The USC Trojans suffered their first loss of the season against the Michigan Wolverines. The Trojans nearly won the game before Michigan scored in the final minute, but the offense is able to bounce back from the loss.

One of the first things that needs to be improved is quarterback Miller Moss’ decision making. There were many plays where Moss chose to attack the deeper man instead of going for a first down. While being behind in a game makes you want to make the bigger play, sometimes gaining easy yards leads to a better scenario. Instead of first downs, the USC offense ended up having to punt.

Moss needs to refocus heading into Week 5. Teams in the Big Ten are known for their strong defense, and sometimes the easier shot can go a long way. The plays should still allow Moss to make long shots as much as possible, but more checkdowns could keep the offense on the field longer.

The Trojans also need to be careful when it comes to protecting the football. When the offense lost the ball, the Trojans forced another fumble and got the ball back on the same play. Moss also threw an interception that Michigan defensive back Will Johnson returned for a touchdown. Losing the ball in close games is costly and needs to get better in the future.

Michigan’s defensive line was better than USC’s offensive line, and the Wolverines pressured Moss all game long. USC still ran well, but Michigan out-gained them at the line. The pass defense was lacking, and that will hurt the team’s chances of winning in the future.

The USC offense needs to give Moss more time to get the ball out. When Moss has time, he can hit his opponent. Constantly getting sacked or running away from defenders makes it difficult for the offense to get going. Even running with the ball became difficult at times.

However, Moss will run when he needs to, but he needs to be prepared to run faster and release the ball more cleverly. Inaccurate passes are common under pressure. Moss needs to be careful when throwing the ball to avoid getting sacked. He needs to make sure there is no defender nearby who can take the ball from him.

The changes made and the fight USC showed in the second half of the Michigan game show that the Trojans are capable of correcting their mistakes. The game was exciting until the end, and they even took the lead at times. After the game, coach Lincoln Riley praised the team’s fighting spirit, saying, “We missed a play. We were proud of the fighting spirit of our guys. We worked our asses off.”

The way the offense played in the second half shows that this is not the end of the USC Trojans’ season. Losses happen, but that doesn’t mean this is the end for USC this year. The offense can make the necessary changes and continue to contend this season. The first step is playing a clean game against the Wisconsin Badgers in week five on Saturday, September 28.