completed 65% of his passes for the second straight game while throwing for 191 yards and the touchdown to Ford.

But a hit to the head on a scramble attempt in the third quarter sidelined Dart for the remainder of the game, putting fellow freshman Miller Moss into the game for his first serious action of his career.

Moss said he felt a little shaky to start, but completed 8 of 13 passes for 74 yards and led USC on an 87-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, finding K.D. Nixon for a 16-yard TD pass.

“Once I got rolling I felt like we could score every time,” Moss said.

Moss committed to returning to USC next season, saying that he is approaching the off-season like a competition with Dart for the starting quarterback position. (Kedon Slovis is widely expected to either transfer or declare for the NFL Draft.)

Dart is considered the more mobile of the two, which makes him a more traditional fit for what Riley likes to do on offense. But Moss said as long as he gets a fair chance, he is excited for the new era at USC.

“As a quarterback, that’s pretty much all you can ask for, you take one of the best coaches in college football and a guy that’s known for developing quarterbacks,” Moss said. “So I’m really excited to work with him and learn as much as I possibly can from him.”

USC has as many questions to answer these next two weeks as it had leaving the locker room on Saturday. Running back Keaontay Ingram and center Brett Neilon both said they want to speak with Riley before making a decision on the NFL. Others have choices to make about going pro or going to another school.

But amid the transition, there was just a hint of what might be next for USC.